Irish Promises

Chapter Thirty-Two

Pulling up, I haven't even cut the engine before Anastasia is out of her car and rushing towards me. Clear distress written all over her face and even though I'm relieved she seems to have come to her senses seeing her this distressed doesn't please me in the slightest.

I can already see she's about to completely info dump on me without any of it being logical as soon as she opens her mouth not even giving me chance to get out of my car.

So instead I sit with the window rolled up.

She comes to a halt at the door and the scowl is fixed on her face in seconds telling me that I'll be able to get more logical conversation out of her. An angry Anastasia is definitely easier to get through to than a flustered Anastasia that much I know for sure.

When she bangs on the window and then even tries to open the door I have to press my lips together because I'm almost certain if it were possible steam would could billowing out of her ears at any minute.

"Hello! Open the fucking door you asshat!" she shouts and I'm pretty sure she even stamps her foot as she crosses her arms.

As soon as I start to roll down the window she's already opening her mouth to offload so I still have to cut her off before she can start.

"Take a breath and calm down" I say and yep she's pissed.

Her nostrils flare and she's reaching in through the window opening the door herself.

"I'm going to throat punch you" she grumbles as she then proceeds to climb into the car over my lap and plonk herself into the passenger side with about as much grace as Ellie the fucking elephant. Her ass in my face and even jabbing her elbow into my groin as she goes which I'm certain is done on purpose.

"Could you not have gone round to the other side?" I ask as she huffs out a breath and crosses her arms again.

"I could have but then I wouldn't have been able to elbow you in the balls" she grumbles a slight smirk tugging at her lips confirming my thoughts.

My methods may be odd when it comes to this woman but they definitely work, especially as she's now clearly less flustered. Although that lasts for all of ten seconds when her eyes well with tears and I want to groan because a sobbing version of her is probably worse than when she's a rambling mess.

"Feather are you going to cry?" I ask and all I get is a nod as tears then proceed to stream down her cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" I ask reaching across to wipe the tears from her cheek.

"Because you, because" she stutters her tears turning into a full on sob and now it's like I've been punched straight in the gut because there's nothing I hate more than seeing her cry like this.

I give her a moment to get it all out which she does. Tears and snot the whole shebang but finally she manages to pull it together and takes that breath she should have taken at the beginning.

"You all warned me and I didn't listen Hugh, I'm such a fucking idiot" she whimpers.

"You're not an idiot" I say in an attempt to reassure her even though I know it'll be no good.

"Yes I am. I wore that stupid fucking ring, contemplated going back to him, I even fucking refused to cut off all contact with him because I was stupid enough to think he genuinely cared about me" she explains and I can't denying hearing her say she contemplated going back to him as if she was even really with him in the first place is a blow, I'm just aware that right now is not the appropriate time to highlight that.

"You all warned me but I didn't listen Hugh, I refused to see it for what it was" she then goes on to say and again I choose not to point out that yes that is very much the case.

"That's how manipulation works sweetheart" I say softly thanking that'll help to reassure her but from the way her face scrunches up she clearly doesn't appreciate it.

"Feather" she snaps pinning me with her eyes "You call me feather not sweetheart"

At that I do smile.

"Okay feather" I say and she nods to herself with a slight smile on her face.

She goes on to tell me what happened at their lunch today, how he tricked her into being there. Filling me in on everything he said, how he tried to continue to manipulate her and how she finally figured out that his intentions were less than honest.

Thank the fucking heavens for that.

She stares out the window for a couple of minutes clearly contemplating something before she then says "Do you know where my brothers are?"

"No we've had no contact with them since they you left Volkov's compound" I say truthfully knowing that her thoughts are going exactly where mine have been. That he's had something to do with their disappearance.

"I think they're dead Hugh" she says her tone completely numb of any emotion and I know that's not because she doesn't care. Especially not when I see the emotion in her eyes when she glances over at me.

"Irvin said my father is on the run but that's not true is it?" she then asks.

That's new, not something she'd relayed over to us. It doesn't make any difference, I'd already assumed he'd be laying low somewhere per Volkov's orders until he'd achieved getting her back. It just seems Anastasia had been hopeful of the other outcome.

"No probably not" I admit and she sucks in a deep breath.

"Is Natalia definitely safe?" she says swallowing hard and I can hear the worry in her voice.

"I'm 100% certain she's safe Feather, that much I can be sure of" I reply completely sure of that fact.

"Okay" she says with a nod "So what happens now?"

"What do you want to happen?" I ask.

There's a beat of silence where she seems to think to herself.

"I want him to suffer" she says her tone so harsh and sure, she then stares right into my eyes as she then says "I want him and my father to suffer Hugh"