Chapter 18: Artem

The sound of her moans was echoing in my head as Yuri drove me to a business meeting downtown. We'd just left the house about fifteen minutes ago, but I was already missing her.

Thoughts of my sexy wife occupied my mind, keeping me busy with the memory of how she rode me to ecstasy the other day. I couldn't think straight, and even when Yuri had tried a little while ago to engage me in a conversation while driving, I still was unable to focus. He must have gotten the message, considering how quickly he'd stopped talking. There was a cocky grin on his face, but I was too engrossed in my thoughts to care.

I was supposed to be thinking about this meeting and the profits to be made once the deal was struck, but that seemed rather impossible. What spell had Sierra cast on me? Why couldn't I get her out of my mind? I'd known since the first time that I saw her that she was going to make a good wife. But I had to admit, these days, she'd proven to be an even better wife.

She'd finally come out of her shell and was more open-minded than before, more sexual. I hadn't expected to feel this way for her, not this early, at least. And for someone who clearly hated me, she was doing a pretty good job of showing otherwise.

I'd grown fond of her, and for some reason, I felt peaceful whenever I was around her. There was something about her that always made me feel…at home. Deep inside her was a light that was gradually shining into every aspect of my life. The darkness that had shrouded my heart and my soul was vanishing in time, bit by bit. I could feel it in my bones, and it was as comforting as it was scary.

I'd lived with this darkness almost all my life, and the last time I saw a glimpse of light, the light bearer was stolen from me. It hurt so badly that I forced myself deeper into the darkness. I embraced it wholeheartedly until it became a part of me.

I'd been one with the darkness for so long, and now, it seemed difficult to let go of it.

There was that, and there was also the fear of something terrible happening to my sweet Sierra. What were the odds that someone wouldn't take it upon themselves to harm her just to get to me, as it happened years ago? Wouldn't history repeat itself?

I'd shown her off to my business associates, some of whom secretly hated me. That was not a wise move, and now I was scolding myself for this silly mistake. Fuck! I had gone ahead and boasted to Niall Donovan about my wife, taunting him with the fact that he didn't have one. I'd also boasted about having his right-hand man in my custody. Shit.

It was strange because Donovan hadn't reacted the way that I had expected him to; he was way too calm for his usual personality. And the way he had his eyes on my wife…dang it!

For the first time, I couldn't predict what his next move would be. Could he go after her as revenge? And what about the others—those that secretly hated me—what would they do? Was exposing my wife like this really a good idea? Didn't I just place a giant bullseye on her back?

The mere thought of her in harm's way infuriated me, causing my brows to furrow and my face to wrinkle into a frown. I was so mad and was already thinking of ways to make them suffer, whoever would be unlucky enough to attempt an attack on my wife.

The alert on my phone pulled me from my thoughts, and when I decided to dwell on my rage for a second longer, it then hit me that it was the CCTV alarm. Someone must have entered the house; no one was supposed to do that.

Tense, I checked the phone, scanning the camera footage from every angle of the mansion.

"What is it?" Yuri stole a glance in my direction.

"I think someone broke into the house," I replied, eyes fixed on the screen to be sure.

It seemed like all was fine—nothing was out of the ordinary. My men were patrolling the compound, and everything was in place. Yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Peering closely, I noticed the glitches in the footage, and in a split second, I caught a glimpse of one of my men lying on the floor. It was like he was dead or knocked out; either way, there was a fucking intruder in my house.

I clenched my fists in anger, concerns about Sierra's safety the only thing on my mind. "Turn the car around." I glared at Yuri. "Now!"

He saw the rage in my eyes and didn't need any more confirmation to know that there was trouble at home. With an abrupt yet precise move, he spun the wheel, taking a dangerous swerve to the other lane. The tires screeched loudly against the asphalt as he downshifted, slamming his foot on the accelerator and unleashing a burst of speed.

Like a bullet from a rifle, the car hurtled down the highway, its speed and power leaving a trail of blurted scenery in its wake.

I instantly regretted ever leaving the house. I never should have left, and there was a fucking intruder breaking in. I prayed that I wouldn't be too late like I was the night Jade died.

"Goddamn it, Yuri, faster!" I hollered, tightening my fists.

