Page 140 of Gamble with Me

Suddenly, I didn’t know what to say to my defense.

Was I traumatized? Yes.

Did I take it out on him? Yes.

Did I mean what I said? Fucking no!

Zyon was my life, and just the thought of making him doubt it almost shattered me.

But how did I explain it?

I had been acting like a lunatic since I’d woken up in the hospital. I blamed him for everything, even when he did nothing but love me. I subconsciously knew I was a mess,but I didn’t realize how much I hurt him until I saw him sitting before me like a pile of pure sadness.

“I’m sorry,” I breathed, unable to find words to describe how I felt. Chester broke me. Not only the physical violence but the mental suffering and manipulation took their toll on me. The realization he was willing to kill me just to hurt someone else struck me like lightning.

I was the mother of his child, for Christ’s sake! Didn’t he have any respect for me?

The answer was no. I knew it, but I had difficulty accepting it. I couldn’t bear the fact I spent eight years with a man who didn’t give a fuck about me.

“Come here, mon cœur.”

Zyon lay on his side and patted the place beside him. I joined him under the duvet, and he threw it over our heads.

“This is our safe bubble,” he said with a kind smile, taking my hand. I moved closer to him, my body instantly reacting to his touch. “Whatever we say here stays here. You can tell and ask me anything. It’s a judgment-free, honest zone.”

I nodded, chewing my bottom lip. Zyon’s gentleness and reaction to my current state caught me unprepared. However, I should have predicted it. He was perfect in making me feel seen, heard, and loved. He was incredible in giving me what I didn’t know I needed. He was the man who not only crowned me the queen of his kingdom but also made me feel like it.

“Tell me what’s bothering you, Valeria,” Zyon said, brushing my hair away from my eyes. His touch was tender like a feather, and his voice soft like summer rain.

“Lisa and Chester,” I replied truthfully.

“Lisa Kellerman won’t be a problem,” he stated confidently, but I didn’t believe him.

“If she is working with the FBI—” I started, yet Zyon instantly interrupted me.

“My people created a false route from New York airport to Europe,” he explained, pulling me closer. “According to it, Chester bought a plane ticket under a false name and fled the country. A man who looked like him left the airport in Madrid two hours ago.”

“It won’t take long for the FBI to realize the truth,” I objected, but Zyon only smiled.

“There is no evidence of the crime, mon cœur. I was agitated when I took you from the hospital because I didn’t have all the information.” He kissed the top of my hand and entwined our fingers, keeping me as close as possible. “Lisa didn’t give them anything. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Okay,” I whispered, even when I still had doubts. A situation like this could always return and unexpectedly bite us in the ass. Yet Zyon looked confident, so I let it be. I just hoped that one day I wouldn’t say I told you so while he was led to his prison cell.

“And,” I paused for a second, inhaling deeply, “where is Chester?”

“Paying for his crimes,” Zyon repeated the answer he had already given me, but it wasn’t enough.

“Can you be more specific?” I demanded, pulling away when he tried to kiss me. He grimaced and placed his head on the cushion, watching me closely.

“I arranged seven men to rape him repeatedly,” he answered stoically, his eyes glued to my shocked face.

“You what?” I managed to gasp, my eyes almost falling from their sockets as I stared at Zyon’s emotionless expression in disbelief.

“You heard me.” His grip on my hand tightened when I wanted to cover my opened mouth with it. “He’s getting what he earned.”

“That’s…” I whispered, unable to find the right word.

“Thoughtful? Creative? Nasty?” Zyon fired back, a sinister smile crossing his face.