Page 169 of Deceptive Vows

This is doom.

49

Mikhail

Soft lips brush mine and ignite the fire in my heart.

My heart starts beating, and something is switching on inside me.

I’m locked away, though, trapped somewhere, and I have no awareness of anything besides the feel of soft lips and my heart.

I seem to stay like that forever, stuck in a state of… I don’t know.

I feel like this could be limbo, but I’m not quite there yet.

More time passes, and then I see her eyes.

Soft hazel eyes stare down at me, and the woman I love greets me with a smile.

“Malyshka,” I mutter. She nods her head.

“Stay with me,” she answers.

I want to tell her all the things I said before. I want to give her all the reasons I gave before on why we couldn’t be together.

But I can’t bring myself to say the words.

I can’t tell her she shouldn’t be with me when I want her so badly I’m in physical pain. I can’t tell her I’m not good for her when I want to be whatever she needs me to be.

I can’t tell her any of those things because I love her and I want nothing more than to be with her.

“I love you,” I say. She smiles and cries.

“I love you, too. Mikhail, you need to wake up. Please.”

“Wake up…”

A beeping sound fills my ears, then memories floods my mind.

I remember how I had my girl and practically gave her away. I never fought the biggest enemy who stood between us—myself.

I was my biggest challenge, and if I had the chance, I would do everything differently and conquer my fears. I would fight to keep her.

I wouldn’t choose to lie down and give up because of fear. My father warned me about fear.

The instant I think about my father, images of grief and betrayal crash into me all at once.

The loss of my mother, sister, and father, then those who betrayed me.

Sophia and Ivan.

The beeping sounds again, and I open my eyes…

Bright lights greet me, pulling me from my dream, along with a familiar face I never thought I’d see again.

Eric.

He’s standing over me, and the beeping is coming from some sort of machine.