Page 50 of A Pawn in the Game
I crouch down to grab Zvone, but Sophie speaks out. “Could you…” Her voice breaks. “Could you stay?”
Ivan lifts his eyebrows at me, but I drop Zvone’s body to the ground, ignoring him.
“Marko came with me,” Ivan says.
“Why the hell do you need my help, then?”
Ivan gets upstairs and comes back with Marko in tow. On the count of three, they lift the body and carry him out of the room.
I grab bleach, pouring a generous amount on the floor, and start scrubbing. The splatters from a punch are much narrower than the splatters from a gunshot wound, meaning I’m done in no time.
I doubt this would hold up under a black-light, or forensic research, but it’s enough not to see or smell blood. Dumping the water into the toilet, I wash my hands.
Sophie’s on the bed, barely keeping her eyes open. I shut the main light, leaving the glow of the bathroom light to illuminate the room, and try to make myself comfortable on the couch. My skin burns, knowing it’s the same couch where she was assaulted on, but there’s nowhere else to go.
A few minutes pass and I think she’s already fallen asleep, but then she speaks, “Would you mind sleeping here? Next to me?” I answer with silence, so she continues, “I think I’d feel safer.”
I nod, even though she can’t see me, and make my way to bed. I lie on top of the covers, trying to keep our bodies separate, but the heat of her body still reaches me.
Inhaling deeply, I ask a question I might not want the answer to. “Stupid question, I know. But are you okay?”
“I don’t know. I don’t really remember a time when I was last okay.”
I swallow around the knot of guilt. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry this happened.” Moisture forms in the corners of my eyes.
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you were here.” Her gratefulness only worsens my guilt.
I’d do anything to set her free.
But I can’t. I owe this to my brother. My family. To the memory of my father.
Her even breaths let me know she fell asleep, but sleep is nowhere near for me. My skin is buzzing.
The guilt, the rage, the lust, all the adrenaline, then her fucking gratefulness have mixed into an intoxicating cocktail. Blood rushes to my groin as the scent of her shampoo enters my nose. Why did she have to kiss my fucking knuckles? And beg me to make her come?
I groan quietly, grabbing my cock roughly to will it down. She’s definitely not a person who is supposed to be on the other end of my lust. Especially not after tonight. What happened in the bathroom was a mistake.
My emotional spiral gets interrupted by a soft sob that escapes Sophie. Another nightmare. My insides clench, knowing thatthey’re bound to only get worse after this. My dick turns flaccid in a second, my worry for her overtaking my mind. Soon, she’s full-on crying, those pleads I can’t stand nicking my heart.
It becomes impossible to listen to them, so I do the first thing that comes to mind. I turn to lay on my side and spoon her to me. Her frame fits mine perfectly. I wrap my arm around her, trying to offer comfort.
She doesn’t deserve this.
She doesn’t deserve to be haunted.
She deserves to feel safe. To feel cherished.
While I wallow in self-pity, her sobs subside, turning into sniffles, before growing completely silent.
Using my thumb, I wipe her tears off her cheeks and let myself fall asleep.
CHAPTER 25
Sophie
Against all odds, I slept better than I did in the last few days. I slept so well I don’t even remember my nightmares, but I know I felt safe. And warm.
Turning to the side, I recall asking Luka to sleep next to me. My eyes snap open, expecting to see him there, but the other side of the bed is empty. I rise from the bed, only to find Marko on the chair where we typically play chess.
