Page 74 of The Pakhan's Arranged Bride

“Thanks,” I say, heading in that direction.

Dr. Lory is lovely. She’s in her late forties, a beautiful woman with long dark hair and a wide smile. Her bright gray eyes are soothing and genuine. She’s bubbly and full of calm, but enthusiastic energy. She doesn’t even flinch when I ask questions that I’m sure are naive.

We sit together in her office for a long time with her answering everything, then doing a full exam, making sure I’m healthy, and prescribing better supplements more suited to my needs.

When I walk out of her office, I feel better, just because I now have a wider understanding of what’s going to happen.I also find that I’m excited to tell Benedikt everything, and I realize something important—even though it wasn’t one of the milestone appointments, I wanted him there after all.

Tonight, I’m going to ask him if he can come to every single one of the appointments, no matter what it’s for.

He should be a part of this journey, every piece of it.

I’m walking back to the car with a spring in my step and a smile on my face.

Unfortunately, that smile is stolen from me when I hear Miron’s voice.

“Hi, gorgeous. Have you missed me?” he asks, a sly drone to his words that grates through me like acid. I turn to face him.

My entire body goes rigid with fear again. This time I’m alone.

Benedikt isn’t here to whisk me away to safely.

But oddly, this is exactly the moment I’ve been waiting for since I arrived in Las Vegas. A chance to face Miron alone.

And somehow, after everything, I’m not prepared.

We’re standing on a quiet street, just off the main road that leads to the mall.

I’m so happy he didn’t catch me coming out of the doctor’s.

Instinct almost has me touching my belly protectively, but there is no way in hell I want him to know that I’m pregnant.

I glance up the side street towards the main road. That’s where the people are, that’s where I need to be if I want to be safe.

I’m too alone here.

“So, have you?” he asks.

“Have I what?” I snap.

“Missed me.” He reaches out to touch my cheek and I step back, turning my face away in disgust. “Don’t touch me, Miron.”

“Don’t be like that. You know you want this as much as I do.”

I shake my head, knitting my brows. “You still don’t see how delusional you are,” I say tightly.

Anger flashes over his face.

“I’m not the delusional one, Ulyana. You are simply hiding from the truth of what you really desire. Too scared to face your obsession with me.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I blurt out.

“Tell me, sweet little bird, and don’t lie to me because I already know—did you come to Las Vegas to be closer to me? You married Benedikt, only as a way to get here so that you could be near me.”

My jaw drops open and I stammer in disbelief. “I don’t want to benearyou, Miron,” I snap. “I want you dead.”

He laughs, and steps closer to me, I back away in a hurry, but I back right into the wall of a building and I can go no further.

He presses his body against mine and I panic, freezing, all those moments from the past flashing through my mind. I can’t breathe, my vision blurry as he runs his hands up my arms, over my throat, and cups my jaw to tilt my head. Fear has me locked in place, panic surging through every cell in my body.