Page 91 of Vengeful King

In reality, I’m more bitter right now that someone like Yuri would kill a woman as fragile as my mother. She posed no threat. And when he did the job, he couldn’t even do it with dignity. He had to do it the dirtiest, lowest way he could.

I can tell Yuri is suspicious. I just need to get closer to him. So I dig my heels in and dig my grave deeper, piling on the lies.

“I can be a double agent,” I say.

“You don’t even know what that means.”

“I can help you get to Lachlan,” I press. I try to ignore how angry I am at his demeaning tone, at the way he looks down on me. “Iwilldo it.”

“You failed once.”

“I won’t this time.” I shift, trying another angle, desperately hoping he’ll just give in. “I just want this—us—to be over.”

“Over?” He smiles, cruel and full of himself, and I feel anger flare in my chest. “You think it’s this easy?”

“Yes. Over. I want you to promise that you’ll let me go when it’s done.” I hold myself steady, looking him in the eye. “It’s simple. A life for a life.”

Yuri looks at me, calculating, as if he’s thinking about the risk I took to come here. Maybe he can sense the truth in my words; unlike the parking lot, I feel like he believes me now. He understands what I’m asking.

He understands that even if I’m lying, he’s the one with the final word here.

I’m putting everything on the line. I know that if he agrees to this, if he lets me close, I might be able to end this for good. I don’t care about the promises I’m making. They’re not real.

I’ll never have to go against Lachlan. I’ll never have to betray him again. If Yuri accepts me, I will end this today. Now.

“It’s tempting,” Yuri finally says. “After all, I have you under watch. I’m sure you haven’t noticed.”

There’s sarcasm in his words, a cruel joke at my expense. I hold my tongue. I want to tell himyou’re not as smart as you think you are,but I can’t. I have to hold back.

“I’m giving you the man you want dead,” I say, keeping my voice stony and cold. “Take it or leave it. I can get to him in a way no one else will be able to after me.”

I know I’m treading dangerous waters. I’m all but saying that Lachlan trusts me, that he cares about me more than as a captive.

But giving away that information makes Yuri’s eyes spark with interest. He’s buying it. He’s thinking about how I turned against him for Lachlan, about what Lachlan is like.

I’m sure he knows Lachlan is never around the same woman for long. I’m sure he knows about the coming marriage, and maybe he thinks it’s actually me that Lachlan will marry.

And wouldn’t it be ironic if he thinks I’m the one Lachlan cares about, when in reality, he’s engaged to another woman?

I know he’s considering my offer. I can feel it.

The guards who brought me into the room must feel it too, because they relax their hold on me a little.

And I take my chance.

I slump against one of the guards holding me, breaking his grip on my arm. It’s so sudden that it catches him off guard. His friend moves to grab me, but I scramble for the gun tucked into the first guard’s belt.

“Fuck!” he bellows, but I barely hear the words.

They underestimated me because they thought I was weak and afraid, but I’ll only get one chance at this.

My hand feels like it belongs to someone else as it jerks the gun up, aiming at Yuri.

Then I fire.

I hit him in the chest; I can see the bullet hit home. I can see the impact, the way it tears at him.

But it’s on the wrong side of his chest. I meant to hit his heart, but I fucking missed.

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