Page 144 of Gamble with Me
“Thank you,” I whispered, completely out of breath, brushing the back of Zyon’s head. “Thank you for ending it, but it was my job. I wanted to pull the trigger.”
“Never, Valeria,” he said firmly, resting his forehead against mine. “I would never allow you to kill him.”
“Why not?” I frowned, slightly pulling away. “You shot him in cold blood. Why can’t I?”
Zyon placed his hand on my cheek, tenderly stroking my skin. His eyes bored to mine, gleaming like the dark, shiny gems that would swallow me whole. Delightful chills ran up my spine when he looked at me like I was the center of his universe, his queen.
“Because the first kill will stay with you till your last breath,” he explained, leaning closer and brushing the tip of his nose against mine. “It imprints onto your brain, poisons your dreams, turning them into nightmares. It is a shadow that forever reminds you of whatyou did. It’s a ghost destroying your happiness. I don’t want that for you. I don’t want Chester to be forever tied to you.”
“You were protecting me,” I whispered, knowing I never loved him more than now. He constantly proved how much he cared for me, yet this was unexplainable. I assumed Chester wasn’t his first kill, but it would still somehow affect him. He knew the risk and the consequences and did it anyway. For me. For us.
“Of course, I was protecting you, Valeria,” he replied, kissing my forehead. His fingers entangled my hair, moving it away from my face before his sinister eyes imprisoned me in his scorching gaze. “You aremine. I will always stand in front of you to take a bullet. I will shield you from attacks. I will kill for you if necessary. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you safe and happy. Never forget that.”
“I will do the same for you, Zyon,” I claimed with absolute certainty, clutching the lapels of his coat tightly.
“I don’t need it, mon cœur.” He smiled, touching my chin. “Just stay with me.” His voice dropped an octave, changing into a plea. “I can’t breathe without you. You’re the reason I live.”
“I’ll stay with you,” I confirmed, standing on my tiptoes, sealing my words with a kiss. “Always.”
“Forever.”
Epilogue
Valeria
Three months later
The cold sun shone brightly, coloring the spacious garden in all shades of yellow and orange. I watched Zara playing catch with Bluff, my lips stretching into a smile when she laughed and screamed joyfully. The book on my lap was opened, but I hadn’t read a word yet because I relished the view of my baby girl enjoying life.
Since that dreadful evening when Zyon killed Chester, everything changed, but it was much different than I anticipated. The reality of what happened fell on me a couple of days later when I woke up in the middle of the night, screaming and sweating. I was an accomplice to murder. I could end up in jail. The realization only intensified the feeling of guilt that, together with the fear, gripped me in their deadly embrace.
So, I decided to start therapy, and last night was the first night I didn’t have a nightmare. I spoke with my therapist three nights a week, and I had one group session every ten days to share my experiences of living with a gambler, cheater, and abuser.
In the beginning, I was scared to tell anyone about my marriage, but the support group was full of women who went through similar things. When I heard their stories, I chose to share mine, too, and before I could stop myself, the words poured from my mouth like a waterfall.
It was liberating. Zyon was terrific in supporting me through my healing process, but sometimes, I doubted he understood what I was saying. However, surrounded by women who endured the same shit, I felt heard and understood. It unimaginably helped me to slowly move on from the humiliation, manipulation, and pain Chester had caused. There was a long road ahead of me, but I was on the right path.
“Bluff,stop!” Zara laughed, pulling me from my thoughts. The massive dog tickled her on the ground, lay on her, and licked her face while she tried to push his huge head away with all her might.
My baby girl was so happy since Chester disappeared. Her night episodes ended more than five weeks ago. She wasn’t scared of people anymore. She became confident and strong, claiming she wanted to be like Zyon’s mother when she grew up. I was slightly jealous, but when I met Valentina, I instantly acknowledged I wasn’t in the same league. The woman was simply a fabulous role model with her outstanding charity work, which focused on unprivileged kids, a modeling agency, and impeccable style.
“Bluff,c’mon!” Zara whined, making me smile at her pointless fight. The dog was much heavier than her and didn’t look like he wanted to stop harassing her. He made her his new toy.
I closed the book, attempting to help her, when a loud whistle echoed through the garden. Bluff immediately stepped away from Zara, turning toward the house’s back entrance. His ears perked up, and his tail slashed the air in exciting wagging. Zara had to pay close attention to it so it didn’t hit her because it could cause her a nasty bruise.
Zyon leisurely walked down the three stairs, allowing me to admire his elegant outfit: a black suit, a black button-up shirt, and the same-colored coat. His hair was flawless, as usual, and he wore his signature slightly arrogant smile. My eyes traced his broad shoulders and huge biceps pressed in a fitting fabric, my imagination going wild when I remembered how his muscles felt under my hands.
“Having fun, girls?” Zyon asked, stopping beside me. I was wrapped in a thick blanket because the temperature wasn’t very friendly, but Zara spent all her free time with Bluff, and I didn't want to leave her unsupervised.
“I’m trying not to catch a cold,” I complained, looking at a grinning Zara. She again ran around the garden while Bluff chased her.
“She can be outside alone,” Zyon pointed out, taking my cold hand and hiding it between his warm palms. “No one will steal her away.”
“You never know.” I gave him a stern look but smiled when he rolled his eyes. We lived in a fortress surrounded by guards. He would have caught a dragon to watch over us if he could.
Not that we needed it. After cleansing the city, Zyon had everything under control. He was untouchable. No one dared to go against him. From the high-profile politicians and business people to the low-key drug dealers, everyone literally licked his feet.
New York still had the two-week-long chase of the leaders of Italian crime lord families at the forefront of their minds, and no one wanted to bring the madness back. Zyon’s army circled the city, erasing everybody who stood in their way to their goal. The news called it the darkest times of the underworld, but no one was brought to justice for the missing and dead individuals. The police formed a special team to investigate the murders, yet without the desired effect. Everyone knew that Zyon Zhumagulov was behind the attacks, but they couldn’t prove it.
