Chapter 31 – Elijah
31
ELIJAH
I ’ve recently reviewed our plans regarding the Zennites with Niko, and I think it’s time for a reassessment. When leading an alliance like this, it takes a lot of strategy, a solid reputation, and a great deal of control. And fuck, I can’t think straight now that Zanae is in the equation. I can be a danger for her, but she’s already a target on her own because of her name. I guess it’s time to reconsider certain things and ensure that the people around us can be useful to us. That’s why Ben, Niko, and I are expected today. Benny will be there even though he no longer works with us; he’s still our consultant in a lot of ways.
Before his accident, he was our spy within key alliances. Acting as a private doctor to our enemies, he brought us all sorts of information.
We had files for every name in the industry. Illnesses, hidden children, allergies. He was one of our best elements, discreet and deadly, listening to every detail or conversation without anyone doubting him.
Ben may have been a doctor since the beginning, but his mind was a repository of secrets capable of destroying the very fabric of the mafia system in this country.
I didn’t want to let my girl home alone, so Niko called Miranda to come with June.
Am I being overprotective if I just want her to never be alone again? Maybe.
But do I give a fuck about being over-protective? Absolutely not.
Miranda and June arrived first, and as soon as the little boy saw Zanae, he rushed forward for a hug.
This little fucker of a child, always all over my woman.
She knelt to receive his little body between her arms. I arrived next in the room and greeted this gorgeous woman with a tender kiss. It felt good to finally be able to be with her and not restrain myself when others are around us.
“Ben, Niko and I are going to the office today, we have some things to do, and I thought that June would be the best bodyguard for your safety, Miss Dellé.”
June’s little voice came through, “Zee protected.”
Yeah, by me, but keep going.
Damn, I was jealous of a three-year-old.
Miranda laughed and looked back at her friend. “Looks like you’ve got your own little bodyguard now, Zee.”
I held Zanae closer to me, and murmured in the most serious tone, “Guess I’ve got some competition.”
I wasn’t even joking.
Nikolai, said with a mock-serious expression, “June, I hope you’re ready for this. Uncle Eli is a bit possessive.”
The little boy nodded enthusiastically.
“Yeaaah! Ready!”
“Be careful guys!”
We headed toward the elevator, the doors closed, and we were outside in a few seconds.
Nikolai glanced at me in the car, smiling like a child. “You looked like you’d throw up when Zanae disappeared yesterday. Heart skipping a beat and shit, you’re so whipped for her Eli, it’s so funny I would’ve never thought I’d see you like that during this lifetime.”
“I don’t have the luxury of heartbeat skipping. I was just analyzing the situation.”
In fact, I had that luxury—my heart stopped beating when I saw that her car was missing, but the real panic struck when I realized she wasn’t home. And then she came back to me, well and alive, and my heart warmed up again. This woman is going to kill me, I swear.
Niko smirked. “Yeaaah, sure. Analyzing my ass. You were about to unleash the apocalypse on anyone who had a hand in her disappearance.”
Ben interjected with a chuckle, “I mean, It’s not surprising. Knowing this world, I would’ve been stressed as fuck if my woman disappeared.”
“Maybe we should give him a stress ball. Or better yet, a tracker to implant it in Zanae’s skin,” Niko suggested glancing back at Ben.
I shot him a steely look. “I don’t need a tracker. I just need her to stay out of trouble.”
Even though the idea was fucking good —tracking her—but I knew she’d fight me on it. Morals and shit.
But let’s keep the idea.
Nikolai leaned back, grinning, “Good luck with that, man. Trouble seems to follow our Little Z like a shadow, or like you, I don’t even know who follows her more at this point.”
Ben laughed, “Can’t argue with that. But hey, at least it’s entertaining.”
I may be even more obsessed with her now that I’ve tasted life with her, but how could you blame me? I feel like a blind man who saw the light for the first time, you can’t take it from me now.
We arrived at the club; and gathered in the poker room upstairs.
Our men were already waiting for us, looking down at Ben like he was an intruder.
We sat across the table from them. The air was full of the scent of cigars and alcohol; they talked about sex and missions, but some of them talked about their wives and children too.
