Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 118309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
I see her fear worsening if she knew this was the alleyway where Dr. Abdulov lost his life, so instead of announcing that, I tell her to climb into the driver’s seat and wind down the window.
“Don’t act like your squeal isn’t loud enough to alert everyone within five miles to any danger occurring,” I say when she attempts an objection.
“Fine. You’ve convinced me.” She unlocks her car door and slips inside before winding down the window. “But I’m going to start the engine too. Zero to sixty in under a second wasn’t solely designed for race car drivers.” Giggles bubble in my chest again when she scans the dark, dingy alleyway before saying, “This alleyway could do with a speedbump or two. It will stop the hoons.”
“You’re the only hoon I see racing up and down this street.”
Her smile is brighter than the moon. “That is true.”
I take a mental note to introduce her to Zoya before spinning on my heels and walking away from my apartment building. It seems stupid to return to the hospital and ride the elevator to the underground parking garage, but from the snippets of information Ano has shared with me over the past four days, Maksim has enough on his plate. He doesn’t need me going AWOL added to the long list.
The night I confronted Maksim about the legitimacy of our marriage wasn’t the only night he’s spent at Myasnikov PD. He’s been there every night since, and it has me worried I will be subpoenaed as a witness for the DA like I was for my father’s case.
He told me to be honest on the stand, so I was.
I’m reasonably sure my confession pulled the jury over the DA’s fence.
If I had lied, he may still be here, helping me wade through the mess.
Alla’s toot as she drives past the entrance I’ve just walked through pulls me from my horrid thoughts. She zips out of the alleyway like she’s as eager to be reintroduced to her bed as I am, narrowly missing Ano sprinting around the corner like it is faster to chase me down on foot than steer a bulky SUV up multiple levels of narrow parking.
He almost runs past me.
A quick glance through the tinted doors is the only thing that saves him from a predawn workout.
“What the fuck, Doc? Maksim thought you were running,” he mutters breathlessly, joining me in the corridor outside the ER. “He’s about to lose his shit.”
“I wasn’t running. I was…” Having a high IQ doesn’t automatically equate to having stellar common sense. I am a prime example of this. “Why would he think I’d run now?”
I swallow harshly when my last memory rolls through my head like a movie. I testified against my father, my flesh and blood, so Maksim has every right to be worried.
I told him it was the spouse’s choice whether they testified before making out that I could go against him without the slightest bit of remorse. I’ve never informed him any differently because I honestly don’t know which team I’m meant to be on.
I always thought it would be with the victims, but my father’s case taught me that that isn’t necessarily true.
Sometimes victims are assailants too.
My issues stem more from their ability to alter my life course.
They can take more from me than the people they hurt. At one stage, they made me believe my life wasn’t worth living. That’s why I wanted Maksim to promise he wouldn’t do anything that would put me in the predicament of him being taken from me as well.
I wanted him to uphold the pledge my parents didn’t maintain.
Was that fair of me to do? No, not at all. But I have more abandonment issues than jealousy and vows I had no intention of speaking to advocate.
I am swimming in waters out of my depth, and the chances of my going under increase when Ano says, “I’ve got eyes on her. She’s standing right in front of me.”
Maksim is doing everything right. He is protecting me and sheltering me from additional harm, but can that excuse murder?
I honestly don’t know.
Ano’s eyes dart to something left of my shoulder before he shoves me back two paces. “Better?” I can’t hear what the person on the other end of his earpiece says, but they must disengage their connection shortly after, because Ano speaks as if no one else is listening in while escorting me to the elevators as he has the past four days. “He’s moody as fuck when he isn’t getting any.” I realize I have the situation wrong when he continues talking. “That’s what I said. Some chicks dig somnophilia.” His laugh bounces off the closed elevator walls and rumbles through my chest. “There’s no way I could lay next to my girl all night and not touch her.” I snap my eyes away when the reflective paneling of the elevator doors alerts him that he’s caught an admirer, but I’m too late to hide my snooping ways. “We’ll finish this later.” He jerks up his chin like the person he’s chatting with can see him. “I’d say under an hour. She looks zonked.”