Chapter 29

Cas

I peer wearily around the corner, my heart beating wildly in my chest.

She’s so close now, only a matter of few feet away.

I smile widely, pulling back to the safety of my hiding spot. All I can do now is wait for Ana’s mother to leave.

Honestly, the anticipation is killing me. I nearly lost it earlier at the sound of her voice. Even hearing her call out from the other room was enough to send me reeling.

It took every ounce of my self-control not to run to her then and there, her mother be damned. I barely managed to contain myself, sticking to the plan and slipping the wedding band onto her tray instead.

Now, I wait impatiently down the hall, counting the seconds until I’m reunited with the woman I love. Time seems to drag endlessly, existence drawing out to the point of absurdity. It’s torture to be so near her and not be able to do anything about it.

After several minutes, I hear the distinct click of a door opening. Slowly, achingly so, I again peer quietly around the corner. Ana’s mother says something as she exits the room, her words lost to me in the distance.

My heart aches as Ana herself comes into view, her blonde hair shining in the dimly lit hall.

I watch as they say their goodbyes, my body thrumming with barely contained need by the time her mother turns away.

This is it.

After weeks of waiting, it’s finally time. I pull my head back, taking a deep breath to compose myself. I’ve held it together this long, it wouldn’t do to blow it now.

I listen to the footsteps that recede slowly down the hall, heels clicking out loudly like the hands of a clock. Tick tock. I can’t wait any longer.

Finally, the hall grows silent, my signal that it’s safe to move. I straighten my waiter’s uniform, running a hand idly through my hair.

With a final breath, I’m ready.

I stand up straighter, one foot beginning to lift.

Of course, it’s at this moment that I hear shouting. I instantly keep still, a growl slipping between my gritted teeth.

What now?

Indistinctly, the sound reaches my ears, Russian flowing freely down the length of the hall, the sound of heavy footsteps reaching me an instant later.

My blood runs cold, and my hands bunching instinctively into fists, as I recognize that voice.

After all, it’s hard to forget the man who left you for dead. Twice.

I peek around the corner, watching as Yuri progresses up the hall. His phone is pressed firmly to his ear, the snarl of his voice now ringing clearly.

Why am I even surprised?

Yuri has been the constant blight on our lives since day one. Of course, he’s chosen this moment to make a reappearance.

He snarls rudely into the phone before ending the call, shoving the device roughly into his pocket. His hand comes out clasping something else, a metallic shine making its way to my eyes.

Quickly, he reaches forward, unlocking Ana’s door from the outside. Without any announcement, he strolls inside, the door slamming into the frame behind him.

I don’t think and spare a second for consideration. The moment the door shuts, I’m already in motion. My skin grows hot in anger, my mind reeling at the thought of Yuri alone in there with Ana.

Recalling with painful clarity the bruises that he left on her and the endless chasm of hurt in Ana’s blue eyes as she recounted his violence, I storm angrily down the hall after him. My decision already made—I refuse to ever let that monster touch her again.

To hell with the plan!

I pause outside of her door, prepared to knock it down if I have to. My foot is halfway to the door’s weak point when I notice that it’s open, just enough to see through. Hesitating mid-kick as my mind battles between action and caution, I lower my foot and lean in close to the open door.

My eyes rake quickly across the room, noting Ana by a window, her eyes downcast. Yuri stands towering over her slight form.

“You think you can just ignore me?” Yuri shouts, his voice carrying easily across the room. He laughs, a rough, grating sound. “I guess you’ve forgotten since you left, the consequences of disobeying me.”

Ana’s eyes shoot quickly upward, looking harshly onto Yuri’s face.

“Forget?” She asks, her voice a matching growl. “How could I forget what you did to me?” She takes a step towards him, her muscles visibly tensed in challenge. “You tormented me, tortured me. You’re a fucking monster!”

For a very brief moment, surprise flashes in Yuri’s eyes, his menacing expression moving quickly from shock to utter outrage.

“You insolent bitch!” he shouts as he recovers.

His arm snakes quickly downward, grabbing roughly at Ana’s gorgeous face.

I can’t watch any longer. My blood boils furiously inside of me, my vision blurring in the depths of my fury.

“Did your little vacation make you think that you could talk like that?” He screams. “Let me remind you how things work around here!”

His free hand balls into a fist, pulling quickly backward, as I rush headlong into the room. Seeing me, Ana’s eyes, fearless and stubborn, transform into a look of relief washing readily over her face.

I pull my gun from my waistband, as if by magic, and I am on Yuri, as his arm flies quickly and powerfully arching towards Ana’s face.

I want to shoot him in the head. With every ounce of strength, fury and heartache, I want to see the life drain out of his eyes. But I’m forced to admit that killing Yuri outright will draw too much attention and suspicion to Ana and myself, and that’s the last thing I need.

Instead, I channel all of my rage into a single, powerful blow; my gun meeting his head with a sickening crack.

His arm twitches to a stop mere inches from Ana’s face, his body slackening instantly. The hand on Ana’s face loosens, dropping idly to his side. With a heavy thud, he hits the floor between us.

Silence fills the room, and then, Ana’s heavy breathing can be heard.

She stares across at me as if she’s seen a ghost, and I start to wonder if she ever got my message.

Her arms wrap quickly around me, her lips trailing manically up the side of my face.

“Cas!” she shouts, pulling me tightly against her, “You’re here!”

I can’t help but laugh. “Of course I’m here Ana, where else would I go?”

She clings frantically to me. “I thought you were dead.”

“Since when has that ever stopped me?”

She pulls back, looking at me bemusedly for a moment before her eyes trail slowly down to Yuri’s unconscious form.

“Shit, Cas, we have to go.”

She reaches for my hand, already trying to pull me towards the door.

“Wait, wait. We can’t go yet.”

“What do you mean?” She asks frantically, her voice raising an octave.

“Don’t worry,” I answer, rubbing my thumb thoughtlessly across her hand. “I have a plan.”

For a second, she looks like she might argue, but her eyes quickly clear.

She nods slowly. “Okay, what’s the plan?”

“Well, to begin with, we need to hide this fucking idiot, so that no one knows I’ve been here.”

She looks assessingly around the room.

“Okay, we’ll stash him somewhere, make it look like he got drunk and passed out.”

“Will anyone buy that?” I ask skeptically.

Her laugh has very little to do with humor.

“You don’t know Yuri,” she answers.

Now, it’s my turn to nod along. “Okay, that might work.”

“Then what?” she asks.

I run through the plan in my mind, trying to decide how best to adjust things to our new situation.

It’s hard to focus now that Ana’s is in front of me; my eyes pull repeatedly toward her.

“Cas?” she asks, looking mildly panicked.

I can’t help myself, it’s been so long.

I reach out quickly, pulling her against me in a rush. My lips crash roughly into hers, drinking in her taste.

She kisses me back just as fiercely, her fingers running quickly up into my hair.

“Let’s worry about that in a minute,” I whisper against her mouth.

She says nothing at first, only reaches down to twine her fingers through my own.

“Sounds like a plan,” she answers, pulling me gently towards the bed.