AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I head for the house, without glancing back. He might be right on my tail or still doubled over in pain, but I’m not slowing enough to find out.
Three security guards appear, followed by the Niko, Kir, and Vadik. They are racing in my direction, looks of horror on their faces when they see my torn and dirty clothes. As soon as the first one reaches me, I fall to my knees, sobbing.
“There,” I gasp, pointing, “in the bushes. By the hammock.”
Niko stays with me while the guys run off, and I throw my arms around him. “Niko, Niko,” I cry, barely able to speak between my sobs, “it was Dim… Dim…”
I can’t finish.
He holds me by the shoulders. “Was it Dimitri, baby?”
I nod, falling onto all fours as my body is wracked with heaves.
I’ve got to pull it together. I can’t let Evie see me like this.
I sniffle and when the nausea passes, let Niko help me to my feet. “Don’t tell Evie, please don’t tell Evie. Don’t take me to the house. Take me to your cottage. She can’t see me.”
“All right, come on, baby,” he says, scooping me into his arms and carrying me.
I throw my arms around his neck and bury my face in his chest, breathing his familiar scent, and I’m instantly comforted. We get to his cottage and he lays me on the sofa, leaving me, then returning with a warm washcloth.
He’s dabbing at the dirt on my face when the rest of the guys join us.
I push myself up. “Did you get him? Did you get him?” I ask, pleading.
Please say yes.
But Kir shakes his head. “He got away. Fucker disabled the electricity in the fence.”
I look at the security guys behind him. He had to have help. I know it.
Someone on the compound is helping Dimitri.
“This is such bullshit—” I start to say. “I was attackedagain, and still you guys do nothing about it.”
I push myself to my feet. “Go fuck yourselves. All of you.”
They’re lucky I don’t twisttheirballs.
I head for the door.
Vadik raises his arm. “Hold on, Charleigh. We should have the attack on video. We’ll take that to thePakhan—”
But I cut him off. I am so over hearing about what thePakhanwants. “ThePakhancan fuck himself, too. And I’ll say that to his face. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t keep me safe. None of you can, in spite of all your promises. So you might as well just stop pretending you can. Admit it. You can’t keep me safe.”
* * *
CHAPTERTHIRTY-EIGHT
Charleigh
I tear off my clothes and stuff them into the bathroom trash, then stomp into a scalding hot shower. I know it’s completely illogical, but I soap up a washcloth and scrub my skin until it’s bright red and even then, I don’t stop. I can’t. Dimitri might not have gotten away with what he’d planned, but his touch has left me soiled in a way I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to get rid of.
On top of feeling ugly and dirty, I am also so furious that at this moment in time, someone could look at me wrong and I’d kill them with my bare hands. Seriously. That’s how enraged I am. Mad at everyone. Mad at the world.
I’m mad at my mother for leaving me when I was ten, and for my father for all his bad decisions. I’m mad at Evie that she can’t just behave, stay on track like other teenagers, and not add to my worries.
I’m mad at the guys for messing up my life, for taking me from my father to auction me, then creating a situation where I can never leave them.
