Page 131 of Gamble with Me

“Stay as long as you want, Mr. Zhumagulov,” the nurse said, opening the door for me. “Just remember that she needs a lot of rest.”

I nodded, entering the dimly lit room. The machine’s beeping echoed through the small open space as I walked toward the bed. My eyes burned, and my mouth went dry when my gaze fell on a sleeping Valeria.

She barely looked like the gorgeous woman I knew. Half of her face was swollen and purple. Instead of an eye, she had a big, purple bruise. Her lips were busted in three places, and the doctor had to stitch her brow and forehead.

Tenderly, I touched her hand, noticing her broken nails. They were bloody and puffy as if she was dragged along the floor, and she fought to stop it.

I had to sit because it felt like the floor shook under my feet. I was so furious at Chester, the bodyguard, but mainly at myself for allowing it to happen that my vision blurred. I should’ve been more vigilant. I knew Chester craved revenge, but the violence toward Valeria shocked me. His mistakes weren’t her fault. I couldn’t imagine what he would’ve done to her if Dorian wasn’t there.

Kissing Valeria’s knuckles softly, I tried to relax a little, but the more I pushed, the more I wanted to smash something.

I would break the fucker in half if I got a hold of him. Or better, I would use him as a live target. Malin owned a ridiculously expensive collection of guns. Why not try them all? Once Chester wasn’t able to walk and his body was bleeding profusely, I would throw him into Mom’s pool, occupied by two crocodiles. They would do the rest. I loved that plan.

“Zyon?”

Valeria’s hoarse voice brought me back to reality.

“I’m here, mon cœur,” I said, stretching my arm and gently brushing my fingers on her cheek. I avoided the bruises, but she looked so fragile and vulnerable that I worried I would hurt her more.

“Y-you were s-shot again,” she stuttered, fighting with sobs.

A tear fell from her eye, and I caught it with my thumb. My heart was cracking because of her pain, and her suffering only intensified the need for retribution. The beast inside me craved Chester’s blood. It wished to torture him to the point of breaking, allow himto heal, and then repeat it again, and again, and again until he shattered into pieces and begged for a bullet to the head.

“It was Dorian, not me.” I moved closer to see her better, pushing her hair away from her face. “Chester shot him.”

“I was so scared.” She burst into crying, squeezing my hand like it was the only thing that gave her strength. Her agonizing sobs slashed through my soul. I’d never felt such an intense pain that wasn’t physical. It was on a completely different level, making me insane with fury.

“It’s okay, mon cœur,” I whispered, resting my forehead against hers. I had to constantly be cautious of her wounds, but my presence seemed to help her calm down as much as hers helped me. “You’re okay. You’re safe. No one will hurt you.”

“Zara?” Valeria mumbled, her breathing heavy.

“She’s at school and doesn’t know anything.”

I wiped the wetness from her cheeks, thinking of climbing onto the bed. She would feel better in my arms, but her groaning when she moved stopped me. Clearly, her face wasn’t the only place that hurt.

“Do you want me to bring you something?” I asked, noticing how she fought to keep her healthy eye open.

“No,” she whispered. “Just stay with me, please.”

“Of course.” I kissed her forehead. “Sleep, mon cœur. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

-59-

Zyon

Ispent the rest of the day guarding Valeria’s bed. She regularly woke up startled and sweating and had nightmares. She was scared like a little bird that had fallen from its mother’s nest. I tried to reassure her that everything was okay and she was safe, but nothing seemed to work.

Eventually, I asked the doctor, a lovely middle-aged lady with a kind smile and sharp look, to give her something to calm her down. She needed to rest to heal, not to fight the demons Chester launched at her.

After Valeria got a dose of something and the doctor reassured me that she would sleep till the morning, I visited my brother. Dorian was groggy after the anesthesia but was able to tell me what happened in the apartment.

I kept a stoic mask on while he spoke about how he found Valeria, but on the inside, I was raging. My girl was barely conscious when Chester attempted to rape her. Dorian got there right on time before the fucker could do even more damage, but he didn’t expect Chester’s rapid reaction to the door opening, and he got shot. A second later, the bastard was gone.

“Thank you, brother,” I said sincerely, squeezing his healthy shoulder. “You saved her.”

He smiled dreamily, the drugs still doing magic in his system.

“Yeah,” he breathed, briefly closing his eyes. “I risked my life to save her.” His heavy eyelids slowly opened, and he looked at me like a lovesick puppy. “Does it make me her new boyfriend?”