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Kylian rolls his eyes. “You heard what my father said. Nathan Van Dyne is a vengeful bastard.”
“Nobody is more vengeful than the Malikovs. And you can watch me prove it.”
* * *
SKYLA
I wince when Dr. K pulls the final stitch in my side. He tugs at my skin, and it burns like he’s searing the ends of the stitch with a blow torch. “You really couldn’t have put me out for this?”
“You’re a tough cookie. I knew you could handle it.” He chuckles and puts the bandage over the last wound.
Everything hurts. My arm, my stab wounds, and most of all, my heart.
Hearing the truth about my father’s dealings with Nathan Van Dyne and how he got himself tangled up in a horrific sex trafficking ring was harsh. But the worst part is knowing that we won’t have him for much longer and that he was only trying to protect us from his bad judgment the best way he knew how.
He made mistakes, but he tried to fix them. He tried to fix us. But when he’s gone, we’ll still be left with the jagged pieces of his legacy, and holes in our hearts and souls over what we lost because of it.
Tears sting my eyes. I blink fast to keep them from spilling over, not really sure anymore which part of my rapidly unraveling life is most devastating.
Zak sits on the couch across from where Dr. K sewed me back up. He’s silent, forehead pinched and fingers steepled, watching me cringe and moan every time the doctor stuck his needle into my flesh.
Dr. K packs his bag and stands up from the couch. “Just keep an eye on the bandages. Don’t get them wet for the next couple of days. I’ll be back to check in on you.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Zak murmurs, his eyes still on me.
Dr. K nods. “I’ll see myself out.”
He disappears out of the living room, and soon afterward, the front door opens and closes. Zak stands up from the couch and takes a step toward me. “How do you feel?”
I raise my eyes to his. “I’ve never felt worse in my life.”
“I can understand that.” He kneels down in front of me, his index finger grazing the bandage on my thigh. “Been there.”
“Why did you come after me today?”
His brows furrow. “Because he was a fucking lunatic who was going to hurt you. I’d never let that happen.”
“Yes, you were going to let it happen.” I push his fingers away. “You told Alek and Val you’d hand me over to him. I heard you say it. At Luka’s house, I overheard you talking when I went to the bathroom. Alek told you to give me up and you said ‘done.’” I narrow my eyes. “Don’t try to deny it. I heard every word.”
His blue eyes storm over. “Then you need to get your ears checked because I told him ‘I’m done.’ As in, I’m not fucking handing you back over to the Van Dynes. And whatever you think you heard me say to Val is wrong, too.” He brings a hand to the side of my face. “I’m crazy about you. I was never gonna let Tyson have you.”
I shake my head, tears spilling from my eyes. “I want to believe that, but I know you. I know how important your family is to you. No matter what, you will always do what they want, no matter who gets hurt in the process. And I can’t let that be me again.”
“Skyla, I told you I’d never let anything happen—”
“Look, you saved me from the guys Tyson hired. But it didn’t mean you were giving everything up for me. You did it to save me for something bigger, something that could save your family. You were feeding your own need for control and respect. How am I supposed to believe that you wouldn’t choose them again over me?”
“Because I fucking love you. Do you get that? I’ve never said those words to anyone else in my damn life. And I’ve loved you for years. I was just too stupid to realize it until now.” He reaches for my hand and laces his fingers with mine. “I want to be with you. I want you to be my wife. I want to make sure you have everything you need. That wasn’t bullshit.”
I pull my hand away from him and swipe away the tears running down my cheeks. “Too much has happened. And what I need right now is space so I can focus onmyfamily and what’s left of our future.” I let out a deep, shuddering sigh. “I love you, but I just don’t know if that’s enough for me to grasp on to, knowing there will always be threats like Van Dyne hanging over you.”
“Don’t do this.” His husky voice tightens. “Don’t shut me out. Not now.”
“I told you, Zak. Words are nothing without actions behind them.” I finger the hem of my shorts, my eyes dropping to the frayed denim edging. “I don’t want to hear you promise to choose me. I need to see it. And right now, I just don’t believe it.”
Chapter36
Zak
