Page 118 of Volatile Waters

And I hated it.

I didn’t deserve it, nor Wolf’s sacrifice, as he quickly faced Jewel and Sky and told them to run. Tears filled my eyes as I lifted my shoe then shoved Wolf out the door. Not expecting it, he flew outside. As he scrambled to his feet to come back in, my foot kicked the door shut. Horror crossed Wolf’s face as he realized what I was doing. His mouth formed the word, “No,” as he raced for the doorknob. He was too late. From under Whitney, my hand quickly locked it.

His hand slammed against the glass. My lips quivered as I tried to smile. I love you.

I carried Whitney, death waiting for us in the living room, and I prayed that karma would allow Wolf to survive.

Breathless, in alarm, I pulled her close and whispered, “I want to run for my car, but we will never make it. He knows what I’ve done.” Be brave, Whitney. “Grab my gun.”

If there was anything to say about Whitney Summers, it was that she never gave up. Fierce, even when facing death, her trembling hand searched the back of my pants, then tucked my gun between us.

I entered the living room slowly, shocked to see my dead father propped in a chair. Uncle, casually sitting on the couch, puffed on his cigar. “My brother did not deserve to be on the floor.”

He didn’t mention that Father didn’t deserve to be dead. Or maybe he did, and I simply couldn’t hear it because my eyes were locked on Valerie, dead, in a distraught Kirill’s arms. He was standing in the corner, staring at me, nothing but agony present. We looked like a mirrored image, both of us cradling the girls we loved. One soon to die. One already gone.

Valerie was naked and bloody. Her blonde hair was now red and in disarray.

She had put up a hell of a fight. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.

The only thing that pulled my attention from Kirill and Valerie was Sky and Jewel running across the backyard, with Wolf not far behind them. One of Uncle’s men was already waiting with a rifle pointed out the only open window. Sky was shot first. Then Jewel, letting loose a scream.

My whole body seized, terrified to watch Wolf die. I’m not sure how I was still holding Whitney without dropping her when I saw Wolf dart for the woods behind my home. Avoiding bullets, he entered the woods, then turned and looked back at the house. Maybe it was the lights in the living room that helped him find me, but he did. His eyes met mine… Then, he disappeared.

And like that, my Wolf was gone.

All the air felt as if it was seeping from my lungs. Only the beauty in my arms gave me the strength to dare inhale again, while Uncle told his guard, “Do not kill my biggest sale ever. Go fetch him. Not a scratch. I need to recoup all I can.”

As I watched, the other guard raced out the French doors and headed toward the woods, and I was grateful the FBI agent had a gun. Please survive. Please. So focused on Wolf, I never felt the last guard approach me from behind. Not until his knife was at my throat.

Whitney’s breath caught when she saw it. Possibly due to shock and starvation, she actually reached up to remove the knife. “No.” I couldn’t bear her angering Uncle. I was praying she could avoid the damage Valerie had suffered.

A sense of pride rushed through my chest as Whitney, being so brave, stopped, then nuzzled to my chest, placing her finger on the gun’s trigger.

“My son betrayed me,” said my uncle, “trying to hide his new infatuation. Look what it cost the bitch. Yury, tell your whore to see what will become of her.”

Whitney didn’t budge. More pride boomed when I realized my Whitney was only going to take orders from me.

“I said, look!” screamed Uncle.

I truly had hoped Whitney hadn’t seen Valerie, or the fate she might be forced to face if I were to be killed. It was the only way anyone was going to have a chance at hurting Whitney. To appease my uncle, I told her, “Fire, look.”

As she dared to peek over her hunched shoulder, Kirill’s legs gave out and he hit his knees, never releasing Valerie’s body.

When Uncle said, “It will soon be your turn to watch your whore die, Yury,” I tightened my hold on Whitney. I didn’t care about the knife drawing blood as it dug into my skin, but I cared that I needed to stay alive to help Whitney. “But first, it is time to watch little Yury squirm.”

There was a secret I had kept from Whitney, for fear it would repulse her.

And it did.

As Uncle spoke of my having sex with Whitney’s mother, she partially slid from my embrace. The blade dug deeper into my skin as I peered down, wanting to explain I had been forced to do it, but no words could bring solace to yet another horrendous detail of my life.

As much as Whitney didn’t want me touching her, I couldn’t release her upper body, due to the gun we had hidden. So, I held her to me, silently apologizing.

But it wasn’t enough.

When Uncle explained that Whitney was still within her mother’s womb as the sex took place, she pulled from me and pointed the gun at my chest.

With it clear her sanity had evaporated, the man with the blade at my neck backed away to avoid the gunfire.