“That’s right, I am your father. I wouldn’t fucking sell you. You’re my daughter. You belong in my company.”
“Don’t listen to him, Lexi!”
I shake my head. “Shut up. Both of you. Let me think.”
“Fuck that,” Viktor growls, and he hits Vladim in the jaw, and then kicks him in the nuts.
They roll over. Viktor’s on top now, and he’s smothering Vladim with his hands and knees.
“Stop! Please!” I yell. “Viktor!”
“You want me to let him live? After everything he did to you?” he says. “After this?” He points at his face, and it makes my stomach churn.
“If he’s my father …” I sniff.
Viktor frowns, but then relaxes his grip on Vladim’s throat.
“You love her that much? So much that you’d show me mercy?” Vladim laughs as Viktor crawls off him, taking deep breaths. He looks up at me, and I nod at him, trying to tell him it’s okay. I don’t know what to do, but I know that killing my own father doesn’t sit right.
“You think love’s gonna save ya?” Vladim growls. “It’s your weakness … your downfall.”
Then, out of nowhere, he pulls a knife and stabs Viktor in the abdomen.
Chapter 27
Alexis
I scream while Viktor howls and his body falls right into Vladim’s hands. He pulls out the knife and holds it to his neck.
That’s when I pull the trigger.
Tears run down my cheeks as I shoot my own father right in the head.
The knife drops from his hand; his limbs fall down to the floor like a sack of sand emptying. I drop the gun and immediately run to Viktor, who’s lying on the floor, blood pouring out of him.
“You’re hurt …” I say, grabbing him.
“Just a flesh wound,” he murmurs, laughing, and then cringing from the pain.
I tear off a piece of my shirt and wrap it around his stomach, making a tight knot at the end, which makes him groan.
“Fuck, don’t pull so hard.”
“That’s what you get when you give up.”
“Ouch. Do you have to be such a bitch about it?” he says, opening his bruised eye partially.
“Fuck, yeah. Don’t think you’re getting off easily after lying to me like that.”
He leans forward, coughing up blood.
“Don’t move,” I say, pushing him back, but his hand already reaches for my face.
“No … I just want to …” His fingers brush along my cheeks, my lips, my eyes. A smile appears on his face, and it’s a brighter smile than I’ve ever seen before. “You came back for me.”
“I couldn’t …” I sigh. “When I found out Vladim used my sister as a trap, I thought I could save her, but he had a backup plan. You.”
“What?” He frowns.
“He said he’d kill you if I didn’t stay there, but I knew it was a lie. He was gonna kill you anyway.”
“How do you know?”
“You told me. You’d betrayed him. That’s how you got the scars. I just didn’t realize that it was because of me …” I sigh. “Now, I get why you were so angry.”
His fingers brush through my hair, and he tucks it behind my ear. “I can’t be angry with you, Lexi. But I know you’re angry with me now.”
I look down at the floor and then at Vladim whose eyes have such a different glow to them, now that he’s gone. I shiver. “I can’t believe he was my father. Did you know?”
He nods. “But if I’d told you, it would’ve only hurt you.”
“I know,” I say. “You don’t have to explain. You tried to protect me from the truth.”
“I swear all that I told you is the fucking truth. He created you only so he could sell you.”
“So no one loved my mother?”
He coughs and tries to sit up straight by leaning back on his elbows. “You. You loved her. And your sister.”
“Do you think she’s still alive?”
“No … I think he killed her long ago when she was no longer useful. When she couldn’t bear any more servants after your sister.”
I sigh. “I knew it. Deep down. I just didn’t want to know it.”
“I get it. It’s tough to know you’re alone. But at least you have your sister. Is she safe?”
I nod. “I got her to go to Deangelo’s. He’ll take care of her.”
“Isn’t he your—”
“Pimp … yeah.” I smile. “But he’s a good guy.”
“Must be if you’re friends with him.” He smiles. “Well, I’m glad I let you go then.”
I place my hand over his. “Thank you.”
He pulls his hand back. “Don’t say that. I made you do this. Because of me, you had to kill your own father. I’m sorry, Lexi.”
I do what my instincts tell me and immediately hug him tight.
He pats me on the back, then groans and cringes from the pain.
“Sorry,” I mutter.
“Doesn’t hurt at all.” His grandstanding makes me grin.
“Well, then you can clean up this mess on your own, I assume?” I muse.
“Of course. After you help me get up and call Winston.”
I shake my head, laughing. When I put my arms under his to prop him up, he says, “So … you’re not mad?”
“Oh, I am fucking mad at you for making me kill my own dad, even though he was a fucking asshole, but I’m especially mad about the part where you took me away from my mom …”
He squints as he hears everything I have to say.
“But,” I add, and his face immediately lights up, “that part where you said you loved me made me believe you aren’t such a fucking bad person after all.”
“You heard that, huh?” he says, cocking his head.
“I sure fucking did,” I say, and then I help get him up from the floor.
He groans but manages to stay upright.
