Page 110 of Thorns of Desire

Something unlocked inside me with each tune. I could feel dark shadows unfurling in my chest, rattling the bars of the cage.

The door opened and I stifled a whimper threatening to bubble up. Just as I started to think I imagined it, the footsteps sounded and I froze, waiting with bated breath. Was it a friend or a foe? I didn’t know, but I couldn’t remain silent.

“Wh-who’s there?” I muttered.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The box fell open and an outstretched hand appeared. “I’m here to help you.”

I took it, desperate to get out of this box, and crawled out. An impeccable suit filled my view, and I lifted my gaze until our eyes met.

No, it can’t be.

Atticus Popov.

But when…? How…?

I watched in muted shock as his eyes locked on me. His eyes were the exact same shape as mine, but his eye color… It was the exact same color as Danil’s.

We stared at each other, my hand still in his as I searched my brain for a word—any word. My father stood in front of me and I couldn’t think of a single thing to say or do.

Anguish. Relief. Regret. It all filled his stare at once, but there was something else there too.

“My beautiful, strong daughter.” It was admiration, I realized, as I listened to his voice that rang with it.

I never thought I’d meet my father. Or my brother, for that matter. Since I’d learned about them, I thought myself lucky to have never crossed paths with the Popov family. Yet, now as my heart thumped painfully in my chest and I stood facing him, I wondered whether his face would be the last thing I saw.

He reached a hand toward me, and I was about to flinch when he brushed his knuckles over my cheek.

“My daughter,” he repeated, staring at me like he was in awe. “I… you… I never thought I’d have this moment.” My hand wentto my stomach instinctively, and I heaved a relieved sigh at being able to breathe fresh air again. His eyes softened as he stroked my cheek gently like he’d uncovered a treasure. “I should have taken you from your mother years ago.”

I swallowed at the tone of his voice. I could tell he didn’t like her. I wasn’t quite sure that I did either. Not today; not after everything she’d done.

“Why are you here?” I asked. He might be my father, but I wasn’t ready to trust him. Besides, where in the fuck had he been the past twenty-three years? “Are you working with the Triads and my mom? Are you going to betray me too? Are you the one who betrayed us to the Triads eleven years ago?”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Never. I would never sell out my own flesh,” he said incredulously as if it was an abomination. He let out a grunt. “Your mother will pay for selling you out. I would have forgiven her for betraying me, but you… Never.”

A flicker of hope ignited in my chest. I didn’t know whether the man standing in front of me was a villain or a hero, but at this moment, I couldn’t find it in me to care. I needed to get out of here and get back to my husband. If it required teaming up with a villain, so be it. I’d do anything to protect my unborn child.

“Then please help me.” Atticus wasn’t exactly an upstanding citizen, but I had to believe there was some goodness in him if he was here now.

“I can take you away,” he offered. “To my country. To my home. To my yacht. Anywhere you want.”

I shook my head. “No, I want to get back to my husband.”

“I can protect you, Athena. Something that he has failed to do.” He took a deep breath before exhaling. “Even Danil couldn’t protect you, and he’s watched over you for years.”

“No, my husband hasn’t failed,” I protested. “He’s saved me from the Triads several times. He had bodyguards protecting mewhen he couldn’t be around. And this was all before he even knew why they were after me.”

He stared at me for a moment, then shook his head. “It seems you and Danil get your stubbornness from me. Nicki is a disaster, just like her mother.”

I tried to appear interested, but all I wanted was to get back to Manuel. To tell him I loved him.

“Please…” I swallowed roughly, my throat still raw. I had never said the word before, never having a father in my life. “Please… Dad.”

It was a manipulative move, but I didn’t care. It was about survival and getting back to my husband.