Page 107 of Gamble with Me

“What have I done, Alice?” I whispered, my voice breaking into sobs. “What have I done?”

I bent over and grasped the edge of the sleek sink, hanging my head low. My cries resonated through the space, bouncing off the black tiles as the new wave almost tore me apart.

Alice pulled me into her arms, trying to soothe me, but nothing could erase my guilt. My daughter went through so much because I wasn’t courageous enough to leave her father and ask for help.

How could I be so blind?

She suffered more than me without an option to escape abuse. Who knew what she endured while she spent the nights with Lisa and I did nothing to put an end to it. I just waited for a miracle to happen. Zara wouldn’t have told me anything if it wasn’t for Zyon and tonight’s poker game.

“Oh, God,” I exhaled, wiping my cheeks when Alice reluctantly let me go.

“It’s not your fault.” My best friend wanted to minimize my guilt, but her efforts were met with refusal.

“Of course, it’s my fault,” I objected, splashing cold water on my face. “I knew he was violent, but I believed he would never touch his daughter. I was stupid and naive.”

“You couldn’t—” she started again, but I quickly cut her off. Nothing she would say would change the reality.

“Stop, Alice,” I said, taking cleaning pads from her. “Just stop and think about how to prevent him from seeing her again.”

“Zyon will ensure it,” she claimed with absolute certainty. But it had a minor catch.

“If Zyon finds out Chester beat me, he will go ballistic,” I sighed, looking at the welt on my jaw. “I’m scared of what he’s capable of.”

“He will keep you safe,” Alice stated, placing her hand on mine. “That’s all that matters.”

I nodded, but my worries stayed with me through the entire night. I couldn’t sleep because I imagined all the things I would do to Chester if I got my hands on him. To keep my mind off the violent scenarios, I texted Zyon, but the response didn’t come. It only deepened my fear for his safety.

The last time I checked my phone, it was four am. After that, I fell into a restless sleep that brought my biggest wish to life. Chester suffered horribly in my dreams. His pain gave me satisfaction for everything he had done to Zara and me, but the guilt stayed. My subconscious couldn’t erase it.

I felt it gnawing me when I opened my eyes a few hours later. However, I couldn’t do much but live with it. I promised myself never to allow anyone to hurt my baby girl again. She needed to know she could count on me.

So, with a fresh wave of determination, I set my mind on a new mission: stop Chester from getting to her. I had to find a way to block his attempts because I knew he would try to take her away from me. He would use everything to punish me for leaving him, and I had to be prepared to fight back.

He wouldn’t get near her. Even if it were the last thing I would do in my life, I would protect her.

-50-

Valeria

Ifound Zara and Alice in the kitchen. The black chrome and charcoal surroundings didn’t surprise me, but the dog behind the dining table did. Zara affectionately scratched the massive animal behind his ears while he licked her plate clean.

“Is this Bluff?” I asked, placing a piece of peach in my mouth. The dog’s ears perked up, and our eyes met. He certainly looked like the beast I had already met in my stalker’s warehouse.

“Yes,” Zara confirmed with a broad smile, already totally in love with him. “Do you know him?”

“I had the honor of meeting him under,” I paused, looking into my daughter’s expectant eyes, “less pleasant circumstances.”

“You tried to break in?” Zara squealed, her eyes widening. Bluff pushed the plate to the side, looking at me as if he were curious if I would tell her the truth.

“God, no.” I laughed, scanning the surroundings for a coffee. “I was just scared of him, that’s all.”

Zara didn’t look convinced, but Bluff directed her attention to him, so I was free of her questions. She gave him another piece of bacon and attempted to feed him two more, but she was interrupted by a deep, amused voice that sent shivers up my spine.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, princess,” Zyon said, entering the kitchen. He wore the same suit as yesterday, but at least he’d washed his face.

Zara blinked at him, her arm freezing mid-air toward the dog as she watched him walk around the table.

“Why?” Alice raised the question Zara was too afraid to ask. I noticed my girl became suddenly nervous, but who could blame her? I would be agitated, too, if I went through the things she had experienced last night.