Dmitri (Obsessed Alpha #13)

Chapter One

Dmitri

I observed the mundane scene of the Italian piazza below, feeling bored while waiting for my next meeting. Checking my watch, I had another hour before I had to meet with a client, giving me too much time to observe and mentally punish the na?ve tourists.

People moved about their day as if there weren’t monsters just feet away. They had no idea that one lurked on the balcony above them. As I imagine the fools falling prey to the predators out there, a smile that would scare my enemies stretches over my face.

It’s been years since I served as an enforcer and snapped necks for the Russian brotherhood, but some instincts don’t fade. The crowd was full of easy marks. Although I never targeted the weak and innocent, it didn’t mean I couldn’t notice how simple they made it. Sometimes, I could just picture how I’d do it if they were my target.

Now, I’m running my life as clean as possible, or as clean as someone with my past can get, but there is always someone making it difficult, like when a former contact gets mixed up into some shit and needs my help. Today’s meeting will be a clean deal, with no dead bodies and no back-alley deals.

I sip my coffee, loving the taste of a great Italian espresso, while I look down at the classical structure and beauty of the little piazza. The Italians have truly perfected the technique of coffee and architecture; it’s the reason why I’d chosen Italy as one of my homes away from home. I continue my perusal of the crowd from my seat on the balcony while sipping my coffee.

Immediately my attention is drawn to one tourist in particular. She’s a pretty, young woman with long black hair that’s pleated in a braid, hanging down her back, resting on her small backpack. A foolish thing to have on her. Someone could quickly snatch it and steal her belongings. Has anyone told her how unsafe it is to leave herself so vulnerable to theft?

Innocently, she points to the cold, sweet gelato for sale, lifts her head, delivering a bright smile to the male vendor. From her gestures, it’s clear she’s not fluent in the language. Still, he figures out which one she wants from just the visual cues. Her head bobs as she nods with pleasure that he’s picked the correct one. He returns an even wider, more intent smirk filled with lecherous intent.

Before I can fully process the scene in front of me, the small cup in my hand cracks, sending the espresso everywhere. “Fuck.” Setting down the broken pieces onto the saucer, grabbing my napkin, I wipe some of the mess away when I hear a light laugh. I forget all about the damn mess on my slacks or the slight burn from the spilled coffee and return my attention to the mysterious woman below.

She turns my way with her treat, taking a bite and smiling broadly with her eyes closed and head tilted upward. My dick stiffens in my trousers like never before until I have to adjust myself in the seat. Her eyes opened and immediately met mine from across the courtyard. Her sky-blue eyes are radiating joy from her gelato.

A low rumble rips from my chest, and I swear I can hear a soft gasp fall from her delicately parted lips as if she can hear my mating call. The image of her will be burned into my brain for the rest of my days.

I raise one brow and smirk before winking at my distraction. This beautiful creature isn’t why I’m in Italy; however, I have always believed life threw you in the path you were meant for, and she was meant to meet the beast today. With a motion of my hand, I tell her to stay put because I’m coming to claim her. Without an ounce of hesitation in my step, I quickly exit the hotel and down to the street to search for my little na?ve tourist with so much to learn about the world and dangerous men like me.

I spotted her across the courtyard, only to find a man flanked to her left. He’s got his hand around her shoulder while he whispers in her ear. Who the fuck does he think he is touching something that doesn’t belong to him?

Growling, I move closer, ready to rip his head off to see that he’s holding a gun to her waist. She swallows hard, trying to stop herself from screaming.

The kidnapper doesn’t see me, so I call Mikhail. “Bring the car around. Now. Track me.” There’s no time for greetings or anything else, so I end the call and follow my woman and her abductor. Mikhail needs to track my phone because I won’t stand still while she disappears in the hands of scum.

He leads her away from the piazza down to an alleyway where a van is idling as if it’s making a delivery to the back of a bakery. There is no way I can let them out of my sight, so I quickly move around to the back of the vehicle, but I’m not quick enough to stop him from jabbing her neck with a needle as he sets her in the back of the piece of shit trafficking ride.

Fuck.

Still, I’m on the bastard in seconds, snapping his neck with a flick of my wrists. I wasn’t built like this for nothing and thank the lord for that because my woman needs someone like me to protect her.

