Page 57 of Embracing the Dark Side

Jolie’s eyes were on the open back door. When Vincent paced by her, she raced for the exit and got outside right before Vincent wrapped his arms around her. “Adrik!” she screamed. Vincent pulled her back into the room, clenching her tight.

But she wasn’t going to be silenced. Jolie gripped the handle of the knife and, with a twisted face, slammed it into Vincent’s thigh. He screamed, throwing her down and nearly falling on the couch. Vincent stared at it, confused by how she did it. Wasn’t this the girl who giggled at cat videos? Wasn’t she the one who woke him up at six in the morning, just to see the sunrise? How could she hurt him? Where did all her love for him go? “You stabbed me?”

The betrayal in his voice shocked her, and her eyes flickered to his face and then to his wound. Jolie had beenso sure she had done the right thing, but now she was scared of what she had done. An apology was instinctual. “I’m—”

Vincent backhanded her, and she collapsed on the floor. He couldn’t stand this new Jolie. She’d given up a part of herself that was perfect and undiluted. All the time he wasted loving her innocence, only for her to give it up to a Russian. He stood over her while she twisted in agony, holding her bleeding face. “I’m gonna fix it, JoJo. I’m gonna save you from him.”

Glass shattered around them when a grenade went off right outside the window. Wood and debris poured over them, and Jolie clenched into a tight ball on the floor, screaming.

Adrik barreled through the shattered bay windows. He stumbled on his feet but bulldozed into Vincent, lifting him up at the waist and slamming him to the floor. The usurper pounded on his back, but weeks of reliving this moment over and over in his head left Adrik invincible. He punched him two, three, four times before Vincent got his foot between them and shoved Adrik off. But before Vincent could get up, Adrik kneed him in the face, and he fell back against the floor, holding his broken nose. Even as blood poured out, Vincent reached for a gun, but Adrik's soldiers were all around him now, their rifles aimed for his head.

It was victory.

Adrik flexed his bruised knuckles, turning around the room. Santiago was on his knees with a gunshot wound to his arm while a soldier locked his hands behind his back. Adrik had intentionally kept them alive, if only to have fun in their torture. Pride filled him, until his eyes landed on her.

Jolie patted the ground searching for her glasses. As soon as her bloody fingers wrapped around the frames, she pushed the broken pieces against her face and found him there. She wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or not. The pain in her head pulsed like a hammer. Jolie blinked away tears, trying to clear the fogginess and the confusion. “Adrik?”

Adrik turned from her. “Tie them up and take them out. We have to hurry before reinforcements get here.” Every muscle in his body was tense. Adrik didn’t know what he would feel when he saw Jolie again, and now it was all chaos in his head. He was angry and bitter, and he was relieved and yearning. He wanted to go to her, and he wanted to shun her. With an aggravated sigh, he faced her.

Jolie was thin and pale. Her hair looked dull. Everything about her was different, even the way she was dressed. She propped the glasses on her face, one lens shattered and a broken temple hanging off its hinge. Jolie stood hunched and frightened with blood on her face dripping through her fingers, igniting a blind rage, and when Vincent stood, Adrik turned around and slammed his fist into his stomach. His body slumped but was kept up by the soldier. It wasn’t enough. Adrik wanted more cries and delicious revenge, but it would have to wait. He gripped Vincent by his hair. “Where is my daughter?”

Vincent clenched his bloody teeth.

Adrik pulled a short handgun from his waist and, without warning, shot Santiago in his leg. The man screamed as he collapsed. Adrik kept his gun up, now directed at Santiago’s head. “I won’t ask again.”

“She was taken,” Jolie revealed, knowing he didn’t have time. “By Katia. You can catch them now if you hurry.”

Did Adrik listen to her? Did Jolie’s betrayal sink into everything she said? He put faith in the fact that even though she lied to him about Mally, she would never endanger Helina. He lowered his gun, allowing his soldiers to move Vincent and Santiago out of the house.

“Hurry,” Jolie whimpered, moving past the lump in her throat. She knew he wasn’t here for her. His inaction was too obvious, but she wasn’t about to let Helina out of their hold. Their destroyed relationship mattered little next to his daughter.

Adrik nodded and moved to go, but there was too much unknown, and he couldn’t leave her. He turned back around and approached. Jolie lowered her head, and the action was nothing that he wanted. It meant she had gotten his text and that things between them were not the same. Adrik rested a finger under her chin and raised her head. Shame danced in her eyes as tears dripped down her cheek. He kissed her softly, gently. It wasn’t how he wished it could be, but it was all he could give right now. Parting, looking down into her eyes, it burned how much he had missed her. “I’ll come back for you.” Adrik pointed to a soldier, and ordered, “Stay with her.” The rest of his soldiers followed him as he ran out the door.

Jolie wrapped her arms around herself, staring at the floor, unseeing. Despite the months apart, she always imagined that being with him again would bring air into her lungs and light into her life. Instead, his actions told her there might be nothing left between them to salvage. She had been waiting for a knight in shining armor that didn’t exist.

Then two strong hands gripped her biceps. Jolie lifted her head and found Alexei. His blue eyes narrowed, andhe took hold of her chin, tilting her head to analyze the wound on her cheek. “Who did this to you, princess?”

She tried to smile, but it hurt. “It’s so good to see you.” She fell against him, hugging him. She had been so concentrated on Adrik that she hadn’t put much thought into Alexei, and now that he was here, Jolie found his warmth to be everything she was craving. She wanted Adrik to hold her like this, to tell her that the nightmare was over, and he had finally come to her rescue. She wanted Adrik to run his fingers through her hair and assure her that the time apart hadn’t destroyed them.

Alexei’s arms encircled her like a vise, squeezing until she coughed. “You got a little stronger,” she said, giggling, impressed by his shape.

Alexei held her, closed his eyes, and breathed her in. He felt alive again for the first time in months. He fisted his hand in her hair, reminding himself she didn’t belong to him. But it wasn’t registering. Did she feel for him the way he felt for her? Alexei leaned back and gripped her unharmed cheek, keeping her close as he took in every inch of her face. Could she see it? Everything he ever wanted to say reflecting in his eyes?

He kissed her boldly. She stayed against his lips, and hope began to build.

But her body jolted, and she shoved away so that he couldn’t even pretend that she was his. He thought he had seen something in her face, but now fear was the only emotion present. A ball of guilt invaded his chest. She was backstepping away from him, and it hurt more than he wanted it to.

Alexei stood there and knew how horrible his mistake was. He had just betrayed his brother. Years of loyalty had all come undone.

“Well, wasn’t that something?” Gil stood to the left. He had a gun at his side and sweat on his brow.“What is it with this American?”

Alexei narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Gil? What are you doing here?”

Jolie rushed out, “He’s been betraying you. He’s working with Katia!”

“What?” Alexei waited for a denial, but Gil only lifted his gun, directing it at Jolie. Alexei was quick to grab her arm and put her behind him. “What are you doing?”

“Alexei, I’m begging you, get out of here.”

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