Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Viktor
I ’m being cruel. Ava did nothing wrong.
It’s not her fault Tina does what she wants. She pushes everyone to the brink, but I won’t tolerate her giving Ava ideas. Before I got the call, I was bored out of my mind listening to the board talk about the latest numbers. It made me question why I created Manarch Industries in the first place. Then my cell rang, and the screen read Marco. He shouldn’t have been calling. My first thought was that something had happened to Ava. He informed me it wasn’t just Tina and Ava having lunch. I’d had no problem with the arrangements until he mentioned the four men sitting at the table.
After instructing Marco to take Ava home, I get in my SUV to return to the office. I don’t know what it is about Ava that makes me want to impose my will on her. Seeing the red marks of my belt on her ass brought excitement that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I didn’t intend to discipline her, but seeing her at a table with other men drooling over her drove me to madness. I know she doesn’t see it. She doesn’t realize how beautiful she is and how men gawk over her and want her, but she’s mine. No one else will ever have her. The dominant in me has been waiting to claim her, and today he did.
Until now, I’ve kept that side of me hidden, afraid it would scare her off. I wasn’t sure if she could handle it, but the way her body responded was unexpected. Desire oozed from her. She’s more submissive than I ever imagined. She’s naturally and willingly giving herself to me. I’m her master, and I can’t get distracted. She makes my reason go out the window. At the end of this arrangement, she must go, so I must continually remind myself she can’t stay with me. Staying means being caught in a war where she’ll only be a pawn. I’m selfish and an asshole, yet I can’t think of not having her. My cell interrupts my thoughts. The screen reads Oliver.
“Oliver?”
“Where are you?” There’s an edge to his voice I can’t identify.
“Driving to the office. Why?”
“We’ve been hit at the docks.”
“What the fuck?”
“I know.”
“Where are you?” I snarl.
“The docks.”
“I’ll be there in ten.”
I turn onto the next street. I don’t understand who would be dumb enough to attack us again. Cillian’s return has me on edge. I don’t like not knowing what is happening. It makes me feel out of control. I tried to speak to my father about the matter, but he doesn’t want to believe me or hear it. But there’s more to it. My father is too calm, and I need to do something. This is unacceptable.
Arriving at the docks, I can see a dozen of our men standing outside the gate. Some of the men look injured. I see smoke coming from the main building as I drive over to it. I park and get out.
“What the fuck happened?” I demand as I approach Oliver.
“Bomb.”
“How many hurt?”
“About a dozen. Everyone made it out,” he says before I can ask him.
“Thank God. Inventory?”
“Gone. The bomb did a number.”
“Fuck.”
“You need to go, Viktor,” Oliver coaxes. “The police are probably on their way. You have an image to maintain. The last thing you need is to be questioned.” I don’t want to leave. These are my men. I can’t stand back and do nothing. “I only called to keep you posted.” He continues, “I didn’t think you were close enough to come.”
“I was taking care of something nearby.”
“I’ll call you after we speak with the cops.”
“I want an update every thirty minutes. Call for reinforcement.” I start walking.
“Where are you headed?”
I turn and look down my nose at him. “The office, where else?” As I climb into the SUV, I repeat, “Every thirty minutes.”
Something isn’t right. Once again, I’m missing something. First, the warehouse, now the docks. Who is doing this, and what do they want? I’m dreading going back to the office. This is where I need to be. I’m in no mood for work, but the pile of files and emails won’t take care of themselves, and Oliver is right, I don’t need to be here when the cops show up. I’m almost at the office when my cell rings. The screen reads Ava. I’m surprised she’d call so soon, considering what happened at the restaurant.
“Ava—” I don’t get to say another word. I hear the clear sounds of bullets and her screams.
“Viktor,” she screams, saying words I can’t understand.
“Get down, Ms. O’Brien,” Marco shouts in the background.
“Ava, where are you?” More screams but nothing that makes sense. “Ava, put the cell on speaker,” I command. Unsure if she’s done it, I decide to speak. “Marco?”
“Sir,” he answers.
“What the fuck is going on?”
