Chapter 34 #2
Grayson’s eyes turned wicked, like he enjoyed whatever he saw on my face. “Always so brave.” He flipped the blade over in his hand, away from me, then delicately pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “You would be long gone if I wanted you dead, Princess.”
The tenderness in his voice struck me right in my chest.
He took two steps backwards, pocketing his knife, then turned his back on me, making his way to the Codex. I stood stunned, not sure what to make of his mannerism.
After a few seconds, I turned for the door and pulled at it. The agents outside had a crowbar, desperately trying to wedge the door ajar.
“It won’t open. Not until I give the signal.” Grayson was carefully flipping a page on the Codex, not looking at me.
Bastard!
Why did we think we ever stood a chance against him? “What are you waiting for then?” I sneered at him, hate flooding my veins. “You won. Again. Just take your fucking book and go!”
“I’m not here for the book.” He closed it and turned to me, his eyes roaming over my body, like he still owned it.
I shuddered. “Then what do you want, Grayson? Is there some other hidden treasure in this building? Something else you had your greedy little eyes on? Then go ahead! Take whatever the hell you want. No one can stop you, can they?” I laughed, sounding a little crazy, my body wanting to fold in on itself.
We had been so stupid. So delusional. Raina was right. He’s not human.
Grayson quietly watched me. I was crumbling right in front of him, unable to stop it as the realisation hit me full force. I was no match for him. I would have never beaten him. I would never get payback for how he broke me.
Burning rage coated my throat like a thick layer of ash. I charged forward, swinging my left fist at his face, which he blocked, then my right. He blocked it easily too, but it was a diversion. I plucked his gun from the holster—a bit surprised that I managed it—and pointed it at his face.
One corner of his mouth came up, as he lifted his hands, palms up. I saw it in his mischievous eyes; he had let me get his gun. Gods! I hated him.
“Don’t you smile at me, you fucking bastard!” I yelled through the tears and my heaving breaths. “I swear to Hades, I will pull this trigger.”
The smirk slid off his face. He took a step forward, pressing the barrel of the gun against his forehead, then slowly lowered to his knees. He never took his eyes off mine. Something dark was stirring inside them.
“Then pull the trigger. If that’s what you want, then do it quick. You owe me that much.” He used my words.
“I owe you nothing, Grayson Varon.” The gun was shaking against his head.
The same bitter anger in my eyes, reflected in his.
“You promised not to breathe a word about us to the police. Remember that? You promised not to hurt my family. You promised yourself to me and only me!” His face contorted into a sneer.
“I can smell him on you.” He reached up with one hand and flipped the safety off.
“This is what you wanted, right? To have me on my knees. Well, here I am. You’re in control now.
” He spread his arms wide. “So, do it. You want me dead? Then kill me.”
I stared into the darkest hell of his eyes. A hell that once entranced me, a hell I would have gladly died for. A hell I was still happy to be the last thing I stared into, before I died.
I placed my finger on the trigger, and watched Grayson sigh out a breath of acceptance. His eyes turned soft, the mask slipping away.
And there he was. Just like that. My Grayson.
“If anyone gets to kill me, it’s you, beautiful nightingale. Together or death,” he whispered, his eyes misting over.
I screamed in defiance at those eyes and threw the gun across the room. He was doing it again, manipulating me with his sweet and twisted words, and those eyes—those eyes that could fool me into thinking he loves me. And my treacherous heart was falling for it, clinging to it.
I swung around and marched towards the door.
I banged on it, screaming out my rage. “Let me out, you fucking asshole!” I screamed at Grayson.
I searched through the room, looking for anything to help me get the door open, anything to throw at his stupid head.
I picked the gun up and aimed at the glass window in the door.
The agents stepped aside, and I emptied the magazine on the window, but it held firm, just like I knew it would.
Bulletproof. One agent triggered the fire alarm hoping it would override the system, but the door didn’t budge as the alarms blared outside.
“Just let me go!” I screamed at Grayson throwing the gun at his head, desperation shaking me, my throat burning.
“Never!” he screamed back.
I stopped, staring at him in disbelief, my chest heaving up and down as the emotions rolled through me—anger, hate, hurt.
“Don’t you get it? I tried! I wanted you away from this fucked-up life.” He threw his hands in the air, gesturing around the room. “I burned us to the fucking ground, so you would be safe. Happy.”
