“Of course you don’t. He’s a good man. You have good memories of him. Keep those close. But you will break his heart if you continue to go into that room without aid. He knows his leopard will kill you. One day, you won’t win, Ania. His leopard will kill you. Then it will get out and kill Annalise. If it gets out of the house, it could wreak havoc on the neighborhood. It might kill children. Do you want that to be his legacy?”
She pressed her hands to her ears. “Stop talking, I don’t want you to say another word.”
“You have to hear this.”
“I won’t let you murder him. That’s what it would be, murder.” She hurled the accusation at him. “He won’t be able to defend himself.”
“It wouldn’t be murder. It would be self-defense. Or, you could say, a humane end to his brilliant life. What is your plan? You must have one. Once his leopard slips out, what were you planning to do?”
She pressed her fingertips to her face. “I don’t know. I just know I’m not going to hurt my own father.”
He went still, muscles locked in place. “Tell me you took a gun into that room with you. You are armed, right?”
When her gaze left his and color swept up her neck to her face, he moved. One leap and he was beside her. He caught her arms and gave her a little shake. “Are you out of your fucking mind? You know he’s going to lose that battle with his leopard. You know it will kill him to know that he’s hurt or killed you, and yet you still went in there without a weapon? Do you have a fucking death wish?”
His fingers bit deep and he shook her again. Abruptly he let her go and began pacing to lose some of the adrenaline rising so fast.
“I’m not going to kill him.” She kept her voice pitched low, absolute conviction stamped into her delicate features.
He swung around. “I forbid you to enter that room again. If necessary, I will have Sevastyan lock you in our safe room until this is over. You are not risking your life unnecessarily. Nor will I allow you to throw it away.”
She stared at him, shock on her face. “You can’t do that.”
“I can do it, Ania, and I will. You aren’t sacrificing your life because an asshole shot your father and set these last few years in motion. I’ll be moving into this house until it’s over.”
“I’m calling the police and having you arrested.”
“You do that. And keep doing it. Each time they come to get me, more men will enter this house and keep you from going into that room. Eventually, Sevastyan will get to you, and he’ll do exactly what I say and lock you up. I’m not fucking around with this, Ania. Your life is in danger, and so is that man’s soul. He’s terrified. Not of dying but of harming you. Can’t you see that?”
Ania didn’t want to see it, but she did. She wanted to be angry and shout and scream and protest to the heavens, but what would be the point? Mitya was a good target, one she could shoot as many arrows into as possible, but she knew that wasn’t fair either. She was being a first-class bitch and bringing out the absolute worst in Mitya—at least she hoped that was his worst.
She swept a hand through her hair and regarded him for a long time while she attempted to get her ragged, labored breathing under control. “I’m sorry, Mitya. I shouldn’t be yelling at you. I know you’re just trying to help. The thought of him dying is terrifying to me. I keep thinking if I can keep him alive long enough, the doctors will find a way to remove the bullet and he’ll be back to normal. I just want him alive.”
Mitya regarded her with cold, almost arctic blue eyes. So cold she shivered. “He’s suffering, Ania. You have to let him go.”
She closed her eyes against the truth. One hand went defensively over her throat, the other over her heart as if it ached so badly, she couldn’t take the pain. “I don’t know if I can,” she whispered. She looked up at him and there was pleading in her eyes. “I don’t think I’m that strong.”
He curved his palm around the nape of her neck. “You don’t have to be that strong,