Page 60

I flinched at the nickname, rage boiling inside me. He had no right to let my name pass his lips.

“I’m not a shit dad.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re a terrible dad because you hurt me, Dimitri. You physically broke my knees, knowing that skating was the only career I had. You made it so I could never skate again.”

“Yeah, and look at you now. The moment you met him, you were on your knees like a little whore, begging for someone to take care of you. You broke-ass bitch.”

My jaw dropped. How had I ever let a man treat me like this?

As his cruel words echoed in my mind, a painful clarity hit me—I was worth so much more.

My therapist had told me he was abusive, but I’d brushed it off, convinced he was just mean.

I made excuses, believing if I’d been better, he wouldn’t have treated me this way.

I spent years blaming myself, thinking I deserved it, even that awful night in the hotel because I was planning to leave him.

I’d sat through countless therapy sessions where she called his actions textbook abuse, but I kept denying it, telling myself, “He’s just angry,” or “It’s my fault.” During my recovery, at my lowest point, I was so lost in my depression that I couldn’t see the truth.

Hearing him spew his vile words, I finally understood—he wasn’t just mean; he was truly horrible. I’d allowed him to break me down, piece by piece.

I’d been so young when we got together, believing love meant enduring pain and sacrifice. After all my healing, I knew better. Love was meant to build me up, not tear me apart.

I glanced over at Alex, who was standing protectively by my side.

He had always been there for me, even when I hadn’t realized it.

Alex was the one who encouraged me, who picked me up when I was down, who believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself.

He was everything I had needed back then and now.

He was the person I was supposed to be with, the one who truly cared for me. I realized I was finally free from my past. I was free to love and be loved by someone who deserved me and whom I deserved in return.

“T-thank y-you . . .”

It was always him.

It would always be him. I wanted to give him the same unwavering support and love he had shown me. We were equals, partners in every sense of the word.

In his eyes, I wasn’t just a survivor but a warrior, someone worth fighting for. I wanted to be that person for him, too.

Alex’s expression softened, and he gave me a small, loving smile. “Always.”

Our bond was unbreakable. We were in this together, and nothing could tear us apart.

“You need to leave, Dimitri. Call your lawyer, and they’ll tell you the parameters of the restraining order, but you’re currently in violation of it.”

My eyes moved to Dimitri, but I sensed the familiar rage from all those years ago bubbling to the surface. In an instant, Dimitri lunged toward me and grabbed my wrists.

“Mommy?” a little boy called from the door.

I swallowed my scream, and Alex, Dirks, and Ledger all froze.

“Hi, sweetie. Mommy is visiting with a... person... really fast, and then I’ll come inside. Ledger will tuck you in, okay?”

Dimitri let go of me and turned in the direction of the door. Ledger, fortunately, blocked Dimitri from going inside and slammed the door shut.

“Son!” Dimitri shouted, but this time Alex grabbed him, throwing him backward.

“Do not go after him,” he growled, feral and menacing.

“Get your fucking hands off me,” Dimitri snarled as he lunged forward, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into him.

He was using me as a shield, knowing Alex wouldn’t risk hurting me.

I winced. “Let go of me,” I demanded, keeping my voice steady. I glanced behind Dimitri, my eyes widening.

I couldn’t go with him, but he was dragging me backward.

“Mine,” Dimitri growled.

Dirks raised an eyebrow at Alex as we reached the elevator bank. Dimitri had to turn around to press the button to go downstairs. The moment he did, Alex seized the opportunity, lunging forward to grab Dimitri’s waist while Dirks caught the hand holding mine.

“Let her go,” Alex demanded.

While I wanted to do this by myself, I needed the help, and for once in my life, I relied on someone to protect me. Someone who respected and protected me.

“Do not fucking do this. After all those nights we spent together, you betrayed me,” Dimitri spat.

Dirks tried to pry him off me, but his grip only tightened around my wrist.

“Fuck off,” Dimitri growled. “You betrayed me. You sided with the fucking whore. I’m taking her away from here. I’m going to fuck her, so when she goes back to him, she reeks of me.”

“The hell you are,” I shouted, wrenching my wrist from his grip.

But before I could take another step, Dimitri’s iron hand clamped down on me again, and he drove me backward, slamming me into the wall next to the elevator.

“Got you now, bitch,” he hissed, pinning me with his body.

My breath came in ragged gasps as I tried to push him away, but it was like shoving against a brick wall.

“I was never yours,” I spat, my voice trembling with rage as I struggled against him.

I twisted, kicked, and clawed, but he held me fast, his grip tightening like a vise around my wrist. My legs trembled, barely able to hold me up as he leaned in closer, his breath hot and heavy against my ear.

I couldn’t fight for much longer. My body was shutting down. I went limp, and Dimitri seized the opportunity to push Alex and Dirks off him. He sprinted down the hall to get to the second elevator bank on the other side of the building, dragging me behind him.

“Mine.” He yanked me toward the second set of elevators, moving with a speed and strength that left me no chance to resist.

As we reached the doors, he slammed my limp body against them, the elevator button glowing ominously just inches away.

There was no escape.

Behind him, Alex was closing in fast, his eyes blazing with fury. He was nearly on us, his footsteps echoing in the narrow hallway. Dimitri sensed it, too. The doors opened slowly, and I stumbled in. Dimitri let go of one of my arms so he could press the ground floor button.

That was all Alex needed. In a blur of motion, he lunged forward, crashing into Dimitri with the force of a freight train.

Dimitri staggered, caught off guard, and in that instant, Dirks darted in, grabbing Dimitri’s arm and wrenching it away from me.

