Page 47 of Alik

I grab Alik’s sleeve, afraid he’ll do something stupid like listen, but he shrugs me off.

“Ali—”

When he turns and points the gun at me, I freeze with my mouth open, my heart stopping.

He must realize what he’s doing because his eyes flick to the barrel before he lowers it and presses a finger to his lips.

I nod my understanding and shrink back.

“Fine,” the man with the accent says. “Have it your way, coward. But know, I’m going to be fucking your girlfriend while you take your last breath.”

My arms cross at that, and I take in a breath as quietly as I can, arching my chin to the sky.

Please, Alik.

Please don’t die.

Pleasewin.

As the man nears, Alik pounces from behind the dumpster, tackling him. Someone yells in that foreign language from above, but they don’t fire, not with their friend so close to Alik while they fight on the ground. I crawl closer to peek around the dumpster to watch Alik lift the man’s head then slam it to the ground.

Shots fire as he creeps back to me.

“We have to go.” When he extends his hand, I take it, but he doesn’t make it easy to keep up with him as we make a run for it down the alley where the first man came from. My head keeps whirling behind to see if the last man is there, though in truth, it feels like he’s everywhere. He’s hiding in every shadow, behind every object, that gun pointed at our heads. It’s similar to how I’ve been feeling since going to the police station except so much more real.

Once we’re in Alik’s car and he’s pulling away, I still search the street, the alleys, the car windows for the man who wants so badly to kill me and worse. And also, because of me, Alik.

“I’m so sorry,” I say when we’re far enough from the danger to breathe. I choke on a sob. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“You’re in shock. Try to calm down. Everything is okay now.”

“No.” I shake my head, my hands trembling so badly, I ball them into fists to try to get it to stop. “Everything isnotokay. They’re never going to stop looking for me. And now they’re never going to stop looking for you either.” I close my eyes as tears fall. “You should have let them kill me.”

When the car slows, my eyes burst open, and I look around. Alik pulls the car onto the side of the road while my spine straightens.

“What are you doing?” I swing my head around. “They’re looking for us. We can’t just stay?—”

Alik’s strong palm presses to my mouth as he leans over me. I lift my hands to his but lower them when he raises his brows at me.

My body begins to calm at his touch, obeying his silent command. I’m suddenly aware of his scent, and with each quick inhale, it brings me deeper under his rule.

He holds me so firmly, so possessively that something occurs to me.

All the things those men wanted to do to me… All the ways they wanted to hurt me… Alik could do that too. Just because he’s the one who saved me from the castle doesn’t make him a knight. It damn sure doesn’t make him a prince.

This should scare me. It should.

Instead, it warms my previously chilled blood. It loosens my coiled muscles.

When my muffled protests cease, he gives me an approving tip of his chin. “Are you going to be quiet?”

I nod as much as his hand will allow.

“Do you promise?”

Again, I nod.

His eyes lower to my cheekbone as he smooths his thumb over it before pulling his palm away. “Good girl.”

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