Page 36 of Sinful Promise

“I promise.”

After hanging up the phone to Jana, I decide to distract myself by unpacking all of my clothes into the giant walk-in closet, as well as setting out all my toiletries on the vanity in the bathroom. I eye the jacuzzi bath, and I’m tempted to take a quick soak trying to relax my tense muscles, but it seems my stomach has other ideas from how loudly it growls.

“Fine, I’ll eat something first,” I grumble out loud.

But when I leave my room and head down the hall, the sound of Dimitri’s voice carries up the stairs, and I freeze.

He’s back.

Does that mean he’s taken care of the guy?

Is this nightmare finally over?

I creep along the hall until I’m hovering at the top of the staircase that leads down into the main living area.

His voice reaches me again. “Where’s Emily?”

“She’s in the guest room, unpacking.”

“Is she okay?”

Zara is quiet for a moment.

“A little shaken, but she’s okay. I think it’s best if she stays with us for a while.”

“I agree.”

“So, what happened? Did you catch him?”

I hold my breath as I wait for Dimitri’s reply. Maybe I won’t need to unpack after all…

“He got away.”

My stomach sinks, and my hands cover my mouth. “Oh, my god…”

He’s still out there.

Dimitri’s voice carries to me again. “But I will look into this; don’t worry.”

“Thank you for helping my sister.”

“She’s family.”

I turn and head back into my bedroom, the weight of my past mistake sitting heavy on my shoulders.

I hate that I was the one to drag Zara and Dimitri into this mess. I never should have taken that hostess job. If I hadn’t been so proud and just accepted some help from Zara in the first place, none of this would have happened.

I climb onto the enormous bed that feels like I’m sitting on a cloud and pull my phone out of my pocket. I’m desperate to call Danil and confess everything to him, but I know the moment I hear his voice, I’ll break. So, I settle for sending him a text, hoping that talking to him will distract me from the mess I’ve gotten myself into.

Me

Hey, are you at work?

The three dots appear almost immediately, and a sense of relief washes over me. Talking to Danil never fails to make me feel better, and I’m almost tempted to call him and see if he wants to come over. But there’s no way in hell I’ll be able to stay composed long enough for him not to realize something is wrong.

Danil knows me better than anyone, and I can’t risk him finding out about my stupid mistake.

Danil

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