Chapter 26

Twenty-Six

Blood splatters all over my face as Grigoriy falls on top of me.

I push him off quickly, jumping up to get to Nikita.

Her eyes track her brother as he bleeds out on the floor, the knife sticking out of his neck.

"It's okay. Everything is okay," I whisper, pulling her into my chest.

She looks up at me, emotionless. She's still locked in that castle.

Now's not the time to address that, though.

"We need to get out of here. I'm going to pick you up now, okay?"

She nods once.

I swing her into my arms. It hurts like a motherfucker, but I carry her toward the front door.

I swing it open, taking in the scene before me. Callum leads the charge, killing men left and right. Haruaki is in the middle of the yard, slicing and dicing the men as if they were butter. Kenji is at his side, catching any of the ones he misses.

Then there's Seamus and Liam fighting back-to-back, disarming four men before two more take their place.

I take off at a run, heading past Grigoriy's men. They don't even look our way. As soon as I clear Callum, he calls out.

"Package secured. Let's roll."

Haruaki looks like he's disappointed, but he lets Kenji pull him away from the dead men at his feet. He had been taunting three others to rush him, but they were frozen several feet away.

"Tell Vladimir that if he sets foot in this city again, I will hunt him down like the rat he is and murder him. No mercy this time. He better stay in California if he knows what's good for him," Haruaki warns them.

Then he turns, heading our way. I wait until Callum is at my side before I keep walking.

"You okay, Nikita?" Callum asks.

She looks up at him. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Callum gives me a concerned look.

I know. I know. I need to fix it,I try to tell him.

He nods once.

Once in the car, I take the back seat, leaving Callum to look like a chauffeur, but I won't let Nikita go. In fact, I hold her in my lap, refusing to let her get too far away.

Callum clears his throat as we make it back to the city. "You're staying at our house tonight."

Neither of us argue. I don't think we will be living in the apartment much longer. We need something more secure. Maybe something more like what Haruaki has.

As soon as we park in the driveway, the door to the house swings open, Autumn standing there looking worried.

Nikita climbs out, me right behind her. Autumn opens her arms to hug Nikita, but Nikita doesn't reciprocate.

"She's not herself right now," I tell Autumn.

She's crying as she nods, stepping aside. I look back to see Callum take her in his arms as he whispers to her.

I don't wait for them. I walk Nikita to the spare room I've crashed in too many times to count. Once inside, I lock the door. Then I take her to the en suite and start the bath.

After several minutes, the bath fills. Turning off the water, I toss some salts inside. They are supposed to promote healing or some shit. I know they help with aches and pains.

Nikita hasn't moved an inch from where I left her by the door. Making my way to her now, I slowly undress her. She lets me without complaint. Then once I'm naked, I lead her to the bath. I get in first before helping her in, putting her back to my chest.

My ribs are killing me, as is my nose. I know I need to get it set, but at least it stopped bleeding. I don't worry about that, though.

I need to get my girl back.

"Mo chroi, come back to me," I whisper.

I hear her suck in a breath, but she stays still.

"Please, wifey, my heart, mo chroi. I love you. Come back to me."

I feel her shake in my arms. It starts off slow, but then I hear it. She turns in my arms, burying her head in my neck as she begins to sob.

"That's it. Let it all out. You don't need to hide from me. I'll never use your emotions against you. You're my beautiful wife. I love you. I'm with you. I'll never leave you."

I let her cry until the water grows cold. Picking her up, I wince, but I carry her to the bedroom, drying her before climbing under the covers with her, letting her cry even more. When she finally settles, her eyes falling closed, I text Callum.

Me: I need a doctor. A couple of cracked ribs and a broken nose.

He texts me back right away.

Callum: He's outside your room. I can have Autumn sit with her.

I hate leaving her after all of that, but I need to get some medical care. Pressing a kiss to her head, I stand.

"I'll be right outside, mo chroi."

She's sound asleep, though.

Pulling on a pair of sweats from the drawer, I take one last look at my wife.

When I open the door, Autumn hugs me. I grunt at the pain but hug her back. Wordlessly, she slips into the room behind me.

"Make it quick, doc."

Thankfully, he does. I curse when he resets my nose, taping it up, but I know it needs to be done, so I stop myself from punching him, even though I really want to.

As soon as he confirms I won't die, I go back into the room, kicking Autumn out. She was doing some vibe ritual or some shit. I was nice enough to let her finish, but as soon as she uttered the last word, she was gone.

Then I curled up with my wife and held her to my chest.

I could have lost her tonight.

