Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
I will never love him.
Our marriage will be what every other marriage in my family has ever been and ever will be—nothing more than a manipulation tactic.
“And what if Carlos doesn’t take the bait?” Ollie asks, his gaze on Isabella.
“He will.”
“I told you, he’s dead,” I snap. “Don’t waste your time.”
I might as well be invisible.
Ollie’s lips thin, and he tightens his grip on me, a silent reminder that I belong to him now, whether I want to or not. Goddamn, that hurts. I hiss in a breath, and he loosens his hands as if he didn’t really mean to do that, but he doesn’t look at me.
“He will,” Isabella says with certainty. “He won’t be able to bear seeing Renata ruin his reputation with such flair. You’ll see.”
Oh, they’ll see, alright. They’ll watch as Carlos murders Ollie, then me, in succession. I shiver and turn away from all of them. This marriage is a death sentence.
My shoulders slump as I process the gravity of all of this. For the first time, Isabella softens. “Just do your part. We’ll do the rest, Renata. If what you say is true, that you haven’t betrayed us and you’re not in league with our enemies… time will prove that to be true.” She sighs and swallows hard. “I sincerely hope it is.”
She places a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and I meet her steely gaze. “If this is what it takes to prove myself to you all, then I’ll do it.” I don’t have a choice, of course, but at least it makes me feel a bit better.
Ollie shoves me off his lap. “Let’s go.” His voice is rough when he doesn’t look in my eyes.
I was mistaken. If I ever thought I loved this man, I was a fool. How could someone like me ever love a man as cold and heartless as Ollie Romanov?
“Your ride awaits you,” Isabella says. “Go. We’ll meet when Lev and I return to The Cove for your wedding.”
Our wedding… which is tomorrow.
As we drive toward the airport, the silence in the car is suffocating. Finally, he turns to me. “Are you hungry?”
“No, those huge servings of humiliation and disbelief have me pretty well satisfied.” I roll my eyes and look away.
He grips the steering wheel, his knuckles white. I fold my arms across my chest and wince, remembering my damn bruises. I turn away from him and look out the window, my heart beating faster.
When will Carlos realize I’m marrying Ollie?
What will he do?
I hate the position he’s put me in, and I don’t know any way out of it. How do I prove myself to Isabella and Ollie without sentencing Ollie to death? It’s impossible.
Impossible.
A lump forms in my throat. I swipe at my eyes.
“Are you crying? Are you even serious right now?” He has the nerve to sound affronted.
“¡Cállate la puta boca!” I seethe through gritted teeth.
Ollie slaps his hand on my leg and squeezes. “You think I’ll let you talk to me that way when you’re my wife?”
Damn. I forgot he spoke Spanish, and I just told him to shut the fuck up.
“Oh, that’s right, you Romanov men are all heads of the house and all that,” I say with as much disdain as I can muster. If I didn’t hate him right now, I’d have to say I kind of like it. They’re so dedicated to their wives, so steadfast and loyal. I’ve seen the way Mikhail, his older brother, half worships the ground his wife Aria walks on — he’s set the precedent for the rest of them.
“Whatever.” Very mature, Ollie. Very mature.
“What’s your problem, Ollie?” I snap, my frustration boiling over. He doesn’t respond immediately, his muscles clenched. I’d guess his jaw is clenched, too, but he’s decided to grow a beard again.
Whatever.
When I was back in The Cove, he was my caretaker. Mikhail assigned him to me… to keep watch over me and find out if I was trustworthy. I was the one who came from Colombia as an inside source to Isabella when she sought to overtake the throne from her brother. I was the one who put her life on the line for the Romanovs, who should be dead right now and would be if Carlos hadn’t gotten so greedy and decided he wanted to use me more than he wanted to kill me.
And this is my reward?
When he finally speaks, his voice is low and dangerous. “You really want to know, do you? Fine. I’ll tell you. I don’t do vulnerable. I don’t do love, Renata, especially with someone linked to my enemies. I’ve seen what happens to my brothers when they let their guards down. When they let themselves become weaker by falling in love, and I won’t make that same mistake.”
I snort. “You think loving someone makes you weak?”