“Daddy,” I whispered. “Please, help me.” But even as I prayed for those words to come true, part of me understood it was a hopeless dream.
Rosa
“So nothing is wrong with them?”
The female doctor adjusted her eyeglasses and nodded. “Well, they both suffered from smoke inhalation. Damian Scott also has a broken leg, so we put a cast on that, and he has some minor burns. As for Dominic Konstantinov…” She sighed. “His hands are burned. We are treating them. They should be fine with the help of a plastic surgeon.” My fingers reflexively touched my cheek, remembering the cruelty of the wounds inflicted on me by Erik.
Wounds that still held nightmares, despite the plastic surgeon permanently removing them from my face.
“But other than that, there is nothing to worry about?” I pressed, and she pursed her lips, clearly annoyed with my questions. “I already said yes. They just need to rest.” Then she frowned. “Who are you exactly? The nurse said you introduced yourself as his fiancée?” My cheeks heated, but I tried to keep a cool face. Well, what else was I supposed to do? They wouldn't give me information otherwise, so I had to tell them Dom and I were engaged. I could’ve used Damian’s name, but then Sapphire probably would’ve cut my head off for it. The girl still felt bitter over the time I spent with Damian, bringing him back to life, and she held a grudge.
It was a lie I regretted, judging by the stormy expression on my dad’s face. “Yes, that’s me. Well, thank you for your information,” I said too cheerily, hoping she’d drop the subject. Her gaze lingered on my dad, who seemed oblivious to attention. Although, I damn well knew he hadn't stayed a saint since Mom’s death.
The minute she left our side, he opened his mouth, probably to scold me or something, but I raised my hand and he stopped to listen. “First, I’ll go check on Sapphire and the rest. Next, you can give me a lecture about never, ever being with Dom, okay?”
He lifted his eyebrow. “Don’t think I like this cocky attitude.”
Rolling my eyes, I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and winked. “Get used to it.” Without waiting for his reply, because he would have plenty to say, I darted to Damian’s room, which thankfully was on the same floor at the far end of the hospital.
The picture I saw there made my heart melt. Leaning on the doorjamb, I allowed myself a few moments to enjoy it.
Damian lay on the bed, various wires attached to his body and a mask over his mouth. His leg had a cast. The machine beeped with each thump of his heart. The growly man seemed so out of place in the hospital gown, but somehow, he managed to make even it look manly. Sapphire rested against his shoulder, hiding her face in the crook between his shoulder and neck while his hand subconsciously hugged her. Kristina occupied the blue chair in the corner with a blanket spread over her body as she slept soundly, her chest rising and falling in even breathing.
Watching them in that moment, jealousy stirred inside me despite how bad it sounded. Who wouldn't want to have a man who loved you as much as Damian loved her?
Damian Scott, aka Sociopath, was one of the most notorious and ruthless killers in the States. He’d sent an email to his victims with one word,Sociopath, and they’d know the end was coming. No one knew where he kidnapped them or what he did to them, but it wasn't hard to guess by the remains they’d found. No one could catch him or figure out who he was, and more importantly, no one understood his sick desires. He killed respectable men of society, family men who adored their children, and who were perfect husbands.
On the surface, that was the truth, but deep down… He punished all those who were involved in child prostitution, avenging his dead twin, Dominic, in the process. His main goal was to destroy the organization Sapphire’s father ran, and he succeeded until he met her. According to what she told me, their connection was instant, and he became obsessed with her. However, her dad supposedly killed him on the edge of the cliff, and to the world, that was the end of it. Sapphire moved into the WPP, gave birth to their daughter, and learned to live again.
What she hadn’t known was that I saved Damian, and he was alive.
“Your man is in the other room, honey.” A gentle voice interrupted my thoughts. I shifted my eyes to the nurse, who patted me on the back. “You’re probably worried about him. Come on.” Without giving me a chance to explain, and really, what could I say? I didn't want this nice woman to think I was a liar. She took me a few steps away, and we ended up in another room almost identical to Damian’s, except the bed was occupied by only one man with his hands bandaged.
My breath hitched as I studied his rugged features, his silky, black hair under the hospital cap, and the five o'clock shadow my hands itched to touch.
“You both have handsome men.” She winked at me and then pointed at the clock on the wall. “Take your time, sweetie. I’ll be back in an hour.” With one last pat on the back, she left me standing alone in the middle of the room, feeling like a fool.
He seemed so freaking alone in this world, and I knew some of the things he had endured with Damian, but not all of them. I suspected Damian shared all of it with Sapphire, but she was his woman. He hated going back in time, down memory lane, and I couldn't blame him.
Did Dominic have nightmares too?
Did he sometimes zone out?
Did he have a raging inferno inside his heart that demanded justice for himself and his twin?
And more importantly, how did he manage to escape when everyone thought he was dead and become the pakhan of the Russian Bratva.
Taking a few tentative steps to him, my hand almost touched his chest when his eyes snapped open, and for a second, our gazes clashed, his fiercely possessive and mine surprised. He mumbled something, but then he was out again.
It was enough, however, to wake me up and to understand I was stepping on a dangerous line.
Dominic Konstantinov was not the man for me.
Never. Never.
Dominic
I sprang awake with a loud gasp as paralyzing pain pinned me on the bed. My nose filled with antiseptic smells as I noticed my left arm was strapped to an IV drip.Motherfucker!Holy fucking shit, my hands hurt like hell.
