Chapter 10
Kazimir
I’ve just finished a meeting, and as the last of my staff files out of my office, my eyes drift to the clock. It’s almost time for Chloe’s shift to end, and since today is her last day at work, I’m relieved. With Vadim still out there, I need to keep her safe.
Last night, that bastard attacked one of our warehouses and killed some of my men. When I got home, seeing Chloe was enough to calm the monster inside me. Her decision to prepare a bath for me and give me a massage caught me off guard because, before her, I had never had anyone take care of me.
A smile spreads across my face at the thought of last night.
We spoke a few hours ago before my meeting, and I know her security is with her and will drive her home when she’s done.
Everything should be fine, yet I can’t shake the fucking feeling that has been sitting at the back of my mind for the past hour, nagging at me to check on her.
I pick up my phone and call her, and she answers on the second ring. “Hey.”
Just hearing her voice eases something in my chest. “Hey, baby. How’s your day going?”
“Very well. I’m just rounding up. My shift is almost over, and then I’m heading straight home.”
“Okay.”
I pause.
“You’re okay?”
She laughs softly. “Yeah. I’m fine. Is there a problem?”
“No.” I rub my jaw. “I just miss you.”
“Aww.” I can hear the smile in her voice. “I miss you too.”
I smile.
“I was thinking maybe we could have Thai tonight. From that place you love.”
There’s a small sound on the other end. I know that sound. “You’re craving something else, aren’t you?”
She laughs. “Yes.”
I chuckle. For the past few weeks, pregnancy cravings have dictated more of our meals. And I’ve happily gone along with every single one.
“Well, what are you craving?”
“Actually, I think maybe pizza.”
“Whatever you want, baby.”
“All right. I’ll see you later. Love you.”
“Love you too, baby.”
I stare at my phone for a moment. The feeling is still there.
Something isn’t right. But she just told me she’s fine.
I try to push the thought down, forcing myself to focus on the work waiting for me.
I check a few reports, answer messages, make a couple of calls.
Still there. I pick up my phone again and call her security detail.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes, sir. She’s fine. We have her in our line of sight. Her shift should be over soon, and we’ll be heading home shortly after.”
I close my eyes for a moment. “Keep me posted.”
I end the call. Everything’s fine. I walk around for another few minutes, trying to convince myself I’m being paranoid. Eventually, I give up. I grab my jacket and keys. If my instincts are telling me to go see my wife, then that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
I head out of my office and make my way to the hospital myself. I call Chloe’s bodyguard as I drive, intending to let him know I’m coming and that I’ll be taking my wife home myself.
The phone rings but he doesn’t answer. I frown and try again, no answer still. That isn’t normal. My men know better than to ignore my calls, especially when they’re responsible for Chloe’s safety.
I call another member of the security detail. Nothing. A cold feeling settles in my stomach. I immediately call Chloe, and she doesn’t answer either. The hair at the back of my neck stands. Something is wrong.
“Fuck.”
I press harder on the accelerator. I run through every possible explanation, but none of them make sense. Why aren’t her guards answering? Why isn’t Chloe answering? When I finally reach the hospital, I barely bring the car to a stop before something catches my eye.
Chloe. She’s being forced toward a black SUV. Two men have her between them. Vadim and his fucking son!
“CHLOE!”
I throw my door open and jump out, my gun already in my hand. But they’ve already gotten her inside the SUV. It pulls away before I can reach them.
“Fuck!”
I sprint back to my car, throw myself behind the wheel, and slam my foot down, and follow. I call Lev as I drive. “It’s Vadim. He took Chloe.”
“What? That fucking bastard.”
“They’re headed toward Nigel Avenue. I’m going after them. Get the men. Now.”
“On it.”
I end the call and keep my eyes locked on the SUV ahead. They weave through traffic, make sudden turns, and push the vehicle hard. I stay on their tail as they finally turn onto a deserted road.
I’ve faced men with guns pointed at my head. I’ve walked into situations knowing I might not walk out. I’ve never been this scared. If anything happens to her, I don’t know what I’ll have left. My life is tied to hers now.
“Hold on, baby,” I mutter. “Just hold on.”
