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

“They defied direct orders and showed insubordination.”

“For your sake!”

“And that put you in danger.”

“It’s all right,” Yan says with a smile in his voice from behind me. “We were prepared for this.”

“We can take it,” Boris agrees.

“Well, I can’t. I won’t allow you guys to be punished for something I started.” I stare at Adrian. “So?”

He forms a steeple with his fingers at his sharp jaw, his face and voice still closed off. “So what?”

“Are you going to promise not to hurt them or should I stay here all night until you do?”

“Lia…”

I flop on the chair in front of his desk and fold my arms. “I guess I’m staying then. Don’t mind me. Continue with your business.”

Adrian narrows his eyes on me and I stare back, unblinking. We remain like that for what seems like minutes, both of us refusing to back down. If it were the me from the past, I would’ve cowered from his intense unforgiving stare by now. I would’ve wanted to end the conflict and escape his brutal harshness.

But losing my identity and living as a completely different person taught me to find my inner strength. To reach inside the untouched parts of me and revive them. Besides, I’m done giving Adrian full reign over our lives after he used that privilege to choose death.

He married me despite the past and my mental issues, despite whose daughter I am, and now, he’ll learn what that actually means and the consequences that come with it.

“Get out.” His voice gains an edge.

“Give me your word first.”

“Lia.”

“Adrian.”

“You do realize that I won’t let this slide, do you not?”

A sudden shiver shoots down my spine at the veiled promise behind his words. I was well prepared to be punished for defying him, but hearing it has a completely different effect.

However, that doesn’t deter me from the reason why I’m here. “I don’t care.”

My husband thins his lips before he releases a breath. “Fine.”

“Fine, what?”

“I won’t hurt them.”

“Do I have your word?”

“You do. You also have my word that you’ll pay for this little show.”

I stand up and flip my hair over my shoulder, then place a hand on his desk and lean forward so my face is mere inches away from his and he can get a view of my cleavage. “Fine with me.”

His eyes heat, turning wild, and I step back before he pulls me onto the table and fucks me right here and now.

I don’t leave right away, though. “Oh, also. I’m letting Winter go.”

“No.”

“Why not? She didn’t do anything.”

“She’s your lookalike. I can’t have her walking around without supervision. If I do, others will use her for their benefit.”

“Others like who?”

“Like Luca.”

I swallow at the edge in his tone. “Okay, then. I mean, fine. But we can’t keep her locked up. She’s innocent.”

“She’ll have to stay that way.”

“Until when?”

“Until I decide where to ship her.”

“You’re not shipping her anywhere. She’s a person, not some cattle.”

“I will ship her if I deem it necessary.”

I widen my stance, glaring at him. I love this man, I really do, but he’s so apathetic sometimes, it drives me insane. Well, he’s apathetic most of the time. The moments he’s not are few and far between.

Why couldn’t I love someone normal?

Oh, right. Because I’m nowhere near normal myself.

“I’ll spend time with her.” I turn and leave before he can say anything.

I go to the kitchen, heat the soup and the ham casserole Ogla made for dinner, put them and an apple on a tray, and go outside.

Fedor and another guard greet me at the entrance of the guest house, but they don’t dare to stop me. They all look at me different since Adrian was let go by Sergei. Even Kolya, who seemed to hate me before they left Russia, thanked me as soon as they got back.

It’s like I gained their respect or something.

Yan was always on my side, but everyone else was blindly loyal to Adrian. I guess they must realize how foolish his decision was and that they could’ve really lost him.

I could’ve really lost him.

That thought makes me want to cry again, but I suck in a deep breath, refusing to go down that path.

I find Winter in her room, sitting on her bed with her knees hugged to her chest. She lifts her head upon seeing me and hope shines bright in her blue eyes.

“Am I free to go now?”

I sit on the chair beside the bed and place the tray on the nightstand. “I’m afraid not.”

“But you promised.”

“And I will keep that promise, but not now, Winter. Your resemblance to me puts you in immediate danger. There are people who want to hurt me and wouldn’t hesitate to accomplish that through you.”

She hugs her knees tighter, her knuckles whitening. “I…I can’t spend all of my days cooped up in here. I feel like I’m going insane.”

“You can stay with me and Jeremy. We’re not really that fun, but we’re better than nothing.”