Distorted Hope (40 page)

“A tree? Really?” I gave Mark a skeptical look and he just shrugged.

“It works.”

I shook my head in bewilderment and breathed in the cool night air. I hadn’t been in the forest before and it smelled heavenly. If it weren’t for the sound of shattering glass and gunshots, it might have been peaceful.

Suddenly, a shout sounded from behind us and Mark pulled me through the trees at a run. My heart pounded as I was half-dragged behind him over tree roots and around bushes. I had my sandals on, but twigs still got inside them and I winced every time I stepped on one.

I heard a loud bang and then Mark stopped and fell to the ground. I stopped short as Pavel appeared in front of us. An evil grin spread across his face as he raised his gun toward me.

“No!” Sebastian shouted and moved his arm. Pavel’s gun flew fifteen feet to the side of him. Alex pulled me behind him and ran toward the disarmed Russian. Alex pounced on the smaller man, pushing him to the ground and pounding his face.

I looked down at Mark and saw he wasn’t moving. “Mark?” I knelt next to him. He lay face down, one arm stretched out above his head and the other along his side. I shook his back and felt something wet on my hands.

My brain processed the information in front of me, but I refused to accept the conclusion. “Mark!” I screamed and turned him over. “Mark!”

I tugged at his limp body until he was on his back. His dark eyes were empty and lifeless in the moonlight.

Hot tears streamed down my face and I shook him. “No! Mark!” I wailed and hugged him. Someone tried to pull me away, but I clung to his still warm body. He couldn‘t be gone. Mark wouldn’t leave me like this! “Noooooooooo!” I wailed again as I was pulled away. I fought whomever was holding me but couldn’t get free.

I spotted Pavel lying on the ground and lunged at him. He was groaning and Alex walked back over to us, his face grim. Pavel had killed my beloved Mark. The person holding me held me tightly against his body as I fought.

“Kyra. Kyra!” Sebastian turned me to face him. “Kyra, we need to get out of here.”

I tried to shake off his grip. “No, we can’t leave Mark!” I shouted.

I fought him, ignoring both men as they tried to talk to me. Sebastian put his hand on my head and everything went dark.

I stared out the window, not really looking at the sandy white beach and turquoise ocean waves. The waves were my constant companion these last few months. In and out they moved. Never stopping, never hesitating. I didn’t even really hear them anymore. It was just an ongoing noise that was part of my world. My dark, empty world.

I moved my hand gently over my swollen stomach. Soon, the baby would come. He would come into the world without a father—biological or adoptive. Mark was dead. Nathan… I assumed he was, too. We hadn’t seen or heard from him since the night of the escape. Surely, Pavel had killed him, too. Pavel had gotten his revenge. He hadn’t gotten me, but he had gotten his revenge.

“How are you feeling?”

The deep, accented voice came from behind me. The doorway, I thought.

I shrugged, not vocalizing an answer. I didn’t feel like talking.

I sat in the wicker rocking chair on the wooden porch of my house on the island Nathan had intended for us after he retired. It was quiet here. Peaceful even, if it weren’t for the constant ache in my heart for Nathan and Mark.

Alex sat down in the chair across from me. For such a large man, he moved quite gracefully. I glanced at him and his blue eyes were full of concern. Both he and Sebastian looked at me that way.

I looked back at the water. “How is Mina?” I asked. He’d just returned from a trip home to see his wife and daughter. He said he’d gone back to make amends with her. That being around me made him realize that he didn’t want to be the husband he’d been before. He wanted Mina to look at him the way I’d looked at Nathan.

“
Gut.
Heidi is growing like a weed.” The love for his daughter shone in his eyes and would have made tears come to mine if I hadn’t finally run out of them. For today, at least.

“Why do you stay here with me? Why aren’t you home with her?”

“Because my mission is not finished yet,” he said simply. “Not until we know what happened to your husband, Kyra.”

I shook my head, refusing to hope Nathan was still alive after all this time. “He’s dead, Alex,” I said without emotion. “Your mission is finished.”

Alex shook his head. “
Nein
, it is not. And I do not believe Nathan is dead. He is too smart for that.”

I laughed bitterly. “And Mark wasn’t?”

“He sacrificed himself for your safety, Kyra.”

