Chapter Nine
Ada
The gate opens. He must know I’m here. As I pull forward, I see the intercom and wonder if he tried to say something to me.
I follow the road up, suddenly nervous. It’s three in the morning, and I’m rolling up to someone’s home with someone else’s come in me because I was raped when he thought I was dead.
My throat is probably bruised. I’m mentally exhausted, though, and I need him.
I stop behind his truck and let out a shrill scream when I open the door, and some random man has a gun on me.
“Ada?” he says, and then grabs my wrist and pulls me out. I am in shock now as he pulls me into the house.
“Where is Viktor? I need…”
“Vik!” he yells out as he pulls me up the stairs.
“It’s three in the morning. Stop yelling at…” Viktor grumbles as he walks out of a bedroom. When he looks up and sees me, he stops. Rage floods his eyes, and no words need to be said to know how angry he is at the sight of me.
“He put cameras in my office,” I say as tears surface.
“Call Andre and Alan,” Vik says to the man.
“There’s more,” I say quietly as Vik hugs me. He pulls back and looks at me, ready to murder someone already.
“He… Right after you left, he told me he pawned the rings. He said he owed someone half a million dollars. When I said I wouldn’t give him my parents’ life insurance money, he snapped.
He said I owed him and said he put cameras in my office…
He strangled me, and I woke up hours later in the same spot.
He… raped me while I was unconscious. He passed out on the couch, but I looked at his phone, and he had texted someone saying I was dead and he’d deliver my body soon.
I packed what I could and came here. His phone is with mine in the car. They’re both turned off.”
“Get her stuff in, and pull everything off both phones. Just be careful about the client information on hers, and don’t mess with any of her work stuff,” Viktor says to the man. “Knock before coming in here.”
“You got it,” he says before walking away.
“Carlo,” Viktor says.
“Yes?” Carlo asks, turning back.
“Find out who he owes money to and who she was going to be handed off to. Make sure Alan has that information tonight,” Viktor says before pulling me into the room and shutting the door.
His room is massive and cozy. He takes me past the huge king-sized bed and into the bathroom. He turns the shower on before undressing both of us. I’m running on autopilot, so I’m handing over the controls to him because I just can’t function right now.
Viktor takes us both into the shower and sits me on the built-in bench before he starts washing my hair and body.
We say nothing as he cleans the evidence of Chris off my body.
By the time he shuts the water off, I am weak and exhausted.
He hurries and dries me off so he can put one of his huge shirts on me.
“Let’s go rest, my love,” Viktor says as he scoops me into his arms. He lays me in the center of the bed before pulling on boxers and lying with me. I roll to my side, and he wraps himself around me. Tears burn my eyes, and I start crying.
“He tried to kill me,” I choke out. “I gave up. I just…”
“Ada,” Viktor says, lifting my chin. “You didn’t give up, baby. You are here in my arms. You got yourself to safety. That’s fighting back.”
“I don’t understand,” I say tearfully.
“I’m going to tell you something, and Andre might get mad, but I’m not going to keep it from you anymore,” he says.
“Andre and Alan came to me after I was placed with you. They told me that Alan and his late wife were very close to your parents. Apparently, how you think they died isn’t true, and there are things about your family that no one has told you.
They haven’t gotten specific, but Alan suggested that you not knowing was better and safer.
Now that Chris has involved others, I’m starting to think he wasn’t in your life by accident. ”
“My parents were the mafia,” I say. “I know that much.”
“That’s what I figured too,” he says. “So let’s rest and wait for them to get here. You are safe here.”
“Okay,” I sniff.
Viktor hugs me to his chest, and I relax into him. Within a few short minutes, I fall asleep.
“Hey,” I hear Viktor say softly. I don’t move when I hear someone else in the room.
“Is she okay?” Alan asks.
“No, Alan. He tried to fucking kill her. How did no one know?” Viktor asks.
“We had no idea who it was that she was dating. I had no way to connect anything back to her parents’ murder,” Alan says.
“So who is he?” Carlo asks.
“Chris Manchester is actually Christopher Vincci,” Andre says. “His father is Angelo Vincci.”
“Fuck,” Viktor sighs.
“Is that bad?” I ask, looking up at him. Viktor kisses me softly and hugs me, giving me my answer. We both sit up, and I keep the blanket in my lap. I glare at Alan and Andre, angry that they didn’t just tell me. “This is your fault. Both of you.”
“Ada,” Alan says.
“No!” I snap. “I almost fucking died because the son of the man who clearly had something to do with my parents’ dying invaded my life.
I kept him from everyone because he was abusive, and I was too proud to ask for help, but none of that would’ve fucking happened if you two assholes had just fucking talked to me.
If I had known from the beginning that you were so close with them, none of this would’ve happened. ”
“I know,” Alan says softly. “Do you remember me?”
“No, not really,” I sigh. “I don’t remember much from being a kid. I wish I did.”
“Your parents loved you so much, Ada,” Alan says.
“Why did they die?” I ask.
“Because they refused to force you into marrying Chris,” Alan tells me. “They were about to move you across the country the next day, so they let you stay with a friend one last time. That was a really good idea, because explosives were put in the crawlspace.”
“Jesus,” I say. “So why does Chris owe someone money?”
“I don’t think his father knows,” Andre says. “I think he got into some shit with someone, and he’s trying to cover it up before his father finds out.”
“So what do we do then?” I ask.
“I’m going to suggest something that we did for Archer,” Andre says.
“She is connected to Alan already, but you need to be connected to him.” He nods at Viktor.
“We need far more support if we are going to go to war with Angelo, so you two need to be married. I’m talking about a full wedding, reception, and shit. ”
“I’m going to assume that I no longer have a job,” I say.
“No,” Alan says. “Everyone there is at risk if you are. You can have one final group class to explain, but their care needs to be transferred out.”
“I can give them all to the new therapist, Megan,” I sigh. “They all like her.”
“It’s not forever,” Viktor says. “When everything is settled, I will fund a private practice for you to own and operate.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I say.
“I don’t, but I’m going to,” he says. “I meant it when I said I wanted to keep you. If we are going to be married, I’m going to spoil you. That looks different for everyone, but for you, this is it. You want to help people, and I’m going to help you do that.”
“Damn, Viktor. When did you get so damn sweet?” Carlo asks, making me smile. “By the way, Ada, he never shuts the fuck up about you. And I mean that.”
“I feel honored,” I laugh.
“You should feel loved,” Viktor says, kissing me gently. “You should know, Alan is a psychopath, but he loves you.”
“He looks so innocent,” I say.
“He’s been murdering people who hurt you since your parents died,” he says. “Like the foster father who assaulted you.”
“I shouldn’t find that funny,” I laugh. “Why were you placed with me?” I ask Viktor.
“I think other people connected to your parents knew that you would be safe with him,” Alan says.
“They were right,” I say. “What happens from here?”
“I talked to the woman who owns your practice and explained the situation. She is calling everyone first thing in the morning to meet at an offsite location for you to talk to them,” Andre says.
“Alright,” I sigh.
“For now, let’s get some sleep,” Viktor says, laying me down so I can bury my face in his chest as he hugs me.