The Agreement (Darkest Lies Trilogy Book 1) by Bethany-Kris (motivational books for men .TXT) 📕

back of Roman’s neck. Not a feeling he encountered very often. How far did his connections go with those groups—was he directly involved, as hands-on as he was with his working girls? Did Maxim know, or Leonid?

Likely.

Money was money, right.

They didn’t have to make it.

Roman had one hand in the pocket of his leather jacket, and it grazed against the folded up piece of paper he carried around all the time now. The sketch seemingly drawn by a child. A child that lived in the Yazov mansion?

It was apparent they were trying to keep Karine hidden from the outside world for some reason. Frankly, it didn’t seem like all that far of a jump to assume there were more secrets to uncover there.

“You understand what I’m saying?” Marky asked, bringing him back to the conversation.

Roman nodded, but absently. “I just need some intel on Karine.”

The suspicious glint in Marky’s eye said he wasn’t entirely sure he believed his friend, but he didn’t seem willing to push it. Roman drank another gulp of his beer. The more he thought about Dima, the worse his stomach churned. He needed something concrete first before he started digging anywhere near that asshole. Too many balls were now tossed up in the air, and he had to catch every single one of them.

And if Roman was really going to climb this hill, then Karine was where he would put his focus first. Like why she was being treated by the Yazovs the way she was. He had to make sense of her first, before he could look in to what was going on with Dima. If there was a connection that led Roman to the other issues he still had up in the air at the moment, well ... that’s probably where he would have to move next.

If she was being forced to marry Dima, then Karine might have some answers he needed—but he had to get to her first.

Marky sighed, drawing Roman back again.

“I need you to act fast,” he said. “I don’t really think I have a lot of time to ... put a puzzle together, so to speak.”

And he was missing a lot of pieces. That much was clear.

Then, Roman stood up and walked over to his desk to shuffle through some papers. An action that would tell Marky that the conversation ended there—he didn’t need opinions, only action. Not when he knew his friend couldn’t actually give him any insight. He needed facts first.

It was that kind of situation. Roman had to tread carefully. Behind him, Marky remained silent, telling him that his best friend understood.

Good enough for him.

SIXTEEN

Days melted into weeks, and for the first time, Karine felt acutely aware of it all. Every second, minute, and hour. Each one that made up a day. And then all seven in an entire week. She couldn’t pinpoint why the change, but she knew exactly when it began.

The second she kissed Roman in that alleyway. She didn’t like to think about that night—when her inevitable destiny was unashamedly announced to the rest of the world. She might as well have been officially branded as Dima’s property.

Signed and sealed.

Being shipped off to a man who terrified her loomed ahead as her wedding day inched closer and closer. The day to end all her freedom. Even the little that she had now—still living in her own quarters in the Yazov mansion—would be gone altogether.

What would she do then?

Once she was married to a man who would control every breath she took; every thought in her head. How was she going to make it through the rest of her life?

Karine blinked the tears threatening to blur her vision, still unsure of how her life had ended up the way it did. It wasn’t a good thing to count down time—it could make a person so aware of how fast it was running out that they became obsessive about what they wanted to do with it. She was no exception to the rule.

Tonight could be the only night she had to live. In any real sense, as it were.

Standing in the veranda that could be accessed from her bedroom, she had a long-shot view of the front of the mansion. The section that was a part of her father’s side where she was rarely allowed to visit, unless it served some purpose, especially not on a night like tonight.

Tribute, that was.

She knew the rules. That side of the mansion where she might be seen was off-limits unless otherwise said when she couldn’t be monitored and wasn’t needed. Meaning, wanted. Usually, Karine was very good at following the rules. She had spent her whole life living by them.

It made things easier.

That wasn’t enough to make her wonder ...

For her to consider .... it could be her only chance to see Roman again. Before the wedding, of course. After that, she doubted the light of day would grace her life for a while. She didn’t know if he would be here tonight, but given what she understood regarding tribute, it was likely he would.

A thrill ran down her spine at the idea—at the thought of seeing him again—because she hadn’t once got the man out of her mind. All it took was a kiss; the way he looked at her when he touched her was too much.

And not enough.

She could almost taste his hot mouth against her own, demanding she give him another lick, and the imprint of his fingers digging into her hips to keep her pinned to him had remained for days.

She’d done something stupid, then.

Karine wanted to do it again.

Tipping her head back, she stared at the night sky—when was the last time she had seen so many stars? She blinked repeatedly, wondering if they might disappear if she stared at them hard enough. Except they didn’t. The stars remained exactly where they were. The only constant in her life.

And sadly, she was only now starting to notice that fact. There was a