Chapter 19
Chapter
Nineteen
ERIK
I ’m only unconscious for a few seconds before everything snaps back into place.
I blink up at the ceiling as Dante steps over me, smiling down with a smug grin.
“I found you,” he says.
When I turn my head to the side, I see Dante has two guards with him holding Nadia.
“How did you find me?”
“Does that matter, Erik?”
“It matters.”
“When Aria went missing, I had men watching her school in case she returned. And she did. But you know what the most interesting part of it was? She was returned by you. By my enemy. My men followed you here and called me. So, here I am. You got sloppy, Erik. I’m surprised. I would’ve expected better of you.”
Shit. Sergei stealing Aria was what had distracted me. I was so focused on getting the girl away from Sergei before he could do something he couldn’t take back—like kill her—that I didn’t even consider Dante would have men watching her school.
The old me would have.
This new me has gotten sloppy. It’s because I’m not being as practical as I once was. The old me never would’ve let Aria go. But Anya has changed me. She’s made me think with my emotions more. She’s made me want to be a man she can look at with pride instead of revulsion.
“It doesn’t matter,” Dante continues. “I have you now, and I’m going to have fun with you.”
“Why not just kill me? You wanted to before.”
“I am going to kill you. I just want you to first see how much your hard work has paid off.” He nods at his men. “Bring her out to my car.”
Nadia fights against the men, but they’re too strong. I came here to protect Nadia. To bring her to Anya. To do the right thing for the first fucking time in my life.
I can’t let her get taken away.
“I want you to see that you’ve lost,” Dante says. “I want you to see me take your wife’s sister and know that you failed.”
“Don’t underestimate me, Dante.” With those words, I swipe my leg out, hitting his legs and knocking him to the ground. I pull my gun out and fire at him, but he’s already scrambling away. My shot misses.
The men holding Nadia let her go to grab their weapons.
“Nadia, run!” I shot. Fortunately, she doesn’t hesitate to run out the front door. She’s not stubborn like Anya, and I’m grateful for that right now.
“Catch her!” Dante shouts. One of his men goes running after Nadia, but the other one remains behind.
I manage to stand up and fire at the guard as I duck behind the wall. My shot hits, and the bullet lands in his leg, making him fall to the ground.
“You men are fucking useless,” Dante growls.
“I have a gun,” I call out. “You know this. If you try to rush me, I’ll just shoot. So, I would think hard before moving, Dante. What are you going to do?”
“You can’t hide behind that wall all day. Not when I leave this place with Nadia.”
“Why do you even want her?”
“Because I want to fucking hurt you. I want you to know you failed to protect her. That you failed to make your wife happy. I want your wife to look at you with disgust when you tell her you lost her sister. That’s why I want her. To humiliate you, Erik.”
“And here I thought it was because you’re a fucking pervert.”
“I have no desire to touch the girl. Well, maybe when she’s older. I guess I’ll just have to keep her until she ages up, won’t I?”
“I’ll just shoot you the moment your back is turned.”
“Not if you can’t catch me first.”
When I peek around the corner, I watch as Dante shoves his hurt man toward me, then backs out the door.
I quickly fire at the man, and my bullet lands in his head. Sergei won’t be happy about the bloodstains on his nice marble floors, but he can fucking deal with it.
Using all my speed, I race out of the house. The sight of Nadia getting dragged into Dante’s car settles like cement in my stomach. I can’t let her be kidnapped. Anya would never forgive me.
And it’s not just about how Anya will feel. It’s also because Nadia doesn’t deserve to be treated like shit. She’s so innocent, and that’s a rarity in this world.
I fire at the guard holding her. The bullet hits him in the arm, sending him stumbling back. Nadia takes that opportunity to run away.
I shoot at Dante, but Dante dives behind his car. He fires back, and I have no choice but to hide in the doorway to avoid getting shot. If I die now, I can’t save Nadia, which means Anya will be heartbroken. And Sergei is still out there, pissed off at me. He could very well take Anya back and hurt her for the rest of her life.
“Go after her,” Dante hisses at his man, who holds his arm as he runs after Nadia.
I keep shooting at the guard until my bullet lands in his back. He grunts and falls to the ground. Nadia keeps running.
Dante peeks out from behind his car and looks between Nadia and me. We both know he can’t run after her without risking getting shot.
He runs around his car and dives into it before I can shoot him, but that doesn’t stop me from firing at his car. He revs the engine and backs out of the driveway at top speed. Shit.
