Page 73 of Beautiful Deception

The nurse finds me a few hours later. “She was severely beat but we managed to save her. You can go in and see her if you want.”

I don’t hesitate to rush to Inessa’s room.

Chapter Eleven

Inessa

Idon’tfeelanypainwhen I open my eyes. The sight of the hospital room around me reminds me of what just happened. Natasha. Those two men. Getting beaten.

Almost raped.

My eyes land on a bag of… something next to me. An IV sticks out of my arm. Morphine, probably. To help with the pain I remember. That pain was excruciating.

Viktor enters my hospital room. “Inessa.”

He saved me. I wasn’t sure if anyone would come for me but he did. That makes tears well up in my eyes.

“Oh, baby. You don’t need to cry. You’re safe now.”

“What happened?”

“What do you remember?”

“That room… and those men. And Natasha. You came for me. After that…”

“I brought you here. They fixed you right up. You have a broken nose but it will heal. It will just be sore and tender for a while. Otherwise, you got lucky. No other broken bones.”

“The pain…”

He grips my hand. “I know. I killed the men who did this to you. But you asked me to spare Natasha’s life. Why? When she was the one behind your kidnapping.”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “It just seemed… wrong. You were going to marry her at one point. It didn’t seem right to kill her. I just want to move on from her. I’ll make sure I’m more careful now.”

“Where were you taken?”

I hesitate. “Uh… the motel that I pay for my father to stay at. She must have sent men to follow me.”

“Well, you won’t be going there ever again. You’re always going to have someone with you at all times when you’re not in my house. Either me or a guard.”

“Doesn’t that seem excessive?”

He frowns. “Inessa, you were almost murdered. Nothing is too excessive.”

“But…”

“But what?”

“It doesn’t feel like I’ll have my own freedom.”

“You can still go wherever you want. You’ll just have a guard with you, keeping you safe.”

“I like to spend time with my dad alone. He can be a little paranoid. He might not like that I have a guard with me when I go to see him.”

“Well, I’ll go with you. You were taken at that motel. From now on, we’ll go together.”

Oh no. How can I pay for my dad’s room with Viktor there? He will quickly put two and two together when he sees my dad.

“Viktor, I appreciate you trying to protect me. I really do. But I don’t want to be followed around at all times. I have the right to do what I want. I have the right to refuse your help.”

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