CHAPTER 31
IRIS
I drag myself out of bed with limbs that feel like lead because the weight of what I have to do is pressing down on my chest until I can barely breathe.
I move to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face, trying to scrub away the image of the burning building on the news, but the horror is branded behind my eyelids.
I dress in silence, pulling on fresh clothes with trembling hands, and every button I fasten feels like I am sealing my fate.
I have to go back. I have to face the monster I fell in love with before he burns the rest of the world to ash just to find me.
I descend the grand staircase with my heart hammering against my ribs, finding Roman and Radimir waiting in the foyer like statues. They both look up the moment my foot touches the marble floor, and the hope in Radimir’s eyes is so painful I have to look away.
"I am going to him," I announce, my voice sounding steadier than I feel. "I have to stop this before more people die." Radimir takes a step forward with his hand outstretched. "Iris, no. It is suicide. He is unstable."
"He is unstable because of me," I counter, lifting my chin.
"I am the only one who can talk him down.
" I walk toward the heavy front doors, but Roman steps into my path, blocking my exit with his broad frame and crossed arms. "Move, Roman," I say.
"No," he replies simply. "I am not letting you walk into the lion's den alone. "
"I don't need a bodyguard," I argue, though my hands are shaking at my sides. "I need to go alone so he knows I am not being coerced." Roman shakes his head and pulls a set of car keys from his pocket, dangling them from his finger with a dark smirk.
"You are not going alone, little sister," he says, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I will be driving. If that maniac decides to blow up the car, I figure we might as well go out as a family."
I want to argue, but I look at the set of his jaw and know it is a losing battle. "Fine. But you stay in the car when we get there."
"We will see," is all he says as he pushes the front door open.
The drive to Ilay’s estate is suffocatingly quiet.
I stare out the window at the passing city, noticing how empty the streets are, as if the entire population is holding its breath waiting for the next bomb to detonate.
Roman drives with a casual arrogance, one hand on the wheel, but I can see the tension in his shoulders and the way his eyes constantly scan the mirrors for threats.
When the iron gates of Ilay’s estate come into view, my stomach drops to my feet.
The place usually looks like a fortress, but today it looks like a military encampment preparing for a siege.
There are twice as many guards as usual patrolling the perimeter, all of them armed with assault rifles, and the air around the property feels thick with a lethal tension that makes my skin crawl.
Roman slows the car as we approach the checkpoint. The men stationed at the perimeter raise their rifles instantly, aiming directly at the windshield with cold precision. I roll down the window before Roman can say anything stupid. "It is me," I call out, my voice trembling slightly.
The guard nearest to us freezes. He squints through the glass, and the moment his eyes land on my face, the aggression drains out of him, replaced by a stunned recognition. He lowers his weapon immediately and taps his earpiece, murmuring something urgent to the rest of the team.
"Open the gates!" he shouts to the men in the booth. "It is her! Let them through! Now!"
The heavy iron gates groan as they swing open, and the guards step back with their heads bowed, looking at me like I am a ghost who has returned from the grave.
Roman drives us up the long, winding driveway, and I can feel the eyes of every sniper on the roof tracking our movement. The atmosphere is so tight that it feels like a single spark could ignite the entire property.
"Friendly place," Roman mutters as he parks the car in front of the main entrance.
I open the door and step out, my legs feeling like jelly. Roman is beside me in a second, his presence a solid weight at my back as we walk toward the massive double doors.
The house is silent. It is not the peaceful silence of a home, but the heavy, suffocating silence of a mausoleum.
We walk through the foyer, our footsteps echoing loudly on the floor, and every member of the staff we pass stops dead in their tracks, staring at me with wide, fearful eyes before hurrying away.
They know. Everyone knows that the master of this house has lost his mind, and they are terrified of what he might do next.
I know exactly where he will be.
I walk toward his office, my breath coming in shallow gasps. The hallway feels endless, stretching out before me. I can feel the dangerous energy radiating from behind the closed office doors even before I reach them.
I reach out with a shaking hand and push the heavy doors open.
Ilay is sitting behind his desk, staring at a map of the city spread out before him, looking like a man who has not slept in days. His shirt is unbuttoned at the collar, his hair is a chaotic mess, and the dark circles under his eyes make him look haunted.
The sound of the door opening makes his head snap up, a snarl already forming on his lips.
But then he sees me. The pen drops from his hand, rolling across the desk and falling to the floor with a soft clatter. In a flash, he is moving. He clears the distance across the room with terrifying speed, crashing into me before I can even take a full breath.
