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“He killed our mother and planned to sell me to Andreas Shirmanov. As a sex slave, toy, or broken doll, take your pick; they all mean the same.”
He exhaled and said, “I know what the terms mean. However, I certainly don’t need to hear my baby sister voice them aloud.”
“Why, Lucas? It’s the truth, and haven’t we suffered enough with the lies? She sacrificed her life to save mine, and I couldn’t do anything to help her. What if he was successful? What would you have done? Would you have tried to find me? Or continue to believe his lies and forget about me?” He growled so loud that he sounded like a wounded bear. I looked over the monitor to Bourne, who was tense and pacing the room with Edric looking on.
“Of course not! If I had known what Papa was up to, I would have killed him then, but I didn’t, and there’s no going back from that lack of knowledge. I’ve seen the tapes, Sabina, and I can’t imagine how you felt standing by watching our mother’s murder.”
“Lucas, don’t forget about the rape. Papa ordered Andreas to rape Mama, but not before slurring disgusting words at her and spitting on her.”
“Dammit, Sabina! What the fuck!?” my brother was coming undone in front of me, and I didn’t feel any remorse about the pain he was feeling. “I’m sorry for yelling, but as hard as it was to know you were there, you can’t know how I feel knowing I wasn’t. I can only tell you he will never hurt you or anyone again.”
“Why? Because you have him chained up? Yes, I know about the basement and what goes on there.”
“Good, then it will make what I have to say a lot easier for you to come to terms with,” he paused for a second as I looked to Bourne, who was about to lose the last vestiges of his control. The room was so silent that you could hear a pin drop, and then Lucas coldly said, “Our father is dead. I have avenged Mama and you, Sabina. Our father will never hurt you again, and as we speak, his treacherous soul is burning into ash.”
The sound of shattering glass followed, and then Bourne stood behind me and shouted at Lucas. “You sonofabitch! He was mine to kill. A life for a life!” I felt a cold shiver run down my spine as the two men in my life glared at one another.
“I made the only decision I could live with to avenge the life he took in my mother's name. You may believe I took justice and the pound of flesh you felt you deserved, but in the end, it would always be my decision. He was my father, and there was no way I would allow you to end his life. So it’s over for Marco, and the vendetta you’ve been carrying all these years should die with him unless it’s just beginning with my sister.”
“How dare you speak of Sabina in that way. She is not a means to an end. She is the beginning of everything I want to have in my life that my sister didn’t get to experience in hers. Let me ask you something, Lucas, what will you do now that your father is no longer in the land of the living?” I looked to Edric, and with unspoken words, I knew he understood what I was asking of him.
“I will make amends with my sister and then bring her home where she belongs.” I looked at the monitor and saw the coldness in my brother’s eyes. He may have ended my father’s life, but his honor is still at stake since Bourne was able to take me. He has to avenge me, but I don’t need that from my brothersince I am right where I want to be. Bourne was seething with anger, and neither man was backing down.
Edric was typing on his laptop, and right before the feed got cut, Bourne shouted, “Over my dead body,” and the call disconnected. “What the fuck!” he continued expressing his rage by shouting and swiping everything off his desk, including his laptop.
“Stop it,” I shouted as loud as I could, causing Bourne to calm down. “Edric, please leave us,” and I bravely faced Bourne. “You have so much anger.” I quietly addressed him.
“Do you blame me?”
“Not at all, but I couldn’t stand by and listen to the hate you both expressed toward each other. I can’t do this anymore, and if we,” I pointed to Bourne and then back to me, “will have any peace, then the war between you and brother has to end. Don’t you get it? I’ve had the leading role in that play for my entire life, and I quit. Is that alright?”
He looked crestfallen and a bit remorseful. As soon as I looked into his brown eyes, I caved as I knew I would. He quickly strode over to me and took me in his arms, kissing all my pain away, but could he really? There’s no time to share what’s been on my mind. To confess the secret thoughts that invade my dreams at night. I don’t want to lose him and have to stop being scared to use my voice. He held my face, comforted me, and asked, “How can I make this better for you?”
“Funny, I was about to ask you the same question. Bourne, I know you hate my family and wanted to be the one to enact revenge on my father, but that part of the story is now over. It leaves me wondering if what Lucas said held some truth.”
“He said that to get a rise out of me, and it worked. I should have kept my cool, but he knew what button to press, and I played right into his hands. I’m sorry my actions hurt you, but I wasn’t lying either. I love you, and I want you with me.You’re right, and I can’t do anything about Marco or my desire for revenge because it was his place to do it, no matter what I wanted. Please, Principessa, take my hand and let me walk with you to a place where we can both be free and in love. I will travel down any path as long as, in the end, it leads back to you.” He held my hands, kissing them to his lips and keeping them against his heart.
I love you so much, Bourne Atwater, and without hesitation, you placed your heart in my hands, and all you asked in return was for me to love you back, and I do with everything inside me. Please forgive me for what I’m about to do. My brother believes he has closure because he was the one who avenged our mother, but where does that leave me? I can’t flip a switch and forget how our mother died. How I buried the memory of that day and all the years of abuse I endured before that like it doesn’t mean anything, because it does. And what about Marielle? Or Bourne’s father? They matter as much as my mother did. Bourne’s feelings matter just as much as mine, and he’s promised to let go of his revenge so he can move forward with me. It’s what I want. I want Bourne, but it’s not finished for me yet. My father died on my brother’s knife, and I may have to use the metaphorical one on Lucas to sever what remains between us.
Knowing he wanted more, I kissed Bourne on his lips. It would be easy to fall into his arms and get lost in his beautiful blue eyes, but I pulled away from Bourne and said, “I need to call Lucas back, and I have to do it alone.” I walked away, praying I didn’t break his heart.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Bourne
My heart hurt as if she had plunged a knife into my chest with her rejection. I knew it wasn’t her intention, but it still didn’t make it alright that she walked away and left me standing there. When I looked into her eyes, I knew it hurt her as much as it hurt me, but what could I do? Sabina has been put through enough, and although I hated it and Lucas more, I let her go. Here I was, pouring my bloody heart out to her, and all she could say in return was to ask to phone her bastard of a brother back. Damn it! I would have never treated Marielle in the way Lucas treats Sabina. I cherished my sister and treated her with respect and kindness. She called me her hero more than I can count, and I loved it whenever I heard the words.
“Bourne, the feed is up if you want to listen,” Edric said, interrupting my thoughts.
“I shouldn’t want to, but I have to, or I will go mad.”
“Okay, you know what to do,” he said, leaving me alone to betray Sabina’s trust to do what I said I wouldn’t.
“Thank you for calling me back; I didn’t think you would.”
“Lucas, contrary to your belief, I am not here against my will or trapped in Bourne’s diabolical plan to take you down. I admit it’s what I may have believed at first, but then he revealed to me who he was, and I knew I was never really his captive or in any danger, not from Bourne.”
“I guess the real question is, are you afraid of me?”