He could easily grab Nadia off the street.
I quickly get into my own car and drive after him. I see his car reach Nadia, who still hasn’t stopped running. Good. If he wants her, he’s going to have to get out and grab her, and that will be impossible with me right behind him. I bump my car into his.
I can see Dante through the rear window. I can see the anger in his eyes. The frustration. I can see how he knows he’s lost.
For the moment anyway.
He keeps on driving until he disappears around the bend.
I stop my car next to Nada. “Get in!” She doesn’t object, doing exactly what I tell her to do. “Are you ok? Nadia?”
She shakes her head, breathing hard, her eyes squeezed shut. “I’m ok. Just exhausted from running so hard.”
“I’m going to bring you to my home. But first, we need to switch cars. I don’t want to risk Dante or any of his men watching us and finding out where I live.”
Nadia nods shakily. “Understood.”
I drive to the nearest parking garage I can find. After telling Nadia to wait in my car, I find a new, nondescript car to steal. I’ve stolen many cars in my lifetime. It’s as easy as breathing for me.
Once I get the new car up and running, I motion for Nadia to join me. She doesn’t say a word as she does. She’s the exact opposite of Anya. If Anya were here, she’d be demanding answers, but Nadia just does as I say. This world will eat this poor girl alive.
I drive us to my home. I don’t feel safe until we’re both inside and the gate is locked behind us. Dante can’t get in. He doesn’t know where I live. But that doesn’t mean anything. Dante has the full backing of the Mafia; if he wanted to find me, he could.
“Erik, what happened?” Anya asks as she rounds the corner, then stops when she sees Nadia. “Nadia?”
Without a word, Nadia runs into her sister’s arms and begins to cry.
“What happened?”
“Dante attacked us,” I answer. “I managed to get Nadia away, but Dante is still out there. He’s pissed.”
“I thought you were dealing with the girl my father kidnapped.” She’s stroking the back of Nadia’s head just like a mother would. It’s the first time I see how truly mother-like Anya is with Nadia.
“I was. I brought her back to her school, but that’s how Dante found me. By following me when I went to your father’s house.”
“But why did you do that?”
“Because your father and I are done. I’m done working with him. I can’t risk your safety any longer, Anya. I see that now. Which is why I went to his house to get Nadia. She’s going to live with us from now on. I should’ve done this sooner, and I’m sorry.”
Anya’s eyes light up as she holds Nadia to her tighter. “But she’s still only seventeen. That hasn’t changed.”
“We’ll deal with your father when the time comes. Because he will come here and demand I return her to him, but there’s nothing much he can do. He can’t call the police. Not when he’s so tied in Bratva business.”
“But won’t he make your life hell?”
“Probably. But I can deal with Sergei. For now, why don’t you take Nadia to one of the guest rooms. I’m sure you two want to talk.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I have calls to make. I need to warn James about what happened. And I still have Dante’s home address. I need to get over there before it’s too late.”
She lets go of Nadia and comes over to me, taking my hand in hers. “But isn’t that dangerous? Going to his own home? You could die.”
“I need to end this, Anya, before you get hurt again.” I let her go even though it’s the last thing I want.
“Just be smart about this.”
“I always am. I’m practical, remember?”
“Erik?” she says as I start heading toward my office. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m just doing what I should’ve done when we first got married.”
Anya pulls Nadia back into a hug. That’s my cue to leave. I have work to do.
ANYA
“You’re not hurt?” I keep asking Nadia as we go into the guest bedroom.
“No. How can I make you believe it?”
“I’m just checking. You know I worry.”
Nadia sits down on the bed with a huff. “It was so scary, Anya. I was chased down by these men. I thought they were going to kill me. And then Erik saved me. I couldn’t actually believe it. I didn’t know he was capable of that.”
“Neither was I,” I admit. Erik saved my sister from my father and Dante. This changes everything between my husband and me. Part of the reason I hated him when we first got married was because he refused to help Nadia.
But that’s all different now. Any last remaining hate I have for him is completely gone and replaced with something that feels a lot like love.
“He’s not as bad as I think you think he is,” Nadia says.
“Are you trying to get me to like my husband?”
“I just don’t want to see you so sad. Every time I’ve seen you since you got married, you’ve only looked beaten down. Dejected. I can’t watch you like that. I want to see you happy.”
A laugh bubbles out of me, and I can’t stop it. It racks my body so hard it hurts.
“What?” Nadia asks softly.
“It’s just so funny. I’ve tried so hard to make sure you’re safe, while you were trying so hard to make sure I was happy.”
