30
I bite my lower lip, unable to look at him while I show him the photo. He looks at it, his frown deepening.
“I don’t know who sent it,” I murmur hesitantly, getting his attention. “And yesterday I got some kind of note when I was at the mall.” The screen of my cell phone now shows the photo I took of the note at the mall. His eyes go from confusion to anger in just seconds.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” The reproach in his eyes becomes increasingly unbearable, making me lower my head.
“I didn’t want to worry you.” He lets out a sigh, then holds my face in his hands, forcing me to look into his blue eyes.
“You can’t stop me from worrying about you. If they touch you, it’s like they’re touching me.” His fingers move across my cheeks as his breathing seems to calm down enough to relax his facial features. I nod my head, trying to form a smile. “Next time, tell me. Don’t hide anything from me again.”
“I’m sorry—”
“Don’t apologize. I don’t like it when you do that,” he interrupts, causing me to pout in confusion.
“Why?”
“You’re pure perfection. Do you think there’s anything you should apologize for?
” His fingers hold my jaw, not letting me move my head or look away from his eyes.
I shake my head in denial, assuming that’s the answer he’s looking for.
As I suspected, he smiles contentedly before leaving a light kiss on my lips.
“What will you do when you find him?” His tense muscles reflect the anger he is trying to contain as he begins to move his hand down my back.
“I’ll kill him. Anyone who dares to make you feel bad or touch a hair on your head deserves to be six feet under.”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit excessive?” I murmur, remembering that this isn’t the first time he’s done something like this. If Matt met that awful fate for almost nothing, I don’t even want to imagine the atrocities he’ll do to the person responsible for the threats.
“No. I’m just trying to be a good husband and fulfill all my vows,” he says, the corners of his lips curving upward. “Besides, when it comes to your safety and well-being, nothing is excessive.”
Whoever is behind that note intends to hurt me, so perhaps his decision isn’t so drastic. It’s always better to kill first before being the one to be killed.
“Whatever happens, tell me right away.” I nod, lost in his blue eyes.
“You have no idea how much I adore you.” His eyes now darken, leaving black pits where the blue used to be.
Something I also noticed last night but was too creeped out to think more about it.
My mind has been playing tricks on me lately.
All the tiredness and frustration my amnesia has left is coming back to me in a bad way.
“Maybe I do,” I reply with a small smile.
“I don’t think so. The only way you could know would be if you were reincarnated in me, and even then I bet you wouldn’t know,” he replies, bringing our lips together in a delicate kiss that becomes intense.
His tongue caresses mine one last time before pulling his lips away.
My body couldn’t handle repeating last night, I know, but I can’t help moistening my panties with the memories that make me long to have him inside me again, filling me with his aggressiveness and overflowing desire. I think I need another cold shower.
“I’m going to kill him,” I spit furiously.
“There’s not much he can do. I mean, he’s locked up,” Denis says in a matter-of-fact tone, clearly not thinking that just because he’s behind bars doesn’t mean he can’t send his men to try something against us.
“Your stupidity definitely increases with the dye you put on your hair,” Sergei says.
“It’s natural. And the only stupid one here is you,” he retorts sarcastically to Sergei.
“I’m not in the mood for your bullshit,” I say, fixing my eyes on the two of them. “I have a meeting with him tomorrow.”
“What are you going to do?” Denis asks.
“Negotiate,” I reply with a grim smile on my lips.
If he doesn’t accept my proposal, I will get rid of him. My offer guarantees his death, but it will be much less painful. I owe him that after all the months he helped me flood Mexico with drugs.
“Negotiate? You make it sound so easy. Norman won’t accept anything you propose. All you’ll achieve is starting a war with those who are left out,” Sergei murmurs with a sigh.
He’s not wrong. As soon as I get rid of him, my father will find out, and nothing good will come of it. That’s why I need her with me, under my fucking roof and right under my nose, but I know she won’t just accept it.
“No one messes with her, let alone threatens her. End of story.”
“Let the war begin, then,” Denis mutters with a singsong voice as he leaves the living room.
“Just when I have someone paying to have my head. Very convenient.” I ignore Sergei’s words, twirling a pen between my fingers before speaking.
“Have you heard anything else about it? You can ask Polina to help you out.”
