Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dmitri
I've always wanted to get my hands on this fucking creep.
Ryan scrambles in my grasp and tries to strike back, but he's defenseless against someone like me.
My hulkish presence, muscle and strength would obliterate him.
I'm actually holding back, even though I'm fueled by rage at what he's done to Mackenzie.
She's on the floor, her face bruised and battered. She was doubled over when I got down here. Now she's looking up at me in a mess of blood and tears.
I could kill this guy with my bare hands.
I would do it even though the punishment for me would be death too.
The only reason I’m not killing his ass is I want to live for the girl on the floor who needs me.
That doesn't mean I won't make this motherfucker pay for what he's done.
Kade, Alek, and Logan. Rush up to me. They were behind me.
When I first ran down the stairs, I saw Ryan disappearing down the corner with Mackenzie, and I decided to follow. The guys were with me when we heard her scream.
The scream was so loud, I'm not sure how the whole house didn't hear.
They probably didn't because we were halfway down the stairs. This section of the house is practically like a dungeon.
“Watch yourself, Dimitri,” Kade cautions when Ryan's face turns blue.
He’s helping Mackenzie, undoing her wrist from the latch on the wall.
“Oh, believe me, I am watching myself.”
Once Kade moves Mackenzie away I throw Ryan into the wall. The fool tries to come back at me. Big mistake.
He knows he's already lost but he's trying to act like the psycho he is and have the upper hand. It's not gonna happen.
Like my plays on the field, I ram him into the wall.
The sound of bone crunching fills the air, along with the fist that I throw in his jaw. He's on the ground within seconds.
I kick the crap out of him. When Ryan raises his hand to defend himself—the same hand I saw him use to hit Makenzie—I grab my knife and slash his hand right off his body.
The hand falls to the ground and Ryan screams. The shock of seeing his hand off his body makes him pale quicker.
I kick the hand away and gaze at the stump left behind with the blood gushing from it.
With a maddening grin I lean down and get up in his face. “Touch her again and you're dead.” I promise him. “Consider this, mercy. Do you hear me?”
“Get the fuck away from me,” he chokes out sounding like an injured animal caught in a trap.
I punch him again and grab his neck, making sure we're eye to eye. “Do you hear me, Ryan Konstantin? Say the words motherfucker or I'll kill you right now.”
“I hear you,” he splutters, but I know he’s only caving because he has to.
I push to my feet, then I look over at Mackenzie, who's staring at me in a mixture of shock and pain.
I walk over to her and she stumbles to me. She's hurt, I can tell. I scoop her into my arms, holding her and she breaks down, crying for what I know is everything.
I look at the guys then back at Ryan, who's passed out. “Get Thorne and Caspian,” I say to Kade. He'll know why.
Thorne and Caspian are my superiors but they’ll have my back. If anyone else comes down here, my father will get involved.
“On it.” Kade nods.
“Bag the hand,” I add, glancing at the dismembered hand on the floor.
Kade narrows his gaze at me.
“Just do it, Kade. I have an idea.” It's not a good one, but it will prove a point.
“Alright.”
The next hour sees us at the hospital. The guys, including Caspian and Thorne, wait in the waiting room while I stay with Mackenzie.
Thorne and Caspian dealt with Ryan as I hoped. He’s in the hospital too but they saw to it that he'll be reprimanded severely for what he did to Mackenzie.
It's the first time that anyone has ever caught him in the act. And I know that guy's done worse than what he did tonight.
The doctors check Mackenzie thoroughly. Thankfully nothing is broken. That doesn't mean she's okay though.
The swelling on her face and the bruises are only symptoms of what she must be feeling inside. Since we’ve been at the hospital those bruises have gotten darker and her face is the size of a football. It makes me wish I did more damage to Ryan.
Once the doctors are done with her we sit in the patient’s room while she sips on
some cold water with crushed ice.
She reaches for my hand and I give her a gentle squeeze. “Are you okay?”
She nods slowly. “I think the painkillers are kicking in but I still feel sick.”
“I’m sorry, baby.” I stroke the top of her hand.
“I like when you call me that.”
I give her a little smile. “Then I’ll call you baby more often.”
“Thank you for saving me.”
“You don't have to thank me for that.”
“Of course I do. God knows what Ryan would have done to me. I was so scared. I still am.”
“Don’t be scared. I’m here. Tell me what you need me to do.”
She thinks for a moment and her eyes become glassy, the sight making my heart ache. “Can you take me to my parents cottage, please? Would that be okay?”
It’s not okay, but it has to be. And I suppose taking her to her parents falls in line with the sketchy idea I have for Ryan’s hand. I want to see her father and show him what that monster did to his daughter. “Yes. That will be okay.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate that.”
“No worries. Baby .”
She smiles back at me weakly then rests her head on my shoulder.
When she finishes her drink we set off to her parents cottage.
All of us go—I need the elite with me for what I have planned.
They follow my car like an entourage of guards.
When we reach the cottage, my nerves twist. Her parents have had this cottage since before we were born. My parents and I spent a significant time here when our fathers were in Boston for business.
It feels strange being back, but at the same time there’s a sense of familiarity that reminds me of coming home.
Mackenzie and I walk up to the door with the guys following behind.
We ring the bell and when the door opens Adrian Domachenkov stares back at us with a bewildered expression on his face.
It’s like he has a delayed reaction because he sees me first, then the guys, then Mackenzie.
On seeing her and the state of her battered face, he rushes forward and pulls her into his arms.
“What happened to you?” His voice raises by several notches.
“Ryan Konstantin,” I answer, making sure I say the words with venom so he know he's responsible for setting her up with someone who could do this to her.