He was already moving at super speed, but it wasn't fast enough for me. I couldn't be late—I couldn't fail, not again. History was repeating itself, but this time, I wasn't going to let it make a full circle. If this was some kind of curse, that I would always lose my lover, then I was going to fucking break that curse, no matter what.

I withdrew my gun and cocked the damn thing, ready to kill the motherfuckers that had messed with me.

No one touches my family and gets away with it.

The car burst into the compound, and before it could come to a stop, I flung the door open, leaping out while it was still in motion. My feet hit the ground merely seconds before the car came to a screeching halt.

My men were down, knocked out or maybe even dead, but I'd come back to that later. Right now, I was more concerned about my defenseless wife.

A loud scream echoed from inside the house. My heart recognized it right away; it was her. She was in danger.

"Sierra!" I took off and kicked the front door open, barging into the house.

In the living room, I saw my wife on the ground, crab-walking backward with her hands scrambling for traction on the floor. She looked so petrified, and her eyes were fixed on the masked man menacingly walking up to her with a knife in his hand. Her feet were constantly sliding across the marble floor as her body retreated in a frantic bid for safety.

Her attacker had bent over to pick her up when she kicked him hard in the groin, forcing him to drop to his knees, groaning painfully.

Atta girl, I thought instantly, impressed by her defensive move.

Before he could get back up, I aimed at his head, squeezing the trigger. The bullet penetrated his skull, splashing the wall with his blood as his dead body thudded to the ground.

She screamed at the sight of his now limp body, and I rushed over to her.

"Are you okay? Are you alright?" I knelt beside her, taking her head into my arms. "Did he hurt you?"

She was still in shock, shuddering with trembling lips.

"Are you hurt?" I asked again, positioning her head to face me. "Sierra, talk to me." I looked into her teary eyes.

She swallowed and gently shook her head. "I was so scared."

"I know," I said softly, pulling her to myself as she sobbed.

Sierra had told me when she first discovered she was pregnant that she was afraid of being a target for my enemies. I'd promised to keep her safe—her and the baby—but today, I'd almost been too late.

It was scary how I'd come so close to losing both of them at once. This was an eye-opener for me because I realized then that I cared for her much deeper than I thought.

She jerked her eyes at me, almost as if having the same realization. "You're worried about me."

"Of course, I am," I replied, my gaze glued to her face. "This is my fault. I never should have left you alone. If I hadn't, you wouldn't have experienced this—"

"Hey," she cut me off, placing a palm on my cheek. "This is not your fault."

"I almost lost you," I said, pain piercing my heart.

"But you didn't." She shook her head. "You arrived just in time to save me, like you said you would."

Her words warmed me to my core, and I wondered how she managed to still be such an understanding woman in such a situation.

"Come here," I muttered, not hesitating to hug her tightly.

Yuri cleared his throat conspicuously, drawing my attention to him. "Sorry to interrupt," he said. "But you gotta see this, Boss."

I kissed my wife's forehead and rose to my feet, walking over to the dead body where Yuri was squatted.

"Talk to me," I said, stopping in front of him.

"Look," he said, pointing at a Celtic cross tattoo on the back of the intruder's neck.

Only one gang used that symbol.

I frowned, gritting my teeth with balled fists. "Fucking Irish! This was their doing."

"Are…are you sure?" Sierra stuttered, walking over to us.

"Yes, I'm sure. That's their fucking symbol." I pointed at it, raging silently. "He saw you at the event and decided to take you away from me. Wrong move, Donovan."

"What now?" Yuri asked me.

"What do you think?" My brows knitted in anger. "He's shot his shot. Now it's my turn, and unlike him, I don't shoot to miss."

Sierra looked terrified of me and what I would do next, but I had to put that fucker down for good. For her sake.

"They came into my house, killed my men, and attempted to kill my wife." The rage swelling up inside me was affecting my breathing, making it ragged. "Gather everyone. We're going to war."

Yuri nodded and took out his phone.

Sierra stepped forward. "Artem, listen to me…."

"Sierra, stay out of this," I cut her off. "I've always known Donovan was a mindless animal, but this…" I shook my head contemptuously, "... attacking my wife in my house—he went too far, and I'm gonna retaliate. I will kill every last one of them. I swear." I walked away from her, my resolve the only thing I could focus on. "That bastard is a dead man walking."