Page 72 of Darkest Game

But I need to stay overnight, I write.

“We’ll protect you.”

What are you doing?

“We’re getting you away from Liam. We’re protecting you like we should have done sooner.” Mikhail gently takes my IV out. “Liam hurt you. I don’t know why you’re saying he didn’t. But we need to get you away from him before he hurts you again.”

“Stop.” It takes everything inside of me to speak. “Stop.” I smack Mikhail’s hands away from me. “He didn’t… do this… to me. Believe… me. Why won’t you… believe me?”

“She sounds like she means it,” Nico says to Mikhail like I’m not even in the room. That’s how little they factor in my opinion. They have an idea and they’re going to stick to it no matter what I say.

“But he kidnapped her.”

“Yes. But it doesn’t sound like he did this to her. Maybe we should take her at her word.”

“You’re the one who said he has her mind controlled.”

Nico shrugs. “Yes. But she knows what happened to her. And if Liam didn’t do this to her…”

“He still kidnapped her. Twice. Irina, we’re taking you home.”

“Don’t… kill… him,” I rasp out. “Please.”

“Why wouldn’t you want him dead? He kidnapped you. He forced you to marry him.”

“No. Jack… did. Elaine… did this to… me. Believe me. Why won’t you… believe me?” Tears well up in my eyes and tighten my throat, making it even harder to speak.

“Because Liam is a little fucker and I don’t trust him,” Mikhail answers honestly. “I’ll never trust him. Because of him, my wife has been worried nonstop for days over you. I will not stand for that.”

“Even if I don’t… hate him?” I ask.

Mikhail looks me square in the eye as he answers. “Frankly, Irina, I don’t give a fuck if you like him or not. Liam cannot be trusted. I am taking you home where you will be safe for Natalya’s sake. Where you can heal. You’re not safe with Liam. Don’t think of him as your savior.”

“Yeah, he took you away,” Nico says. “Why would you see him as your savior?”

“Because he’s saved me… multiple times from being… raped and… killed.”

“What happened to you?” Nico asks. Mikhail shoots him a glare but sighs and turns to me with a nod.

I write it down for them. Explaining how Jack tried to rape me and how Liam saved me. How Elaine tried to give me to other men two times now and Liam saved me both times. How he got me to the hospital to save my life after Elaine cut my throat.

“It’s all true,” I say, jabbing my pen against the paper.

“Shit,” Nico mutters. “This changes everything.”

“Step away from her,” Liam growls, standing in the doorway of the hospital room.

Chapter Fourteen

Irina

Mikhail and Nico whirl around to face Liam. I see the moment Mikhail pulls his gun out.

“Stop,” I try to scream but my voice barely comes out above a whisper. “Don’t hurt each other. Please.” My voice scratches and breaks as I try to get the sound out. “Liam, it’s ok.”

“What are you doing?” Liam barks at them.

“We’re taking her back home to her family,” Mikhail says, putting his gun away, fortunately. “Where you can’t get to her. Where you can’t hurt her.”