Chapter 21
21
C olm was so disgusted by her that he couldn’t even look at her.
Sofia hunched further in on herself, trying to protect herself from the pain. But the blow wasn’t physical which made it so much harder to keep herself safe.
She slid her feet out of her shoes. They were the only thing of hers that she was wearing; everything else was borrowed. Although someone had gone out to get her some underwear, at least.
She hadn’t bothered with the bra. She was smaller than Miller and there wasn’t much there to support.
Especially since she’d lost some weight.
After her shower, she’d stared at herself in the mirror, taking in the way her cheekbones were pronounced, her sharp collarbones, her ribs.
She’d lost more weight than she’d realized.
Miller had talked to her cheerfully as she’d gotten ready, but Sofia hadn’t been able to offer much to the conversation apart from the occasional nod.
She’d noticed the hole in the wall but hadn’t worked up the energy to ask. It was likely better that she didn’t know.
Now, she was sitting in the back of Rogan’s car while Cillian drove them. Rogan sat behind Colm, who was in the front passenger seat.
Colm turned as she drew her legs up to her chest. “Put them down.”
Shock filled her as she lowered her legs abruptly, wincing slightly.
Shit. What had she been thinking?
She’d just shown all of them a weakness. That she was feeling upset and unsure.
She’d given them something they could use against her.
Idiot.
“Colm,” Rogan said in a firm tone that she didn’t understand.
Colm turned to glare at the other man. “It’s not safe to sit like that.”
She blinked. He’d been worried about her safety?
But didn’t he think her unworthy now? Used?
Dirty?
“He’s right, Sofia,” Rogan said gently. “Although he could have explained that instead of barking an order at you.”
She managed a small smile for Rogan. But she was actually grateful to Colm.
She was an Anisimov. She couldn’t show weakness.
As they reached the hospital, she slid her shoes on and followed Cillian into the hospital. It was midafternoon by now. She’d slept for longer than she’d thought. Rogan walked beside her while Colm followed them.
She could almost feel him breathing down on her.
“I don’t believe there’s any reason to walk so close to us, is there?” Rogan asked, glancing back at Colm.
What was that look on Rogan’s face? It was gone before she could decipher it.
She spun around, wincing as the too-fast movement sent sharp pangs up her back.
“Are you feeling all right, Sofia?” Rogan asked, reaching out to steady her as she stumbled slightly.
Was it her imagination, or did Colm just growl?
Because Rogan was touching her?
Rogan didn’t snatch his hand away, though. He kept one hand under her elbow. As if he was worried she’d stumble again.
“I’m fine.”
Another noise from Colm. This one sounded like he was disagreeing with what she said. Rogan shot him another look.
“Her back was bad last night,” Colm said.
It was her time to frown at him. It wasn’t his right to say anything about her back.
“Do you need to get checked over by a doctor while you’re here?” Rogan asked. “Or I can arrange for my personal doctor to meet us back at my place.”
Well, she wouldn’t be going back there, so she didn’t think there was much point in that happening.
“No, thanks. I’m fine.”
Another grunt from Colm. She winced. He was going to give himself an ulcer from the effort it took not to say what he was thinking.
“Hmm,” was all Rogan said.
They reached Sacha’s room in the hospital. A mix of relief and dread filled her. She didn’t want to have to go in there and tell him about Oleg.
To explain why she’d been dating him... but she owed him that much.
He was going to be furious, though.
Please don’t let him stop loving me.
“Sofia? Are you all right?” Colm asked softly.
She suddenly realized that she’d just come to a stop.
Fuck.
This wasn’t acceptable. She was dropping her guard when she couldn’t afford to do that.
Pushing her shoulders back, she shored up what little of her defenses she had left and gave a nod before stepping forward toward the room.
Igor, one of her cousin’s men, opened the door for her and she stepped inside. Aleksandr glanced up at her, a look of relief and greeting on his face until he saw Rogan walk in behind her.
Followed by Colm and Cillian.
“What’s going on? Sofia? Are you all right?”
Viktor moved, so he stood between her and the other men as though he thought she needed protecting. Sacha eyed Rogan with suspicion. “What’s going on?”
“We need to talk,” Rogan said. “Something happened last night, and I’m afraid that you’re not going to like it.”
Colm couldn’t do anything but watch her. It was stupid. His job was to guard Rogan.
And yet, there could be a threat to Rogan’s life right now and he doubted he’d even notice.
All he saw was Sofia.
How pale she was. How she trembled slightly as she stood there, her shoulders back. She was trying so hard to keep everything locked down.
Her pain. Her fear.
But Colm saw it now. He could see it in the tension of her shoulders, the way her hand shook as she pushed back her hair, the paleness of her skin.
He wanted to bundle her up on his lap and keep her warm and safe. To promise never to leave her.
You’re going slow, remember?
He forced himself to pay attention to what Rogan was saying as he went through everything that had happened.
There was silence when he finished. They all stood there, waiting for Anisimov’s reaction.
Why the fuck wasn’t he saying anything?
Why wasn’t he asking Sofia how she was? Checking in on her? Didn’t he fucking care about her at all?
Chill.
His temper was getting out of control.
Anisimov was looking better. There was some color in his cheeks and he was smartly dressed. Colm wondered if he’d been planning on going home today. It wouldn’t be easy for him to be in hospital. Not in his position.
“Oleg kidnapped you?” Anisimov finally said in a low voice. His gaze was on Sofia. “From my estate?”
“Yes,” she said, her gaze flicking around the other men. “I don’t know how he got onto the estate.”
“He wasn’t able to come and go as he pleased?” Rogan asked.
“Absolutely not,” Anisimov growled.
“Sounds like you didn’t trust him,” Colm said. “Yet you let him near your cousin.”
