Page 79 of Sergei
I tried to tear myself from those damn cuffs. I tugged and twisted until my wrists burned and my shoulders throbbed. I didn’t care. I kept pulling. I pulled until my wrists were wet with blood, but the cuffs wouldn’t budge.
I cried and pleaded, but my prayers went unanswered.
I’d felt helpless before, but never like this. No beating or kidnapping or even being drugged and hung up for show could compare to seeing Sergei suffer and not being able to get to him. I wished I could’ve traded places with him. I would’ve taken the blade. I would’ve let the light go from my eyes if it meant keeping it in his.
But fate had other plans, and now, all I could do was stand there and pray that someone would come. I watched his body grow limp. I heard his weak voice tell me he was there, but I could see it in his eyes. He was slipping away, and a piece of me was slipping away with him.
I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard Preacher announce, “We’re here for Sergei Volkov.”
“He was taken back to surgery,” the nurse answered coldly. “We will let you know as soon as we hear something.”
I was still dazed and barely made out Preacher’s words to me when he insisted I get checked out. I refused. I was too worried about Sergei to think about anything else. I sat down, and I vaguely remember someone asking me questions. I might’ve answered. I wasn’t sure. Everything was such a blur that I couldn’t remember much of anything.
Preacher came over and sat down next to me. “How you holding up?”
I looked at him, and all I could do was just nod.
“Sent Goose to get you some clothes.”
I nodded again.
“They’re working on him.” He placed his hand on my knee. “He lost a lot of blood, but they’re doing what they can.”
They’re doing what they can.
Not that he was going to be fine.
Not that he will pull through this.
My stomach twisted, and I pressed my fingernails into my palms, hoping the bite against my flesh would keep my tears from falling. “You think he’ll…”
“I don’t know.” He grimaced before saying, “He’s a strong kid. Most wouldn’t have made it this far.”
“So, there’s hope?”
“There’s always hope, but even if he makes it through surgery, he’s got a hell of a fight ahead of him.”
I looked over to the doors and wished desperately that someone would come tell us that he was okay. But no one came. Panic started to creep in as I muttered, “He came for me.”
“Of course he did.” Preacher gave my knee a light pat. “He’s a man who takes care of his own.”
“I don’t want to lose him.”
Preacher gave me a slight nod. “I know you don’t, and you’re not alone in that.”
The pressure in my chest became unbearable. It was like something inside of me was splintering apart, and once again, I had to fight the urge to cry. He must’ve sensed that I was seconds from breaking, because his expression softened. “They’ll tell us something soon. You just gotta hold on and keep the faith.”
I nodded even though I wasn’t sure I could keep that promise. I didn’t think I could stand it if Sergei didn’t pull through this. Not after everything. Not after he saved me and made me think life was actually worth living. Not after he’d made me fall in love with him.
I just couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing his handsome face again. Never feeling his hands on me or his body against mine. Never feeling truly safe again. He had to be okay. He just had to be. But as the minutes dragged on, the doubts started to creep in and whisper things I couldn’t let myself believe.
I needed to distract myself, so I leaned a little closer and whispered, “Thank you.”
“For?”
“Saving us.” It was all still pretty foggy, but I hadn’t forgotten how they all stormed inside that house. They’d put their lives on the line to help us, and they’d done it without question. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if you…”
“Don’t mention it.”