Hushed conversations everywhere, it was so damn loud. That’s when I missed my little routine with Zanae the most. It’s so much calmer with her, life was so much more enjoyable. Now, I had to be a leader with men crowding around me, when all I really wanted was to get back home to her, finding her reading and giggling because of some fictional characters.
Focus.
We had to discuss an important matter about some kind of operation with the boss of the Midnight Serpents, an alliance of the yakuza. Kaito told us he wanted a part of the shore where we get our shipments. It wasn’t a small talk, but some of our members seemed distracted and I wanted to fucking kill them for this.
Just when I thought we had everyone focused, one of our members, a good element, Boris, decided to open his mouth. He smirked, eyeing me with a grin. “Hey, boss, that woman you were with the other night, she was looking too good, huh? I wouldn’t mind getting a piece of that.”
My expression darkened, and the room went completely silent.
Do I look like they can disrespect the woman I brought to this event? No, I didn’t.
I was about to fucking slit his throat and make him drink his own blood when Nikolai, tried to diffuse the situation. “Easy there, Boris. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Boris just shrugged and continued, “Can’t blame a man for appreciating a woman’s beauty, right?”
Before I could make good on my silent threat, Ben leaned in, his tone low and calm, “You might want to consider shutting the fuck up before saying shit like this.”
My patience wore thin as I tried to calm down before doing anything to this man. In a low, and cold tone, I finally spoke, “Boris, let’s get one thing straight. I don’t appreciate anyone talking about her in that manner. Consider this your only warning.”
He swallowed hard, all this attitude draining from his face. My reputation for being a blood addict was well-known among our members, and anyone would know to not push it with me.
Nikolai and Ben exchanged glances, knowing this meeting could go to a totally different direction if he opened his fucking mouth again.
Boris smirked and leaned back in his chair; eyes fixed on me. “Boss, it was just because she was hot, I didn’t know she was your?—”
Before he could finish his sentence, I stood, the chair scraping slowly against the floor. “Finish that sentence.”
“I said she was hot. What’s the big deal Boss?” he replied, his eyes widening as if he understood what was coming next.
My hand moved to the holster at my side, where my least favorite weapon was. “We’re going to play a game, Boris. Russian roulette. Let’s see how lucky you are today. I pull the trigger and if you survive, you walk away with a warning. If you don’t... Well, you won’t be around to worry about it.”
His confidence disappeared when I pulled out my gun and placed it on the table. Nikolai shot a glance at Benny, who raised an eyebrow, amused by all of this. “Come on, Elijah. Maybe let’s not spread blood or brain here, I eat at this table sometimes.” Niko’s voice cut through the room as I prepared the gun.
A laugh escaped me, this man was fucked up too, he was just annoyed about the blood I could spill on this marble. I kept my eyes fixed on the little bastard.
“Niko, sometimes people need a lesson. Let him decide if he wants to learn.” My eyes met the terrified gaze of the man at the end of the table. “Pick it up. Or would you prefer I use my knife instead, Boris? It’s messier, but I don’t mind it.”
No answer, good.
My friend’s voice cut through the silence. “He’s too stupid to decide.” Then Niko looked at Boris, and said, “Don’t ever talk about her like that and apologize. I may save your pathetic fucking life right now, but if I catch you speak about her again, I’ll be the one spilling your blood.”
Boris stammered out an apology breathless, scared, and fucking weak. “Okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
I studied him for a moment, then with my gun, I shot on his shoulder, making him scream his lungs out, such a weak cunt. “Remember your place. And get out of here, your blood is ruining our floor.”
I settled back and readjusted in my seat, rolling up my sleeves, “Oh and let me make this crystal clear for everyone: one glance her way, and I’ll take off your eyeballs; one word directed at her, and I’ll cut your tongue; lay a hand on her or anything else, and I’ll make sure you never use those hands again. I trust that’s perfectly straightforward.”
Everyone looked down, breathing heavily. Nikolai shot Boris a warning look, while he just stormed out of the room leaving a trail of red on the floor. Fucker .
I know Niko didn’t like it either. He respects Zanae too much for letting one of our men speak about her like that. The meeting continued and went well apart from this little incident.
We made it back to the penthouse and we’re greeted by the little group in the living room.
This family kind-of-thing was new to all of us. I never had that many people in my home, in fact Zanae was the first one after Niko and Ben coming here.