“You know … for a moment there, I thought you’d actually kill me instead.”
I frown and glance at him. “Why’d you think that?”
“I dunno … part of me wanted to believe I deserved to die.”
“You … you can’t die.” I clear my throat. “I need you.”
He smiles at me. “You do?”
“Yes.” I smile back and lean in to kiss him on the cheek. “More than anything.”
“More than your dad?”
“Fuck, so much more than that.” We stumble toward the door.
“More than life?”
“Depends.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “On what?”
“On whether you’ll love me for the rest of my life.”
He grins. “Fuck, yes. I’ll take on that challenge any day.”
“Good,” I say, smiling to myself, “because you’ll be stuck with me for a little while longer.”
I wink as we walk into the hall, where a smiling Winston meets us. And dead bodies, which I try to ignore.
“So glad you’re alive,” Winston says, dropping the gun in his hand.
“Winston?” Viktor’s eyes widen. “You’re here.”
“Of course, I’m here. Where else would I be?” He playfully raises a brow.
Winston walks up to hug Viktor, who cringes from the pain. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” he mutters. “But how did you get here? Did you just seriously use a gun?”
“I didn’t just use it,” he says, smiling.
“Winston actually hid behind a tree like a sniper and killed them all,” I muse. “Then he covered for me while I went inside.”
Viktor seems surprised. “Huh. Who’da thought …”
“I would’ve been dead if it wasn’t for him,” I say. “How else do you think I got in so easily? It’s all thanks to Stan.”
Winston frowns at me but continues smiling. “I took some lessons a few years back. Guess they came in useful, after all,” Winston gloats. “This old man had some tricks up his sleeves no one was prepared for.”
Vikto
r laughs and shakes his head. “Well, I’m glad you came back.”
Winston folds his arm around Viktor’s shoulder and helps him walk. “Me too, boy … Me too.”
***
Viktor
A few hours later
I was ready. Ready to give up on life … ready to die.
I’d lost the will to go on, knowing I’d lost her. I knew Vladim would come for me, but at least, she’d be with her sister where she could be happy.
I never thought I’d see her face again.
When I saw her standing in the doorway, I knew I had to fight.
Somehow, I regained the strength to fight back, even though I don’t know where the sudden rush of energy came from. Maybe it was because seeing her a final time gave me the kick I needed … or maybe it was realizing that she cares about me as much as I care about her. All I knew was that I needed to survive.
So I did what I had to do, clawing and punching my way through him with every breath I took. Until she made the decision … and she let me win.
She saved me.
Not just my life but my heart, too.
She chose me over her father, over her past, and with it, the hope flooded back into my mind once again. I won’t take it for granted.
As we sit here on the couch in the living room, tending to our wounds, I finally feel at ease. Even though bodies are everywhere, we’re safe now. None of Vladim’s men will do anything without his command, so if he’s dead … well, let’s just say they won’t be doing much for the coming years. Maybe they’ll even dismantle, who knows.
Not that I care right now. She is all I care about as I watch the smile on her face as she cleans the hole in my stomach. I hiss, but I don’t shout at her anymore. I’ve learned from my mistakes.
She’s gently patting the bruises with a cloth, carefully wiping the blood off my forehead. I like looking at her when she’s like this … almost as if she’s taking care of me.
“There. It’ll probably stay bruised for some time, but at least the blood’s gone.” She rinses the cloth in the water and wrings it. “And for the gaping hole …” She grabs a bottle of alcohol and pours some on the cloth, making me cringe. “Just stay still; this’ll only take a few seconds,” she says, as she dabs the cloth on my wound.
“It fucking stings,” I growl.
“I know, but you gotta bite through it.”
Winston comes back with his usual tray of stitching supplies. “Luckily, you’re not in such bad shape this time.”
“Luckily …” I snort. “Right.”
“At least, you’re alive,” Alexis says. “You almost gave up on that, didn’t you? Why?”
I look at her and take a deep breath. “You.”
She shakes her head. “You shouldn’t—”
“I’m not afraid, Lexi. I’m not gonna hide. I know what I feel for you, and I need it more than I need anything. I need you more than I need my life. I love you.”
I grab her face and caress her cheeks, forcing myself to remember every curvature and dip in her skin.
“I know you do … I already knew it when you let me go to my sister.” She swallows and then looks at me. “I knew it because you were ready to lay down your life for me … And because you stopped when I asked you to spare Vladim, even though he didn’t deserve it.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I shouldn’t have put you in that position.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m fine, really,” she says, a hint of a smile tugging at her lip. “I didn’t know him. I actually hated him for what he did to you. I just didn’t wanna lose my father … but what kind of father would he be?”
“Not a good one,” Winston says, and he raises a brow. “Be right back. I’ll get some clean water.” He picks up the bowl and walks away, even though we don’t need any more water.
“Funny guy,” I say.
“Yeah, Stan just wants to give us some time alone. He thinks it’s important for me to have a… friend.”
“Just a friend?” I raise a brow.
