Alisa’s drunk father, Viktor Solovyov, swung his leg back. Before his foot could even start its descent towards my kitten, I grabbed him around his soft middle.
Viktor grunted as I lifted him effortlessly into the air. One moment I was smelling the acrid scent of his breath, and the next I hurled him against the wall.
At the sound of his head cracking against the solid surface, I smiled. My pleasure deepened when Viktor landed on the floor and stared up at me with pain-filled eyes.
Good. He hadn’t passed out from the impact.
He didn’t deserve a single moment of rest.
I swung my foot backwards and kicked him hard in the stomach. Viktor sputtered on the floor, and the ferocity of my blows increased. How dare he eventhinkof hurting her?
Bloody vomit exited his drunken mouth, but my kicks didn’t subside. They merely found new places to strike.
The bloodlust roaring through me wouldn’t be sated anytime soon. It was obvious this was far from the first time that Viktor had hurt her, and even if it had been, it would’ve been a death sentence for him. I looked forward to watching the expression on his face when he realized that he wasn’t leaving this room breathing.
I grabbed Viktor by his beefy throat and hauled him into the air. He gasped as I tightened my grip, but it wasn’thiswheezing that made me pause.
Alisa was grabbing her ribs and breathing heavily. If that asshole had reaggravated her wounds…. I dropped him like the worthless sack of potatoes he was, and kneeled before Alisa.
“Are you okay, kotenok?” I asked, desperately checking to make sure her ribs weren’t broken, or worse.
“I am now that you’re here,” she said, her big blue eyes filling up with tears.
Viktor grunted as he stumbled to his feet.
“Take another step, and I’ll cut your foot off,” I said, not taking my eyes off Alisa for even a moment. I gingerly felt around her ribcage, watching her reaction carefully.
At my words, Viktor stilled. But I debated cutting it off anyway. After all, he’d been about to kick my love with that very foot.
“Breathe in,” I said softly to Alisa, and leaned in to listen.
“You know you can’t kill me,” Viktor slurred.
Fury raced through me as he interrupted my examination of Alisa.
“Shut the fuck up, or I’ll cut out your tongue next.”
When Alisa glanced around me to look at her father, her lip trembled. Terror built on her face, and her body quivered like a leaf. It took all of my self control not to start tearing her father limb from limb.
Although, something told me that even if I cut every appendage off his body, it wouldn’t be enough to soothe this feeling.
Instead, I gently grabbed Alisa’s chin, and tilted her head up. Still her eyes remained glued to her father.
“Look at me, kotenok,” I said, my voice steady despite my rising emotions.
The moment her eyes locked back onto mine the tension released from her body.
“Good girl,” I said, stoking her cheek. “You’re safe.”
“I love you, Dmitri.” Alisa smiled softly at me. “So much.”
Once I finished examining her, it was my turn for the muscles in my shoulders to relax.
She was okay. Thank fuck.
The door behind us whined open. I turned towards the intruder, ready to handle whoever had dared disturb us.
Despite the scene, it wouldn’t be difficult since this business was paying for my protection. No one who worked here was dumb enough to defy me after seeing my handiwork.
