Chapter 8
Lexei’s heavy steps jostle my tender body against his thick frame, making me groan in agony. The crowds gathering on the third floor disperse as they watch him storm through like a madman. Can’t say I blame them; Alexei Chaban is one scary-looking bastard.
His naturally platinum hair is peppered with gray around the sides of his face, his eyes the lightest hue of blue my mind can comprehend. The man is built like a brick shithouse. I”ve gathered over the years that he still worked out the same way he did back when he first joined the Bratva. Scars decorate his otherwise unblemished skin, showcasing the brutality he withstood.
The first time I met Alexei, he scared the piss out of me. I honestly thought Atticus had sent him to finish what he couldn’t do. Instead, I was greeted by a gentle giant with a hero complex. This man has seen the ugliest parts of me and is still looking after me like some twisted, mobster, guardian-angel. He has always treated me like a glass doll, so careful like I’d break if he so much as breathed in my direction. Though, more recently, he has hardened in some ways after accepting the repeating answer that I’m where I want to be. I hate lying to him, but I refuse to drag him and his family into my shit.
The cool night air breaks through my thoughts as we make our way out of Le Papillon. A sleek, off-black Mercedes sits unmoved in front of the valet, looking an awful lot like a getaway car.
It probably is a getaway car.
A crude snort follows my inner thoughts causing Alexei’s steps to falter. His chest vibrates against my cheek, “Only you’d find humor at a time like this, malen’kaya luna.”
The sound of his car door opening fills me with a sense of relief I didn’t think possible, until a scream tears its way through my lips as he deposits my body into the passenger seat. His hushed praises do little to offer me comfort while my aching muscles are berating me for the sudden movement.
Darkness tunnels my vision as my head feels lighter, making the pain tolerable. With each passing minute my eyes grow heavier, the pill Lexei gave me finally taking effect. Mumbling that I don’t feel good, warm, calloused flesh caresses my leg soothingly until I fall asleep.
“Alexei! You can’t sit there and tell me you don’t know how this woman came to be mutilated like this,” a feminine voice whispers harshly, rousing me from my painless sleep.
Memories of constant beeping and my screams of grief plague me until the voice beside me begins to clear. Not ready to face my reality, I strain to make sense of their conversation.
“I know how, I’m just not saying anything, vrach,” Alexei snarks.
With an excruciating effort, I ease my eyelids open as far as they will go. Alexei sits, lounging in a chair next to the bed. His frosty orbs lock in my direction, thawing briefly as he realizes I’m alert.
Licking my lips, I open my mouth to speak only to be cut off by a gorgeous blonde-haired woman, standing at five-foot nothin’ in a pair of black ribbon pumps. Draping past her knees is a white lab coat underneath a classic, ruched-stretch black dress.
“I’m sorry for disturbing you, Mrs. Lennon. My name is Dottie or Doctor Smith. You’re at RMC,” she explains, scuffing her heel over the floor.
Fucking hell, Lexei.
“How long do I need to stay here, Dottie? Don’t coddle me. If I can leave now, I will,” I grit out, pain flaring in my vag. It feels like there’s a foreign object in there, tugging on me from inside.
Sucking in a breath, I fidget in the bed, attempting to find a comfortable position.
“Mae. May I call you that?” she asks. I nod my head as she continues. “You sustained a good bit of damage. Not just to your face and body, but internally as well. I can ask Alex to step out if you’d prefer to discuss it privately.”
My heart clenches at her use of a nickname for Alexei. I’ve never considered myself to be a jealous woman, much less over a man that isn’t mine, though I shouldn’t be surprised. Of course, he’d bag himself a doctor; a woman with a flourishing career that aligns with his beliefs. I watch as Dottie smirks while Alexei scowls in her direction, like he had wanted to keep their familiarity from me.
“He can stay,” I snap, letting my jealousy show.
“Right, well you have a few external and internal vaginal burns. Thankfully, they are relatively superficial and while inflamed, they do not present any need for debridement.” Alexei’s teeth grinding briefly interrupts her assessment.
“You had two small fissures, approximately two inches from your vaginal opening, that required sutures. That’s likely the discomfort you’re feeling right now. We didn’t want to risk them opening and causing more problems,” she explains empathetically.
Clearing her throat, she looks around the room nervously, like she”s working up to say something that would scare me or piss me off.
With my luck, probably both.
“Mae, I hate to ask this, but are you being hurt at home?” she questions cautiously, as her warm hands grasp mine.
“Please don’t brush this off. I don’t know you, but Alex does. If he is worried about you, then I am as well,” she begs, showing too much emotion for me to handle.