“No. But I have something that might interest you.” I frown as I look at the photo he took on his phone. It’s a cafe. My eyes focus on the woman and my features harden with rage.
“We have her downstairs…” he murmurs, letting the words fall almost fearfully. His Adam’s apple moves as he swallows and he looks back into my eyes. “She’s in the main room. I didn’t know where you wanted us to take her.”
“Leave her where she is,” I say as I slip out of the room and head to the bedroom, feeling terribly tired. I barely slept last night.
I strip off my black tee and shoes and collapse onto the mattress. The peace and quiet only lasts a couple of hours before my heartbeats start to echo unpleasantly in my ears.
When I can’t take it anymore I get out of bed. I put my boots back on, grab the leather jacket hanging on a chair, and ride into the darkness of the night on my Iron 883 at an illegal speed, the wind hitting my bare skin.
I get out of bed, knowing that I won’t be able to get back to sleep anytime soon. I think I’m alone until I hear my father talking to someone else on the phone at the kitchen door in a very low voice, almost a whisper.
“How come you’re up so early?” I turn around and soon see Jason’s big, mocking smile.
“I wonder the same about you.”
“I’m going to the gym for a while,” he says, flexing his biceps to show off his muscles, making me laugh. “Are you coming?” He asks, taking a sip from his water bottle.
“It’s seven in the morning.”
“To have muscles like these, you have to suffer. Besides, there’s hardly anyone there now.”
I bite my lower lip hesitantly until I finally agree, knowing it wouldn’t be a good idea after yesterday. My body still hurts and I haven’t fully recovered my ability to walk, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.
“Let’s go,” he says with a broad smile.
“Already? Wait until I get dressed, at least,” I say.
“I see you’re dressed.”
“I mean putting on something to go to the gym. Or do you want me to go in a miniskirt?” He clicks his tongue in exasperation.
I leave the kitchen and go upstairs to my bedroom. My teeth dig deeper into my lower lip as a way to endure the sharp pains that shoot through my muscles every time I move.
The coffee I drank has completely eliminated all traces of sleepiness, and the memories of last night will haunt me all day long.
The desire to have his hands on my skin, adorning it with pain and crimson red, is what drives me most to go to the gym.
Seeking the pain of muscle soreness as a way to replicate what happened on that island. I miss having his hands on my body.
Sitting in the car, Jas looks at me with suspicious eyes and an amused smile playing on his lips.
“Are you okay? You walk funny.”
“Yes. I fell yesterday,” I reply without hesitation. I’ve spent the whole morning going over the answers I would give to curious questions about my walk or the barely noticeable marks on my skin.
“Where? In Dracula’s lap?” He asks with a loud laugh that makes me blush.
“Shut up and drive,” I say from the back seat.
A random song brings my cheeks back to normal, but it’s not until he speaks that they turn red again.
“I think he should reconsider moving in with us. At least that way he wouldn’t have to sneak into your room every night.” I start coughing when the air gets stuck in my throat and I look at him with my eyes wider than ever.
“How do you know that? Are you listening at my door?” I whisper, almost in an exclamation.
“As if I had nothing else to do,” he says amused. “I saw him climbing the walls last night like a lizard. He’s very good at it, so I figured he does it often,” he says, looking at me out of the corner of his eye and broadening his smile.
I thank the universe when we finally arrive at the gym. Once at the reception desk, I pay for today’s session and turn around, gasping in surprise when I find Sergei looking at me impatiently.
“Move quickly. There’s a queue.” His eyes expectantly urging me to move.
“What the hell are you doing? Are you following me?” I ask, arms crossed, giving him a dirty look.
“Well,” he pauses as he leans toward me. “That’s what I’m paid for,” he finishes with a mocking smile. I bite the tip of my tongue with a furious stare directly at him, suppressing a curse before finishing entering the gym completely.
I shove my gym bag into a random locker, not bothering to lock it. As I’m about to turn around, I feel a hard, cold surface bump into my lower back.
“Open your mouth and I’ll kill you right here, estúpida.”
My body tenses up. An electric current brings me back to reality, my breathing faster than before and my heart racing. The man behind me pushes me roughly when he sees that I’m not moving.
“Move.” I clench my teeth in anger and jab him in the ribs with my elbow. All I manage to do is get him to move the gun away from my body a little, but he doesn’t let go.
