Page 42

I was also very much in love with him, with the man who could be so tender and loving, but I feared the one promising to do whatever it took to satisfy his need for redemption.

Even as he gathered her into his arms, pressing soft kisses against her face. I could see intense love in his eyes. For her and for me.

Raw, real fear caused a knot to form in my stomach.

And at that moment, I wasn’t certain if love would be enough.

Or if we’d be able to survive a war that would end so many lives just to protect two.

* * *

Maxsim

Isabel was frightened of me.

I’d seen it in her eyes and heard it in her voice. She’d also looked at me differently during and after our conversation. I hadn’t intended on getting into the semantics of what would follow now that she and my daughter were safe, but she could pick apart my emotions in a way no one else could.

What I didn’t want was to begin lying to her. In truth, given everything she’d been through, I doubted she’d accept me distancing my business operations from her.

While I’d grown into a quietly enraged man incapable of seeing the good in anyone any longer, she’d changed as well. She was stronger, more adept at handling dangerous situations. And if I had to guess, I’d believe she could be just as cunning as I could be.

Seeing her was as if a stake had been ripped from my heart. Then witnessing the change in her eyes after my admittance of what I had planned had driven the sharp point back into the muscle, only this time twisted and ripped upward to shred what was left.

I couldn’t blame her for being cautious or concerned about my answers. However, seeing her emotionally distancing herself from me was perhaps the most difficult aspect of the last few weeks.

Her courage was unimaginable and what she’d gone through had been horrific. I’d sensed she’d candy-coated much of her story to prevent me from going off the deep end.

I certainly couldn’t blame her for that either.

“She’s fine, Maxsim.”

I’d called Dr. Isatov, swearing him to secrecy because the last thing I wanted was to expose my daughter to a hospital setting after her ordeal. Plus, I had her safety to be concerned with. What my guardian angel hadn’t said directly was that she was concerned that someone in my employ had betrayed me.

At this point, I couldn’t be certain she wasn’t correct, which was why I’d positioned only my most trusted men to guard the house. They’d been made aware that if they opened their mouths and I found out about it, they would lose more than their jobs.

“You’re certain,” I said curtly, uncertain how to control my emotions at this point.

“Relax. She wasn’t injured. She wasn’t beaten and from what Ms. Dayne said, neither one of them were molested. She’s lost some weight and is exhausted, also slightly dehydrated. A few bumps and bruises but other than that, she’ll be fine in a couple days.”

I breathed a sigh of relief while Roman squeezed my arm. I’d called both him and Sergei on the way back from Maryland. They had a right to know.

“What about Isabel?”

The doctor closed his case. “She’s in very good shape, also lucky. There’s evidence of old bruising and she admitted she was manhandled as she puts it. I’m very surprised she was able to walk several miles to escape. She’s a fighter, Maxsim. To be on the safe side, I’ve taken blood from both. Just to ensure there’s nothing lurking from the injections they were given initially and with their general state of weakness, but I wouldn’t worry.”

I took a deep breath, nodding as I did. “You will keep this confidential.”

He looked at me over his glasses. “I have an oath to uphold, of which you’re well aware. Call me if there are any changes. Make certain they eat and drink plenty of water.”

“I will. Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

“I would say it’s my pleasure, but under the circumstances, I would be lying. I’ll see myself out. One thing I will warn you of and you need to take what I’m about to say seriously. When people are kidnapped and especially when held for any duration, while they might be physically just fine, mentally and emotionally it’s different.”

“I understand,” I told him. “I will keep them safe.”

“Maxsim. Again, I’m not talking about their physical safety as much as I am about how they’re going to handle the aftermath of coming home, back to being normal. Everyone is different, but I can assure you there will be lasting effects. You’ve undoubtedly heard of PTSD. That’s not just for those in the military.”

I nodded. “You’re suggesting a psychologist.”