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Startled, she glanced from the door to the table. “But ... But the food—"
“Fuck the food, Juliana! Get up right now”, I said. “We are leaving.”
She trembled; her eyes widened with fear. But I ignored her quivering lips as we marched outside.
I was angry. Angry at myself for believing that she thought more of me than just a means to an end. Angry, that I thought she'd enjoyed last night as much as I had. Angry, that a small part of me wished she liked me. Fuck it! To her, sex with me was just a fucking business, it was all about Liam. No way would I break my rules for a woman. Not for her or anyone else. You can't forgive betrayal.
My phone chimed in the pocket of my jacket. I pulled it out. It was Viktor.
“This better be fucking important,” I hissed through clenched teeth.
“It is, Rafa.” He breathed. “Liam has escaped.”
I hung up.
Well, fuck me.
The guy had a death wish. And guess who was eager to fulfill his wish today?
Me.
Chapter 13 – Juliana
It was a beautiful, bright day outside. At least it was for me. The sun had risen, and the trees were swaying more today than on other days. If I had to guess, I'd say they wanted to join in the celebrations. I was happy, and all of nature seemed happy too. Liam had escaped. That was the best news I’d heard in the last two days, especially after what had happened at the restaurant. It no longer mattered that I was a prisoner in my husband’s house. Knowing that Liam was free gave me a sense of freedom too.
But as it turned out, I was the only one enjoying myself. Rafail had gone on a rampage after hearing about it. He hardly spent any time in the house and hadn’t acknowledged my presence. He avoided me like I had the black plague.
I strolled across the grounds of his large estate, admiring the bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds, but something weighed heavily on the back of my mind. I kept thinking about that day when it seemed like Rafail Varkov was a normal man with no blood on his hands or guns under his pillow. We’d had a conversation that threw me into a deeper pool of confusion than clarity.
I tore my gaze away from the sky and ran my fingers through the tulips in the large garden. I was surprised that he was interested in flowers. For someone like him, the sight of flowers should have been a symbol of weakness and insignificance. But what mattered now was that Liam was probably hiding somewhere and was safe. Rafail had sworn to get him, but I could only pray as best I could that he wouldn’t find him.
From where I was standing, I could see the large greenhouse. Green plants clung to the walls, decorating it uniquely, and the warm light inside only made the sight more picturesque. The wind blew my hair back and my feet trudged over the interlocking floor stones. But I paused when a strange man waved to me from under a large apple tree.
I placed my palm on my chest, mouthing, “Me?”
He nodded and I frowned. Fear slowly crept in. I scanned the area. There were no surveillance cameras ... nobody watching me or ensuring my safety. For the first time since I'd arrived at his place, I suddenly wished he'd kept an eye on me.
The man waved again with more emphasis and then I saw the phone in his hands. I swallowed my fear and moved closer. Step by step, I mumbled a series of prayers and hoped they worked. The man was quite thin and not very tall. At worst, a knee in the groin would have knocked him off his feet.
“You called me?”
He nodded and tried to say something, but hurriedly handed me the phone. I stared at the black smartphone and hesitated. Then I remembered what Ava had said about her father having spies within the Bratva. I stared at him. He could be one of the men she was talking about.
I didn’t have time to process my thoughts. The man seemed to be in a hurry. “Go on,” he beckoned, “there's someone on the phone. He wants to talk to you.”
He?
No doubt Rafail wouldn’t have arranged for this creepy man to hand me a phone under the tree. So, if it wasn't my husband, there would be only one other "He” who occupied an important place in my life. I glanced at the display, which showed a private number. I pressed the phone to my ear, too scared to speak. But I had to know.
“Hello?” “Hello?” A slight breeze carried my voice. It was so quiet that I thought the person on the other end of the line hadn’t heard me. But when he sighed and called me “Juju",” relief flooded my chest as if a floodgate had opened.
Tears pricked the back of my eyes. “Gosh—Liam.” I pressed one hand to my lips. The tears made their way up and burned in my throat. “I’m so glad you found a way out of this hellhole.”
“Yeah.” The emotions twined in his words were thick. “I heard you got married.”
My heart was beating wildly. I was sure the news had already spread like wildfire. “Yes,” I gulped, aware of the oval diamond on my finger. I tried to ignore its existence since the day I got it. I thought it would soften the harshness of the reality of being his wife. You belong to me now.
And there was no lie there. I was his wife. His.
