Chapter 6

Vladimir:

“Where are you going?” Mom asked raising an eyebrow at me. I had gone to my room to shower and change after leaving Eliana’s room, and now was headed out to finish some unfinished business that I had to take care of.

“I am really surprised that you’re questioning me where I’m going when I’m twenty-six” I teased mom wrapping my arms around her. She tapped my chest twice and I chuckled kissing the crown of her head before she pulled away to look me in the eye. I was never one to raise my voice at my mom, it was something that was unspoken or thought of to begin with. Dad and Dimitri were against, we were raised to respect women, and if they were family members; we were to die before even considering breaking their hearts.

“You are a newlywed man, at least try and give your relationship a chance” mom’s eyes met mine and I raised an eyebrow at her making her laugh “not even the slightest hope?”

“You and I both talked about this how many times now?” I teased mom who laughed. The two of us have talked about the terms of this marriage time and time, though I wasn’t stupid as not to know that she would do her best to try and make it work. I still didn’t want to upset her if it turned out anything otherwise.

“I only want you to be happy, Vladimir”

“I know that, beautiful” I said softly “and I am happy, you of all people should just rest, enjoy what you have, and be spoiled, yeah?”

My voice was gentle as I spoke to mom who smiled and nodded. Her hands cupping my cheek making me smile and take both of them in mine, softly kissing her knuckle “I won’t be late tonight, Luka and I have some work to finish, then we’ll be coming home before dinner”

“We’ll be waiting for you” mom said smiling and I nodded. My eyes meeting Lilian’s, Luka’s mom, who smiled as she stood by her son. I took her hand in mine and kissed it in respect making her smile.

I walked toward the door to find Eliana walking down the stairs, her eyes met mine and she nodded earning a nod in return before I walked out of the house to find Luka waiting for me “someone is in a good mood”

“We’re off to kill a bastard, how can I not be?”

“And here I was thinking that you were softening up”

“It seems like we need a little blood fight for you to remember that I do not soften up” I winked teasing my best friend who chuckled. The two of us got inside the car, the driver starting it as we got ready to leave.

“So, what are you going to do about Eliana?”

“For now, she seems peaceful, we’ll see what she really is before I decide”

**********************

I punched the man’s face breaking his nose before he could answer my question, not that he was planning to anyway. He has been giving me a hard time for the past hour and a half, and I really didn’t like my time being wasted. But he was one of those men, and I wasn’t going to argue any longer.

“Is that the best you could do, Romanov?” He taunted. I smirked knowing what he was playing at before punching his jawline making him wail out in pain. I raised an eyebrow at him and waited for his comeback, but this time it didn’t come as he tried processing the force of the punch.

“You will speak, I will make sure that you don’t die until you do” I said pulling his hair. My breath hitting his face as I spoke, forcing his eyes to remain on mine. His eyes widened when I let him go and walked to Luka who was already heating up a knife for me “you have five seconds”

I put the knife back inside the burning coal, holding it in as I looked at him. He shook his head at me and I rolled my eyes before walking toward him and burning the side of his neck earning a scream that was loud enough to break a window. But I still didn’t bother removing the knife until I could smell his flesh burning.

I pulled the knife away and went to heat it again, this time, he shook his head. His body shaking in fear and pain, the smell of urine filled the room as he wet his pants making me raise an eyebrow.

“I will tell you everything I know” his voice shaking as he tried to form a proper sentence “your brother sent me to spy on you…”

“I already know that” I said putting the knife back inside the burning coal.

“That is not all, he sent me to give him information for him to be a first step ahead of you. I had showed him your wife’s picture before you two got married, the picture was on the dining table…” well, that explained how he found out about who she was “I was supposed to take her to him before you two were eloped, he believes that you two have feelings for one another”

“Anything else?” I asked pulling out the knife from the coal. The man nodded and I smirked putting the knife back, waiting for him to proceed.

“He’s planning on taking your place as don, he is also planning to fight you for it. He doesn’t care how…”

“Tell me something that I don’t fucking know” I snapped pulling the blade out and burning his cheek before he could speak. He screamed again, this time his scream was silenced by my hand which was clamped over his mouth.

“H-He, he’s going to wait for a while before making his next move. He would make sure that you suffer…”

“And that would be?” I raised an eyebrow.

“I swear I don’t know. He didn’t tell me what it would be, he just said that he now needs time” the man said shaking. I raised an eyebrow at him before running the knife over his tongue slaughtering him before he could say another word. His eyes widened in surprise and his body jerked as he took his last breaths. I looked at Luka who shook his head at the sight before him.

“You really did him good, I swear we get more creative with each time” Luka said making me chuckle.

“Call the cleaners, let them bury his body. If he has any family members, let me know, they won’t be paying the price of this bastard’s stupidity”

“What if Viktor kills them?”

“That is why we’re searching for them. We’ll reach them before he does, they would be under my care, and I’ll be taking care of their expenses” I said and Luka nodded before walking out of the hotel’s basement as he made the call to the cleaners to clean the mess. I didn’t know what we would be telling the man’s family, but whatever it was, the fate that he lived was one that he deserved.

“Congratulations, boss” said one of the cleaners as he walked down the stairs. I didn’t bother responding as I went up while Luka paid them before walking beside me.

“Is thee anyone who hasn’t heard of this cursed marriage?”

“Well, it is not everyday that the world’s strongest don gets married, now is it?” Luka teased and I rolled my eyes.

“I need a drink”

“Didn’t you promise Maria that we were coming home early?” He asked raising an eyebrow. I knew that our mothers would be worried if we were late tonight, especially since they would be waiting for us to finish whatever jobs we were doing.

“I believe that even you promised Lilian, but I won’t be questioning that” I teased mentioning his mom. He chuckled and the two of us walked back to the car, noticing a man who was watching us from a distance making me frown in confusion.

“Isn’t that Ian?” I asked.

“I believe so, didn’t he go back to England?” Luka asked and I shook my head. The two of us closed the car door and walked toward the man who ran the second he realized that he was caught.

“What the hell is this?” Luka asked frowning.

“I don’t know, but I’ve got a way to find out”