Page 68 of The Warrior
Betrayal
Magni
What I had feared all along was happening. Laura wasn’t coming back to me. Now that the escaped Nmen had all been captured, she had no official excuse to stay in the Motherlands. Everyone would know that she had made her choice and that our marriage was over.
I was pacing my office at the Gray Mansion, my fingers itching with the need to throw something. My brother wasn’t the only fool blinded by his woman; I was one too.
Like an idiot, I had taken Laura to the border myself, trusting that after a night of amazing sex she would come back to me. How wrong I had been!
Laura didn’t want what I had to offer, and why would she? My life was unraveling, with my pride in tatters and my wife and brother turned against me.
The intense pain in my chest made me wonder for a moment if I was having a heart attack. I slumped down in a chair, hoping to slow down my pulse and get my thoughts under control.
She’s gone!
Laura is gone!
The thoughts were on a loop, sinking in like a dull bread knife cutting through a loaf of bread.
She’s not coming back.
I won’t see Laura again.
Closing my eyes, I could smell the scent of her hair from when I held her in my arms last night.
I knew this would happen.
I fucking knew this would happen.
A knock on the door made me straighten up and take a deep breath. “Come in.”
Franklin, my lieutenant, walked through the door. “Commander, you said you wanted to know if there was any suspicious behavior from your brother’s wife.”
“Yes.”
“Half an hour ago she left for the Motherlands.”
“Was Khan with her?”
“No. One of the security officers took her.”
“Why? What the hell is she going to do in the Motherlands at five in the morning?”
“The security officer did not know. He is scheduled to pick her up again at six a.m.”
I tapped my index finger against my upper lip. “She wants to be back before anyone notices that she left in the first place.”
“Yes, Commander, it looks that way.”
“Thank you for informing me. Reassign the security officer; I will be picking up Pearl myself.”
“Yes, sir, understood.”
“And Franklin,” I said when he was by the door. “Don’t tell Khan about this.”
“What if he asks me where you are?”
“I’m not asking you to lie to your ruler. But unless he asks you, you’ll keep quiet.”
