Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
Nikita
I turned to Lily, and the weight of everything that had happened between us—everything that still needed to be dealt with—crashed down around me like a fucking avalanche. She stood there, breathing hard, her eyes wide and wild, her hair disheveled, and yet… still alive. Still here.
She stared back at me, her chest rising and falling, and for a moment, we just looked at each other, neither of us knowing what the fuck to say.
"I… I can't believe…" she whispered, her voice raw with emotion. "I've never killed a man…"
"I know," I muttered, turning away from her, unable to will myself to comfort her. "I should've seen this coming," I said instead, pacing the room, trying to rein in the fire still burning inside me. "Someone tipped them off. Someone knew we were here."
Lily stepped toward me, her eyes filled with worry. "Nikita, I didn't have anything to do with this."
"I didn't say you did," I snapped, the anger bubbling up again. "Do you think you could have made a move as big as this without me knowing?"
She flinched at my words, the hurt flashing across her face, but I couldn't stop. I needed to get it out. All of it.
"I brought you here to isolate us, to figure out what the hell we're doing, and now I've got a fucking mess on my hands," I said, my voice rough with fury. "You made me weak."
"I didn't—" she started, but I cut her off.
"Enough," I growled. "This isn't over. Not by a long shot."
My hands clenched into fists as I glared at her, the betrayal still burning beneath the surface. I had let her in. I had fucking let her in, and now everything was unraveling.
But as I stood there, my blood still boiling, I realized something else—something I didn't want to admit.
I still wanted her.
Despite everything, despite the lies, the betrayal, the fucking chaos of it all, I still wanted her. The thought of losing her, of her being caught in the crossfire, had driven me to the edge. And that terrified me more than anything.
Before I could say anything else, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from down the hall. My men. The cleanup crew.
I turned to Lily, my chest heaving with the weight of everything we still hadn't said.
"This isn't finished," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "We'll talk later."
Her eyes met mine, and for the briefest moment, I saw something in her gaze—something raw, something broken. But there was no time to deal with it now. We'd survived the ambush. But the real battle between us had just begun.
I could hear the footsteps of my men, their voices, but all I could focus on was Lily—standing there, covered in blood that wasn't hers, clutching the gun like she was ready for the next fight.
I had brought her here to confront her, to get to the bottom of this betrayal, and now I had a fucking ambush on my hands. My estate, my sanctuary, had been breached. And she had almost died because of it.
"Boss," one of my men called out as they all rounded the corner, guns still drawn, scanning the room. "It's clear now."
"Clean this up," I barked, not bothering to turn around. My focus was still on Lily.
The men immediately set to work, cleaning the mansion and dragging the bodies out one by one. I didn't care who had sent them. Not now. There would be time for that later—time to hunt them down and make sure they paid for what they'd done. But right now, there was something more pressing, something that was eating away at me like a festering wound.
Lily.
I could still feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, the raw anger that had nearly consumed me when I realized she was in danger. But she wanted to fight with me. There was something about it—something about her—that drove me fucking insane. She had betrayed me, lied to me, and yet here she was, refusing to leave, refusing to run.
I should hate her for it.
But I didn't.
Not the way I should.
"Lily," I said, my voice rough, filled with a tension I couldn't shake. "Go to your room. Now."
She blinked, her eyes wide with confusion, but she didn't argue. She knew better than to push me right now. Without a word, she turned and walked toward the staircase, her steps heavy with the weight of everything that had happened.
I watched her until she disappeared down the hall, the tight knot of anger and something else—something dark—twisting inside me. I wanted to follow her. I wanted to make her say those words again, the ones I couldn't believe. But I didn't. I couldn't.
Not when I was this close to losing control.
Once she was out of sight, I turned to Mikhail, who had just entered the room, his eyes scanning the damage. He didn't say anything, but I could see the question in his eyes.
"What happened?" he asked quietly, stepping closer, his gaze flicking to the blood on my shirt.
"An ambush," I growled, my jaw clenched. "Someone knew we were here."
He frowned, his expression hardening. "It was planned."
