“I had to see it with my own eyes.” Amelia says, stepping close to the bed. Her beauty is still as striking as it was the day I left her for dead.
I can’t find my words, but my thoughts are spinning, and the world is spinning.
Celso grabs Amelia’s arm and pulls her away from the bed. “I told you to wait on the boat. Go.” He demands. Amelia stumbles away from me and leaves the room.
Celso reaches for Misha as well.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Misha
Celso shoves my mother out of the room and shouts at her to get back to the boat.
I can’t leave him. I’ve made a mistake. I should never have done this.
My heart is breaking in ways I never imagined possible as I stare at him, straining to breathe with blood dripping from his lips.
Celso tries to grab my arm and pull me away, but I push him hard, leaping back onto the bed, tears streaming down my face and mixing with Vincent’s blood as I grab his face in my hands and kiss him.
“I really did love you, Vincent.” I gasp through my sobs as I un-cuff his wrists.
He whispers against my lips, his last words brushing over me like hell fire. “And I still love you - little raven. I always will.”
I see the life drift from his eyes and his body slump empty and soulless beneath me.
Agony screams from my lips, and I don’t even register when Celso lifts me and carries me out of the room. I’m still screaming, the deepest heartache I’ve ever known, when he pushes me onto the speedboat.
My mother grabs me into her arms and holds me against her chest.
“I want to go back.” I cry out. “I’ve changed my mind.” I scream.
“It’s too late, sweetheart.” She is crying too, rocking back and forth as Celso maneuvers the smaller boat away from the yacht.
We aren’t quite far enough away from it when it explodes. The shockwave that hits us knocks me overboard and my body slams into the cold ocean water, slapping me awake, forcing me into reality.
I grab for the surface and gasp for air as soon as my face breaks through it. My heavy wedding dress pulling me down, drowning me and I think to myself - I deserve this. I’ve killed the only man I ever loved.
“Misha,” Celso is shouting my name.
“I’m here.” I gasp, trying to kick away from the dress, letting it slip off my body and sink into the dark waters beneath me.
He reaches into the ocean and pulls me onto the boat. My mother grabs me again, wrapping her coat around my half naked body. Celso looks away from my lace lingerie.
“A lot of people would have seen that explosion.” He mutters. “I have to get you two out of here.”
“Where are we going?” I whimper.
“They’ll start a search of the wreckage. They’ll find him but not you.”
I shake my head. “They’ll know it was me - when I’m not there.”
“No, remember - I’m dropping you at the buoy. You will have to wait there until the rescuers find you. Exhausted and terrified, after getting thrown overboard in the explosion. Misha - do you remember what we talked about?” He asks sternly, staring at me with strained worry.
“I remember.”
I nod.
This is a plan we’ve already discussed a number of times.
