Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
Alexei
“Time to choose.”
The words echoed around the sparse room, bouncing off the brick walls and echoing in my head. And even though I had guessed it would be something like this, it still rattled me more than it should have.
I had read that file. I knew the game Violet was playing, but there was still some small part of me that couldn’t bear anything happening to her. Even after everything he had done.
A cry sounded from my right and Violet’s begging tear filled eyes filled my vision for just a second. She looked so scared. So small and fragile.
Without meaning to my eyes darted over to Amy. A single tear slipped from her eyes, but her face was slack. Her shoulders slumped. It was like she already knew the outcome and had prepared herself for it.
“Alexei,” Kristoff’s voice snapped me back to reality, and I tore my eyes away from my wife’s face to stare at him hard. “I am not fucking around. Times a ticking and—”
“You want me to choose the woman I love?”
“That’s what I said, isn’t it?”
It might have been my imagination, but his voice shook just a little. He had been expecting a much faster decision, and my hesitation was throwing him. I could understand why he was confused. For years Violet had been the epicentre of my entire life.
I had put her before everything for over fifteen years.
“One lives and one dies.” He moved behind Violet. Snatching the gag from her face so hard she cried out. "Which one do you love enough to save?”
“Alexei,” Violet screamed my name with a sob. “Please.”
I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath. “Amy.”
Silence fell. You could have heard a pin drop.
“What?” Kristoff broke the silence.
Snapping my eyes open, I glued them to Kristoff and Violet. Her sobs stopped instantly. The tears stopped flowing. It was like a switch had been flipped. She stared at me with open hostility.
“Alexei, you can’t be fucking serious?”
I smiled. Not a happy smile, a cruel one. I knew Kristoff had seen that smile before, but Violet never had
“I choose my wife,” I said finely. “From this moment until my last. So if I can only walk out of here with one, then I choose to leave with her. You can do with her,” My eyes swept over Violet and this time, I didn’t try to hide my disgust.
Violet’s gorgeous face tightened into something hideous. How had I never seen the real her before?
“Whatever you want.” I wanted to look at Amy, but I couldn’t risk taking my eyes off the two people in front of me. “But you might want to look at a few things first.”
Violet’s widened. Kristoff’s narrowed. “Don’t even think you can trick me into—”
I cut him off with a booming laugh. “I don’t need to trick you Kristoff.
She’s been playing us both for years. Do you think you are the only lover she has?
The only powerful man she has in her bed.
” More laughter bubbled up. “They have been informed. I’m sorry Violet dear, but there’s more than a few people who aren’t very happy with you. ”
I’d made sure all of those phone calls had been made before I had come here.
I had sent copies of the file to everyone who needed to see them, and a few people who didn’t.
Violet might leave this basement alive, but she will have to spend the rest of her miserable life running, and even then, it might not be enough.
It should have filled me with dread. Violet had been a massive part of my life, but surprisingly, I felt nothing.
“I’m going to lower my gun now and throw something at your feet. Give it a look. I’ve placed the photographs at the front. You know what they say: a picture is worth a thousand words.” Not waiting for his reply, I risked a glance at Amy, who was looking at me in complete confusion.
“Kristoff don’t,” Violet began struggling with her bonds. Her voice and face were frantic. “Please don’t, It’s not true. He’s lying.”
Kristoff went perfectly still. Flicking through photo after photo until they were falling from his hands like graffiti.
Each one of those photos was a snapshot of Violet with another man, some in his organization. Some of his enemies. All were time stamped. The last one he screwed up in his hands.
“Do you see now?” I asked softly. “She’s been using us all.
Stealing money from our accounts, playing us off against others.
Violet wants power, and she thought she could get it from us.
Did she promise you that you would be together once she had control of my empire?
She promised the same to at least three others. ”
Kristoff didn’t say anything. His chest heaved.
I knew what he was thinking. Because I thought the same not that long ago.
“I see,” he said finally, turning bodily towards Violet.
“I am going to leave now,” I said firmly. “I am taking my wife out of this hell hole.”
“Fine, I won’t stop you.” Kristoff’s voice was completely flat; he wasn’t just humiliated. He was heartbroken. The fool had really been in love with her. Falling to my knees behind Amy, I loosened the ropes, and she quickly pulled the gag out of her mouth. Sucking in ragged breaths.
“Are you hurt?” I whispered, moving quickly I swung her into my arms even though she shook her head. Pressing her face to my chest I moved towards the door without looking back. I could what Violet pleading wildly and ignored it.
Maybe she wouldn’t have to run after all.
“Close your eyes,” I ordered Amy. “Don’t try to look.”
I reached the door when the pop of gunfire filled the room. Amy stiffened, and I tightened my grip, pushing her against my heart even harder. I needed her to feel how it beat her.
