29. Melissa

CHAPTER 29

MELISSA

THE SAME DAY – SEXY AND SILLY AND SICKENED

A s I watched Marko's tight bum walking away from me, I licked my lips and bit back a grin. Lord, he had a biteable bum! The man was one gorgeous specimen.

When I woke up this morning, I felt a surge of excitement and a craving to taste him. I'd never been keen on giving blowjobs before, but with Marko, it was different. The way he groaned and moaned, thrusting into my mouth slow and controlled at first but then frantic and desperate, drove me wild. It thrilled me to know I could turn him on like that, that my mouth could bring my dangerous, sexy nerd to such wild abandon. So, when he pulled back, disappointment hit me. But I should have known he had something even better in mind. He always did.

As I got dressed for the day ahead, I felt giddy from our sexy shower play. Who knew being a dirty girl could be so much fun? It almost made me want to go out and roll in the dirt just so Marko would need to take me back to the shower.

Even though I loved my smutty romance books, I never dreamed I'd enjoy role play, let alone having my bottom spanked. But I did love it. Probably because it was Marko doing it. I had to admit, I loved everything that sexy Russian did to me. Everything we did together was so much fun. I couldn't get enough of him, and it wasn't just because of the utterly amazing sex. It was him. Everything about him. Marko was a dangerous male, but he made me feel nothing but safe. In his arms, I felt protected, cared for, respected, and loved.

It might have been early days, but I knew Marko was the one. I couldn't imagine a future without him. In no time, the sexy Russian had become a permanent fixture in my life. Or at least, I hoped he was.

My apartment was being rebuilt, but I no longer wanted to live there. It just wouldn't feel the same. Instead, I planned to rent it out for some extra income. Maybe I'd sell it one day, but I wasn't ready for that yet. When the building was destroyed, I thought the explosion had taken all my memories with it. But I was wrong. The house was gone, but the garden, my mum's favourite place, was still there. Dad and I had planted a rosebush in her memory after she passed, so the place still held some dear memories for me after all.

Since Marko and I hadn't talked about the future, I wasn't sure if I needed to find another place to stay when everything was over. From his hints, I thought he wanted me to remain with him, but since we hadn't discussed it properly, I didn't want to assume. And let's face it, Marko was a domineering guy who knew what he wanted. If he wanted me to stay, wouldn't he just say that?

Frowning, I worried my lip. What if, when the danger was over, he decided we should slow down? Maybe he'd prefer I moved out, got a place of my own, and continued dating him. He might not be ready for more commitment. After all, things had moved fast between us; we started living together the day after we met, and only for my safety.

I knew we both had strong feelings for each other, that was obvious, but did that mean we'd keep living together? What if I felt more for him than he did for me?

Once we dealt with the MP and I was no longer in danger, would his feelings change? Would his interest in me wane? The way he looked at me and treated me made me doubt it, but I could be wrong.

The man himself returned to the bedroom. My eyes followed his every move as he dressed, and my insides lit up when he gave me a sexy smile full of promise.

Grinning, I looked in the mirror to brush my hair and that's when I noticed my reflection. Skin glowing, eyes shining and lips still swollen from Marko's kisses; that was the face of a well-loved woman. I wasn't wrong! My concerns were likely just a product of my usual overthinking. Soon, we'd have that talk and plan our future.

In the meantime, I was determined to enjoy every second with my Mr Sexy Nerd, in bed and out—preferably as much in bed as possible. That thought made me bite my lip to avoid grinning like a madwoman as I watched him finger-comb his hair. Marko gave me another sexy smile, and I blew him a kiss.

The sexy Russian stalked towards me, eyes betraying his naughty thoughts. My heart fluttered, and a surge of dampness rushed to my core. I knew exactly what that look meant. If we didn't get out of this room now, we wouldn't for quite some time and while I really wanted to stay, unfortunately, we had things to do and people to see.

So, I turned, giggling, and ran for the door. I made it to the hallway and glanced back just in time to see his feral grin before he grabbed me. I squealed, the sound catching in my throat as he lifted me and kissed me hard until neither of us could breathe.

"Blowing kisses is for kids. Grown men need a proper kiss," he panted after finally letting us come up for air.

Fisting my hair, my sexy man went in for another kiss as if to prove his point, kissing me until my knees were weak and I was clinging to him unable to stand on my own.

"Now that's how I want you to kiss me every day," he smirked sexily.

"Only if you're a good boy," I said with a grin, darting out of the way as he lunged for me.