Alex and Sebastian had both told me what I hadn’t realized that night we escaped. Mark had seen Pavel and put himself between Pavel and myself. He’d taken a bullet for me. He’d died so I could live.

My eyes burned again at the thought. But there were no more tears. Not today.

Alex reached for my hand and squeezed it gently. “We will find Nathan, Kyra,” he said, determination in his blue eyes.

“Push, Kyra.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I did as Sebastian asked. The small, lucid part of me was surprised it didn’t hurt nearly as much as it seemed from TV shows. Yeah, it hurt, but I wasn’t screaming in agony.

My heart broke as I pushed and pushed until the weird sensation of pushing a living being out of my body passed.

“Good girl,” Sebastian said beaming as he held up the squirming pink being covered in white and red muck. He held the baby out to me and I grasped him to my chest, sobs escaping my throat at the same time.

My baby boy. Mark Nathanial Pierce. Born at last, and without a father.

Alex stroked my hair as I gazed down at the tiny bundle in my arms. Sebastian brought a blanket to cover us and then helped me get the baby to start nursing. I stroked his tiny, soft cheek as I mourned.

“What do you call him?”

I jumped at the voice and looked up, heart leaping in my chest. There, in the doorway, stood Nathan.
My
Nathan. Alive! He looked very tired and his clothes were dirty and torn.

“Nathan!” I half-choked half-exclaimed the name as I reached out to him.

Sebastian and Alex backed away as Nathan hurried to my side and knelt next to the bed. He embraced me tightly and kissed my head. I could smell the sweat and dirt on him, but I didn’t care. He was here! Alive!

“Nathan!” I sobbed into his shoulder. “Where have you been?”

“Oh, Kitten.” Nathan’s voice was husky and muffled as he buried his face in my hair. “Pavel’s men captured us, and only with Alex’s men’s help did we escape. They brought me right here as soon as we were free.”

“We?” I sniffed.
Had the others escaped?

Nathan pulled back and cupped my cheek, his gray eyes filled with love as he gazed at me. “We all made it out. Pavel had taken us back to Russia, but we are all safe and alive.”

My heart fell. “Not everyone,” I whispered.

I could tell by the look in his eyes he knew about Mark. Tears welled up and he blinked, making them fall down his cheeks. “I was told about Mark.” He stroked my hair and pressed his lips together. “But he died saving you, Kyra. He died honorably.”

I nodded and the tears started falling again. They dripped onto the baby’s cheek as he nursed contentedly.

Nathan looked down and stroked the soft dark hair on his head. “What do you call him?” he asked again.

“Mark Nathaniel,” I whispered, half afraid he wouldn’t approve.

Nathan smiled, the joy reaching his eyes and making his face look years younger. “That is a good name.” He stroked Mark’s head for several minutes and then looked back at me. “I love you, Kyra. We’re safe now and nothing will ever separate us again.”

I nodded. “I know.” The grief of losing Mark was still in my heart, but I could finally smile again, after so many months of grieving. Nathan was here. Alive and safe. Who knew being kidnapped could lead to such happiness?

Thank you for purchasing and reading this ebook. If you enjoyed it please leave a short review on book-related sites such as Goodreads or your favorite review forum. Readers rely on reviews, as do authors.

“If Stephen King wrote erotica…,”

…is how Marissa describes her books when asked. She doesn’t seek to write any particular genre, style, or length, only following her gut instincts and the lead of her characters. The Life of Anna crosses many genre lines including erotica, suspense, psychological thriller, horror, political conspiracy, paranormal, and romance.

Marissa’s story of Anna began with a dream about being kidnapped with Adam Savage from Mythbusters (Yes, really). Over the next year and a half, it morphed into the story that is now known as “The Life of Anna.” She has several other stories in progress, one of which is based on her kidnapped dream called Distorted Hope.

Marissa stays busy homeschooling her two elementary age sons, running her household, fending off two adorable kittens, and interacting with her readers on social media. She is a self-proclaimed geek and has a deep love for all things Doctor Who. She is also actively pursuing a more natural lifestyle, which includes essential oils, natural cleaning products, and whole, organic foods. Marissa’s addictions include the aformentioned Doctor Who, the Science and History Channels, anything chocolate mint, vintage books, cute kitty cats and laughter.