Chapter 184 184

Chapter 184 184
The only thing I have left is Elise. And even she is safer without me around.

Emotion creeps up my throat, but I won’t cry in front of Xena. I won’t. She’s like a shark in the water—if she smells blood, she won’t fetch me a bandage; she’ll take a bite.

I swallow it all down. “He doesn’t love you,” I croak aloud. “He doesn’t love you at all.”

Xena’s eyes flare, and she slaps me again, harder than ever.

But she doesn’t realize I wasn’t talking to her.

40

NIKOLAI

I’m back at the warehouse Christo took me to the first time we went looking for Belle. The rusted-out shell in the center of a ring of Simatou-owned buildings.

Chasing Xena is like a game of Whack-A-Psycho. Just when you think you’ve beat her down, she pops up again.

But this time will be the last.

Tonight, this all comes to an end.

Her message told me to come alone, so I ease through the unlocked front door and into the long, narrow entryway by myself. Christo is parked nearby, a group of my men on standby a few blocks away. But I don’t think I’ll need them.

The last time Christo and I were here, I knew instantly the building was empty. The air was stale and every noise rang through the space like a hollow drum. But today, there’s an electricity in the air. I feel myself being drawn forward like there’s an invisible string attached to my chest.

Belle is here.

I know it.

My gun is on my hip. I rest my hand there as I step through the door into the main space. Dust swirls in front of the fluorescent lights in the ceiling and dim shafts of moonlight cut through the few windows that aren’t blacked out. It’s into one of these patches of light that Xena emerges.

“You came,” she trills happily.

I fight an eye roll. The woman is staging this like a fucking movie. I wouldn’t be surprised if she had some of her men come and stir up the dust just to make it more cinematic.

“Did you think I wouldn’t?”

She lifts a lazy shoulder. “Maybe I had doubts about your true feelings for your darling bride. I wondered if she’d be worth the trouble.”

“You clearly thought so,” I reply. “You’ve tried to abduct her three times now. Maybe we should question if you’re the one in love with her.”

Xena laughs. “You know I only have eyes for you, Nikky.”

“You only have eyes for yourself. The only reason you give a shit about me is because I don’t give a shit about you.”

Proving my point, Xena’s smile sharpens. Her eyes brighten, and I half-expect them to shift into something predatory and inhuman. She doesn’t scare me in the slightest, but she’s a hunter, no doubt about that. I’d be foolish to underestimate her.

“Don’t provoke me, Nikolai. I still have your wife. Or have you already forgotten?”

I’ve been actively working not to scan the room. I don’t want Xena to think I’m panicked. But the fact I haven’t seen any proof that Belle is here—or alive, even—is weighing on me.

The last conversation we had… Things between us can’t end that way.

“I haven’t forgotten a thing,” I tell her. “I’m just not surprised. I held up my end of the bargain and showed up, but I doubted whether you’d hold up yours. Maybe no one has told you this before, but you’re kind of a sneaky bitch.”

Xena tips her head back and cackles. The light glints off her teeth, and for a second, they look like fangs. “Such a charmer. Shame our wedding didn’t pan out. Though maybe we’ll get a second chance. Nothing is guaranteed. People die all the time these days. Especially people close to you.”

I gnash my teeth. “Where is she, Xena?”

Xena stares back at me for a few seconds, her brow arched. It’s a wordless challenge. A quiet game of Chicken.

I bite my tongue and wait. She can’t bait me the way she can everyone else in her life. I won’t fall for her tricks.

Finally, Xena sighs and waves an arm over her head. “God, you’re no fun.”

A door at the back of the warehouse opens and two figures break through the gloom. Even in the shadows, it’s not hard to figure out which one is Belle.

She’s small and pale, and her head snaps in my direction the moment the door opens. She has a gag belted around her mouth, and at the sight of it, my hands ball into fists so tight I think my knuckles might burst.

The man holding her, however, keeps his gaze trained on Xena. As they move across the room, he holds onto Belle’s arms. I’m distracted by his hands on her biceps, by the delightful thought of breaking his fingers one by one for even daring to touch her.

But when they step into the light next to Xena, my anger bubbles to the surface. A low growl rumbles through my chest.

“Makar.”

He turns to me, and sure enough, my ex-soldier is the one manhandling my wife. He grimaces like he’s tasted something bad. The feeling is more than mutual.

“A little family reunion,” Xena burbles. “You two know each other, don’t you?”

She knows we do. The only reason Makar is here is because Xena, for some ridiculous reason, thought I’d give a fuck that one of my men left me for her. If Makar is stupid enough to think Xena is a good leader, then I’m happy to let him go.

“Careful there, Xena. Your little stooge there broke his vow to my Bratva. I’m not sure I’d put him in charge of the captives.”

“Only because you turned your back on us to make vows to her,” Makar hisses, tightening his hold on Belle.

“And unlike you, I take my vows seriously,” I tell him. “Which is why I’ll tear your head off with my own hands if you hurt a hair on hers.”

I can feel Belle’s eyes boring into me, but I can’t look at her right now. Xena brought her out to distract me. I won’t let that happen.

“Promises, promises,” Xena purrs.

She walks in a circle around Makar, her finger dragging across his shoulders. He looks over his shoulder at her, a small smile on his face. If the two of them haven’t fucked already, I’ll fall over dead.

“That’s the problem with you, Nikolai,” Xena continues. “You talk and talk, but there’s no follow-through.”

“When are you going to get over the fact that we didn’t get married?” I fire back. “It’s pathetic to hold a grudge this long. Especially when it’s clear you’ve got a good fuck buddy in Makar here.”

Makar’s face hardens, but Xena’s expression brightens. Right there is my answer. “Jealous?” she asks.

"Hardly. I'd rather cut my dick off than let it anywhere near you."

Slowly, Xena's smile drains away. Her dark painted lips twist into a frown. "I think it's time to see if you're a man of your word, Nikolai."

I snort. "Are you gonna say I have to fuck you or cut my own dick off?"

"You're not so far off," she says. "I'll give you a choice: fuck me right here, right now, and I'll let you leave with your bride. Say no, and… well, I’ll let you fill in the blanks."

Belle snaps her attention back to Xena, absolute murder in her eyes. If Makar wasn’t holding her back, I think Xena would have her hands full fending off Belle.

But there’s no need.

I bark out a laugh. “God, you’re desperate.”