Chapter 28 Sergei
SERGEI
It’d been just over three weeks since the night Lina was taken and held captive in that Godforsaken place.
It had been long enough for the stitches to come out and for me to get back to my own bed.
The doctor said I’d healed remarkably well, like it was some kind of miracle that I’d walked out of there.
He didn’t know that it was pure spite that kept me going. But even though the pain was fading and Lina was alive and well, I was still tied up in knots.
I hadn’t been able to let go.
Not since she was taken and strung up like a piece of fucking meat.
Not since I watched Zadora place his knife at her throat.
Not since he sliced her flesh and touched her. Not since I felt the world go cold and thought I wouldn’t get back up.
If it weren’t for Preacher and the boys, I would’ve bled out, and I would’ve done it without being able to get to Lina out of harm’s way. And they hadn’t just gotten us out of there. They’d cleared the house. Bodies were gone, and security footage was erased. Any trace of evidence was wiped clean.
They were still working through it all when Preacher stopped by to fill me in on things. “Cops have come and gone, and so far, things look good. They’ve got nothing that can connect these guys to you or Lina.”
“You guys work fast.”
“It had to be done.”
“What about the other women in the house?”
“Still working on that. We’ve sent a couple back home, but others were more interested in a fresh start. We’re doing what we can to help them out with that.” Preacher ran his hand down his beard before telling me, “It’s the ones we didn’t get to that are taking more time to sort out.”
“Didn’t get to?”
“There was a ledger in the office. It had pictures of the girls and amounts paid for them, just no location. I’m hoping they can be tracked down from the auction site. I’ve got a buddy working on it.”
“That’s good. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“Sure thing.” He placed his hand on my shoulder as I said, “Sorry about Bog. I know he meant something to you.”
“He did. It was tough to lose him.” He was on his way to Lina when those two assholes shot him in the back and left him to bleed out alone in the dark.
While I was glad they had got what was coming to them, it wasn’t enough.
I’d lost a warrior and a friend, and I would hold onto that for years to come.
“I appreciate you taking care of him like you did.”
“He would have done the same for me.”
I owed them more than I could ever repay. Men like us don’t throw words like thank you and I appreciate your help around without choking on them, but when he stopped by to check on me, I gave it a try. “I owe you. We all do.”
“No, it’s what families do.”
“Yeah, but you and the boys went over and above, and you know it,” I pushed. “You saved my life and hers, and you cleaned up my mess…”
“Oh, you made a hell of a mess,” Preacher interrupted.
I got that Preacher was pissed. He was used to being in control.
He made the rules, and his boys followed them without question.
And they went to him before they ever thought about making a move.
My going after those assholes alone went against everything they believed in.
But he had his way of doing things, and I had mine.
I gave him a light shrug as I said, “Didn’t really plan on things turning out like they did.”
“Sure you did.” He gave me one of his looks. “You wanted payback, and you got it. Let’s just hope the blowback doesn’t bite us all in the ass.”
“They’ve all been dealt with, and thanks to you, there’s no one who can connect any of this to us.”
“There will be someone. There is always someone, and they will come creeping out of the woodwork when you least expect it.” Preacher cocked his brow. “The trick is to expect it and squash ‘em before they have a chance to bite with any real sting.”
“I’ll have Jenson keep an eye on things.”
“I’ll have Shep on it, too.” Preacher gave my shoulder a fatherly pat. “You need us, you call.”
“You know I will.”
“I thought I did, but you proved me wrong when you went all vigilante on me.”
“It’s what I had to do.”
“No, you could’ve called. We would’ve been there. You’re one of us, and now, she is, too.”
I believed him, and that hit me hard. I wasn’t used to believing in anyone.
He told me to take it easy, gave me a pat on the shoulder, and he was gone, leaving me alone with all the thoughts storming around in my head.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Lina up on that stage, bound and so vulnerable.
I remember the guilt I felt when the guys stormed in.
She was so exposed and was helpless to do anything about it. Then, Skid rushed over and covered her up, giving her a sense of dignity I couldn’t give her. I hadn’t had a chance to thank him for that, so I took out my phone and sent him a message.
Me:
If you ever need anything, all you have to do is ask.
Skid:
What exactly are we talking about here?
