Chapter 12 Rafail
RAFAIL
She left me.
Hollow rage and sharp disbelief wash through me. I cannot believe Hailey walked out.
Actually, I can.
My feckless printsesa deserves a king. Not a criminal.
All I can offer her is a life of violence and ill-gotten wealth. Cold fury consumes me, followed by a wave of profound grief.
“I will stop her,” says my guard in Russian.
“No. Let her go.” I have my answer. Hailey has satisfied her curiosity about me and now she wants to leave. I have too much pride to beg her to stay. She has made her choice.
Sunlight shafts through the doorway, silhouetting her against the morning sky. I glimpse a dark shape beyond my stunning bride, who is running away from me and the life we could have had together.
Then I am running, too.
A gunshot rings out. Pain slams into my chest, and the world goes dark.