Page 88 of Bound by Love
She held out a shaking hand to touch Hope. “She’s safe.”
“No one will ever hurt her,” Rytsar stated emphatically.
Brie looked at him, her bottom lip trembling. “Thank you.”
Rytsar’s jaw was clenched as he stared at her with tears in his eyes. “I was not too late.”
“No, you saved both of us.”
He nodded his head, sighing deeply.
Brie knew Rytsar was thinking of Tatianna. He had that haunted look in his eyes as he relived her kidnapping, the near rescue, and her eventual death.
Reaching out, Brie touched him. “We are safe because of you.”
Rytsar swallowed hard, nodding again, but said nothing.
Brie leaned her head back against Sir’s chest. “I was terrified I would disappear and never see you again.”
His voice was gruff with the anguish he felt. “I could not have borne it.”
“I know,” she whispered, tears running down her cheeks.
Sir pressed her so tightly against himself that she could barely breathe. Even so, she welcomed the feeling as she listened to the sound of his heartbeat and the far-off sirens echoing in the distance.
Liam started cursing viciously on the ground.
Sir let go of Brie and walked over to him. “Stand him up,” he commanded.
Rytsar’s man lifted his knee from Liam’s back and pulled him up to face Sir.
Sir cocked his fist back and let it fly, connecting with his jaw. In the blink of an eye, Liam was back on the ground, writhing in pain.
Sir shook his hand out and looked over at Rytsar. “That felt good.”
Rytsar walked over to Sir and carefully handed the baby over to him. “Let me try.”
Liam cried out when the men forced him back onto his feet. “Don’t. For God’s sake, have mercy…!” he begged.
Rytsar smirked, nodding his head. “Da, I will show the mercy you showedradost moya.”
“I was just doing a job. It wasn’t personal…oh God, no!” Liam screamed as Rytsar narrowed his eyes and cocked his fist back.
“Don’t kill him,” Brie cried out, remembering what had happened in Russia.
Rytsar hesitated for a moment before letting his fist fly through the air.
Liam shrieked even before Rytsar made impact. Again, he fell to the ground but, this time, he didn’t move or make a sound.
Brie looked at Rytsar in horror. “Please say you didn’t…” She turned her head toward the sound of the approaching sirens. “They’ll put you away, Rytsar. We’ll never see you again.”
Rytsar walked over to Brie and lifted her chin so her worried gaze met his. “I am a responsibledyadyanow.”
Liam started moaning on the ground and Brie let out a sigh of relief.
“There was no reason to worry,” Rytsar assured her.
He wrapped his arm around Brie and held out the other to Sir. “Come, brother.”
