Page 26 of Rebellion

She sighed slightly as he tucked it around her. Then he clasped hold of her knee through the blanket, his concern warming her slightly.

“What happened?” he asked again.

She slowly went through everything, her words stilted and quiet.

His frown grew, but he didn’t interrupt her, letting her get everything out. “That asshole. Who hired him?”

“Boris.” She didn’t even think of trying to lie. Why would she? It was the truth.

Although she thought Oleg was really the one behind that decision. She couldn’t tell Sacha that, though.

“I’ll take care of Boris,” he said ominously. “Do not worry about this, understand? This is not your fault. You did not do this. Miller will be fine. I will see to it. It is not your fault she was harmed.”

Shit.

He knew her so well. He knew that her primary concern was for Miller. But also that there was be a dark pool of guilt in her stomach, threatening to pull her under.

To drown her.

Miller worked for her.

She’d let her take the garbage out on her own. Why hadn’t she gotten Dima to do it?

Such an idiot.

“Sofia?Kotyonok, I need you to hold it together for a bit longer, all right? I will help you through this, but MacGuire will be here soon, so I’m going to need you to keep yourself under control.”

Why would he think she wouldn’t do that?

Did he think she was going to collapse? To cry? Scream?

Perhaps that would make her feel better... but it wasn’t happening anytime soon.

“I can do that.”

He squeezed her knee, looking like he was in pain. Lord, how had she become so selfish that she hadn’t noticed he was in pain?

“Sacha? What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Wrong?”

“You look like you’re hurting.”

He placed his hand on the side of her face. It was so reminiscent of what Colm had done the other night that it made her jolt in surprise.

“I’m hurting for you,” he said quietly. “He deserved to die, but I know you. I know you will still feel guilty despite what he was going to do.”

He was hurting for her and what she’d done.

But the strange thing was... she wasn’t feeling guilty about killing Dima.

At least not yet.

“You are a hero tonight, Sofia. While part of me wishes to scold you for putting yourself at risk, an even bigger part of me is fiercely proud of you,mladshaya sestra.”

Little sister.

It was enough to cut through some of the shock and have tears filling her eyes.

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