Consumed by Deception (Deception Trilogy #3) by Rina Kent

“I should’ve found you sooner. If I had known Rachel had you, I would’ve followed her.” He taps the scar on his cheek. “I should’ve sensed something was wrong when she gave me this.”

“Mom did?”

“Yes, though it was a bit of an accident. She didn’t take my engagement to my current wife well and held a knife so I’d leave her alone. I was trying to disarm her when she cut me. That was the last time I saw her.”

“How come you…didn’t hurt her for it?”

“I hurt her enough by choosing another woman over her. You, however, I didn’t know about. If I had, it would’ve been different.”

“Would you have married my mother?”

“No. But I would’ve raised you.”

“That must be why she chose to stay away.”

I can tell he doesn’t like my response, but he doesn’t press the issue.

“How did you know?” He pauses, narrowing his eyes. “Did Adrian figure it out and kept you from me?”

“No, no he didn’t.”

“Then who told you?”

“Luca.”

“Filthy Rozetti.” He curses under his breath in Italian.

“What’s your problem with them, anyway?”

“We always have territory wars. However, they made the mistake of killing my father, so, in turn, we’re killing all of them.”

Typical.

His expression softens as he tightens his hold on my hand. “I’m happy you came, Lia. You are a gift that I’ve finally received.”

“If I’m a gift, then please help me.”

“Anything.”

“My husband, Adrian. He was taken by Sergei because they believe he killed Richard Green in order to help you and betray the Bratva. You’re the only one who can rectify the misunderstanding.”

“I do not get involved in the Bratva’s internal affairs and they do not allow outsiders in.”

“You said you’d help me with anything.”

“Not when it comes to Bratva business. Besides, I don’t believe it was by mere chance that Adrian ended up marrying you. He knew about your relation to me for years yet chose to keep it a secret, and for that alone, I will not help him.”

“He’s my husband and the father of my son. If you don’t help him, then you can forget you ever had a daughter.”

“Are you threatening me, Lia?”

“If that’s what it takes. I don’t want to threaten you, and I really want us to be different and for me to get to know you, so please, please help him. Help me.”

“You will allow me a chance to get to know you?”

“Yes, I will.”

He grunts. “I will try, though don’t get your hopes up. Sergei doesn’t like it when anyone gets involved in his internal affairs.”

A huge smile stretches my lips. “I have a plan.”





25





Adrian





It’s strange how much someone thinks when there’s nothing else to do.

I’m sitting on the freezing floor with my back leaning against the equally cold wall. My legs are bent and my hands lie limply on top of my knees.

My brain has been in a constant state of overdrive ever since Sergei locked me up in his basement—or rather, his torture chamber.

I know what he’s doing. By putting me in a cold room with torture devices laid out on the table, he’s showcasing what he could do to me before my death.

Vladimir already made his intentions known by punching me a few times until he busted my lip and bruised my chest. He said it was only an introduction until he got permission to get rid of me.

However, there’s something neither he nor Sergei seem to understand.

I couldn’t give a fuck about being tortured or killed.

Inflicting that type of fate on countless people myself fully prepared me to accept it once it comes.

But that was before I married Lia. At some point, protecting her became my life’s priority and I survived if not for anything, then for that purpose alone. Now that it’s impossible for me to live, I can’t stop thinking about how her life will be after I’m gone.

I know Kolya, Yan, Boris, Ogla, and the others will do their best to make sure she and Jeremy are well taken care of. Not only do I come from a rich family, but I’ve always invested in various ventures to grow those assets. I have enough fortune that will sustain them for generations to come and they would never have to worry about money.

But that still doesn’t put me at ease, probably because I thought that I’d always be there for them. That I’d spend the rest of my life shielding them from the world.

I shouldn’t have made assumptions. I don’t usually, but it won’t be the first time I’ve gone against my principles and normal courses of action because of Lia.

It started when I didn’t use her as soon as I knew she was Lazlo’s daughter and then chose to keep her instead. It continued when I broke off my perfectly logical engagement in order to marry her. After that, all my decisions were made with the sole purpose of protecting her, keeping her closer, and chaining her to me, even if it meant hurting her in the process.

Now that I’ll be gone, the thought of leaving her all alone hurts more than I thought it would.