The thought brings tears to my eyes. I've stayed strong for her, but now with her asleep, I let myself break.

I almost lost her.

The love of my life.

Wakingup in unfamiliar places is traumatizing. So much so that I sit up straight and start screaming.

A body immediately jumps into action, pulling me into their arms.

I stiffen for a moment before I hear his hushed words.

"You're safe, mo chroi. I won't ever let anyone hurt you ever again. I promise. I will forever protect you with my life. I can't live without you. I love you so much."

Pulling back a little, I look down at him as my heart calms. His eyes are red and swollen. Almost as if he had been crying.

"Were you crying?"

He chokes. "Fuck, mo chroi." He sighs. "I almost fucking lost you. Of course I was crying. What do you expect?"

I bring my hands up, brushing both of his cheeks before leaning in and pressing a kiss to his lips.

"What does mo chroi mean?" I ask.

He smiles. "I have been waiting for you to ask me that. I actually thought last night that I never got to tell you."

His eyes start growing glassy. I don't like it. Declan isn't supposed to cry.

"Hey, I'm here. You're here. We are together. I love you. You love me. We are okay."

He smiles. "I know."

"So are you going to tell me, or am I supposed to make up shit?" I snark.

He laughs. "My heart. It means my heart."

Oh my god.

My heart.

He has been saying that to me for months. Well before we decided to be together for real.

"How long did you know?" I whisper.

He doesn't even ask what I mean.

"Since the beginning. The moment I met you to be honest. I just wasn't ready to admit it."

I swallow hard. "You changed my life."

"You continue to change mine." He leans forward, kissing me.

When he goes to pull back, I pull him closer, kissing him harder.

He winces, pulling back a little. "Careful. My nose is still sensitive."

"Are you okay? I'm a terrible wife. I didn't even ask."

"Shh." He holds a finger up to my mouth. "You were in a dark place last night. I'm fine. A few bruised ribs. Thankfully, none of them actually cracked even if they felt like it at the time. That and the broken nose. I'm good, wifey. You get to nurse me back to health now."

Leaning forward, he kisses my nose.

"You'd be a terrible patient. I'm calling Tristano. He can be your nurse."

Declan frowns. "He's not as pretty as you."

"He probably can't suck a dick like me either."

Declan's eyes widen. "Fuck, mo chroi. You can't say things like that. I'm not sure I can fuck you right now."

I smile. "Lie back, hubby. It's time for your medicine."

I push him back before kissing down his body. When I reach the sweatpants, I frown.

"When we get back home, we aren't sleeping with clothes anymore."

Pulling the waistband down, I free his erection, licking the tip.

"Fuck, whatever you want, wifey."

I smirk up at him before sucking him into my throat.

When I pull off, I look up at him. "So to get what I want, I just have to give you a blow job. Got it."

Then I take him back in my mouth.

He reaches down, cupping my cheek.

"No, mo chroi. To get what you want, all you have to do is ask. I'll always give you whatever you want."

I feel the tears prickle my eyes, but I force them away.

This man is everything I never knew I wanted in one sexy package.

I continue to bob on Declan's cock, sucking and grazing with my teeth like I found he likes. He is hissing and moaning, but he doesn't stop me. At least, not until he's about to come. Then he pulls me off him and up his body.

"Ride me, baby. I want to feel that wet heat. Especially if I'm going to fuck a baby in you."

"You're hurt," I protest.

"It hurts not being inside you. Show me how much that pussy loves me."

His dirty talk always gets to me. Running his cock through my wetness, I work myself up a bit before I finally notch him at my entrance. Then I let gravity pull me down on him, making us both gasp.

"So full," I murmur.

Declan reaches up, tangling his hand in my hair. "So fucking full. Now fuck me, wifey."

He doesn't wait for me to move. He uses his free hand to move my hips, with the hand in my hair keeping a tight grip, pulling it and giving me that bite of pain with the pleasure.

"That's right. Squeeze me," Declan whispers against my ear, biting me.

I can feel myself growing wetter, my body reacting to the mixture of his words and actions.

"Come for me, mo chroi. I'm there. I need you there with me."

He presses my hips into his harder, hitting my clit. Then he sucks the skin of my neck into his mouth at the same time he pulls my hair hard.

That sets me off, screaming his name as my body gives into pleasure. As my body squeezes against his cock, I can feel him jerk. Then I feel the warmth fill me as we bliss out together.

After several minutes, I finally catch my breath, kissing his face carefully.

He groans when my pussy flutters against him.

"You're going to fucking kill me."

"It would be one hell of a way to go though, right?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely."