“If Creighton chooses to do so, nothing will stop me. Not even you.”
“Let’s hope we never meet again, Mr. King.”
“I suggest you pray for it, Mr. Volkov.”
And then Papa is carrying me out of the hospital, his steps steady, his hold firm, as if I’m weightless.
I feel him putting me in the backseat of the car and sliding in beside me.
“Where to, Boss?” Kolya’s voice comes from the driver's seat as he reverses out of the parking lot.
“The airport,” Papa says calmly before he whispers, “We’re out of the hospital. You can wake up, Anoushka.”
I bite my lower lip as I slowly open my eyes and stare at Papa sheepishly. “You knew?”
“You’re good, but not that good. Besides, you used to pretend to be asleep whenever you wanted to spend the night in our bedroom.”
“It’s different this time.”
“You didn’t want me to hurt him. I know.”
“And I don’t want him to hurt you, Papa.”
“He won’t be able to.” A small smile grazes his lips as he ruffles my hair. “Didn’t know you were so grown up that you could single-handedly protect your brother and even me.”
“I’m a Volkov, too.”
“Yes, you are. That means, next time someone threatens you, you beat them the fuck up.”
I shake my head. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I were to hurt the man Creighton considers a father and a role model.”
“That still doesn’t excuse the way he talked to you.”
“Listen, Papa…”
“No, you listen to me. I know you like that boy, and you’re in pain because you had to shoot him. But that’s the keyword, Anoushka. You had to shoot him. By threatening Jeremy’s life, he gave you no choice but to pull the trigger. He knows how much your brother means to you, he knows you won’t hesitate to protect him, but he still stabbed him anyway. He’s the one who forced your hand, he’s the one who didn’t consider your feelings or the circumstances when he made that choice. So don’t beat yourself up for choosing your family or for making a decision you were forced to make. If he loved you, if he cared about you instead of vengeance and a past vendetta, he wouldn’t have put you in that position.”
A tear slides down my cheek, then more follow.
I see the reasoning behind Papa’s words, I do, but the only scene in my head is that of red.
Deep red.
A lot of red.
The only scene that plays in the back of my head is that of a pale Creighton hooked to machines, unable to open his eyes.
A ghost of his former self.
He seems like such a distant memory now.
The last day we spent together was a few days ago, but it feels like it’s been a century.
So much has happened between that sweet honeymoon phase and this nightmare that I can’t keep up with it anymore.
“It still hurts, Papa.” I grab a fistful of my hoodie. “Right here, it hurts so much.”
“It’ll hurt less with time.”
“You don’t even believe that.”
“It has to. You need to get over him, Annika. If he’s bent on revenge, then he won’t stop until he destroys you, even if it also means destroying himself in the process. Do you understand?”
My lips purse, but I nod.
“I need you to promise me that you won’t seek him out. In return, I’ll let you study ballet, give you the freedom you’ve always yearned for, and I will fight the entire brotherhood so you won’t be shoved into an arranged marriage.”
I can’t believe my ears.
That’s what I always wanted from my family—freedom to decide my own destiny.
I just never thought I would get them at this price.
“Promise me, Anoushka.”
“I promise,” I murmur.
Deep inside, I pray.
I promise to let everything between me and Creighton come to an end, but only if he wakes up.
Only if I’m sure he’s all right.
After that, I don’t care about my life.
“Good.” Papa nods. “Now, let’s go home. Your mother is worried about you.”
I nod soundlessly. There are no other words spoken as we board the private jet.
It’s not out of awkwardness or anything. Papa isn’t talkative by nature, and he’s probably giving me the space he thinks I need.
He and Kolya sit opposite me, discussing business.
A tear rolls down my cheek when I catch my very last glimpse of the island.