Dirks yanked Dimitri out of the elevators and started pounding on his face.

The three of them were locked in a brutal struggle, bodies colliding, fists flying as they battled for control.

Boots pounded against the ground as I tried to army crawl away from the brawl. My legs had quit working.

“Hands in the air.” The command echoed through the air, sharp and authoritative.

Men in uniform swarmed the hallway, their presence overwhelming as they flooded the area, weapons drawn and eyes scanning every corner.

My heart pounded as I tried to process what was happening. Then I remembered—Ledger. He had called the police. They had come, just in time. Relief washed over me, but it was quickly replaced by the dizzying confusion of the scene unfolding around me.

Everything was a blur as Alex scooped me into his arms, cradling me against his chest as he carried me down the hallway.

His hold was gentle yet firm, his pace hurried but careful, as if he was afraid I might shatter if he moved too quickly.

My head rested against his shoulder, the warmth of his body grounding me in the midst of the chaos.

Behind us, the police murmured in low voices as they questioned Dirks. Dirks was gesturing, pointing toward Dimitri, who was being restrained by two officers. His face was a mask of fury, but there was no escape now. The police had him.

Alex didn’t slow down. He carried me with purpose. He fished his key out with one hand, still holding me close, and unlocked the apartment door. His movements were deliberate, almost tender, as he pushed the door open, shielding me from the horrors behind us.

He knew. He knew what this interaction represented to me, the trauma it held, the memories it triggered. He wasn’t about to let me face it again.

“Mommy,” Damien shouted excitedly.

“Put me on the ground.” I still hadn’t gained control over my legs, and I was starting to wonder if this was a stress response.

Damien ran over to me and Alex as we took a seat on the hardwood floor with the wall against my back, providing support.

“I missed you, baby,” I whispered.

I tried to act as normally as possible. I gave my son a hug and tried so hard but failed as the tears fell down my cheeks.

“I had so much fun with Uncle Ledger. We ate even more pizza, and he let me have a slice for breakfast, and then he played with my favorite cars and built me a race track. Wanna come see it?” my sweet baby asked.

I grabbed his head and held him tightly to my chest. He was my everything.

“Oh, hi, Alex. I’m happy you’re here too.” Damien hopped off my lap and jumped into Alex’s open arms. “I missed you,” he said as he nuzzled into Alex’s chest.

My heart ached. The emotions flooded me, and the tears wouldn’t stop.

“Hey, Ledger,” I called. “Do you think you could give me a hand to the bedroom?”

Ledger nodded and then lifted me, noticing that I couldn’t walk. Alex glanced up at me hesitantly, but Damien was stuck to his chest.

“Go,” he mouthed.

Ledger carried me to Alex’s bedroom and put me on the bed.

“Can I get you anything?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“I really appreciate you watching Damien and keeping him safe, Ledger. It means so much to me.”

“Anything for the three of you. I’d do anything to see Alex happy. He really deserves someone like you, and Damien is a really cool kid.”

He squeezed my shoulder before leaving me alone in the room.

I could feel my knees, but they felt locked, unresponsive.

It had only happened once before, early in my recovery.

My mother had made borscht one night, and in an instant, I felt nothing.

The memory of the soup and the first time I’d seen Alex triggered a stress-induced state where my legs just stopped working.

I was safe. I had to keep telling myself I was safe. I took a few deep breaths and tried to focus on wiggling my toes when someone knocked.

Alex walked in, and I scanned him from head to toe. He looked utterly exhausted, yet somehow still so damn adorable. His hair was a mess, tousled around his face, and his jaw was clenched as his deep eyes searched mine.

“Tell me something. I’m worried.”

I gave him a little smile and looked down at my feet. “I can feel my feet. He didn’t hurt me. I was saved. You protected me, and Damien is fine.”

I repeated aloud all the good things that kept circling in my mind.

“You’re so strong,” he murmured and took a step closer. “You are so fucking strong, and I am in awe of you.” He dropped to his knees in front of me and grabbed my hands. “I wanted to kill him.”

I squeezed his hands and realized I felt my entire foot. “I know.” He lowered his head into my lap. I let go of his hands and gently stroked his hair back. “I know.”

“I am so fucking proud of you,” he said. “G-God, malyshka.” His voice cracked, and then my lap felt wet.

I didn’t have to see him to know he was crying.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I didn’t respond right away. I sat there and waited because the answer was so much more complex than if I was okay. I just saw the man who abused me, and he tried to take me away from my family again. I didn’t even know what happened to them outside.

I shook my lower leg, and it moved. I looked down at the man curled in my lap. I was more than okay. I was safe. I was... home.

“Yes,” I managed to say. “Yes. I’m okay.”

Those simple words held more power than I’d ever had in my whole life. I would never allow someone to rewrite my life story.

A soft knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

“Hey,” Dirks said softly. “The police want to talk to you. Ledger took Damien down to his apartment. I’m going to join them.”

Alex lifted his head from my lap and looked at me, then back at Dirks. “Can you tell them that they need to come in here?”

Dirks nodded.

Without a second thought, I grabbed Alex’s face and kissed him. “I’m sorry it took me so long to realize how much you meant to me. I mean, I think I knew it all along, but I’m sorry it took me until now to realize you were always the one for me.”

He melted into my kiss. We were two lost birds that somehow found our way back to each other.

“I love you. I will wait forever until you’re ready to say it back.”

I gave him a smile. “It’s not that I don’t want to, because I do, but I think I want to show you?—”

“Ms. Illyiana?” a police officer asked from behind me.

I peeled away from Alex. “Yes. That’s me,” I responded.

“Would you mind recounting what happened?”

And so I did.