[LYNDA]
I looked at the clock in the living room. It was 9:30 p. m. The men were still not home. I grew worried as each minute ticked by.
I hoped that tonight was the night they would bring Rebecca home.
So I sat on the sofa in my nightdress with my robe around me. I waited. I prayed that by some miracle Rebecca was going to appear in front of me, safe and sound.
But again, tonight that wasn’t the case.
The men walked through the doors, and I jumped to my feet, looking wildly around them for any sight of Rebecca. When I saw their heads hung down, their shoulder sagged with yet another night filled with defeat, my throat closed up.
My chest tightened, and I almost fell to the ground. Despair filled me, and my cheeks were already wet with my tears.
I cried as Artemy walked past me without a word. A few minutes later when his roar of pain echoed around the house, I sobbed.
Avim walked away. And then Brayden. No one said a word.
Leon stayed at the door, his face drawn in with sorrow. That was when I noticed the blood on him. My eyes widened, and I scrambled toward him in panic.
“Leon!” I gasped, my arms moving over his body, looking for the wound. “What happened to you?”
My tears blurred my vision. With the thought of Rebecca in pain and now Leon being hurt, I was slowly going crazy.
He grabbed my hand, holding it still over his chest. “Shhh…I’m okay, Lynda. It’s not my blood.”
He palmed my cheek, softly rubbing his thumb over the skin. I should have pulled away. It was wrong for him to touch me like that. It was more wrong for me to care the way I did.
But I found that I couldn’t move away.
“You’re not hurt?” I whispered, looking at his blood-covered suit.
He shook his head. “No.”
The air left my body in a loud whoosh, and I sighed in relief. But the relief was short-lived when I heard Milandro’s voice behind me.
My eyes went wide, and I quickly pulled away from Leon. He didn’t let go of my head.
I turned my head to see Milandro staring at us. His eyes showed what he felt. He looked at me as if I betrayed him.
My heart ached at the thought of hurting Milandro. Looking back at Leon, our gazes met. He begged me with his eyes.
But I couldn’t give him what he wanted.
I glanced down at our intertwined hands and slowly pulled away. He grasped me more firmly, but I twisted my hand until I was free. Without looking at him, I stepped back and turned toward Milandro.
I walked straight into Milandro’s arm and buried my face into his chest. Taking a deep breath, I inhaled his familiar scent. This was what I needed.
He swept me up in his arms and carried me to his room. As soon as the door closed behind us, he had me against the wall, his lips on mine.
Milandro kissed me furiously as he pushed us toward the bed. I fell down on the soft mattress as he settled on top of me. Before I could think, he had me out of my nightdress until I laid bare underneath him. His kiss was bruising, his hands hard against my skin. His touch wasn’t searching. He didn’t touch me to bring me pleasure.
Milandro seemed almost lost in his mind.
“Milandro?” I questioned.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he continued to trail kisses down my neck. I should have felt good, but this time, I just felt cold. Almost disconnected.
“Milandro? What are you doing?”
When he ignored me, my panic grew, and I pushed against his shoulders. “Milandro, stop.”
He didn’t. He kept kissing down my stomach until his face was between my legs. The Milandro touching my body wasn’t him.
My nails dug into his shoulder as I pushed him hard. “Milandro, stop!” I called out louder.
His head snapped up, his eyes laced with a mixture of lust and anger. He looked confused for a second and then cocked his head to the side, giving me a heated look.
“You’re scaring me. What’s wrong with you?” I said, pulling away from him. I grabbed the comforter and pulled it to cover my body.
His expression changed to a remorseful one, his eyes flashing with regret. Milandro raked his fingers through his hair almost angrily, although this time he appeared angry at himself.
“Talk to me,” I begged, looking at the man I loved struggle with something inside his head.
He flopped down on the bed beside me, staring at the ceiling. Rubbing a hand over his face, a small growl vibrated through his chest.
“Fuck! I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Lynda. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It drives me fucking crazy when I see him touching you,” he replied through clenched teeth. “His hands were on you, and I wanted to slice them off his body.”
The image made me go cold. “Milandro,” I snapped.
He turned to face me. We stared at each other in silence before he finally brought his hand up. He palmed my cheek gently, a soft look in his eyes.
“I hate that he had you first,” he whispered.
I flinched at the reminder and pulled away from him. “You promised that you would never bring this up. It’s in the past. Leave it there, Milandro. You have me now. I chose you.”
“I know,” he murmured.
“Then stop thinking so hard. Please, Milandro. Don’t let Leon get between us. I left him in the past, and you need to do the same thing,” I begged.
Even as I said the words, my mind screamed lies. Did I really leave Leon in the past? Was I really over him?
I loved Milandro. I chose him.
But when I thought Leon was hurt tonight, it felt like my heart was going to split into two. How was it possible to still feel that way after so many years?
“I’m sorry, Lynda.”
I stared down at Milandro and felt my heart expand just a little bit more. This man has stood beside me when I needed him the most-when Leon wasn’t there for me.
Milandro was there for me when Leon left me broken.
Leaning forward, I kissed Milandro slowly. He groaned into my lips and returned the kiss with the same fervor. When I pulled away, a small smile played across my lips. My heart didn’t feel as heavy anymore.
Moving my fingers through his hair, I smiled down at him. “I need the bathroom. Be right back,” I mumbled before jumping off the bed.
I closed the door behind me and went to the sink. Staring at my reflection, I quickly combed my hair. And then washed my face.
I wrapped the white robe around me and took a deep breath.
I pushed hard…harder than before. I pushed Leon out of my head and heart. I refused to think of him. Of us.
Milandro was the one I needed. The man I loved. Now I just needed the courage to tell him. I had dragged this out for too long. He needed to know how I truly felt.
Since Rebecca’s kidnapping, we had drifted apart, but I needed us again.
I also learned that love shouldn’t be kept to ourselves. Artemy and Rebecca loved each other, but they never had the chance to say it. My heart ached for them, for what both of them were going through.
I didn’t want the same between Milandro and me.
We didn’t need the words, but I wanted to say it. I didn’t want Milandro to think that I didn’t love him enough. He had to know how much he meant to me.
Because anyway, we were about to take another step in life. Together.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. When I felt my racing heart start to calm down, I opened my eyes and smiled at my reflection.
Without a second glance, I opened the door but stopped dead in my tracks. My heart stammered to a stop.
“Don’t worry. They won’t find Rebecca.”
My eyes widened, and I stayed completely silent. I was even scared to breathe. Milandro’s back was to me as he faced the windows, his phone next to his ear.
My chest tightened when he continued to talk. “It’s been almost four months, and they still haven’t found her. All thanks to me.”
My fists tightened. No. This couldn’t be happening. Not Milandro.
He listened to the other person and then replied, “I know how to do my job. I’ll make sure they don’t find you.”
Even though he was whispering, the words echoed through my ears loudly. My heart raced and pounded like a drum. The veins in my neck throbbed as my body grew cold with panic.
And anger. So much anger. The fury built up inside of me like hot lava until I was ready to explode.
“I have to go. Don’t call me again. It’s too much of a risk,” he mumbled before hanging up.
I stayed partially hidden behind the door, my legs feeling suddenly weak.
Milandro was the traitor?