AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Reaching for the remote on the nightstand, I stood, watching the blinds close, blocking out the morning rays. He would sleep for hours, undisturbed, and when he woke, I wouldn’t be there.
I couldn’t.
I couldn’t let what happened last night ever happen again.
Placing the remote back on the nightstand, I bent over his sleeping form and lightly kissed his lips. “I love you, Max, but I can’t keep doing this. Forgive me.”
Picking up my heels, I gathered my bag and left my room, closing the door behind me. Making my way down the hallway, I saw Vladmir and the rest of his men milling around. I knew she was already gone. The second he showed up last night, Mrs. Rushton knew what to do.
Placing my bag next to the suitcases near the elevator, I slipped my feet into my heels before facing Vladmir.
“He’s resting. My advice is to let him sleep.”
“He won’t like this, Illyria. What he found on the boat...” his voice trailed off. He cleared his throat and stated, “He will find you.”
“No, he won’t because I am leaving and never coming back,” I firmly said, reaching into my suit pocket for two envelopes. Handing them to him, I added, “Make sure Montana gets this. It’s the deed to the Gentlemen’s club. Tell him, thank you, but I’m out. The other is for Max.”
“I can’t let you do this.”
“It’s not your choice. I’m tired of all of this. I just want to live my life without fear. I know it sounds stupid considering my family, but I’m done. I’m tired of lies and vendettas. This war will never end. I’ve lost a beloved brother, a cousin I adored, and for what?” Shaking my head, I sighed. “After what happened to Tessa,I can’t. I’ve got too much to lose. My life isn’t my own anymore.”
Vlad stiffened as his eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”
Shaking my head, I reached for my coat and put it on. “Nothing. I’m just tired. I will stop by the hospital to pay my respects to Tessa, then I will leave for good. Take care of him, Vladmir. He is going to need you.”
Saying nothing more, I picked up my bag, then reached for the handle of my suitcase and entered the elevator. I knew he wouldn’t stop me. He didn’t have the authority. While I may still be married to Maxim Fedorov, I wouldn’t be much longer.
As the door closed, a lone tear escaped as it slowly rolled down my cheek. Wiping it away, I promised myself right then and there that it would be the last tear I ever shed for the man who held my heart.
Walking out into the bright sun, I headed for the waiting car at the curb. Handing my driver my bags, I hopped into the back seat of the car to find my cousin Maria waiting. A solemn look on her face as she said nothing. What could she say? She knew the truth. She knew how I felt. In the end, as the car pulled away from the curb, she reached over and grabbed my hand, giving it a slight squeeze.
Forty minutes later, the car pulled up in front of St. John’s Presbyterian Hospital as Maria handed me the vase of long stem white roses she picked up for Tessa. Thanking her, I reached for the handle before asking, “Did Mrs. Rushton make it safely to the Harbor on 5th?”
“Yes. She will help Clara until you send for them.” Maria stated, then carefully questioned. “Illyria, are you sure this is what you want to do? You’ve made a life for yourself here. Everyone here will protect you. If you are worried about Petrovitch, I can call in more cousins to help. He won’t get close. I can promise you that.”
“No, you can’t. If it was just Max, I wouldn’t worry but this man,” I muttered, shaking my head as I thought of him. “Petrovitch will kill everyone that means anything to me to get his hands on me. It’s too great of a risk. One I refuse to make.”
“But to never see him again,” Maria said, shaking her head. “He needs you.”
Refusing to discuss the matter further, I exited the vehicle and walked into the hospital.
The second I stepped out of the elevator that took me up to the intensive care unit of the hospital, I saw several of the Soulless Sinner’s. Each looked tired, worn out as they stood vigil around the door that separated them from the woman clinging to life on the other side.
“Mercy?”
The big man lightly shook his head. “It’s bad, Illyria. August damn nearly lost her last night. What that fucker did to her. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“How is Montana?”
“Barely hanging on. If he loses her...”
Placing my hand on his arm, I stated firmly, “He won’t lose her. She is a fighter. She will survive this.”
Mercy sniffed. “He’s in there with her. Won’t leave her side.”
“Let me try,” I offered, as Virginia Stone walked over. “I will help you,” she said, wiping her eyes. Nodding, I said nothing more as I opened the door and walked in.
Inside the room I came to a complete stop upon seeing Tessa lying motionless in the bed, hooked up to all kinds of machines that were working tirelessly to keep her alive. There wasn’t a part of her body that I could see that wasn’t bruised, cut, or raw. Montana sat beside her in a chair, his head laying on the bed, as he held her hand. The only sound in the room was the machines beeping and breathing for her.
