Page 66 of Savage Pakhan

“You never answered my question.”

He pauses in the doorway, tucks his hands in his pockets, and turns around. “My son is a lot like me, Mia. In many ways. He is brutal and smart, cunning, even. And like me, if something is promised to him, he wants it, and he will stop at nothing to get it.”

“But he doesn’t like me. I’m no use to him. He can have a thousand others.”

“Yes, but you’re valuable to him Mia. You know things about him, about the business, about the people we associate with,” he explains. “You are worth more to him now than ever before.”

“He hates me,” I try to say again, sounding exasperated.

I’ll never understand Ivan. People like me fail to understand people like him.

“I love you.”

Those three words make me realize it doesn’t matter how Ivan feels about me when the love of his father keeps me warm at night.

“I love you, too.”

“Da. Good. Enough of him.” He bends down and kisses me passionately, hand cupping the back of my head, his lips lingering longer than a few seconds. “I’ll be back soon. Do not come downstairs. Promise me.”

“I promise.” I echo his own words from earlier.

I’ll never break a promise when it comes to Alek. Ever.

16

ALEK

I close the bathroom door behind me and allow the nerves to show. My hand shakes as I run it over my mouth and take a deep breath. I lean against the door for a few seconds to calm down. Holding my hands out in front of me, they tremble like leaves during an earthquake.

I’ve never been this scared or nervous before. Men like me don’t get nervous. We aren’t allowed to be afraid.

But my god, those two men breaking into the cabin to take my Mia away properly terrified me. I knew I’d kill them. I always do. No one ever gets the best of me, but there’s always the chance that I might not have the upper hand.

Usually, the thought of death doesn’t scare me. It does now. Mia must be protected at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing myself. I have someone important who needs me, and I can’t let my love for them turn to fear or that is how we will die.

Fear never wins yet the fuel of being afraid is what keeps up alive.

My phone blares from where I tossed it on the bed earlier. Snagging it, I see it’s a text message from Nikolai.

He’s here.

My head hurts. My body aches. I’m sore. That mother fucker got a few good hits in, and they will leave bruises, but at least I’m not dead.

I crack my neck, turning it left and right.

If I can clean this up quick, I can shower, and maybe then join my beloved in the bath. Oh, I’d like that. I’d love to feel her warm body pressed against mine, drinking the best wine, and watching whatever TV show she wanted.

I don’t care. I only want to be with her.

Leaving the bedroom, I step out onto the loft and look over the railing to see the man I killed on his back, blood and brain matter still littering the floors.

I wish I could snap my fingers and this mess would all go away.

I climb down the steps, rubbing the back of my neck. My feet pad against the floor on my way to the front door, stepping in blood and barely missing broken glass.

Nikolai is at the front door, arms spread out, silently asking me what took so long.

Slamming my palm against the scanner, the locks slide free, and I swing the door open. “I was on my way.”