It’s just so weird seeing a 3-year-old running everywhere, two women on the sofa sipping wine, it felt more alive than when it’s just Niko Ben and me.
Speaking of Nikolai; when we arrived, he just ran through the door, grinning and pointing at him with his hand, “Guess who just saved someone’s life today?”
The room turned their attention to us, curious about the story. Zanae offered me her beautiful smile and answered, “Oh, really? And how did you manage that, Niko?”
“Well, you know how our Elijah here has a bit of violence tendencies. I just had to work my magic and make him control himself. He did shoot him though,” he said, with a shrug.
She burst into laughter, and Miranda joined in.
I didn’t kill him.
It’s a good sign that I’m evolving, isn’t it?
June, in Zanae’s arms, giggled even if he didn’t understand anything.
Children were stupid sometimes, but I guess they were called cute for that.
My woman looked at me, her gaze full of softness and kindness. “Volkov, you need to stop wanting to murder everyone who’s pissing you off.”
“Well, Milaya , you may piss me off, but I don’t intend to murder you,” I said, keeping my eyes on her.
Nikolai, laughing, chimed in, “Oh, but Elijah, you wanted to in the past.”
True.
The way her eyes made me feel, the way her very existence kickstarted the beat of a dead organ, my fucking heart. I loathed it, craved for it to end.
I looked at him before calmly stating, “I may murder you.”
Zanae got up and gave me a little kiss, it was enough to make me feel this fucking thing in my chest, I couldn’t help but smile.
June went back on her lap as soon as she sat back.
Little shit.
Nikolai and Ben decided to tease me, of course they would. “Eli, I think June has a crush on Little Z.”
“Yeah, and he’s cuter than you so, he may win,” Niko added, grinning.
I shook my head, astonished that these two are my friends. Sometimes I forget their ages—Niko is 32 and Ben 31—yet they still acted like teenagers in high school.
And I honestly enjoyed watching Zanae with June. It felt good to see her happy around this little boy, her smile and the way she behaved toward him was just making me softer for her.
Even if sometimes I wanted to throw him somewhere, until he’s old enough to punch the shit out of him when I see him on her lap or hugging her.
I took a place beside her, pulling her closer to me. “I have her all day long and all night long. I think I can handle a child hugging her.”
My girl laughed and hugged June even more, “Guess I have a fan club now. What do you think, baby?”
Baby? Baby my fucking ass.
Calm down Eli, he’s a kid.
June simply giggled.
“Well, Eli, you better step up your game if you don’t want to lose Little Z to the youngest member of the team.”
“I really want to murder you, Niko. You make it difficult to resist this desire sometimes,” I added, before sliding my hand down Zanae’s shirt, resting it on her back.
Heaven .
Zanae
“I love that look of joy on you; you deserve it more than anyone you know,” Miranda said, looking between Eli and me.
I glanced over at the man who brought me life again into my veins. He was engaged in conversation with Ben and Nikolai. And without even knowing, a smile formed on my lips. “Yeah, it’s a lot of fun.”
“Have you noticed the way his eyes soften around you?”
“What do you mean?”
Miranda leaned in, whispering, “He’s not the same with you. He’s more relaxed, more… human .”
I looked back at him, my heart pulsing faster and faster.
Breathe Z, breathe.
He was the quiet to my perpetual cacophony.
It’s a crazy thing, no matter where we are in a room, it’s as if an invisible thread draws our gazes together. I always find his eyes, and every time, I catch him looking at me before I have a chance to reciprocate.
The guys came back with us, Elijah settled next to me, his hand softly brushing my shoulder. Nikolai, noticing it, couldn’t let it slide without saying anything, “I’m sorry I can’t just shut up. You’re like a different person around her, you just turn into a teddy bear.”
I chuckled at his remark, “What can I say Niko, try to kill him and he’ll get attached.”
Elijah leaned close to me, his thumb slowly making circles on my neck, “Don’t get too comfortable, Milaya , I still have a reputation to uphold.”
Meanwhile, June, who had just woken up, noticed Elijah being near me and him not being with me anymore. Pouting, my little boy said, “Why is Uncle Eli always with Zee? Not fair!”
Everyone laughed while Juny crossed his arms in a little jealous huff. I pulled him into my lap, trying to reassure him, “Sorry, Juny baby. You know I still love you.”
