LILA POV
Either I had the worst hangover of my life, or I was on the verge of dying. Only a massive amount of alcohol or death could make a person feel this awful. My head pounded, every heartbeat hammering against my skull.
Nausea churned in my stomach, forcing me to take small, shallow breaths. Even breathing too fast felt like it could make me vomit violently. My tongue was glued to the roof of my mouth, and my throat felt as if I had swallowed sand. I was completely dry, my mouth unable to produce even a drop of saliva. I felt like absolute crap.
I moved my tongue to find some relief and realized why swallowing felt impossible my mouth tasted like vile, disgusting ass. The taste only fueled the nausea in my gut.
I tried opening my eyes, but a cold dread settled over me, making my skin crawl. My body ached all over, screaming that something terrible had happened. I kept my eyes closed, hoping it was a lingering nightmare. But when I opened them and saw the gray concrete wall, I knew this was reality.
Ice cold dread crept up my legs, along my spine, and into the back of my neck. The rough sheets against my skin confirmed it these were not my expensive silk sheets. My fingers clutched the coarse fabric, trying to remember what happened... how I got here. That's when I saw the yellowed rag I was wearing. It seemed like an old nightgown from decades ago. Where were my clothes?
"Welcome to Hell..."
The voice thundered inside my head, paired with a dark smile I recognized. Could it really be him? After all this time...?
"Nikolai," I whispered, unsure. I remembered Nikolai smile warm, kind not this wicked, cold grin. It couldn't be him.
I scanned the grim, empty room. Concrete walls, nothing on them, nothing but a bed and a chair. Cold, damp, lifeless. My gaze shifted as I heard air escaping from a tube. A hidden door slid open, perfectly camouflaged until now.
Pain twisted my gut as I sat up, pressing against the headboard. My heartbeat raced. And then I saw him.
"Nikolai?"
He smiled, and hope flared like fireworks inside me. He hadn't left.
But as he stepped into the light, I froze. His eyes were black orbs of hate, not the brown warmth I remembered. My heart plummeted.
"What's going on?" I asked, my back pressed against the headboard.
He stepped closer, hands clutching a box, and the light revealed him fully. His hair was grey, shaved at the sides, longer on top. A five o'clock shadow darkened his jawline. The familiar thick eyebrows curved slightly, and a crescent-shaped scar cut across his right eyebrow down to his cheek.
"Hello, Lila," he said, a wicked smile curling his lips.
A shiver ran up my spine. That low, husky voice was unforgettable.
"What is going on?" I whispered, staring. Apart from the scar and the dark eyes, he was breathtaking Nikolai.
"First of all, let me introduce myself," he said, placing the box on the bed and holding out his hand.
I looked down, then back at his face. "Why introduce yourself? I already know you."
He smiled knowingly. "You don't know me, Miss Falcone."
I narrowed my eyes. "You're the man who broke my heart, left without a word, and now... kidnapped me?"
He stepped closer, his dark gaze chilling me. "My name is Nico. Nico Moretti. Nikolai was my twin brother."
I gasped, frozen, unable to look away. His black eyes trapped me.
"What's the matter, Lila? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I... Is this some sort of joke?" I whispered.
"Believe me, Miss Falcone, it is not a joke."
Miss Falcone. Nikolai never would have said that. The bitterness in the name scared me.
"I'm telling the truth. I didn't know," I whispered. "Nikolai told me his surname was Romano."
Nico's grip tightened on my neck, pushing my head against the headboard. His anger radiated.
"You knew he was a Moretti. How could you not know he had a twin brother?"
"He told me... his surname was Romano," I said, struggling to breathe.
He released me, stepping back. I gasped and rubbed my neck.
"You're lying."
"No. I'm not. His name is Nikolai Romano, not Moretti."
He froze, eyes narrowing. "Is?"
"Yes. Nikolai Romano."
He turned, grabbed the chair, and sat, staring me down. "I can see your family taught you well."
"I have no idea what's going on," I sobbed.
He leaned back. "I see you're playing ignorant. Don't think it will work."
"I'm not. I don't know who you are or why I'm here."
"I already told you. I'm Nikolai's twin brother."
"And I told you... his surname isn't Moretti."
His patience thinned. "I'm not known for patience, Miss Falcone. Forget the ignorance. Stop wasting my time."
"I'm telling the truth," I cried, tears falling. "Nikolai said his surname was Romano. He never mentioned a twin brother."
"I don't believe you," he said.
"Why would I lie?"
"You're in quite the predicament. Humanity can make us do anything to survive, even lie."
"I'm not lying," I whispered, sobbing harder. "What do you want from me? Why am I here?"
Suddenly, he jerked upright, chair skidding across the floor.
"You are here because you couldn't keep your filthy hands off my brother. Someone must pay for what was taken from my family. That someone... is you."
"Please, I don't know what you mean," I whispered.
"Cut the crap! Stop playing games!"
"I'm not! I'm not playing games!"
He leaned closer, fury blazing. "You fucking killed my brother! Because of you, we had to bury Nikolai!"
My heart stopped. My mind froze.
"What do you mean I killed your brother?" I whispered.
"You weren't the one to pull the trigger, but you might as well have been."
"No... no. You're wrong," I stammered.
"Excuse me?"
"You're wrong. He's not dead."
"Then who did I bury six months ago?"
I shook my head, trying to process. The day Nikolai disappeared, I never imagined he could be dead.
"Please tell me you're lying. Please, this is a joke, right?" I moved closer on my knees. "Nico, tell me it's not true."
He stared, unreadable, then jerked his hand away and stepped back.
"You"he pointed"better cut your bullshit now, or you will regret it."
Before I could respond, he stepped out and the door slammed shut.
My body froze. My mind blank. Nikolai... dead? And why did Nico blame me? What did he plan to do next?