“I think we’re both just trying to make sure the other one is ok. I want you to be happy, Anya.”
“And I want you to be happy too. That’s why I’ve tried so hard to make sure you’re ok. But now, you will be. You’ll live with us. You’ll be safe here.”
“What about our father? He’s not going to just let me go without a fight.”
“As Erik said, he can handle him. We don’t have to fight our father any longer. He doesn’t have to control either of us. Let’s just focus on being safe. Being here together. Ok?”
Nadia looks a little uncertain, but she nods anyway. “Ok.” She bites her lip as a few tears spill from her eyes.
“Nadia?”
“I was so scared. I thought for sure that man was going to kidnap me. I thought I was going to die. Or … worse.”
“I completely understand.” I say, rubbing her back. “Dante kidnapped me, too. He sent one of his hitmen to kill me, but I managed to escape. It was by sheer luck. But I survived, and so did you. As long as stay here, we should be safe. Do you need me to stay with you, or do you want some space?”
“I think I just want to shut my eyes. I feel so tired all of a sudden.”
“I’ll let you be, then.” I give Nadia an extra hug for good measure. I’ve been fighting to save my sister for months now, and the fact that she’s here with me, safe, is something I can barely believe. It feels more like a fairytale than anything else.
I find Erik in his office, typing away at his computer. “Are you busy right now, or …?”
He shuts his laptop. “I can take a break. I have a plan in place to target Dante’s house, but we can’t enact it until later at night.”
“Why not?”
“Fewer people around at night.”
“It’s New York. There are always people around,” I say as I walk over to him. With a smile, he pulls me into his lap. It’s still surreal how comfortable it is to be in Erik’s arms now. How much things have changed between us.
“True. But darkness always provides extra cover. Dante is already on to me. He’ll be waiting for me to attack. I can’t just rush in there. I need back up. I need a plan.”
“I just need you to stay safe.”
“You care about my safety now?”
I can’t hide the faint blush on my face. “I do. You saved my sister today. You didn’t have to, but you did.”
“I didn’t do it right away, so I’m not sure if I should be getting any thanks.”
“I know. But you still did it, and that’s all that matters to me. Nothing else. You asked me once what it would take to get me to like you, and this is it. Saving Nadia for me. Erik, I have to admit, I care for you. I know that with all my heart.”
“I care for you, too. Even though my heart might be made of ice.”
“It’s not anymore.”
“No?”
“No,” I whisper, leaning down to press my lips to his. Erik doesn’t hesitate to kiss me back. His hand grips the back of my head and pulls me in closer. I moan softly against his lips.
When we first kissed at our wedding, I was terrified of him. Now, I’ve grown to care for him.
I might even be falling in love with him.
Erik places me on the desk and kisses me harder as his knees spread my legs. My summer dress rides up to my waist. He doesn’t waste time bringing his hand between my legs and touching me.
I buck my hips forward as he slides his fingers under my panties. Just this one touch lights me on fire.
“You’re already wet for me,” he murmurs. “But I want you soaked.” He rubs my clit between his fingers. My moan is loud in the quiet of his office. I don’t care. Nadia is across the house, so she can’t hear, and Edith has today off. It’s just Erik and me.
For the first time, I’m glad of that fact.
He finally rips my panties all the way down, tossing them to the floor. I spread my legs wider while he rubs me just the way I like it. I grip his shoulders, pulling him in closer to me and kissing him with everything I have.
Suddenly, Erik pulls away and kneels. The sight of such a powerful man on his knees before me makes me weak in my own knees. His mouth is on my inner thigh before I can even react.
I sigh as his lips move over my nub, licking and playing with it. My toes curl from the pleasure.
Erik growls, and the sound goes straight to my core. I never want this moment to end. This perfect, sweet moment between us where everything is good.
He presses his tongue to my entrance and slips it inside. My hips roll around. God, this is the best feeling in the world. Being completely consumed by Erik. I never would’ve thought I’d love it this much. All I had to do was just give in, and it happened.
He’s also showed me he’s not a complete beast. That he has some good in him. That he has more than just some good. Erik Koslov actually has a heart.
He moves his tongue back up to my clit, where he kisses and plays with me harder. I can’t hold myself up any longer and lower my back to the desk. I let the sensation of what he’s doing wash over me.
“Erik,” I gasp, my hips bucking toward his face. He has to hold his arm around my waist to keep me in place.
He licks me harder and harder and harder …
Until I finally explode.