“What?”
“It’s over. Just keep your eyes closed. I’ve got you, and it’s finally over.”
I slid Amy into the back of the car before sliding next to her. “Drive,” I ordered the man in the front. His eyes slid to me, in the rearview window. “You want me to call this in?” he asked his eyes darting to Amy who had curled herself into the car and made her as small as possible.
“Kristoff has taken care of it,” I said quietly as we pulled out from the underground garage.
“I don’t think he will be a problem for the foreseeable future.
I just want to get Amy out of here.” I paused, and out of the corner of my eye I saw the bruise on Amy’s face.
A bruise that Kristoff had put there. Kristoff wouldn’t be problem because he would lay low, but I sure as hell would be a problem for him.
He had hit my wife, and left marks on her skin and that would never go unpunished.
But that was a job for a different day. For now, I would let him keep his life.
He nodded his head once and swung his eyes back to the road.
Sighing I turned to my wife, reaching for her. “Are you OK?” As gently as I could, I stroked my fingers on her arm.
She was trembling, shaking as the adrenaline left her body.
“You chose me,” she whispered so quietly that I barely heard her.
“Of course I chose you,” my voice was ragged. Pulling her into my arms, I pressed my lips to her hair. Amy dissolved into tears. Her small hands scrambled against my shirt, which was soon soaked with her tears. I let her cry. Smoothing my hand up and down her back.
“I’ll always choose you Amy.”
Finally, she lifted her face enough for our eyes to meet. “But why? You love Violet.”
“I loved Violet, “I corrected it. “Or at least, I thought I did.”
Her wide, bloodshot eyes studied my face. “But why?”
Catching her face between my palms, I drew our faces close together. “Why?” her lips were right there, and I wanted to kiss them desperately. Only now wasn’t the time. I had too much to make up to her first. “Because you’re my wife, the mother of my son.”
Her face fell. “OK, well thanks.”
I could hear the misery in her voice. The heartbreak. And I had been the one to put it there, over and over again.
Amy had given me everything she had. She had sacrificed her body for me, her safety, and even her sister in a way. She had given me everything, and I had—
“Because I love you.”
Her head snapped up. “You love me?”
I couldn’t help it. I smiled. “Yeah, it took me long enough to realize it, hey?” I tried to make light of the situation and failed.
Amy’s face crumpled again, and she sobbed against my chest.
“Hey, is my love for you so bad?”
“No,” she hiccuped. “I just thought—”
Hooking my thumb under her chin, I tilted up her face.
“You thought I would never see what was right in front of my face.” A sad smile curved up my lips.
“I almost didn’t. I tried to ignore it. Hell I fought against it with everything I had, but I am so madly in love with you, Amy.
I think I have been since the morning you saved my grandfather.
You drove me absolutely crazy.” I chuckled, my thumb brushing against her bottom lip which parted.
“You still drive me crazy Amy, but I want that. I need that because I fucking love you.”
“I love you too” she whispered it so quietly that I almost missed it. If it hadn’t been for her lips moving, I would have.
“Good.” I couldn’t help but smile. Amy’s eyes darted up to mine and darkened. Did she want me to kiss her?
“What about Violet?”
“You don’t need to worry about that any longer.”
For a second she looked bewildered. Then she closed her eyes. “The gun shot,” she whispered. "That’s why you told me to close my eyes. You didn’t want me to see him execute her.”
It might have been my imagination, but she sounded almost sad for the woman who had caused her so much grief. But then that was Amy all over.
“Someone would have done it if he hadn’t. Violet had made too many very powerful enemies.”
“Would you have done it?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. Maybe in the past I hadn’t wanted to do it, but now? I would have put a bullet in her brain without even a thought. “To keep you and Nikolai safe I would do anything.”
Every word I said was honest.
“Is Nikolai OK?”
“As perfect as always. I had him taken somewhere safe. And once I’ve had you checked out I will take you to him.”
“I’m fine.”
My arms tightened for a second. “I’d like to make sure of that, though, before I take you home to our son.” I paused. “To our family. If you will have me anyway.”
“Have you?”
“Have me back, as your husband. I know I have to make it up to you and regain your trust, and I’m going to do that.” I drew her face up. Her lips were just too inviting, beckoning me to kiss them. “I’m going to—”
She closed the last inch of space between us. Her lips soft on mine before she fell back into the seat and closed her eyes. It was an almost chaste kiss, but it was a start.
“We can try again but slowly. I have to know for sure that I can trust you.”
“Of course. Now, let’s get you checked out.” I couldn’t help but grin.
“No.” Her words were firm. “I’ve had enough hospitals to last me a lifetime, Alexei. I’m fine. Take me home.” Her eyes flew open. “Take me home to our son.”