Anisimov turned a furious gaze on Colm, who didn’t flinch. Why would he have let that bastard date Sofia?
“I am my own person,” Sofia said calmly. “What happened isn’t Aleksandr’s fault.”
“He should have protected you better,” Colm retorted. “It is his fault.”
He heard Rogan sigh quietly but ignored him.
This was too important to care about being diplomatic. This was about Sofia.
Screw the somewhat fragile agreement they had with the Russian Bratva.
If Anisimov had known that Oleg was abusing Sofia... if he had stood by and allowed that asshole to hurt her.
Then nothing would stop Colm from taking him out. He didn’t give a shit who the hell Anisimov was.
Anisimov met his gaze, his fury clear. Then, it all disappeared off his face, replaced by a cold mask.
“Everyone out except Sofia,” he ordered.
“No.” Colm crossed his arms over his chest.
Anisimov moved his gaze from Sofia to Colm. “Is there something else I need to be made aware of?”
“No, nothing,” Sofia said in a robotic-sounding voice.
“I wouldn’t say nothing,” Colm countered. “I care about Sofia, and she has been abused and traumatized right under your fucking nose. She was kidnapped off your estate. By someone who worked in your restaurant. And you had no fucking idea? Should we really believe that?”
“Colm,” Rogan said sharply. “You need to leave.”
Sofia was staring at him, her mouth open. Then she closed her eyes, grimacing.
“And she’s also in a lot of pain from her back. You cannot tell me there isn’t something that could be done about back pain from an accident years ago. Why isn’t she seeing someone about that? Last night, she couldn’t even get out of the fucking shower.”
“Everybody. Out. Now.”
Colm glanced around and suddenly realized that Anisimov’s men must have come into the room from outside.
Fuck.
Shit.
He had fucked this up, hadn’t he? Cillian grabbed his arm and tugged him out the door. He didn’t want to go, but he didn’t have much choice as Rogan and Cillian crowded him into a free waiting room.
“What the fuck was that?” Rogan asked in a low voice.
Colm started pacing back and forth. He was too angry to talk... to think.
All he wanted was to get back to Sofia.
It was an itch under his skin. What was going on? Was Anisimov berating her? Scaring her? Was he hurting her?
Was he part of the fucking problem?
“I need to go back to her.” He headed toward the door, but Cillian stepped in front of it and shook his head.
“You can’t go in there again, Colm,” Rogan said.
“I have to. You don’t understand.”
“I think we do,” Cillian countered seriously. “Also, I think that if you go back in there, you’re gonna die.”
“They’re not going to kill me in a fucking hospital.”
“From the look on Anisimov’s face, he was contemplating it,” Rogan told him. “What was that, Colm?”
Cillian grunted. “Seemed like he was accusing the Pakhan of knowingly letting some asshole abuse his cousin. That’s what it sounded like.”
“Oleg abused her?” Rogan asked in a quiet voice. “You know this?”
Fuck. Fuck.
So much for keeping her secrets to himself.
Yeah, he’d messed that up.
And what if Anisimov didn’t know? What then?
Then he should have.
Fuck. He might have fucked up more than he knew.
“I saw the bruises.”
“Fuck,” Rogan swore.
Cillian’s face grew stony. He didn’t hold with people who abused women any more than Colm did.
“And Anisimov knew?” Cillian stared at him with chilly eyes. He hated abusers just as much as Colm did.
“I don’t know. I thought he must... how could he not? But now... I don’t know. Sofia is good at hiding things, at keeping secrets. Maybe she kept this from him too. I just... I was fucking mad at the idea that she’d spent all this time being abused, yet I did nothing to help her. She was right there and I did nothing.”
“Colm, you can’t blame yourself,” Rogan said. “If she was keeping it hidden from Aleksandr, then she was capable of hiding it from everyone.” He drew out his phone, frowning.
“Have I started a war?” Colm asked. “Fuck.”
“Don’t worry. It will be fine. I’m just calling in some reinforcements, just in case. They’ll stay back unless I need them.”
Had he fucked everything up?
“Rogan. Shit. I...” He ran his hand over his face, exasperated at himself. “It’s Sofia.”
“Look, I get it. If someone was abusing Miller and I just found out about it now, I would lose my mind. But you have to keep your head. Not just for the sake of our relationship with the Russians, but for Sofia. What if Aleksandr is the type of guy to take what just happened out on her? You could have put her in more danger.”
He froze, his heart barely beating. Was Anisimov hurting her right now? No, he wouldn’t do that here.
But he might punish her elsewhere.
What the fuck did he do?
“Luckily, I’ve known Aleksandr a while,” Rogan said. “We’re not friends. He’d always choose his people over me. But I do believe that he loves Sofia. If anything, he’ll be as devastated over what you just revealed as you are.”
Doubtful.
He didn’t think anyone could be as upset or angry as he was.
“What are we going to do, boss?” Cillian asked.
“We’re walking out of here.” Rogan adjusted his suit jacket. “As though nothing happened.”
“I can’t leave her. Not without seeing her.”
Rogan’s face grew hard, but his eyes couldn’t hide a hint of sympathy. “I don’t think he’ll let you back in there. But he will let me.”
Colm didn’t like that he wouldn’t see her. However, he knew that what Rogan was offering wasn’t to be taken lightly.
“Stay here. Let me go and see what is going on.”
“I don’t want her staying here if he’s harming her too or allowing others to harm her.”
“I know. But just let me go and feel the waters. All right?”
It wasn’t okay, but what choice did he have but to nod?
Fuck. He wished Sofia had her phone on her. As it was, he couldn’t text or call her. Couldn’t even make sure she was actually all right.
No one would be harming her right now.
Rogan would check on her and make sure of it.
And as soon as he could... Colm was stealing her.
And making her his.