Heart of My Monster (Monster Trilogy #3) by Rina Kent

He hasn’t joked around with the others and has spent more time alone or with me and Viktor—which is out of character for him. And most importantly, he’s thrown himself into his work again as if nothing had happened. In the beginning, I thought it was because of the torture, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it could be more.

Like being betrayed by who he thought was his best friend.

And who am I if I don’t deliver poetic justice? This way, I’m not torturing Anton or giving the order for him to be tortured.

Maksim will have complete responsibility for it.

“Let Maksim have full custody of him,” I tell Viktor.

After I hang up, I walk to the mansion’s entrance, my steps heavy as fuck.

By the time I catch up to Sasha, a loud gasp echoes in the air, and then Karina is running down the stairs. The little shit trips on her nightgown and falls a few steps, but she catches herself and continues to run the rest of the way.

“Sasha! Oh my God, Sasha!” She throws herself in my wife’s arms. “Please tell me it’s you and that I didn’t actually summon you with the voodoo I performed to call your spirit.”

She did what?

“It’s me.” Sasha pats her head with her clean hand.

My sister doesn’t seem to notice me or my near-unconscious state as she pulls back. Tears cling to her eyes as she smiles wide even as her voice shakes. “It’s really you.”

“How have you been, Kara?”

“Don’t give me that!” She hits her shoulder. “How could you make us believe you’d died? Don’t you know how much you mean to me?”

Little by little, emotions slip into Sasha’s gaze. An acute sense of guilt turns her eyes a deep shade of yellow that wars with the brown.

This isn’t me. This is Karina.

She did nothing to her, but Sasha hurt her and others by faking her death. My wife is slowly but surely realizing her mistake.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I didn’t do it on purpose, and I really thought you’d find out the body wasn’t me.”

“Just don’t do it again, okay?” Karina hugs her once more, and while Sasha tries to remain unaffected, her shoulders droop.

Now, I know it’s inappropriate, but I still want to throw my sister against the wall so that I can take her place.

On the other hand, Karina might be one of the methods I’ll use to keep Sasha here.

You get a pass, Kara. For now.

“Kara?” Kristina appears up the stairs. She’s actually been getting along with my sister, especially after Karina learned she’d be an aunt soon.

Sasha turns into stone as she stares up at Kristina, who’s slowly taking the stairs down.

Huh.

I was about to collapse a minute ago, but I think I’ll stick around and watch this show unfold in real time.

Sasha pretends she doesn’t want me, but the look in her eyes says she wants to strangle Kristina to death.

My wife can lie all she wants, but I’ll bring her back.





12





SASHA





My body tenses.

The back of my throat feels dry and sandpaper-like.

Everything heightens.

My nostrils flood with Karina’s lavender perfume and the metallic stench of blood.

My ears fill with a shrill sound, as if I’m standing in the aftermath of a bomb.

It dawns on me then.

This is my fight-or-flight response.

I should go for the latter, but why are my fingers twitching to reach for my gun and put a bullet in her head?

It’s not her you should shoot, it’s the stupid asshole you couldn’t kill.

It’s not her fault that he chose her over you.

Both of those are legitimate arguments, but does my bleeding heart listen? Absolutely not.

In fact, I find myself illogically comparing myself to her. Where she’s wearing an elegant dark red dress and has her hair styled to perfection, I’m in a stupid combat uniform, and my hair is held so tight, my scalp hurts.

Where she’s wearing natural-looking makeup and soft pink lipstick, I’m makeup-free, and my lips are chapped and dry.

We might both be women, but we’re in different leagues.

I bet she can’t shoot a gun to save her life, though. So there’s that.

Kristina watches me peculiarly as she reaches the bottom of the stairs. She must be wondering why Kirill’s guard is now a woman.

Or maybe she’s heard about me. Did she feel any of the fire that’s been eating me from the inside out when she saw that ring on his finger?

Though that unfeeling asshole Kirill could’ve gotten identical rings, and the one he’s wearing could have her name engraved within.

Karina pulls away from me, and I don’t know if it’s because Kristina called her name or because she felt me tense against her.

Is it wrong that I feel a bit vindictive that Kristina is on a diminutive form level with Karina? I thought she didn’t make friends easily and I was her only one. But like her damn brother, she didn’t seem to have any trouble quickly replacing me.

Karina grabs her by the arm and grins at me. “Sasha, this is my new sister-in-law, Kris!”

My stomach falls, and I try to swallow, but it’s blocked by the ball stuck in my throat. I side-eye the fucking liar Kirill, who’s casually leaning against a pillar, ankles crossed and a knowing smirk painting his lips.