AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Then the door opens.
With a last smug sneer, Mikhail shoves Dani toward me with such force that she stumbles. And in the second that I instinctually lower my gun to catch her, he’s gone.
The door locks behind him as Dani collapses against my chest. And though I want to chase him down, to rip him limb from limb, Dani needs me right now.
Clinging to my blood-soaked shirt, she sobs uncontrollably, her body shuddering violently against my chest. Decocking my gun and putting on the safety, I shove it into my belt at my back. Then I wrap my arms around her, holding her close.
“You’re okay, Dani. You’re safe,” I murmur, and though my hands are covered in dried blood, I cradle the back of her head, tucking her beneath my chin as I try to hold her in one piece.
“I’m s-sorry. I’m s-sorry,” she sobs, her breaths ripping from her lungs as she grips my shirt like her life depends on it. “I sh-shouldn’t have gone. Y-You tried t-to tell me.”
“Shhhh,” I soothe, stroking her hair. “You’re okay,” I promise, though my eyes stay trained on the hidden side door just in case Mikhail is stupid enough to show his face.
“Are P-Pyotr and S-silvia and I-I—” Another strangled sob cuts Dani short as she peers up at me in panic.
“They’re fine. They’re alive,” I assure her. “Breathe, Dani,” I insist, worried she’s on the brink of hysteria.
Nodding, Dani attempts several calming yoga breaths, though her stuttering hiccups make her shoulders jerk against my chest.
“Did he hurt you?” I ask, my eyes dropping to the arm Mikhail had so brutally pinned behind her back.
“I’m f-fine.”
She continues to stutter, but I can see her calming down now that her fear is subsiding.
“Good,” I breathe, my relief intense as it seeps through my chest. “Then let’s get you home.”
2
DANI
After the third taxi pulls away at seeing the state we’re in, Efrem resigns himself to walking. He scoops me up off my feet and into his arms with ease.
“Efrem, I can walk,” I insist, doing my best to protest, but I’m silently grateful to be off my shaky legs. I feel intensely unsteady until I’m in his arms.
“I know,” he observes lightly, his blue eyes soft as he gives me a gentle smile.
His blond hair falls into his eyes, making him look more like a chiseled model than a man who just saved my life. I cling to him, scarcely daring to believe I made it out of that situation unscathed.
Shuddering, I try not to think of Mikhail’s hands on me, my utter helplessness against him. I can’t believe I fell for his lies, that I would believe him so easily. And by the time I learned the truth, it was too late. I walked right into his trap without a second’s hesitation.
Heavy exhaustion overcomes me now that I’m safe in Efrem’s strong arms. Settling my head in the crook of his neck, I keep my arms wrapped around his shoulders as a tingling numbness sweeps through my body. Only the warmth of his broad chest keeps my bone-deep shivers at bay.
Finally, we reach his apartment, but he doesn’t set me down until he has to fish in his pocket for his keys. And even then, he keeps his arm securely around me, my body pressed against his side. Like he fears I might collapse if he doesn’t keep me on my feet.
In truth, I might.
He locks the door behind us, then gently picks me up once again.
Without a word, he carries me into his bedroom, then to his spacious, modern bathroom. Setting me gently on my feet, he keeps one hand on my elbow as he reaches into the glass shower to turn on the rain shower head.
Steam immediately starts to rise, and I ache to feel the warm water on my skin, hoping it will chase away this bitter cold that makes my teeth chatter. I wrap my arms around myself as Efrem releases me momentarily to remove his clothes.
Only as I watch Efrem strip his shirt do I realize the considerable amount of blood he’s covered in, and I gasp.
“Are you hurt?” I demand, my frigid temperature forgotten as I realize he might be injured. Stepping forward, I search his body frantically with my hands, relief flooding me with every smooth inch of muscle and skin I confirm.
“I’m fine, Dani,” he assures me, his hands gently finding my wrists. “It’s not my blood.”
