Page 48 of Forever My Saint

Alek takes a moment, evening his breaths. “Then we annihilate everyone involved, and I take back what’s mine.”

“You’re not serious?” I spit, unbelieving what I’m hearing. “You intend on going back to your life before, before…”

“You?” Zoey sarcastically says, filling in the blanks. But I ignore her.

“What do you expect?” Alek replies softly. When he reaches for my hand, I pull it away and place it under the table.

“I expected you to learn from your mistakes. I thought you had!” I can’t keep the annoyance from my tone.

He tries to reason with me, but all I hear is a cop-out. “This is my life, ???????. I don’t know any other way. Once I’m back in power, I will be able to organize safe passage for you to return home. For you and Saint. This is what he wanted for you from the very beginning.”

He is serving my dream on a silver platter, but that doesn’t make this right. He is going to take out anyone who stands in his way, only to take their place? When will this end? I thought he had changed, but he hasn’t.

Money, power, greed; that’s all that matters to Alek.

“Now, I can’t offer you anything. But if I do this, it will mean I can finally do right by you.”

“Oh, bullshit!” I kick back my chair as I stand. “Don’t you dare use me as an excuse. This plan is no different than when you paid a quarter of a million for me!”

Zoey blinks once, clearly stunned by my revelation.

“All this is, is a play for power. You’re prepared to kill god knows how many so you’re once again respected and feared. You’re no better than them. Actually, you’re worse,” I spit, curling my lip, sickened.

Alek sighs, closing his eyes in defeat.

“Pavel, how can you allow this to happen?” I shout, eyeing him angrily. “You said it was time things ended. How can you help him after everything he’s done?”

Those words are my undoing because when Zoey comes to a slow stand, it appears like our time has finally come. “How canyou?” she questions with a sneer. “How can you have feelings for him after everythinghe’s done to you?So don’t you dare think you’re any better than us…because you’re not.”

Something about Alek’s demeanor changes. He slowly raises his chin to look at me, something akin to hope sparking in his eyes. Zoey just said I had feelings for him, for this monster. It’s the first time it’s been spoken aloud, and I don’t know what to do.

I’ve not known what this something is I feel for Alek, but could Zoey be right? Do I have…feelingsfor this man? Not feelings of love, but feelings of…like?

No.

My body retaliates violently at the thought, and just when Zoey opens her mouth, no doubt about to spew forth more venom, I decide to shut it for good. Without thought, I coolly round the table, and before she has a chance to ask what the hell I’m doing, I slap her across the cheek.

The sting in my hand is instant gratification and so is witnessing her cupping her reddening cheek.

“That’s for getting me kidnapped,” I spit, suddenly realizing how big a role she’s played in all of this. “My husband may have sold me to Alek, but Saint kidnapped me because he was trying to win back your freedom, which you didn’t even want! So as I see it, everything started with you.”

A shriek erupts from her as she violently charges forward and shoves me in the chest. I stumble back a few feet as she packs a punch, but I soon find my footing and charge for her as she charges for me. There isn’t hair-pulling or catty scratching, which I actually respect her for. She strikes out and connects with my jaw.

My head snaps back, the sting shooting all through my body. “Lucky shot,” I snarl, wiping my bleeding lip with the back of my hand. My sore ribs are protesting for me not to do this, but it’s too late.

We stalk each other, fists raised as we keep on our toes, never taking our eyes off the other. Alek and Pavel attempt to intervene, but nothing will stop us. Zoey shoves Pavel, which gives me the opportunity to connect with her face.

She grunts as my fist collides with her cheek.

“Your brother has sacrificed so much for you.” We circle the other on the defense. “Andnowyou want to appreciate everything he’s done. If you’d have left years ago, when he begged you to, none of this would have happened.”

“Shut your mouth!” she yells, but her arrogance soon returns. “Besides, you’re worse than I am. At leastIcan admit I loved Alek. Ineverloved two men…unlike you.”

What in the actual fuck?Love?I donotlove Aleksei Popov.

Her lies are the fuel inciting this inferno, and uncaring I’ve let my guard down, I charge toward her, primed on killing her with my bare hands. She attempts to punch me in the ribs, but I jump back and focus on nothing but maiming her. I remember Saint’s training and deliver a combination of punches to her body and her face.

Winded breaths leave her as she tries to fend me off, but I am so fucking angry that nothing can pry me away. She falls onto her back from the unexpected assault, which has me diving on top of her and delivering punch after punch to her face.

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