Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
They can burn that head, but I’ll never get the look on poor dead Alex’s face out of my skull.
He looked terrified in his last moments. Like whatever she did to him really, really hurt.
But that wasn’t even the worst part. I found out an hour later that there was a note shoved in Alex’s mouth. It was written to me in the same handwriting as the other note: A gift for you. Trust me.
“I don’t think you’ll find her,” I say softly, hugging myself.
Seamus collapses onto the couch next to me. He pulls me against him. His warm, strong body helps ease some of the terror from earlier, but he can’t fix it.
He can’t bring Alex back.
“I will, and even if I don’t before the deadline, my family’s aware now. They’ll protect themselves.”
“But what about my family? What about Kira? What about anyone else?”
He shakes his head. “I’ll put security on anyone you want.”
“She’s doing this for me. Don’t you see that? She doesn’t want to hurt me. Killing Alex was a gift, right?”
“Some fucking present.”
“Maybe in her mind, it makes sense. He was cheating on me, right? He was a drug addict the whole time? Maybe she wanted to prove that she’s only trying to hurt people who hurt me.”
“Then why come after my family?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, leaning against his shoulder. I breathe his smell and try to settle my mind, but I’m a total mess. “But I have to do something.”
“Alina, I told you already. You’re not putting yourself in danger.”
“I’m not though. Don’t you get it yet? She’s not going to hurt me. But she might kill everyone around me, and that’s even worse. Alex was a piece of shit, but he didn’t deserve to die.”
I swallow back tears. I’ve cried enough already. I hate the way Alex treated me, but I didn’t want Seamus to kill him, and I sure as hell didn’t want Molchanie to do it either. My ex treated me like crap, but it didn’t matter to me.
Molchanie’s insane gift only makes it clear that whoever she is, she’s completely unhinged.
Trust me.
“I know you’re convinced she doesn’t mean you any harm, but you just can’t know that,” Seamus is saying, hugging me tighter.
I squirm away and get to my feet. I feel unsteady and lightheaded, but I force myself to hold it together. “I need to talk to her.”
“Alina—”
“No, no more. I have to talk to her. I’m the only person that might be able to end this nightmare. If I can just explain, maybe she’ll listen.” I spread my hands, imploring him to listen. “I want to be with you. She can’t force me to leave you. She wants me to trust her, and I’ll have to make her trust me too.”
Seamus shakes his head slowly. “I can’t let you take that risk.”
“I’m not asking permission.”
“I’ll lock you in this damn house if that’s what it takes.”
“Think Molchanie will like that?”
His expression hardens. “Don’t use her against me.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right. But at least see this from my perspective. There’s been enough death around me already. I can’t handle more.” I walk to him slowly and touch his cheek with the tips of my fingers. “It could be your brothers next. It could be your father. Or your mother.”
He flinches and puts his hand on mine. “No, Alina. Just no.”
I stare into his eyes and I know he’ll never change his mind. The man who drifts with the wind is changing. He’s been anchored now. And that makes him twice as stubborn as a ten-ton boulder.
“I understand.” I bend down and kiss him. “I just want to do what’s right.”
“I know, baby.” He draws me down into his lap and kisses me deeper. “Just stay here. That’s all you can do for now.”
I return his kiss, thinking, not everything.
Chapter 30
Alina
It’s a crisp, cloudy night. The moon is full, allegedly anyway. The Uber driver steers along the empty Brighton Beach streets and stops at the curb outside a closed strip mall. He seems unhappy about dropping me at such a random spot, but I don’t give him time to question it.
And I don’t give myself time to change my mind.
It wasn’t hard to find the address. Seamus kept the note in his office. After he went to sleep, I snuck out, got dressed, rifled through his papers, and ordered a car. Right up to this point, my plan has been going perfectly.
As I walk across the parking lot, ignoring the single random van in the far corner, I’m wondering if maybe this was a terrible idea.
Seamus is probably right. It’s not smart to put myself at the mercy of some psychopath killer who thinks severed heads are a peace offering or whatever.
But what other choice is there? Sit around and hope things work out?