Chapter 10 #2
By the time I meet the others, I’m covered in blood and buzzing with the high that only killing and a good fuck can bring. When Vasily hollers for me, I race up the stairs to the last floor and find him standing over a very dead Marcus.
He grins at me and gives the body a nudge with his foot. “Let’s take his head.”
“That will definitely send a message.” I fist Marcus’s dirty hair and get to work. Even with my blades as sharp as I keep them, it still takes some effort to get through bone and muscle. I’m no quitter, though, so I keep sawing away until Marcus is now in two pieces.
Vasily slaps me on the back and takes the head I offer him. We walk down together, and when we’re back outside, Vasily sees a metal stake poking up from the ground that used to be a part of a fence and shoves the head down onto it.
“Fucking gruesome,” I tell him, laughing and shaking my head.
He smiles and pats the top of the head, pushing the stake in just a bit deeper. Satisfied, we start the long process of joining up with the others and making sure all the buildings around here are empty and that all our men are accounted for.
By the time we’re back in the SUV, I’m tired and hungry and more than ready for a shower. Pulling my phone out, I look to see if Maddie’s texted me, but there’s nothing and I have no idea what to make of that.
“I want a hamburger,” I tell Vasily, pointing up ahead at a fast food place.
He looks at me. “Are you fucking kidding me right now? You’re covered in blood.”
I shrug. “I’m really hungry. I haven’t eaten all day.”
“I could go for a hamburger too,” Valeri says from the back.
“Me too,” Andrei says, followed by Ilya’s, “I mean, I wouldn’t say no to one.”
“It’s like being in the car with a bunch of kids. Does anyone need to go potty while we’re here?”
“I do, but I think someone might call the cops if I do,” I say with a laugh.
“You can’t just use a gun like a normal person,” he mutters, pulling into the drive thru.
“I chopped a head off for you,” I remind him, and then say, “Go ahead and get me a large meal, and I want a sweet tea with it.”
He groans but places the order and then does the same for everyone else, nearly losing it when Valeri keeps changing his mind about what he wants. In the end, he orders both meals for Valeri and tells him to shut the hell up when he mentions asking for extra sauce.
Once we’re back on the road and I’ve already eaten half my hamburger, I ask, “Maddie hasn’t texted me. What do you think that means?”
Vasily takes pity on me and doesn’t make a joke. I ignore the laughs coming from behind me. He steals one of my fries and says, “What kind of note did you leave her?”
“Note?”
He can’t hold back the laugh this time. “You fucked her last night, and then she woke up to an empty bed, no note, and you’ve been gone all fucking day?”
“Shit,” I mutter, because when he puts it like that, I can see how shitty it must’ve looked to her.
It hadn’t occurred to me that she might think I just left because I didn’t care.
I’m not used to having someone else around that I need to leave notes for or give updates to.
I’d been so caught up with everything going on that I hadn’t taken the few seconds to send a text.
I’d just figured I’d wait until I got back to the house and we could talk in person.
I finish my meal, but I barely taste any of it. When Vasily pulls in front of my house and I see that her Jeep is gone, I realize just how badly I fucked up.
“Just call her,” Vasily says. “Tell her you’re a jackass and that you fucked up.”
“Yeah, just tell her the truth,” Valeri says and then laughs while he gets to work on his second meal.
“I got eleven today,” I tell him, and then smile when his grin falls away and he mutters “Fucker” around his French fry.
I laugh and give a wave before walking inside.
The dogs run up to me, greeting me with the excitement that only animals seem to be able to accomplish with complete honesty.
I give them some love and then immediately take a shower, scrubbing off the blood and grime from the day.
Throwing on a pair of joggers and a T-shirt, I grab my phone and try to figure out what the hell to say.
I scrub my hand over my face and sigh. I killed eleven fucking men today, but sending a text makes me nervous.
I settle on Where are you?
While I wait for a reply I kick myself because I’m pretty sure that’s going to come across wrong.
At my mom’s.
I read her text and sigh. When will you be back?
I’m staying here tonight. She has an early appointment. It’s easier if I just stay here.
I’m surprised by how much it upsets me to know she won’t be here tonight and that I’ll have to wait until tomorrow before I can see her again. I pour a very large vodka and send her another text.
