Page 61 of The Bratva's Hunted Bride
“No,” she shouts. “If you want to shoot Timofey or his brothers, you’ll have to shoot me too.”
“Talia, don’t,” I say in horror. “We’ll leave. You’re safe. That’s all that matters.” I drop my gun to the floor, showing that I’d rather lose her than watch her die, even though I’d rather die than lose her.
“Yes, leave.” Simon gestures toward the door. Oleg and Diomid glance at me, unsure what I want.
“Let’s go,” I sigh.
Talia turns to look at me, her back turned to her brothers. “Timofey…” She whispers my name, her eyes bright, flooded with emotion.
“It’s ok, darling. I’ll see you again,” I promise her.
“No, you won’t,” Marlen says.
Talia turns to look at him. Then back at me.
She bites her lip and takes a deep breath, then steps toward me and takes my hand. “Let’s go,” she says quietly.
“Talia…” I stammer in disbelief.
“My brothers won’t shoot. I’ve made my choice, and they have to let me go,” she says loudly.
She gently pushes me toward the door, and as we walk, I notice how she keeps herself between her brothers and me.
They don’t move. For a moment, Marlen’s eyes lock with mine, and I see hatred—cold, angry hatred. But he doesn’t move.
My brothers and their men filter out of the destroyed mansion and jog toward our cars.
I keep my eyes on Marlen, Bardil, and Simon, but they don’t follow.
Talia climbs into the car, onto my lap, wrapping her arms around my waist as she clings to me.
She doesn’t say anything on the drive back to Oleg’s place. I drop off the weapons and the Kevlar vest. I thank my brothers, knowing they will never understand just how much this meant to me.
Then Talia and I climb into my car and head home.
I keep glancing at her, my hand resting on her leg as light flashes over her face while we drive through the city. How can I thank her? How can I tell her that what she did for me…it’s…
What if she only did that to stop the fighting?
What if she’s going to tell me she has to leave again?
No.
Surely not.
She glances at me and smiles softly. I can’t read her thoughts, and I don’t dare ask in case it’s not what I want to hear.
Chapter 24 - Talia
Timofey is quiet. His hand is resting on my leg, while his other hand is wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. He hasn’t said anything, but neither have I.
My mind is busy. Thinking about my brothers, hoping they are safe. Worried, tense, still battling with the fear of being taken and held prisoner, even though I know I’m safe now.I’ll always be safe with Timofey.
I look down at his hand and gently place mine over it.
His skin is warm. His eyes dart to me and then back to the road.
I swallow hard, wishing I knew what he was thinking. He seems so tense. So closed off. There is blood splattered over the hand on the steering wheel and up his sleeve. It’s a dark splash on dark fabric. If I didn’t know where he’d just been, what he’d been doing, I wouldn’t know it was blood.
