Rage and dread warred for dominance, and rage won.
“He’s going to kill you for this,” I said, not trying to contain my scorn. “But if you leave now, he might not make you suffer.”
At one point in my life it might’ve scared me, knowing Vasile, the man I loved so deeply was capable of cruelty, of murder. But not now. David had gone too far, would finally get what he deserved, and the only thing that saddened me was I hadn’t had the courage to do it myself.
“You forgot who the fuck you’re dealing with. I have friends, very powerful ones. I take care of people’s money, and nobody, not even that son of a bitch can fuck with people’s money without consequences.”
David sounded certain, which terrified me. He’d never dare cross Vasile, or anyone else for that matter, without support. And then it hit me. This was really happening. He was here, and he was going to take me and my baby. I couldn’t let that happen, would die before I did.
As I stood, I imagined what he’d do, what punishments he’d have in store for me. And even if Vasile managed to find me one day, it would be too late because David would surely break me or kill me trying to.
I moved before I had time to think, grabbed the fancy blender Sorin had bought, saying I needed more fruits and vegetables in my diet. It was glass, and it was heavy, so heavy, it didn’t even shatter when I slammed it against David’s head. After I hit him, his grip slacked enough for me to run again.
“You fuckin’ bitch!” David screamed.
I heard him behind me, and then I felt him, his heavy weight pressing me down. I reached out wildly, searching for anything to break my fall. But there was nothing. I put my arm under my belly, felt the impact as searing pain erupted in my abdomen.
And then the world went black.
Twenty-Four
Vasile
* * *
Priest and I left Vargas’s house and headed toward my car, the peaceful night a sharp contrast to my swirling anger.
“What the fuck was that, Priest?” I said.
“I don’t know,” he replied.
He looked as annoyed as I did. Neither of us appreciated being called away for bullshit.
“I know we’re supposed to have open communication, but I won’t be jumping for every little thing. Vargas has his territory and if he can’t manage it, he’ll lose it. My clan won’t be bothered with his internal problems,” I said, frustrated I’d been called away from Fawn over nothing.
“I agree. But that was…” Priest said.
“Fucking bullshit. Calling me from my home for—”
Ice froze my heart in my chest.
“Go!” I yelled at the driver.
Vasile
“Fawn! Oleg!” I yelled, but there was no response, and I pulled my gun as I proceeded, the house that Fawn had turned into a home suddenly forbidding, menacing.
Something was wrong; I knew that immediately, but I prayed to a god that I didn’t even believe in that she was okay.
“Fawn!”
I went to the den, saw the place where Fawn usually lay on the couch, but there was no sign of her.
“Come quickly!” Priest yelled.
I ran toward the sound of his voice, the urgency in it filling me with even more dread. Priest was never urgent; this could not be good. I rushed into the kitchen and my hands dropped to my sides, fingers loosening as the gun I held fell to the floor with a clatter.
My gaze was glued to Fawn’s prone form, and I barely heard Priest’s words. I saw a dead Oleg and the open door, but that was background noise because I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Fawn, or the blood that pooled around her, couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
She lay flat on her stomach, not moving. But I didn’t go to her, couldn’t. She was so still. I shuddered. She looked—
“She’s not dead,” Priest said, and that confirmation broke the cement that had held me in place.
I didn’t carry a cell phone, and an ambulance would probably take its sweet time getting to us anyway. I had no other choice, so I rolled her, feeling some small measure of relief when she moaned. But it was only the confirmation that she was alive, because everything else about her looked otherwise, like the vivid life that had animated her had been ripped away, and it left me breathless, on the verge of panic with worry.
Her skin was bluish, ashen, but that couldn’t hide the huge bruise on her cheek or her blackened eyes. And worse yet, her legs were covered with blood, blood that still dripped from her fast enough that it left a trail behind her as I ran to the car.
Priest hopped into the front seat, and I lay Fawn across the back and sat next to her. He slammed on the gas before I’d even closed the door. She looked so peaceful, and though I knew she breathed, I didn’t know for how long.