Chapter 15
Miles roared, “Shut up!”
Rowan sneered, a cold and mocking grin spreading across his face. “You’re nothing but a useless fool.”
I was shaking all over. The world had gone mad. Rowan’s words struck every nerve in Miles‘ body like a well–aimed dart. Was he courting death?
Miles pulled out a lighter from somewhere and threw it to the ground, instantly setting off a blaze. The air was thick with the smell of gasoline; Miles had doused the place beforehand.
“You people ruined my life!” Miles‘ eyes were bloodshot as he marched toward me. His face, still marred from past injuries, looked terrifying in the flickering flames.
“Sonia, why didn’t you choose me? If you’d said you didn’t like the scarred ones, I wouldn’t have been so harsh on myself…”
A splash of cold water poured down unexpectedly. So, it was himself.
“You’re insane…”
“That’s right. How else would I leverage your guilt to dig into Rowan’s secrets!”
Miles, who had played the part of the gentle soul for years, finally tore off his mask to reveal the obsessive, crazed persona underneath. His laughter grated like a broken bellows. “Sonia, had you chosen me, we wouldn’t be here. Blame yourself for the path you chose. Now, let’s head to hell together…”
He pulled out a remote control.
Without thinking, I turned and lunged at Rowan, wrapping my arms tightly around him.
“Sonia!” Rowan shouted, and the next moment, bang!
The shattering glass was the last sound I heard before everything went silent.
A sharp ringing pierced my ears, like a needle repeatedly stabbing my brain. In front of me was Rowan’s pale face, his lips moving silently, feeling as if he was saying something to me.
I felt like I had been blown to pieces, my body numb and weak. Yet, dying with Rowan didn’t scare me at all. Or did it? Why was I crying then?
The silence was brief. Almost immediately, a cacophony of shouts exploded in my ears, like an atomic bomb going off in the next heartbeat.
“Suspect down! Body located on the second floor of the abandoned warehouse.”
“Team One reporting: the detonation device is intact. Hostages are safe.”
“No other explosives were found at the scene.”
“The fire is spreading rapidly. Inform personnel to evacuate with hostages immediately!”
Being escorted away, I looked back to see Miles lying on the ground, his back to me. He was dead.
A hand covered my eyes. The cold air cleared the smoke from my nostrils as police sirens wailed in the distance. Red and blue lights flashed, painting the snow–covered ground as the sun dipped below the horizon.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed into the snow, trembling.
Viola’s exasperated voice, usually abrasive, sounded like music to my ears.
“It’s the 21st century, for Pete’s sake! After all the crackdowns, they still mess with explosives! These lawless fools! Lock them up for life, or worse. Don’t let them get away!”
“Okay, you go check on Sonia. Leave the rest to us.”
7/2
Chapter 15
Viola spotted me kneeling in the snow and yelled, “Sonia, get up! You’ve got a baby on the way. Stop crawling around.”
Rowan, who was assisting the police with dismantling the bomb, froze and fixed his gaze on me.
Before Viola could reach me, Rowan took off his leather jacket and scooped me up without a word, carrying me toward the car.
“Hey, who do you think you are? Not even a word of warning-”
Bang! The car door shut, cutting off Viola’s protests.
He tucked me into the back seat and climbed in beside me, his expression dark as he stared at me.
Suddenly afraid, I shrank back into the corner. “Don’t look at me like that. I, I’m scared.”
“If you were scared, why’d you jump in? Did you think this was a game of dodgeball?”
After a moment of silence, he unleashed his frustration in a harsh tirade. Rowan had never spoken to me so harshly before, and my tears started flowing immediately.
“The bomb was on me!” He was so furious that a vein throbbed on his forehead. “What if Miles had pressed the button?”
Seeing he was about to say more, I closed my eyes and slumped against him. “Oh no, I’m fainting from fear.”
Rowan paused, taking a deep breath, the vein on his forehead pulsing. He suddenly pulled me close, and I realized his hands were trembling.
“I’m sorry…”
“I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
He tousled my hair, trying to soften his tone. “I was planning to jump out the window. That way, even if the sniper missed, if it exploded, you wouldn’t get hurt. But why did you have to come and hug me? I’ve never seen you so strong.”
“I didn’t think much. On TV, when there’s a bomb, you dive. I wouldn’t hug Miles. Was I…”
“You-” Rowan was at a loss for words, unsure what to say.
Thankfully, we were both alive.
“Is your wound all bandaged up?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“I don’t believe you. Let me see.”
“Sonia,” he chuckled, exasperated, “it’s on my upper thigh.”
Unfazed, I reached for his belt and teased, “We’ve been married for so long. Why get shy now?”
Viola’s voice came through the car window. “Yes, I suspect my friend is a victim of domestic abuse. Her husband dragged her off. You know someone at the women’s center, right?”
As she spoke, she yanked open the car door. Light spilled in. I kneeled over Rowan’s lap, my hand on his half–undone belt.
Phone in hand, Viola locked eyes with us for three seconds, then quietly shut the door.
“Right. Do you handle dog abuse? Forget the women’s center. I’ll call animal protection…”
At our wedding renewal, Viola sat at the main table. She hardly ate a thing.
When it was time to toast, Rowan greeted her politely, “Sonia’s mentioned you often. She said if she remarried me, something gross might happen.”
2/3
Chapter 15
Under his curious gaze, she remembered her bold words. “If you marry him again, I’ll eat my shoe.”
3/3
