Page 115 of Dirty Grovel

“Is he really dead?”

Sydney nods. “I wasn’t kidding. He really did get his face blown off.”

“Jesus.”

A shiver runs over her body. She tries to cover it up by getting to her feet and walking to the window.

“It’s so beautiful here. So peaceful.”

I join her by the window. “Are you okay?” I ask gently.

“I wasn’t hurt, Sut, not really. Just a few bumps and bruises. I’ve had worse.”

“That’s not what I meant. You saw him die, Syd. I know he was a brute, but you were with him for a long time.”

There’s that shiver again, crawling up her spine despite her best efforts to suppress it.

“It still feels like… like a scene from a movie,” she decides, her voice breaking. “He answered his phone thinking you were the one calling. And then it was Oleg. He freaked out a little, grabbed me… p-put the gun to my head…”

I grab her hand, my heart jumping to my throat. “You must have been terrified.”

“I was. Right up until he started insulting you.”

I do a double-take. “He did what?”

Syd combs her limp hair out of her face, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. “I think he was just trying to get a rise out of Oleg. It was working, too. Oleg looked like he was ready to bury Paul alive. But he still didn’t shoot.”

“He knows how much you mean to me, Syd. He would never have compromised your safety that way.” I grip her arm a little tighter. “How did you get away?”

“I guess I got so pissed that I didn’t care if I lived or died. I head-butted him…” She frowns at the memory. “But with the back of my head, kinda? I don’t know; it all happened so fast. Anyway, then Oleg shot at him. I think a bunch of other guys did, too, because the next thing I knew, he was on the ground, at my feet. Dead.”

That sisterly twang of shared pain singes through me like fire. I squeeze her again, though gently. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“I’m finally free of him, Sutton,” she says in a small voice. She turns to me, lip trembling. “What does it say about me that I’m scared of what comes now?”

“It says that you’re traumatized. You’ve been in an abusive relationship for most of your adult life and you’re not sure what to do with your freedom.” I hug her from behind and rest my chin on her shoulder. “But don’t worry—I’ll help you figure it out.”

She twists around to give me a kiss on the forehead, then sighs. “I think I need to sleep.”

“Come on.” I lead her to the bed and pull back the covers. I help her out of her clothes and nestle her into the soft pillows.

“God, this feels like heaven.”

I stroke her forehead until her eyes start to get heavy. “Sleep now. Everything will look better tomorrow.”

She fights sleep as she looks at me, her eyelids fluttering with the effort. “I didn’t need to worry about you, little sister. You were always a survivor.”

“If I am, it’s only because of you.”

She smiles as she starts to drift off. “I don’t agree but I’m happy to take… to take… credit…”

Chuckling, I pull the covers over her chest. “We can argue about this tomorrow. For now, sleep.”

Before I even leave the room, Sydney is snoring softly.

35

SUTTON

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