He grabs me in the tightest hug I have ever felt, lifting me slightly off the floor as he buries his face in the crook of my neck. He is shaking. The man who threatened to burn the world is trembling against me, holding me like he is trying to absorb me into his own skin.
"You are here," he whispers against my skin, his voice rough and broken. "You are actually here."
"I am here," I whisper back, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I am okay."
He pulls back abruptly, his hands gripping my shoulders hard enough to bruise as his eyes scan every inch of my face. He looks desperate, starving, checking for any sign that this is a hallucination.
Then his gaze lands on the dark purple bruise blooming on my cheekbone. The relief vanishes instantly. His face transforms into a mask of pure, unadulterated rage, and the temperature in the room seems to drop ten degrees.
"Who did this to you?" he asks, his voice dropping to a demonic growl. I try to shake my head. "Ilay, please, it doesn't matter—"
"I asked you a question," he snaps, his grip tightening. "Who touched you?"
"Some men tried to hurt me," I admit, my voice shaking. "They tried to assault me, but they didn't because he stopped them." I gesture behind me to where Roman is leaning casually against the doorframe.
Ilay’s eyes flick to the door. For a second, there is confusion, but then recognition dawns in his eyes, turning them black with hate. He shoves me behind him and draws his gun in one fluid motion.
"Ilay, no!" I scream.
Bang!
The shot is deafening in the enclosed space. Roman moves with a speed I didn't know he possessed, ducking just as the bullet tears into the frame of the door, grazing his shoulder and sending splinters flying.
"Fuck!" Roman hisses, clutching his shoulder as blood begins to seep through his shirt. I grab Ilay's arm with both hands, using all my weight to drag his aim down. "What are you doing? Stop it!"
"He shot me!" Ilay roars, fighting against my grip, his eyes wild. "That is the bastard who shot me in the woods and left me to die! Move, my love!"
"He saved me!" I shout back, stepping in front of the gun. "He saved my life!"
"That’s more reason why I should kill him, he put you in danger in the first place!
" Ilay snarls. "He put a bullet in me, and I return my debts.
" Roman chuckles despite the blood seeping through his fingers.
"Before you shoot your girlfriend's big brother, you might want to ask her about her family tree. "
Ilay freezes. The gun wavers slightly in his hand as he looks down at me.
"Brother?" he repeats, the word sounding foreign on his tongue.
I let out a heavy sigh. "I found out my mom had an affair with Radimir Miroslav.
I am his daughter, and Roman is my brother.
" Ilay stares at me, the fight slowly draining out of his posture as the horror of the situation sets in.
He lowers the gun, looking from me to Roman, processing the fact that the enemy he has been destroying is my own blood.
"Your family," he whispers, "is the Miroslav crime family?"
"It's not like I planned it," I say. "Well, this is awkward," Roman says from the door.
"Considering you've been blowing up our stuff all week.
" Ilay’s head snaps up. "I'll blow up more if you don't shut up.
" He walks over to me, grabbing my waist. "Does this mean you're on their side now? Are we enemies, my love?"
"No," I say firmly. "I'm on your side. Always."
"I hope so," he says, brushing his thumb on my jaw.
"Because I'm not letting you go. I don't give a fuck if Radimir is your father.
I don't care if the devil himself is your family, I’m not playing games.
You're my wife. That trumps everything. Biology, family, all of it.
If your new family tries to touch you again, I'll slaughter every single one of them until there's no one left to claim you but me. "
"I know," I breathe, trembling under his intensity. He stares at me, looking for any sign of hesitation, any sign that my loyalty has shifted to my family. When he finds none, he kisses me hard, a bruising, possessive seal poring days of longing into it.
"I'd do it again," he murmurs against my lips. "I'd kill your father and your brother and everyone else if they tried to keep you from me."
"Hey," Roman calls out from the doorway, breaking the trance. "I'm standing right here, and I'm still bleeding on your floor. If you're done threatening to murder my family, I'd like a doctor."
Ilay breaks the kiss and glares at him. "Get out of my house, Roman. Before I decide to make your sister an only child again."
Roman nods at me once, then turns and walks out.
Ilay kicks the door shut and pulls me back into his arms, burying his face in my hair.
"Don't ever leave me again," he commands, his voice shaking.
"I won't," I promise. But as I hold him, I look out the window at the city he almost destroyed, and I know that the war is far from over.