Chapter Eleven
T he labneh at the Desert Royale was perfectly creamy, served with warm pita bread and a drizzle of local olive oil. But Sarica barely tasted any of it, with her mind still spinning from yesterday's revelations.
A commotion at the restaurant's entrance drew her out of her thoughts, and Sarica stiffened in her seat when she saw two uniformed officers heading her way.
They gave her the usual spiel, but Sarica only nodded without hearing anything. She knew exactly who was behind all of this, and she didn't put up any resistance as they escorted her out of her hotel.
A car was waiting for them by the driveway, an unmarked car with a government license plate, and Sarica was unsurprised to see Justina already inside.
"I'm sorry for the fuss."
And yet she didn't sound sorry at all , Sarica couldn't help but notice.
"But I'm afraid I couldn't afford to waste any time."
"For what?" Sarica looked outside the window as she asked this. Where were they going?
"Please don't take it personally, but I need to get you as far away as possible from Giancarlo."
Sarica fought to keep her expression blank, but the way Justina looked at her with pity made it clear that she was doing a really bad job at hiding her feelings.
"I know you still have feelings for my husband—-"
"In name," Sarica heard herself say.
"Excuse me?"
"I have my own ways of finding information, too," Sarica said evenly. "And although I already knew yesterday you were lying about your marriage—-I can't say I didn't welcome actual proof about the real state of your marriage."
"It seems I've underestimated you."
Both of them did, Sarica thought.
Justina obviously saw her as too young to see past her charade while Giancarlo...
I just don't know what to do, God.
The marriage between Giancarlo and Justina had been conducted by a Kivran minister. This might have made it official in most people's eyes, but when one did enough digging, they would soon come to realize that such marriages could only be consummated after a year of courtship...and terminated by something as simple as the husband declaring the whole thing null and void in front of two witnesses.
"But I'm afraid that won't change anything."
Sarica's head jerked up at the sudden coolness of Justina's tone.
"I owe it to Giancarlo to do what's right for him, and while you may not believe me—-what's right for him is to not have you around. Ever. "
Sarica had every intention of challenging this.
But she wasn't given a chance, with the car already slowing to a stop, and what she saw outside made her heart nearly stop beating.
"You're putting me on a plane."
"I'm also adding your name to Kivr's blacklist," Justina said calmly, "in case you're thinking of flying back."
"Does Giancarlo know you're doing this?"
Justina met her gaze unflinchingly. "He entrusted you to my care."
No. No. No.
"What do you think that means?"
It was so easy to tell that Justina was not lying, and Sarica could only follow Justina out of the car in a daze.
Why did Giancarlo still want her to leave?
Why?
Security let them pass through one of the private entrances at the side of the airport, and Justina motioned for Sarica to take a seat. "Wait here, please." She needed to look for the immigration officer she had spoken to earlier. The sooner she had Sarica aboard a plane, the sooner it would be better for all—-
No.
Fuck.
No.
Justina saw her worst nightmare come back to life at about the same time Sarica spotted Viktor Biancardi enter the same holding office from another door.
Sarica's mind urged her to run.
Because this was not her fight, and she was better off playing it safe.
But all she could do was stare as he walked closer and closer.
He was exactly as she remembered.
Tall and golden-haired.
Breathtakingly handsome like an angel.
The kind of man that no one would ever suspect of abducting women to sell them off as slaves. The kind of man who would arrange for his friend's murder if that was what it took to save his own neck.
Justina and Sarica turned to look at each other.
But when they looked back at Viktor at the same time—-
It was too late.
He had seen them, too, and the wild look in his eyes was that of a man who believed he had nothing to lose.
GIANCARLO AND HIS MEN were already at the airport when he received an urgent message from his security, telling him that both Justina and Sarica were at the same place he was.
No. God. No.
He ran as fast as he could.
But this, too, was exactly what he feared.
Viktor. Justina. And his Sarica.
They all saw him coming.
And falling.
His injury betraying him at the worst possible moment-—
Because he was no longer the same Giancarlo he once was.
Save her, God.
While one look at Justina showed that her own fears had also gotten the best of her—-
Please.
And this left Viktor and Sarica in a standoff—-
We only have You.
A SENSE OF CALMNESS like Sarica had never known before settled over her as Viktor lunged toward her with shocking speed.
In the corner of her eye, she saw that Justina had frozen up in terror. The other woman had lost herself in the past, unresolved trauma turning her into a sitting duck.
And finally, she saw him.
Giancarlo.
And in his dark eyes, she saw desperation and defeat.
They both knew he wouldn't make it in time.
Because Viktor's blade had already slid between her ribs.
"Sarica!"
Her name on his lips was the sound of agony and despair, and oh, how she wished she had the time to tell him it was okay.
It was completely okay because this was what she wanted.
What she had trained and sweated blood and tears for.
This was what she had prayed for.
It's alright, my love.
Because she had shifted just as Viktor stabbed her, and while the pain was vicious and immediate, the knife had also missed anything vital.
We're going to be okay.
All Viktor wanted was to kill her and hurt Giancarlo one last time before he was made to pay for his crimes.
But that was where he miscalculated.
Because as soon as Viktor pulled back, Sarica also made her move.
Just one moment to pull the knife out of her side.
And another moment to return the favor.
Viktor's stunned eyes clashed with his as he stumbled back and lost his balance.
Gotcha.
Dauphin's lessons had come in very handy, and Viktor was now pinned on the floor under Sarica, both of them bleeding but neither in danger of dying.
In the incident report the police would submit later on, Sarica had only one thing to say when describing the altercation that could've easily resulted in multiple deaths.
I know all of it happened in mere seconds.
But at the same time, it was as if everything was happening in slow motion.
I didn't feel scared at all.
Because of Him.