I loved the balcony; it was possibly my favorite thing about this penthouse. I could see the stars clearly, talk to them alone, and thank them for making this work.
I felt big hands enveloping me, and I leaned against the man behind me.
“Someone’s enjoying that wine way too much,” Eli teased.
“It’s your fault for having such good taste in wine, Volkov.”
He pressed his lips against the top of my head, before chuckling, “My fault? I didn’t force you to drink it, Milaya .”
“You have that effect on me. Everything feels a bit more enjoyable when you’re around,” I admitted, in a soft voice. He did make everything feel more alive.
He pivoted our position, so I could face him, looking into those gentle green eyes. “You little brat,” he said, “Are you seducing me?”
I tilted my head and gave him a smile. “Is it working?”
His thumb rested on my cheek. “You know, you’re even more adorable when you’ve had a bit of wine.”
“Adorable? I prefer ‘irresistible’, Eli.”
Leaning in, he responded, “Well, I can’t argue with that,” capturing my lips in a gentle kiss, savoring the sweet taste of life on his lips.
We heard steps and saw Niko and Ben looking at us. Niko, making a grossed-out face, came closer to us. “Ugh, seriously? Can’t they do that somewhere else?”
Ben added, “Yeah, like, in a room, maybe?”
“Those fucking teenagers, always horny,” Niko finished.
Elijah continued kissing me, more passionately, sensing my smile on his mouth, but threw an unapologetic middle finger in their direction. When he pulled back, he just turned toward them, saying, “I will kick you out of my house, I’m being polite because of her.”
Still in his arms, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Then he went back inside with Ben.
Niko stepped out with a little grin playing on his lips.
“Enjoying the view, Little Z?”
“I was until someone decided to join me. Ruined the whole ambiance,” I replied.
Nikolai, leaning on the railing, smiled at me, “Well, excuse me for wanting to get lost in the beauty of the cold night with my favorite girl.”
Rolling my eyes, I retorted, “You say that to every girl, Niko.”
“But you’re the only one who believes it,” he admitted, smirking.
A laugh escaped my lips. “You deserve a punch. Don’t make me call Elijah.”
Looking down at the city, he added, “You know, Zanae, I didn’t think making an alliance with the obsession of Elijah would make us sip wine on his balcony months later.”
“Yeah, it’s like a nightmare, Full of danger, chaos, and... well, you.”
Feigning offense, he gasped, “Little Z what the fuck? I’m the best part of this damn story,”
“That’s debatable Niko.”
He grabbed my shoulders, smiling. “You love me, don’t you?”
“You’re so annoying,” I laughed.
“Do you remember our first official meeting? You wanted to kill me with your little knife in the cemetery. I understand now why I felt fond of you since the beginning. You reminded me of Elijah.”
“So, I reminded you of your psycho best friend who wanted to kill me too? It’s a big compliment, knowing how much you love him.”
He smiled seriously and gave me a little push with his arm, “It is. You’re under my protection too now, you know that, right?”
“You too, Niko.”
He laughed, “Why would you protect me Little Z? I’m the fucking Don, scary and all that shit you know.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, that’s what they say.”
The balcony door opened again, and this time it was Elijah. He sauntered out, eyeing us, raising an eyebrow, he said, “What’s going on out here?”
“Just enjoying the view, darling. Join us,” Niko replied, smiling.
Elijah pushed him away, then he looked at me and answered, “I see, the view is quite stunning tonight.”
Thump, thump, thump.
He grabbed my hand between his, caressing my pulse at my wrist. I smiled at him and whispered, “Don’t get jealous, Eli. You’re the only one I would allow to kill me, promise.”
“Jealous? Please, Milaya , I’m way too certain about my place to be jealous,” he answered, tightening his grip on my hand.
Whispering to me, Niko asked, “Is he always like this?”
I whispered back, “Only when he’s staking his claim.”
Nikolai turned toward Elijah and made a sad face. “Why aren’t you like this with me? Trying to claim me as your only best friend in the world?”
Wrapping an arm around me, Elijah chuckled, “Speaking of claims, I believe this spot is already reserved, move back.”
“Reserved for you I presume?”
Smirking, he said, “Precisely.”
