Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
A rmstrong was standing too close to Madison. A dark, seething fury coiled in Alex’s chest at the sight of the Senator looming over her. The urge to tear the man apart pulsed through him.
Neither of them had noticed his approach—but they would.
“I’d be careful if I were you, Madison. Playing games with people like me… It’s dangerous.”
Madison squared her shoulders, her face set in a mask of defiance as she met his gaze head-on.
Fuck, she’s sexy when she’s angry.
“I’m not afraid of you, Armstrong.”
Alex had to fight every instinct he had to not step in.
“You may think your new husband’s protection will keep you safe?—”
The tether of his patience snapped.
“My wife is more than capable of taking care of herself,” Alex drawled. “She just doesn’t have to. I’m happy to be her weapon.”
“Kovalyov,” Armstrong said in a placating voice, as he turned to face Alex, clearly recognizing the more dangerous threat in the hallway. “No need to overreact. I was just reminding Madison about the realities of things.”
Alex strode forward and stepped in front of Madison, forcing Armstrong to take a few steps back. With one hand, he pushed her gently behind him.
“Realities?” Alex’s lips lifted in a deadly smile. He fought to suppress the black rage threatening to overtake him, but his control was slipping alarmingly fast.
“What reality is that? The reality that if you ever invade her personal space, or speak to my wife in that tone again, I’ll destroy everything and everyone you’ve ever cared about.”
“The reality that we all have our place in life, and that crossing certain lines comes with repercussions.” Armstrong sneered, but Alex saw a moment of uncertainty in his eyes.
“Things change, new information is revealed…”
Fear flashed across the Senator’s face. Madison was right. Armstrong had a secret.
“My memory is long when it comes to my wife, and I can be a patient man when I want to be.”
Armstrong’s expression turned thunderous, but he stalked away without a backward glance. Alex watched him go before turning back to Madison. She looked angry, but also underneath… shaken.
“Can we go home now?” Madison wrapped her shawl snugly around her, clasping her hands at her waist. She didn’t say a word as they waited for their driver to pull around.
Something else had happened. He knew it. But he also knew he couldn’t push the issue in a public setting.
Opening the back door, Alex waited until Madison slid inside and he had reached across to fasten her seatbelt so that her face was only inches away. He studied her eyes and used his knuckle to lift her chin before placing a soft kiss on her lips.
Before he could ask her what happened, Liev appeared at his shoulder.
“Mikhail wants to talk to you.”
Armstrong must have run straight to him.
“Not now,” Alex bit out. He needed to take Madison home and find out what had upset her.
“Now.” Liev’s expression was grim.
Fuck.
Madison’s eyes widened, fearful and concerned, and he gave her a reassuring smile.
“Nothing to worry about, Angel. I’ll see you at home.”
“I’ll wait.”
Alex covered her hand with his when she reached to unfasten her seat belt. “No. Go home. Everything is fine. This won’t take long.”
He could feel her tension through her lips when he kissed her and closed the door.
But when Liev clapped a hand on his shoulder and muttered, “Don’t let him provoke you,” Alex could only hope he hadn’t lied to Madison.
By the time Alex returned home, it was well past midnight, and he was fuming. He angrily yanked the tie out of his tux shirt, dropping it and his jacket on the table in the foyer.
He had kept his expression neutral in the back of Mikhail’s SUV, as Mikhail droned on about the bigger picture and Armstrong’s the lynchpin for this plan.
Armstrong may have gone straight to Mikhail, hoping to get his version out first. But Alex knew his brother better than the Senator did. Mikhail might see Armstrong as useful at the moment, but the second that changed, Alex could do whatever he wanted.
The sooner the better.
“This wife of yours has?—”
“What would you have done—if your wife, a Kovalyov—was cornered and being threatened in a dark hallway? What will it mean to other people when they hear about it? The wider world may not know who I am for certain, but the people in our world definitely do. What message do you think it sends to them when Armstrong is allowed to disrespect my wife?”
Mikhail’s jaw ground back and forth. “Did he touch her?”
“Not that I saw,” Alex managed, barely holding onto his temper.
This was bullshit. If it were anyone else, Mikhail would have helped kill the man himself. Respect meant everything to him, and while Alex and Mikhail might not be close, that had never stood in the way of Mikhail’s devotion to the family name and reputation.
