Chapter 24 - Jaroslav
A rain of chaos erupts around us as gunfire explodes into the walls and ceiling. I watch as men drop, collapsing to the ground, clutching bullet wounds, screaming in pain.
Marlen’s men shoot with no regard for his sister’s safety.
Their bullets spin past her, grazing her, putting her in direct danger.
But he isn’t even looking at her. His eyes are on Valery, and I realize he has one goal, and that is to take my wife away from me.
To destroy me through the pain of losing her.
I refuse to let him win.
I will not let him have her.
While Valery and Talia had high hopes that their negotiations would work, the men knew all too well how likely it was that Marlen would counter with an attack. So, while we supported their attempt at peaceful negotiates, we also came prepared.
When his men surrounded us from every exit, we were ready with a backup plan. Additional forces, tucked away, flood into the room to join the fight.
It’s crowded, packed with our forces, men fighting men as we try to keep those we love safe.
Valery spins toward me, ready to run to safety, and I scream her name, trying to warn her that Marlen is close behind her.
He leaps toward her and grabs her arm, and my stomach churns with nausea. His hands on her, his gun raised to his head, it’s enough to push me over the edge of sanity and into a blind rage of uncontrollable violence.
With absolutely no regard for my own safety, I run at Marlen with every intention of tearing him apart. No one will ever take her away from me. No one will ever have the chance to hurt her ever again.
As I near him, I feel a jolt, slamming into my side, but I ignore it. I don’t feel pain as I duck low and slam my shoulder into his rib cage.
He blurts out an agonized scream, his ribs snapping under the force of my impact. Valery falls to the side, screaming as well. From the corner of my gaze, I see her body smack into the floor, and I want to go to her, but I can’t.
Two bullets fire at close range, and I don’t feel them enter me, but the warm of my blood quickly soaking into my clothes lets me know what’s happened.
“Jaroslav,” she screams my name from somewhere nearby.
I pull a knife from my belt and roll toward Marlen, winded and lying on the ground next to me, clutching his side.
I lift the knife, and someone screams. Was it her? Is she ok?
My blade slips between his ribs, and I lean my weight against the handle of the knife. He chokes, wet blood spilling from inside him onto his lips.
The world spins as hands grab at me, pulling me away.
“Kill him,” I scream, but the words don’t come out right.
My voice doesn’t belong to me. My throat is tight, and I can’t seem to take in any air. My lungs are screaming, aching, maybe bleeding.
Consciousness slips away from me, and heavy, cold darkness drags me down into oblivion.
***
“J?” Her voice tugs at my thoughts. From somewhere lost in a dream, I hear her and turn toward the sound of my name spilling from her lips.
“Valery?” I reply, searching for her in a wasteland of darkness.
“Jaroslav, can you hear me?” I lift my hand, and her hand finds mine, her fingers threading through mine.
“Is he going to be ok?” she asks, tears in her words.
Pushing my eyes open, I blink against glaring lights, searching for her, desperate to know if she’s real or a dream.
“Val? Little raven?” I stammer.
“I’m here, just hold on, Jaro. Hold on for me, please.” Her face is blurred, almost invisible as I fight to see her.
But darkness steps between us again, too heavy to push away, too cold to ignore, and she fades from me.
I’m back in the wasteland, searching, shouting her name, ignoring the pain that throbs at the edges of this empty place. A red light, pulsing inside me. A warning I can’t translate because all I can focus on is finding her.
I should rest. I should let go. I should let that red light swallow me whole.
“J, hold on, please.” Her voice is like a distant song, spilling into my dream from every direction.
I’m holding on, my love, my dark little raven. I’m holding on as long as you are by my side.
I can ’ t give up. I can’t let the pain become stronger than her voice. She’s waiting for me, somewhere outside this empty, vast, wasteland of horror. My little raven is there, calling my name.
***
I wake up, feeling the movement of a car rocking me gently as we drive in some unknown direction. Everything aches. My body moves back and forth while my head rests on her lap. My eyes flicker open to see her looking down at me, and my heart floods with relief at the sight of her beautiful face.
“We’re almost there, Jaroslav. Don’t you dare let go,” she speaks with a commanding force.
Determination to have strength for both of us.
She won’t allow me to die. And I will fight for her because I can never say no to her.
I want to give her everything she wants, and right now, she wants me alive; she wants me with her.
And all I’ve ever wanted is for her to want me too.
I close my eyes, burning and dry, and even though I can’t see her, I can still feel her hands on my face, her arm around my head, holding me safe.
***
Bright, blinding light pierces through my eyelids, and I groan, pulling again from the wasteland. “Multiple gunshots, heavy blood loss…” A doctor is leaning over me, running next to the gurney I’m lying on.
“Valery?” I stammer, searching for her through the blinding lights that streak along the ceiling above my head.
“I’m here. I’m right with you,” she calls out, but I can’t find her.
I can hear her, though. And that is enough.
“His blood pressure is dropping!”
“Get him into surgery.”
“Ma’am, I need you to wait here.”
Darkness again. Oblivion. Not even a wasteland to roam while I wait to hear her voice again. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. But she’s there, I can feel her presence, so I hang on. I will see her again.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
A ready rhythm pierces into my skull. Loud and all-consuming. It stabs at me, a constant, insistent beep. I want to push it away. To yell for silence. My heart beats faster, and the intrusive beep speeds up as well.
“J?” Her voice. Her beautiful voice. “J? I’m right here.”
