Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 80602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
The angel who came to visit me in my last moments…only, were they my last moments?
She’s diligently wiping my chest, her expression solemn and her brows concentrated as if she’s in the middle of the most important task of her life. I don’t dare disturb her, because all I want to do is to look at her—really look at her, and engrave this view and her to memory, and keep her there.
With me.
At that moment when I thought everything would be over, the thing I thought about wasn’t my mission or the people whose hearts I couldn’t rip out with my bare hands. The only thing that came to mind was this beautiful spitfire of a woman who was finally opening up to me after hating me for years—or maybe I told myself she was opening up.
I thought about how she would be all alone again, how she would become closed off and would beat the world out of her inner circle.
And I didn’t like that. I don’t like that. She would be all alone in the world without me, without anyone to hold on to.
Deep down, I already promised myself I would protect her. I already took that vow saying she would be the only person I’d make an exception for.
The only person who would be mine.
It takes superhuman energy for me to move my arm. My hand grasps her strands, and I take them between my fingers, caressing the golden hair.
Rai jerks her head upright and stares at me with those blue eyes I never once forgot about, those eyes that sometimes visited me in my sleep and forced me to wake up in a cold sweat. Why do these eyes have a hold on me when my only purpose in life is to destroy everything she stands for?
But it doesn’t matter how much I hate what she stands for. I’ve never hated her. She’s the only one I’ve ever allowed this close.
Her lips part, and soon enough, she stares at me with that wretched expression. Then, slowly, too slowly, her mouth opens, and she smiles at me as if she’s seeing me for the first time.
I guess this is the type of reaction I wanted when I came back, but she wanted to have me punished. She wanted me killed. Now she’s smiling because I woke up.
This woman is a paradox.
“You’re awake.”
I nod, and the simple motion holds me hostage. Pain explodes in my chest and spreads all over my body.
“How are you feeling? Should I get the doctor?”
“No,” I say in a voice so hoarse I doubt she heard the word. “I’ll survive.”
“Don’t you ever, and I mean ever, do that again!” Mixed emotions are evident in her voice: relief, desperation, but most of all, she appears to be on the verge of a meltown.
“Do what?”
“Why the hell did you run in front of Sergei that way?”
“Because you were going to do it. You were running to use yourself as a fucking body shield. Did you expect me to let you sacrifice yourself?”
“That’s my duty as part of the brotherhood.”
“It is not your duty to get yourself killed.”
“And it’s not your duty, either. Since when do you give a fuck about Sergei?”
“I don’t. The only one I ever gave a fuck about is you.”
Her lips part and I expect her to say something, to shoot back a retort, as usual, but she continues wiping my chest. Her expression is solemn, and I can see the tears that are gathered in her eyes.
“I thought you left again.” Her hand continues wiping my arms, my hands, and even my biceps. While her touch is gentle, the expression on her face is anything but. “I thought I lost you and you would never come back.”
“Did you really think it would be so easy for me to leave? After all, I still haven’t put a baby in you. Not officially, at least.”
“Shut up, asshole.”
“I see your tongue hasn’t changed, so you can’t be that worried. I’m wounded.”
“Stop joking around!” Her chin trembles. “You have no idea what I’ve been through. You had a fever last night, and I couldn’t sleep a wink in case I needed to stop it from going up.”
“Sorry.”
She wipes her face with the backs of her hands. “Just focus on getting better.”
We remain silent for a bit as I drink in her presence. Who knew having her by my side this way would feel so fulfilling?
“What happened last night?” I ask.
“I don’t know. We were attacked by armed men. Adrian and Vlad think it was the Irish, but I’m not sure. They didn’t look Irish.”
“And how do you know what the Irish look like? Did you hear them talk?”
“No, but the Irish aren’t stupid enough to attack the Pakhan’s house. That’s like a direct declaration of war, and they wouldn’t do it.”