Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 68102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
He froze, his heart barely beating. Was Anisimov hurting her right now? No, he wouldn’t do that here.
But he might punish her elsewhere.
What the fuck did he do?
“Luckily, I’ve known Aleksandr a while,” Rogan said. “We’re not friends. He’d always choose his people over me. But I do believe that he loves Sofia. If anything, he’ll be as devastated over what you just revealed as you are.”
Doubtful.
He didn’t think anyone could be as upset or angry as he was.
“What are we going to do, boss?” Cillian asked.
“We’re walking out of here.” Rogan adjusted his suit jacket. “As though nothing happened.”
“I can’t leave her. Not without seeing her.”
Rogan’s face grew hard, but his eyes couldn’t hide a hint of sympathy. “I don’t think he’ll let you back in there. But he will let me.”
Colm didn’t like that he wouldn’t see her. However, he knew that what Rogan was offering wasn’t to be taken lightly.
“Stay here. Let me go and see what is going on.”
“I don’t want her staying here if he’s harming her too or allowing others to harm her.”
“I know. But just let me go and feel the waters. All right?”
It wasn’t okay, but what choice did he have but to nod?
Fuck. He wished Sofia had her phone on her. As it was, he couldn’t text or call her. Couldn’t even make sure she was actually all right.
No one would be harming her right now.
Rogan would check on her and make sure of it.
And as soon as he could . . . Colm was stealing her.
And making her his.
22
Sofia stared at the door where Sacha’s men had basically shoved Rogan MacGuire and his men out of the room.
“Sacha,” she said worriedly.
“I don’t want him coming back in here,” he said to Viktor. “See to it.”
The other man nodded and left the room.
Leaving the two of them alone.
She swallowed heavily and reminded herself that Sacha loved her. Sacha wouldn’t hurt her.
Would he always love her, though?
If he knew it all?
“Don’t look at me like that,” he told her. “I’m mad at you right now, but I would never harm you. You better know that, Kotyonok.”
She jolted in surprise and then winced as her back twinged.
“Sit down, Sofia, you’re obviously in pain. You haven’t been taking care of yourself, have you?”
Guilt filled her.
She was a grown woman. She should be able to look after herself instead of creating issues everywhere she went.
“Sorry,” she whispered as she went to sit on a hard chair.
But he patted the bed. “Here.”
She sat as he climbed off and raised the back of the bed so she could lean back. He knew exactly what she needed, which eased the tension inside her.
This was her Sacha.
He would never harm her.
“Do you need a heating pad? I can send for a nurse.”
This was ridiculous. She felt like such a fake. “You’re the one who is injured. You were shot. I should be taking care of you.”
He shot her a stern look as she tried to move, so she froze. “Stay where you are. Right now, I look a hell of a lot better than you do.”
Charming.
But likely accurate.
He started pacing slowly back and forth across the room. “Tell me.”
This was it.
Her chance to come clean.
“Oleg was abusing me.”
The words were so hard to say, yet as soon as they came out, she felt lighter. Like a weight was gone.
But then she saw Sacha’s face and realized that weight, her burden, had gone straight onto his shoulders.
Guilt hit her hard and fast.
“Sacha, I’m sorry.”
His gaze slammed into hers with a ferocity that stole her breath. “Why would you be sorry?”
“B-because you don’t need this. You have so much on your plate, and you were just shot! I’m adding a burden you don’t need.”
“Is that why you never told me?” he said quietly, moving closer to the bed. Then he sat on it, facing her. She found herself fidgeting until he covered her hands with his. “You didn’t tell me he was abusing you because you were worried it would burden me?”
“No,” she managed to get out before swallowing heavily.
That lump in her throat wouldn’t go away. She kind of thought it might be a ball of her emotions. All trapped together.
Waiting to explode out of her.
“Then why? Did you think I wouldn’t believe you? That I would take that fucking dead man’s word over yours?”
“No?”
“Then why, Kotyonok? Why didn’t you tell me he was hurting you? You had to know I would take care of it.”
“I did know that,” she whispered. “I do know it.”
“Then why!”
She jumped. More due to the emotion in his voice than anything else. Aleksandr never raised his voice. He rarely got angry. But it was clear to see he was furious.
“Because he was blackmailing me.”
He clearly wasn’t expecting that. He sat there, staring at her, his breath coming in harsh pants.