“Little raven,” I croak through aching dryness. My mouth is like a desert. My voice is a dry rustle of leaves.
“Here, sip this,” she lifts my head, held steady in her hand, and presses something cool against my lips. Gently, she tilts the glass, and water splashes into my mouth, quickly quenching the parched ache of my throat.
“Valery,” I whisper.
“Close your eyes. Rest. It’s ok, I’m right here, don’t try to speak until you’re ready.” Her hand threads through mine, and the reassurance she fills me with is everything I need. I close my eyes and focus on her touch.
“You had surgery,” she tells me. “You were in there for three hours while they removed the bullets and stitched you back up. They say you’re strong, but I already knew that.
I knew you wouldn’t leave me.” She laughs softly, a quiet bubble of relief giggling from her lips.
With my eyes closed, a smile spreads over my face.
“I heard your voice,” I explain in whispered tones. “You kept me safe. You showed me where to go.” Taking a deep breath, I open my eyes again. This time, I feel stronger, more awake, more alert. “Are you ok?” I ask, fearful of the answer. “Were you hurt?”
She smiles, her eyes glittering over me. “No, you saved me, Jaroslav. I owe you my life.”
“You owe me nothing but your love.” I grin at her, reaching up with careful movements to touch her face. My body hurts, but I don’t care. All I care about is that she was here, waiting for me. Her skin is soft and warm against my fingertips.
The smile on her face is cheeky, tainted with amusement. “I owe you my love?” she teases me.
“Yes, you are indebted to me. I saved your life and now you must stay with me, forever.”
She giggles and shakes her head.
I shift position to try and sit up, but she stops me. “Don’t move, you idiot, here, I’ll raise the back rest.”
I grin at her bossy tone and wait for her to adjust my bed.
Sitting up, I can look at her properly. I let my gaze wander over her beautiful lips, her bright grey eyes, and midnight raven hair. My heart aches for her. Every cell in my body needs her. But despite my teasing comments, I can’t force her to love me back.
Valery grins at me and tilts her head to the side. “You were talking while you were unconscious.”
“Oh.” I swallow hard. “Whatever I said, however harsh it was…I only wanted to keep you safe. I know I can be controlling sometimes, and it comes out in aggressive ways, but my goal is only to keep you safe. I’m sorry for whatever I said.
Please…all I want is for you to be happy, little raven in the end.
That’s all that matters. And you should take all the time you need to think about things and figure out what you want.
I’ll wait for you. And I’ll respect whatever it is you decide. ”
She giggles and shakes her head. “You didn’t say anything harsh, Jaro.”
Her eyes are shimmering with happiness. I cock my head to the side, wondering what’s got her smiling so beautifully. Her face is glowing with radiance.
“What did I say?” I ask, flooded with curiosity.
She lifts my hand and kisses it, her soft lips pressed against my skin, making my heart race. When she looks at me, her eyes are brighter than ever.
“You told me you love me.”
“I did?”
“Is it true?”
“It is. I love you more than life itself. I love you more than words can say.”
My heart hammers like a wild bird caught in a cage. I study her face, waiting, desperate to know what thoughts are flickering through her mind.
She stands up and leans over the bed, her lips against my ear. “I love you too, more than words can say.”
A thrill of ecstatic happiness shoots through me, and I reach up and wrap my hand around the side of her face, forcing her to look at me. “You love me?” I ask in disbelief.
“I love you,” she says without hesitation.
I pull her closer, and her mouth finds mine. The kiss is passionate, overflowing with emotion, flooded with need and relief.
Pain sparks through my body, but in some twisted way, the happiness has me too high on emotions, and I can barely feel it.
I laugh against her lips, wrapping both arms around her and pulling her onto the bed. She lies at my side, her head resting on the curve of my shoulder.
“The doctor will be furious if he comes in here and catches me on your bed,” she grins.
“Fuck everyone who thinks they can keep you away from me,” I grin.
“Jaro, there is something else I need to tell you.”
She sits up again, anxiety stealing its way through her body and making her fidget. What is going on? What more could there be?
“Please, don’t leave me hanging, I can’t take it…”
She smiles and takes a deep breath, then nods.
“I’m pregnant.”
Her words hang in the air between us and shock stuns me into silence.
My mouth drops open, and my eyes flare wide.
“What?” I blurt out, convinced I heard wrong, but knowing I didn’t.
“If you don’t want this, I understand,” she starts speaking fast, her words a single string of panic.
“I can do this alone. I’ve already made my choice that I’m keeping the baby, but obviously I had to tell you and give you the chance to choose as well, but I understand if it’s too much and there is no pressure from me, no expectation for you to… ”
“Valery,” I say loudly, snapping her from her anxious babble. “There is nothing more amazing than I could dream of than having a family with you.”
“Really?” She squeals in delight. “Really, really?”
“Really, really,” I laugh, inundated with happiness. Drowning in it and letting it steal me away.
Valery wiggles up against my side again and wraps her arm around me. I pull her close, holding her, letting her warmth and love fill me in the most peaceful way.
“Finally, everything I’ve ever dreamed of is coming true.”
“And everything I’ve ever dreamed of, too.” She nuzzles her face against my neck, and I lean my cheek against her silky, soft hair.
My life is perfect.
I can’t believe this is how it ends—that everything worked out exactly as I hoped for.
I thread my fingers through her hair and brush them down her back.
“I love you, little raven. I can’t wait to spend every day making sure you know that.”