The driver jumps out with a gun in hand after hearing the commotion. Seeing me, his eyes widen, but he does what every coward does. He opens fire without thinking about the consequences if he misses, which he does.

His shots are wide and unskilled; I easily avoid the bullets as I charge at the bastard, sending him into the open driver’s side door while keeping my balance. With the piece of shit knocked out cold, I leave him for the police to find and hopefully send a message to his boss that no one will be allowed to come after my woman.

I rush to the back of the van and pick up my beautiful woman, checking her breathing. She has a steady rhythm, so I’m guessing they gave her a sedative, but she still needs a physician.

Mikhail’s at my side with his gun ready a second later. “Let’s go. She needs a doctor now,” I growl out, barely containing my rage.

His eyebrows raise as he tips his chin toward the treasure in my arms. “Who is she?”

“Your future sister-in-law.” The conviction in my voice surprises him, but he’s quick to school his expression before I lose the last of my composure on my oldest friend.

“Does she know that?” he asks with a smirk.

“ Nyet, but she will.” I walk as quickly yet calmly as possible to the vehicle and slide us into the backseat, adjusting her body so that she’s not jostled too much.

“Take us to my villa in Salerno now.” It’s only an hour away, but he’ll make it there in forty-five minutes with his skilled driving. We hit the road in moments, moving away from the crowds. It takes a long time to get out of Naples, but once we’re past the narrow streets and on the open road, he’s able to shift into high gear.

We rushed past the countryside, and I wished my sleeping beauty was awake to see this. She seemed so thrilled to be in the piazza, absorbing the Italian culture around her, that I’m almost certain she’d love this as well.

One look at her and it was as if I’d known she’d become my bride. It’s too fast and crazy, but the euphoric rush I got is just too fantastic to let slip away. I slid her bag off her back to make her a little more comfortable and then I dug into it to learn about my future wife.

I opened the large zipper and found a clutch wallet with two credit cards and an ID belonging to Cora Hardwick. Cora. Checking her birthday, I’m grateful she’s at least twenty-one. Although it wouldn’t matter if she was just eighteen because she’s mine. Life sent her my way and was a done deal the moment her eyes landed on me.

“Dmitri, what about the mess in the alley?” he questions me, peeking through the rearview.

I pause a moment to think about that mess which could cause some problems. Still, I own too many dirty hands to let the matter worry me. “There were no cameras back there. It’s the reason they snatched her ass. Besides, I could call in Federico and have him clean it all up.”

“Yes, I suppose you have a point, but you were supposed to meet with the clients to sign the contracts on the construction.” I’d forgotten all about them the moment I spotted my future. I had two meetings, but they’ll have to wait.

“I don’t give a shit about any clients. All that matters is my Cora. She needs my protection, and she will have it.” Immediately, I pulled out her phone, which required her fingerprint to open. Quickly, I slide her thumb over it and then dig through the device, changing the security so I can have easy access to it. The main number she called was a man named Edmond. A fiery rage shoots through my veins at the name, so I read the last text messages between them.

Be careful. I shouldn’t have let you go on your own.

I’m an adult, Dad. Immediately, I feel a sense of relief that he’s not some boyfriend waiting for her at her hotel or something because I’d have to revert to my old ways and dispatch him with a snap of his neck. Well, my not so old ways.

Please… you’re still a beautiful woman surrounded by perverts. Still, her father is absolutely correct. Traffickers nearly snatched her up in broad daylight, but they aren’t the only men craving her perfection. Unlike those devils, I’d move heaven and earth to protect and worship her, destroying anyone who gets in the way.

I promise to call you every day. I don’t know if I can let her keep that promise just yet, which might cause some problems.

You better. I love you, brat.

Love you, too. Stop stressing.

I closed her messaging app and then tucked it into my inside jacket pocket.

If I had a daughter like her, I’d be in trouble, and there would be a bunch of dead motherfuckers for just looking at her. Perhaps it’s best that I had no family. Even Mikhail isn’t my actual brother, but we grew up close to each other in the streets of Moscow that we consider each other family.

I called my personal physician. “Meet me at my villa in Salerno right now.”

“I can be there in about forty minutes.”