"Obviously," I snapped, pacing the room as the rage boiled over again. "They knew exactly where to hit, exactly how to breach the estate. And they came prepared."
Mikhail didn't say anything for a moment, but I could feel his eyes on me, watching, waiting. He was my second-in-command, my most trusted man, but even he didn't know what to say right now. He knew I wasn't just angry about the attack.
I was angry about her.
"What do you want to do?" he asked finally, his voice careful, measured.
I stopped pacing, my fists clenched at my sides. "I want to know who the fuck sent them," I growled. "I want to know how they knew we were here."
Mikhail nodded, his expression grim. "I'll find out."
I didn't doubt him. Mikhail was a cold, ruthless bastard when it came to tracking down information. He'd get to the bottom of it. And when he did, whoever was behind this ambush would wish they'd never been born.
But there was still one question gnawing at me, one thought that I couldn't shake.
Had this been about her? Had someone found out who Lily was, what she was really after? Was this connected to her past, to Alexei? Or was this a move against me, an attempt to hit me where I was most vulnerable?
I wasn't sure anymore.
"Watch her," I ordered, my voice low, dangerous. "I want eyes on her at all times."
Mikhail's brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't argue. "You think she's involved?"
I let out a harsh laugh, shaking my head. "I don't know what the fuck to think."
The truth was, I didn't know if Lily was involved in this attack. But I couldn't take any chances. Not anymore.
"She's already lied to me once," I continued, my voice cold. "If she's involved in this, if she had anything to do with what just happened, I'll?—"
I stopped myself, my fists clenching tighter. I didn't want to say the words. I didn't want to admit that I wasn't sure what I'd do if it turned out she was still playing me. The thought of her betraying me again… it was too much.
Mikhail's gaze was steady, but there was a flicker of concern in his eyes. He knew me well enough to see what this was doing to me.
"I'll keep an eye on her," he said simply. "But, Nikita… if this was a rival family, you know they'll keep coming."
"I know," I muttered, my voice like ice. "And I'll be ready for them."
Mikhail nodded, but before he could say anything else, I turned and walked out of the room, my mind spinning with a thousand conflicting thoughts.
I made my way through the darkened corridors of the mansion, my body aching from the fight, my mind still consumed with thoughts of Lily. The memory of her standing beside me, her hands steady as she fired that gun, played over and over in my head. She had fought for me. She had stayed when she could have run.
But why?
Was it guilt? Fear? Or was it something else?
I pushed open the door to the bedroom, my chest tight as I saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, her back to me. Her shoulders were tense, her head bowed. She must have heard me come in, but she didn't turn.
For a long moment, I just stood there, watching her, the weight of everything crashing down around me. The lies, the betrayal, the fucking ambush—it all twisted inside me like a knife in the gut. And yet, despite everything, I couldn't shake the pull I felt toward her. The need to protect her. The need to possess her.
Even now.
She didn't look up as I stepped closer, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.
"I didn't know," she whispered, her voice soft, broken. "I swear I didn't know they were coming."
I stopped just behind her, my breath heavy, my body aching with the weight of it all. Part of me wanted to believe her. Part of me needed to believe her. But I couldn't. Not fully. Not after everything.
"I don't know what to believe anymore," I muttered, my voice rough. "You've lied to me too many times, Lily."
Her shoulders shook slightly, but she didn't respond. She didn't try to defend herself.
I took another step forward, my hand brushing against her shoulder. She flinched, but she didn't pull away. And for the first time since all of this began, I felt like dropping the anger, just releasing it.
I couldn't trust her. But I still wanted her.
"Look at me," I commanded, my voice low, rough.
Slowly, she turned, her eyes wide and filled with guilt, fear, and something else—something that mirrored what I felt inside.
I wanted to punish her. I wanted to make her pay for what she'd done. But more than that, I wanted her to feel what I was feeling. I wanted her to know that she wasn't the only one who was breaking.
"You're not forgiven," I growled. "You're still a traitor. But you're my traitor. My toy now. For me to do with as I please."
Her breath caught in her throat, and she stared up at me, her lips trembling, but she didn't say a word. She didn't have to.
Because she knew I meant every word.