Chapter 44
POV Tatyana
Everything is dark, and for a moment, it feels like I’ve died. I catch a familiar scent that takes me back to the unforgettable feeling of Samuel’s first kiss. Slowly, I open my eyes. Light floods my vision, and I see the ceiling above me.
"Where am I? Am I not dead?" I think.
I can tell it’s daytime, and as I inhale deeply, I notice a unique scent—the unmistakable smell of my babies, the sweet scent of newborns. I tilt my head slightly to the side and immediately see my children nestled against me. Silent tears stream down my face as I notice Samuel sleeping deeply, his hand resting gently on mine. The babies sleep peacefully, looking like tiny angels.
I move my body cautiously, but an intense, sharp pain shoots through me. A quiet groan escapes my lips, and I stifle it, not wanting to wake Samuel. Suddenly, I feel his hand brushing my face.
"My love, you’re awake! I was so desperate!" Samuel whispers. Carefully, so as not to wake the babies, he leans closer and presses an emotional kiss to my lips. "Are you okay? What are you feeling?"
"A lot of pain. I can’t get up," I reply.
Without hesitation, he jumps out of bed, examining my body.
"Alright, I called the doctor last night. He should be here soon to take care of you."
I glance at my children, and a smile spreads across my lips. The sight of them, safe and sound by my side, feels like a dream.
"They’re perfect!" I say, enchanted.
"Yes, I never imagined there would be three of them. I’ll call Maria to help us."
"What? Maria? No, keep that woman away from my children!" My body tenses, and anger rises at the mere thought of her touching any of them.
"What happened?" Samuel asks, moving closer and holding my face with concern.
"She helped Luara with everything. She was at the hideout the moment I was taken."
His expression darkens, his eyes filled with bitterness and rage.
"I’ll take care of this right now." Samuel kisses my forehead, retrieves a gun from the nightstand, and quickly loads it.
"I want her to suffer!" I demand, my voice filled with fury.
Samuel leaves the room, and with tenderness, I brush my hand over Sarah’s serene little face as she sleeps peacefully. I recall Pavel and Luara’s threats to harm her, and I silently thank Samuel for arriving in time to save us.
"Hi, my princess. Mommy won’t let anyone hurt you," I whisper, relieved as I remember that Pavel is finally dead.
***
POV Samuel
Luara is already locked up in a dark cell. I approach the kitchen, and there is Maria, cooking as if nothing had happened. I point the gun at her, and her eyes widen in surprise.
"Please, no! I was just following orders... I—" She raises her hands in surrender, trembling with fear.
"What kind of orders?"
"Miss Luara always asked me for favors. Everything I did was under her orders," the housekeeper begins to cry, terrified as she sees my gun aimed at her. "When everyone got sick, it was because she told me to poison you all." She walks over to a cabinet, takes out a small bottle, and hands it to me.
"Was this why no one could get out of bed?"
"Yes, I only put one spoonful in the meals. Miss Luara said higher doses would cause an agonizing death." Her confession fills me with rage. "I swear, Samuel, I will never betray you again!" she pleads, placing a hand on her heart.
"If you had respected your leader and been loyal to me, you would have lived a long life." I shoot her in the legs, and she falls to the ground, screaming in pain.
Bratva security guards rush into the kitchen, thinking it might be an attack.
"Is everything alright, boss?"
I shoot her in both arms as she writhes on the floor.
"It’s alright now. Take her and let her rot in the cell. The rats will eat her alive while she agonizes and dies slowly." The men quickly grab her and take her to the underground cell. I stare at the blood on the floor and look again at the bottle in my hand.
"Luara fed us this garbage for days, all to stop me from finding Tatyana and my children. I will kill her with her own poison. I’ll make her swallow this liquid while she dies being devoured by rats. The creator will perish alongside her creature, a painful and endless death," I think.
***
POV Tatyana
After the doctor's visit and the medication, I finally feel better. I spend the entire afternoon resting with my children around me. Anna stayed by my side for several hours, and now that night has fallen, she has taken the triplets to her room so Samuel can talk to me. After a long bath, I put on a comfortable pajama and sit on the bed, admiring the starry sky through the glass window. I hear Samuel's heavy footsteps approaching the door. He comes closer and lies beside me on the bed.
"My mother is with the babies. They're fine and sleepy; they'll fall asleep quickly. Could we talk? There’s so much I want to say to you!" I bring my hands to the collar of his open shirt and pull him close, holding him against my body.
I rest my face on his broad chest, closing my eyes, tormented by the whirlwind of thoughts racing through my mind. Even knowing that Pavel is dead and Luara is locked up, I still feel shaken. I breathe in his scent and kiss his sculpted chest. Samuel wraps me in his arms and kisses the top of my head tenderly. Our gazes lock, deep and sincere.
"What do you want to tell me?" I remain in his embrace, his warm body entwined with mine.
"I need to open up. I’m ready now to talk about feelings I’d never experienced before." His lips brush against mine, and he speaks softly, confessing his heart. "When I walked into that club and saw you for the first time, a spark ignited inside me. That tiny spark grew stronger, turning into an uncontrollable fire." His warm breath brushes against my mouth. "Every moment we spent together, every time I kissed your lips and felt your body against mine, it began to change me at my core." His face flushes red with the vulnerability of his confession. "How could I handle a feeling so intense, powerful, and absolute? I wanted to run, to crush it and bury it deep inside me as if it didn’t exist. When I threw you off that bridge, I realized my pain would be irreparable. I knew that with your death, I’d lose everything and live a miserable existence. You taught me how to love, awakened a better, kinder side of me I never knew existed. You made my heart beat again, pounding with an intensity, depth, and purpose I’d never felt before. I know I hurt you, I know love shouldn’t hurt, but it does. I admit I was heartless, a coward, but now I’m entirely yours. I’ve surrendered to you. My life is yours, my love and my heart are yours. I promise never to hurt you again, never to leave you, and to protect you with my life."
Samuel's confession makes my heart race, beating erratically. He has just transformed everything into love. I know his flaws, his anguish, and today I understand how his life, his upbringing, shattered him. Seeing his heart fully given to me and being able to save him makes me love him even more. I wrap my arms around his neck, wanting to feel this love consume me, devour my body and soul.
"I love you. I believe in you and the love you feel for me, my Colt." Samuel pulls me tightly against him, devouring my lips in a fierce kiss. His beard grazes my skin, and his tongue intertwines with mine with passion and strength.
"Storm, if you weren’t still recovering, I’d fuck you all night long."
"Don’t worry, we’ll save this insatiable desire until it courses through our veins and consumes us all night long!"