Chapter 22 #2
Like a drowning person finally finding a life preserver, I clutched desperately at his tailored suit lapel. Tears broke through in that instant. I buried my face in his chest, breathing in that familiar cedar scent, trembling uncontrollably.
Only in this moment did I truly realize what kind of bloody, dangerous world the man I'd fallen for inhabited. The mob wasn't romantic words in a novel—it was real guns and real murder.
"It's over, it's over, Vivienne. I'm here.
" He tightened his arms with tremendous force, nearly crushing me into his bones.
He turned his head toward where the Chevrolet had disappeared, voice hoarse with a chilling deadness.
"Sasha, pull all surveillance footage from this street.
I want every trajectory of that vehicle.
Contact all our informants downtown. Within three hours, I want those two bastards kneeling before me. "
"Yes." Sasha nodded and left.
Nikolai carried me to the Bentley, carefully placing me in the back seat before sitting beside me. The moment the door closed, all the outside chaos was sealed off.
"Nikolai..."
"Don't talk." He interrupted, voice still cold but his hands incredibly gentle. He took out antiseptic cotton and bandages from the car's medical kit, personally cleaning my wounds.
I watched his tense jawline, the vein pulsing at his temple. That terror that had scrambled my senses was suddenly replaced by something more intense.
He was afraid.
This most dangerous, coldest mob Pakhan in all Washington was now experiencing near-loss-of-control fear because of my injury.
"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly, voice rough.
"A little," I answered honestly.
His movement paused, then he bandaged my wounds even more carefully. After treating the last scrape, he didn't let go but pulled me into his arms, chin resting on my head, large palm pressing tight against the back of my skull.
"I'm sorry." He closed his eyes, voice so low it was almost a murmur. "I underestimated how insane those bastards would be."
I leaned into him, nose filled with that cedar and faint gunpowder scent. My frantically pounding heart finally began to calm.
"Nikolai." I looked up at him. "I'm okay. Really."
He opened his eyes—something almost fragile flickered in those gray depths.
"If anything had happened to you..." His voice caught, Adam's apple bobbing violently. "I would've burned Washington's entire underworld to ashes."
My heart clenched hard.
In this moment, I suddenly realized with perfect clarity—Mia was right.
This man loved me.
He'd maybe never said it, maybe hadn't even realized it himself, but he loved me.
In the only way he knew—the most extreme, most violent way—he loved me.
I reached up, gently touching his tense face. "I'm alive, Nikolai. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
He suddenly bent down and kissed me fiercely.
It was a kiss filled with fear, possessiveness, and survival. Like he wanted to swallow me whole so I could never leave.
I kissed him back with equal intensity, telling him I was here too. I wouldn't leave.
Outside, Sasha was directing other members to secure the scene and pull surveillance. The sun still shone brightly, but the air hung heavy with pre-storm pressure.
On the drive back to the estate, Nikolai gripped my hand tightly the entire time, as if loosening for even a second would make me vanish.
When the car pulled through the estate gates, Sophia and several servants were already waiting at the entrance, worry on their faces. When Mary saw the bandages on my elbow, her eyes immediately reddened.
"Ms. Cole, are you all right? I'll prepare hot water and ointment—"
"Not necessary, Mary." Nikolai cut her off, voice still edged with undissipated violence. "I'll take care of her myself. Everyone go."
He carried me straight upstairs, pushed open the bedroom door, and gently set me on the bed.
"Take a bath." He leaned down and kissed my forehead, voice unusually gentle. "I've had the water temperature adjusted. Your pajamas are in the bathroom. If anything feels wrong, call me immediately."
I nodded, almost floating into the bathroom.
The bathroom was filled with steam, the air carrying a faint lavender scent. I soaked in the warm water, looking at the alarming scrapes on my elbow, my mind replaying that black SUV charging toward me over and over.
If Sasha hadn't reacted fast enough...
I shook my head hard, not letting myself continue that thought.
After bathing, I changed into soft silk pajamas and walked out of the bathroom toweling my half-dry hair. Nikolai wasn't in the room, but a warm glass of milk and a plate of cut fruit sat on the nightstand.
My heart softened.
This man who seemed so cold on the surface remembered I liked drinking milk before bed and personally instructed the kitchen to prepare my favorite strawberries.
But I had no appetite now.
I sat on the bed wrapped in my robe, picked up my phone to message Mia and reassure her. She must be terrified.
As soon as I unlocked my phone, I saw Mia had already sent over a dozen messages.
"Vivienne are you okay? Message me back now!"