“If he had?” He refused to let it go. Let his brother say out loud that Alex wasn’t supposed to avenge his wife.
Mikhail’s expression hardened. “I may not be happy with your choice of bride, but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be treated with every bit of respect due the Kovalyov name. I know you are pissed about this thing with Armstrong.” His brother’s icy eyes met his in the dim light. “And I recognize the loyalty you are showing by not putting a bullet in all of them. If he touches her… be discreet.”
His expression shifted, and he looked every inch the pakhan of a powerful bratva that he was.
“Your time will come, and you can make the man bleed for days. For now, keep your wife away from him.”
Now, as Alex climbed the steps, he only had one thing on his mind. His family—check on Jax and hold Madison in his arms. She was his light, his reward for surviving the darkness.
Pushing their bedroom door open quietly, he saw her curled on her side, covers pulled up to her chin. Something deep inside him eased at the sight of her breathing peaceful and even.
Sliding into bed next to her, he tucked her body snugly against him and buried his face in her neck. Drinking in her scent, he let it banish the last of the burning anger in his veins. It still simmered beneath his skin, but with her in his arms, he could relax.
Alex didn't sleep well, and soon after dawn broke through the windows, he gave up any pretense of trying. Feeling Madison wiggle her ass against him, he smiled, already tugging at the waistband of his boxer briefs. He coasted a hand over her breast, and she stretched her arm over her head.
He froze. A dark ring encircled her delicate wrist, the telltale outline of fingerprints. Attempting to keep his anger at bay, his gaze rapidly scanned over the rest of her exposed skin just as his brain registered that she was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt he’d never seen before with her tiny pajama shorts.
The air in Alex’s lungs burned. Someone would die for touching her, but first he’d make them suffer. He didn’t give a fuck what the consequences were.
He should have known last night that her encounter with Armstrong was more than he’d seen. Madison snored softly, and Alex forced himself to leave the bed. He needed to put some distance between her and the monster howling inside of him. Plan his next move. His first instinct was to burn everyone involved alive, but he had to think strategically, and he couldn’t do that looking at the marks on her body.
Alex would keep her safe. He would always keep her safe, and fuck what his brother thought.
Two hours later, the anger still pulsed through him, but with sweat running down his chest, he ripped the tape from his knuckles and stopped the heavy bag’s sway. His rage was manageable now, and Alex trusted he could stay calm for the conversation they needed to have.
Emerging from the gym, he bypassed the smell of coffee and headed straight for the shower. His heart rate was almost a regular rhythm when he found her in the kitchen cleaning the breakfast dishes.
She looked up and flashed him one of her breathtaking smiles.
“Where’s Jax?”
“Angela took him to his gymnastics class.” She frowned. “Are you okay?”
Alex didn’t speak as he crossed the distance between them and caught her forearm. Keeping a strict hold on his self-control, he flipped on the kitchen faucet with his free hand. Shoving her arm underneath the flow of water, he gently rubbed until the makeup covering the bruises gave way.
Madison’s breath hitched, and she stared at his chest rather than meet his eyes.
“Where else?”
Her eyes were enormous in her face. “Where else?—”
“Where else did that mudak touch you?”
Madison’s entire body stilled, and fury coursed through him so hot and fast he had to clench his teeth.
“Don’t fucking lie to me,” he growled, releasing her arm. “Show me.”
Madison’s chest rose and fell in ragged breaths, but after a few heart-stopping beats, her head bent, and her shoulders hunched. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t—” She pushed up her sleeve to expose the livid marks on her arm, and Alex stopped listening.
Bruises stood out in contrast to her pale skin. The clear outlines showed where someone had grabbed her and squeezed hard. The image hit him like a blow, his vision narrowing as a tidal wave of violence rose inside him.
He reached for her arm, gently brushing over the marks on her smooth skin. “What happened?”
Madison hesitated, her eyes falling to the bruises on her wrist before her expression shifted slightly. It was only there for a millisecond, but Alex caught the residual emotion before she masked it. Fear.
“Felix…”
“What exactly did he do?” Alex attempted to keep his voice even, but he knew he had failed when Madison flinched.
