Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 118309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
I honestly don’t know who I am anymore.
How can you miss a man society deems you should hate? I should be on one side of the fence or the other—good or bad—not straddling my morals like my indecisiveness won’t award me a nasty splinter. I just can’t force myself to pick, because I know neither choice will protect me from my worst nightmare coming true.
That’s all on my shoulders.
After a few minutes of silent ponderings that award me nothing more than more headaches, I throw off the bedding Ano left, then flop my legs off the sofa bed. My slow trudge to the shower mimics many I’ve undertaken over the past three years, but it feels different today. I feel like I’ve lost a limb, and the phantom pains are more tearing than the imaginary saw that hacked it off.
I’m halfway to the bathroom when my cell phone rings. Hopeful it is Zoya, I race back into the living room, snatch it up, and answer the call without looking at the screen.
“I am so glad you finally called me back. I’m dying here.”
The laughter I’m seeking isn’t close to youthful. “I doubt you’ll be saying that when you arrive.” Doctors being paged sound during Dr. Lipovsky’s brief intermission to catch her breath. “I hate to ask this since you’re not rostered on, but could you come in? We’re short-staffed and run off our feet.”
“It’s not a problem,” I reply, grateful for the distraction, confident it will make my guilt that I missed Maksim’s presence last night not as heavy. “I can be there in fifteen?”
My reply sounds like a question, so she responds as if it is. “That will be great. Thank you so much.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
She farewells me before disconnecting our call.
With my head in lockdown mode, I rake my fingers through my hair, twist it back, and then secure it with an alligator clip. After replacing the scrubs I slept in with clean ones, I race for the exit, completely forgetting about the horde of media camped at the front of my building.
Questions are tossed at me as I throw my hands up to protect my eyes from live-streamed TV.
“Mrs. Ivanov, is it true Maksim was brought in for questioning last night?”
“Do you have a statement regarding the joint operation of Trudny and Myasnikov Police Departments?”
“How long were you and Maksim dating before you wed?”
I’m clutched at the side just as the cameras damaging my vision are shoved out of my face.
“Keep your head down and your mouth shut.”
Ano escorts me through the media so fast that I’m seated in the back of Maksim’s SUV before another question can be fired.
“Fucking move!” he yells when they circle the vehicle like sharks stalking their prey.
He honks two times and almost mows one media duo down when they block his exit of the valet section of my building before he finally makes it into the opening.
I don’t know whether to laugh or grimace when he connects his eyes with mine in the rearview mirror and says, “Still want to walk?”
Not eager to start a fight, I reply, “Seems like a nice day for a drive.”
He drags his eyes over the foggy conditions before smiling. “Seems that way.”
I last almost all the way to Myasnikov Private before my worry about the first question tossed at me is exposed. “Is Maksim okay?”
Ano holds my gaze in the rearview mirror for what feels like a lifetime before he loosens the pressure valve in my chest with a brief head nod. “Might take a few days to sort out the mess, though.” A tsk vibrates his lips. “The men you accused him in front of aren’t fans of false accusations.” I’m completely lost, but mercifully, he appears aware of that. “When you asked if he only married you so you couldn’t testify against him, you ruffled more than just Maksim’s feathers.”
My eyes pop as awareness smacks into me. “I didn’t realize they were law enforcement officers. The detectives yesterday made out they had already taken Maksim’s statement.”
Ano laughs. I have no clue what he thinks is funny. I am far from amused. “The men weren’t law enforcement.” He stops, pulls a face, then starts again. “Well, they kind of are, but not in the sense you’re thinking.” He flicks his eyes to the road for the quickest second before returning them to the mirror. “You good?”
I’d have given anything for a few more hours of sleep when he nudges his head to the building we’re parked next to. It is Myasnikov Private Hospital.
“Thanks for the ride. I’ll buzz you when my shift ends.”
After farewelling Ano with a smile, I slip out of the back of the SUV and walk straight into pure chaos. There are more patients than beds, and every doctor on staff is rostered on, meaning the chances of me identifying the graffiti artist who vandalized my locker are poor.