Gunfire erupts, and bullets slam into my vehicle. The rounds don’t penetrate due to the armour. I’m close enough to shoot. But I can’t. Chloe is inside that fucking car. One bad shot and I could hit her. I need to be careful.
I wait for an opening, then slam my car into the back of the SUV. The impact sends both vehicles swerving, the SUV fishtails and spins across the road before slamming into a concrete wall. I hit the brakes hard, please let her be okay.
Before I can even get out, two vehicles come flying around the corner. My men. They screech to a stop behind me, and armed men spill out. Gunfire immediately erupts. I grab my weapon and return fire, careful to keep my shots away from the SUV.
Vadim steps out from behind the wreckage, firing alongside his men. I fire back. My men spread out, taking cover behind the vehicles as bullets tear through the air. Then Vadim’s son appears holding Chloe, his arm locked around her neck as he drags her backward, a gun is pressed against her head.
Everything inside me stops. “Drop your weapon!” he shouts.
“Take another step,” he says, “and I put a bullet in your wife’s head.”
“Easy,” I say, keeping my gun trained on him. “Calm down.”
Vadim laughs. “I’m fucking calm. Now tell your men to step back, or your wife dies.”
My eyes stay locked on Chloe. Her hands tremble, but she keeps them at her sides, forcing herself to stay still. “Lower your weapons,” I order.
“Boss—”
“Now!”
One by one, my men lower their guns and take a step back. Vadim’s smile widens. “You really think you’re untouchable, don’t you?”
“We don’t have to do this, Vadim.”
“Oh, but we do.” His voice is filled with bitterness. “You think you’re so fucking perfect because you’re the Pakhan now.”
“Vadim—“
“You took something that belonged to me,” he says. “So now I’m going to take something that belongs to you.”
His son keeps Chloe trapped against him, the gun pressed dangerously close to her neck as they begin moving backward toward another vehicle. I know what happens if they get her into another vehicle. I can’t let them take her, I have seconds to make a decision.
It’s risky because one wrong move could leave Chloe caught in the crossfire, but doing nothing means watching them take my wife.
My hand drops toward the second gun tucked into my waistband, and I move fast, pulling it free.
A shot cracks through the air, and at the exact same moment, another gunshot rings out from somewhere to my left. Lev.
Vadim jerks violently as my bullet catches him in the head. He drops instantly. His son recoils in shock as Lev’s bullet tears through his shoulder. His grip on Chloe loosens, and she drops to the ground. I run to her.
“Chloe!”
More shots ring out as my men take down Vadim’s men. Vadim’s son takes off running. My men immediately chase after him, but I don’t even look in their direction. I’m already on my knees beside my wife.
“Baby.”
I pull her into my arms. “Are you okay? Hey. Look at me. Are you all right?”
“Yes.” Her voice trembles. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Are you hurt?”
She shakes her head. “No. No, I’m not hurt.”
I pull her tighter against me, burying my face in her hair and breathing her in. She’s alive. “Fuck,” I whisper. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I press a kiss against her forehead. “I’m so sorry.”
She looks up at me. “You came for me.”
“Of course I came for you.”
I cup her face. “I will always come for you.”
I lift her into my arms, and carry her toward the car. A few minutes later, Lev returns with the men. “Where is he?”
“He got away,” he says, his voice filled with regret.
My jaw clenches. “He won’t stay missing.”
I look down at Chloe. “We’ll find him.”
Then I turn toward Lev. “I need to get my wife to the hospital.”
“I’m fine,” Chloe protests.
“No.”
“Kazimir—”
“We’re going to the hospital to have you checked.”
I carry her into the back of the car and climb in beside her. “Drive,” I tell Lev.
I hold Chloe against my chest, my arms wrapped tightly around her.
I can’t stop replaying everything in my head.
What if I hadn’t listened to that feeling?
What if I had ignored the urge to check on her?
They could have disappeared with her before I even knew she was gone.
I close my eyes. I don’t want to think about what could have happened.
Chloe touches my face. “I’m okay.”
I open my eyes. “Tell me what happened.”
She takes a shaky breath. “When I was getting ready to leave, I went to use the restroom. When I came back out, my bodyguards were unmoving on the floor.”
