AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“—will be safe and comfortable. I promise you that.”
“Screw you and your promises!” I scream, pounding my fists against his chest. It feels good. It feelsdamngood. “You’re a liar. A goddamn liar!”
He lets me hit him. Over and over again. He doesn’t stop me. He doesn’t even try to avoid the blows. He just stands there and takes it.
I don’t stop until my knuckles are throbbing and my throat is raw and hoarse.
“If you’re done,” he murmurs, “Gedeon is waiting.”
“Don’t you care at all? My mother is dying. You know how much she means to me. If I leave and she dies…” I lose my words to another wrenching sob. “… I won’t be there to say goodbye.”
“You said goodbye tonight.”
Tears pour unchecked down my cheeks. “If you do this, Arsen, I swear to you, I will never forgive you. Not for as long as I live.”
The muscle in his jaw twitches. His eyes meet mine, but there’s nothing in them. Not an ounce of life or compassion or humanity.
Lifeless.
Robotic.
Cold.
“If I get my way, that will be a long, long time.”
Then he pushes me into the back of the vehicle. As the car rolls down the drive, Arsen doesn’t even wait to watch us go.
He’s already gone.
60
ARSEN
GEDEON:We’re on the plane. Five minutes to take off.
Succinct and clinical. I make a note to compliment Gedeon on sticking to the need-to-know details. As far as Laila and Nina are concerned, it’s exactly what I’m looking for going forward.
I respond in similar fashion.
ARSEN:Dominik’s out of surgery. He’s going to make it.
I pocket my phone and walk into Dominik’s hospital room. Kira is sitting by his bedside, clutching his hand and whispering to him, even though the doctors have told us repeatedly that he can’t hear a word.
“Kira.”
She keeps hold of Dominik’s hand as she looks at me. Her eyes narrow. “Arsen.”
“How’s he doing?”
“Well, let’s see,” she snaps. “He lost three liters of blood and had to have two transfusions. According to the doctor, he barely escaped complete paralysis. But I suppose he’s breathing. That’s something.”
I ignore the sarcasm, my gaze dropping instead to her protruding belly. “He’s a strong man.”
“You don’t have to tell me.”
I take her anger like I took Laila’s punches—as the punishment I deserve. “I never meant for this to happen.”
“And yet it did.” She squeezes Dom’s hand tighter. I’m not sure if it’s for her sake or his. “Dominik is two months away from meeting his son, and you decided this was the best time to take him out on a mission?”
