Chapter 11 — Kiera
I flinched at the deafening sound of the gunshot that should’ve claimed my life. Something splashed across my face: thick, slimy, and warm. My heart was pounding in my chest as I froze on the ground, wondering why I was still breathing.
The ringing in my ear was loud, muffling the rapid sound of gunfire that filled the air. I wasn’t dead yet. But if the shot didn’t kill me, who took the bullet? That question had barely formed in my head when I heard a body drop like a log.
I opened my eyes to see my attacker lying face down in his own pool of blood. That same blood had splashed on my face seconds earlier. He lay motionless at my feet.
At a short distance, the one-eyed man stood gallantly, his pistol aimed at me. I didn’t need to be a genius to know he was the one who’d put a bullet in my attacker’s head.
My heart skipped a beat at Nial’s painful groan, and I turned toward him. He was on his back beneath a huge man, struggling as a knife was pressed against his face.
I was too shaken to do anything, and by then the one-eyed man had his hands full. His gun had clicked empty, and he was fighting three men at once. I never thought a day would come when I’d be so worried about my captor’s life.
He was in danger, and that scared the living daylights out of me. Especially because I was too weak to help. But just when I thought all hope was lost, the tables turned in Nial’s favor.
It wasn’t luck.
It was a strategic move, one he pulled so fast that I missed it. All I knew was that somehow, he got hold of the knife and jabbed it into his attacker’s neck. The blade punctured a major artery, and now there was blood everywhere. Lots of it.
The man rose to his feet, slowly staggering sideways like a drunk, until he fell to the ground. Dead.
My hand flew to my mouth as I watched his body jerk, blood squirting uncontrollably from his neck. It was like a gruesome scene from the Spartacus TV show: graphic and disturbing. Except this was fuckin’ real life.
A wave of nausea washed over me, and I almost puked in my mouth.
Fuck.
I knew there would be a shootout and bloodshed. But I didn’t think things were going to be so grotesque.
Nial rose to his feet, and from the ground, I watched him take all the men that came at him. With his bare hands, his man killed four armed men, his moves swift and tactical. Bones snapped, and men screamed at their tearing flesh.
He was fast. Really fast. And his blows and kicks seemed to carry so much weight. While he fought amidst the chaos, he stole hidden glances in my direction as if to make sure that I wasn’t attacked again.
“Get back in the vehicle!” he bellowed after snapping a man’s neck from behind.
Instantly, I crawled toward the car, got into the backseat, and closed the door. I lay down with my hands over my ears, thinking maybe I should’ve just stayed back at the mansion.
A few minutes later, the shooting ceased. And when I dared to raise my head, I found that only Nial and a few of his men were still standing. They’d lost a couple of soldiers in this battle, but in the end, they won.
From inside the car, I watched him point toward the building while speaking to his men in Russian. When he switched to English for a bit, I heard something about securing a red door and checking for survivors.
The man was covered in dirt and blood—his enemies’, not his. His shoulders were heaving with slow breaths, his fists still clenched most of the time. The frown on his face was enough to make a weakling shit their pants.
I’d always known he was a monster. But this was the first time I’d actually witnessed his monstrosity. And it wasn’t a pretty experience. For his enemies.
The aftermath was brutal. I saw dead bodies littered across the ground; some had bullet holes in their heads, others in their chests. But the most disturbing sight was that of the man who was blown to pieces. His body parts were scattered everywhere; torso, arms, and legs all lay separately.
The whole thing was messy, bloody, and fuckin’ horrible. And I was in the middle of it.
When Nial met my gaze across the compound, I saw a hint of relief in his eyes. He would never admit it, but he was worried about me. Why else would he have protected the car I was in at all costs?
I recalled the way he grabbed my hand when the first explosion went off. The man did all he could do to protect me, and that knowledge settled deep in my chest.
This was the same man who once stood idly by, watching another man choke me until I passed out. Yet he’d fought for me twice now in just twenty-four hours.
