Beautiful Revenge (A Good Wife #1) - Sienna Blake Page 0,31

to whisper. It’s not too late.

“Perhaps,” I say quietly, “I have misjudged you.” He leans towards me, as if he’s trying to hear me better. He’s being drawn to me, closer and closer, like I’m drawn to him. The air crackles between us. “Perhaps you do deserve to walk these moors.”

“Perhaps,” his voice has gone soft, “the moors have been waiting for me.”

“They have,” I admit. “They can get…so lonely out here.”

“That will not do.” His eyes drop to my lips again. I suck in a breath as he leans in.

“Guys?” a soft voice calls.

I jolt away from him and spin. Shit. I’ve completely forgotten that Emily is here, watching us now with a confused look on her face. What did I almost do? I almost let him kiss me. I almost gave us away. What excuse do I have for us being so close?

I clear my throat, turning to Dimitri for his help. His face has already changed. The softness that was there is now gone, hard lines ridging his forehead, his eyes flaring with anger. As if this is my fault.

He spins on his heel and strides to Emily’s side. The lingering heat of him is like a ghost.

He weaves his arm through her elbow. “Carry on, Emily. You were going to show me the hothouse next.” As if nothing had almost happened.

“You…don’t want to go to the moors?”

“The moors.” He snorts, his voice dripping with derision. “What a stupid idea.”

My mouth drops open.

Bastard.

I had forgiven him for what he did. I was prepared to overlook his behaviour thus far. He does not deserve my forgiveness. Stupid, prideful man.

They begin to walk away. Something snaps in me. I won’t be strung along like this. I won’t follow along behind them like a kicked puppy.

I dart through a break in the bushes and run across the moors to get away. With the wind in my hair and the wild heather brushing against my jeans, I feel free. I ignore their calls behind me, both Emily and Dimitri.

I keep running. I run so fast I think I could take off. There’s a small ruin of a castle within the grounds just over this small hill. I often go there to be alone. It is where I am queen and no one can harm me. I aim for that.

When I reach the castle, I dart inside the crumbling ruins and slow down. Two hands grab me from behind, spinning me.

“Stop running, Alena. You’ll trip on a root and break your neck.” Dimitri’s eyes and his voice are full of angry concern. His hands, where they’re touching me, burn right through me. They mark me, branding my soul.

No, I won’t fall for his tricks again. He’s nothing but hell’s magician. I won’t give myself false hope. I shove at him. “Why do you care?”

He lets go of me like I’ve burned him and staggers back. His hair has gone wild about his head. In that moment he looks so much like the Dimitri I used to know, I almost start crying.

“I don’t care.” He straightens. “I don’t care at all.” He turns on his heel, walking back the way he came.

Anguish bubbles up inside me, spilling over. “Go on, leave!” I cry. “You’re good at that.”

He freezes. His shoulders tense up to his ears. For a second I think he’s going to turn around. Even from here I can see his chest is heaving, his wide lats drawing in and out.

“Dimi…?”

He lifts his chin. And keeps walking. The sight of him striding away from me hits me like a knife, cutting open that wound again. I sag against a crumbling wall, clinging to the stone.

Oh God, I don’t think I can survive losing him again.

26

____________

Alena

I slip through my husband’s personal living area. I need to speak to him. I need to figure out what he knows about Dimitri. Does he know that Dimitri and I were once in love? Does he know that Dimitri was the man I wanted to pass off as my “brother”? I don’t think so.

He could be hiding his knowledge. My husband is a powerful man. Would he allow Dimitri into his house without doing a check on his background?

As I approach his bedroom I can hear voices. Two voices.

I creep closer, until I’m pressed against the wall right beside the crack in the door.

“What do you even know about this Mr Wolf?” I recognise Terrance’s slight nasal voice, can hear the bitterness in his tone even though