"So what?" Mrs. Brown laughed. "My husband was three years younger. Loved me his whole life anyway."
I shook my head, carefully folding the scarf back into the box. Whatever Ryan felt, I couldn't return it. My heart was already in tatters, no room left for anything new.
But the next day, the nightmare hit.
I got Marianne's call in the morning. Ryan had been found in the alley behind the nursing home, covered in blood, beaten nearly to death. By the time they got him to the hospital, he was unconscious.
When I rushed to the hospital, Ryan had just been wheeled out of surgery. His face was so swollen it was barely recognizable. Broken nose, fractured eye socket, three broken ribs, minor internal bleeding.
"Oh God..." I covered my mouth, tears spilling over.
"He woke up once," the ER nurse told me. "Said a few things, on and off."
"What things?"
The nurse glanced at me, her expression complicated. "He said... the guy who attacked him was tall, wore a black coat, spoke with a Russian accent."
My blood turned to ice.
Tall. Black coat. Russian accent.
No.
It couldn't be him.
Kirill was a bastard, a cold-blooded mob boss, the man who broke my heart. But he wouldn't—he wouldn't do this over something like—
The scarf.
I suddenly remembered. On Christmas, Kirill's black Maybach had been parked outside the nursing home. He must have seen it. Seen Ryan give me that gift, seen me accept the scarf, and then—
Then he beat Ryan into this.
A tidal wave of rage exploded from my chest. I left the hospital and found Kirill by the Maybach outside. He stood in front of the car, smoking.
The pale winter sun was harsh and cold, falling on his black coat, outlining a lonely, dangeroussilhouette.
He saw me, nervously tossed the cigarette aside, as if suddenly remembering to feel guilty.
"Why did you do it?" I stormed up to him, my voice shaking with fury. "He was innocent! He just gave me a scarf! What gives you the right—"
"Harper?" Kirill frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" I screamed. "Ryan! The nurse! You beat him half to death! He's in the ICU right now!"
Kirill's frown deepened. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't know?" I laughed bitterly. "Who else would it be?"
Kirill opened his mouth, then said nothing, falling into silence.
"Do you hate me that much?" Tears streamed down my face. "So much you'd hurt an innocent person? He just gave me a scarf, a goddamn scarf! He didn't know anything! He—"
"I didn't do it." Kirill cut me off, his voice low and firm.
I stared into his eyes, searching for any trace of guilt or shame.
"I thought, no matter what you'd done, you had a line you wouldn't cross. But I was wrong. You have no lines. You're a complete monster. I'm done with you." Tears blurred my vision, smearing his outline. "I never want to see you again. From now on, I'm leaving with Julian. Forever. I'll never be anywhere near you again."
