Page 15 of Born into Chaos

“You have to promise me you won’t say anything,” I tell him, not wanting to get anyone in trouble.

He lets out a harsh laugh. “You’re in no position to demand promises from me. You tell me right now what the hell happened, or I’m going to find the answers on my own.”

I know what that would entail, and the thought of him talking to my dad and uncles about this has me letting out a heavy sigh. “Fine, I’ll tell you, but I’m begging you to not say anything. Natalya and I snuck out a couple of years ago. It was right after Dominic came back to the States. We wanted to go to his club, so we snuck out and went. He pretty much immediately saw us and was as happy about it as you are. He hauled our asses back and made us swear to never do it again.”

I can’t help but grin. “In case you hadn’t noticed, they ended up falling ridiculously in love and getting married, so you’re welcome.”

He does not see the humor in my story and continues to glare at me. “How did you escape?”

Knowing we’re going to be sitting here until he gets the whole story, I get to it and tell him. “We were at the farmhouse.”

He immediately interrupts me. “Who was on duty?”

“Do you want me to tell the story or not?”

The look on his face almost has me laughing again, but I bite my lip and manage to keep it together. “As I was saying, we were at the farmhouse, and Grigori and Feliks were watching us that night.” Before I continue, I add, “I want to make it very clear that escaping for the night was entirely my idea, and I didn’t give Natalya much of a choice. I pushed her to do it, and I’m the one who came up with the plan. It was all me.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second. Natalya is much too sweet to do something so damn reckless.”

I raise a brow but don’t bother arguing. He’s right. Natalyawould’ve stayed in that night if I would’ve let her. She may have had some fun and it might have put her and Dominic together for a few hours, but that crazy escape plan was all me, and it could’ve gone wrong in so many different ways.

“Anyway,” I say, getting us back on track. “We said we were just going to watch movies in our room, and then we climbed down the trellis and hiked through the woods to where I had an Uber driver waiting. He took us to Dominic’s club. We paid some guy who was out back to let us sneak in the back door. We were on the dance floor when some jackass got a little handsy with Natalya. That’s when Dominic found us.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

He grips the steering wheel tighter and angles his body towards me. “Did anyone try to touch you?”

“No, no one tried to touch me.” He raises a brow at my irritated tone. “I’m as pure as the fucking snow, Vitya. Untouched and hidden away.”

“It’s to keep you safe,” he says, and then quickly starts asking more questions. “Why didn’t Dominic tell anyone? Have you ever tried to sneak out again?”

“He didn’t say anything because Natalya asked him not to, and I’m guessing he was already more than a little in love with her. We promised him we’d never try it again, and we haven’t.”

Vitya still looks pissed. His blue eyes study me, trying to figure out what the hell to do with the problem child he’s responsible for watching.

“Are you going to tell my dad? I’d like to prepare myself mentally if you’re going to go that route.” I raise a brow at him and add, “I think it’d be a real shit move if you rat us out.”

He surprises me by letting out a harsh laugh. “You’ve got some nerve, Sveta. Jesus Christ.” He sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. “I’m not going to say anything because I don’t want Feliks and Grigori’s deaths on my conscious. They’re good men. They fucked up, butthey’re good men, and they don’t deserve a bullet to the head because you lied to them and snuck your ass out the damn window.”

“You really think my dad and uncles would kill them?” The idea sickens me, but surely they wouldn’t shoot them over something that was my fault. “This was two years ago, and Grigori almost died protecting Natalya when she was attacked. No way would Lev kill him after that.”

Vitya shrugs. “Maybe that would save Grigori, especially since the injuries forced him into retirement, but Feliks would be fucked. They’d make an example out of him.”

I picture Feliks, the man who’s been a constant in my life since I was a kid. He used to watch over me with Sergei and Aleksandr until Vitya came along and singlehandedly took over the job. His wife is always so sweet to me, and they have three kids. I feel sick to my stomach and a lump is forming in my throat when I look back at Vitya.

“Thank you for not saying anything. I couldn’t live with that guilt.”

“I want your word that you will never try anything like that with me.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

He surprises me by giving a nod, like he immediately believes me.

“That’s it?” I ask. “You’re not going to demand I check in or that I get some sort of tracker put in my ass cheek?”

A ghost of a smile crosses his gorgeous mouth before he says, “I know you, Sveta. When you give your word, you keep it.” There’s no trace of a smile on his face when he adds, “But I swear to you, if you ever break my trust and try to sneak off, I will put you over my lap and spank your ass so raw you won’t be able to sit for a week.”

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