Chapter Twenty #2
“You don’t know shit, Konflict. Don’t say you’re sorry. Don’t say you want a chance because I’m not giving you any damn chance. In fact, I want a divorce,” she yelled.
“That’s not fucking happening. The whole marriage not being consummated thing doesn’t work, as you can guess. So no divorce, baby. Fuck, this hurts,” I said, staring at my bleeding hand.
The bullet had gone right through and out the other side.
Lucky for me, I’d had my palm spread out over the barrel, so it passed right through the top of my hand—between my middle and ring finger.
Tore a chunk of flesh clean off on the way out, but nothing that wouldn’t heal.
Still, fuck, it hurt like hell. My left hand was useless now, blood pouring out fast. But hell, I deserved it. If that was the price, I’d pay it.
“I don’t give a fuck how many times you fucked me. You’re giving me this divorce, because I’d rather rot alone than stay married to a piece of shit like you.”
She pressed the gun to my head.
“And you should be fucking grateful I’m not blowing your brains out right now. You have no idea how much I fucking hate you. Don’t test me.”
I raised both hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry, alright? Maybe we should talk all this over once we’ve cooled down. Let’s go home, get checked out by a doctor, and when this adrenaline drops, maybe we can talk.”
“It’s the divorce, or a bullet in your head, Konflict. Choose. Now.”
“Kill me, then, because I’m never gonna divorce you, baby.”
She stared at me with tears in her eyes, her whole body shaking with anger.
“Please, baby…” I begged.
“Konflict, we have to leave now. The chopper’s here. We need to go before the cops arrive.” D stopped short when he saw Serenity pointing my gun at my head.
“She shot you in the hand? Shit, I thought marriage was all love, fucking, and shit. Now, I really don’t want to get married at this rate. Look, I know you two have a lot to work out, but we need to get out of here. Right now.”
I didn’t take my eyes off Serenity. Her glare was pure murder.
“Serenity, sis, listen. I’ll help you cut off his dick, his whole arm, a leg, whatever you want. But let’s do this in Emberwick, okay? We don’t have the same power out here, and our window is closing. We need to move now.”
She glanced at Draven, then lowered the gun.
“Fuck!” she muttered, throwing my gun to the floor.
Only then did I let myself breathe. Serenity tried to stand, but she was weak, so I tried to help despite my bleeding hand.
“You better not touch me, motherfucker,” she snapped.
The way she glared at me, I just put my hands up.
“Okay. I’m not touching you.”
“Here, let me help you,” Draven said, offering his arm. “That’s it. See, I’m a good boy. You should’ve married me instead of him,” he shot me a mocking look.
God, I wanted to kill him so bad.
“Keep that bullshit up, D, and my next bullet’s for your dick,” I growled.
Without sparing a glance for me, Serenity let Draven lead her to the chopper. Krash and Kalash helped her get in, and I brought up the rear. Before we took off, we blew the cottage with all the bodies inside, then got out of there fast.
In the chopper, Krash wrapped my hand to slow the bleeding.
I didn’t take my eyes off Serenity. She looked lost, staring out as we flew back home.
I knew better than to piss her off more.
We’d talk at the Korven estate since I was obviously moving back in with her.
I was never gonna leave her side again. Almost losing her today reminded me how short life was and I’d wasted enough time.
From now on, I’d spend every breath making it up to her.
A few hours later, we landed at the Korven estate. Night had already fallen.
Valery was waiting at the door and rushed to Serenity as soon as she saw her step out of the helicopter.
“Oh my God. Thank God you’re alive. Serenity, don’t ever scare me like that again,” she sobbed, crushing Serenity in a hug. “I was so scared. What did they do to you?” she asked, pulling back to check her face.
Her hand hovered over Serenity’s bruised skin. Remembering what Eleana and Seylan did to her, I wanted to go back and kill them all over again. If only I’d handled them sooner, none of this would’ve happened.
“Are you okay?” Valery asked again.
“Yes, Valery. I’m good. Please pack our things. We are leaving the Korven estate immediately.”
“Whoa, wait, what? You’re going nowhere,” I said, stepping in.
Serenity turned to face me, her eyes sharp with anger.
“I’m not spending even a second in the house of a lying piece of shit like you. We’re getting that fucking divorce, and I’m heading back to the Veylor Estate. Valery, grab our things.”
Valery glanced at her, realized she was serious, and nodded. “Sure. As you wish.”