“Damn bitch!” he spits out angrily, grimacing in pain.
The next thing I feel is his fist slamming into my cheek with such force that it makes me stagger and let out a scream as my body shudders from the intense pain.
Then I feel him pull my hair until he lifts my head and points the gun at me.
The pain in my cheek fades into the background, giving way to fear.
I let out another scream when the man falls dead on top of me.
Looking down, I see a fatal wound in his chest caused by a bullet.
I look back, pushing the lifeless body to one side.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I see Sergei putting his gun back in the pocket of his pants.
“I have to get you out of here,” he says, glancing quickly around. I don’t have time to react when he grabs my wrist and drags me toward the parking lot with quick steps.
“Wait, I have to tell my brother.”
“We don’t have time for that shit now.”
I open my mouth to say something, but Jason beats me to it by approaching us.
“Where are you going? And who is this man? What’s going on?” He asks, frowning as he walks toward me.
“I’ll explain later.” Sergei doesn’t stop walking, but I manage to break free from his grip.
“Fuck no! I’m coming with you.”
“No.” His gaze now falls on the bruise on my cheek.
“Who did that to you?” he mutters through clenched teeth, his eyes burning with rage.
“I’ll explain later…”
“There’s no time, Lena, we have to hurry,” Sergei says, waiting for me a few meters away.
I start walking immediately, and when I glance back, I see Jason following close behind us with a confused but determined expression. I let out a snort that causes a sharp pain in my cheek.
“This way,” Sergei says once we reach the parking lot.
We move stealthily under the dim light that turns on automatically. I hear the sound of a gunshot coming from the opposite side.
“Watch out!” His warning brings me back to reality, but I don't have time to react before a sharp pain shoots through my right arm.
I quickly take cover behind a car. Within minutes the parking lot is filled with the sound of gunfire. I lower my head to my arm and find it covered in blood.
“Damn it!” Jason exclaims beside me, reloading his weapon with quick movements. Then he notices the wound on my arm. “Did they hit you? Are you okay?”
“It’s okay, I’m fine,” I reply with a grimace. He takes off his shirt and gives it to me. With great difficulty, I manage to tie a tourniquet that stops the bleeding.
I curse myself for not bringing anything to defend myself with.
My head turns sharply when I hear footsteps coming from behind.
I immediately recognize what the guy has in his hands: an Uzi, which he quickly puts to use, firing relentlessly at the three men in front of us.
In a matter of seconds, they fall lifeless to the ground.
The parking lot is now enveloped in a deathly silence that the man breaks by exchanging a few words with Sergei in Russian. Then we both move when Sergei signals us.
“Slowly,” Jason murmurs as he helps me up.
“I can do it myself. It’s no big deal,” I say, swallowing my cries of pain. I’ve been through attacks and even a kidnapping attempt before, but it’s never gone beyond a scare, so whoever is behind this must be damn good.
We both start walking toward a black, armored SUV where Sergei is behind the wheel with the other guy in the passenger seat. I try my best not to look at the lifeless bodies on the ground, but my eyes are drawn to them, watching the blood flow from their wounds.
As soon as we get into the car, Sergei doesn’t hesitate to start the engine. Shortly after, we’re on the highway, and between the blood loss and the speed we’re going, I have a hard time not getting dizzy.
“I think…” I can’t finish my sentence as my stomach churns violently, throwing up everything I ate that morning. Behind me, I hear Jason’s sounds of disgust as he presses a button to open the car window. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, mortified.
“That’s fucking disgusting,” Sergei mutters with a grimace.
“Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?” Jason asks exasperatedly beside me. “And I need a T-shirt, I don’t like showing off for free,” he continues, pointing to his toned abs with his finger and a sly look.
Sergei and the other boy’s eyes wander to that spot almost involuntarily, and Jason snorts before speaking.
“If you’re going to keep watching, you have to pay a fee. It’s the least you can do.”
“Great. Now I have to put up with the male version of you too. Fucking great,” mutters Sergei, glancing sideways at my brother with annoyance.
The man next to him suppresses a smile, looking straight ahead. He has medium-length hair with blond highlights, tied back in a small ponytail. Then he picks up the phone and starts talking to someone. The last thing I hear before closing my eyes is my brother’s voice calling me.