Free Prisoner (Russian Tattoos Book 2) by Kat Shehata Page B

Deals were made with a handshake and a round of vodka shots.
    “I’m not the same person anymore. That’s why Maksim is after my head. I’ve lost my edge, my drive. I have no interest in running the family business anymore. He’s taking advantage of my situation to dismantle my family and take control of the city.”
    “How does Boris feel about your sobriety?”
    “All of our problems are stemming from my weakness.”
    “Can’t you just quit being the boss?”
    “We only have one retirement plan in our world.”
    “What is it?”
    “Death.”
    “There has to be another out. You can come back to America and work with Dad again, or you can hide anywhere in the world. Run away and they’ll never—”
    “What happens to me is not your concern. All you need to know is that I will get you home and you’ll never hear from me again. I don’t expect you to ever forgive me, but believe me when I say I would do anything to take back what happened. I have failed you in every conceivable way, and I’ll make any sacrifice necessary to ensure your safety.”
    His jaw tensed and he squeezed my hands. “If I could rip my beating heart out of my chest and show you the vile blackness of guilt I carry inside, it wouldn’t expose an ounce of the shame I feel for hurting you. There aren’t enough bullets to put in my brain to make the pain stop.”
    I was angry at Vladimir for all the hell he’d put me through, but even in my darkest hour, I never wanted him dead. I wanted him to be sorry. I wanted him to be ashamed of himself. But I never wished anything horrible would happen to him.
    “Getting sober takes guts and willpower, especially with no support from your family. Words are empty, but your actions speak volumes. You recognized you have a problem and stopped drinking—that means everything to me. I forgive you, Vladimir.” I stood and hugged him. “I’m so proud of you.”
    While I was impressed Vladimir had the strength to put down the bottle, I was hurt he wasn’t able to do it before he demolished our relationship. He’d sworn he would never drink around me again, then his broken promise nearly cost me my life. I cradled his head against my chest and wept, mourning the future we would never have together. “Why did you wait so long?”
    I’d never had closure after he left America. Never once did he reach out to me, check to see if I was okay, or even apologize. I lived in terror for months, not knowing if he was plotting another round of revenge against me, or if I ever mattered to him at all. Not knowing how he felt was the most terrifying part of my nightmare.
    “Not getting sober sooner is my biggest regret. I would give anything to change the past. I had everything I could ever want in life—I had you.”
    There’s the man I fell in love with. I had a new respect for Vladimir, and I was genuinely proud for him, but I had to keep my distance and not repeat the mistakes that landed me here in the first place. “Vladimir—”
    He shook his head. “My apologies. You don’t have to say it, Carter.”
    My heart sank. “It’s too late for us, but after this is all over, you’ll meet someone else. And she’ll get all the good parts of you.”
    Vladimir tossed me a wicked grin. “ All the good parts?”
    I laughed through my tears and shoved him in the shoulder. “Stop it. You know what I mean.”
    His eyes were saturated with sadness, but he still had a sense of humor—and his ego was still intact somewhere in there.
    “Time to fight.” Dmitri broke up our intense conversation and led us to an open grassy area next to the pond. He wanted to teach me some more moves in case I had to protect myself again. Judging by the timing of the interruption, Dmitri was trying to put some separation between Vladimir and me. It was in my best interest to keep my emotional distance from Vladimir and not get too close to him again. I wanted to be supportive of Vladimir’s decision to get sober and I would be