There’s only silence after that. He’s not convinced. I want to cry so badly, but I hold myself together.“Tell me, Adrian, wouldn’t you want us to have normal sex? Because I would. I would love nothing more than for you to be on top of me, feeling your body pressing against mine, pulling my hands above my head. Well, that’s not possible for us right now, at least not in the near future. Maybe forever. Is that a problem for you? Will you get tired of my issues and decide to replace me with someone better at some point? A woman who doesn’t flinch when you approach her from behind without warning? Or someone who won’t panic when you forget and grab her wrist instead of her forearm?”“Do you think I haven’t noticed that it’s always Dimitri or Ivan with us, never Kostya, Mikhail, or Nico, all of whom are as tall as you? Or how they either sit down or leave when I come in? A few days after Kostya was stabbed, he sat down so quickly, I thought he might hurt himself. You had to tell your men
ADRIAN'S POV My knee feels a lot better the next morning, but it still hurts badly when I put weight on my right leg. After breakfast, I leave the crutches behind and use the wheelchair instead. I haven’t used it in weeks, and I really don’t like having to, but I don’t want to risk making my knee worse. Nila might not mind me using crutches, but I do. I’m determined to get to the cane, because I want to be able to hold her hand when we go out for dinner or even just take a walk.“I’m going downstairs. Ivan is teaching me how to make soup,” Nila says, smiling. She leans in and kisses me. “Want me to bring lunch when I come back?”“Yeah, I’ll be working here. And tell that pig, if he ever raises his voice at my wife again, he’s done.”“Don’t be such a grouch Adrian.”I watch her leave, then go to my bedroom and open my laptop. I bring up the audio software and find the recording from Leonard’s room, playing it from around the time we came back last night.I had a reason for hiding that
ADRIAN'S POV “There has been a shooting, Adrian.” I stare at Dimitri, and my heart nearly stops when the call from earlier flashes in my mind. No. I grab his throat and pull his face close to mine. “Where is my wife?” I shout, trying my best not to break his neck. We don’t know, he said . Igor called to say that someone started shooting when they were in the store, and that he was getting her out. That was fifteen minutes ago. I can't reach him; he hasn’t answered his phone since then.” “What about the others?” “There’s only Igor. I told two of the security team to go with them, but Nila Di Salis said she didn’t want them with her.” I grind my teeth and grab Dimitri's neck, squeezing until his face turns red. “If a single strand of her hair is harmed, there will be a lot of dead people,” I growl. “Starting with my head of security, who sent my wife out with only one man for protection. You understand, Dimitri?” “Yes, Pakhan.” “Good. Now, get me a car.” ********
I kiss him and start to pull back, but he grabs me around my waist and pulls me into his arms. “If you play with fire, little flower,” he says in my ear while his hands grab the waistband of my jeans and pull them down, “you might get burned.” “We’ll be late,” I say. “Do you think I care?” he asks. No. And I don’t care either. “How strong are those chairs?” “Let’s see.” While he takes off his sweatpants, I take off my jeans and underwear, then sit on his lap. My legs are too short and hang in the air. Even when I stretch, I can’t touch the floor with my toes. “I don’t think this will work, Adrian.” He looks down and laughs a little. “Nila, you’re so tiny.” “Should we go to the bed?” I ask. Adrian tilts his head, leans back in the chair, and grabs my waist. He smiles. “No.” My eyes get big as he lifts me up and puts me on him. I gasp and hold his shoulders, feeling him fill me up. I moan when I feel him all the way inside. Adrian’s hands move under my legs, and he lifts me u
I tilt my head a little, letting my finger slide down my chin and neck slowly, stopping at the neckline of my low cut dress. Adrian is watching my finger move, and when his eyes return to mine, I smile widely.He says something to the people around him and starts walking toward me, not breaking his gaze from me.“You called, Mrs. Di Salis?” He smiles a little.I stand up, put my hand on his chest, and look up at him. “You’re not the only one who is protective in this relationship, boss.”“Jealous? Of who, little one? You know there’s only one woman my eyes see.”“Is that so?” I hook my finger into his shirt between two buttons, pulling on it until he leans down and our noses touch.“Marking your territory, Nila?”“Of course, I am, Adrian,” I say, and kiss him.“Home,” he whispers on my lips. “Now.”ADRIAN'S POV “I made you something.”I look up from my desk and see Nila’s head peeking around the door. “Did you burn it?”“It’s ice cream,” she smiles, walking over to stand between my l
In my eyes, though, he’s just Adrian. I don’t care about anything else, and that fact scares me a little too.**********“We could have stayed home,” I say as I gather my skirt and take Adrian’s hand to get out of the car, some days later. “I owe you a dinner.”“We should have gone back home after the restaurant. The club could have been for another time.”“I have some business with Pavel here anyway, we won’t stay long.”He could have talked business with Pavel at the house, but he’s doing this for me. Yesterday, I just mentioned in passing that I had a great time at the club and would like to go again sometime. I didn’t expect it to be the next day. He had to spend the whole day in the wheelchair after that stunt he pulled, and I hate that he’s pushing himself because of me. But there’s no arguing with Adrian when he makes up his mind.We arrive later than we did last time, so the club is already full. It takes a lot of effort to get across the first room, even with Igor leading t
