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“The Marina’s and Costa La Blanca are proposing to …” more Russian.
I gave up and rubbed my arms. Cold was normal when these Russian men were gathered. Boredom set in, and I considered taking a walk around the estate, but I paused when I saw rapid movement outside.
Heavy boots, black uniform, guns. My first thought was the police until I saw the masks. The police didn’t wear masks.
My heart was pounding, and the blood was whooshing in my ears. I thought about protecting just one person and turned my head in his direction. The men had not noticed. The conversation grew louder.
“Rafa—”
Bang.
The doors burst from their hinges and the windows shattered. The explosion shook the entire building. I lost my footing, fell forward, and clung to the sofa.
Rapid gunfire cut through the air, and I put my head down and pressed a pillow over my ears to muffle the noise. I couldn’t see anything but smoke and heard heavy footsteps, crunching glass, and Russian-English dialog.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Varkov men. Vlad was leading them, and the others fell behind him, their weapons pointed in the air. Black suits and silver metal.
Someone shot at Rafail, but he dived down quickly. Fear gripped me. I was terrified that he could get hurt. Why?
“Rafa!”
“Stay down, krasotka,” he yelled back and raised his gun. He fired and one of the masked men dropped to the ground like a fly.
The skirmish continued for minutes—shots were fired, and insults exchanged—until more men from the Varkov security team marched in. The intruders were surrounded.
Rafail barked something in Russian and Viktor, his second in command, rushed to me and shielded me with his body behind the sofa.
They forced the masked men to their knees and Rafa stepped forward and tore off the mask from the kneeling man in the middle.
As the mask came off, my hand flew to my mouth. My shoulder shook violently, and a sob broke out. “Liam …”
Before I could rush to him, Rafail’s curled fist shot up and landed on his jaw. A sickening crunch resonated, and his body slumped to the floor.
“Rafa! Please—”
Viktor held me back and I couldn’t defend myself. I thought the beating was over, but his fist continued to pound Liam relentlessly. Blood splattered on his fingers and my heart clenched.
“Bastard!” Rafail spat and kicked him hard in the abdomen. “I am the one in charge. I created the path that led you here to me. What did you think that you were smarter? You fool! I’m always ten steps ahead of you.”
I fell to my knees and held my hands to my face. I could not watch. I desperately wanted to save Liam, to protect him from the darkness. But I couldn’t stand up to Rafail, my husband.
I felt torn, my heart was breaking.
Chapter 16 – Rafail
I rolled my shoulders and surveyed the tray with a stare. Before I left the house, she had walked out of the room with an untouched tray. Why was the scene repeating itself?
She sighed and shook her head. Her wrinkled hands clutched the steel tray as she shifted her weight. “She’s locked herself in the room and has been crying her heart out since this morning. She's refused to touch any of the food I've brought up to her.”
I growled, dismissed Olga, and barged to her room. My hand went down on the handle, but I bounced back. What the heck–it was locked. I pressed my body against the door.
“Open the fucking door, Juliana. I’m not going to ask twice.”
A second later, the locks turned, and the door opened. She looked up at me through swollen eyelids. Her hair was a mess and she sniffled as she stepped aside to let me in.
“What the fuck?” I pushed the door, stomping inside. The door clicked shut and she turned to me, her shoulders trembling.
“I’m sorry I locked the door,” she broke into another fit of sobs, pressing a tissue to her nostrils. “I just—”
