Her hand was still shaking as she reached into the bag. “This is mine. From my grandmother. It’s very sharp and I want you to have it.”
Looking down at the jeweled dagger she held in her hand, I was reminded how much danger she’d placed herself in. I also couldn’t get the thought of what the motherfucker had done to her. He’d touched her. He’d laid his dirty motherfucking hands on her.
On the woman who belonged to me.
“Please. Take it. You need protection.” Her smile was far too sweet and ill-deserved for a man like me. But I accepted the weapon.
She was shaking as she scrambled to get dressed, allowing tears to fall while resisting looking at me. An ache formed as she checked the interior, turning off the candles. When she snagged the bottle of champagne, she moaned again. “We didn’t get to drink this.”
“We didn’t need it,moy prekrasnyy tselitel’.”
I was ready before she was, stroking her beautiful dog. Perhaps I’d get a golden retriever when I returned home. After dealing with a few things.
“Do you have everything you need?” she asked, fighting the tears and once again refusing to look me in the eyes.
“Yes. Go home.”
“I don’t want to.” She jerked her head toward me, anger replacing sadness. “I don’t want to.”
“That’s exactly what you will do, Rafaela. Now.”
There was no way of hiding the situation with the lock, which was why I’d asked her days before about getting me a chisel.
“How are you getting out of here?”
I moved to the small hiding place I’d managed to secure, grabbing the few items I’d dared keep and before I returned to where she was standing, I moved to the small window, pulling the bucket over and using it as a stepping stool. “Your suggestion.”
She laughed when I pulled three of the blocks free, tossing them to the ground. The space was just enough for me to crawl through.
Jumping down, I returned, gripping her arms. “Lock the door on your way out. Thank you for everything, Rafaela. You are amazing. Now go and do me a favor and forget about me. Go live the life you deserve.”
With her body still trembling, she nodded. I admired her resolve even though tears ran freely. She backed away, grabbing the flashlight and motioning for her pup. “I’ll never forget you. I can’t. I won’t.” With that, she pitched us into darkness and opened the door.
Just before she walked outside, she allowed me to hear her strangled sob.
Even though the ache remained, this chapter needed to end.
One of revenge was set to begin.
I planted both hands on the wall, cursing in Russian given I couldn’t easily rid myself of thoughts of her. There was no easy way of tossing her free from my system.
But there was no other way. None.
While I should consider time of the essence, I’d thought about her warning. I’d wait, but the reason was for a need so intense I could think of little else.
Hunting and killing Marco.
As the overlord of the facility, he lived onsite. I’d paid close attention to every inch of my surroundings, listening in on boasting conversations. The man had no issue talking about the number of women he brought to his bed. What a fucking pig.
So I made a decision. With me gone, the bastard would likely make good on the threat of claiming her. Fuck the asshole. No man touched what belonged to me.
He would pay for his sins. That would require my patience.
I paced the building, remaining cognizant of every noise. At times, I could catch lyrical sounds of music when the wind was right.
In trying to maintain control over my anger, my thoughts continually drifted to the stunning beauty. Even though I’d already taken her, the desire to do so again was strong. As Ileaned against the wall, I also thought about how badly she needed a spanking for putting her life and her future in jeopardy.
If she were mine, she’d learn doing so would cost her time spent with my belt. My dick twitched all over again. She had a strangling effect on every aspect of me.
