Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 89985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
“I spoke to the doctor,” Peter said.
This drew my attention to him.
“He said you are going to be fine. One day, you’ll be able to have more child—”
“Who are you?” I asked. I already knew what the doctor had said. My pregnancy had been short and I had lost it due to the beating I took. There was nothing to suggest I couldn’t have more children, or even a healthy pregnancy. All the right words were being spoken, but I didn’t care.
“I know you’re not Peter Shadows.”
“Just like you’re not Niamh Long,” he said.
I smiled. “So is that it? I was trying to get away from my father. What is your excuse?”
“I was doing as I was told.”
I didn’t know if that was worse. I wanted to cry and I gritted my teeth. I had to keep those tears locked up inside. I wasn’t going to cry in front of him.
“It was all a lie, wasn’t it?” He didn’t say anything, but I knew it was. “You were doing as you were told, which means your boss, I’m guessing Ivan Volkov, told you what to do.”
“I was following orders, and it was simple. Get Niamh Byrne to fall in love with me, and get her pregnant.”
Pain sliced through my body, but it wasn’t a physical pain. No, this was … emotional. I should have known these past few months had been a lie. A big fat, stinking lie.
“Well, I guess it’s a job well done, and then my dad messed it up.” I wanted to put my hand on my stomach, but I stopped myself.
I didn’t think I would ever forget that moment I’d lost the baby. The pain had been … there were just no words.
They’d taken the dress from me. It was placed in a clear plastic bag, and it was in the corner on a small chair, with a few other things. Now, I was in a hospital gown, trying to preserve my dignity, although I didn’t feel like I had any left. I felt so lost, so alone.
“I’m Peter Orlov,” he said.
My attention went back to him.
“I work for Ivan Volkov, I’m one of his Brigadiers, and my loyalty is to him and him alone.”
I should have known that anyone who had any interest in me was only doing it because they’d been ordered to. Thinking back to that moment when he walked into the diner, I couldn’t help but snort. My initial instincts had been accurate. Peter had been a threat to me, but for all the wrong reasons.
“I get it,” I said. “You don’t have to keep reminding me. You will do whatever your boss says, and if that means sleep with me, get me pregnant, then you’ll do it. To hell with the consequences, right?”
He didn’t argue with me.
I meant nothing to him.
I was nothing.
Clenching my hands into fists, I sunk my nails into the flesh of my palm, doing anything to keep a lid on this pain. Did he not see what he was saying to me? I wasn’t worth caring for. He was following orders. He didn’t want me, not really. I was just a job.
The door to my hospital room opened, and this time I saw Ivan Volkov as he stepped inside. He spoke to Peter, and a second later he turned and walked out of the room, leaving me with Ivan. A stranger, and yet not.
“How are you feeling?” Ivan asked.
“Why do I feel like I know you?” I asked. At first, I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself, but that wasn’t polite. No matter who raised me, I wasn’t going to be rude to anyone.
“We’ll get to that soon,” Ivan said, moving toward the side of my bed to take a seat. “Tell me, how are you feeling?”
I didn’t see the point in lying, nor did I see the point in ignoring him. I’m not rude, and besides, in a strange way, this man saved my life. I wasn’t stupid, I was aware my father intended to kill me, and it was Ivan Volkov who saved me, bargained for me.
“How’s my brother?” I asked.
“Don’t worry about him.”
It was the first time I had seen anyone get away from my father without having to give something up. Ivan had been in control, not my father, and that was kind of fun.
“Please, Niamh, tell me how you’re feeling?”
He seemed to genuinely want to know, and staring at him, I didn’t want to argue. It had been a long day and night. The pain hadn’t been fun.
“Not so good and I don’t want the meds increased. I don’t know if it would be right to say I’ve had worse, or if that would be a lie as well.” I glanced down at my hospital-gowned body. Half of me was covered by the bedsheet as well. I didn’t imagine I looked that great. With my dad pulling my hair, I was pretty sure a couple of pieces had been torn out. Then of course, I didn’t imagine my face was bruise-free. When he pulled me out of the truck and slapped me around, he didn’t stop there. Whenever he got angry, he’d come back and hurt me.