Then I enact my plan as Kade gives me Ryan’s hand in the bag.
“I took care of it.” I add, dropping the hand in front of Adrian.
He stares at it with horror. I actually expected Mackenzie to be more terrified of the hand but a look of triumph is in her eyes.
Caspian steps forward, along with Thorne. Having them here means I've got the Knight's Law on my side.
“What do you want to do with the hand, Mr. Domachenkov? We left the decision up to you. Should we send it back to the hospital for them to reattach the limb? Or do you want to dispose of it?”
Mackenzie stares at her father knowing what the question means. If he retaliates, it means the deal is off with the Konstantins.
But is he willing to push aside what happened to his daughter to save himself?
He stares at her and I hope he's the man I remember him to be.
“Burn it,” he spits and a part of me rejoices.
“As you wish.” Caspian smiles and picks up the hand then he gives me a curt nod before leaving. Thorne does the same and follows with the guys in tow.
I'm about to leave too when Adrian calls me back.
“Thank you,” he says. “Thank you for whatever you did for her.”
I dip my head. “You’re welcome.”
McKenzie faces me, her eyes pleading with me. “Please don't go. I want you to stay.” She looks up at her father then back at me.
Adrian nods then steps aside to let me through. I look at him and decide to accept the invitation.
I walk into their home.
As we stare at each other, I wonder if this may be the start of the opening I was waiting for.
It feels like it.
I guess maybe that idea of mine wasn’t that sketchy after all.
I end up staying the night.
Another unexpected move in my journey.
My father would probably have a heart attack if he ever found out where I was.
Mackenzie's mom got one of their guest rooms— my old room —comfortable for me and I could see she was hopeful at my presence.
Adrian on the other hand seemed tense. I knew that would be for several reasons. Not just me.
The main reason being that his plans for Mackenzie’s marriage are absolutely screwed and he's back to square one.
There’s more I want which means I need to talk to him. So when I hear him downstairs I decide to seize the opening.
I find him in his office. I’m glad he’s alone. I’m sure everyone will be awake soon, so I want to talk to him while it’s just us.
He looks up from his desk when I knock on the door and walk in.
“Morning,” I say first.
“Morning.”
I stop in front of the desk and he straightens, putting down the document he was holding.
“Thanks again for what you did.”
“You don't have to thank me for that.” I decide to cut to the chase. ‘I need to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“Sir, I want to marry your daughter.” That’s the second part of my plan.
Marriage was always something lingering in the back of my mind. I realized if I wanted to get serious, I would have to put myself forward.
Of course Adrian looks taken aback, but not surprised. “That’s going to be a bit hard for you to do when your father wants my head. He would never agree to that.”
“What about you? Would you disagree?”
His face softens. “No. I wouldn't disagree. But I'm afraid I need my daughter for other reasons.”
“For the trouble you’re in,” I fill in.
An uneasy look comes into his eyes.
“Don’t worry, Mackenzie didn't tell me everything. But she told me enough.
What kind of trouble are you in, Adrian?”
“The kind no one can help me with.”
“Why don't you try me?”
“Look son, you shouldn't get involved. I'm in deep shit. It would be unconscionable for me to involve you.”
“What kind of shit?” I press, ignoring the warning.
He releases a heavy sigh and looks like he’s contemplating telling me or not.
“I just want to know. Maybe I can help. Maybe I can’t. Regardless whatever you say stays here,” I assure him.
“My business partner framed me. And I can no longer use the Knights’ resources to track him down or get back my money because my problems have been dragged into a federal investigation.”
The gravity of what he’s saying settles in the pit of my stomach like a dead weight.
“See, deep shit.” He nods.
“There must be something I can do.”
“The last time you intervened it caused a rift between you and your father.”
He's referring to the past, to the incident when I got him involved, alerting him to what Tommy did to Mackenzie.
“But it saved Mackenzie’s life.”
“It did.” He bites the inside of his lip and dips his head for a moment, then looks back at me. “I didn't kill your brother, Dimitri. You've heard me say that before, but I'll say it again. And I'll keep saying it as many times as I have to. Until someone believes me it's important to me that I don't stop saying it.”
I take in his words and feel the weight of his desire for me to believe him. God help me, the part of me that knows him believes him, but I’m conflicted.
“Give me a name,” I say, getting myself together. “The name of your business partner.”
“Dmitri you can't help me.”
“Give me a name, my Lord.” I refer to him by his title as judge letting him know I’m serious. He may not be able to access the Knights help, but I can.
He balls his hand into a fist on the desk then the tension loosens in his jaw. “Keaton Chase. Your father?—”
“Will not find out about this.” My God I’ve certainly become a traitor. But it’s for a good cause. In this case, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. “Just so you know, I won't stop seeing Mackenzie.”
“I didn't think so. But there's gonna come a point when you'll have to stop.”
I shake my head. No. I can't let that happen. And I will marry your daughter.”
There’s a shuffle at the door. I look over my shoulder and see Mackenzie and her mom standing in the doorway. Shocked expressions fill their faces and I guess that means they must have heard what I said.
The swelling on Mackenzie's face has gone down, but it's still bruised. Beyond her pain, I see the warmth of hope and love. It gives me hope too.
I look back at her father and give him a curt nod. “I'll keep checking in if that’s okay.”
“It is.”
Mackenzie steps away from her mom as I walk up to her. I plant a kiss on her forehead and give her an encouraging smile.
“Next time,” I say in that habitual way.
“Next time,” she replies.
I kiss her again, this time on the lips, then I head out.
I may not have moved mountains, but at least I took a step in the right direction with her family. Now they know that I want her.
But I still have to find a way to get her.