Page 64 of Merciless Wager
I turned and hugged my uncle for what was likely the first time. Seconds later, I stepped back. “If she doesn’t make?—”
“Hey, none of that defeatist behavior. Understand that?”
“Sure, Cill.” I looked at Aurora, who looked so peaceful, even though there was still so much blood on her from all that had soaked into her clothes and now the bedding. “I’ll see you later.”
“Absolutely.” And with that, Cillian left.
Minutes later, the only ones left were Conor and Liam.
“Is there anything we can do?” Liam asked from the doorway.
“I’ve got this. Just stay nearby, though, just in case.”
“Will do,” Conor answered for them both, and they returned downstairs.
Once I was alone with Aurora, I looked at the open suitcase we had tossed to the floor just minutes ago, and I quickly found a T-shirt of mine. I carefully tore and removed the soiled clothing from her, then tossed it, along with the dirty bedding, to the floor.
A short while later, I had put her in the T-shirt, then carried her into my bedroom and bed. Hers still had so much red, andI couldn’t look at it any longer. The more I had, the angrier I became as I saw nothing but red.
Instead of rushing off half-cocked and doing something both stupid and violent, I lay there holding her in my arms. Her coloring was starting to come back, and that put me more at ease. But nothing would fill me with relief until she awakened.
Still, I softly stroked her cheeks, neck, collarbone, and her arms. “You need to come back to me so I can tell you that we’re not going to have to be apart after all, Bellezza. Call it rewriting the stars or whatever you want to call it, but you’re mine. In this lifetime, and any others you try to escape to.”
The minutes ticked away, eventually turning into hours. As her pulse grew more steady, I knew she would wake up soon. It was the reason I had tried my best to stay awake. All the adrenaline from last night to finding her on the floor had kept me going, but it was quickly dissipating.
Despite my best attempts, I did end up falling asleep, only awakening when I heard a groan that wasn’t mine. My eyes flew open, and I turned in the bed to see Aurora starting to stir beside me. I didn’t rush her back because Cillian was right. Fate had stepped in and brought her back to me. What were a few more minutes when I intended to spend the rest of my life with her.
The moment her body tensed, and she held up her bandaged wrists, I knew she was awake. Before I could even fix my lips to say a thing, she bolted upright in bed and turned her frantic gaze to me.
“Welcome back, Bellezza,” I said with a smile.
Her lips quivered, and thankfully, they had returned to their usual pink hue, and not that goddamn blue I could go the rest of my life without seeing again.
“I-I don’t understand,” she stammered.
“I’m the one who doesn’t understand. I’ve told you that there is no escape from me, yet you tried to prove me wrong anyway.”
She swallowed rapidly, and her fear was building until I reached out and stroked the side of her face. Aurora slightly turned into it before she realized what she was doing. “Why did you save me? You should’ve letmedie.”
I swallowed back the urge to growl and chuckled instead. It made her head snap back. “You can’t use my words against me either, Bellezza.”
“I’ll do it again. Once I get to Russia, I promise I’ll?—”
“You won’t be going to Russia or anywhere else without me.”
“What are you talking about, Zarren?”
Fuck!Hearing my name coming off her lips now felt even better than yesterday when I’d been balls deep inside of her. Maybe because it meant so much more right now than it had then. I had wanted to punish her... Or maybe torture myself... But now, I only wanted to claim her, and in every way possible.
“I did it, Aurora. I told my uncles that I wouldn’t let you go.”
“Y-you did?”
“And I was coming upstairs to tell you that the Bocharov deal was off, and you could stay with?—”
“So, everything’s really over?” So much hope in her voice, but her words cut me deep, a lot like that fucking glass had cut her.
“Going to Russia to marry Mikhail is over, but we are far from it. In fact, this between us is just starting.” I growled.
