Read Online Sands of Time by Susan May Warren - Free Book Online

he’d made was to break her heart.
    Judging by his expression, that playful Roman had died under the double-edged choices of his job. Before her sat a man she didn’t know—a soldier, with sharpened edges, dark eyes and danger emanating off his demeanor like a hue. Just the man she feared he’d become. She suddenly felt like crying.
    “This is not a joke, Sarai. David did ask me to come, but because you’re in real trouble. Governor Bednov has declared martial law. And if you don’t leave with me tonight, you’re going to get trapped in Irkutia…and arrested.”
    She took a breath and stepped away from him. “Yeah. Hardly. First of all, for your information, I treated Bednov’s son tonight, and while, yes, we were unsuccessful, Bednov knows what I do here and my work matters. He’s not going to shut it down.”
    Roman shook his head.
    Her voice tightened and she shook her arm out of hisgrip. “Secondly, I’ve been in countries before that had political coups, and survived just fine.”
    He raised his eyebrows and, just for a second, she had the urge to slap him.
    Fine. She held up her hand in surrender to his unspoken point. “Listen, this is all going to blow over. Besides, Smolsk is about as remote as I can get. Bednov is not going to send an army of FSB regulars out here to arrest me.”
    “But I could.”
    She felt her mouth open and hated herself for showing shock. “You wouldn’t.”
    He swallowed, sighed, looked away and for a second she glimpsed the young man who had begged her not to leave, even if it had only been on her answering machine. “I don’t want to.” Then his eyes hardened, as did his voice. “But I might have to if you don’t come nicely.”
    A beat of challenge passed between them, and she felt the last of her dreams swan dive. He’d arrest her?
    Like a criminal?
    Ouch. Her chest felt as if a caribou sat on it and for a moment she felt light-headed. “Roman, I have work to do here. This clinic is due to officially open in three weeks. I can’t leave now.”
    “You can come back.”
    She couldn’t contain her disbelief. “It took me nearly a year to get a visa the first time. Do you seriously think that, especially after martial law, they’d let me return anytime this century?” She stepped away from him. “Look around you. My clinic has an ER, an operating room, a delivery room,five rooms upstairs for overnight patients. I have an equipped ambulance, a defibrillator, an ultrasound machine, an X-ray room and even a dental chair. Do you have any idea the headaches and cash it took to get this stuff here?” She shook her head. “Roman, I leave town for even a week and this place will be stripped clean. The mafia will piecemeal out my supplies to the highest bidder, and if I ever make it back in, I’ll be starting from zero— if I can even get it started again.”
    “You’re not safe here.”
    She looked away, closed her eyes, fighting the angry prick of tears. “I’m just as safe here as anywhere. I’m needed here.” She wanted to add that God had put her here, but Roman wouldn’t understand that, would he? He knew nothing about personal sacrifice for the sake of the gospel.
    “I can’t let you stay here.”
    She met his eyes, the ones she’d once thought held love, even her future, and saw only resolve.
    She swallowed hard and picked up the needle to numb his wound. “Fine. Arrest me. But hold still first.”
    He caught her wrist halfway toward his head. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
    She stared at him, disbelief huffing out of her. “Are you scared of me?”
    He narrowed one eye, but said nothing.
    “C’mon, trust me, Roman. If it’s one thing you can count on, I’ll do my job. Right. Even if it costs me my freedom.”
    He didn’t meet her eyes as she numbed his wound and administered five stitches.
    She finished in silence, snapping off her gloves. “When was your last tetanus shot?”
    “Sarai, listen to me. I’m only trying to