Cold, hard cash? Cars? Or just a favor?
Me:
Whatever you want it to mean.
Skid:
Appreciate it, brother, but I’m good.
Just did what needed to be done.
Me:
Appreciate it all the same.
Skid:
Glad to help.
I thought reaching out to him would help clear my head. It didn’t. If anything, It made me feel worse. I almost lost her.
She almost died, and it was because of me.
Not because she was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Not because of some random act of violence. They came for her as a way to get to me. It was my past, my legacy, they were after. I should’ve been relieved that she was here and that I got to her before Zadora had his way with her.
Lina was doing her best to put on a brave front and push through like nothing had happened, but I saw the way her eyes would go distant. I’d heard the little whimpers when she had a nightmare, and underneath it all, there was a truth I couldn’t shake.
And that had me pulling back.
It wasn’t planned.
I didn’t wake up one morning and decide to create distance between us. It just happened, one inch at a time. An unexpected hesitation. A silence that felt unshakable. A touch that wasn’t returned. She’d ask if everything was okay, and I’d always come back with an excuse.
But those excuses were running thin.
She wasn’t stupid. She knew something was up, so I wasn’t surprised when she walked into my office and announced, “We need to talk.”
“About?”
“Us.” She motioned her hand between us. “This. I don’t know what, but something’s clearly wrong.”
I didn’t look up. I didn’t trust my face to give me away when I said, “Everything’s fine.”
“No. It’s not,” she argued. “You’re pulling away from me.”
There was no tremble in her voice. She said it matter-of-factly, and there was no anger. That made it worse. If she’d yelled, I could’ve yelled back. If she’d cried, I could’ve told myself she was overreacting.
But her voice was steady and calm as she said, “I thought we were past this. I thought you had let me in, but you put your walls back up.”
I lifted my head then and met her eyes. And for a second, I almost lied to her. I almost told her she was just imagining things, and I was just tired. But there was no denying it.
I’d spent years building a tower of walls around me, guarding myself from any and all feelings, but over the past couple of months, the foundation had started to crumble. No matter how hard I tried to fight it, I couldn’t stop it. And now, there was nothing left. Just me.
I saw her looking at me with love in her eyes, and I couldn’t imagine loving her more. I stood and walked over to her, placing my hands on her hips as I pulled her close. “No, baby. There are no more walls.”
“Then, why have you shut me out?”
“I can’t get that night out of my head,” I admitted. “It fucked me up to see you strung up like that. It’s fucked me up even more to know I’m the reason you were there.”
“Did you ask them to do it?”
“What?”
“Did you ask them to take me there and string me up on that stage?”
“Fuck no. You know I didn’t.”
“You’re right. I do. They were the ones responsible. Them and them alone. And you didn’t just make them pay for what they did. You nearly died saving me.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“But it is.” She brought her hands up to my face. “You saved me.”
“It could happen again.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. No one is forcing me to stay here, Sergei. I’m here because I want to be.” Tears pooled in her eyes as she said, “I love you, Sergei. I just need you to love me back.”
“Fuck me, Lina.”
I didn’t ask for her to love me, to heal me, but there she was putting the pieces back together. She made it seem easy, like she was meant to be mine, and I’d lost any and all will to prove her wrong.
She was the woman I couldn’t stop wanting, and the salvation I never saw coming.
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding before saying, “I do love you. More than I thought possible, and maybe that makes me weak. But I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me.”
“Is forever asking too much?”
Overcome with emotion, I lowered my mouth to hers, silencing her with a deep, demanding kiss.
She brought her hands up and ran her fingers through my hair, returning my kiss with fervor.
She moaned into my mouth as my free hand grabbed her ass and pulled her closer.
My cock ached to be buried deep inside her, giving her what we both craved.
I reached up to the nape of her neck and tangled my hand in her hair.
I tilted her head back and trailed my lips down her throat, nipping and sucking, and Lina’s breath caught as I reached the dip between her neck and collarbone. Her fingers dug into my back, and I could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she inched even closer.
She didn’t know it, but Lina made me lose all sense of control.
I’d never burned for anyone the way I burned for her. She’d had me tangled up since the night she showed up at the casino, and with every touch, she’d brought me to my knees.