Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
He came for me.
Kyle hadn’t abandoned her, and he was putting his life on the line for her and their baby. Victoria’s heart burst with so much love there might as well have been a ray of sunshine beaming down on her. But there was only a cloud of death.
Unless I do something.
She wanted to live, and for her and Kyle to finally get their happy ending and the family they both deserved. It had taken them ten long years and nothing short of a miracle to find their way back to each other. It couldn’t end this way.
Victoria fisted her hands at her sides.
It can’t. I won’t let it.
“Your promises mean shit,” Yuri shouted. His chest muscles flexed against her back, his breath hot on her neck and his voice loud in her ears. He began backpedaling in the direction of the sedan parked beside the house. His arm remained tight around her upper torso, which meant—
His ribs were exposed to her elbows.
Though she’d only gone to one of Kyle’s self-defense classes, she remembered everything he’d taught her as if it had happened yesterday.
He continued dragging her backward, closer to the car. More anger and resentment for all the wrongs Yuri had committed against her welled to the surface.
Taking a deep breath, she gripped her right fist with her left hand, then twisted hard to the left, cranking her elbow up, then down and into his ribs.
Yuri grunted and pitched forward, his chin butting her head, but he still didn’t release her.
The words Kyle had said that day came back to her.
Inflict enough pain that he lets you go…react with overwhelming force…don’t stop until your assailant is on the ground, or releases you.
She twisted to the right, this time racking her elbow into the left side of his ribcage, harder this time.
Again, he grunted, tacking on a muffled curse but didn’t let go. His arm was still wrapped around her body.
But not as tightly as before.
Balling her hand again, she shouted her rage and slammed her fist backward into his groin with everything she had. The second his arm fell away, she ran for the car, racing around to the other side and taking cover behind the front passenger door.
“Put the gun down!” Kyle shouted, just as she peeked over the hood of the car. “Do it now, Yuri! Put it down!”
From her position behind him, she couldn’t see Yuri’s face. His chest heaved, and his posture was slightly hunched over as he held his groin with one hand, the gun against his thigh with the other.
Twenty feet away, Kyle aimed his gun at Yuri. Behind Kyle, Deke and Jack also aimed in, along with three uniformed officers.
Yuri straightened and tapped the gun against his thigh.
“Put the gun down,” Kyle repeated.
She caught the subtle shake of Yuri’s head as he tapped it harder against his leg.
Victoria gasped, instantly understanding what Yuri was about to do.
It wasn’t exactly sympathy she felt for him in that moment, but he didn’t have a chance of getting out of this without going back to prison or getting shot.
He had to know that. The psychological implications of the moment weren’t lost on her.
He does know it.
Victoria couldn’t watch, couldn’t listen. She sat on the ground next to the car’s tire, then squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears. Gunshots rang out, too many to count. Then they stopped.
Yuri Petrov had just committed death by cop.
She’d learned about this form of suicide early on in her psych training, but never in a million years could she have dreamed it would play a role in her life.
There was no need to open her eyes and no need to look.
Yuri was gone.
Unexpected sadness swept through her, along with a guilty form of relief.
Deep in her heart, she’d never wanted him dead. Just out of her life for good. After all these years, she finally realized death was the only way that could ever happen.
When her heartbeat slowed, she heard yelling and shouting behind her in the distance. Numbness seeped in, leaving her feeling…nothing.
Someone grabbed her upper arms. She opened her eyes and fisted her hands, ready to strike.
Kyle’s eyes met hers, then traveled over her body. Worry lines etched deeply into his forehead. “Are you okay?” He asked softly but with a sense of urgency. “Did he…” His lips compressed.
Still unable to speak, she shook her head, understanding what he meant. For whatever the reason, Yuri hadn’t touched her, not in that way.
“I didn’t think you’d come for me.”
“Of course I’d come.” When he pulled her into his arms, she wrapped hers around his neck, letting his solid warmth and strength soak into her bones. She didn’t know which of them was trembling more. He let her cry it out, holding on tightly, stroking her back.
They remained that way for another minute before Kyle said, “He’ll never hurt you again. He’s gone.”
“I know.” She nodded against his shoulder. “I know,” she repeated, needing to say the words again to convince herself it was really over.
“Everything okay, here?” Jack asked.
“We’re fine.” Kyle blew out a breath. “Search the house and surrounding woods for Asimov. He’s gotta be here somewhere. And can you dig up a blanket?”
“You got it,” Jack said. “Deke’s calling an ambulance.”
Gently, Kyle picked her up and carried her to his Explorer. Along the way, she shut her eyes, not wanting to see Yuri’s bullet-riddled body. At the open door of the SUV, Kyle placed her on the passenger seat.
“Glad you’re okay,” Jack said, handing over a blanket that Kyle tucked around her, practically swaddling her like a small child.
“Thanks.” She gave Jack a quick smile.
Kyle touched his fingertips first to her bruise, then to the cut on her lip. His lips compressed more.
“I’m fine. Really,” she added, sensing he needed reassurance.
His jaw clenched as he took in the blood trickling from her wrist, and his gaze dipped lower, to where her belly was covered by the blanket. “Were you ever going to tell me?”
“Honestly?” The time for absolute honesty was now. “No. I packed a bag, and I was going to run. I don’t want to give birth in prison and have my baby taken away from me.” She shook her head. “But I wasn’t lying when I said I couldn’t have children. At the time, I didn’t think I could.”
“I know. Tracee told me.”
“Tracee? When did you talk to her?”
“She’s the one who called me to say you were missing. She went to your apartment and found the door unlocked and signs of a struggle.” The worry lines on his face seemed to etch deeper. “Is the baby okay?”
“He—or she—is fine.” At least she assumed so.
She’d been on the verge of declining the ambulance, but there was someone else to think about besides herself.
Someone else he’d referred to as the baby, not our baby.
Now probably wasn’t the best time to discuss parental rights and other custody issues.
There were, however, other important things he needed to know.
Things that could affect her future, as well.
“Yuri admitted that he and Nikki killed those people and put their bodies in the lake I told you about.”
Kyle’s brows rose. “What exactly did he say? In as much detail as you can remember.”
She relayed their brief conversation, recalling the chilling fury in Yuri’s eyes. When she was done, Kyle’s expression had darkened considerably.
“Will that get you onto the lake property?” And maybe keep her out of prison.
An ambulance rolled down the runway, stopping behind the state police vehicles.
“Deke!” Kyle waved his brother over, then lifted her from the seat and carried her to the gurney paramedics had taken from the back of the ambulance.
A paramedic strapped a blood pressure cuff around her arm.
Deke jogged over. “What’s up?”
“Go with her to the hospital. Keep me posted.” Again, his gaze lowered to her belly, his lips compressing tighter. “Don’t leave town,” was all he said before tugging out his phone and heading back to his Explorer.
“Don’t leave town?” she whispered to herself. Wasn’t that what cops said to bad guys right before they got arrested and thrown in jail?
Moments ago, she’d stupidly harbored hope that Kyle would help her out of this mess. Yet here he was, leaving her again and with no explanation.
“Hey!” Deke called after him. “Where you going?”
Just before jumping into the SUV, Kyle turned.
“Fishing.”