don’t have to hide anymore.”
“What does that mean?”
“He’s dead,” Lana said.
“Last we heard he was missing. Did they find the body?”
“No, and they never will. Let’s just say, you weren’t the only one who Santini tried to kill.”
“You killed him?” I asked the guy. “How do I know you don’t work for him? I don’t even know your name.”
“I’m Sergei Antonov, and Lana and I just got married. I didn’t kill him, but I know who did, and I can’t say who, but the reason Lana and I met was because she believed my friends and I had made him disappear.”
“He’s really dead,” Ana said hopefully.
“Yes, very, Ana. Your sister has been so worried that she was willing to take on formerly made guys like myself to learn about whether you had died or not. I promised her we would come here for answers. I hated Santini, and the only reason I didn’t kill him was because others deserved the honor.”
“Really.”
“My best friend is married to Santini’s former fiancée. Yes. He moved on after you. The family had no idea he’d been married before until Lana told us about you. He tried to kill her family and much more, so he paid the price.”
“So why were you talking to them when you came here?” I asked Lana.
“They told me to go home and leave it alone, or I’d end up like Ana. They were following me.”
“Oh. We didn’t know if they were using you to get to Ana,” I said in a semi-apology.
“Thank you and your friends. We’ve been living in seclusion since that day,” Ana admitted. Lana grabbed her hand and held it in hers.
“Don’t thank us. He was scum. We were glad to be rid of him. It’s you all I need to thank. Without you hiding and protecting Ana, I would have never met Lana,” Sergei said before giving Lana a kiss on the cheek. She smiled back at him with loving eyes. She wasn’t scared of him. So maybe he was legit, but I wouldn’t let him hurt her.
“Can you please tell us what happened to you?” Lana asked looking at her sister for answers to the past year.
Ana went on for about an hour explaining her memories of that day and everything she could remember about Santini when Lana interrupted.
“I wish I’d taken you away from him sooner. You didn’t know what he was about, and he didn’t give up. I knew you didn’t want to marry him, but at the wedding, you looked so happy. When he beat you on your honeymoon, you told me you deserved it.”
“It’s coming back in pieces, but I remembered being so scared of him.”
“I knew you were, but he was dangerous. I was looking for a way to get you away from him when you called me that night. The night he tried to kill you.”
“I don’t remember the call.”
“You told me that he found out that you’d been using birth control. He was so pissed about it that he beat you. You said goodbye to me then and that you wished you’d get a second chance to do it over. It seems like you did. Are you happy?” she asked, pointedly referring to our relationship.
“I’m happier than I ever dreamed of. I love William. He’s made my life perfect. It’s not because he’s my hero, but I thought he was my husband the first day. I remembered him from the morning of that day, and well, I fell in love with him.”
“I love you too, sugar,” I said stealing a quick kiss.
“So what’s going to happen now?”
“Oh, Sergei? Can we stay for a little while? Do you think Nikolai will let you?”
“Let me call him.” He took out his phone in front of us and made the call in another language.
“Nikolai said, of course. We’ll need to be getting a room here for at least a week, Mrs. Cline.”
“That won’t be necessary, my ranch isn’t far from here.”
“You want me to stay at your place.”
“Not really, but I know that what you’re telling me is true. I can spot a liar. Besides, I don’t think my wife would appreciate you being that far away after so long, and in her condition, I’m not
“What does that mean?”
“He’s dead,” Lana said.
“Last we heard he was missing. Did they find the body?”
“No, and they never will. Let’s just say, you weren’t the only one who Santini tried to kill.”
“You killed him?” I asked the guy. “How do I know you don’t work for him? I don’t even know your name.”
“I’m Sergei Antonov, and Lana and I just got married. I didn’t kill him, but I know who did, and I can’t say who, but the reason Lana and I met was because she believed my friends and I had made him disappear.”
“He’s really dead,” Ana said hopefully.
“Yes, very, Ana. Your sister has been so worried that she was willing to take on formerly made guys like myself to learn about whether you had died or not. I promised her we would come here for answers. I hated Santini, and the only reason I didn’t kill him was because others deserved the honor.”
“Really.”
“My best friend is married to Santini’s former fiancée. Yes. He moved on after you. The family had no idea he’d been married before until Lana told us about you. He tried to kill her family and much more, so he paid the price.”
“So why were you talking to them when you came here?” I asked Lana.
“They told me to go home and leave it alone, or I’d end up like Ana. They were following me.”
“Oh. We didn’t know if they were using you to get to Ana,” I said in a semi-apology.
“Thank you and your friends. We’ve been living in seclusion since that day,” Ana admitted. Lana grabbed her hand and held it in hers.
“Don’t thank us. He was scum. We were glad to be rid of him. It’s you all I need to thank. Without you hiding and protecting Ana, I would have never met Lana,” Sergei said before giving Lana a kiss on the cheek. She smiled back at him with loving eyes. She wasn’t scared of him. So maybe he was legit, but I wouldn’t let him hurt her.
“Can you please tell us what happened to you?” Lana asked looking at her sister for answers to the past year.
Ana went on for about an hour explaining her memories of that day and everything she could remember about Santini when Lana interrupted.
“I wish I’d taken you away from him sooner. You didn’t know what he was about, and he didn’t give up. I knew you didn’t want to marry him, but at the wedding, you looked so happy. When he beat you on your honeymoon, you told me you deserved it.”
“It’s coming back in pieces, but I remembered being so scared of him.”
“I knew you were, but he was dangerous. I was looking for a way to get you away from him when you called me that night. The night he tried to kill you.”
“I don’t remember the call.”
“You told me that he found out that you’d been using birth control. He was so pissed about it that he beat you. You said goodbye to me then and that you wished you’d get a second chance to do it over. It seems like you did. Are you happy?” she asked, pointedly referring to our relationship.
“I’m happier than I ever dreamed of. I love William. He’s made my life perfect. It’s not because he’s my hero, but I thought he was my husband the first day. I remembered him from the morning of that day, and well, I fell in love with him.”
“I love you too, sugar,” I said stealing a quick kiss.
“So what’s going to happen now?”
“Oh, Sergei? Can we stay for a little while? Do you think Nikolai will let you?”
“Let me call him.” He took out his phone in front of us and made the call in another language.
“Nikolai said, of course. We’ll need to be getting a room here for at least a week, Mrs. Cline.”
“That won’t be necessary, my ranch isn’t far from here.”
“You want me to stay at your place.”
“Not really, but I know that what you’re telling me is true. I can spot a liar. Besides, I don’t think my wife would appreciate you being that far away after so long, and in her condition, I’m not
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