Chapter 24 - Georgie
Jess’s name appears on my phone as it rings, playing one of my favorite songs.
I smile, swiping my finger over the green button to answer her call.
At the same time, I close my textbook. It’s time for a break, anyway.
I was at the point where I’ve been reading the same paragraph over and over without absorbing anything, and my hand is cramping from taking notes.
I stand up and press the phone against my ear.
“Hi,” I say happily. “How are things?”
“Hi, you. It’s all going well on my side, and Emmanuil tells me that things are moving smoothly there.”
“Yes, shame, I can see how tired Kris is when he gets home every night. I imagine Emmanuil and the other guys are all feeling the same. It’s so much work, breaking apart what your father’s done.”
She makes a little sound of agreement. “I think it’s about time he faced the consequences of all of his horrible choices.
He’s been cruel his entire life. He didn’t deserve anything good.
He didn’t deserve any success. I’m glad he refused to sign that document, even though I should never say that out loud. ”
I walk down to the kitchen with the phone cradled between my shoulder and my cheek. I’ve been craving a cup of lavender tea for the past hour, but I didn’t want to stop studying and break my focus.
“You know you can always tell me how you really feel, Jess. It’s healthy to get it out, anyway.” I smile. “I don’t think it’s bad to want someone to feel the consequences of what they’ve done. Justice isn’t unfair.”
She huffs, a soft, lost laugh. “I don’t know what I did in a past life to end up with a father like him,” she says as I walk into the kitchen. I flick the kettle on and pull a mug from the cabinet.
It’s funny that she feels that way. I wonder if she and her brother have spoken about this in the past.
“Kris said the same thing. But at the end of the day, having him for a father is what led you towards the life you have now. It was a part of the journey that led you to your happiness. If he wasn’t your father, you might never have met Emmanuil…and I might never have met Kris.”
“True. That’s a far better way of looking at it,” she says thoughtfully. “Focus on the results.”
The kettle bubbles noisily, and I switch the phone to speaker so I can talk hands-free.
“What are they planning to do with him?” I ask, dropping a tea bag into the mug. I’ve been waiting to ask Kris this exact question, but he’s already going through enough without me bombarding him with my thoughts every night when he gets home. I want to take his mind off things while he’s with me.
“With my father?” she asks, confused.
“Yes,” I answer. The kettle pops off, and I lift it from its stand, pouring boiling water into my mug and watching colors seep from the bag. “I imagine it’s not an easy thing to decide.”
“They can’t do anything with him. He’s disappeared,” she replies. “I thought you knew that.”
“I didn’t. I was under the impression that they had him, but I realize now that I never heard anyone say that—it was just an assumption from my side.
” My stomach knots, thinking of Faiz out there, free to retaliate.
He’s the one who had me kidnapped; there’s no saying what he’ll do after losing everything.
Anxiety spikes inside me. Is Kris even safe out there every day? Am I safe here at home?
“Hey, Earth to Georgie,” Jess laughs.
“What? Sorry, did you ask me something?” I reply, realizing I’ve been lost in thought.
“Yes, did you zone out there for a moment?”
“I did. Aren’t you worried about your father being free like that?” I stare into the teacup. The stained water is dark and smells beautiful, like flowers and sweet herbs.
“Not at all. I gave up being scared of him a long time ago. I’m safe with Emmanuil. But Georgie, you don’t have to be scared, either. Faiz is weak. He’s not worth a moment of your thoughts. And my brother would never let anything happen to you.”
“I suppose you’re right,” I say, but I don’t feel confident about it. I haven’t grown up in this world. Maybe I don’t understand as much as Jess does and I should just trust what she’s telling me.
“How’s the studying going?” she changes the subject. I’ve been studying and attending classes while Kris has been cleaning up and reclaiming his city.
“It’s going well. But by the end of the day, my brain is foggy from information overload.”
“I was thinking of coming up to visit after your exams.”
“That would be amazing,” I say excitedly.
We catch up, chatting about life and other things, but in the back of my mind, I can’t stop thinking about Faiz.
After the call, I sit in the living room, my eyes nervously scanning the garden outside the wide windows.
I shouldn’t be scared. Jess is right. Faiz has no power. But everything I’ve learned about men like him tells me that he’s too stubborn or egocentric to understand that he has no power. He won’t back down that easily. He won’t go without a fight, one last attempt to hurt his son.
For the rest of the afternoon, I struggle to study, waiting for Kris to get home.
I’ve avoided asking questions about his father, but this one is bothering me. I need to know what he thinks.
I wait until dinner, when we’re sitting next to each other, and he’s had a moment to decompress after work. Then I share my concerns.
“Where do you think your father went?” I ask, easing into the topic.
The dining room is rich with the scent of Bolognese.
“I’m not sure. But it doesn’t really matter,” he shrugs, pushing his fork into the spaghetti and swirling it to loop the noodles around it.
“But aren’t you worried he’ll attack?” I ask, my heart stuttering at the thought.
Kris sets his fork down and turns towards me. His eyes lock with mine, and his brows furrow.
“Are you worried about this?” he asks, gently brushing his hand over my leg.
I bite my lip and nod. “He’s the reason I was kidnapped,” I say.
Kris pushes his chair away from the table and pulls me off my seat and into his lap. “Little one, he’s also the reason we are together now. Isn’t that what you taught me? To see his cruelty as a stepping stone towards everything I have now? To see the good that came from the bad?”
