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He nods fast. There’s hope in his agreement. The desperate need to believe that, even though he might have lost everything else, he gets to keep his life.
“Good. Now, get out of my fucking sight.”
He scrambles onto his hands and knees and crawls to the door. He uses the handle to pull himself back up and then he rushes out without a backward glance.
Before the door closes on him, Kirill slips in. “You let himlive?” he exclaims incredulously as he turns to listen to the sound of Remmy fleeing.
“After what he did to Emma?” I bare my teeth. “No fucking way. I’m just giving him a head start. Send a team after him tomorrow.”
Kirill gives me a satisfied nod. “‘After what he did to Emma,’ huh? That’s the cardinal sin? You know, that’s something she might like to hear.”
I take a deep breath. “After everything I said to her, after how I’ve treated her, it will take a lot more than that to fix things between us.” I crack my knuckles and sigh. “But I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
Kirill smiles with palpable relief. “Fuckingfinally.”
32
EMMA
The kids have just gone down to the gardens with Amelia when I notice the message on my lockscreen.
RUSLAN:Be outside in 5 minutes.
It was sent three minutes ago. Which means I have two minutes to get my ass outside.
Exceptwhy? His message is just as informative as he has been lately and it’s making me nervous. Not just because this is the first time in weeks that he’s deigned to text me at all; it’s also the first contact between us since I word-vomited my confession all over him yesterday. Since then—radio silence.
Until this ominous five-word text.
Is he working off some sort of guidebook I’m not aware of?Intrigue and suspense building: how to bring the drama. Chapter 5 inA Pahkan’s Guide to Intimidation and World Domination.
His Range Rover is zooming up the drive as I walk down the steps. He whips a full turn and stops just in front of me, inch-perfect. He leans over and pushes the door open.
I get in hoping he’ll fill me in, but no explanation seems forthcoming as he immediately shifts back into drive and we take off again. I figure he’ll explain when he’s ready. But after ten minutes, he’s as silent as the night. And he looks about as friendly.
“Ruslan?” His eyes flicker in my direction and then back to the road. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
I’m halfway between a scared gulp and an annoyed scowl. This is all happening in a week where I’m supposed to be especially mindful of my blood pressure. But I can feel the stress sweats coming on. It always starts at the palms.
He turns the corner and I frown. This is my neighborhood. Or at least, it used to be.
“Are you taking me back to the apartment?”
“Yes.”
Okay, breathe. Breathe. Remember to stay calm for the baby. Think about your freaking blood pressure!Of course, all that does is make me sweat more. Somehow, I don’t think additional sweat will help.
I glance towards Ruslan, who remains uninterested in looking at me. Is it because he’s done? He didn’t buy my explanation and now, he just wants to get rid of me? He’s gonna drop me off with Ben and let him finish me off? I’m gonna lose custody of my kids anyway?
What is happening?
Blood pressure!
It’s a really fucked-up version ofHe loves me, he loves me not.
I’m spiraling but I have no idea how to turn my mind off or my heartbeat down. “Ruslan,” I say, swallowing hard, “you’re making a huge mistake.”