NILA'S POV The street in front of me is dark, but I keep running. Even though I try my hardest, I feel like I'm running through mud, my legs heavy and slow. A man suddenly appears around the corner, grabs me by the neck, and starts choking me.I wake up suddenly, sitting up in bed, breathing hard. The lamp in the corner is on, and the bed next to me is empty. I reach for the phone on the nightstand and check the time. It's half past four."Adrian?" I call out. But there’s no answer, just silence.A strange feeling of fear fills my stomach. I jump out of bed and run, hoping to find Adrian in the kitchen. He’s not there, and I stop in the middle of the room. Could there have been an emergency? Then I see his phone on the corner of the dining room table. He never leaves his phone behind.I walk down the hallway quietly, barefoot, and open the door to the gym. The lights are off, so I go downstairs to check Adrian's office. He’s not there either, and the whole house is silent. I close t
ADRIAN'S POV There’s a knock on the door, but I stay seated in the chair, looking out the window, watching the yellow car waiting in the driveway."Pakhan.""Yes, Dimitri?""There’s a taxi outside. Katya said Nila is leaving.""She is.""Should I stop her?"I think for a moment, then shake my head. "No. Send two men to follow her quietly. Have them call me when she gets to her destination.""Should they stay there or come back?""They’ll stay. I want two men watching her all the time. Set up the shifts. Make sure they stay out of sight.""Anything else?""That’s all for now."A few minutes later, Nila hurries down the steps and gets into the cab. She’s wearing jeans and her old hoodie, carrying a small suitcase. I watch her, waiting for her to turn around and come back inside. She doesn’t. The cab drives away.I grab the crystal bottle of whiskey, pour myself a drink, and then throw the bottle across the room, watching it shatter against the wall.It’s been a week since Nila left, an
Our lips are almost touching. “You made me a monster, Nila, because there’s nothing I wouldn’t do. You just have to ask.”My hands stop shaking, and my breathing slows down. Slowly, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer until our lips finally meet.“Please don’t burn anything today, baby,” I whisper into his lips.I feel his smile and see the corners of his eyes crinkle. “I’ll think about it,” he whispers, kissing me.There’s a weight on my chest. Adrian is still holding himself up on his elbows, but his front is pressed against mine. For a moment, I panic, but then my brain focuses on his lips, and I relax. God, he’s an amazing kisser.“More, baby,” I mumble, and he puts more of his weight on me.“Is this good?”Not just good. Perfect. And now the hardest part. “Hand on my neck, Adrian.”“Nila.”“Please.”His right hand slowly moves over my chest, then higher, until it’s on my neck. I hold my breath. My hands stay still on his shoulders, and I close my eyes.“It’s just m
Nila thinks for a moment, then nods. "He deserved it," she says and snuggles back on my chest. "Just don’t kill anyone else because of me."I listen until her breathing becomes slow and steady. When I know she’s asleep, I take her hand, kiss her fingers, and whisper, "I’ll kill anyone who tries to hurt you. But I’ll make sure you never find out."Three months later“You’re not coming with me to buy the wedding dress, Adrian.” I stare at him across the kitchen, standing with my hands on my hips. “I will wait outside the changing room. I won’t look, but I’ll be there.” “No,” I say. “Yes.” “This is silly.” “There’s nothing silly about me worrying for your safety. I can’t forget the day when the man Leonid hired tried to hurt you. You have no idea what it felt like not knowing if you were alive or hurt. I never want to go through that again.” He walks up to me, picks me up by the waist, and sits me on the counter. It’s my favorite place. “Show off.” I reach out and squeeze hi
ADRIAN'S POV He doesn't say anything for a little while, just staring at me with his fingers holding the back of my head."Marry me," he says, "and I will stop the war."Nila’s eyes get wide when she hears me. She’s probably wondering if I’m serious, and I am. I will do whatever it takes to bring her back."You’re forcing me to marry you. Again."It's not really a question, but I answer anyway. "Yes, I am."Her eyes keep looking into mine. They’re red and full of tears. She probably doesn’t even notice she’s still crying. I want to wipe the tears away, and I tell myself that this will be the last time she cries because of me.I need her to say yes. I can't stand the thought of spending another night without her next to me. She took my heart when she left, and if she says no, she can keep it. I can’t love anyone else."Jesus, Adrian," she sighs and puts her hands over her eyes.I look at her hands, which have black paint on them. Hope starts to grow in my chest. "You didn’t take the r
