Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 78264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
“What the fuck happened to her?” Nikolai demands, his voice thick with concern.
Oh God, if Nikolai stays with me, he’ll realize what happened to me, and I don’t want him to know. I’ll die if he finds out.
“They beat the shit out of her,” Alek mutters. “She’s in shock. I killed the fuckers, so she probably feels safe with me. Just give her some space.”
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
“The doctor needs to check her. She might have a concussion,” Nikolai murmurs, his tone softer.
“Abbie,” Alek says to get my attention. When he tries to push me away from him, I start to cry, shaking my head wildly. He lets out a sigh. “I’ll check her face and watch her for the next twenty-four hours. We’ve done this shit during training.”
Sounding closer, Nikolai says, “Abigail.”
I shake my head, just needing time.
“Just give her space,” Alek says again. He moves his arm around my shoulders and leads me back to the infirmary, then he asks the doctor, “Is there a private room Abbie can use?”
“Yes, sir,” the doctor answers. “Through that door.”
“Bring me supplies to clean her wounds with,” Alek orders before he guides me to the room.
When the door shuts behind us, I pull away from Alek. I wrap my arms around my middle and hunch my shoulders.
Every muscle in my body cramps as ugly cries are ripped from my chest. “Thank you,” I sob. “I just…need…”
“I know,” Alek murmurs gently. “I know exactly what you need. You’re safe in this room. I’ll stand guard while you break.”
My eyes connect with Alek, and seeing the torment clear as day, I know he means every word. He’s suffered something severe, and now that I’m losing my mind, I understand why Alek comes off as insane.
There’s a knock at the door, and I scramble to the corner of the room. Alek opens, and when it’s the doctor with the medical supplies, my muscles tighten, my body on high alert to flee any form of danger.
When the door shuts again, and it’s just Alek and me, I sink down into a crouching position with my arms wrapped tightly around my body. I close my eyes and slowly start to rock.
There’s no way I can face my reality. I can’t deal with what happened.
I don’t want to think about it.
I just want to switch off my mind.
Chapter 19
Nikolai
Jesus H. Christ.
Sitting in the office with Uncle Carson, we clean up the fucking mess that’s today.
“Five of my men were killed!” Taoka, the leader of the yakuza, shouts from where we have the video feed up on a monitor.
“Not on St. Monarch’s ground,” my uncle mutters.
Rage burns through me for what was done to Abigail. My tone is deadly as I growl, “Your men beat my woman into an unrecognizable mess! They can be glad they’re dead. I would’ve fed them to rats for daring to touch what’s mine.”
Yes, I said it. My woman. There’s no escaping the fact that Abigail is special to me. I don’t know if it’s love, but I’m dead fucking sure she’s mine.
And right now, there’s another fucking man comforting her.
My rage increases tenfold at the thought of Abigail standing in Alek Aslanhov’s arms.
Taoka stares at me, and I see a glimmer of fear on his face. I might not be the head of the bratva, but it is well known I’m not as merciful as my cousin.
“The yakuza initiated the attack,” Uncle Carson mutters. “Your men ambushed Aurora D’Angelo and Abigail Sartori. They held and tortured the women, hoping it would end in bloodshed between the women’s fathers and the bratva.”
“We, the bratva, take this as an attack on us,” I snap, unable to control the tone of my voice. “Unless you want a fucking war on your doorstep, you’ll pay for the damages.”
Damages my fucking ass. My woman was beaten so fucking brutally, she’s traumatized out of her fucking mind.
Everything that’s happened to her is because of the people she calls loved ones. Due to her father’s stubbornness, there was a hit on her life. Due to her best friend’s boyfriend having a pissing contest with the yakuza, she got kidnapped and beaten.
I’m done standing on the sidelines of her life that’s an absolute fucking disaster.
She deserves her island where she can paint to her heart’s content, and I’ll make sure her dream becomes a reality.
Taoka lets out a sigh and shakes his head. “I respect the bratva. I’ll talk to Viktor myself.”
My eyes narrow on the man. “It wasn’t Viktor’s woman who was beaten.”
Taoka stares at me for a moment, then curses in Japanese. “What do you want?”
No amount of money can compensate for the suffering Abigail was forced to endure, but just to make a point, I mutter, “Five million euros. One for every soldier of the yakuza who dared to touch what’s mine.”