She took a slow breath and met his gaze. “He was… high. That’s a good thing because it means he’ll fail his next drug test.”
The words rushed out, as if she were trying to distract him from the important information.
The only information he cared about.
Felix put his hands on her, and now he was going to pay with his pain.
Oblivious to his thoughts, Madison continued, “He was his typical nasty self and grabbed my arm. It wasn’t a big deal.”
Alex’s entire frame stiffened as he imagined the scene. She was leaving something out. It was obvious Felix had said something that frightened her, or else Madison would have told him. Alex didn’t need to know the exact words. They didn’t matter because the outcome had already been decided.
For now, he’d play along. Madison didn’t need to worry about what he was going to do. And she would. She’d worry about what Mikhail would do.
She’ll worry about me.
“I think if we could ask for a random drug test and figure out how he’s been passing the others…” Her words trailed off, and he realized she’d seen through him.
“Alex, don’t.” Her fingers curling around his forearm. “I know this has turned out to be something bigger than either of us intended, but you can’t…” She took a deep breath and started again. “I never wanted this… I know it’s not what you signed up for and my mess has become much bigger than you expected.”
“Madison.” He gripped her chin firmly between his thumb and forefinger, forcing her to meet his eyes. “You are my wife . Jax is our son. There is no such thing as your mess anymore. You are a Kovalyov. If someone thinks they can hurt you, or our family, they will answer for it. Period.”
She blew out a breath. “I don’t want something to happen to you because I couldn’t figure a way out of this.”
Alex brushed a thumb over her hand. “You don’t have to handle it alone anymore. Whatever happens, you and Jax will be okay. I promise.”
“I know. And I’m grateful… really.” She paused, her voice dropping to an anxious whisper. “Just… promise me you’ll be careful.”
Alex’s expression hardened, his jaw tightening as he looked down at her, the bruises still vivid on her arm. No one—especially not a weak piece of shit like Felix—would ever hurt her again.
The parking lot of the church outside of Felix’s AA meeting was almost empty. Alex leaned against the hood of his car, his eyes fixed on the church door, as he waited for Felix to appear. Rage pulsed in his veins, tightly controlled, but with each passing minute, his restraint frayed.
He replayed the image of Madison’s bruises in his mind. He hated that he couldn’t kill the bastard tonight. Felix didn’t deserve a quick death, and this close to his conversation with Mikhail, Alex couldn’t take the time he wanted. He would have to settle for hurting him.
Alex sighed. It really isn’t fair.
After nearly half an hour of waiting, Alex’s patience wore thin. There’d been no sign of Felix, and the meeting had been over for a while. Scanning the parking lot, his gaze was drawn to the faint glow of neon coming from a bar down the street.
A smile twisted his lips. Felix was a coward and a liar. Hiding out in the bar near his AA meeting was exactly the kind of trick he’d pull.
Maybe the asshole was smarter than Alex gave him credit for. If his new wife checked his location on her phone, he’d look like the perfectly reformed man he pretended to be, attending his meetings, when, in fact, he was at the dive bar nearby.
A cold peace came over Alex as he stalked toward the bar, ignoring the muffled sounds of laughter and music filtering out onto the street. He pulled out the device Liev had procured for him, and he flipped the switch to jam the Wi-Fi signals of any surrounding cameras.
Rounding the building, he found the alley stretching behind it, dimly lit, and filled with the faint smell of cigarettes and stale beer. He’d be able to see the entrance from there, and when the two people stopped fucking against the wall, it would be the perfect place to bring Felix.
A sixth sense had Alex looking closer at the couple, and sure enough, he recognized Felix’s spindly legs with his jeans around his knees, plowing into a woman who was screeching as if she were being murdered. Alex shook his head.
He pulled his phone out and took several seconds of video before switching to photo mode. Not quite the quality he’d prefer, but it would have to do. The bright flashes of light alerted the couple to the fact they had an audience.
Felix turned, startled, his eyes going wide before he covered it with a sloppy grin.
Fucking arrogant degenerate. Doesn’t even realize how badly he’s fucked himself.
“Gangster man,” Felix slurred, trying for his usual bravado. “See something you like?”
Alex’s eyes narrowed, and he barely registered the woman tugging down her skirt and scurrying away. At least she had the sense to recognize the imminent danger.
