18. Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Eighteen
Natalya
M ikhail is still in bed with me when I wake up the next morning. Usually, he’s already awake and up, busy with business.
But he’s still asleep. His body is covered in gauze. He went through so much yesterday. I don’t even know all the details and I’m not sure I want to know.
I cup his cheek, just needing to touch him. Needing to know that he’s real. I married him to save myself and my family but he’s proven to be so much more than that for me. He’s not a means to an end.
He’s the man I’ve fallen in love with.
Mikhail’s eyes open and a slow smile spreads across his face. “I had a nightmare that you were hurt but you’re alive. You’re not hurt.”
“I’m not hurt.” I lean down and kiss him. It’s tender and sweet. Nothing like the passionate kisses we’ve shared before. This moment isn’t about dominance or control. This moment is just about being together as husband and wife.
Mikhail deepens the kiss as his hands roam down to my waist. I gasp when he gives them a squeeze. Even now, his touch does wild things to my body.
He pulls me onto his lap and we continue to kiss, taking our time. After last night, we gained so much. We showed each other that we’re willing to fight to the death for one another.
I place my hands on his gauze covered chest. “Does this hurt?”
“No.”
“Are you lying?”
“Yes. But I don’t care about the pain. I want you, baby. Right now.” He shoves the end of my nightgown up and places his hand between my legs. With no underwear on, he’s able to touch me skin to skin. I let out a soft moan as my hips roll against his hand.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you.”
He chuckles. “You can’t hurt me, baby.”
My hands find the drawstring of his sweats and I pull them down. I grip his length, stroking him. It’s the first time I’ve ever been in control of him like this. It is a powerful feeling. I get why Mikhail loves it so much.
Mikhail grows hard in my hand. “Enough,” he groans. “I need to be inside of you.”
He steadies my hips so I can lower myself down. We both moan together as he enters me. My inner walls clench down, sending a flare of pleasure through me. Mikhail grips my hips tighter.
We lock eyes as I roll my hips around. This position allows him to get the deepest he’s ever been. This moment isn’t about pushing me to my limits. This moment isn’t about fucking. It’s not about pain and pleasure.
This moment is about love. We overcame something huge and now we get to be together, even though I know things are not done. I know there’s more to come.
But right now, I don’t care. I just want to be with my husband. With the man I’ve fallen in love with.
“Mikhail,” I gasp out, increasing my pace.
He holds onto my hips, guiding my movement. His intense eyes never leave mine.
Neither of us says anything more as our bodies move together. We’re lost in the pleasure of it.
My pace becomes frantic. Mikhail continues to thrust his hips up, moving deeper inside of me. The pleasure is too much. Mixed with the worry I felt for him all day yesterday, I need this more than anything.
I need, I need, I need…
I gasp out as my release hits me. It’s somehow the most intense orgasm I’ve experienced yet.
Mikhail grips my hips tighter as he thrusts up. Once more and he comes too.
He lowers me gently onto his chest and holds me there as we both catch our breath.
“I love you.” There it is. I’ve finally said the words.
Mikhail stills for a moment before he relaxes, running his hands down my back. “I love you too.”
I smile as I snuggle deeper into his chest. I never knew I needed this but I needed this.
I let myself feel calm and happy for this moment because I know it’s not going to last.
Mikhail is busy replacing the dead guards Nico killed. Until then, we’re undefended in this house. Cillian and Nico could attack at any moment if they wanted and my sisters are still in danger, maybe even more now after what I did.
Denis might try bumping the wedding up for Sasha and we still don’t know who the man is going to be.
“I have a safehouse,” Mikhail says. “We should go there until the new guards can come.”
“Should we leave though? What if Nico and Cillian are waiting for us?”
“We can’t stay here, Natalya. They’ll attack sooner or later.
It’s better we take this risk so they don’t know where we are.
We’re doing this.” Mikhail’s dominance is back.
He’s calling the shots and I feel a wave of relief.
If he’s in charge, then it means everything will be fine. I have to believe that.
We each pack a bag and hurry to the car. No one attacks us, not when we leave the driveway, not when we drive down the street. But Mikhail is tense. I can see it in the way he holds the steering wheel. His knuckles are paper white.
I keep my eyes out but even I can only do so much. I have a gun in my hands. Mikhail was reluctant to give me one but I reminded him that I know how to use one.
We’re driving through Brooklyn when Mikhail tenses even more. “We’re being followed.”
“…ok. So what do we do?”
“We stay calm. We keep moving forward and we try to lose them.”
