Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Pushing Miriam on her hospital bed.
“Motherfucker,” the security guy whispers.
“Follow them,” I snap and the two men hurry to obey. They pull up footage after footage and jump ahead to the proper times, and we watch as the four men wheel Miriam down the back elevator, into the parking garage, and carry her into the back of a waiting ambulance.
“This is crazy,” the security man says.
“I need that footage. Put it on a flash drive for me.”
“I can’t. I mean, that’s against policy. Fuck, I have to call the police. I need to report this.”
I stare at him and lean down into his face. “If you report this, I will bury this hospital in lawsuits, and I’ll make sure you end up floating at the bottom of the fucking Schuylkill. Give me the footage, then shut your fucking mouth.”
His eyes go wide. I can tell he wants to push back, but he glances at his partner.
The guy just shakes his head slightly.
They get in line after that. A few minutes later, I’m striding back to where Karine’s waiting in her mother’s old room, and I pull her out of there. The nurses are whispering and staring at us, and I figure we don’t have long before those security idiots get their shit together and finally do report this.
“They took her,” I tell Karine, hating myself for not posting enough guards. I should’ve seen this coming. “I’m sorry, but your uncle took her.”
The look of pure agony on her face breaks my goddamn heart, or whatever is left of it.
I stop before we reach the parking garage. Anton and my men are waiting for us there. I hold her tight and kiss her, and pull back so I can look into her eyes.
“I swear to you, no matter what happens, I will get your mother back. Do you hear me? I ran into a fire to save her once. I will do more if that’s what it takes.”
“I believe you,” she whispers, her voice sounding so small.
And I mean it. I will rip the world to pieces to get her mother back. Because if Aram ends up hurting my wife, I will never be able to live with myself, and I’ll make sure the Brotherhood is nothing more than a bloody smear on Baltimore’s pavement.
Chapter 32
Karine
Ifeel like my world’s coming to an end.
I’m totally powerless. Each time I think we’ve gotten the upper hand, Aram has found a way to stick a knife deep into my chest. It’s like my uncle’s actively trying to torture me.
They have my mother.
And she’s not well. That’s the worst part. She’s still unconscious, or at least she was. The doctors were talking about waking her up, but she still needs active medical supervision as she heals from her burns and the damage to her lungs.
I don’t know what the Brotherhood is doing to her.
But she might die in their care.
I’m a total mess. Valentin goes off to handle his business and I crawl into a deep, dark hole alone in the guest room. I close the door and lock it, because I don’t want to see anyone right now.
Not even my husband. Not even when he comes knocking and calls my name. I stay curled up under the blankets until he leaves me alone.
My mind goes to dark places.
I picture sneaking down into the basement and killing Arsen, just to get revenge. But I wouldn’t have to sneak—Valentin already made it clear that I can take my cousin’s life whenever I want.
That’s the sick part of all this. If Valentin hadn’t kidnapped Arsen, I don’t think Aram would’ve kidnapped my mother. A part of me blames him for what’s happening, which I know isn’t exactly rational.
Mama’s the one that took money from her brother. She’s the one that buried us both in crippling debt. If she hadn’t done that, I never would’ve married Valentin, and her brother never would’ve tried to shake her down.
We’d be happy.
Except we wouldn’t be.
Papa would still be gone. We might have some money and a little freedom to keep living, but Mama would still be a total wreck, and I’d still be drifting with no skills and no real future.
Luka would be free, but he’s always been free.
My mind can’t settle down. It skitters around, blaming Valentin, blaming Mama, blaming myself. Nothing helps and nothing quiets the pain.
At least until the door opens and the lights snap on.
“Okay, enough with the hiding and the crying.” Nikkita’s voice, stern but not mean. “Time to have tea.”
I poke my head out from the covers and blink at her. My vision’s blurry and it takes a second to adjust to the light. “What are you talking about?”
“Tea,” she repeats, placing a tray down on the table. “Also sandwiches. I can get something else if you’d like.”