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Saint’s guilt for his sins has driven him this way.
“I won’t allow you to do this,” I challenge, frantically peering around the room for an out.
“The choice is made.” He cups my cheek with a trembling hand. “All I can offer you is a life on the run where you’ll forever be looking over your shoulder. I won’t have that for you because you deserve so much more. I will only bring pain into your world. And I’ve already brought so much. I wanted a happy ending with you, I truly did. But I don’t deserve one. I deservethisfor all that I’ve done. It’s time I atone for my sins.”
“There’s another way!” I bellow, refusing to accept this. But Saint has thought this through. This was never his first choice, but it’s theonlychoice that sets me free. His first priority was getting me out of here safely, and then he’d deal with the consequences later.
“I can’t fight them all, which is why I have to do this. If I…die, it’ll end all of this for you. And that’s all I ever wanted. For you to be happy.”
The guns Astra and Borya hold are useless. One shot, and they ignite their deaths prematurely. “Let’s come to a compromise.” For the first time ever, I see fear, but it’s too late.
“You were always one step ahead.” It’s Alek who speaks, his voice filled with nothing but admiration. “At least I die at the hand of someone I respect.”
Saint inhales, tipping his chin to the heavens to ask for strength. I find out why that is. “You’re not dying today.”
“What?”It’s me who expresses more surprise than Alek at Saint sparing his life.
“Astra is right. Now that the terms have changed, and you don’t have her protection, someone needs to get you the hell out of here and keep you safe.”
“Saint, please, you can’t intend to blow us up,” Astra says, paling.
“Watch me,” he counters while Astra yelps, searching for a way out.
“No,” I whimper, wrapping my arms around my middle, unbelieving he would leave me in Alek’s hands.
But what he says next is what I knew to be true all along. It’s the reason I couldn’t allow Alek to be killed. “Even if we were to escape here, I can’t look after you like he can. You need someone to protect you, and he is my best option.” He takes a deep, painful breath. “I need someone who…loves you…as much as I do. That’s the only way I know you’ll be safe.” Saint looks at Alek, who nods.
They’ve finally found common ground—their love for me.
“Saint, no.” Uncaring, I rush forward, placing my hands to his cheeks, begging he doesn’t do this. “Please, don’t. We were supposed to leave here together. Where you go, I go. I don’t want to do this without you. We should have fled when we had the chance.”
Tears cloud my vision as I search every corner of his face, hoping to see reason. But I don’t.
“We could have, but where would we go? We had no solid plan. With no ID, the fact I’m a criminal, and the issue with you being technically dead, thanks to yourhusband, we can’t do this aboveboard. We can’t go to the consulate. Too many questions will be asked. And besides, most of the consulate are ontheirpayroll. Aren’t they?”
Alek nods slowly.
“We wouldn’t stand a chance on our own. I don’t have the connections to guarantee your safety, which is why I agreed to do this in the first place. The odds are and were always stacked against us. I’d only put you in more danger, and I’ve already done enough.”
“You’ll allow him to go free? You’d sacrifice your revenge for me?” Because that’s what he’s doing. I know handing me over to Alek for safe keeping is as asinine as it sounds, but this is the lesser of two evils.
“Yes,” Saint replies without pause. “You mean more to me than anything in this world.”
And a small part of me dies at his bittersweet confession.
“We will always be hunted. And we are each other’s weaknesses. They will exploit that in any way they can. But I won’t allow it.”
“No,” I sob, throwing my arms around his neck. “I won’t leave you.”
“I wish it was different,a????, but it’s not. You are a liability to them. So this is my last resort. I’ve tried everything, but there is only one way to ensure your safety and your freedom. And that’s my death.”
“Don’t be a martyr!” I shriek, refusing to let him go. He rubs my back and holds me tight.
“Forgive me for doing this. This was never the ideal plan. I don’t want to leave you with him, but how can I kill him when he can do something I can’t?”
I wait for his reply with bated breath.
“He can protect you.”