Nausea swirls in my gut as I plaster on my best Southern belle smile. “Well now, isn’t that just the sweetest, cher?” I drawl. “I appreciate your fine efforts, but as Alex will tell you, everything that happens in my home is consensual.” I know my words are dismissive, but they get the point across.
Her perfectly sculpted, blonde eyebrow quirks at my blatant lie. She can believe whatever story she wants, but if Alex wants to keep her breathing, then he best knows to tell her to keep her nose clean.
Opening her mouth, she gapes at me like a fish as Alexei cuts her sentiments off.
“Mrs. Lennon is fine as you can see,” he growls.
Narrowing her eyes, she points her nude polished nail in his direction. “Don’t you start with me,” she scolds. She spins on her heel, exiting the room while huffing her displeasure.
Waiting for the door to snick shut, I turn my attention back to Alexei. “Who the fuckis Dottie and how do you know her, Alex?” I ask, mockingly.
“She’s someone from my past,” he states tiredly, scrubbing at his face. “You should have told her you needed help, little moon.”
“You know I can’t do that,” I grit.
Irritation bleeds into anger as I kick my bruised legs out from underneath the scratchy, polyester blanket. I know I have no room to be angry with Alexei. None of this is his fault, it’s mine. Yet, the person I want to scream at is probably sticking his cock in someone else, or worse.
Yanking at the IV pumping the sweet medicine keeping my pain at bay, I decide that this isn’t a fight that I’m willing to have. I’d rather run back with my tail tucked than risk anyone more than I selfishly already have.
“You’re going to hurt yourself. Let Dottie do it,” he chastises, grabbing ahold of my wrist.
“Fuck you, Lexei, and fuck her, too! Do you think I want to keep the shit Atticus does to myself?” I yell, my anger boiling over. “I will not put another good human in the path of danger.” My nostrils flare as my heart tries to rip from my chest. “I can’t carry another cross on my back! So yeah, I made the fucking deal of a century with that bastard to keep my son safe!” My chest heaves as my eyes burn at my mention of Liam, the onlygood left in my small world.
His face pales. “You have a rebenok with that monster?” he asks, dropping my wrist as if I’ve burnt him. His hands pull towards his head, gripping his hair. “A fucking child, Mae?”
Swallowing the urge to confess Liam’s origin, I use his assumption to my advantage. “Yes, we have a son. His name is Liam and he”s almost 12 years old.” The slight lie rolls easily from my tongue.
Minutes pass by as frustration crosses his face, making his forehead creases more prominent. “Why haven’t I seen this kid? I’ve known you for years. Years, Mae!” he shouts as his muscular frame shakes. If he were anyone else, I’d be terrified.
“He has seen enough, but not as much as you’re suggesting. My terms with Atticus were that Liam receives the best education with a boarding program,” I sigh.
His sharp breath takes me by surprise as a calculating look crosses his face. “Everest Hill All-Boys Academy. Don’t tell me that you aren’t aware of what that school truly is,” he says.
Confusion must be written on my face since his eyes soften with understanding. “It’s a school, don’t worry. Your boy is gaining an education right now. But that school is part of our world,” he whispers. “Heirs from across the world hope to receive an acceptance call.”
Heirs? Oh, that self-serving piece of shit. I’m going to kill my husband.
The sound of clicking heels on the linoleum floors breaks the tension between me and the only confidante I’ve had. “Your discharge is set, Mrs. Lennon. The paperwork has you listed as Stacy Klein, so there is no trail that you were admitted,” Dottie informs.
“You should make an appointment with your primary physician or gynecologist in a week. Please refrain from sexual activity until you are completely cleared.” Her blonde hair swishes as she shakes her head. “If you need help, don’t hesitate to call me.”
All I can manage is to nod my head slowly, all my fight and the urge to defend my own stupidity leaves me. She makes swift work of removing my IV and offering me clothing that appears to have been from the lost and found. Lexei releases a pained breath, solidifying that this conversation is coming to an end. My heart aches, this moment feels too much like losing another person I cared for. As expected as his reaction was, it still hurts.
Choking back my pride, I drop my fa?ade, letting every ounce of shame, pain, and regret bleed through me. I want him to see that I still have a shred of humanity in my charred soul. That I’m still worth being saved.
I want to be saved.
Standing from his chair, he moves in slowly, caging my body with his hardened arms. Sorrow, unlike anything I’ve ever seen from another human, reflects in his eyes.He leans forward, pressing his forehead gently to mine.
Closing my eyes, I fight to keep myself together. His minty breath coasts along my lips as he whispers familiar words, something I’ve heard him say over the years but couldn’t understand.
“Budu zhdat’ tebya, malen’kaya luna.”
Before I can gather the courage to open my eyes, I hear him walk out the door.