“Fine. Get here by then.” I ended the call without waking her. As we drive through the vineyard roads, I hold her close and run my hands over her bare arms, checking to see if she’s either too hot or cold.

As soon as we arrived at my villa, I carefully got her out of the SUV, snagging her bag from the seat and putting it over my shoulder. Mikhail unlocks the door and then I take her to my bedroom and lay her on my crisp sheets, wanting her to feel the luxury she’ll have forever.

My eyes rake up and down over her young, sinful body. I pluck off her shoes and socks before tugging off her shorts, so she is more comfortable. This isn’t meant to be sexual; although my dick beats against my slacks as if it hasn’t gotten the message. My sweet little one needs me to care for her. She moans softly on my sheets, and I want to drag my face between those sweet thighs to hear her moan even louder, but I hold back. I lift the sheet, and then cover her body to keep her warm and myself in check. Never in my life have I felt such a damn pull to a woman before.

I walk from the room before I stay and do something stupid like lie down with her. A longing so uncontrollable it fills me up, but there are more important matters at hand like who the fuck wanted my woman in the first place.

Mikhail is waiting for me downstairs. “Office now,” I state, moving with a purpose.

“So, what’s going on?”

“I need everything you can get me on Cora Hardwick.” I handed him her ID from her bag. “I want the information on a man called Edmond Hardwick. He’s her father, according to her messages.”

“Okay. I will. Are we going to talk about this thing you got going on?”

“There’s nothing to talk about. I saw her, and I decided that she was mine. End of discussion.”

“Understood.”

“I’m going to dig as well, but first I need to call my clients back and discuss a reschedule,” I add, opening the day planner on my desk.

He leaves and I shoot off an email to a client that I have a meeting with tomorrow, canceling it until further notice. Then I called my two other clients that I ditched today. They easily agreed to the meeting tomorrow in the same place.

As I’m about to check on Cora, the doorbell rings. The doctor arrives and we shake hands. He follows me upstairs. “In here. She was drugged, but I’m not sure with what.” I open the door and lead him inside to my woman.

“Wow,” he says unprofessionally. If this wasn’t important, I’d punch him in the face.

“Do your job and shut your mouth. She’s mine,” I snarled.

“Understood, Dmitri.” He walks over and presses the back of his hand to her forehead. “That’s good. She’s not running a fever.” He then checks her pulse. “Steady and strong.”

“Very good, little one,” I whisper by her side.

“Merda.” He grins, still holding onto her wrist.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. She must like the sound of your voice. Her pulse jumped.” A deep smile spreads across my face. “Her vitals are steady. I will draw some blood and test for the drug in her system. I’m guessing it won’t be long before she’s awake.”

“Good. Run your tests, but don’t be gone long because I want to make sure she gets the care she needs.”

“Understood. I’m guessing there’s a good reason you didn’t take her to a hospital directly.”

“Yes, I don’t know who the hell was hired to snatch her.”

“Good. I’ll keep my mouth shut as usual. Although, if it’s more than a mild sedative, you might need to bring her in.” He goes to work, gently and safely, taking two vials of blood from her. She hardly even makes a sound and doesn’t even move while he does it. Although it’s good for the process, I’m bothered by her unconsciousness.

“Then I will.” A part of me wishes I did in the first place, but some of the traffickers will have eyes on the hospitals, especially after what happened back there.

He leaves, and I get back to her side, brushing my hand down her soft cheek. “I’ll destroy all those who dare to come between us. That I promise you,” I whisper, pressing my lips to her forehead before standing and exiting the bedroom.

I head back into my office and Mikhail is there typing away on his laptop. “His name isn’t Edmond Hardwick. His name is Edmond Trainor and from what I can gather, he’s her stepfather. I’m still digging though.”

“I need to find out who those bastards were in Naples.” My mind isn’t on the men though. It’s on the lovely woman in my bed. My eyes lift toward the direction of the bedroom, and I wonder how she’s doing. It hasn’t been that long, but there’s a fear in me that she’s not okay.

“Do you want me to dig into it?”

“Yes. I’m going to check on her again.” He shakes his head and chuckles.

I scowl and then question him, “What’s so funny?”

“You’re obsessed.”

“I know,” I say before walking out of my office and back upstairs.