AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“There is one reason why I won’t put a bullet between your eyes right now, and that’s because if I do, I will end up back in prison. And I’ve got other plans for myself.” Luka pauses for a second. “But don’t be surprised if we run into each other again in the future. When that happens, just know I’m not gonna care about prison. I’m gonna care about one thing — revenge.”
My father’s jaw drops, and he sputters some reply that probably should mean something to me, but since every word that spews from his mouth is like the most lethal of poisons to my ears, I ignore him.
Luka turns away from my father and looks at me. His turbulent irises capture my soul, and I know I would do just about anything he asked of me, because for all of the hatred he has for my father, he’s saved me — over and over again. “I have to go to the hospital now.”
“I’m coming with you.” I force myself to look at my father one last time, disappointment settling into the fissures of my heart. “I hope this deal gave you everything you wanted because you lost your own blood over it.”
Luka takes my hand, lacing his fingers with mine, and we hurry out of the country club. Everyone else in the family has already left, either by car or ambulance.
I take a deep breath once we reach Luka’s car. “I’m so sorry about your father.” I’m not at all sorry he’s dead. But I am sorry that Luka is hurting.
“Thanks,” he says abruptly, opening the door for me.
He slides into the driver’s seat, turns on the ignition, and peels out of the parking lot, not saying another word the entire ride to the hospital.
When we arrive at the Emergency Room, he is accosted by his brothers, and based on the fact that she looks just like Val, another sister. They’re clearly beside themselves over the death of their father, Dima’s injury, and Valentina’s disappearance. Luka keeps me tight against his side through the frenzy.
“Where’s Mom?” Luka asks Nikolai.
“With Dima. He’s being checked out by the doctors right now. They don’t think he needs surgery, but they’re waiting for one of the cardiologists to show up and give an opinion since it turns out there was a second bullet and it pierced the area around his heart.”
“What about Dmitri?” Luka brings a hand to the back of his neck. “Has he shown up at all? He wants to know if we’re gonna settle up on this arrangement. I’d think he would be interested to know what’s happening with Dima since he’s on the hook now to pay.”
“I haven’t seen or heard from him.”
“And nothing from Valentina?”
”Nothing.” Nikolai’s brows furrow. “What the fuck could have happened to her? Did she get taken as part of this whole attack? Wouldn’t someone have contacted us by now, especially if there was some kind of ransom being requested?”
“I don’t think she was kidnapped,” I interject, looking between Luka and Nikolai. “The other day at your house, she said something that stuck with me. It was when we were talking about the marriage arrangement between me and Dima. I’d forgotten about it during the craziness with the shootings.”
“What did she tell you?” Luka narrows his eyes at me.
“She said, ‘There’s a way out, Natasha. You just have to be patient.’” I bite down on my lower lip. “That sounds like she might have planned on running.”
“And you didn’t think it was a good idea to share that with us before right now?” Luka growls.
“Sorry, I was too busy trying to navigate my fabulous new life with my doting fiancé,” I seethe, my palm itching to smack his chiseled face because he’s the reason why Dima was able to claim me in the first place.
“So this is supposed to be a big fucking twisted coincidence? Val knew exactly when to disappear, just in time for some enemy to open fire on the heads of our family?” Nikolai shakes his head.
The Emergency Room doors swing open and the family rushes over to their mother who staggers out, her eye makeup running in thick streaks down her face. She walks right over to Luka, putting a hand on his arm.
“You need to see Dima,” she rasps, her voice heavy with grief. Her sunken eyes flit toward me, a pained expression etched into her most definitely plastic-enhanced features. “Now.”
Luka nods wordlessly. I watch him walk through the double red doors, the uncertainty of my future hanging in the balance.
What will happen if Dima dies?
And how much worse would that be for me?
