Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79087 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79087 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“I couldn’t do that to Freya.” Although, it did make me like The Butcher a hell of a lot more than I thought I would ever like her. “She would never forgive herself.”
Ivan agreed and this no longer helped us. We were stuck, with no other options before us.
I stared at the cabinet, and I couldn’t help but think of all of the things I had done wrong.
“You know, I knew my dad was a piece of work, and I fucking hated him. Still do, and his life ended way too easily.” I couldn’t take my eyes off that piece of furniture. “I promised myself I wouldn’t become him, and that is exactly what I have done.”
Ivan stood right in front of me. “Have you killed my sister?”
This made me frown. “What?”
“Have you killed my sister?”
“No.”
“Have you hit her?”
“No.”
“Then you’re not like your father.”
“I hurt her.”
“We all hurt the people we love, Victor. We don’t always realize how much we’re hurting people, but it doesn’t change anything.” He sighed. “Sometimes, we fuck up more than we realize. We just got to hope they’re willing to forgive us once we have messed up.”
I wanted the chance to earn Freya’s forgiveness. I wanted her to fucking live. I didn’t want her to have a death threat on her life. She didn’t deserve that, but right now, there was nothing either of us could have done.
****
Freya
“You don’t look happy?”
Ivan had stepped off the helicopter with Victor. The Butcher had already hugged me, and gone and climbed back into that helicopter.
“I’m going to make arrangements for you to come home,” Ivan said.
Victor was back in the house, as I stood out on the beach with my brother.
My brother. That still seemed strange. Although I had grown up with two other brothers, I happened to like this one. Ivan was A-okay.
“But it’s not good news?” I asked.
“The threat is still attached to your life. I want to know if you’re willing to sacrifice The Butcher in your place?”
“What?” I turned to look at the plane, but Ivan stopped me.
“Don’t,” he said. “I do not want you alerting her to anything.”
“Does she know?”
“Yes, she knows.”
“I don’t want that,” I said. “I don’t want her to take my place.” Bethany had shared parts of herself with me. I knew her name, although I was going to stop thinking of her as Bethany right the fuck now.
She was not Bethany. She was The Butcher. That is what she would always be, and nothing was going to change that.
“Don’t do it,” I said. “She doesn’t deserve that.”
Ivan smiled. “You know, she said the same thing.”
“I like her,” I said. “She’s the first real friend I’ve had.”
“She’s not the only one. I’ve not had a real sibling in a long time. Slavik, one of my Brigadiers, we’re close, like brothers. I’m close to all my Brigadiers, but Slavik and I shared this dream, and we’ve built it into a reality. I want to be your friend, Freya. I want to be your older brother.”
“You are. Nothing is going to change that,” I said.
“I’m going to do everything in my power to make it safe for you.” And with that, he pulled me into his arms and hugged me. “I love you, sis,” he said.
I had tears in my eyes. If my other brothers had come near me, I knew pain was going to follow. Ivan held and comforted me, and I loved him like a brother.
“I love you too, big brother.”
He pulled away, cupped my cheek, and I watched as he left.
Victor came to join me.
“It didn’t go well, did it?”
“We’re going to come up with a plan to take you back home,” Victor said. “Staying here is not ideal.”
“Okay,” I said.
“Did you have fun with The Butcher?” he asked.
“I did, and she told me you two were switching today, so I got everything ready for dinner. Come on.” I took hold of his hand and led him back into the house. It was a chicken noodle soup. The noodles were literally going to take seconds, as I used the ramen kind.
Victor went to the fridge, held the bottle of wine up, and I wrinkled my nose. I hadn’t touched another drop of alcohol since throwing my guts up. He gave a little chuckle, and then got us both some water.
I finished the soup, served us both some food, and carried our dishes into the dining room. I had already put away my sewing machine. I was working on another quilt, this one for The Butcher. I wanted to give her a gift, not just to say thank you, but because I had a feeling not many people gave her gifts. If they did, they probably had agendas behind them. Not me. I just wanted to make her a quilt. To give her something no one else had.