“Say less, I’ll leave you two on your balcony. I’ve had enough of you mixing your fluids tonight. I’m heading back inside before throwing up again.”
Nikolai disappeared, and Elijah leaned in, his lips close to my ear, he murmured, “Remember I’m quite possessive.”
I chuckled, leaning against him, my fingers brushing his chest, “Lucky for you, Volkov, I enjoy being exclusive.”
A playful grin played on his lips, “Exclusive is perfect actually.”
He stole a quick kiss, and gave me a little spanking and went back in.
It was already the end of that little party, and Nikolai, Ben, Miranda, headed toward the elevator. But June clung to me, “I want to stay with you.”
I reassured him, “I promise I’ll see you soon, Juny baby.”
Nikolai crossed his arms, sighing. “You’re spoiling the kid, Zanae.”
I looked back at Niko with June in my arms, “He deserves it.”
Miranda hugged me before whispering in my ear. “Elijah compliments you beautifully, Zee.”
I smiled, feeling the same way as she described. As they headed into the elevator, Nikolai and Ben exchanged teasing glances.
“Looks like Elijah’s found himself a keeper.”
“About time.”
Miranda waved, and June blew me a kiss before the elevator doors closed, leaving Elijah and me alone in the penthouse.
“I’m so tired, but I loved this little party.”
Elijah nodded, “I’m glad you did.”
“I think we should do that more often.” I proposed.
“Anything that could make you happy,” he expressed. Then he wrapped his arms around me and added, “Time for us to be alone.”
I leaned into him, loving everything about my life with him. So calm . The voices faded away when I was between his arms.
I took a sip of my drink and found myself locking eyes with Elijah’s intense green gaze.
He shifted his attention to my lips.
And I know that look.
“Oh. You, Elijah Volkov, want to kiss me.”
He leaned in closer, curiosity and desire evident in his pretty eyes. “And how do you know that, Zanae? Not that you’re wrong.”
“I know your expressions too well now.”
He leaned back slightly, taking my legs onto his lap. “I’ve never asked you, but how do you do that?”
“Do what?” I asked, meeting his gaze.
“That witchcraft thing when you read people’s faces.”
I broke into laughter. “Are you really calling me a witch?”
His thumb rested on my cheek, before he answered, “ My witch.”
My heart stopped. “I hope it’s a compliment.”
He sweetly kissed my neck, “Oh, of course.”
A giggle slipped out, as I answered, “What do you want to know about it?”
He settled back, his eyes still on me. “Everything,” he said, a flirtatious smile tugging at his lips.
“Okay,” I shrugged, surprised by his interest in every little detail about me. “When I was five, I saw my father and one of his men shooting someone in his office,” I began. “I didn’t understand at first, but when I saw the blood, I knew it wasn’t something good. At the funeral, I noticed something strange. My father’s friend who was involved in the murder seemed genuinely remorseful. It made me wonder how he could fake sadness after I saw his anger when he shot the bullet into the head of the man we were burying.”
Taking another sip of the wine, I delved deeper into my memories. “That’s when I realized there’s more to people than meets the eye, layers of complexity buried beneath our bodies. I learned to read emotions catching subtle cues—the language of anger from my father’s clenched fists and furrowed brows, the signs of fear from his men’s widened eyes and tense postures.”
Elijah began massaging my leg, his touch comforting. “When did you learn about love?” he asked softly.
Love .
A smile played on my lips thinking about it. “I learned about love and affection from Luna. Her genuine smile with eye crinkles, her raised chin every time she would talk to me, or the way her body language was always open around me—those were the cues. Emotions speak volumes in almost invisible gestures, and I’ve learned to listen.”
“You’re the best at it,” he remarked, kissing my hand.
“Not really,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. “All those years of analyzing people, and I failed the one who needed me most.”
The guilt crushed me, knowing that my greatest talent couldn’t save the one person I wanted to protect.
Elijah’s expression softened, offering compassion as he pulled me closer. “Don’t blame yourself, baby,” he said gently, his hand caressing my cheek. “Some things are beyond your control.”
I nodded, trying to find consolation in his arms.
Maybe he was right, but my mind will never accept it.
“I’ll teach you devotion ,” he promised, gently kissing my forehead.
I brought his hand closer to me and pressed my lips to it. “You’re already teaching me life .”