“No! You burned me! You killed me, Grayson!” I heaved, reliving the torture he had put me through. “You’re a fucking monster!” I turned my back to him, pressing my palms over my eyes, desperately trying to rein it all back in.
Where the hell was Owen? I would surely die if I had to spend another minute trapped in here with Grayson. My heart would give out. I could feel it bleeding into my chest. I would have been better off if he’d just slit my throat already.
“I know I am, little witch. But so did you, going in.”
I dropped my hands, but kept my back to him, so he couldn’t see the tears streaming down my face. How could I argue with that? It was my fault for trusting in a thief, just as much as it was his.
His voice was closer when he spoke again. “You asked why I’m here? I’m here for you. To give you a choice. I will turn myself in, if that is what you want.”
I turned to him, taken aback.
He swallowed hard, fighting the emotions crossing his face. “Or you could let me take you home. Where you belong.”
I laughed coldly, while the tears kept streaming down my face. “You think I’m falling for that? What is your endgame here, Grayson? What the hell are you scheming up this time?”
He took a step closer to me, and my heart thundered.
“No games. No schemes. I will turn myself in, I won’t try to escape.
On the condition that they leave the rest of my family be.
” He took another step closer, his eyes boring into mine.
“I am giving you my life, Princess. To do with as you please.” He pressed a hand to his heart. “I don’t know how else to show you.”
I curled my fingers into fists, my nails slicing through the skin on my palm. “Show me what?” None of this made sense. I couldn’t yet see the scheme in whatever this was.
“That I love you, Ava. That I have always belonged to you. From the moment I snatched you from that bank, you had me—I was yours.”
“Stop.” My chest caved in. I couldn’t breathe anymore.
“No. You need to know. I love—”
“You left me!” I screamed at the top of my broken lungs. “You left me.” My arms curled around my torso, trying to hold myself together.
“I know. I… I fucked up. I thought I was keeping you safe, away from Rurik. I was wrong, Princess. I see that now.” He took another pleading step closer to me, reaching for me.
I took a step backwards. “Rurik?” What did he have to do with this?
Grayson straightened and tiredly pulled a hand through his hair.
“I stole something from him, and he was seeking revenge by going after the people I loved. I wanted to get you out, before it was too late. A life with me is dangerous. I didn’t want that for you.
The constant fear. Always looking over your shoulder. ”
“That’s why you killed Rurik at the auction. He was after your family,” I breathed, the puzzle pieces whirring together.
“Yes.”
“The statement you were adamant in making when you took Charles. All that bodies. All that blood. It was for Rurik?”
Grayson gave a slight nod. “It did not work. And then you had to go fuck up my whole plan by paying Volkov a visit.” A slight smile played on his lips.
I ignored the insult. “That’s why Gemma told me to not speak your name. That it would get me killed.”
“And it almost did, little bird. I had no choice but to go save you from Volkov. They took notice of that.”
I straightened. “Save me? You told them to shoot me!”
He raised a brow at me. “Have you forgotten rule number five?” He scoffed. “It was all for nothing anyway. I couldn’t bullshit Volkov. He saw right through me. He called Rurik the second we left.”
I shook my head in disbelief. None of this made sense. “So you’re saying Rurik was after me?” I questioned.
A half smile tugged at his lips again. “Yes, Merope. And it was one hell of a task, keeping you alive while I smoked the weasel out of his hole.” He took another tentative step closer to me.
“It was Rurik who sent those men after me in the park?”
Grayson gave an amused chuckle. “Oh, my darling Ava. Those were only the ones who managed to slip by us. We’ve killed dozens of them before they could get close to you.
You’ve made quite the name for yourself.
They call you Ved’ma. Witch. Anyone who goes after you ends up dead.
They believe you’ve cursed the Bratva. It’s falling apart right now. ”
I shook my head in denial. “I don’t believe you. Volkov sent those men as revenge, nothing more. Rurik wouldn’t go after me. I mean nothing to you.”
Grayson was fucking with me, I was sure of it.
“Look at me, Ava,” he demanded.
I refused.
His fingers closed around my chin, gently pushing my face up to his. I kept my eyes shut, still rebelling against him, as his presence towered over me, that dark smoke curling around me.
I stilled in his hold as his smell registered, stirring something deep within me I had been sure was dead. My knees buckled under the weight of it.
No... No, don’t let him in.