"I'm always a good boy," Marko said, catching me from behind before I got more than a couple of steps away.

"In fact, I'm good at a lot of things, and in particular, I'm exceptionally good at being naughty," he said with a chuckle as he captured me in his arms and tickled me mercilessly. I squealed and tried desperately to wriggle out of his grasp. But there was no escape.

Tears of laughter ran down my face, and I could barely speak but managed to gasp out, "Stop! If you don't I'm going to pee my pants!"

Marko burst into fits of laughter but thankfully stopped.

"We can't have that. We don't want you sitting in wet knickers all morning," he chuckled before his eyes turned wicked again, "Or not that kind of wet."

Licking his lips, he reached for me once more, but this time I was faster and took off running. Wicked laughter followed me as he chased me down the hall.

I flew down the stairs, laughing hard and gasping for breath. Marko was right behind me and as we reached the bottom, he caught me again. With one arm wrapped around my body, the other clasped lightly around my throat, he pulled me back against him.

"Chasing you brings out the predator in me, Melissa. It makes me want to do so many things to you," he whispered in a sultry voice that sent shivers down my spine.

As Marko nibbled on my earlobe, I gulped, as a rush of liquid dampened my knickers. Heck, I might not have peed myself, but if he didn't stop now, he would get his way and I'd be sitting squirming in wet panties for the rest of the morning after all. Not to mention, I'd be too bloody horny to think straight. So, for my sanity and hygiene, I needed to dampen his ardour, and fast.

"Did you look through the MP's files when you opened them?" I asked, turning to look at him.

My question had the desired effect. He sniffed and his eyes hardened as he answered. "No, just a quick glance, but that was enough to know we have plenty of evidence to incriminate the bastard!"

Frowning, he led me towards the dining room where we'd arranged to meet the others for breakfast, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. Despite the fact he had said he'd only had a quick glance; I could tell that whatever he'd seen had disturbed him, and I braced myself for what was to come.

"After breakfast, we need to look through the MPs records, decide what we're going to send to the law, then get it to the contact in Interpol we used before," he told me, and I nodded.

It would be good to get this over with, but I was really not looking forward to viewing this stuff.

Everyone must have felt the same, because breakfast was a more solemn affair than usual.

Once it was over, we filed out, saying goodbye to the other women, all of whom had decided not to view the information with us. I didn't blame them, and if it wasn't something I needed to be a part of, I would have opted out, too. From the looks on their faces, I thought most of the guys would have as well, if that had been an option.

Unfortunately, it wasn't, so we piled into Miki's large office along with Janusz Glowacki and his oldest sons. We had met the other day, and I instantly took a liking to all of them.

Janusz Glowacki was the type of good-looking older male who made you think, "Oooh daddy!" and, like the Rominov boys, his sons were both gorgeous males with just the right hint of bad boy about them to make any girl swoon. Dariusz was especially yummy, and if I hadn't been so head over heels in love with Marko, I would have been going all groupie on his ass.

I took a seat next to Marko at the large rectangular table, waiting for the first file to load. He projected everything onto a big screen for us all to see. We sat in silence as the first video began.

I'd always enjoyed crime thrillers and horror movies, so I thought if I treated this like fiction, I wouldn't be as badly affected. I was so wrong. A wave of nausea hit me as the horrifying scenes played out. My stomach churned and my hands grew clammy. What the heck was I doing here? Why did I feel the need to watch this?

Desperate to remain in control, I took deep, steadying breaths, exhaling slowly. I was relieved none of the other women wanted to view this. Gracie and Sonia were pregnant, so they were better off staying ignorant about the files. They knew the general idea of what these hunts entailed; we'd all discussed it, but there was a world of difference between knowing and seeing. I knew Eilidh had witnessed some pretty grim stuff as a police officer, but even she had opted out. I couldn't blame her. This stuff was horrific.

"Fuck, this is some sick shit," Ash stated, echoing my thoughts.

Miki and Glowacki both grunted their agreement, while the rest of us sat in shocked silence, eyes glued to the screen. These men were hardened criminals, capable of torturing and killing others. Yet, each one of them looked as sickened as I felt. It was oddly reassuring that they were as affected by this as I was.

Marko's family had been good to me since we met, but they were criminals. I had to admit, that thought still scared me a little. Seeing their reaction to the footage made me feel better about them. It showed me that despite their dangerous lifestyle, they had some good in them. They weren't like the MP or the twisted souls behind Darkest Desire Productions. They were predators, sure, and not to be underestimated, but they had a moral code that the men in the videos lacked.

