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He was extremely talented. Lilja’s skills seemed like a novice’s compared to his. He killed with speed and without a moment’s hesitation.
The sounds of explosion and gunfire coming from outside the manor gradually ceased. It looked like the battle was coming to an end.
Yakim turned around, his gaze falling on me. His heavily-scarred face was painted with splatters of blood. The white shirt he wore was drenched in crimson.
Gazing at him and seeing him being alive sent a rush of relief through me.
I ran toward him, uncaring about the way I stumbled over the corpses that littered the floor. Throwing my arms around him, I squeezed him tight.
“You didn’t die,” I said, hugging him.
“Don’t be silly,” he said in a deep voice that echoed through me. “It takes more than a bunch of mercenaries-for-hire to kill a Volkov. The only way to hurt a Volkov is to capture their heart.”
His hand gently rubbed my back. The gesture was soothing and comforting.
Why did it have to feel so good to be embraced by him? He was still my captor.
Loosening my arms, I was about to step away when something caught my eye. I peered around his broad torso and glimpsed a man at the end of the hallway. A gun was aimed at Yakim’s back.
“Get out of the way!” I cried. Mustering all the strength in me, I pushed Yakim to the side.
His arm was wrapped around me, so we fell to the floor in a haphazard heap. A loud gunshot echoed around the hallway at the same instant. The bullet whizzed past my cheek, narrowly missing me.
I landed on Yakim’s chest.
Next second, I heard a short grunt. Scrambling to look toward the shooter, I found Yakim’s dagger jutting out of his left eye. The blade was sunk deep into his skull.
I watched with sick fascination as the man’s knees eventually hit the ground. A moment later, he was slumped on the floor with the rest of his companions.
“Lucia.” The way Yakim called my name sent my heart racing, but it wasn’t from fear. A warm emotion washed over me as I looked at him.
His glass-blue eyes weren’t filled with hate or anger. For the first time, he let me see the desperation behind his eyes.
“Why did you do that? The bullet could’ve hit you,” he said, gazing deep into my eyes.
The scars on his face didn’t bother me anymore. I looked straight at him and wound my arms around his neck, my body lying on top of him like a protective, embracing shield.
“I couldn’t let you get hurt again,” I muttered into his chest. “Things will be different this time around. You have no idea how long I’ve waited to see you again. Hate me. Hurt me. I still won’t stop loving you.”
“Lucia...” His chest rumbled as he said my name again.
I heard the rapid, hard beats of his heart as I lay my head against his chest.
“This doesn’t change anything,” he said but there was no hate or rage in his voice. “I’ll never let you go.” With a sudden movement, he rolled over, forcing me to lie underneath him.
His gaze darkened. “This isn’t the place for such talks.” Getting off me, he knelt beside me and slipped his arms under me. “Let’s get you somewhere safer.”
He hauled me into his arms and carried me back inside the room that acted as my prison. Slamming the door shut, he placed me on my feet.
Before I could take a step away from him, he shoved me against the wall by the door and captured both my wrists. Forcing my arms over my head, he captured my lips in a searing kiss.
My tongue swept over his, causing him to suck in a breath. Catching my bottom lip between his teeth, he nipped lightly.
A moan escaped me.
His hold on my wrists loosened. When I didn’t attempt to throw him off me, he ran his hands down my body and pushed them under the shirt I wore.
The scorching heat of his hands sizzled my skin, sending tendrils of pleasure through me. I pressed my lips to his as our tongues danced around wildly. He wanted to consume me and this time, I was willing.
