Page 178 of Betrayal and Vows

I blink.

My husband?

Dmitri gives me a very subtle poke.

My husband.

He told them Anton was my husband.

But why?

What’s the point?

So I can claim his body?

A sob bubbles up at the thought of burying him.

I can’t.

I can’t do it.“Fuck you. Coward.”

Chapter 29

Anton

The first thing I become aware of is the steady beeping of machines.

Then the dull ache that radiates through my entire torso.

My mouth tastes like copper.

And something nasty.

My tongue feels swollen.

And my throat feels like I swallowed glass.

Everything is black.

Or maybe my eyes are closed.

I can’t be sure.

I try to open my eyes, but the effort is monumental. My eyelids feel like they weigh a thousand pounds. Every breath sends sharp pain through my chest, but I'm breathing.

That's something.

Voices drift in and out. Doctors talking about blood loss, internal damage, surgical repairs. Dmitri's voice, rough with worry. And through it all, one voice that anchors me to consciousness.

Lena.

"The doctors say you're going to be okay," she whispers, her voice thick with tears. "But you have to fight, Anton. You have to come back to me. To us."

Us?

I want to ask what she means, but my throat won't work. My tongue feels thick and useless.

"I need to tell you something," she continues, her voice closer now. I feel her hand slip into mine, her fingers intertwining with my cold ones. "Something important."