Thank God, I thought, glancing around the room. If they had been like those other men, I'd have been doomed. Instead, they were helping to eliminate those who inflicted such horror. These men might hurt or kill, but only those they saw as credible threats. They didn't harm innocents or target women and children. They weren't on the same level as the psychopaths in these videos. In their world, they did what they had to, but managed to keep some semblance of morality. I respected and admired that. It couldn't be easy.

Screams of agony snapped me back to the screen. I watched, horrified, as a young man—barely a teenager—was torn apart by dogs while grown men laughed and jeered. I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. I didn't want to succumb to the waves of nausea, because if I did, the men would make me leave the room. In some ways, that would have been a blessing, but I knew it wasn't what I wanted. I needed to know what the MP was capable of. God, how I wished I didn't, but I did.

The next video was even worse. I shut my eyes, trying to block out the horrific images of the woman on the screen and what was happening to her, but I couldn't block out her cries of anguish. Dizziness overwhelmed me, and I felt like I might pass out. Suddenly, Marko was there, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close. I rested my head on his shoulder as he kissed my forehead. The bodily contact was the grounding comfort I desperately needed.

"If you need to leave, we can. Or we can take a break," he whispered.

I shook my head. He knew I wanted to be here despite everything.

When Marko had finally decoded the files late last night and we planned to view them together today, the men had advised the other women against participating. When I insisted on watching, they didn't protest. This was my mission, after all.

Mathieson had dragged me into this mess, and then the MP took it further. They'd compromised my safety, destroyed my home and memories, and turned my life upside down. It was my right to see this through. My right to reclaim my life and seek revenge, even if it meant enduring scenes that made me sick.

I was relieved I had never met my biological father. My dad was the best—irreplaceable. Sure, he had stolen valuable items and occasionally gambled, but he was still a good man. Thanks to him, I'd grown up with a moral compass I might not have had if Mathieson had been in my life. I shuddered to think how different my life might have been with him around.

Mathieson wasn't truly part of Darkest Desires , but he knew about it, and only wanted to stop it by using me after his death. He committed plenty of crimes himself. I'd never wished for anyone's death before or been glad someone was dead, but I was glad Mathieson was gone. I wished Miki would kill the MP instead of just turning over the evidence. Anyone who could do, or allow, such horrors didn't deserve to live. In fact, I could kill him myself.

As these thoughts crossed my mind, I cringed. I didn't want to become like either of those men, but these thoughts made me wonder if I was, even just a little. Maybe Miki was right; it was best to let the authorities handle him and anyone else involved.

Marko shifted me closer to him when I sighed, and I could feel his eyes on me. I glanced up. He was watching me, his brows furrowed in concern.

"Are you sure you are okay continuing? You've seen enough, you really don't need to watch anymore," he whispered.

I squeezed him around the waist, lifting my lips in what I hoped was at least a semblance of a smile, then nodded. I was, but only because he was here with me.

Sinking back into his embrace, tilting my head to rest on his shoulder, I continued to watch the screen in front of me.

We viewed the files for the next few hours. Every video filled me with more and more disgust and loathing for all of those involved.

The last one was the worst of all. It showed Mathieson's sister and her teenage daughter, the aunt and cousin I never met, suffering the same fate as the others. By the end, tears streamed down my face, and I sobbed in Marko's arms. All the while he sat there simply stroking my back, not saying anything, just offering me his silent support.

Once it was over, everyone seemed a bit shell-shocked.

"Fuck, and I thought binge watching the reality shows with Sonia for hours was bad. I'll never complain about that again," Romi muttered, running his fingers through his hair.

"I'll never be able to unsee that last one," Dariusz stated, shaking his head and looking sickened.

"Sorry, Melissa," Daniel mumbled, reaching over to pat me awkwardly on the knee.

"Yeah, sorry for your loss. You might not have known your aunt and cousin, but seeing them killed like that has to be fucking awful," Ash said, his voice laced with sympathy.

I nodded through watery tears.

From what Marko had told me of him, just a few weeks ago, seeing what was done to the female victims would have sent Ash over the edge, spiralling out of control in anger. Gracie had helped him get over his guilt and get more control over his emotions. He'd also gone back to counselling and this time, it seemed to have a more positive effect on him.

"We're ending that bastard now!" Glowacki stated, his voice betraying his barely contained rage.

Murmurs of agreement filled the room.

"Marko, take Melissa upstairs. We'll get everything sent to law enforcement first thing in the morning. We've done enough today," Miki said.