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CHAPTER26
ISABEL
Days go by. One, two, three, but by the time the fourteenth day of Ruslan avoiding me rolls around, I know that I need to do something. I knew that this would happen, it’s no surprise to me at all, but I had hoped that it wouldn’t. I was also hopeful after the first week that he would come back. But he hasn’t.
It’s late, well past midnight on a Saturday night. Ruslan will be at the club. This is the only time that I ever know exactly where he is. The club is not open during the week, so he could be anywhere, doing anything.
Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I wonder not for the first time if this is a good idea or if I’m going to walk away completely disappointed. Pressing my red-painted lips together, I inhale through my nose, then release my lips and let the breath out of my mouth.
My shoes are red high heels, sky high, my dress black and skintight and my hair is down in loose waves. I’m all dressed up tonight and I hope like hell that this works. I want him back. I want a husband. I want the life that Ruslan promised me.
Opening up the door, I look to the right and see my guard. He has been here for the past two weeks, although I’ve only asked him to take me to the grocery store and shopping once with Zinaida who helped me get some more clothes, while I helped her look for baby items. Though that whole thing was kind of comical, because I know next to nothing about babies.
“What is this?” my guard asks.
He hasn’t told me his name, though I’m not sure why it’s some big secret, but I stopped asking for it about ten days ago. Turning my head, I look up at him with a big smile. He grunts but doesn’t say anything else or even look like he’s about to move in any way.
Sticking the key in the door, I turn the locks and face him again. “This is you taking me to the gentleman’s club,” I state.
He stares at me for a long moment, then pushes off of the wall and grunts again. This guy never has much to say, but I kind of like it that way. If he seriously disapproved, I think that he would have no issue telling me or picking me up and dropping me back inside the condo.
I start to walk, and my guard falls in line beside me. When we are in the parking garage and approach the car, he places his hand on the small of my back and guides me to the car, even helping me to sit down.
When he sinks into the front seat, I look over to him. “I know you don’t talk much, but I have to know if you think what I’m doing is wrong,” I say, practically pleading with him.
He starts the engine, shifting it into drive before he turns to look over at me. “It doesn’t matter what I think. My job is to keep you safe.”
“I know,” I whisper.
“However, I will tell you that to be in a relationship, there is no hiding from one another. It doesn’t matter where he hides, but he is hiding, and nothing can be fixed this way.”
“Are you married? Because you seem really up on all this relationship stuff.”
He doesn’t say anything immediately, instead he eases the car onto the road. There is a moment of silence as he drives, and I just assume that this is another one of those questions that he just won’t answer.
But then he does.
“I was married,” he murmurs. Those three little words almost sound painful for him to say aloud. I start to open my mouth to ask him what happened when he continues. “She got cancer, died at the age of thirty. I loved her. She was my life, still is, to be honest.”
“I’m so, so, sorry,” I say after I’ve gasped in surprise and covered my mouth with my hands.
He shrugs a shoulder. “This is life, but it is also why you should never take a second of life for granted, yes?”
Chuckling softly, I clear my throat and look straight ahead at the road in front of us. “You’re right. Life is too short.”
“So to answer your question,” he says. “I don’t think that you are doing anything wrong.”
Sliding my tongue along my bottom lip, I turn my head to face him. “But what I’m doing is foolish?” I ask.
“Most definitely. Though most love is foolish, so if you love Ruslan, then this is the right thing that should be done.”
“Thanks,” I breathe.
RUSLAN
Polina handsme the clipboard as I approach. Thankfully, I don’t even have to ask her. She just does what she knows I want her to. Looking at the list, I arch a brow as I turn to her. I’d almost forgotten about this. I shouldn’t have though, it’s pretty fucking important.
“The governor is coming tomorrow night?” I ask.
