Page 40 of The Bratva's Forced Bride

A smile broke out on his face when he handed me his phone. “I’m down for whatever you think is best, my beautiful angel.”

After I concluded the last text message, I returned his phone.

The air was tense, and we fell into an uncomfortable bubble of silence as we drove for another hour. I didn’t want to look at him, so I concentrated on unzipping my sweatshirt.

Up.

It moved.

Down.

It didn’t budge.

With more force and boosted energy, I tried again.

Up.

It moved.

Down.

The zipper went through and before I could let out a cry of triumph, the moment was stolen by the sudden appearance of black cars coming up from all sides of the road and blocking us. Logan slammed on the brakes; confusion showing on his face.

“What the fuck?” He peered closer, seemingly in doubt. “This can’t be happening. How is it even possible? They didn’t have a trace on us. They couldn’t find us ...”

I was crying now. My lips quivered, my fingers fumbled and everything else betrayed me as soon as his gaze touched mine. His eyes softened at the edges as he stared. Disbelief was intense. He shook his head and reached out for me, but I pulled my hand away and undid my seatbelt.

“Addsion...” His voice cracked. “My Love, why? Why would you do this to me? To us?”

“To you, Logan.”

I wiped the back of my eyes and opened the door as he watched silently.

From the windshield I saw the men in black getting out of the cars with their guns raised and aiming at us. They shouted angrily in Russian while he stood there with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a silver gun over his thigh.

I pushed my legs out and stood on the asphalt; the weight of my actions pressed down on me.

Detangle.

No more friendship.

Disassociate.

We no longer had an identity together.

Denounce.

I abandoned him and left him in the hands of his enemies without remorse. The memory of the joy on his face and the sound of his voice when he whispered to me how much he loved me brought more tears to my eyes. Those were happy times, some of the best moments of my life. But the past remained in the past.

A warm, dusty breeze blew, time slowed down and my heartbeat sounded in my ears as I looked him in the eye.

“And just so you know, I am not sorry.”

****

Flashback – Phone call with Mr. Robert

“Skeletons should remain in the sand.” – Anonymous.