I gasp and try to catch my breath as my body trembles. Erik continues to kiss me between my legs the entire time. It’s not until I go still that he finally stands up. Even through his pants, I can tell he’s erect.
“Take me,” I say, meeting his gaze.
Without a word, he unzips his pants and pulls his cock out. I open my legs wider to allow him to settle between them.
He helps me sit back up so we’re chest to chest, and our eyes meet.
And then, he enters me.
I moan, while he lets out a low, gruff sound. It’s sexy. It’s masculine. It turns me on even more.
I grip the back of Erik’s shoulders and bring my legs higher around his waist.
“You need this?” he asks.
“I need it.”
His thrust is powerful. It almost hurts, but that’s what makes it feel amazing. The pain mixed with the pleasure.
His hands slap onto the counter as he rolls his hips around, pulling out of me until just the tip of him remains and then entering me in one sudden forceful movement.
Every thrust makes me moan. I drop my head back and let my eyes flutter closed.
“No,” he growls. “Look at me.”
Erik takes the back of my head and helps me keep it up so I can meet his gaze. Our bodies are moving as one. In and out. Thrusting.
This time, I find myself able to match his pace.
He grabs one strap of my dress and tugs it down, taking my bra with it. His lips find my nipple, and he runs his tongue around it. I moan and arch my back, bringing our hips closer.
Thrust. I gasp. Thrust. He kisses along my throat. Thrust. I cling to him even tighter.
“I need to touch you, too,” I gasp out, scrambling for his shirt. I rip off the button and push his shirt of him. Erik hisses when I draw my nails down his muscular chest.
He pulls my other strap down so my dress falls around my waist. My bra is gone within seconds as Erik rips it off me, tossing it to the side with a low grunt in the back of his throat.
I can’t help but smile. He wants me just as badly as I want him.
Our chests press together, and it’s the best feeling in the world. Being this connected with him. Our hearts so close to each other.
Erik grips the backs of my thighs and pulls me flush against him. There’s no space between us. Not even a sliver of paper could get between us now.
I pull his head down so our lips can meet. We kiss with everything inside us as our hips rock together. The sensation of his length inside me is too much to bear. The pleasure is intense, making it hard for me to think, let alone breathe.
He lowers me onto my back and leans over me, drawing my hands over my head. Our fingers interlock. Every thrust of his cock gets me one step closer to my release. I can feel it building, building, building inside.
“Oh!” I moan. I want to say more, but words don’t even make sense right now.
Erik thrusts into me harder and harder and harder.
“Erik,” I cry out, clenching my hands around his as my second orgasm washes over me.
He groans and shudders as his release fills me. With a sigh, he lowers his body onto me, resting his face into the crook of my neck.
“Your breath tickles,” I tell him.
“I’m not sorry about that.” He kisses along my neck, then moves down to my chest, pleasuring my breasts for a moment. “God, Anya, I’m fucking obsessed.”
“With my body?”
“With you.”
I arch into him as he kisses back up to my lips. It’s a lazy kiss. A perfect post-coital kiss.
“I can’t believe how easy it has become between us,” I murmur against his lips.
“We still have more battles. But I agree. I never thought I could be this open with someone. But you’ve changed me, Anya. I don’t even know how you did it.”
“I didn’t change you. You chose to change. I could never make you, that’s for sure.”
He chuckles. “That is true.” With a sigh, he pulls out of me and stands up, raking his eyes over me. “If I could capture the way you look in this moment forever, fuck …” He shakes his head, his eyes darkening. “You’re perfect like this.”
“Naked?”
“Content. You look content right now. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look that way before.”
“Maybe that’s because I’m falling in love,” I admit.
There. I put it out there. Erik and I have been through a lot these past few months. From hatred to care. From battles to kidnappings.
The final act was Erik saving Nadia. I can’t hate him at all anymore. So, instead of choosing to live my life with hate in my heart, I want to live it with love.
Erik’s eyes widen at my admission. “Anya …”
“You don’t have to say anything.” I sit up and slip my dress back on. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said it.”
“I don’t want you to hide your feelings from me.”
“But if you don’t feel the same way, I …”
“Hey.” He cups my face between his strong hands. “I’m figuring all this out, same as you. I’ve never been in love. I’ve never allowed myself to feel love before. But I know I care for you. I know I can’t get you off my mind. I know I want to see you happy. And if that’s love, then …”
A loud bang on the front door makes us pull apart.
Just like that, our moment is interrupted.