Page 34 of Darkest Game (The Dark Mafia #3)

Chapter Eighteen

Irina

I kneel down beside Liam. His shirt is quickly getting drenched from his blood. He doesn’t have much time.

“I need help!” I shout. “I need help!”

Jimmy, Liam’s guy, runs outside and blanches when he sees Liam has been shot. “I’ll call for an ambulance.”

Ana runs over to my side and throws her arms around me, burying her head into my neck.

“It’s ok,” I say to her. “You’re ok.” I glance up to see that Elaine isn’t anywhere. She’s somehow managed to escape once more. But I can’t worry about that for now. All I can worry about is getting Liam to safety.

“I was so scared,” Ana whispers. “Denis beat me.”

“I know. But Liam needs me right now. He’s hurt.” I pull away from my sister to lean over Liam. He’s gasping for air which tells me he’s still alive. He’s trying to fight it.

“Stay with me,” I say to him. “Stay with me.” I shake my head as tears begin to fall down my face. “Why did you do that? Why did you jump in front of me? You could die.”

“Because… because I had… to save… you,” he gasps out, lifting up his blood-stained hand to cup my face. “I had to.”

“I don’t want to lose you. I can’t.”

“He’s the man who kidnapped you,” Ana says. “The one who got you into this mess in the first place. I’m your sister. I’m the one who needs help.”

A flash of anger runs through me at Ana’s selfishness. “You’re not currently dying,” I snap. “And he’s my husband. Can’t you understand that? He threw himself in front of me so I wouldn’t be shot. Why can’t you and the rest of our family accept him?”

Her mouth hangs open in shock. I’ve never spoken to my sister – or any of my sisters – this way. The sweet, demure Irina. Well right now, I’m done being that.

But Ana isn’t the one I should be telling this. She’s just been through an ordeal herself.

She stands up and turns away from me and I can see her shoulders shaking. She’s crying.

“Don’t,” Liam says, drawing my attention back to him. “Don’t let me… come between… your family. Don’t.”

“Just rest your strength,” I say. My hands flutter over his chest. I’m not sure if I should try to stop the bleeding or if that will make things worse.

“We have to get him out front,” Jimmy says to me. “We have a house full of dead bodies. We can’t have the police asking questions.”

I nod and step back. Jimmy puts his arms underneath Liam’s shoulders and whistles for another of Liam’s men to come help.

The other man grabs Liam’s ankles and together, they carry him through the house, full of the dead bodies of Elaine’s men, to the front driveway.

Me and Ana follow behind. I grab a blanket off the couch to hide my nakedness.

She shoots me a glare but I know she doesn’t want to actually be alone.

The groan of pain that leaves Liam when they set him back on the ground breaks my heart. This man has done so much to save me in such a short amount of time. It’s unfair that he’s being treated like a criminal. He is technically a criminal but so is Nico and so is Mikhail.

So was my father.

The ambulance quickly shows up after that and they get Liam on the gurney and into the van. A police car also arrives. Jimmy walks over to handle speaking with the officer.

“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.

“My girls,” Mom gasps and runs to us, checking Ana’s face first before looking me over. “What happened? I called Nico. I know Denis took you both. Why are you wearing a blanket?”

I have to speak up and use my voice even if my throat is still a little sore from when Elaine cut me.

“Denis kidnapped me to take me to Elaine. He’s working with her.

Though, I convinced him to shoot her so they’re probably not working together anymore.

Elaine is still alive. She escaped. But you all have to know: she stripped me naked and tried to have me raped.

Again. She’s desperate to make it happen.

The only reason I’m alive and unhurt right now is because of Liam.

He showed up and saved my life. He took a bullet for me, Mom. ”

Her breath hitches. “He did what?”

“Yes. I’d be dead right now if he hadn’t.

So, I’m going to get dressed and then I’m going to the hospital to check in on him.

To make sure he survives. And you are not going to stop me.

You are not going to shame me. Liam is my husband.

He has saved my life many times now. Yes, how we first met wasn’t ideal.

But I have forgiven him for that. And I need you to forgive him for that too.

Because he has shown up for me on multiple occasions.

He has fought to save my life. And I love him. ”

“Love him?” My mom’s voice is barely above a whisper. She’s never heard me speak like this before.

“Yes. Love him.” I look at Natalya and Sasha.

“And I need you all to accept him.” I turn to Nico.

“I need you to agree to work with him after you deal with Elaine. I need this. Now, I’m going to get dressed and then I’m going to the hospital.

And none of you will stop me. What does Liam have to do to make you trust him?

He took a bullet for me. What more is there? ”

I walk past my shocked family and into the guest bedroom where Bear and Luna are sleeping on the bed. I rub each of their heads before I break down into tears. They both snuggle closer to me.

“I’m glad you two are doing well,” I whisper to them. “I hope I’ll be fine too.”

After composing myself, I put on clothes and head back down to my family. They’re still in the foyer, looking around at each other, shocked expressions on their face.

“Irina,” Natalya says, pulling me to the side. “I didn’t know this is how you felt.”

“You never asked. But you’ve been busy dealing with Mikhail. I understand.”

“I should have been there for you. I should have listened to you. I’m your big sister. I’m sorry for that.”

“I’m a big sister too. Ana needed me and I wasn’t there for her. So, I guess we’ve all failed each other in some regard, right?”

“Yeah. I guess so. What happened to our family? We used to always be there for each other.”