“He was shot in his upper arm. He was lucky it just went through, nothing too serious. This time. Please, talk to him. If you don’t, he’ll end up getting himself killed, Nila. It’s only a matter of time.”“Oh, I will talk to him.” I stand up from the table and quickly grab my jacket and wallet, wiping away my tears with the sleeve of my shirt. “I’ll call a taxi for us.”“Igor can drive us. I think it’s her shift,” she says calmly.“He’s close by?”“You could say that. She’s right across the street.”I look up at her, then go to the window to check outside. As she said, there’s a plain car parked there. “He’s been spying on me?”“He’s just making sure you’re safe. They’ve been doing that for months.”“I’m going to kill him.”When we leave the building, I head straight across the street toward the car and knock on the window. Igor looks up quickly, then lowers the window.“Nila Di Salis?”I grit my teeth but don’t correct her, simply motioning to Katya, who is walking over.“We need a r
Three Days LaterMy phone starts ringing on the nightstand, but I ignore it and put a pillow over my head. The ringing stops, only to start again a minute later. I groan, reach for the phone, and answer without looking to see who it is.“Did I wake you up, dear?”I sit up in bed, wide awake now. “Katya?”“I need to talk to you. Can I come over?”“Sure, I’ll send you the address.”“I’ll be there in an hour.”“Katya, what’s wrong? Is... is he okay?”“Yes. For now, at least. We’ll talk when I get there.”A bad feeling grows in my chest as I look at my phone. I know something’s wrong. I rush to the bathroom to shower and get changed. I’m picking up the brushes and crumpled sketches scattered around my living room when I hear the doorbell.“What has he done now?” I ask as soon as Katya walks in.“I like the hair, kukolka. Green looks good on you.” She kisses me and smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Let’s sit down.”I lead her into the kitchen, pour two cups of coffee I made earlier,
Three Weeks Later “Igor called,” I hear Sergio’s voice in my earpiece. “Two cars just passed them, and they’re coming toward you. Get out of there now.”I curse under my breath. “Nico is still inside,” I reply, checking my gun and looking at the back of the Italians’ warehouse.“They’ll be here in less than five minutes, Adrian.”“I’m not leaving him.”“I told you to bring more men! Damn it, Adrian, you never listen.”“There were supposed to be only two security guards. Maybe someone warned them. We’ll leave as soon as Nico’s out.”I turn to Anton, who’s sitting in the driver’s seat, and nod toward the back door on the far side of the warehouse, about fifty feet away. “The second you see Nico, go. We’re going to have company.”Two minutes later, I hear the cars coming from the right. Then, the back door of the warehouse opens, and Nico runs out.“Go!” I shout.Anton starts the car, speeding toward Nico. I roll down the window, aim at one of the cars coming from a side road, and start
“This isn’t up for debate. I’m the only one who can make sure Nico behaves.”Sergio looks at me, his jaw tight. He takes off his glasses and points them at me angrily. “You can’t walk.”“I may not be able to walk, but besides Nico, I’m still the best shot in the Bratva.”“I won’t let you do this, Adrian. It’s suicide.”“Oh? So you want to give a mentally unstable guy a gun and explosives and send him out there with no supervision? Nico could destroy a whole block in under an hour.”“Then we won’t send Nico. You pulled him off field duty for a reason.”“This is a special situation. If supervised, Nico in the field is like having an army of one. I need either Mikhail or Nico for Saturday. And Mikhail isn’t going.”Sergio doesn’t say anything, just shakes his head and rubs his temples.“You’ve never seen Nico in action,” I say with a calm smile, leaning back in my chair. “It’s something to watch. Did you know he cleared a whole enemy warehouse by himself? Fourteen people. And he got shot
The papers come back two days later. I stand by the door, rip open the envelope, and pull out the papers. I look at the line in the corner where Adrian’s name is written. Above it, on the dotted line where he should sign, there’s a big “No” written in red ink. I turn the page. The same big “No” is on this one. And on the next one. And the next one.“Damn you, Adrian.”I grab my phone and call my lawyer. “I need more copies of the divorce papers.”I send the papers again the same day. The next day, they come back, but instead of his signature, every bottom right corner is burned.When I get the envelope back again, there are no papers inside. It’s just a pile of white ashes.I want to scream and laugh, but I end up crying. The next morning, I decide I’ve had enough. I pick up my phone and call him. He answers right away.“Nila. I guess you got my answer.”Just hearing his voice makes me want to cry, but I try to stay calm and sound normal. “I need you to sign the divorce papers.”“No.”
ADRIAN'S POV There’s a knock on the door, but I stay seated in the chair, looking out the window, watching the yellow car waiting in the driveway."Pakhan.""Yes, Dimitri?""There’s a taxi outside. Katya said Nila is leaving.""She is.""Should I stop her?"I think for a moment, then shake my head. "No. Send two men to follow her quietly. Have them call me when she gets to her destination.""Should they stay there or come back?""They’ll stay. I want two men watching her all the time. Set up the shifts. Make sure they stay out of sight.""Anything else?""That’s all for now."A few minutes later, Nila hurries down the steps and gets into the cab. She’s wearing jeans and her old hoodie, carrying a small suitcase. I watch her, waiting for her to turn around and come back inside. She doesn’t. The cab drives away.I grab the crystal bottle of whiskey, pour myself a drink, and then throw the bottle across the room, watching it shatter against the wall.It’s been a week since Nila left, an