“Listen, Serenity. Baby—”
“Don’t fucking ‘baby’ me. You have no right to call me that or any other name. We’re nothing to each other. And I’m leaving this mansion right fucking now. Unless you want this to get even uglier, I suggest you stay out of my way, Knox.”
Her voice cut deep and I stood frozen as I watched her walk away, feeling my heart break a little more.
“Fuck, Serenity, wait—”
I tried to follow her, but Krash stopped me, grabbing my arm. I turned to face him. Draven, Kalash, and Kusch were there too, all witnessing the spectacular way I was losing my wife.
Great. Fucking awesome. Bien joué, Konflict!
“Just chill, man,” Krash said. “She needs time. That’s a lot of shit for one day. She got snatched, then found out her husband was using a secret identify to fuck her. That’s a hell of a mindfuck.”
“Yeah bro, you just have to give her some space. If she wants to go back to her family’s place, let her.
She needs to chill out. Pushing her right now is just gonna make things worse,” Draven said, trying to be serious.
Then he switched back to his usual unseriousness.
“Not bad, eh? Pretty solid relationship advice from a single guy. You always say I’m not ready for marriage, K, but look at me now. I’d make a wicked husband.”
“D, please spare the poor girl who ends up with you. You’re a real asshole,” I answered, letting his joke loosen the tightness in my chest, because they were right. I needed to let her go tonight.
“Man, I’d still be a better husband than you. For one, I wouldn’t threaten my wife, and I’d fuck her every day in our own bed, not in a brothel behind a mask.”
“Fuck you, D,” I said, turning to Kalash and Kusch.
“Send some guys to the Veylor estate. My wife’s not sleeping there unprotected,” I ordered as I headed inside.
“Krash, get Dr. Kalvin over here. Serenity needs to see him, and my hand needs checking. Then we’ll go over everything that happened tonight.
There’s some bullshit going on I don’t like. Someone’s due for a visit soon.”
I disappeared into the mansion, heading to a bedroom I hadn’t used in ages.
It felt like I hadn’t been here in forever.
Everything in this house reminded me of Serenity.
The decor, the colors, the art, the furniture—every detail was her.
I’d noticed it before, those rare times I came home this past year, but standing here now, it really hit me.
She had a gift for making a place hers. And I was lucky to have her—if she’d ever want me again.
Either way, I wasn’t giving up, not now.
Even if she wanted a divorce today, I’d fight for us.
Two days after the incident with the Sawyer’s, I went to Marquette’s place because I needed answers.
“Konflict, what a pleasure to see you this morning,” Maureen greeted as Krash and I arrived to see Judge Marquette.
Everything that happened lately was eating at me, especially what happened to my wife at the last gathering here.
I wasn’t the type to beat around the bush.
I had serious suspicions about Marquette and planned to confront him directly.
I wasn’t the man to mess with. Everyone knew I had a quick trigger.
When you got too close to what was mine, I got violent.
And right now, I had questions for that old man.
I hoped his answers wouldn’t be the kind that sent me to war for my woman, again.
“We’re here to see Judge Marquette.”
“Of course. Make yourselves comfortable, he’ll be with you soon. How’s Serenity doing? She must be pretty shaken after all that. Hard to believe the Sawyer’s actually went as far as kidnapping her. Poor thing must’ve been scared out of her mind.”
“She’s still processing,” I replied.
“Of course. She needs rest. Halley and I will visit her soon.”
“Yeah, sure.”
I managed a weak smile, stopping myself from saying Serenity was at the Veylor estate and it was killing me being so far away from her.
Funny how I spent a year running and living apart, but now, just two days without her felt like an eternity.
I didn’t think I could get through another night without her in my arms, without the warmth of her skin, her scent when I held her close.
Not to mention how damn full my balls were after getting used to fucking my wife every day.
God, I needed her forgiveness more than I needed air.
I wasn’t sure how much longer I could take it.
“I’ll leave you to your business,” Maureen Marquette announced before slipping out as her husband walked into the room at the same time.
He looked at Krash and me, and his brows drew together immediately.
“Korven. I wasn’t expecting you,” he said, taking a seat across from us.
“I have something important to discuss with you. I figured it was best to have this conversation face to face.”
“What’s going on?”
“I’m not going to dance around it. I want to know why my wife’s toxicology report shows she ingested something at your party that could have killed her.”
Marquette was caught off guard. He hadn’t seen that coming at all.
“Excuse me? What are you talking about, Korven?”