Luck by Scarlett Haven

ONE
    What I was afraid of.

    I wake up to the sound of beeping. I lift up my hand to reach for my phone, wanting to turn it on silence, but something yanks it back.
    “Ouch,” I say, rubbing my hand. There is something on it. I open my eyes to see that I am attached to wires and there is an IV in my hand. And the beep is the sound of a heart monitor.
    What happened?
    Memories of Kazimir come rushing back to me.
    Oh my gosh!
    Tristan!
    I hear the beeping increase as my heart starts to race.
    “Katerina,” I hear.
    I look over and see Damon. My heart doesn’t slow down. “Tristan…” I manage to choke out.
    “He’s fine,” Damon says.
    My heart finally starts to calm down a little. “Thank God,” I say, grabbing my chest. “Did they catch Kazimir?”
    “I’m sorry,” he says. “He got away.”
    I sit back against the pillow, feeling deflated.
    “So your dad is Mikhail Vasin,” he says.
    I nod.
    “The Russian terrorist.”
    I nod again.
    “And he wants to kill me.”
    “Yeah,” I say. “Do you hate me?”
    “No,” he answers. “Because I also know now that your mom is Elizabeth, and she is the woman that is trying to save my life. I don’t have to meet your parents to know that you’re more like your mom than your dad.”
    “Thank you,” I tell him.
    “For what?” he asks.
    “For believing in me. Most people wouldn’t. They would see how bad my father is and assume I’m like him,” I say. “Though, I must admit, before coming here I never thought of my dad as a bad guy. He’s not all bad, just so you know. I mean, it probably seems that way to you, because he wants to kill you.”
    “Everybody has good in them, Katerina,” he says. “Just like everybody had bad in them. Which side wins defines who we are. I’m sorry that your dad hasn’t fought harder to be good. How can he look at you and not want to be good.”
    “You’re pretty smart,” I tell him, thankful that he doesn’t just blindly hate my dad, even though he has every right to.
    He shrugs. “I have just been around a lot of politicians.”
    I laugh. “So what happened last night? Why am I in here?”
    “They say you had an anxiety attack,” he answers. “All I know is that you ran into my dorm room like a mad woman, spouted some stuff about Kazimir and then passed out on my floor. I was worried sick.”
    “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
    “It’s not your fault. Tristan told me what happened. About that guy holding a knife to your neck. He also told me that you didn’t know your dad was a terrorist until you came here. No wonder you had a panic attack. I probably would’ve had one a lot sooner if I were you.”
    “Did Tristan tell you that he saved me?” I ask him, slightly disappointed in myself. “All that training and he still had to save me.”
    “Come on, Katerina. Kazimir is in his thirties. He’s had years of training. You’ve had a month. You’re just being hard on yourself,” he says. “Tristan has been here all night, waiting for you to wake up. I don’t think he will ever leave your side again.”
    “Ugh,” I groan. “I guess I’ll probably know what it’s like to have somebody guarding me twenty four seven. Tristan will never let me do anything without him ever again.”
    “Welcome to my world,” he says.
    The door opens up, and Tristan walks inside, a energy drink in hand.
    “You’re up,” he says. “Finally.”
    Damon stands up. “I’m going to let you guys talk.”
    He walks out into the hallway, and I’m left there with Tristan. I’m so glad he’s alive. I’m also glad that he was there to save my life. I don’t know what I would do without him. Honestly, without him, I’d probably be dead right now.
    Tristan walks over to the chair where Damon was sitting and takes a seat. He leans forward, and opens his mouth like he’s going to talk, but then shuts it again. Maybe he doesn’t know how to begin.
    “You saved my life,” I say.
    “Yeah,” he says.
    “Thank