Page 41 of Relentless Sinner
I reach across the table to take her trembling hand. “I can’t stay here.” My voice is firmer, underlining my seriousness but more importantly, my desperation.
“Gabriella, what are you thinking? Jaxon Bortsov is not like your father. He is what you calldanger. The thing the monsters fear. I told you why he was called the Beast and that wasn’t even half of what I know. Nor do I know everything about him. Fuck, I’m willing to bet my life that the men who took you are nothing compared to him. The only difference is he’s so powerful he doesn’t need to do what they do.”
Her words echo in my mind and my heart triple-beats. The cold grip of dread tightens my chest, making it hard to breatheas I process the reminder about the man I’m supposed to marry. “That’s who you want me to marry? You want me to stay with someone like that?”
A helpless look enters Cora’s eyes and grips my heart, too. “Please don’t think for one minute that I want this for you. I don’t. I just know the consequences would be bad if you tried to run from him.”
“If I stay here and don’t follow my dreams it would be like turning my back on my mother’s sacrifice.” My eyes fill with tears again as memories of that horrible night my mother was taken from me fill my mind. “I can’t forget, Cora. I can’t. She died so I could live.”
A little breath escapes her lips and she brings her hands up to her cheeks. I know she’s remembering that night, too. She was there.
We were at a wedding in Sicily. At a beautiful villa on the beach. The bride was my mother’s youngest sister. She was marrying my father’s cousin. The reception continued late into the night, way, way past our bedtime. Everyone was having so much fun it was like they were all trying to hold on to the day.
Looking back now it feels like a cruel joke because that night was the last for many. It was like the universe was letting them enjoy one last moment of fun before death came for them.
Dad took Natasha and Cora to the beach with a few of our other cousins. Mom and I were dancing. She was teaching me the two-step. Dad must have been gone for ten minutes or so when gunmen burst in and opened fire. Just like that.
I remember the deathly sound of bullets and screaming. And the horrific sight of blood everywhere.
Mom took my hand and ran with me to the caves. Masked men followed us, shooting, but Mom kept me safe. We ran into the cave where Mom put me in one of the old elevators thatwould take you into the tunnels. There was only room for one person.
I begged her to come with me and tried to make room but she refused.
As I cried, she made me promise that I would live and do everything in my power to achieve my dream of becoming a doctor. She said there were lives waiting for me to save them. Then she told me she loved me and released the button to send me to safety while she stayed back so the men wouldn’t follow.
Dad found me hours later, but it was too late.
Mom was gone.
“I can’t give up, Cora. And I need your help,” I rasp, tightening my grip on her hand. “You know people who can make me disappear for as long as I need to. I’ll come back in a year to sort out my inheritance. Things should blow over by then.”
“How do you know that?”
“Idon’tknow. I’m just hoping. It’s a year. That’s plenty of time for Dad to find another way besidesmeto get himself out of trouble. And Jaxon will have to find someone else to marry.” I don’t know the circumstances of his family or what’s going on but a man like him will have no trouble finding a woman to marry. “Please help me.”
Cora’s gaze falls to the space on the table between us, then she looks back at me and nods so slowly her head barely moves. “Okay… I’ll see what I can do. But you need to be able to get off the property first. No one I know is going to risk their lives coming here to break you out.”
A glimmer of hope rises in me on hearing she’ll help me. “I’ll work on that part. Jaxon said we could talk about me leaving the property when he gets back from his trip.”
“Well, that’s something we can work with. Gabriella, this is going to be dangerous. You do know that, right? Your wedding is two weeks away. You’re going to have to be ready to run.”
“I’ll be ready. I will.” My mind whirrs with the implications of this new plan and the consequences of being caught, but I can’t give up.
To get my freedom I’ll have to play the game.
Play the game of beingcompliantso Jaxon thinks I’m following orders.
I just hope that whatever I do with him doesn’t push me any deeper into that haze of attraction I feel every time I’m with him.
I can’t allow that to be a problem or stand in my way.
Chapter Nine
Gabriella
I press my hands against the smooth granite walls of the shower, bow my head, and allow the cool spray of water to pour over me.
It flows down my head, my neck, my shoulders, then over my weary body. I wish it could soothe my mind but there are too many conflicting thoughts clashing around in there.