“Honors?” I furrowed my brow.
“She needs to be unconscious.”
I blinked repeatedly. I knew this. It just hadn’t sunk in until this moment.
“Right. Of course.” I took the syringe from Mikhail and just stared at it for several protracted seconds.
During my lifetime, I’d handled my fair share of weapons.
But this syringe felt heavier than any weapon I’d ever held.
Approaching Ariana, I linked my fingers with hers and led her toward the couch, sitting beside her.
“I’ll come for you,” I whispered through the tightness in my throat, my eyes glued to hers for fear this might be the last time I’d ever peer into them.
She forced a shaky smile, pressing her hand to my cheek. “I know you will, my King of Shadows.”
“My Queen of the Underworld.” I covered her hand with mine, resting my forehead against hers. “I love you.”
She closed her eyes. “And I love you. I’ll see you soon.”
I pulled my lips between my teeth, my muscles tensing. Then I brought the syringe up to her bicep and carefully injected the drugs into her. It took a few seconds, but she eventually went slack in my embrace.
Tattoo stepped toward us to pick her up, but I shook him off.
“I’ll do it,” I all but growled, and he held his hands up in surrender.
Standing, I gently arranged Ariana in my arms and carried her toward the garage, the sight of her like this cracking me open. It wasn’t the first time I’d carried her unconscious body. I’d done the same thing when I first rescued her.
But this was different. I wasn’t carrying her to safety.
I was carrying her to a fucking van so she could be delivered into the hands of the devil himself.
The back door of the van was already open when I stepped into the garage, and I carefully placed her body on the blankets, pushing her hair out of her face to admire her one last time.
No. Not one last time. I couldn’t think this way. I’d see her again. I had to see her again.
When I turned, Mikhail stood behind me, holding a pair of zipties.
“I assume you want to do it?”
I nodded, snatching the ties from him. Blake handed me the rag we’d used earlier, and I slipped back into the van.
I thought binding and gagging her earlier today was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. But this was so much worse.
Even though we’d discussed this so she knew what to expect once she woke up, I hated doing this while she was unconscious. Earlier today, her consent was the only thing that helped me get through it. Her raw determination. Her strength.
But right now, I needed to be strong for both of us.
Once I’d secured the ziptie to her wrists and the rag over her mouth, I stepped back, my gaze lingering on her for one more moment.
Then I closed the door.
“All set?” Tattoo asked in his thick Russian accent.
“All set,” I replied, albeit reluctantly.
He started toward the driver’s side door, but I stepped in front of him.
