This is a Love Note.

Paige was hot, too hot. 

Sweat trickled down her back and down her sides. It felt like her skin was going to melt off her bones. Her knees gave out 20 minutes ago. She was held up only by the chains around her wrists. 

Panting, Paige raised her head and squinted at Borys. His face was blurry through the sweat clouding her eyes but she could make out the scar bisecting his left cheek. He was standing behind his father, Sergiy, with his hands clasped behind his back. His face blank. His eyes fixed on a point right above her head. He refused to meet her gaze. 

Sergiy was going on and on about family and honor. To him, this trial was about proving herself worthy of the Malkovich name. To Paige, it was about proving her devotion to Borys. 

Borys didn’t think she could handle his underground world full of violence and pain. Three days ago, he tried to send her away with $10,000 and a ticket to Portugal. As soon as he left her, she turned right back around and went straight to his father’s doorstep. 

Sergiy shifted his stance and drew her attention back to him.”You’ve surprised me, Miss Jones. I thought you’d be dead by now. Perhaps you do have what it takes to be one of us.” 

He glanced back at his son’s stoic expression, “But I’m not quite convinced. You will hang here until dawn. If you’re still alive then I will consider you one of us. You will not marry my son but perhaps one of my generals.” With that, Sergiy strode out of the room. 

Paige didn’t think she could withstand a whole night of hanging. Her shoulders were already numb and her wrists burned. Not to mention the dehydration. 

Borys turned to follow his father out the door without a backwards glance. He couldn’t still be angry with her, could he? Would she die without ever seeing him smile at her again? Even if she didn’t die, would she ever see him again? Which was worse?

Instead of walking out of the room, Borys shut and locked the door then ran to her side.

He looked frantic. His dark eyes jumped from the chains to her limp body to her sweaty face and out of focus eyes. “Paige?” 

She groaned, “Bor…” 

Her tongue weighed a thousand pounds. Her chin kept dropping to her chest. Borys cupped her face in his calloused hands and met her gaze.

“You should’ve run when I gave you the chance. This was all for nothing. I’m gonna get you out and you’re gonna disappear. Understood?”

She moaned and he took it as confirmation. Borys pulled a key from his pocket and used it to unlock the chains. Paige flopped into his arms. He laid her down on the floor and examined her for injuries. 

“No…” She tried to push him away with her limp arm noodles. They hadn’t beat her. Most of the torture was psychological. Like locking her in an empty room with no food, water or light. Borys ignored her weak pushes and lifted her shirt to check for bruises. 

“Stop…put…me…back…” She gasped out. 

His gaze snapped to hers. His eyes were fierce. “What? Are you crazy? I’m not going to let you die for nothing.”

“Not…for nothing…” She took a deep breath and held his gaze. “For you…for you.”

His dark caramel eyes melted. He leaned forward and touched his forehead to hers. “Then you understand. I can’t watch you go through this, not even for me. Please love, you have to go.” His voice cracked. This was the closest she’d seen him to tears. His eyes were misty as he stroked her cheeks.

Before she could give in, the door burst open. Sergiy stood in the entrance with a shiteating grin. “Ah ha! I knew it!”

Borys jumped to his feet and stood between Paige and his father. “This is over, tato. No more tests. She failed. Just let her go.”

Sergiy waved him off as he walked into the room. “Ach, the test wasn’t for her. It was for you. “

Paige blinked. Borys tensed. She could tell he had no idea what his father was talking about.

Sergiy continued, “I was testing the depth of your feeling for her. No true man can withstand to see the woman he loves in pain. I knew if you truly loved her, you would try to save her. If not,  she would die and we would all move on.”

Borys’ hands tightened into fists. “Now you know. I won’t let her die. Now what?”

“Now we throw a wedding!” Sergiy cheered and looked ready to start jumping up and down with glee. “Did you really think I would stop you from marrying the woman you love? I just needed to be sure of her and of you. Now we celebrate!”

Paige and Borys exchanged a confused glance. Sergiy looked at them expectantly. Paige broke the silence. “Okay…but first… can I get some water?… Food?… A bath?”

Sergiy laughed and wiggled his finger at her while addressing his son. “I like this one. She has moxie. You chose well, syn.”

Borys scooped Paige up off the ground and kissed her brow. “I know,” he said as he marched out of the room.