Page 98 of Sadistic

Her voice is dangerously quiet. "You invited the man who killed Erik and Anders to our wedding?"

"He didn't personally?—"

"His people, then. His orders." She stands, looking for her clothes. "You invited my family's enemy to our wedding without asking me?"

"It wasn't a discussion. It's business."

Wrong thing to say.

She whirls on me, eyes blazing. "Business? Our wedding is business?"

"The alliance is business. The marriage..." I reach for her but she steps back. "Revna, be reasonable."

"Reasonable? You want me to be reasonable?" She's pulling on her dress with sharp movements. "You made a decision aboutmywedding,myfamily's safety, without even mentioning it to me!"

"Because I knew you'd react like this."

"Like what? Like a person with feelings? Like someone who should have a say in her own fucking life?"

"You don't understand?—"

"No,youdon't understand!" She's fully dressed now, looking for her shoes. "This is exactly what I was afraid of. You, making unilateral decisions about my life. Treating me like property instead of a partner."

"I'm trying to protect you?—"

"By inviting a killer to our wedding? How does that protect me?"

"By showing strength. Unity. By making the Culebra part of our alliance instead of our enemy."

"He killed two prospects in the club, not to mention countless others!" She's screaming now. "They might not have been my blood, but everyone in the club is my family. Why don’t you see that?"

"And killing him won't bring them back!"

"But sitting across from him at my wedding will?" She finds her shoes, shoves them on. "I can't believe you did this."

"Revna—"

"No. I need... I need space. I need to think." She heads for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Away from you." She pauses at the door, turns back. "You know what the worst part is? I was starting to believe you. When you said you wanted a partner, not a prisoner. But partners discuss things. Partners make decisions together. You just proved that's all bullshit."

"That's not fair?—"

"Fair?" She laughs, but it's bitter. "Was it fair when you watched me for five years without my knowledge? Was it fair when you eliminated thirteen men who showed interest in me? Nothing about this has been fair, Doran. The least you could do is pretend my opinion matters."

"Your opinion does matter?—"

"Actions speak louder than words. And your actions say I'm just another possession to control."

The door slams behind her, leaving me standing naked in my bedroom, wondering how everything went wrong so fast.

I pull on pants, grab my phone.

Mikhail answers on the first ring.

"She just left," I say without waiting for him to say anything. "Follow her. Make sure she's safe."

---