Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
As Teodor drives us back to the hospital, I can’t stop thinking of Andrei. Having lost track of time, I don’t know how long he’s been in surgery.
The instant I walk into the hospital, I head straight for Anastasia. She hurries to get up, and when I engulf her in my arms, my body shudders.
“Have you heard anything?” I ask against her hair.
“No. He’s been in surgery for three hours, though. It’s a good sign if they’re working on him for so long, right?”
I nod as I pull back. “They have a lot of damage to repair.”
My wife spots the blood on my hands, and giving me a you-can’t-be-serious look, she points at the restroom. “Go wash your hands. You can’t walk around in public looking like a serial killer!”
Chuckling, I steal a kiss from her before I do as I’m told.
CHAPTER 28
Anastasia
Leaning against Rodian, I grip his hand tightly. We’ve been waiting forever, every passing minute feeling heavier than the last.
Right after Rodian returned, the other heads in the alliance said goodbye and left. I think it’s amazing that the group of men support each other.
Suddenly, a thought pops into my head, and I glance up at him. “Did you call Andrei’s family?”
He rubs his thumb over my skin as he answers, “We are his only family.”
Just as Katya comes back from buying a bunch of coffees at the cafeteria, a doctor walks toward us while pulling off a hairnet.
Rodian shoots to his feet and I scramble after him.
“Andrei Dragun’s semʹya?”
“Da. Rodian Volkov,” he replies.
The doctor checks a chart before rattling off a string of words I don’t understand. I nervously fidget, unable to tell from Rodian’s stern expression if the news is good or bad.
He takes hold of my hand, and we walk fast as we follow the doctor, then he murmurs, “The doctor says it’s too early to know the full extent of the damage to Andrei’s eye, and that he could lose vision in it. They’ve stabilized him, but he’s in critical condition, so we can only see him for five minutes.”
“So he’ll be okay?” I ask.
Rodian exhales a heavy breath. “If he makes it through the next forty-eight hours, he should recover.”
We stop outside a set of double doors and disinfect our hands before we’re allowed into a ward that’s filled with an ungodly amount of noise. Alarms, beeps, suction sounds, and Lord only knows what else, come from every bed as we’re taken to where Andrei is.
Seeing the man who’s been a quiet force at Rodian’s side covered in bandages with a sheet barely pulled over his pelvis, my heart breaks in two.
“Andrei,” I whimper as I carefully take hold of his hand that feels surprisingly hot.
Rodian leans over him and says, “I’ve killed the fuckers. All you have to do is rest and heal, moy brat.” I’ve never seen Rodian as vulnerable as he looks when he presses a kiss to Andrei’s hair. “Don’t give up the fight. I need you.”
My chin quivers as tears blur my sight, but I manage to keep it together until Rodian whispers, “I love you.”
Andrei’s fingers stir in my hold, and I say, “He moved!”
Just then he opens his right eye a crack, but he looks completely out of it as he stares at Rodian.
“I’m here, brat. You’re doing so great. I’m fucking proud of you.”
Andrei’s fingers curl around mine, and it has me inching closer and smiling through the tears. “Just get better, okay?”
Slowly he nods, and his tone is hoarse as he mumbles, “Sokolov… dead?”
“Yes.” Rodian carefully brushes his palm over Andrei’s hair. “I repaid the favor and carved his face up before gutting his throat.”
“Goooood…” The word hisses from Andrei before he drifts off again.
I notice a nurse coming toward us and say, “I think our time is up.”
Rodian presses another kiss to Andrei’s head. “I’ll be back.”
I gently set Andrei’s hand down before I leave the ward with Rodian.
As we walk down the hallway, I ask, “What do we do now?”
“Sergei is going to take you home so you can get some sleep.”
My gaze lifts to Rodian’s face. “And you?”
“I’m not leaving the hospital until Andrei is out of danger.”
“But –”
He shakes his head hard. “Don’t argue with me. It’s been a long day. I need to stay close to Andrei.”
“Okay.” My teeth worry my bottom lip, then I say, “I’ll bring you a home-cooked meal and clean clothes.”
“Thank you, moya krasavitsa.” He pulls me to a stop and leans down to give me a tender kiss. “Also bring a pair of my pajamas and extra toiletries for Andrei.”
I nod while hugging him and don’t let go as he tells Sergei, “Andrei is still critical, but we spoke, and that gives me hope that he’ll be okay.”
Sergei chuckles. “If he woke up to talk, he’s fine.”