Page 68 of Dangerous Promises

I am about to crack.

There are too many thoughts in mind. Too many emotions. Too much guilt and too much pain. So instead of facing it, there's only one thing I can do. I shake my head and I slowly turn around.

"Sage!" Anton calls after me as my feet finally find their brain and start to run.

I can't face Dad right now.

I cannot listen to Nicholas's name in my mind and explain to Dad what I've done.

So I run.

Far, far, away. And away from this place.

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

Alexei

Sage flees without a second of hesitation.

While Anton slips against the grass to chase her, it's obvious that he doesn't actually mean to catch her or follow her. His face is grief stricken but glows with the joy of good news. He'll be going to his brother, regardless of where she chooses to run to.

I can understand why she ran.

She feels responsible for all of this. And maybe she should. She is responsible for all of it some way or another.

Anton turns cautiously, having only gotten about six feet from us.

I'm definitely judging him for all of this. Despite that, seeing the joy on his face fills me with both empathy and rage so palpable it's difficult to see through.

His brother is alive.

I'd give anything for another second with my brother, in spite of everything he's done. Why Dimitri and not Victor?

"Freddie, let's go," Anton says.

"Whoa," I say, standing in his path. "Hold up. You're not going anywhere."

Anton's nostrils flare. "Did you not hear me, Rushkoff? My brother is awake. I'm not going to stand here chatting with you when I could be going to him."

"I'm not letting you out of my sight just to betray us again."

"Us? Betray you?" Anton says, muttering something that sounds like 'unbelievable' under his breath.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I say, cracking my knuckles as I try to hold myself back.

"As far as promises go your family is the only one to have broken one so far," Anton says.

He means my brother, not me. But I can't find it in myself to make that distinction. Anton promised me a truce, resources and a handshake agreement that we were together on this. All of which means nothing when he didn't have the authority to give it. When it was never his to promise.

"Okay, enough," Isla says. Freddie stands behind her looking very fucking stressed. I can imagine they're anxious to get to Dimitri but I don't want to let them out of my sight without knowing what this means for our team up against Chet.

"It's lovely that your brother is still with us, Anton," Isla says, placing a hand on Anton's arm. "We must not let that steal our truce. Chet is still a threat. To Dimitri even more so now, they still have a death promise."

I clench my jaw and try not to roll my eyes.

All the happy hope comes back into Anton's eyes, along with a shred of worry.