“Please don’t. I think it’s deserved.”
Adrik held the smoke in, letting it burn. She was lying to him. How bad was it? How bad did it get? He was trying to see what Levka saw. Was his sister in need of help? They all did their part for the family, and sacrifices were painful, but was it affecting her deeper than it should?
“Levka’s on his way home.” He watched her reaction, noticing the way she stiffened. The popped blood vessel in her eye boiled him. He was going to make Rurik suffer a little. Perhaps make him do some cardio. “This mishap was in my favor. I wanted to partner with Levka and now he can’t say no.” Adrik smiled, hoping to take the weight off her shoulders.
Luerna nodded. “Thank you. I’m sorry I put you in that position.” She bowed her head, shame weighing on her.
When Rurik rushed back into the house with a funny grin, talking about Levka coming in the secret tunnel, Luerna’s expression hadn’t been covered. Rurik saw it. He took his gun out, touched her forehead with it, and asked her why Levka was on his way. She shook her head, claiming to not know. But the damage was done.
As Rurik searched the dungeon for Levka, Luerna called Adrik, begging him for help.
“I lied,” Adrik admitted. “I told him you didn’t know about the security.”
Tears burned the back of her eyes, and she bit her lip, trying to suppress them. She didn’t cry in front of others. It was shameful, yet she couldn’t find the will to get up and leave. She felt heavy, immobile, falling down a black hole.
Was she self-sabotaging? Was she losing her mind? Why had she set him up to fail?
Luerna liked Levka. She wanted him to want her. She wanted him to love her. And most importantly, she wanted him to try to free her.
But she was terrified of him being successful.
Did that make any sense at all?
“Luerna,” Adrik called, and it must have been the third time because he had nearly shouted.
She blinked rapidly, sniffing, wiping the wetness from her cheeks, and giggling softly, “Sorry, I don’t know what that was.”
Adrik chewed on the inside of his cheek before he decided. “I think you need a break. I’m sending you on vacation.”
“What?” Luerna stiffened, pushing to the edge of her seat. “Vacation, what are you talking about? I just started learning about charity work. I wanted to get started as quickly as possible.”
“I want you on the plane in an hour.”
“I can’t get the kids ready in that time–”
“You’re not taking the kids.”
Panic was increasing with every passing second. “Who will watch them?”
“I’ll hire someone–”
“I haven’t had anyone else care for them since they were born.”
“They’ll be fine.”
Luerna struggled to comprehend. How could he act like she was so easily replaced? How could he think separating her from her children was the best course of action? Was he that dumb? “I’m not leaving,”
“Luerna, this isn’t a discussion. This is an order-”
“Fuck your order.”
Adrik snapped his head up. She knew she had overstepped, but she wouldn’t back down.
Luerna stood, stepping up to the desk. “You don’t get to come in here and make demands–”
Adrik stood and put his hands on the table. “I do. And I will. You can either go on your own, or I can have someone carry you.”
Her tactic changed, and she whimpered, “Adrik, please.” She knit her brows, beseeching. “I’ve never been away from my kids. Don’t punish me. I know I made a mistake with Levka, but it won’t happen again.”