“I’ve been ambushed. They’re trying to pin me.”
“Where are you?”
Ava screams, and it’s fucking paralyzing.
“Ten minutes from the house.” I gun it. “I don’t know if we will make it. Ms. O’Brien, get on the floor of the SUV.” A window shatters.
“You must. I’m calling reinforcements. Don’t stop, Marco.”
“Yes, sir.”
Another window shatters, and Ava screams again.
I end the call and dial Oliver.
“It hasn’t been thirty minutes, Viktor.” He mocks me.
“Marco is being ambushed with Ava inside the SUV.”
“Fuck. Where are they?”
“He’s ten minutes from the house. He doesn’t know if he’ll make it.”
“A calculated attack,” he states.
“I need everyone mobilized. Shut everything down. I’m on my way to the house. Call the guardhouse. He needs backup.”
“Don’t get killed.”
I end the call and pull my gun from the secret compartment. I can’t get Ava’s screams out of my head. It will be at least twenty minutes before I make it to the house despite going a hundred and twenty miles an hour.
My girl needs me, and I’m not there. My girl? I want to call and comfort her, but I need Marco to stay focused. It’s clear now that I’m the target of these attacks. The question is who is attacking me and why. My list of enemies is long but at the very top is Cillian. It must be him. What does he want from me? He owns half the docks, and my father still controls the clan.
I will my SUV to go faster. Ava is in danger because of me. As the house comes into view, I can see my men are everywhere. Angus, one of my loyal top lieutenants and close friend, flags me down. I don’t want to stop. I need to see Ava, but I stop anyway because he wouldn’t hail me unless he had something to say.
“She’s shaken but fine,” he assures me, answering the question I haven’t asked.
“Marco?” I ask, although all I want to do is have Ava in my arms. To see that she’s in one piece.
“Cursing at himself. The doc is with him. He caught a bullet.”
“I want a full report.”
“We’ve got one alive. He’s in the guardhouse,” he adds.
“Oliver is on his way. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” I drive through the gate. Another dozen men are standing by the front door. I park, get out and open the door to the house. Inside, the house is quiet. I’m about to take the stairs when Mary pops out of the kitchen.
“Ava ran upstairs. She won’t open the door or let the doctor examine her.”
“Thank you.” I loosen my tie and walk to my office to grab the key to her bedroom. Upstairs, I softly knock on her door. “Ava, it’s me. Open the door.” I hear shuffling and footsteps. She opens the door, and I see bloodstains on her clothes. “Come here, baby girl.” I pull her into my arms. She’s shaking and crying, so I pick her up and take her to my bedroom. I try to set her on the bed, but she holds me tighter. “I need to look at you. I need to see if you’re hurt,” I explain.
She stares, uncertain, her eyes unfocused. It takes a few seconds before she lets go and lets me study her. There are scratches on her arms and one on her forehead. I pull her shirt over her head and her jeans off so I can inspect every inch of her. She has no other visible injuries, but I’m not a doctor, and she seems to be in shock.
“I need the doctor to examine you and make sure you’re okay.”
“Please don’t leave me,” she sniffles as fresh streams of tears roll down her cheeks.
“I’m not. I’ll be right here.” I take my suit jacket off and unbutton my shirt. I put the shirt on her. I call Mary, “Send the doctor to my bedroom.” I end the call and move to get a washcloth, but she stops me.
“Please,” she pleads.
I hold her as she silently cries. The doctor arrives after a few minutes, and I sit beside her as he examines her. She refuses to let me leave her side despite the doctor needing me to move so he can check her over. I’ll do anything she needs to make her feel safe, so I stay beside her, making the doctor work harder. Finally, he finishes his examination and gives her something to take. I pass her a glass of water and help her lie down before walking the doctor to the door.
“She’s fine, Mr. Manarch, just some shock. The sedative will help her sleep. If anything changes, call.”
“How about Marco?” I look at Ava. She’s lying quietly.
“A through and through on his shoulder. He should be fine in a few days.”
