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“Maybe. Someday. Goodbye, Lucas.”
I cut the communication and leaned back in my chair, staring at the blank screen of my laptop. “You okay?” asked Edric.
“Sabina chose me and chose us. She cut ties with Lucas; you heard her, right?”
“You know I did, but let’s not get too excited. It’s an emotional time, and Sabina has been through so much in a short time. Sabina’s decision to say what she did could be on impulse, and because she asked for time and space, she could change her mind down the road.”
“No, I don’t think so, too much has happened, and she knows what Lucas will choose in the end. You and I know it won’t be Sabina; he’s not his father, but his ambition still fuels his power. Sabina will have a fresh start; it can be here or anywhere. As long as she is with me, I don’t care where we go.”
“Bourne, from the moment Kaz handed you that file, you’ve pressed the fast-forward button on your life. I don’t care if you punch me in the face, but I have to ask at least one more time.”
“I’m not going to hit you, Edric; say what's on your mind.”
“Are you absolutely sure about your feelings when it comes to Sabina? Because if you’re not, you need to be honest and tell her the truth. She doesn’t deserve any more pain, especially from the man she loves. You’ve completely changed her life in a matter of weeks, and it will destroy her if what you’ve said to her was just a way of evening the score with her family.”
I sighed and was having second thoughts about hitting my best friend. “I think I’ve always loved her. I can’t explain it, and back then, it was taboo for a man my age to have feelings for a young girl the same age as his sister. Edric, it’s complicated, and no one will understand my reasons for wanting to be with her, especially since I didn’t share anything about her until a month ago. My life has always been private, even more so when I was active military. We run a private and exclusive business for clients who require our services at the utmost discretion. And for many years, I’ve lived under the radar with zero attachments. Edric, it’s no way to live a life. For a long time, I wished I wouldhave died overseas or on that damn train with my sister. It was the living part after both their deaths that I struggled with the most. I always suspected Marco was the one who blew up that train, but I never knew the true motives behind it. When Kaz handed me the file on Sabina, I lost my breath, stunned into silence until my brain and heart connected.”
“I never shared how I felt about Sabina because it was crazy to believe our paths would ever cross again. But then, the accident happened, and I lost my father to suicide. The final straw was when Marco double-crossed us in Croatia over the weapons deal.”
“We should have killed him then,” said Edric as he balled his fist and punched his other hand.
“We could have, but then I wouldn’t have reunited with Sabina, and seeing her again resurrected all my past feelings that I believed I buried a long, long time ago. My feelings are real, Edric, and I will do everything humanly possible to keep her.”
“And, what if she wants her freedom after all that is said and done? What will you do then?”
“Not going to happen, not when I still have air in my lungs. Sabina is the one, and I have no doubt.”
“Fair enough, I will never question you about Sabina again. You are a good man, and it’s a special kind of amazing when two people can find love in an impossible situation. And, fair warning, Kaz will lose her ever-loving mind when you introduce Sabina to her.”
“She will be happy and probably wear the look of happiness for a long time. Listen, I will make some calls that may take a while. Will you go check on Sabina to make sure she’s alright?”
“No problem, I’m sure she’s fine. One last thing, what will you do about the information we pulled from the drives?”
“I could bury it with Marco or pass it on to Valentin Vasiliev, and he can decide what to do with it.”
“Bourne, if you do that, you risk Valentin going after Lucas, which will again put Sabina in the middle of another war. Please think it through before you make any decisions, okay?”
“I will, and you don’t have to worry about me making a rash decision.” After Edric left, I turned on the house cameras to look for Sabina, and I released a breath once I saw that she was in the kitchen baking with Anna. “Good, she’ll take care of you while I take care of your brother—permanently,” I said, staring at the phone and knowing I had no other choice. This maneuver would protect us all. I had no doubt in my mind that it was right.
We all have choices, some we may regret, but this is not one of them. Lucas Santoro is not innocent in all of this. He didn’t protect his sister and trusted his father with blind faith because good sons do that. From what I’ve read about Valentin, he probably did the same until his father’s duplicity came to light. I picked up the phone and dialed Kaz; she picked up right away despite the time difference. Damn, the woman works around the clock.
“What do you need?” leave it to Kaz to get right to the point.
“I need you to put me in touch with Valentin Vasiliev; he’s in New York City.”
“Oh, I know where he is, but why do you want to speak to him? And don’t try to pull the boss card with me,” I almost laughed because Kaz was what I needed right now in light of the previous day’s events.
“I wouldn’t dare, but it’s of the utmost importance that I speak to him. So please make the call and connect the dots; you know what to do,” I instructed.
“So, she found a way in?”
“Yes, and I want her to stay, so please make the call as soon as possible.”
“Give me some time, and I will call you soon.”
“Thank you, Kaz; I appreciate this more than I can say,” I said, ending my call. I took the next hour to catch up on some work e-mails to several clients when I received an incoming e-mail to my secured account.
Bourne,
