32. Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Two
Nikolai Volkov
I stared at Tatiana’s sleeping form, unable to calm myself down even though she was lying there, right in front of me.
If I’d been any later…
I shook my head, trying not to think about it, but the image of what I’d barged into was seared into my brain. I feared it would be there forever. That I would never be able to forget it.
After Arturo told me what happened, I almost killed him.
The only reason he was still breathing was because Aleksandr had latched onto my arm at the last second, stopping the blade in my hands from piercing Arturo’s chest. It had taken my two brothers and Adrian to pull me off him.
I didn’t have the time to waste trying to kill him again, but I planned to challenge him to the ring.
I didn’t need a weapon to kill. I could do it with my bare hands.
And I would. Illayana would just have to deal with it.
Arturo was aware of the dangers of his little trap.
He should have taken the proper precautions and paired Tatiana up with someone who would watch her back.
He should have had someone outside, ready to catch any stragglers who ran from the house so Tatiana wouldn’t have to.
So she didn’t go running after Franco. He shouldn’t have gone forward with his plan without me there.
No one could protect Tatiana better than I could.
He should have given me the fucking time to get there before moving forward.
End. Of. Discussion.
When we discovered that her phone had been dumped and the tracker in the back of her neck had been destroyed, everyone thought the worst. That we would never find her in time.
But I never took chances when it came to Tatiana’s life. She had another tracker on her. One she had no idea about. One I’d put into her necklace over three years ago. A necklace she never took off.
We tracked the signal to a double-story house in the suburbs.
Aleksandr, Drea, Ivan, Illayana and Arturo, along with a mixture of Cosa Nostra and Bratva soldiers infiltrated the premises and dealt with any resistance while Lukyan and I hunted for Tatiana.
The tracker in her necklace was state of the art, and could pinpoint her location precisely, right down to what room she was in, so it made it easy for us to find her.
The image of her tied to that table, that man pressing himself against her, flashed through my mind again and I ground my teeth together, trying to reign in my temper.
I thought I had been mad before. I thought I knew what real anger was.
But it wasn’t until that moment, right there, that I truly felt that emotion.
It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.
A dark, red haze had settled over me and I wanted nothing more than to fucking eviscerate him.
To cut off all his limbs one by one until he was begging for me to kill him.
But I wouldn’t. I’d do everything in my power to keep him alive for as long as possible so he could suffer for days.
Months. Years . So I could torture him every single day for daring to touch my Tatiana.
Tatiana groaned in her sleep, rolling over onto her side and facing me.
I leant forward in my chair and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, just watching her.
The fire from the fireplace cast her in this beautiful orange/yellow light, her beauty absolutely bewitching me.
The flames crackled, the sound oddly comforting.
After we’d gotten her out of there, I’d taken her straight home. To my house. Ivan tried to fight me on it, but he must have realised how close I was to snapping, because he let the matter slide. Tatiana had a shower and fell straight asleep in my bed, despite me trying to get her to eat something.
That was roughly seven hours ago, and I hadn’t moved from my spot next to the bed since. I refused to. It wasn’t just that I wanted to be there for her when she woke up…I found that I was incapable of leaving her side.
My phone beeped. I reached into my pocket and pulled it out.
It was a text message from Andrea, confirming the flight details for tomorrow.
Unease flickered through me. Up until Tatiana’s kidnapping, I had been more than prepared for the mission.
I’d gone over the plan a thousand times with my siblings.
Packed my bags. Mentally and physically prepared myself.
But now…
Now things were different.
I couldn’t possibly leave. Just the idea of not being in the same room as Tatiana sent me into full-blown panic mode. How could I possibly complete the mission if my mind was there? If I was constantly worried about Tatiana? I couldn’t.
“Why do you look so grumpy?”
My gaze rose and collided with that set of beautiful hazel eyes that sent my heart racing. All I could do was stare, so incredibly thankful she was there, alive and well.
Tatiana moved to sit up and I jumped up to help her. “Cut that out,” she chastised, slapping my hands away. “I’m not an invalid. I can sit up on a bed on my own.”
“Have pity on me and let me help you. Please.”
Her face softened. “I could use some water?”