“Thank you. Oliver has your payment.” The doctor leaves, and I look at Ava. Her eyes are closed, but I see the tears leaving a trail on her cheeks. I walk over to my bed and sit beside her, stroking her cheek, “I’m sorry, baby girl. I swear no one will ever hurt you.” She doesn’t say anything, but her breathing slows down. I stay until I know she’s fast asleep. I have pressing matters. Particularly to see the man in the guardhouse who will tell me who sent him.
“Sir,” Marco says, reaching my bedroom door. “I apologize. I didn’t see them coming.”
“Stay outside my door. Call me if she opens the door to leave or calls for me,” I order, closing the bedroom door.
“Not a problem, sir.”
As I walk away, I can see Marco is upset and remorseful. I probably should tell him I don’t blame him, but he should have been more mindful. It’s his fucking job to be on high alert at all times. He’s fortunate nothing happened to Ava because we would be having a different conversation. I find Oliver waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.
“How is she?”
“Resting. I want all-hands-on-deck.”
“Already done. Angus is waiting for you.”
I start walking again. Less than two minutes later, I’m making my way to the basement. Halfway down the stairs, I can smell the copper. When I reach the landing, I see Angus has roughed up our guest. I look at Angus.
“Nothing. Maybe you’ll have better luck,” he tells me. I walk straight to the man and stand a few feet from him.
“Who do you work for? Who sent you to attack the SUV?”
“No one,” he says defiantly.
"The longer you stay quiet, the harsher the torture,” I bark.
“I’m not telling you shit.”
“He’s acting like he isn’t afraid of you,” Oliver says from behind me.
“Perhaps we need to fix that. Hang him up.”
Angus grabs the grunting man, who can barely stand, and suspends him from a hook bolted to the ceiling with Oliver’s help. The man’s legs don’t reach the floor as he dangles. Blood drips to the floor from where the hook has entered his back.
“What’s it going to be?” I ask.
“If you think I’m afraid of you, you’re wrong,” he says, coughing blood.
“Give me a baseball bat,” I order.
“You can hit me all you want. I’m still not talking.”
“I guess he’s more afraid of whomever he works for than you,” Oliver says, handing me the baseball bat.
“We’ll see about that.” I swing, shattering his right kneecap.
The man screams in agony.
“Who do you work for?” I demand.
“Just kill me. I’m not telling you anything.” His voice is barely audible.
“It’s not just you who is going to die. I’ll find every single person you love and torture them to death, too.”
“Viktor…” Oliver calls me.
“She could have fucking died,” is all I say before I swing again, taking out his left kneecap this time.
“I don’t know who hired me. My family has nothing to do with this,” the man pleads.
“You should have thought about that before you attacked the vehicle my future wife was in.”
“I’ll give you the phone number of the person who hired me, but I swear I don’t know who they are.”
“Not good enough.”
“They paid me from an LLC. I’ll give you that, too,” he says desperately.
“Let him live long enough to give me the information,” Oliver tells me.
“You know what’s expected when you’re done?” Oliver nods.
“You’ll never learn who’s after Ava O’Brien. It’s too late for her. If it’s not me, it will be someone else,” the man adds, laughing.
I take out my gun from behind my back and pull the trigger.
“Fuck, Viktor. You killed him before he could give us the information.”
“He was never going to talk,” I say, more to myself. “Clean this up and tear his life apart. You’ve found more with less,” I add, already walking to the stairs.
As I climb, something becomes clear. I’m not the only target. Whoever is after me is also after Ava. Only two people would benefit from her death—my father and Cillian.
I make my way back to the house. I need a shower and to be beside Ava. I’ll do whatever needs to be done to protect her, even if that means starting a war with my father or Cillian.
Ava sleeps on, unaware that I’m watching her and nursing a drink. Perhaps my mother is correct. Ava has become more than I planned. I didn’t intend to want her the way I do. I fight every instinct to cave into this need I have for her. Has Ava become my world?
“I’m going to die. Please don’t let me die,” Ava screams.
I bolt out of my chair and clutch her to my chest.
She’s having another nightmare, and this one is on me.