Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92133 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92133 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“I shouldn’t have married her,” I said.
“Don’t start,” Ivan said.
I turned toward the man who I once thought I would give my life to, the only person I’d die for, but Adelaide had proven that wasn’t the case. I would give anything to be in that bed rather than her.
“Bethany was the one cut out for this life.”
“And you think I was going to allow that little whore to be wife to one of my men?” Ivan asked. He tutted. “You should know me better than that.”
“Adelaide is too good for this world.”
“Adelaide can handle this. She’s not some delicate flower, Andrei. You’re just too stubborn to see it.”
“She doesn’t deserve to be in that bed. Fighting for her life. She should have a husband who is not going to get her killed.”
Ivan looked away from Adelaide. His gaze focused on me. “And you think you’d have been able to handle that? You think I don’t know the hours you spent, keeping an eye on her. Giving yourself little rewards just to make sure she was safe, happy?”
No one should have known about that. No one. I’d been so fucking careful. Always lurking in the shadows when it came to Adelaide’s life, and I shouldn’t have been surprised that Ivan knew. The man knew everything.
Sipping at the coffee, I grimace. It really is bad.
I take a seat beside Adelaide. The tubes are hideous and distracting.
“She is going to wake up,” Ivan said.
I stay quiet.
“The man responsible is waiting for you to deal with him.”
I nod. I have every intention of dealing with that fucker.
“I can stay here,” Ivan said.
This made me turn my head to look at him. “Don’t you want to deal with him first?”
“This is for you, and I imagine with Adelaide like this, there’s no one else you could trust with her safety.” Ivan released a yawn. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her.”
I highly doubted it, but I got to my feet.
“I’ve also given permission for Nathan to be taken care of as well, and no, I don’t mean killed. The nurses are fixing him up. Did you have to break the face of one of the best hitmen?” Ivan asked.
“He lied.”
“For good reason. You don’t want everyone to find out you’re a hit man. It would be bad for your reputation.”
I wasn’t in the mood for jokes. I stepped toward the bed and stared down at my wife’s current unconscious body, and I begged for her to live. She couldn’t die. Life was unfair and cruel, but it didn’t have to be—not with her.
“I’ll be right back,” I said.
I don’t know if she can hear me. I hope so. Touching her cheek, I feel a slight warmth, but there’s no animation there. Just stillness, and it’s breaking my fucking heart.
I vowed to protect her, to keep her safe. What did I do? I all but killed her.
Gritting my teeth, I stand up, turn to Ivan, nod in his direction, and then leave the room. With Ivan offering to take care of my wife, I don’t have a choice. This means he wants me to handle business first, and I’m a good soldier.
Terrance and Leo are waiting for me.
I’m angry at Leo, but I also knew what happened. Adelaide drugged him with some sleeping pills she found in our penthouse. I don’t recall ever having them, and I know for a fact Adelaide never had, but they were there. She’d used them to spike Leo’s drink so she could leave without being questioned.
He looked down. I saw the shame on his face, and this was why I couldn’t punish him. Neither of us expected my wife to do something like that. She’d been desperate. All her life, she’d been alone. There had been a guard from time to time, but she’d been able to wander freely.
I want to kill Leo. I do. He shouldn’t have drunk the coffee, but then, I’d have asked him to do anything to make my wife happy. Those were my instructions today. She’d been miserable for some odd reason.
“Let’s go,” I said.
Leo looked up.
“Sir?”
I held my hand up. “I get what happened and I understand why, but don’t try to test my patience. Take me to the shooter, now.”
My voice is firm as I say that final word.
Terrance had gotten him into a secure place, organized my soldiers to keep guard, and then come to the hospital. Leo had done the same. The two men are my constant. I still don’t trust them, but they were the best of the best. They had so far proven their loyalty to me and to Volkov.
Leaving the hospital was fucking hard. One look up at the building, and I want to go back to see Adelaide. To kiss her lips, touch her face, beg her not to leave me.