Page 27 of Thorns of Love
“What else did you read?” I inquired.
“You need a lot of sleep in your first trimester.” His hand came around and slowly trailed down my neck. “No stress.” He flattened his palm over my racing, hard-breathing heart. “No alcohol.”
I stiffened, meeting his gaze fully. “I haven’t had any for months.”
He nodded. “I know.”
“I forgot you’re a stalker,” I muttered under my breath.
“Only with you,” I thought I heard him say, but I couldn’t be certain. My eyes traveled over the luxurious bathroom. Black marble was stark against white walls and white fixtures.
“When will we go back to the States?” I asked, still studying every corner of the bathroom. There wasn’t much to see, but maybe I avoided drowning in Illias’ darkness. It was slowly pulling me under, and I feared where it’d take me.
There were still many secrets between us. As fucked up as it was, I was okay with certain morally grey methods of our world. But I wasn’t okay with killing innocents. Killing women and children. Vasili always said there was somewhere where we had to draw a line.
“We just got here,” he responded as he got to his feet. He pulled out a clean towel and dried his hands on it with firm movements.
My brows furrowed but then I remembered what I’d asked him. I didn’t expect him really to give me a concrete date but a general timeframe would be nice. No matter. He wouldn’t succeed in keeping me captive - wife or no wife.
“The woman in the video… is that your sister?” I changed the subject, addressing the elephant in the room. We had to talk about it eventually. Might as well do it now. “Did you stage it for some reason?”
“No.”
The one-word answer grated on my nerves, but it was his expression that concerned me. I could practically see his walls going up. The calmness and coldness in his expression would shake a newbie to this world. I was well aware Illias was dangerous, a ruthless killer.
But he wanted our baby. He wanted me. For now at least.
“Do you know that the spousal testimonial privilege precludes one spouse from testifying against the other spouse in criminal proceedings?”
His darkened eyes hold mine in a cage.
“I did know that.” Of course he knew that. “But that video was never meant for your eyes.”
“And yet, I’ve seen it.” Frustration welled inside me, but unlike Sasha, I wasn’t always impulsive. Once in a while, I choose my words carefully. “If we are to trust each other, we should start somewhere. Shouldn’t we?”
Thatpopfrom the video when he pulled the trigger played in my mind. I could almost hear it in this silence between us.
“She was Isla’s mother.” I held my breath and my heart thundered against my ribs. “My father took her from somewhere. Some whorehouse. She was barely sixteen. He brought her here because she was pregnant with Isla. One night, he went to her room, ready to beat her then rape her, and I lost it.”
“You killed him?” I rasped, my ears buzzing.
“I did,” he admitted, leaning against the column that stood closest to the tub. “You’re the only person alive who knows it. Boris suspects it, but he doesn’t know for sure. Since my mother’s death, he hasn't been right up here.” He tapped his temple, then folded his arms across his chest. “Well, Isla’s mother wasn’t right up there either. I don’t know if my father broke her or something else.”
“Jesus,” I muttered.
“When she gave birth, I hoped she’d focus on the baby,” Illias continued. “She didn’t. She didn’t bother giving her a name. She didn’t bother feeding her. But she did try to kill my sister.” I gasped, my heart clenching at hearing those words. It made me feel for Isla more. No wonder he kept her protected and sheltered. “Once, I caught her trying to smother my baby sister. Another time, she tried to drown her. It got so bad that I couldn’t leave her alone in the room with Isla. My tipping point was when she took Maxim’s gun and tried to shoot the baby.”
I leaned over the tub and took his hand into mine. “No wonder you killed her.”
“I killed her the same night.”
The story shook me up. But there was a relief that came with it in the knowledge. It was a testament to Illias’ code. After all, he saved his sister. While my brothers didn’t kill our mother, they certainly didn’t save her either. In fact, I had no doubt that if Vasili was the one who caught our mother trying to kill me alongside herself, he would have killed her too.
“Does she know?” I whispered the question, but deep down I knew the answer. He had been protecting her from everything. I was certain he’d protect her from this knowledge too. Just as Sasha protected me from mine.
“No.”
His admission filled the air.