Mikhail takes a hard right turn but the car continues to follow. They’re not being subtle about it. They want us to know they’re right behind us.
“Who is it? Can you see?”
“I don’t recognize the driver but that’s Liam in the passenger seat.”
So, the Irish then.
“They really want you dead, don’t they?”
“They really do.” He speeds up trying to lose them but they only speed up too. Mikhail continues to try and evade them but they’re not giving up.
“I have an idea.” He pulls into a nearby parking garage, plowing through the barrier gate. He speeds around the corners and finds a parking spot. The Irish drive right past us. Mikahil pulls out and follows them.
They try backing the car up but Mikhail rams right into them.
“Sorry, baby,” he mutters as I let out a small yelp.
The Irish surge forward in their car, driving towards the exit. Mikhail follows.
“I’m going to kill these motherfuckers,” he states.
We both make it back out of the parking garage. Mikhail rans his car into them again, making them grind to a halt. Liam storms out of his car, firing off his gun but Mikhail is ready. He fires right back.
Liam ducks behind his car.
Mikhail backs his car up, ready to take off… when the car stalls. “What the fuck?” He tries getting the car to move but it’s not moving.
“Mikhail? Is this part of the plan?”
“No. Natalya, get out. Run.”
“But, Mikahil -,”
“Get out. Run.” He practically pushes me out of the car. I take off running as Mikhail gets out to fight Liam.
Then I remember the gun in my hands. I can help.
Liam hides behind his car as Mikhail fires round after round at him but he doesn’t hit him. The driver gets out and starts shooting, making Mikhil duck behind his own car.
I fire at the driver and miss. It draws his attention to me and he tries shooting at me. I drop to the ground and crawl away.
Mikhail can’t take on both the driver and Liam, which gives Liam the chance to run after me. Now is the time to run, I realize.
I take off down the street but Liam only follows. I have to get in a good position so I can turn around and shoot him but there’s too many people around. I don’t want to accidently hurt someone.
My hesitation gives Liam the chance to grab me. He pulls me down an alleyway so no one can see us. Before I can scream, he hits me over the head with his gun, making me dizzy.
“Why?” I whisper.
“You’ll make it easier to kill Mikhail with.” He practically holds me up as we walk away from the alley. I want to scream but he hit my head so hard, I can barely see straight.
He continues to walk me farther and farther away from Mikhail.
Mikhail
I kill the driver.
But I don’t kill Liam because he’s nowhere to be found. Neither is Natalya.
I go back into the parking garage and steal another car before I go out and search for her. They couldn’t have gotten far.
But I don’t see them. I drive around the block and still I don’t see them. Where the fuck did Liam take her?
I call Charlie and a few of my other men to tell them to be on the lookout.
I drive straight to Cillian’s favorite restaurant and barge inside. I shoot down his two guards in the front room before heading to the back. Cillian is there, waiting for me with his own gun drawn.
“Where did Liam take Natalya?”
“Why would I tell you that? He was supposed to kill you.”
“Well, he didn’t. He took my wife instead. Where are they?”
When Cillian doesn’t answer me, I scream louder, “Where are they?”
“Mikhail, calm down.” It’s not Cillian who speaks.
It’s Denis.
I whirl around to see him standing behind me but that gives Cillian the chance to shoot. I duck behind the hallway before he can hit me.
“What the fuck is going on?” I demand.
Denis nods to Cillian. “We decided to make a deal.”
“You and the Irish? Does Nico know about this?”
“Nico doesn’t need to know. All that matters is that I get Natalya back. And now I’ll have her back.”
“So you can sell her off to the highest bidder. Is that right?”
Denis only smiles. “You’ve lost this round, Mikhail. You can’t win.”
“I will fucking win. I will get my wife back. So was the plan to kill me and steal Natalya?”
“Pretty much. She made a mockery out of me. She managed to escape me. That can’t stand. I have someone she can marry. It’s going to happen, Mikhail.”
“You can’t marry her off. She’s already married.”
“Not if she’s a widow. I came here to Cillian last night and proposed the deal and he was on board.”
It dawns on me then. Who Denis wants to marry Cillian to.
It’s Cillian himself.
“No,” I growl. “You’re not going to do this. This is your niece. Think about that, Denis. Don’t you have any love for her? Any at all?”
“She shot me in the shoulder and then she tried to kill me again. Why should I care about her when she clearly doesn’t care about me? Cillian will marry her. We’ll make this deal. And you won’t live to see it.”
“Where is she?” I demand.