Ruthless Creatures (Queens & Monsters, #1)(96)

“Okay, that covers the first few months. How about the four and a half years after that?”

When he looks at me now, his gaze is assessing, like I’m someone he hasn’t met before.

He says softly, “You’ve changed.”

“Yep. I’m not worried about being easy to swallow anymore. You can choke.”

After another beat of silence, he says, “Why are you so angry with me?”

I don’t recall him being this stupid.

“Gosh, where to start? Oh, here’s a good place: you disappeared. The day. Before. Our fucking. Wedding.”

He stands abruptly and walks across the room, his hands shoved into the pockets of his shorts, his shoulders tense. Looking out the open French doors toward the sea, he says, “I’m not the man you think I am, tulip. There’s much I didn’t tell you.”

“I’m already caught up to date there, David. And don’t push me on the tulip thing. I meant what I said about the bowl of shells.”

He glances at me over his shoulder. Then he glances down at my left hand.

“There’s something you’re not telling me, too, isn’t there?”

I twist Kage’s promise ring around with my thumb. Suddenly, it feels hot, like it might burn through my skin and sear my bones.

When I remain silent, he prompts, “I know a Russian love knot when I see one, Natalie.”

“I bet you do. Did you give one to Claudia?”

Surprise flashes in his eyes. It’s followed quickly by alarm.

He turns from the French doors and walks back to me, his expression worried and his tone rising. “How do you know about Claudia? Who’s been talking to you?”

“What, no denials? It’s not like you to not have a good cover story all ready to go.”

He ignores my blistering sarcasm. “Whoever it is, you can’t trust him. He’s only trying to get close to you to find out information about me—”

I interrupt loudly, “I know. I’m caught up there, too. It’s been a laugh a minute the last few days, let me tell you.”

He crouches down in front of me, grasping my clammy hands and staring into my eyes.

“Tell me who contacted you. Tell me what’s happened. Tell me how you got here—everything.”

He must be able to see that I’m about to gouge out his eyes with a nice, sharp jab of my thumbs, because he adds softly, “Please.”

I can smell him now that he’s so close. That old, intoxicating mix of spice and sandalwood. Sweet and creamy, smooth and warm, it wafts into my nose like a siren’s call.

How I used to love that scent. How comforting it used to be.

Emphasis on “used to.”

Instead of feeling surprise or pain that his voice, scent, and lingering gaze no longer have the power to move me, I’m incredibly relieved.

It’s going to be so much easier to tell him to go to hell now that I’m not in love with him anymore.

The image of Kage’s handsome face flashes in front of my eyes. When I forcefully blink, it vanishes.

“You first, loverboy. Tell me why you left me the day before our wedding without so much as a goodbye. Massive case of cold feet? Or did you hit your head and remember you were already married?”

He draws a deep breath, then releases it, bowing his head to rest on our clasped hands. Unlike mine, his forehead is cool and dry.

He murmurs, “I never wanted to hurt you. I’m so sorry, Natalie.”

“Great. Skip to the good part.”

He exhales heavily, presses a soft kiss to the back of each of my hands, and releases them, rising. He returns to the sofa opposite mine and sits.

“I take it you know I was involved with the mafia.”

“Yes.”

“I was an accountant for the New York syndicate. I reported directly to the big boss.”

“Maxim Mogdonovich.”

David nods. “It was a desk job. I didn’t get my hands dirty. I never harmed anyone.”

“Whoopee for you. Keep talking.”

He pauses to grind his jaw for a while. He doesn’t like the new, bossy me.

“They recruited me right out of college with an offer of a ridiculous salary. At twenty-two, it was impossible for me to resist that much money. So I took the job. I told myself I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I wasn’t hurting people. But after almost a decade of working for them, I changed my mind. I was an accomplice to their violence, even if I never shed a drop of blood. My skills helped them thrive. So I decided I wanted out. Permanently.”

He seems sincere, but this man is an accomplished liar. I slept with him for years and never had a clue he wasn’t who he said he was.

I gesture for him to continue.

“Except there isn’t a way out of the Bratva. You can’t submit your resignation and walk away. I had to make a careful plan, which I did.”

“So you turned Mogdonovich in to the government.”

“Yes. I gave them everything they needed to nail him for enough crimes to put him away for life. In return, they gave me a new identity, relocated me, and wiped my existence off the books. Those were things I couldn’t do myself.”

I look at him, so stuffy and studious. So different from Kage.

Stop thinking about Kage!

“And what about your wife, David? What about your kids?”