"Took you long enough to realize," he says. "But I am the one who tore this country apart to get you back while they did nothing." I stare at him for a long moment with my chest heaving. Then he grabs my chin and pulls me forward like he is about to kiss me, but instead he whispers in my ear.
"Get out."
That was it. I blink in confusion. "What?"
"Get out," he says again, louder this time.
I stand there stunned before I scoff in disbelief. "So this is who you are? This is what you do? We are trying to have a conversation and every time I try, you lash out. You are asking me to choose between two sides I barely know. You and them. Yeah, they hurt you, and I told you I resent them, but you are throwing me out because we don't agree? What am I even saying?"
I shake my head. "I knew what you were like before I came here. You want to be alone? Then fine. Be fucking alone. Don't call me when you are feeling broken. Don't message me. Just move on with your life like I will with mine. We're done."
He stares at me. "So you are really turning your back on me?"
"I never did," I snap. "But I will now." He grabs my wrist, and I yank it, but he doesn't let go. "Let me fucking go, Ilay," I say as my voice shakes with anger. I hit his chest once, twice, and then again. Each punch is matched with my words. "Let. Me. Fucking. Go."
The last punch hits where he is still healing, so he lets go. I step back with ragged breath. "You want to be alone? Fine. Be alone." He laughs a sharp and bitter sound.
"So you think just because I told you to get out, I meant out of my life?"
He shakes his head and rubs his temple. "You must be very fucking silly, my love." His voice drops in a way even I know implies he is not messing around. "You are in my house. You are in enemy territory. And since you decided not to be my woman, that makes you fair game. You are a gazelle in a house full of wolves, and I am the alpha."
I freeze. "You really think you can walk away from me?" he asks. "That you have the power to choose? I should have never given you that choice. I should have done what I planned to do from the very beginning. I should have just shot both of your legs and made you unable to walk away from me." He looks me dead in the eye. "Who told me to be good? Who told me to wait for you to come willingly?"
His jaw tightens. "I should have just been the monster you always thought I was." I look at him hesitantly, finally understanding something is mentally wrong with him.
He stares me dead in the eye and says, "Run."
He steps back and points to the hallway. "Run. If you make it to the gate, you are free. If I catch you before then, I will lock you in thus estate and you will never see the sunlight again."
I look at him in horror. "You are joking."
"Do I look like I am joking?" he asks, his face stone cold. "Run, my love. Before I decide to just break your legs right here." I rip the door open and sprint into the hallway, terrified knowing he's counting down the seconds until he starts the hunt.
Chapter 32
?
IRIS
I scramble into the backseat of the car and slam the door shut behind me, my chest heaving and my fingers trembling so violently that I can barely pull the seatbelt across my lap while tears flow freely down my face, hot and stinging as they track through the dust still clinging to my skin.
Roman looks at me through the rearview mirror, his brow furrowed with a mixture of alarm and growing rage as he shifts the car into gear, his eyes scanning my face for fresh bruises.
"What the hell happened in there, Iris?" he asks, his voice tight with barely controlled anger. "Did that son of a bitch hit you? Tell me right now if he laid a finger on you, I am turning this car around and finishing what he started."
"No," I choke out, shaking my head so hard it hurts while I try to steady my breathing. "He didn't hit me, Roman. Just drive. Please, just take me to the hospital, I need to see Tessa or I'm going to lose my mind."
He studies me for a long moment, his jaw tight and his knuckles white on the steering wheel, looking like he wants to argue but seeing the desperation in my eyes makes him hold back.
"Fine," he says finally, his voice clipped. "But you're going to tell me what happened in there eventually, you know that, right? I'm not letting this go."
"I know," I whisper, wiping my face with the back of my hand. "Just not right now. Please."
He doesn't say another word as he floors the accelerator, the tires screeching against the asphalt as he peels away from the estate and leaves the nightmare behind us.
The drive to the hospital is a blur of passing buildings and blurred lights as I stare out the window and try to breathe, but every time I close my eyes I see Ilay's unhinged expression, the way his eyes looked when he told me to run, the way his voice sounded like a promise of violence.
When we finally arrive at the hospital, Roman parks the car and walks beside me into the sterile white lobby, his presence a silent shield against the world, and we take the elevator up to the recovery wing in silence. When we reach the door to Tessa's room, I have to pause for a second to settle the fluttering in my stomach, then Roman pushes the door open and I freeze when I see who is standing by the bed.
