Page 99 of The Promise

“To hide,” he murmured.

That coldness creeped in slowly, starting in her spine and then spilling into her belly. It soaked through her one limb at a time until Karine was frozen in place and wishing he didn’t mean what she thought he did.

“I just need to know if you trust me.”

Well ...

“That’s the easy part,” she replied. “It’s always been, Roman.”

“Okay.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Alec,” Roman said, making Karine check over her shoulder for the bull standing at the bedroom door. He had his back turned to her, trying to make it a point that he wasn’t eavesdropping on the conversation. She wondered if that was partly because he already knew what was about to be said.

“What about him?” she whispered in the phone.

“I want you to leave the lodge tonight. With him. He’s going to drive you to me. Just grab the few things you have, be extra quiet as you leave.”

Karine’s heart began racing in her chest all over again. She considered herself to be friendly with Alec—although she felt more comfortable with Jimmy, if she were being honest. That didn’t mean she wanted to be in a car alone with him for who knew how long.

When Karine remained silent on the phone, Roman added, “This is really important, Karine. It might be the only real chance I have to take you somewhere in a way no one will be able to find you except for the person with you. Me, I mean.”

“But—”

“It’s just a drive, babe. A drive to me. You can do that, can’t you?”

She clutched the phone tighter to her ear.

“Is this because of Dima?” she asked.

“He could seriously hurt you, Karine. And if he found me when I was supposed to be off the map, then that makes me think he’s only a few steps away from you.”

The swell of fear that swallowed Karine in one, heavy wave damn near put her to her knees. All it took was reality coming back to say hello one more time. Masha had been right—Karine was silly to think Dima wouldn’t be back.

Sometime.

Somehow.

He’d always been there.

Ready to hurt her.

“Karine,” Roman started to say, concern etching his voice a not higher.

He didn’t get to say anything more.

“He killed her,” she blurted out, hot tears prickling the backs of her eyelids as the darkest secret left her mouth. A truth that she had—for years—turned into a lie inside her mind. The mantra was easier than the memories. It was the first time she learned how to dissociate from her trauma.

It wasn’t real. It didn’t happen.

But it did.

Oh, it had.

She could see him now—Dima. The memory would forever be etched in her mind, but it was just a matter of making her mind hide it. Shuttering it away to someone else, somewhere else she didn’t have to see.

Except she couldn’t hide it now, wavering between the steady breaths of the man on the phone calling her name, and the memory pulling her under.