Velvet Devil: A Russian Mafia Romance (47)

“Believe me, I have my reasons.”

“Care to share them with me?” she counters. “So I can at least have the chance to defend myself? Although the very thought is freaking laughable.”

“What exactly is laughable about it?”

“Oh, how about the fact that you’ve taken me hostage, and I’m still expected to defend myself to you?!”

I don’t bother addressing the point directly. Instead, I cut to the chase in an icy drawl: “Have you lied to me, Camila?”

She freezes at once. The anger dissipates, replaced by… something. Fear, maybe. It just adds fuel to the fire of my suspicions.

“If I did,” she says quietly, “could you blame me?”





18





Camila





My first and only thought is…

He knows.

He knows about Jo.

He lied about giving me my privacy and he’s been listening in this entire time.

Oh God.

Oh God.

Oh God.

Isaak’s eyes blaze with anger. Steel so hot it’s blue.

He takes a step towards me, and despite myself, I back into the wall, allowing him to pin me against it.

“Who were you speaking to just now?”

My heart is thundering against my chest. What answer do I give him? Should I lie, knowing that he might already know the truth?

Or should I stick to my story and make him force it out of me?

I choose to do neither.

“Get off me!”

I try to shove him backwards, but his hands slam down against the wall on either side of my head, locking me in.

“Don’t fucking play with me, Camila.”

“You think I’m playing with you?” I demand. “I was just caught in the middle, remember? Between you and Alex.”

“Maxim.”

“He’s Alex to me!” I practically yell in his face. “He’s only Maxim to you.”

His eyes narrow to slits. “You think I’m lying.”

“It’s not like I’ve seen or spoken to him since you hijacked our wedding day,” I remind him. “It’s your word against his and I haven’t heard a word from him.”

“You sure about that?”

I blink. “What?”

“Are you sure you haven’t heard a word from him?” he enunciates venomously.

“Of course I haven’t. What the hell is that supposed to mean? What are you asking me?”

“I’m asking if that was him on the phone just now, Camila.”

And just like that, the anxiety rushes from my lungs. Joy blossoms in its place.

He doesn’t know.

Jo was just showing me her paintings from school at the end of the call. “Look, Mama,” she’d crowed, beaming proudly.

“Oh my darling, that’s beautiful. What is that pink thing on top?”

“That’s our roof, Mama,” Jo had explained. “And you and me. We live in a white house with a pink roof.”

“We do?”

“Yeah, and we have a dog, too.”

“That sounds amazing. Does he have a name?”

“Not yet. I’m waiting ‘til you come and live with us. Then we can name him together.”

I’d been forced to fight back tears. The dream of reuniting with my daughter has all but disappeared now. God only knows if it’ll ever come to pass.

We’d ended the call the way we always do. “I miss you, Mama.”

“I love you. I love you so, so much.”

Even now, I’m tearing up again. But Isaak’s fury burning right in front of my face is hard to ignore. I focus back on him.

“You think I’ve been contacting Alex?”

“Have you?”

“No.”

He doesn’t believe me. No—he doesn’t trust me. I shouldn’t give a flying fuck about that, but against all reason, I do care.

“I was talking to my sister,” I tell him. “And her boys and… and her daughter.”

He doesn’t say anything. It’s like he’s weighing my words and he finds them wanting.

“I don’t know why you’re acting like this,” I say. “Last night—”

“What about last night?” he snaps.

“We actually talked to each other,” I say. “I don’t understand what’s brought this change.”

“I won’t tolerate being manipulated.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Are you fucking serious? You’re really going to stand there and claim that I’m the one who’s manipulating you?”

He has the audacity to look me right in the eye, without the slightest bit of guilt or remorse.

“You were the one who orchestrated a ridiculous ‘date’ to coerce me into giving you intel on your cousin,” I point out. “Or was that all in my imagination?”

“Helping me take down Maxim is in your best interests.”

“Oh, that’s the spin you’re going with?” I scoff.

“It’s not spin,” he growls. “It’s the fucking truth. He’s dangerous.”

“And you’re not?” I laugh humorlessly. “Yeah, right, I forgot: you’re a regular knight in shining armor.”