Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 78264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Nikolai will come for me, and when he does, I won’t stop him from killing my father.
Chapter 36
Nikolai
As I stop in front of the castle, worry is gnawing my insides raw because I haven’t been able to reach Abigail. I keep getting her voicemail and have left messages for her to call me as soon as possible.
It’s been too long since I last spoke to her.
After I had her to myself for a week, the past thirty hours felt like a lifetime. I don’t know how I’m going to survive two weeks. That’s if she doesn’t decide to complete her four years’ training at St. Monarch’s.
Fuck, four years will kill me.
When I enter the castle's foyer, Uncle Carson is waiting for me. “Do you miss us already?” he chuckles.
“Hell no,” I grumble playfully. “Have you seen Abigail? She’s not answering her phone.”
My uncle frowns at me. “I thought Abigail told you she won’t be attending St. Monarch’s any longer. She checked out on Sunday.”
Shock shudders through me as I shake my head, “She did what?”
“Actually, her father checked her out. They cleared the suite late Sunday afternoon.”
There’s no way Abigail would leave St. Monarch’s without telling me, and she didn’t speak kindly of her father.
“I want to see the security footage. There’s no way she would leave St. Monarch’s without telling me.”
“You were traveling halfway across the world. Maybe she couldn’t reach you?”
We walk toward the security room, and dread curdles in my gut. “When I finally had cellphone reception, there was no message from Abigail.”
She wouldn’t just leave without letting me know. The past week Abigail became part of the family. I even caught her and Mom training one day. Mom was showing her how to knee a man so he won’t get up afterward.
She was happy, and I’m certain she loves me. This is not like the Abigail I know, which tells me something is very wrong.
We enter the security room, and I order the guard, “Bring up the security feed for Sunday afternoon.”
It takes a couple of minutes before he finds the footage where Abigail arrives at St. Monarch’s. Just seeing her makes the tension in my body ease up a little.
The camera feed switches from the foyer to the staircase to the hallway, and I see a smile curves her lips.
Is she thinking of the week we spent together?
When she steps into her suite, we lose sight of her. It takes five minutes before the door opens, and a man carries a struggling Abigail out of her suite. The horror is back on her face, and instantly anger floods my body, tensing every muscle.
More men follow along with Emilio Sartori.
“Christ,” I growl as I watch my woman try to free herself from the soldier’s grasp.
I’m going to fucking kill them all.
The security feed changes as they move through the castle until I see them shoving her into an SUV.
“She was taken by force,” Uncle Carson mutters the obvious.
I turn an enraged glare at him. “Why the fuck was this allowed?”
He shakes his head at me. “You know the rules of St. Monarch’s, Nikolai. Emilio is her father. He brought her here. He paid for her stay. She was his to take.”
“Bullshit,” I shout, my entire body shaking with anger. “She’s mine!”
“Why didn’t you inform me of this?” He takes a step closer to me. “How was I to know you’ve claimed her and weren’t just fucking her for fun?”
I hold up my pointer finger for him to stop talking while I try to breathe through the inferno wreaking havoc in my chest. “Don’t. Abigail belongs to me.” I lock eyes with him. “Consider this me informing you.”
Stalking out of the office so I can go get my woman, Uncle Carson calls out, “Where are you going?”
“To war,” I growl.
I walk to Aurora’s suite and bang on the door. When she opens, surprise flutters over her face. “Oh…hi.”
Unable to keep the anger from simmering in my voice, I demand, “Have you spoken to Abigail today?”
“No, but I saw her father on Sunday, and he said she was going home.”
I can hear the worry in her voice and ask, “Is Abigail in danger? Would her father hurt her?”
She quickly shakes her head, “I don’t think so. He’s never abused her if that’s what you’re asking.”
Thank fuck.
“Will she be safe at her family home?”
“Oh yes. Definitely. The Sartoris have an army.” She pauses for a moment. “Haven’t you heard from her?”
“No, that’s why I’m talking to you.”
“Do you want me to check in on her and get back to you?”
“Please. I’d appreciate that.”
“Just give me a minute.” She disappears into her suite.
I can see Aurora in her living room as she picks up her phone and makes a call. When there’s no answer, she indicates for me to wait as she tries a different number.