I close my eyes briefly as she continues.
“Then two men grabbed me. They told me I had to go with them to the car or they’d shoot me.”
I pull her closer. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
She rests her head against my chest. “Can you take me home?”
“Yes baby, but we need to make a quick stop at the hospital first.”
“Kazimir, I’m fine.”
I brush my thumb across her cheek. “I just need to know that you and the baby are okay.”
I press another kiss to her forehead. “Please, baby. Do this for me. For my peace of mind.”
She studies me for a moment before finally nodding. “Okay.”
An hour later, the doctor checks Chloe thoroughly. Finally, she smiles. “Everything looks good. The baby is doing fine.”
I release a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
Chloe
A Month Later
Ever since Vadim died, I’ve noticed a change in Kazimir. He’s more relaxed, although the fact that Vadim’s son is still out there continues to bother him, and I know my husband won’t truly rest until he finds him.
Still, the constant tension that used to sit across his shoulders has eased, and he smiles more and breathes easier. Lately, things have been going so well that sometimes I catch myself wondering if this is really my life.
Every now and then, though, I think about that day and the fear that I might never see Kazimir again.
For a few nights afterward, I had nightmares and would wake up sweating with my heart pounding as I reached for Kazimir, but eventually, they stopped.
Now, I’m okay, and more than okay, actually, because I’m happy.
I lie back as the doctor moves the ultrasound wand across my stomach, her eyes focused on the screen. When she smiles, my heart starts beating faster.
“You’re having a baby boy.”
I immediately turn toward Kazimir, the smile on his face is impossible to miss as he squeezes my hand. “A boy,” he repeats.
I look back at the screen, my heart filling with something I can’t quite put into words. Our baby boy, a mini Kazimir.
The doctor continues, reassuring us that everything looks good. The baby is healthy, I’m healthy, and so far, everything is progressing exactly as it should. She tells us she’ll go over the remaining test results once they’re available before congratulating us again.
I’m all smiles as we walk back to the car, still unable to believe what we just heard. Once we're inside, Kazimir joins me in the back seat, pulls me onto his lap, and I straddle him.
“We’re having a boy,” I say, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.
“Yeah.” He smiles before kissing me.
“I’m so excited, I can’t wait to see what he looks like.”
“Meet too.” He kisses me again, deeper this time, before pulling back to look at me. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.” I smile and shift closer to him, feeling a completely different kind of restlessness, Kazimir gives me a knowing look. “Seriously?”
I grin. “I have an itch that needs scratching.”
He laughs under his breath before reaching up and raising the privacy partition between us and the driver. “The same one we scratched before the doctor’s appointment?”
“Are you complaining?”
“Never.” His hand is already under my dress, he finds me wet and groans.
“Such a naughty girl.”
I have his zipper down before he finishes the sentence. The second he’s free, he pushes my pantie to the side, lifts me, and I sink onto him slowly, taking every inch.
I drop my head back, as a moan tears out of me. “Kazimir…”
My morning sickness is gone, and in its place is an insatiable need for my husband that makes me want him constantly, all day and half the night. The best part is that he’s always ready for me.
I start to move. His hands lock on my hips and help me find the rhythm. “That’s it. Take what you need, baby. Use me.”
I grind down on him, rolling my hips the way I know wrecks us both. “Fuck—” His mouth is against my throat. “So tight. You feel that? You feel how good you take me?”
I do it again, and his breath breaks. “Keep riding me like that baby. Yeah… just like that.”
I brace my hands on his shoulders and take him harder, lifting and sinking until the wet sound of it fills the back of the car. He thrusts up to meet me every time I come down, hips snapping, chasing the same rhythm I set.
“Look at you, taking her husband’s cock in the back of a car like she can’t wait to get home. Come baby. Come on me.”
I shatter with his name in my mouth and collapse against his chest, lips on his neck, still pulsing around him.
He thickens inside me. “Itch scratched yet?”
“For now.”
He chuckles, breathless, and holds me there. “Good.”
I smile into his skin because there is no better man I could have married; he is the piece I didn’t know was missing, and he makes me whole.