Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“Ah, yes, it’s easier to learn the naughty words first, isn’t it?” she sneered. “But the fact is, he is a bastard. I wonder if he’ll ever learn how his father was married to someone else when he was born? That’s if he survives.”
“A marriage is only a marriage if it’s legal, something yours never was.” When her face went gray, I smirked at her. “Ah, yes,” I mimicked her earlier words, “it’s hard hearing the truth, isn’t it? But the truth is that the marriage was fake, it was never legal.”
She was silent a moment, but then she shook her head. “You’re lying.”
“Am I?” I raised my eyebrow, taunting her. “The lawyer who annulled the marriage is a close friend of Benito De Luca. All he had to do was get the correct paperwork, add on your details, and then notarize it with a fake stamp. It was never processed correctly because there wasn’t a marriage to terminate.”
I watched as her fingers turned white and the tips red, as she clenched them tightly where they were holding Hendrix, making him scream even harder, and felt a moment of complete helplessness that I couldn’t stop him from going through this.
Just then, I saw movement over her right shoulder, and glanced quickly to see her brother, Sacha, put his finger to his lips before he disappeared again.
Taking a step closer to her so that only four feet separated us, I added, “The marriage was also never consummated, so it would have been annulled anyway, even if it’d been legal.” I leaned forward and hissed, “Which it wasn’t.”
Donna’s mouth opened and closed as the words registered, but then she snapped out of it. “Then taking his child fills me with greater pleasure. I imagine Taras is searching for him as we speak, but the chances of him finding anyone with any knowledge of the whole plan is slim. We made sure of that.”
“I’m sure he’ll find someone. Taras never fails, and I’m sure he’d love to see your plan go to shit.”
Throwing her head back, she burst out laughing. “How? We kept the men all separated so that no one would ever be able to find the links, suka. No,” she shook her head wildly, “by the time he even thinks to check here, his precious son will be gone, and so will his shlyukha.”
I’d never been called a whore before, even in English, but it didn’t carry the sting I’d have thought.
No, that sting was more effective when she held Hendrix over the edge of where we were standing.
“Don’t,” I cried, holding my arms out. “Whatever you want, you can have it. Just don’t hurt my baby, please.”
Part of it was an act, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t instinctual, too.
“Ah, she cares. How sweet,” she sneered. “Perhaps I should get you to jump before I drop him, hmm?” She paused like she was thinking about it, but then looked down at Hendrix, and whatever she saw snapped her out of it.
“He looks so like him, but…” she held him out again with one hand this time. “I think it’s time he lost what he wants—”
The loud bang of a gun firing made me jump and look around, sure it was being aimed at me, until Sacha came out of a door with his weapon pointed at his sister.
Looking back at Donna, I saw the look of surprise as her mouth open and closed, as she stared at her brother.
“Ty, brat?” she wheezed as a red stain began to spread on her chest.
“Da, suka. I’ve been cleaning up yours and Makar’s messes my whole life, and I’m fucking done.”
It took her a split second to make her decision.
Taking another step back, she lost her balance and tipped backward over the edge of where we were standing.
I was frozen in place as I watched her, her hand still clinging onto Hendrix’s bodysuit. Meaning that he was suspended in the air, swaying with her body’s movements.
Before I could even move, though, Sacha lunged forward, and grabbed him out of her arms, then placed his foot in her stomach and pushed her.
I had no interest in what happened or what she did after it. I just wanted to get to my son, who was already being held against the big man’s chest as he spoke softly to him in Russian.
“Sacha—” I sobbed, making my way under the arm he’d raised for me, just as my legs gave out.
Taking us down to the ground, he adjusted our huddle so I had Hendrix in my arms, and he rocked us gently back and forth.
“It’s okay, medvezhonok. Your baby is safe,” he murmured into my hair.
It felt like I’d never be able to breathe again with how hard the sobs were coming out of me, until I realized I needed to get my shit back together for Hendrix’s sake.