AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don’t have to think about it, though.
Because it’s not.
“Unfortunately, I don’t know where they are.” I push myself off the desk with a casual shrug and head for the bar in the corner. “Thanks for the offer, though.”
Martin stands there, stunned. “What…? What do you mean, you don’t know where they are?”
“Exactly that.” I pour myself a shot of whiskey and let the burn slide down my throat. “I don’t know—and I don’t think I’d tell you even if I did.”
“You can’t do that! You can’t just kidnap my wife and daughter!”
I knock back another shot, set the glass down, and stalk toward him like a predator cornering the world’s dumbest prey. “You don’thavea wife. Legally, you don’t even have a daughter. I did some digging on you as well. Do you honestly think a clumsy, egotistical cop too self-important to remember to sign his own baby’s birth certificate is going to tempt me with fabricated evidence and promises of freedom?”
His eyes widen as he quickly stumbles backward. “You don’t have a choice! Everyone thinks he did it! Without me, your brother will stay in there forever!”
“Idohave a choice. I made the choice the moment I met Clara, and that was to help her. To help her get the hell away from bastards like you.” I grab Martin by his shirt collar and slam him against the door. “And the second I met that sweet little girl, I made the choice to give her everything her deadbeat, son-of-a-bitch sperm donor never did, never would, and never could. So when I say I don’t know where they are, what I really mean is, ‘Fuck right the hell off.’”
It’s easy to “accidentally” drag his face along the wall and ram it into the door as I escort him roughly out. When he stumbles to the ground, my only disappointment is that he’s only falling onto the plush velvet carpet in the hall and not off the edge of a cliff.
I’m going to have to figure out a plan to get rid of Martin for good. Something permanent that will get him off of Clara and Willow’s trail for the rest of eternity. I’m sick of dealing with him—I can only imagine how terrifying is must be for the girls every time he pops up like a fucking weed.
This one time is the exception. Idiot that he is, he did give me some useful information.
And I did, in fact, get it all on tape.
I turn to walk back to the desk to grab my phone and make sure everything loads from the hidden microphones onto the cloud database so I can send a copy to Bambi.
Between his offer to fabricate evidence in a major murder case and his confession of abusing Clara, plus plans to abuse Willow, replacing Tolya’s spot in prison with the dumbass may actually be an option on the table.
A door in the private bathroom clicks.
I whirl around?—
And Clara’s soft lips latch onto mine.
18
CLARA
Demyen stood up for me.
Heprotectedme.
And he gave up a chance at Tolya’s freedom… forme.
I don’t care what might happen when he finds out I’ve been eavesdropping. I don’t even care if Martin comes back through that door and sees I’m here.
All I need ishim.
And when I yank open the bathroom door to fly into his arms, I make that abundantly clear.
Demyen’s surprise lasts only for a second before he’s kissing me back, his hands cupping my face and tangling in my hair. I kiss him like I need him to breathe. I taste him like he’s the only thing that will sustain me in this life.
And when he pulls away, just enough to rub the tip of his nose with mine, I breathe him in like he’s the best scent in the world.
“Why?” I blurt.
Great. Very eloquent, Clara. Just… lead with that, I guess.
