Page 187 of Emerald Malice

Shura’s bleak face doesn’t provide much in the way of reassurance.

“What’s wrong? Is she?—”

“Natalia is fine. Physically speaking, at least.” He sighs and scrubs a hand down his face. “But she’s shaken.”

“Obviously. But she’s conscious. She’s dealing with everything,” I say, a desperate edge in my voice. “I call that progress.”

I wait for Shura to agree, but his jaw is set and his eyes are dark. “She wants to leave.”

I stare at him, waiting for the words to make sense. Waiting for him to explain himself.

They don’t. He doesn’t.

“What the fuck does that mean?” I snap. “I brought the doctor here. She’s being taken care of. We don’t need to leave. There’s nowhere to?—"

“‘Drey, she wants to leave,” he repeats. “I overheard her talking to Mila and Katya. She plans to run.”

She wants to leave. Leave here. Leave me. Leave us.

I want to be angry. But how can I be?

After everything she’s been through—after everything she’s in danger of losing, it makes sense that her first instinct would be to get as far away from the toxic asshole who dragged her into his blood-soaked world.

“Katya and Mila promised they would keep her secret, but it was obvious that neither one was exactly gung-ho about the shit,” he continues. “They tried to convince her to stay.”

Leave. Leave. She wants to leave. That shit repeats in my head like a broken record.

The world without her is dark.

Without her scent…

Without her body next to mine in bed…

If Natalia leaves…

I don’t know what will become of me.

“’Drey?”

I turn towards the windows where the roof of the pool house is partially visible. The manor will be empty without her.

So will I.

“I can’t exactly blame her,” I admit softly.

“The fuck are you talking about?” Shura barks. “This is her home. You are her family.”

“Maybe it’d be better if I wasn’t.” My own voice is a weak, rasping shell of itself. “Let’s face it: the people closest to me always end up hurt.”

“If you’re talking about Maria?—”

I whirl on him, eyes wild. “Of course I’m talking about Maria. She died because of me!”

“’Drey, brother?—”

“She was pregnant, you know? When she died. She was pregnant with my baby.”

Shura’s jaw snaps shut. His cheeks hollow as he takes that in. I’m not surprised at his reaction. I’ve kept that piece of information to myself for a long fucking time.

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