Concede (The Diamond Empire Book 1) by Kathy Coopmans (bts book recommendations .TXT) 📕

I know they all are concerned, but if I hear that word sorry one more time, I might lose my shit.

“I’m okay, Dad,” Victoria lies, burying her face into my chest, so she doesn’t have to look at him.

“Let me take you to my place, sweetheart. Going to take care of you,” Aidan says, staring down at her, worry etched across his weathered face.

“I’ve got her. She might be your daughter, but she’s my life. It’s my duty and honor to take care of Victoria. She asked me to take her to your place up north.” Once again, I don’t mean for my words to come out harsh. Still, no matter how much I respect Aidan or any of these men, I won’t back down.

She’s mine to take care of now.

His throat bobs. The man not wanting to let go. I wish I knew that feeling, but someone stripped my rights from me before I had the chance.

“I trust you do, Seth. I’ll give you a few days alone. We’ll take care of everything here. Guards will be surrounding the perimeter of the property by the time you get there. They’ll stay out of sight. Take my truck. Dray can take me home.”

That’s all I want to think about right now is getting Victoria away from here. I’m going to take care of her. I’m going to help her put herself back together until she rids herself of every emotion except solidifying our bond and the need for revenge.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Victoria

“I’m fine, Sienna. It hurts to talk, is all.” I partially lie. It does hurt, except not for the reason she thinks.

I’ve not spoken much since she called fifteen minutes or so ago, interrupting my reading of what to expect, do, and don’t after a miscarriage. I found it in the bag with the prescriptions. At first, I wanted to ball it in my hands and rip it to shreds.

Just like my soul.

It’s smothering in desolation. Bleeding ugly tears, and I want them to stop. At the same time, I want to drive to the top of Overlook Mountain, which is up the road a few miles, and scream to the top of my lungs. Shake my fists and ask God to wipe the man responsible for all he’s taken away from me from this earth.

Not that he’d listen to me. If he did, he wouldn’t have allowed this to happen.

I will never understand that.

Maxim and Mikhail, those evil men took so much from me in the name of some idiotic revenge that should have never been. I can’t make head or tails of it. It’s not even worth me trying. I can’t change what they’ve done. I can only hope Mikhail is rotting in the pits of hell, and it won’t be long until Maxim follows.

The entire time Alina and the doctor were taking care of me, that thought kept running through my mind. By the time Seth carried me out of that small room, I not only left behind our child. I left a part of my old self there too. She disappeared. Never to resurface again.

I want revenge.

I want Maxim to die.

Brutally and without mercy.

As far as my body goes, everything hurts. Unbearably severe. My face feels as bad as it looks. One big throbbing bruise. It’s hot to touch—this scorching fire on my skin.

My stomach is laden with bruises on the outside. Suddenly empty on the inside. My legs feel like they are aging rubber bands. Wobbly and weak.

“You’re not fine. I can hear it in your voice. You were there for me. Let me be here for you,” Sienna says with desperation.

Sure, I could talk to her about my physical bruises. I’m not alone in that lethal dose of life. Sienna knows that kind of pain. Her ex-husband often beat her so severely, I came close to telling my father, but I gave her my word I wouldn’t. The difference between us? She gave birth to a child.

She can’t be there for me. Not this time. If I were to tell her I miscarried, Sienna would tell Lane, and the next thing I know, they’d be on a plane. I want them as far away from New York as possible. I wouldn’t have even told Alina if she hadn’t been there.

Besides, I won’t have people fawning all over me, telling me how sorry they are, how the timing wasn’t right, how things happen for a reason. Or how God doesn’t give us more than we can handle. It’s all bullshit in my case.

Because I’m sick and tired of others thinking they can continue to commit unjustifiable murder and keep on breathing. Being tired and upset only makes me angry, and the angrier I become, the more revenge grows. I won’t be satisfied until Maxim is dead.

Just like my unborn child, who didn’t even get to take one breath.

It doesn’t stop the paranoia of something happening again, though.

“That man hurt you. He was working for the men who killed your family. You can’t hold it in. Isn’t that what you always told me? Let me be your shoulder even if I’m not there.”

I did tell her that, and I meant every word. I dropped everything to be the rock she needed, but this is an emotional emptiness no one can replace.

A little life lost.

My mind spirals right back to when that man put his slimy hands on me. Panic sets in, and my free hand shoots to my throat. He tried choking me. He kicked and hit and laughed. Had every intention of kidnapping me and taking me to Maxim with the belief Alina, Theo, and the rest of the guards were dead.

I wouldn’t have survived. Maxim would have killed me if he’d gotten his hands on me. I don’t need to talk that out with anyone. We all know it to be true.

“Sienna, I know you want to be here. I’m going to be okay. Seth is taking care of me.”