Page 88 of Beautiful Sinner

“Maybe not. But Connor is out there, searching for Matteo and Julia right now, and I’m worried what he’ll do when he finds them.”

Viktor stands up with a groan. It reminds me that he’s approaching forty in a few years. This war is taking a toll on him. “How do I know all of this is the truth? You’ve lied to me before.”

I flinch. “I’m sorry. Don’t use that against me. Please. I’m telling you the truth now. Believe it.”

His eyes soften and he pulls me into his arms. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just tired.”

“I know. But you have to keep fighting. For Julia’s sake.”

“I will. Now I just have to find Julia, Matteo and Connor before something bad happens.”

For once, I feel hope that Viktor will do the right thing. That maybe, just maybe, we can have peace after all.

Matteo

Julia gets out of surgery and I’m allowed to go see her.

She’s asleep when I go into her hospital room. A breathing tube is in her nose. Her heart beat is steady on the monitor.

I remain at her side because that’s what a good husband does. Dante texts me, letting me know he killed the priest. Poor guy. He was an innocent in all of this but we couldn’t have him talking to the police.

I know Dante will handle the rest. I can trust him to do that, even though he doesn’t approve of what I’ve done. But if he could fall in love with the enemy, then so can I.

Julia blinks her eyes open.

“Julia?” I squeeze her hand and she turns her head to look at me. “Hey, you’re ok. You’re ok. You had a gunshot wound to your arm but you’re all better now. Let me go get the doctor.”

When I try to leave, she grips my hand tighter.

“I’ll call for them instead,” I say, motioning to the nurse button on the wall. Within seconds, a nurse and the doctor come into the room and they explain to Julia what happened with her arm. They test that she can still use her fingers (she can) and tell her that she’ll be fully healed within a few weeks but to rest her arm as much as possible.

Throughout it all, Julia doesn’t say a word.

When it’s just me and her in the room, she breaks down crying and I hold her in my arms, comforting her the entire time.

Once she finishes, she finally speaks. “I was so scared.”

“I told you I got you. I’ve always got you, baby.”

“I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“And I don’t know what I would do without you,” I admit. “But I’m here now. You’re safe. Once you’re feeling better, we can leave later today. We can go back home and just be together. A married couple.”

“Inessa and Elena? Are they ok?”

“I’m not sure. I know they made it out. I saw them get into their cars but other than that…”

“Right. And Connor?”

“He survived.” That motherfucker.

“We should go now. Connor might find us here.”

“You have to stay. The doctors don’t want you leaving yet. But I’ll go ask them when we can go. I’ll be back in a second.”

I leave the room and ask the nearest nurse I find when we can leave. She gives me a vague answer about having to wait for the doctor to sign off. So, we’re probably going to be here for a while.

And that’s when I see him.