“I… I never meant to hurt either one of them. You know that, right?”
“f**k me,” he mutters under his breath before looking up. “I know that, Alyssa. Believe it or not, Uri does, too.”
I shake my head. “That’s just wishful thinking.”
“No, it’s insight. Insight into the complicated mind of Uri Bugrov. He’s just angry. And at the moment, he’s helpless just like the rest of us—and that’s a bad combination. He’s punishing you because he needs someone to blame. It’s easier than admitting that he messed up.”
“How is any of this his fault?”
Nikolai raises his eyebrows. “He messed up the moment he brought you here and he knows it.”
I can’t help wincing. It was stupid of me, I know, but I’d started to think that maybe part of him actually liked me.
He holds up a hand when he sees the look on