I’m sorry I didn’t leave a note, kiska. I got called away very early and just now got back.
After a few of the slowest fucking minutes of my life, I get the reply: It’s not a big deal, Volodya. Supper’s in the fridge. I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.
There are a million things I want to say, but I don’t want to text them. I give a simple Night, kiska. I hope the appointment goes well.
She tells me goodnight, and I set the phone down feeling agitated and depressed.
I finish the vodka and pour another. The house feels lonely without her and too damn quiet.
I busy myself with cleaning and sharpening my knives and then play with the dogs.
Then I try to pass the time by watching a hockey game, but my thoughts keep going back to her.
She’s cleaned up my muddy footprints from last night, and another stab of guilt hits me when I remember my maid comment.
God, she probably thinks I just fucked her and now I expect her to go on picking up after me, like some sort of fucked-up maid-with-benefits situation.
“I fucked up,” I tell the dogs. Pulya nudges my hand with her nose and gives a sympathetic sigh.
Grom and Graza let out a soft whine and look around the room like they’re searching for Maddie.
Even they feel the loss of her. I keep the TV on and fall asleep on the couch, not even caring that the dogs jump on it with me, because I can’t stand the thought of sleeping in the bed without her.
I’m up with the sun, already agitated and ready for her to pull in the driveway.
I waste a couple of hours burning off the restless feeling with a strenuous workout, but after my shower I’m still just as on edge.
Picking up on my mood, the dogs start pacing around the house, letting out little whimpers until I finally give in and throw the ball for them.
When noon comes and goes and I still haven’t heard from her, I send her a text. At this point I don’t give a fuck if I’m coming on too strong. Her reply isn’t what I’m expecting and my heart races when I read it.
I’m at the ER with my mom. She passed out at her appointment.
I’m already grabbing my keys and running for my car as I type out a quick I’m on my way.
The whole drive I keep thinking about her up at the hospital all alone and scared, but not even that had made her feel like she could text me.
Did she feel like I wouldn’t be there for her, or did she just not want me there?
I have no idea what to expect when I run into the emergency room.
I give the startled woman behind the counter one hell of a scare, but when I explain why I’m here, she steps into her administrative power and points to a wall of seats behind me.
“Take a seat, sir. I can’t just let you go running through the halls. You’re not even related to the person you’re asking about.”
I rest my hands on the counter and take a deep, calming breath, but I don’t back down, because she’s out of her goddamn mind if she thinks I’m going to take a fucking seat.
“I understand you have rules you need to follow,” I tell her, leaning down a bit closer. Her eyes widen, but she stands her ground, and I make damn sure to be as unthreatening as I’m capable of being. I’m not here to scare her.
“My fiancée is back there,” I say, trying for some sympathy. “She’s scared to death and worried about her mom. I just want to be there for her. Please tell me what room they’re in.”
She studies me for a moment, and finally says, “I’ll let her know you’re here, and if she okays it, then I’ll let you back. It’s the best I can do.”
I nod, knowing it’s the best she’s going to give me.
I’m not willing to make a huge scene that will just bring security down here and make a bigger mess of things.
As soon as she disappears through the wide doors that lead to the rooms, I send a quick text to Maddie.
I’m here. Please tell her you want to see me.
I don’t know if she’ll have time to read it before the woman shows up or not, and I’m not sure what I’ll do if she tells the woman to not let me back.
Nothing good, I’m guessing. When the woman pokes her head back out and motions for me to follow, I let out a relieved breath and stay right on her heels as she leads me down the hall before stopping in front of one of the rooms.
“Thank you,” I tell her before quickly stepping inside.
Maddie’s sitting in a chair next to an empty bed, looking so damn small and scared, and I don’t even have to think about what to do.
In less than a second, I’m picking her up and clutching her tightly against me in a big hug.
She wraps her arms and legs around me, buries her face in my neck, and cries.
“I’ve got you, baby,” I tell her, rubbing her back and gently rocking her. “What happened?”
Her voice is shaky when she says, “She felt really weak this morning, and when I took her to the appointment, she just collapsed in the waiting room. They’re doing more tests on her now.”
“Why didn’t you call me?” I sit down and keep her on my lap, rubbing her back and kissing the side of her head, because god I’ve missed her.