“Anything.” I try to sit up as best as I can so I can look at her, even though it hurts. “If the only way to keep you in my life is by being friends, then I’ll take it.” I grab her hand. “I just want you. Close.”
She starts to laugh. “Are you kidding me? Fuck, no. If I’m gonna be here, might as well be your fucking girlfriend.”
I burst into a smile. “All right, I’ll take it.”
“Good.” She puts the tissues away. “All done here. Just need to wait for Stan to sew you up. You’re one lucky motherfucker you know that? None of your organs were hit, according to him.”
I drag her on my lap, and she squeals. “It’s because I have you.”
She slaps my chest. “Oh, stop being so melodramatic.”
“What? We should talk about all of this.”
“About what?”
“This. What happened. Us. All of it.” I wrap my arms around her.
“Okay.” She shrugs. “What’s there to talk about?”
“I don’t know. I just wanna know if you’re still mad at me.”
She sighs and rubs her lips. “No … I don’t think I’m mad at you. I guess everything just finally clicked into place. But you did good, saving us. You were doing the right thing.”
“You think?” I say.
“Yeah, I mean, I get why you were so upset … you know, with the lamp throwing and the knifed chair.”
“Yeah …” I don’t wanna think about it because I feel ashamed for doing it in front of her.
“I’m sorry,” she suddenly says, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ears.
“About what?”
“Well … I was kind of a bitch to you while trying to escape your house to get to my sister. I basically used you.”
“It’s okay …” I smile. “I get why you did it. It’s my fault for making you do that in the first place. Just promise me you’ll be less bitchy from now on.”
She laughs. “I promise.”
“And you did mean it when you said you loved me, right?” I wink.
“Yeah.” She grins. “That part was never a lie.”
“Good.” I nod. “Water under the bridge.” I hold out my hand.
“Agreed.” She shakes my hand.
It’s quiet between us, but after some time, she breaks the silence. “You knew it was me all along, didn’t you? You knew I was one of the girls you saved when you saw my tattoo.”
“Yes …” I say. “Does it make you upset?”
“No … but that means you’re that man from my memories. Wow.”
There’s a pause, and I get the feeling I should ask something.
“Do you hate me for saving you?” I ask.
“What?” She frowns.
“Because I did. Every day when I looked in the mirror and saw the consequences of my actions.”
“You got the scars because of me.” She tenses up in my lap, but my hand snakes around her stomach and I pull her closer. I don’t care that it hurts; I want her near me so I can make myself forget about the past and focus on what I have with her … so I can live at the moment.
“I was so angry … until I finally met you again.”
She glances at me over her shoulder, the look on her face hopeful. Happy.
“You made me see myself in a different light. You weren’t scared of me, not like all those other people. You were so strong, so unlike what I thought you’d be. You were everything I wanted and still do. You’re exactly what I couldn’t have, yet you stuck with me.”
“Hmm … And I even fell in love with you,” she murmurs.
“What?” I mutter, thinking I heard myself talking. “What’d you say?”
She turns around in my lap and leans forward. “I love you.”
I smile and bite my lip, then grab her face and press her forehead against mine. “Say it again,” I whisper.
“I love you.”
“Do you mean it?”
“I’ve never said these words
, so yeah …”
Never said the words … yet she said them to me.
My lips hover in front of hers right when Winston scurries back into the room. “Time for the stitches.”
The moment is gone, as Alexis slides off my lap and makes room for the old man. I can’t help but growl at him for interrupting our kiss.
“Want me to stitch you?” he says. “Then shut up and stay still.”
“Yes, Sir,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Good. I like that. You can call me Sir.”
“Stan,” I add, but then he punctures my skin with the needle. “Fuck!”
“Don’t mess with gramps.”
Alexis hides her giggle behind her hand.
“Second time I’m being stitched in just weeks.”
“Maybe you should get yourself into less trouble then,” he muses.
“Yeah, well at least he’s gone now.” I point at the body behind us.
“About that …” Alexis says. “What are we gonna do with all these corpses?”
“Oh, that’s simple.” Winston cuts the thread.
“Simple?” I frown.
“Yeah. Remember the number Marcus gave you? The number he calls the ‘shit-hits-the-fan’ number? That one.”
“Oooh …” I nod. “Right. Can you do it?”
He shakes his head. “Gotta be someone from the company.”
“Right, and they probably don’t know I’m out yet because Marcus kept me in the books. They’re his henchmen.”
“Exactly.” Winston winks as he gets up with the tray in his hand. “I’ll go grab your cell. Be right back.”
Suddenly, the doorbell rings, and I sit straight up on the couch, alert like a fucking eagle.
“Who’s that?”
“Oh, they’re here,” Alexis says, and she runs off.
“Who is?”
Right before she disappears through the door, she says, “Deangelo and my sister.”
Chapter 28
Alexis
“I called them a few minutes ago,” I say to Viktor, and then I turn around and walk to the front door. When I open it, Alisha immediately jumps in my arms.
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