“The Parker’s charity gala, remember? One day before you flew to Russia and met Radmir,” he snapped. “When he stole what was mine and had to be punished for it.”
“You killed that man, the one they thought Radmir murdered, just because you loved me?” I said quietly, but he shook his head violently.
“He had learned my identity and wanted to tell Radmir about my fascination with you. I couldn't allow it, and an added bonus, it helped frame Radmir and keep him away from you. Win-win situation.” He shrugged as if all this was not a big deal.
He had ruined so many lives, but he didn't consider it the least bit important, because they were obstacles to his goal.
Me.
I rubbed my forehead as the headache assaulted me. I had no clue what to do but count time in my head. We had been here around twenty minutes, which meant Tina had less and less time to survive, because who knew how fatal her wound was?
“I don’t love you,” I whispered, and he blinked at me, not comprehending my words. “Please let my sister and me go. I wouldn't tell anyone about you, but we have no future.”
“You looked at me that day,” he insisted, playing nervously with his fingers, hectically reaching into his pocket, probably for pills, which he obviously didn't have because the bottle he pulled out was empty. “We had a connection.”
“I don’t even remember that day or the gaze. You were never part of my life, John!” I screamed, hoping someone would hear it and come inside. We weren't in the woods or on a secluded island. It was a hotel, damn it.
I refused to give up. I had a son and a man I loved.
I deserved a life full of happiness, not to die at the hands of a psychopath who lived in his delusional world.
“Stop saying that.” He shook me till my teeth clacked together and then pulled us up, tugging on my hair painfully. “You are just like everyone else! Not appreciating me!” He picked up his gun, and the cold metal touched between my eyebrows. “You don’t deserve my love or devotion. It was me who paced the hospital during your labor and me who made sure you weren’t alone during your doctor appointment during pregnancy. Even if you had no idea I was close, I provided much needed support. Doctors wouldn’t have taken advantage of you because I was always there to protect you.’’ This crazy man had lost his mind! “I even tolerated your sister for you!” He removed the safety of the gun. “First, I will kill you for betraying me, then rape you, and then do the same to your sister. Whores like you two don’t deserve to live.”
The door burst open as Radmir rushed in with his gun pointed right at John while Vitya and Gleb stood behind them in the exact same position.
“Let go of her, fucker.”
John laughed hysterically, swirling me around so he gripped me from behind, pressing my back to his chest.
“I should have killed you too on that fateful day, when you checked on Cliff. He shouted repeatedly for help, the only man I had ever killed actually. I liked the challenge,” he said, happily. “Now your woman will die.”
Radmir’s jaw ticked while he gritted his teeth. Then he lowered his gun and lifted his hands in defeated. “You hate me, right? Kill me instead of Vivian. I’m the man who stood in your way.”
“She just said she doesn’t love me,” he snarled, rubbing his chin on my hair, and goose bumps ran through me, hating it.
Ignoring his words, Radmir pushed him harder. “I’m the man who had her all this time, who made a baby with her. I’m the man in whose arms she cried out in pleasure each night. I’m the man who stood in the way of your happiness.”
John pushed me aside as he aimed the gun at Radmir and fired. Someone groaned in the back as Radmir jumped on John and started beating the shit out of him, while I fell to my knees, gulping air from shock and not paying attention to the men.
Finally, I rushed to the bathroom and checked on Tina, who still breathed, and shouted, “Ambulance, we need an ambulance!”
“They are here, Vi,” Gleb reassured me, and in a minute, the paramedics rushed in, helping her while gently saying to me, “Miss, please go to the next room. We need as little noise as possible to check her vitals, and you shouldn't stand in the way of the gurney.”
“Of course.” I hastily dashed toward the living room, where Gleb and Vitya held a raging Radmir as John lay at his feet nearly beaten to death.
“Man, you would kill him!”
“He deserves it!”
“No, he doesn’t deserve an easy death after what he has done.” Gleb’s reasoning didn’t stop him though.
“Radmir,” I called, and he froze, and then quickly, I ended up in his arms as he hugged me close, his smell and strength overshadowing everything else as I listened to the beat of his heart. “You came.”
He kissed the top of my head, my cheek, my lips, while his hands examined my body. “I will always come for you, mykrasivoglazaya. Did he hurt you?”
“No, he tried to but stopped in time.”
He squeezed me tighter and pressed my head to his shoulder, as we both needed to be close to each other in that moment. We belonged nowhere but with each other, and to think that someone tried to take it away from us. Along with fear came crushing relief that it was finally over, and we could move on from this.
