Page 118 of Lost to Thievery
I dropped my hands, but kept my back to him, so he couldn’t see the tears streaming down my face. How could I argue with that? It was my fault for trusting in a thief, just as much as it was his.
His voice was closer when he spoke again. “You asked why I’m here? I’m here for you. To give you a choice. I will turn myself in, if that is what you want.”
I turned to him, taken aback.
He swallowed hard, fighting the emotions crossing his face. “Or you could let me take you home. Where you belong.”
I laughed coldly, while the tears kept streaming down my face. “You think I’m falling for that? What is your endgame here, Grayson? What the hell are you scheming up this time?”
He took a step closer to me, and my heart thundered.
“No games. No schemes. I will turn myself in, I won’t try to escape. On the condition that they leave the rest of my family be.” He took another step closer, his eyes boring into mine. “I am giving you my life, Princess. To do with as you please.” He pressed a hand to his heart. “I don’t know how else to show you.”
I curled my fingers into fists, my nails slicing through the skin on my palm. “Show me what?” None of this made sense. I couldn’t yet see the scheme in whatever this was.
“That I love you, Ava. That I have always belonged to you. From the moment I snatched you from that bank, you had me—I was yours.”
“Stop.” My chest caved in. I couldn’t breathe anymore.
“No. You need to know. I love—”
“You left me!” I screamed at the top of my broken lungs. “You left me.” My arms curled around my torso, trying to hold myself together.
“I know. I… I fucked up. I thought I was keeping you safe, away from Rurik. I was wrong, Princess. I see that now.” He took another pleading step closer to me, reaching for me.
I took a step backwards. “Rurik?” What did he have to do with this?
Grayson straightened and tiredly pulled a hand through his hair. “I stole something from him, and he was seeking revenge by going after the people I loved. I wanted to get you out, before it was too late. A life with me is dangerous. I didn’t want that for you. The constant fear. Always looking over your shoulder.”
“That’s why you killed Rurik at the auction. He was after your family,” I breathed, the puzzle pieces whirring together.
“Yes.”
“The statement you were adamant in making when you took Charles. All that bodies. All that blood. It was for Rurik?”
Grayson gave a slight nod. “It did not work. And then you had to go fuck up my whole plan by paying Volkov a visit.” A slight smile played on his lips.
I ignored the insult. “That’s why Gemma told me to not speak your name. That it would get me killed.”
“And it almost did, little bird. I had no choice but to go save you from Volkov. They took notice of that.”
I straightened. “Saveme? You told them to shoot me!”
He raised a brow at me. “Have you forgotten rule number five?” He scoffed. “It was all for nothing anyway. I couldn’t bullshit Volkov. He saw right through me. He called Rurik the second we left.”
I shook my head in disbelief. None of this made sense. “So you’re saying Rurik was after me?” I questioned.
A half smile tugged at his lips again. “Yes, Merope. And it was one hell of a task, keeping you alive while I smoked the weasel out of his hole.” He took another tentative step closer to me.
“It was Rurik who sent those men after me in the park?”
Grayson gave an amused chuckle. “Oh, my darling Ava. Those were only the ones who managed to slip by us. We’ve killed dozens of them before they could get close to you. You’ve made quite the name for yourself. They call you Ved’ma. Witch. Anyone who goes after you ends up dead. They believe you’ve cursed the Bratva. It’s falling apart right now.”
I shook my head in denial. “I don’t believe you.Volkovsent those men as revenge, nothing more. Rurik wouldn’t go after me. I mean nothing to you.”
Grayson was fucking with me, I was sure of it.
“Look at me, Ava,” he demanded.