“Yes,” I sigh. “But…”
“You’re scared,” he says, understanding.
I nod again.
He places his finger beneath my chin and tilts my face upwards so that my eyes are staring into his.
“My father has no power anymore. Every single one of his alliances is broken. My inner-city alliances are stronger than ever, and my main alliance is still moving through the city, establishing the new regime. We have people in every corner of the city. If my father so much as shows his face, we’ll hear about it. ”
“Everyone is on your side?” I ask.
“Everyone. Every network has been warned to let us know the moment they hear anything about him.”
“Okay,” I say, sighing in relief. “I guess…I guess he really doesn’t have any power anymore.”
“All we need to do is celebrate,” he grins, tilting my chin higher, his bright eyes piercing into mine, and a mischievous grin spreading over his face.
“We’ve been celebrating every night,” I giggle, my cheeks heating.
He chuckles. “No, I mean, more along the lines of taking you out and showing you off to everyone. I want my city to see how beautiful my wife is. No more hiding. Will you come for dinner with me tomorrow night?”
“You want to show me off?” I muse, throwing him a crooked smile.
He laughs, shaking his head. “Yes, obviously, but it’s so much more than that. Georgie, you’re my anchor. My driving force. You give me strength and purpose. I want to celebrate us. What we have is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of connection. Most people never find it. I want to celebrate you.”
A wide smile spreads over my face. He always says the most perfect things.
I thread my hands around the back of his neck, locking my fingers together.
“I’d love to have dinner with you. After class? The last one ends at five-thirty. I can come home, shower, and be ready by seven?”
“Perfect. I’ll be home by then, too,” he says.
He pulls me close, kissing my lips softly. “You’re the reason I have hope, Georgie,” he whispers against my mouth, and my heart soars.
***
The next day, I’m so excited for the end of my last class that I’m fidgety all day long.
I can’t wait to go out with Kris. Our relationship is growing stronger every day, and he isn’t holding anything back.
He showers me with affection and love, and I hate being away from him.
As much as he makes me feel special, I want to do the same for him.
And any fear or worry I had about being pregnant faded ages ago.
I can’t wait to have a family with him. He’s the most beautiful man I could ever have dreamed of having in my life.
My last class ends a little early, and I hurry from the building, heading towards the parking lot where my security guard is waiting for me.
The sun is still shining bright in the sky as I walk over the campus lawn, past students studying on picnic blankets, taking notes from each other, and sharing thoughts on their recent classes.
On the way there, I pull my phone from my book bag and dial Kris.
He answers in one ring and I grin happily.
“Hello, beautiful,” he says, a smile in his voice.
“Hi, sexiest-man-alive. I have a very important question for you.”
“Oh, is that so? I’d love to answer your question. Shoot.”
“I wanted to know what you’d like me to wear tonight. Because I was thinking of that little pink dress, the one with the slit up the side.”
“Mm. That one is gorgeous, but it’s risky. How will I keep my hands off you?” he muses.
“Well, the other option is the black dress, the one with the sequins.”
“The one that dips low over your cleavage and shows off those perfect breasts. Again…how will I keep my hands off you?” he says, his voice growing husky. My heart races at the thought of him so turned on by me.
“What about the red one?” I grin.
“The lace one. Not a chance. You won’t make it out the door. We’ll never get to dinner,” he growls. I can hear the desire in his voice.
“Mm. Well, maybe when I get home now, I should send you a photo of me wearing each one,” I tease. “Then you can choose.”
“Oh, darling, you are asking for trouble. But while you’re at it, why don’t you send me a photo of you wearing those black lace panties I took off with my teeth the other night.”
I giggle, my cheeks growing red.
We banter back and forth, flirting playfully as I walk towards the car.
“Oh, sorry, my love, I have to go. I need to get a few things done if I’m going to make it home in time.”
“I can’t wait to see you,” I say.
We end the call, and I’m still smiling, beaming, actually, when I spot the car and hurry towards it.
But as I reach the door, my heart leaps into my throat and fear engulfs every fiber of my body.
Lying next to the car, in a pool of dark red blood, is my bodyguard. His shirt and jacket are soaked, sticky with blood.
I drop my book bag and fall to my knees next to him. “No,” I shout, fear flooding me.
My hands press into his neck as I fight panic, searching for a pulse, trying to pull my phone out of my bag again and call for help.
Logic tells me he’s dead, that this is pointless, but I have to try. I need to do something. My fingers fumble and I drop the phone. It lands in the pool of blood. I grab it, not letting myself think about it, and hurriedly wipe it over my jeans. My body is shaking with adrenaline and fear.
“Put it down, sweetheart. You won’t be needing that.”
Before I look up, I know it’s him. Faiz Ilyin. Every cell in my body fires, and it takes all my willpower to lift my eyes up towards him.
Except it’s not him I focus on. It’s the barrel of a 9mm Glock, pointed right at my face. My stomach churns with nausea.
Faiz is standing over me, a cold smile on his face and his arm rigid, holding the gun tensely.
“We’re going to take a little drive together,” he says. “Stand up slowly. And trust me when I say that if you make one wrong move, you’ll look just like this guy.” He cocks his head, gesturing towards the lifeless body in front of me.
His eyes are devoid of humanity, cold and calculating. A true sociopath. I have no doubt he will pull the trigger.
I have no choice. I stand up and do as he asks.