Chapter 22

**Steph's pov**

He’s agreed to spare Jacks life, he actually fucking agreed to it! I half expected him to knock me senseless, or maybe make me pass out again, but no, he said he’d spare his life. Obviously, he will still punish him for what me and him did, and I’m not sure what punishment it will be, but I am grateful he will live. I don’t think I could have asked for more. Not even if I tried.

I want to ask to see my sister and make sure she is ok, but I’m too afraid of what he will say, will he be angry with me if I ask or will he understand my need to know that she is safe? It is hard to know how Alexi will respond to anything, one minute he can be so cold and cruel, and the next he will listen to me and take in what I say.

He is very hot and cold all at once, his attitude spins around so much that it is making me dizzy.

“Alexi.” I murmur, keeping my head down, “would it be ok if I saw Sarah? Just to make sure that she’s ok, it doesn’t have to be for long.”

He stares at me, something he does often, and eventually he nods, “I will get Misha to send photos, but that is all I can promise for now.’if she sees you she will want to come here and I am not ready for that.”

I guess I can agree to that, he makes a lot of sense. My sister would always rather be with me than anyone else, especially people that she doesn’t know.

We’ve had a hard life, and it takes us both a while to trust others, but I think I can trust Alexi. He says things how they are. If he was going to hurt her, he would have told me. I can be certain of that. He wouldn’t keep me in the dark about it, he’d want me to feel the pain and the fear of what he would do.

He’s a monster, one of the worst in the city, but it is clear that he does have a heart, even if it is blocked off and barricaded. He just doesn’t want to get hurt by someone, and that much, I can relate to.

I’ve never pursued love, I never wanted to, I wasn’t interested in anything a relationship came with. I definitely wasn’t interested in the sexual side, not after everything I have been through. David ruined me, and I am going to ruin him right back.

“Thank you for saving my sister.” I say softly, not daring to look him in the eye, “I hate to think what would have happened if David got a hold of her. She’d be lost to me forever.”

“You were right about him wanting her.” He says coldly, “he had his men following her and jack, they wouldn’t have made it out of the city. Not without being caught.”

My blood runs cold, David really was trying to hurt Sarah, just like he hurt me. That’s why he wanted me dead. He wanted me out of the way so he could do what he wanted with her. The thought alone makes me sick.

I dread to think what would have happened if he hadn’t have got there when he did, or his men anyway, if David got Sarah back, all would have been lost. I would have never seen her again. To the world, and to me, she would have been dead.

He likes it that way, David likes to keep you dependent on him. He makes it so that you cannot live without his influence or control. And he likes control. He’s sick, and cruel, he’s the worst man I have ever met, and I have met some really bad ones. Women too, they can be just as cruel.

“Please don’t let David get to her.” I say, leaning on my knees so Alexi and I are roughly the same height. “He will break her, she isn’t as strong, I hid her from all of it. She has no idea how bad it can be.”

He nods, “I promise you that I will not let him get her.” He says, pushing my hair back out of my eyes, “but in return you have to do something for me.”

I frown, nervous, “what is it?”

“You have to promise not to run from me, or try to escape.” He said, “if you do either of those things, the deal is off and I will throw Sarah out on the street. I’ll make sure you never see her again.”

Terror propels through me; I can’t let that happen. I have plans for her, she’s going to do so much better than I did. If that is what she wants.

I want her to have the life that she craves, I don’t want her to be forced into doing anything that she doesn’t want to do. It must be her choice, and hers alone. If she wants college, done. If she wants to work a dead end job, done. I will do everything I can to make her dreams come true, even if that means sacrificing my own happiness.

I don’t matter, but Sarah, she does. She matters. She isn’t broken like me. She isn’t used. And if I can help it, she never will be. She will never experience the abuse I suffered, and she will never know about mine either.

I don’t want her to see me any differently, I don’t want her to be sad because of what I went through. It is safer for her if she doesn’t know.

“I promise that I won’t run.” I whisper, hating myself for making that promise.

I’m giving myself up, I’ll never have a normal life again. But for the price of my sisters safety, I am willing to pay anything.

I’d be willing to die if that is what it took to make sure she has a good life.

I promised our mother that I would always protect her, and that is exactly what I plan to do.

“And in return you will keep her safe?” I ask.

He better say yes. Otherwise, I will do everything I can to escape from him.

“In return for your obedience, yes.” He says, pushing me back against the wall, “I won’t hurt you, not unless you make me.”

I don’t believe that for a second. He shot me. He broke my leg.

But he has the power to do what he has promised, and that is all that matters to me.