AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Let’s keep this between us,” I suggest quietly. “I just need to check on my mother. Can you handle these two?”
I stride back towards my mother’s room, my thoughts racing over the name written on the paper—East Port Maine. Lost in contemplation, I collide with someone, and the paper slips from my fingers.
“Sorry,” I murmur, pivoting to retrieve the page.
“Is this what you’re looking for?” The man extends it to me. As I take it, my gaze flicks down to his shoes—expensive leather, the kind a wealthy playboy might wear.
“Thanks.” I nod and take the paper from him.
“No problem.” He turns and walks off, whistling as he goes.
There’s something familiar about him. I shake the feeling off and go into the waiting room, where I freeze—Urie is lying slumped over on the line of chairs I left him. I feel for a pulse—he’s alive. Then I remember where I saw him. He’s one of Konstantin’s men.
I turn and rush out of the room, yelling for help before going to the room my mother should be in. A nurse walks by.
“Where is Mrs. Grace Belov?”
“Oh, her son just came to take her home,” the nurse informs me. “What a lovely man.”
Chapter 22
ISABELLA
It’s been two weeks and two days since Konstantin and Lev arrived at the ranch. Stacy locked herself in her room, where she ran to after she came around from her fainting spell. I know she’s in shock, but poor Lev was beside himself but after a few hours they spoke. Then Konstantin got a call, and they had to leave again.
I heard them arguing and Lev telling my brother he was going with him. Lev must’ve won the argument because I saw them both getting into Konstantin’s SUV. I asked Pavel where they were going, and he said they had business—that was two weeks ago..
“If you’re still not going to tell me where Konstantin is, can you tell me where Stacy is?”
“She hasn’t come out of her room today,” Pavel tells me.
“I’ll go check on her.” He nods and goes toward the kitchen.
“Stacy?” I knock on her bedroom door, but there’s no answer. Pushing the door open, I pop my head around, but she’s not in there. “Stacy?”
She’s not in her bathroom, but the glass door leading outside is open. I know where she’s gone—to the horses. As I step outside, I’m greeted by an overexcited, almost anxious Zeus and Hera.
“Hello, my beautiful creatures.” I give them each some love, but Zeus grabs my wrist and starts tugging on my arm. “Okay, Zeus, I’m just checking Hera’s coat. You look much better, girl. The medication the vet gave you has cleared up that nasty skin rash.”
Zeus starts barking and barking, running a little way, then turning and barking.
“Is something wrong?” I stand and let go of Hera’s collar, and she starts doing the same thing as Zeus.
I follow them, and my heartbeat gets faster and faster. Oh God, I hope something hasn’t happened to Stacy. Hera and Zeus bark in unison as if trying to tell me to hurry the fuck up. I pick up the pace, and as I get to the stables, I see Stacy fling herself onto Lancelot’s back. Fuck that’s a mean horse, and while he likes Stacy, it doesn’t mean he wants her to ride him.
“Stacy. Don’t!” I yell as she turns him.
My blood runs cold when I realize I must’ve spooked him, and Lancelot rears, but Stacy manages to hold on before the horse takes off at a hair-raising speed straight for me. I freeze, watching the enormous red stallion heading for me.
I hear loud barking and growling, but I’m frozen. Even though my brain’s yelling at me to get the fuck out of the way, my feet have taken root on the spot. Suddenly, an arm reaches out and grabs me.
“Careful there.” A deep voice I’ve never heard before tickles my ear.
“Th.. thank you.” I try to pull out of his embrace, but his arm tightens around my waist.
“Come now, you can be a little more thankful to me than that, Isabella. I just saved your life.” He starts rubbing his hard-on against my ass, and a sick feeling laced with fear starts to claw at my gut. “And your hell hounds just ruined my fun, so you owe me.”
“Let me go,” I warn and start to struggle. I hear a low growl off to the side. “Hold,” I yell.
