AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I am entirely hers, Elena. Even if I have to beg at her feet for a lifetime so that she can see through your malice, I will." I snarled in her face, a face that resembled Luna’s so much, yet was always lacking the innocence my wife carried around her.
I only let go of her when her face turned bluish from the lack of oxygen. Leaving her there crying was hard to do, when all I wanted was to punish her for what she made my wife witness.
Rushing down the stairs and outside, I hastily opened the car door and sank into the driver's seat. The city lights blurred as I took off at a dangerous speed. I pulled out my phone, dialing Alex's number.
I barked out in Russian, "Alex. Track her phone. Now." The call ended abruptly. No need for pleasantries. He knew who I wastalking about, and he had advised I put a tracker on her since the beginning of our relationship. But I refused, wanting to shield her from this part of me.
Navigating the streets for her while Alex did his thing, my thoughts were a chaotic swirl in the meantime. Where was she? Who was she with? Was she okay? I didn't know, and uncertainty didn't sit well with me. I always knew everything about her, and this was torture for me.
I met her a year and four months ago. After dating for four months, I proposed. We have been married for a year. It was the best year in my entire life. The people around me kept telling me that my decision was rushed. But I found the love of my life, there was absolutely no reason to wait. On the contrary, I needed her bound to me.
The first day I saw her, I was in America for a business trip. She was a waitress in the restaurant I chose to eat at that day. Every day I count my lucky stars for going to that specific restaurant.
The spark was instant. I went to that restaurant for a week straight, just to catch a glimpse of her. I knew I wanted a future with her, so I relocated to America.
In my line of work, safety is a luxury few can afford. Every day brings new threats, new enemies lurking in the shadows, ready to strike when least expected. When I met Luna, everything changed, and I couldn't bear to see snuffed out by the dangers that surrounded me.
Moving to America wasn't an easy decision, but it was a necessary one. Luna feared the mafia greatly, they robbed her of her parents. Bringing her into my world would have been like asking her to walk through a minefield blindfolded. She deserved better than that. She deserved a chance at a normal life, free from the constant threat of violence and bloodshed.
I hid the truth of my underground empire from her, not out of deceit, but out of love. I knew she would never accept me if she knew the full extent of my involvement in the criminal underworld. She deserved better than a man with blood on his hands, better than a life filled with danger and uncertainty.
It wasn't a perfect solution; I knew my enemies would follow me wherever I went, but America offered a level of anonymity, a degree of protection that Russia never could. It was a hassle, having to travel to Russia often to run everything, but I put up with the inconvenience for her. This is because it offered Luna the chance to live without fear, to be happy, and to not have to be constantly looking over her shoulder, wondering if today would be the day it all came crashing down.
The phone buzzed with Alex's response, cutting through my search party of one. "Found her. She's at a hotel, I sent you the location. Room 307," he grunted, his sleep-cloaked voice carrying an unspoken “told you so”. If I had put a tracker on her phone in the first place, this would have been much quicker.
Damn, she chose a hotel far away, and her need to get away from me was clear. It made me burn. Driving to the hotel, I wondered, what was she doing? Was she tangled up with someone else to forget what she has seen? The idea ate at me, like a snake swallowing its tail. I promised to be her first and last. If she broke that, I didn't know what kind of darkness would crawl out of me.
As I gunned the engine, her room number echoed in my head. I couldn't shake the image of another man's hands on her skin, his lips touching the skin I had claimed.
The thought tightened my grip on the steering wheel, knuckles going white. Was there some bastard whispering in her ear, making her forget about me even if it’s just for a moment?Rage bubbled up, a bitter brew of jealousy and possessiveness. I would kill him, tear him apart piece by piece.
My mind painted an image of her crying, thinking I did some shit I didn't. I'd always been her damn shield, but now, the thought of her broken over a lie had me slamming my fist into my chest. It wasn't supposed to be like this.
I hated the idea of her thinking I messed up when I didn’t. The gas pedal under my foot seemed like the only thing keeping me from bursting at the seams. I hit the steering wheel, an attempt to exorcise the demons clawing at the edges of my mind. I probably should not be driving in this state, but I would do anything to have her by my side again.
When I finally made it to the hotel, I parked the car wherever before walking in. Immediately, I tossed a stack of bills onto the front desk. The receptionist, her hands shaking a bit, looked at the cash, then up at me. I growled, "307" and she nodded frantically, fumbling with the money. The bribe way too sweet for her to say no.
It took her an eternity to find the damn extra key. I drummed my fingers on the counter, impatience creeping up. "Hurry up," I snapped, the words harsh and cutting. She jumped, like she'd just realized I was there. Finally, she handed over the key, nerves practically dripping off her. I snatched it, not bothering with thanks, and marched off to the room.
What the fuck kind of place just gives out their guests keys for bribes? What if it had been someone other than me that wanted in her room? I shook off the thought, not wanting to be angrier that I already was.
When the elevator pinged at the correct floor, I roamed the hall searching for her room. When I found it, I threw the door open not knowing what to expect.
There she was, sleeping in the bed like an angel, wearing nothing but the hotel bathrobe. A full whiskey bottle was on the nightstand. No doubt she tried to drown the mess in her head but couldn’t.
My woman hated alcohol. I stood at the edge of the bed, just staring at her angelic features. Her face was so delicate, it made it hard to believe she belonged on this earth. Yet, there she was. My hand reached out and moved her wet hair away from her face, wanting to see her clearly. It was evident that she had been crying, her eyes were swollen and her chest was still heaving even in sleep.
I sat next to her, placing her head on my thigh as I continued playing with her hair. Her eyes blinked open, and she scowled. It took her a while to focus her eyes due to the combination of darkness and the blur of tears. But when she did, her body launched away from me like I was on fire. That wasn’t going to do.
I grabbed her arm as she tried to scramble away, pulling her back onto my lap. "Don't," I growled, a low warning. "I'm here to bring you back home where you belong." No sooner had the words left my mouth, she slapped me hard across the face.
CHAPTER 3
ADRIK
?I positioned my body on top of hers, effectively pinning her down so that she could no longer fight me. My little spitfire still tried to though. Her hips were bucking wildly in an attempt to get me off of her. I allowed my hold to relax a little around her wrists. She took the opportunity to yank one of her hands out and slap me again.
I knew that she needed this outlet before she let me explain, and I gave it to her. She maneuvered us so that I lay flat on the bed while she straddled me. Her closed fists came down on my chest as hard as she could get them to. It did absolutely nothing to me, and I worried she was hurting herself instead. Her tears flowed freely down her cheeks and I raised my hand up to gently wipe them away. Her body didn’t even flinch, it knew that I would never hurt her, even if she hurt me. She also didn’t even question how I was in her room, or how I found her. She was aware of how insane I was when it came to her.
