My insides twist on seeing more evidence of how wrong and mistaken I was.
My father truly loved my mother and me. Both Leif and I were led down a misguided path of revenge on an innocent man. But Leif was still right to keep me a secret because this woman here is the real devil.
“I always knew about the cheating.” She regains her former strength. “That day I came to see you, I was only there to see what I was up against. When you took the fall for the meek little wife, obviously under Leif’s instructions, I knew I had you right where I wanted you.”
My lips move, but I can’t talk any more.
“I always knew Evgeni never stopped being with your mother even when she was with other people. She moved to Russia because she couldn’t stand seeing him with me. But he took every chance he could to be with her. Then the day came when I overheard your mother telling him about you. That changed everything for him. He was going to leave me, so I sent the men to kill you and your mother. I thought my loyal dog, Uther, did everything right. Imagine my surprise when you turned up at my son’s wedding and stole his bride.”
I grunt, and she frowns.
“I didn’t know what shocked me more—that or knowing Leif saved you. But poor Leif has finally met his end. Things are back on track now.”
“Ana…stasia,” I garble. My voice sounds like it’s being chewed up by a shredder.
“Don’t worry about Anastasia. Uther and I have a long-standing arrangement for his faux daughter. I scratched his back and helped him climb the Bratva ranks. Now it’s time for him to pay his dues.” She laughs again, and I have no voice left to ask any more questions about Anastasia. “You sent your wife right into my trap. All these long years, we watched her, making sure she didn’t remember what happened to her and her family. The goal was to get her back, and now we have her far, far away from anyone who can take her from us. I’ll get the oil company, and Viktor will get the girl he loves.”
No. No. No.
She reaches into her bag once more and pulls out a black block with wires attached to it. My heart gallops when I realize it’s a bomb.
“One last parting gift, Desmier Volkova. Sometimes you have to do things yourself to make sure it gets done.” She sets the bomb down right beside my face. On the front of it is a picture of my mother. Dead. Just like how I last saw her. She’s lying on the floor with her neck broken and her eyes wide. “That picture is mine, but you can have it.”
She gives me one last smile and then taps the top of the bomb, activating it to give her two minutes to get out.
The clock starts ticking, counting down in tandem with her steps as she walks away, never looking back.
The clock ticks, and as I watch my mother’s face, my body continues to shut down.
Then I think of her—Anastasia.
My wife.
My Valkyrie.
My love.
She needs me.
I remember what Xiou said. That the Mark would get rid of her when they had no use for her. That’s what Mira plans to do.
I can’t let that happen.
I can’t abandon my wife to such a fate. To death.
The thought makes me move my legs. God, there’s still some life left in my legs.
Behind me is a window. If I can just get to it, I might be able to escape and land in the garden.
I can already feel the ice working down my body, and I have one minute left before the bomb goes off.
Summoning every strength left inside me, I move my body, wiggling at first, then I manage to get back up onto my knees without using my hands.
I push myself forward, slipping and sliding, my vision snapping in and out as the shit Mira gave me continues taking effect. But I fight, fight, fight, moving myself forward.
I reach the window, use my head, and ram it open. Then I push myself through just as the bomb goes off, exploding.
I’m falling. But I don’t even know if I make it out alive.