Once she was out of sight, Alex stepped closer, towering over Felix, whose cocky grin faltered even as he tucked his dick back in his pants.
“You really are pathetic,” Alex’s voice was pleasant, giving Felix a shot of false confidence.
“Fuck off, asshole.” Felix sneered. “Mind your own business.”
“You threatened my wife. That is my business.”
Felix chuckled, though it sounded strained. “What, are you here to lecture me, tough guy? She’s your wife, yeah, but that doesn’t mean?—”
He didn’t get to finish. Alex’s fist connected with Felix’s jaw, the force of the punch sending him sprawling to the ground. Felix let out a strangled sound of surprise, his hands scrambling on the ground as he tried to get up. But Alex was already on him, hauling him up by the front of his shirt and slamming him back against the brick wall.
“Do you like being manhandled?” Alex asked coolly, his grip holding Felix in place before he leveled several unmerciful blows to Felix’s midsection and ribs until he heard a crack.
“Do you think abusing women makes you a man?”
Felix tried to shove him off, but Alex didn’t budge. He was a wall, solid and immovable, his rage a dark fire that made him deadly calm. Alex pinned him to the wall with a forearm across his throat, watching as the man’s face slowly turned purple.
“Did you think touching my wife would lead to anything but your eventual miserable death?”
“You can—” Felix choked out before Alex removed his arm and spun him. Felix grunted when Alex shoved his face into the side of the building, his nose crunching on impact, and Felix howled.
Alex twisted one of Felix’s arms behind his back.
“Is this the hand?” Alex asked conversationally. “The one you touched my wife with?”
Felix’s bravado cracked. He choked out a laugh, trying to mask his fear, but Alex could see the panic in his eyes as Felix craned his neck to look over his shoulder.
“You can’t kill me,” Felix spat, twisting in Alex’s grip. “She’s not so pure, you know. She’s just like her sister, both of them?—”
With one hand in his hair, Alex slammed Felix’s forehead forward, stunning him and stealing his words.
“You clearly never learned the time to shut the fuck up did you?”
“Fuck you,” Felix hissed.
Alex chuckled darkly. “It’s amazing the false confidence Class A drugs give you.”
Slamming him face first into the wall again, he hissed in Felix’s ear, “You’re going to regret every time you took her smile away.”
Felix moaned in pain, but Alex grabbed Felix’s hand, fingers splayed, and with a sudden, violent twist, he snapped a finger. The sound was a sickening crack that echoed in the narrow alley, followed by Felix’s scream.
“Stop—please—” Felix whimpered, but Alex was already gripping the next finger.
“I hope I have the right hand,” Alex mocked, his grip relentless. “Maybe I should just do both to be sure.”
Felix’s face twisted in pain, his bravado now fully gone, replaced by fear and desperation. “I—I didn’t mean?—”
Crack. Felix howled, his legs buckling, as Alex shoved him harder against the wall.
“Hurts like a bitch, doesn’t it?” He drawled.
Felix’s face was pale with pain. “You—” He gasped. “You can’t kill me. Your brother said?—”
“I’m not going to kill you, Felix,” Alex interrupted. “Not yet anyway. I want to play with you a little first. However, if you even look in her direction again, the devil himself won’t be able to save you. And in case you were wondering... He and I are very well acquainted.”
Felix’s eyes filled with terror. “You can’t… My father-in-law, he’ll hear about this. He’ll make you regret it.”
Alex released him, watching with satisfaction as Felix crumpled to the ground, clutching his broken fingers, moaning in pain as blood flowed from his nose.
“Your father-in-law?” Alex sounded almost amused. “I’ve heard they’ve had a rash of muggings around here. Such a shame the cameras aren’t working.” Alex waggled his phone. “Speaking of cameras… It would be a shame if your cushy new life blew up because your wife got a text message from a friend .”
Alex cocked his head. “Do you think Senator Armstrong would prefer the pictures or the video I took? I’m sure he’d love to know what a liability you are to his campaign.”
He turned, anger still roaring through his veins, leaving Felix broken and trembling on the ground. Once he was several steps away, he flipped the switch on the jamming device again, hearing Felix’s sobs fade behind him.
It wasn’t enough.
It wasn’t even close.