I nodded. I got to my feet and went to the pitcher of water on my dressing table, pouring a glass. I returned and offered it to her. She took it, drinking the whole thing in one go.
“Thank you,” she said, placing the glass down on the bedside table. “Alright, out with it.”
I frowned. “Out with what?”
“You’re mad at me, aren’t you? That’s why you look so grumpy. You’re mad I joined in on the trap set for Franco—”
“No, Tatiana. I’m not.”
It was her turn to frown. “You’re…not?”
I shook my head. “I know exactly what kind of person you are. You don’t like to leave things unfinished.
Of course I knew you’d want to see this thing through.
I’m mad that Arturo didn’t give me the time to be there.
I’m also mad you didn’t tell me what was going on.
I didn’t even know the trap was taking place until Arturo showed up here, telling me you’d been taken. ”
She winced, avoiding my eyes. “Yeah, I didn’t think you’d like that one. But I was trying to save you from any unnecessary worry.”
I gave her a deadpanned look. “And how did that work out for you?”
She bit her lip. “Alright, you win. I apologise. I should have told you. Had the situation been reversed, I would have wanted you to tell me.”
“You don’t need to apologise to me, Tati.
” I sat on the bed and placed my hand over hers.
She flinched slightly, so slightly I doubt I would have noticed it if I wasn’t staring right at her.
Guilt gripped my heart and I went to take my hand back, but she quickly latched onto it, refusing to let go. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she answered immediately, giving me that classic Tatiana smile. It didn’t seem forced or fake. And I would know. “Really, I am. You got there just in time before anything could happen—”
“Tatiana,” I said softly but firmly. I held her hand with both of mine, trying to support her, to comfort her.
“You don’t need to do that with me. Don’t downplay it and make out like nothing happened.
Something did happen . He assaulted you, regardless of whether or not he raped you.
He touched you when he shouldn’t have, and I’m so sorry I couldn’t get there sooner to stop it. ”
She looked down at our hands. “His touch, it was…repulsive,” she shivered. “I wish I could kill him again. I wish we’d had more time to really make him suffer.”
“Me too.” I raised her hand to my lips, kissing her skin softly. “But at least we know he did suffer.”
“How did you find me, by the way? Franco said he destroyed the tracker in the back of my neck.”
My gaze darted to the necklace around her neck and back up.
She gasped. “You didn’t,” she said, touching the little golden heart.
“I did. And I’m not sorry.”
“Well, neither am I now,” she scoffed. “First my phone, now my necklace…how many others are there?”
I smirked, mischief dancing in my eyes. “I don’t think you want to know the answer to that question.”
She laughed softly. It felt so good to hear her laugh. “You’re right. I probably don’t.” She leant back against the headboard and exhaled heavily. Her head rolled on her shoulders, her eyes locking on my suitcases in the corner. She was silent for a moment. “When do you leave?”
“I’m not.” I got to my feet, desperate to change the subject before she could ask any other questions. “Are you hungry? I’ll send for some food.” I turned and took a step towards the door.
“Stoooop,” she sang, her voice ringing out with authority. I froze on the spot. “Turn.” I groaned in frustration and spun on the balls of my feet to face her. “Talk,” she demanded.
I sighed. “Tatiana—”
“Do you want me to cry? Because I’ll cry right here, right now if you don’t sit the fuck back down. I will.”
Humor trickled through me when she pouted, jutting out her lower lip.
I sat back down, exhaling a tired breath. Where was I even going to start? How could I possibly tell her I didn’t want to go because I couldn’t leave her? Not now. Not after what I walked into. How—
“You’re hesitant to leave because of what happened, aren’t you?”
I should have known she’d be able to see right through me. “Yes.”
“Nikolai.” Her voice held a wealth of compassion. Next thing I knew, she was in my lap, straddling me. Her hands dove into my hair and she forced me to look her right in the eyes. “I say this with all the love in the world, but you’re a fucking idiot.”
I tried not to move. I really, really did.
She’d just gone through something incredibly traumatic.
The last thing she needed was me feeling her up.
But she was sitting right on my cock, and that thing always had a mind of its own—especially when it came to Tatiana.
It would stand to attention the moment she walked into the damn room.