32. Maksen
32
MAKSEN
I woke up three hours ago and I quietly left Annalise’s room to let her sleep for as long as she needed to. I didn’t want to disturb her.
She had enough on her shoulders and the wedding was already something that was making her feel bad every day. I had to make sure that all preparations for the event were proceeding according to the plan. The event hall, the band we had reserved for the night, and all the other things needed to be perfect.
There were only eleven days left until the wedding, and each time the thought crossed my mind, the image of Annalise gazing at me as I prepared to say “yes” to another woman was haunting me.
Even though she knew I had to do it so I could take down Lukyan, I knew it still hurt her. She didn’t want to show me how much it affected her, but I knew her well enough to notice when something was off with her.
I brushed my forehead to wipe off the sweat drops that were rolling down my face as I stepped up the stairs. The workout I did was much needed and as I got out of the basement, I took a deep breath in and moved my feet to my room.
The house was drowned in a deathly silence as I was making my way upstairs. Maybe the girls didn’t wake up yet so I needed to keep the silence.
Lysandre started to be closer with Annalise all these months and I couldn’t be more happy about it. Everytime they were together it felt as if the sun himself came into our house. Maybe it was because they went through things that connected them somehow.
The only thing left for me to solve was getting Lukyan out of everyone’s life and finishing Ender McKnight because I had enough of his threats and games. Since Killian’s death, he has turned to be even more evil than I thought he could be.
I opened the door of my bedroom and as soon as I got closer to the bed, I saw a tiny piece of ripped paper put on its surface. It was different from the other ones, but it didn’t matter anymore. The threats have become increasingly frequent and my blood started boiling before I took it between my fingers.
Another fucking message.
I took it, analyzing what was written on it and the anger started burning inside my veins, ready to destroy everything I had left in my body. Each word was written in binary code and I was lucky enough to know how to decipher it.
280 Glen Ridge Dr.
Brentwood.
June 18th,
4 A.M.
It was an address, a date, and a time. I supposed I had to meet someone there and instead of feeling any kind of fear, I felt the power rushing into my veins. I couldn’t wait to meet the motherfucker who messed with me all these months.
I opened my dresser and took out the cardboard box where all the other messages were already put safely. I threw the new one there too, then I hid the box behind my clothes, closing the dressing’s door.
I made my way to the bathroom to make sure I didn’t look like crap before going to wake up Annalise. I wanted to prepare the breakfast and create a nice atmosphere just to make sure she’ll feel as loved as she truly is. I loved her so much and it hurt me to see her sad all the time.
Time passed and there wasn’t much time left until I made her mine.
Lukyan and Sylvian were going to be taken out of our lives and we were all going to be happy without him. Only with his death, I will become the head of the family, inheriting all his enemies along the way.
I was prepared for anything if that meant having Annalise as mine forever.
As soon as I left the bathroom, I heard strange noises coming from the hallway.
Did Annalise wake up already?
I led my feet out of the room and the moment I stepped over the door frame, the smell of iron hit my senses. I knew it was blood, and when I looked down on the floor, I froze, feeling shivers coming down my spine. All three of my bodyguards were shot dead.
Annalise.
Katya.
Fucking Hell.
I took out my pistol and ran fast towards Annalise’s room. If the person who did this was still under the same roof as me, I was going to murder him with my bare hands and torture the Hell out of him.
I didn’t even realize when I bursted into my delicate flower’s room, but as soon as I saw her bed empty, my world shattered instantly.
The floor felt as if it was shaking beneath my feet at the thought that she might’ve…
No. It can’t be possible.
The teardrops rolled down my cheeks as I turned into a tsunami, searching every inch of the house for my dearest love. She was nowhere to be found, and my head was spinning, trying to find a way out of this situation. All I could think of was if she was alive, because if she wasn’t, then I didn’t want to live anymore either.
Katya.
Her name came across my mind, trying to pull me out from the hopelessness I fell prey to.
I ran out of Annalise’s room as my heart was searching for a second to truly feel the grief that was growing inside of it. I didn’t ever feel so weak, nor defenseless like I do now, and these feelings were new to me. I didn’t know how to react to them, but I felt that I’ve lost a part of my soul and I wasn’t going to find it until I had Annalise back.
I jumped over the dead bodies that had fallen on the hallway’s floor and I bursted in Katya’s room. My eyes fell on her instantly and I made my way towards the bed, trying to untie the knots around her ankles and wrists. She was crying, and a drop of hope sneaked into her eyes as she saw me. I removed the tape from her mouth and she let out a deep sigh.
“Alone. You have to go after her alone,” she stumbled on her words as she tried to stand up from the bed.
“What?”
“They told me to tell you this. You have to go after her, otherwise they’re going to kill her in six hours.”
“You’re coming with me. I can’t leave you here alone.”
“I could go to Laura,” she whispered and I sighed.
“So then we agree, you’re coming with me because McKnight is the one who took Anna.”
“She’s not at home right now. She’s at her apartment in the city. I’ll be safe there.”
“Boyce will take you there. Freshen up. There’s no time to lose ”
They were going to pay for everything they did to us, but especially for what they did to Annalise.
Ender McKnight was going to die tonight, and I was the one who was going to kill him.