Page 93 of Darkest Game
“Can I ride with him?” I ask the paramedic. “I’m his wife.”
“Yes. Hop in.”
I glance at Ana and feel terrible leaving her. I’m being the selfish one now. “Actually, can you tell me which hospital you’re taking him to? I need to stay with my sister.”
“We should look her over to. Her face looks swollen.”
Ana turns away from everyone. “I’m fine,” she grumbles. She’s always been one for moods. Being the baby of the family tends to do that to you.
“We’ll meet you at the hospital,” I tell the paramedic.
He tells me which one then hops inside and drives away, taking Liam with him. Liam who could die. Liam my husband. Liam the man I know I love.
And I’m still fighting for my family to accept him.
I go over to Ana. “I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier. I shouldn’t have.”
“How can you even care for him? He kidnapped you. He forced you to marry him.”
“Did mom tell you that? Because Liam didn’t force me to marry him. He was forced into it too. He did kidnap me yes. But he has saved me so many times now that I’ve put that in the past. I trust him. He saved my life tonight, Ana. You saw it. If he hadn’t, that would be me right now in the ambulance.”
All the fight leaves her and her shoulders slump. “He did save your life. It’s just hard to accept when I thought I could lose you. We only had each other for the past year while Denis kept us locked away. Excuse me for not liking the guy who tried to take you from me again.”
“I know we were never close growing up. That was you and Sasha.”
“And you and Natalya.”
“Yes. But you’re right. We went through something together that Natalya cannot relate to. She was never locked up by Denis like the rest of us were. And Sasha got out sooner than we did. Denis used to hit you the most. I know it had to have been terrifying for him to take you again. Hurt you again. I’m here for you, Ana. Ok? But I just need you to understand why I care for Liam. Because I do. I love him.”
She sucks in a breath and stares at me wide eyed. “You love him? You’ve only known him for two weeks.”
“When you know, you know. I know I don’t want to be without him. I need you to accept it. I need the rest of our family to accept it. He’s my husband and I want him in my life. Can you help vouch for him? Tell the others what he did? How he saved my life. He saved yours too.”
“He only showed up for you.”
“He probably didn’t know you had been taken. But is it a bad thing that Liam showed up for me? That’s what a husband does.”
Slowly, she nods. “I guess. I’m only seventeen. I don’t know what a husband is supposed to do.”
“One day. You’ll find out one day. A husband is supposed to protect his wife. Liam has done that for me on multiple occasions. I think he’s more than proven himself. Wouldn’t you agree?”
She offers me a tiny smile. When Ana is in a mood, it’s as good as I’m going to get from her. “Yeah. You’re right. We should go home first before going to the hospital. You need clothes.”
I wrap the blanket tighter around myself.
“What happened tonight?” Ana whispers, nodding at my body. “Were you…”
“Was I raped? No. Because Liam saved me once again. But Elaine was going to have me raped by multiple men. Someone has to stop her. She’s losing her mind.”
Ana throws her arms around me and I hug her right back. “I’m just glad that you’re not dead.”
“I’m glad you’re not dead either. Now, let’s go home.”
Jimmy drives us home so I can get dressed and then head to the hospital. But I know I’m going to have to deal with my mom first.
Nico and Sasha are inside the front foyer. Natalya and my mom are with them. Mikhail is still in the hospital but I know if he were feeling better, he’d be here right now, frantically pacing around the room.
They all turn to us the second we walk through the door.