As we held each other’s gaze across the compound, something frozen thawed inside me. The longer I stared at him, the more intense my emotions grew. The same emotions coursed through my veins when he cornered me in the hallway last night.
He looked dangerous—scary as fuck—but that was the exact quality that pulled me in like a moth to a flame.
***
Back at the mansion, I sat on the bed after a cold shower, reminiscing about how close I’d come to dying. If Nial’s lieutenant hadn’t pulled that trigger when he did, I would’ve been gone for sure.
If Nial himself hadn’t protected the car like my guardian angel, the story would’ve ended differently. In my head, the scene of Nial taking on those men with his bare hands kept replaying over and over again.
His tactical moves and combat skills were insane—so insane they had me hooked. I lay back on the comfy bed, overwhelmed by emotions: fear, gratitude, anger, relief, and desire.
I hated myself for feeling so horny at a time like this. But maybe it was just my own way of dealing with this near-death experience.
How could I want the man who held me prisoner? How could I be so attracted to a monster that even the thought of him made me wet?
I saw the way he looked at me last night—the desire in his eyes was proof that he, too, was attracted to me. The more I tried to do away with the illicit thoughts forming in my head, the more graphic they became.
My emotions were all over the place, and my imagination was going wild. I cooked up intimate scenes in my mind where we shared a kiss so fervent it left us breathless.
I thought about how good it would feel to have him deep inside me. The idea alone sent tremors down my core. My body was shaking with desire as the flames of lust threatened to consume me.
It was as though I was no longer in control of my mind and emotions. I wanted this man so badly that I was willing to offer him my innocence.
I’d kept myself all these years because I wanted my first time to be with the right man. I wanted it to be memorable—special in every way. But I guess that was nothing but a dream of a na?ve little girl living in a fairytale world.
Things worked differently in real life. Today, I witnessed something so horrible that it changed the way I viewed the world. Nevertheless, it would still be fucked up to give myself to the same man who ruined my life and career.
But like I said, I was no longer in control.
My thighs brushed against each other in response to the sweet sensation between my legs. My heart was hammering in my heaving chest, a wave of intense heat spreading across my body.
When my hand grazed my nipples over the fabric of my polo shirt, the feeling was electric. A cold shiver sprinted down my spine, making my whole body tremble. I locked my legs and covered my face with a pillow. But none of that helped.
I knew what I wanted—who I wanted. I was just too ashamed to face my desires. Nial was the only one who could scratch this itch of mine, and all I needed was the courage to get out of bed.
Deep down, I was afraid of being rejected.
However, that was the worst thing that could happen if I took that bold step. It would sting for a while, but I’d get over it eventually.
Without a second thought, I tossed the sheets aside and got out of bed. My oversized polo shirt draped over my naked body, the hem grazing my thighs as I walked out of the room.
I headed straight to his master bedroom, my bare feet padding softly down the hallway. I halted outside the door and began banging on it. Moments later, he answered from the other side.
His tousled hair was damp, and steam swirled from his skin, hinting that he’d just stepped out of the shower. A white towel was wrapped around his hips, leaving him stripped from the waist upward.
I swallowed hard, my heart racing at the sight of his chiseled abs and broad shoulders.
“You tried to break down my door,” he said, his voice smooth and enticing. “This had better be important.”
“It is.” I walked right in without an invitation.
“Please, come on in,” he murmured sarcastically.
The large room was the epitome of luxury and class. But I wasn’t here for sightseeing.
He closed the door and turned around to face me, his expression a bit lighter than usual. Inviting. “What do you want?”
I took a step forward. “I want you to act on your feelings and stop holding back.”
His eyes squinted, a glimpse of shock flickering in his gaze.
I continued, taking more steps toward him. “I see the way you look at me, Nial…. I know you want me….”
“Kiera….”
I cut him off with a phrase so raw and unfiltered. “Fuck me.”
Silence.
The air was charged with tension, and from where I was standing, I could see the print of his hard cock beneath his towel.
“You asked what I wanted.” I looked him straight in the eye. “I want you to fuck me.”