Page 15
Violence has never sat well with me. Not in theory or in practice. Control matters more than reaction.
My principles are simple: I will not become him.
The fear of becoming my father has always lived inside me, shaping my resolve never to hurt anyone. But when it comes to her. I’d become just anything to protect her.
No one touches her. No fucking one. Well…except me.
That’s why I’m standing here in the ring for the first time, feeling like I’m becoming the very thing I feared most.
The man in front of me doesn’t stand a chance. No one here does. And yet I’ll still have to hit him.
But I’m doing this for her. The woman who’s consumed my every waking thoughts.
She’s become the centre of my world, the reason I’m about to do the very thing I’ve spent my entire life avoiding.
“You’re really doing this? So, you’ve finally given up on the mystery girl?” Roman chuckles in disbelief. “Funny. One minute you’re driving yourself insane over a girl none of us has ever seen, the next you’re making up an off-limits rule for this…Elara.” He says her name with open disdain.
“She was about to touch you—” The words die on my tongue before I can finish them.
“She was about to punch me.” Roman corrects, amused. “And I would’ve loved it.” He winks. “Would’ve given me every reason to hit her back.”
Alina and Roman had already begun plotting ways to make Elara’s life miserable.
Alina realised far sooner than I’d expected that I’d staked my claim on Elara, and she chose to act on that realisation— not in a friendly way.
Compared to Alina, Roman and Alec’s methods would seem like child’s play. She’s ruthless, and while she has every reason to feel the way she does, she’s directing her anger at the wrong person.
While all four of us were lounging in Roman’s living room; them planning how Elara should pay for her insolence, and me telling them to shove it up their arses because I’ll handle her.
Whatever Alina saw in my eyes changed her mind about how far she could push things. She left soon after, and Roman didn’t take it well. If there’s one thing he cannot stand, it’s seeing his sister cry.
“Stay away from Elara.” I say through my teeth, my jaw tightening as we hear the door slam behind her.
“She’s angry.” Alec nodded in the direction where Alina went, tossing back his vodka in one long gulp. “I wonder how you’ll convince her now that your eyes are set on another woman.”
Alec and Roman are always cracking jokes, but I know the louder they are, the more they are trying to hide their emotions. It’s just a facade, one that doesn’t remain unnoticed by me.
Despite the smile plastered on their face, I could see the rage behind their eyes because I hurt Alina.
“I’ve told her countless times, I’m not interested.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Roman waved his hands dismissively in my direction. “No one cares. But holding Elara’s hand in the middle of the corridor isn’t exactly making her sorry.”
Sorry? The word alone made my teeth grind. Rage coiled tight in my chest.
No one touches her but me. Are they not listening? “You’re either in on this or you’re out. We are dealing with
her tonight.” But something about Roman dealing with her tonight, made me clench my fists to the point of stopping blood flow.
“Ro—” I mumbled but he cut me off abruptly.
“She hurt Alina.” He almost yelled. “She’ll have to pay—”
“Stay. Away. From. Her.” I stepped into Roman’s path, blood rushing hot through my veins, rage tinting my vision red. “I’ll deal with her.” I minced out the word deal forced
through a clenched jaw.
“Sergei.” I took another step forward, knowing Roman was never the kind to back down from a fight.
