Page 69 of Filthy Lies

“And Vince agreed to this?”

“He didn’t object.” She takes a deep breath. “That’s how I learned about Barkov. And Andrei.”

“What about them?”

“They’re planning to disrupt the christening,” Natalie explains. “Not an attack, exactly. More like… a statement.”

“What kind of statement?”

“The kind that proves Vince can’t protect his family.” She fiddles with her bracelets anxiously. “Andrei wants to humiliate him. Show everyone that Vincent is weak.”

My stomach tightens. “Why would Barkov work with Andrei? After what Vince did to him?—”

“Money.” Natalie shrugs. “And revenge. Barkov wants payback. Andrei wants to undermine Vince’s authority. It’s a marriage of convenience.”

“How did you get this information?”

“I’ve gotten… close to someone in Barkov’s organization.” She looks away. “Don’t ask for details.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if Natalie’s closeness involved a bedroom. She’s always been resourceful, and she’s never shied away from using her looks when necessary.

“Why tell me? Why not go directly to Vince?”

“Would he have believed me?” She meets my eyes. “Would he have even agreed to see me?”

She’s right. Vince would have dismissed the information outright if it came directly from her.

“Besides,” she continues, “I wanted…” She swallows hard. “I wanted a chance to talk to you. Without your mom dying in the next room.”

“About what?”

“About how sorry I am.” Her voice cracks. “I know it doesn’t change anything. I know what I did is unforgivable. But I need you to know that the friendship we had—it became real for me. Somewhere along the way, I forgot I was being paid.”

The set of my jaw hardens. “Not enough to stop taking the money, though.”

She winces. “I was trapped by then. They had years of evidence against me. If it had gotten out what I’d done…”

“So instead, you betrayed me.”

“Yes.” She doesn’t try to soften it. “And I will regret it every day for the rest of my life.”

I stare at her, searching for the friend I thought I knew. The girl who held my hair back when I drank too much. The woman who brought me coffee during all-nighters. The friend who checked in on my mother when I couldn’t.

Was any of it real?

“I believed in us, you know,” I say softly. “When everyone else in my life was temporary—boyfriends, roommates—you were my constant. I thought we’d be friends forever.”

“So did I.” Tears glimmer in her eyes. “That’s what kills me, Row. Somewhere along the way, it stopped being an assignment. You became my person. And by the time I realized that, I was in too deep to get out.”

“You could have told me the truth.”

“Would you have forgiven me?”

I consider this. “I don’t know.”

Dimitri shifts nearby, a subtle reminder that time is passing. If I stay away too long, Vince will get suspicious.

“The information about Barkov,” I say, redirecting. “What exactly are they planning?”

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