Chapter 25
Something is wrong. I read Caitlyn’s message and immediately knew it. When I try to call her, it goes through to voicemail. Before I can try Mabilia, her name is flashing on my screen.
“Where is she?” I ask.
“He’s here,” my sister says. “I’m following her.”
“Following her where? Where the fuck is she, Mabilia?” I yell as my foot pushes down on the accelerator harder. I need to get to her.
“She put her phone down on the bar and said she needed air. I tried to go with her and she didn’t want me to.”
“So you let her walk out alone?” I hiss.
“No,” my sister scoffs. “I let her think she was walking out alone.”
“Where’s your security? I want this guy fucking detained.”
“Pfft, as if I need anyone’s help to do that.” Mabilia laughs. “I’m right behind her. Your guys are following too.”
Before I can say anything else, the line goes dead. “Fuck.”
My fist hits the steering wheel. My heart is hammering in my chest. Is this what love is? This feeling of complete hopelessness? Why the fuck does everyone want this shit?
What the hell was she thinking, walking out of that bar alone? I’m going to wring her pretty little neck when I get my hands on her.
I pull to a stop out front of Tommy’s bar. Opening my tracker app, I search for my sister’s location. She’s two blocks down. I start running, my heart beating out of my chest. When I catch up with Mabilia, she’s about five steps behind Caitlyn. I scope out the area. Then I spot him.
“Get her out of here. Take her home to Mom and Dad’s,” I tell my sister as soon as I catch up to her.
“Wait. She’s turning,” she says.
My eyes stay focused on Caitlyn. I swear to god we are going to have words about her absolute lack of regard for herself. She steps into an alley. A fucking alley, seriously?
I pick up my pace, watching that fucking asshole follow her.
I spot two of my guys doing the same thing.
But before anyone can reach her, the fucker grabs hold of her.
Pulling her against his body. Henry spins around, a knife pressed to Caitlyn’s neck.
I see fucking red. Rage. But I remain calm on the outside.
“You can leave now. This doesn’t concern you,” Henry says.
“The fact that you’re holding a knife to my girl’s throat very much concerns me,” I tell him.
My men look to me. They go to step up to him, but stop when I shake my head.
“You have two options. One.” I hold up a finger. “You can let her go and I’ll make sure your death isn’t the worst I’ve ever dished out.”
“What’s the second option?” Henry asks, clearly way too confident that I won’t actually kill him.
“The second? You don’t let her go, and I make sure I take my time dismembering every part of your body, inch by inch. But don’t worry… I’ll be sure to keep you alive during most of it. You know I can make it last for weeks, months even,” I explain.
“Fuck off,” Henry sneers before turning to a very pale-looking Caitlyn. “We’re leaving.”
“Okay, option two it is, then.” I shrug when my sister pops up behind him.
Where the fuck did she come from? I don’t have time to question that right now, though.
Mabilia makes eye contact with me right before she reaches for Henry’s arm, bending it backwards.
The knife drops between us. I take the opportunity to grab for Caitlyn, pushing her into the arms of one of my men before my fist connects with Henry’s jaw.
The fucker falls to the ground. I jump on him, laying into the asshole with blow after blow.
“Neo, enough. You’re freaking her out,” Mabilia hisses in Russian. Her words cut through my haze and I get up. Henry is now an unconscious, bloody mess.
“Get him to the basement,” I order my men. Still in Russian.
Then I step up to Caitlyn, who is visibly shaking. I pull her into my arms, holding her tight against my chest, letting the worry and the rage seep right out of me.
“I’m sorry,” I tell her.
“Why are you sorry?” she asks, her voice quiet.
“Because he never should have been able to get close enough to you to touch you. I promise no one will ever touch you again.”
“It’s not your fault,” she says.
“Why the fuck would you walk out of the bar, knowing he was following you?”
“I didn’t want your sister to get hurt when he came after me,” she explains.
“Don’t ever put anyone before yourself again.” I kiss the top of her head. “Come on, I’m taking you home.”
“I’m sorry, Neo. I understand if you want nothing to do with me anymore…”
“What?” I step back and look down at her. “Caitlyn, you just told me you loved me. And now you want me to leave you?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t want you to. I just understand if you choose to.”
“Choose to?” I almost laugh. “I choose you. I love you.” It’s the truth. “I’m not doing life without you. I just found you. Our story is only just beginning.”
“Our story?”
“Our dark fairy tale, solnishko. You, my little sun, are my very own happy ending and I’m not letting go of that.”
“I think you might just be my knight in shining armor.” She smiles, and everything in the world seems right.
I meant what I said. This is just the beginning for us.