Chapter Thirty

Vladmir

I saw Aksana’s face when she left the office. She was upset again. It seemed everything I did lately upset her. After the doctors released her, I was told she needed time to heal and that stressing her out would only prolong her recovery.

So, I left her alone.

I barely knew what to say to her after the way I acted back in Virginia. I was horrible to her. Used her for my own gratification. I called her a liar then walked away from her as if she meant nothing to me. I was no better than her father, George Stone, or Steele for that matter. Every man in her life had abused and used her for their own gain and I did the same.

All because I thought she lied to me.

“Vladmir?”

Looking up, I saw Maxim staring at me.

My boss nodded. “Go. Go to your wife.”

“I’m needed here.”

“No, you’re not. Your wife needs you more than I do. Go. That’s an order.”

Saying nothing more, I left the office and headed upstairs, to see Illyria walking out of Aksana’s room with Katiya in her arms. Thinking nothing of it, I knocked on Aksana’s door before entering, only to find her standing near the window while she looked out towards the garden, her arms wrapped tightly around her middle.

“Aksana?”

Turning to me, she asked. “What now?”

“You’re upset.”

“Keen observation. What gave it away?”

Walking over to her, I frowned. “You’ve been crying. Why?”

“Just ask me what you want to know then leave me alone.”

“I want to know why you’ve been crying.”

“Because of you!” she yelled, turning to walk away.

Stopping her, I grabbed her arms, holding her in place.

“Why?”

“Go away, Vladmir. I can’t do this anymore. I’m so tired of it all. I just want to be left alone.”

“I can’t do that.”

Glaring at me, she asked, “Why did you marry me?”

“What?”

“You heard me. Why? I want to know the real reason. You didn’t know about Katiya then. So why did you agree to do it?”

Stepping back, I didn’t know what she wanted me to say.

I mean, I knew what she wanted to hear, but I couldn’t say the words. The second I said them, then everything would be real, and the danger of this life would swallow her whole.

Me included.

I couldn’t lose another person. I wasn’t strong enough. Not now that I was close to having everything I ever wanted within my grasp.

“You needed protection.”

She shook her head. “Maxim offered to move me and Katiya somewhere else. Somewhere safe. Why did you marry me?”

“You had information we needed.”

“No. I already told you everything I knew,” she stated angrily, then sighed. “Look, Vladmir. If you can’t be honest with me, then I’m going to take Maxim up on his offer and leave.”

“You are not going anywhere,” I sneered.

“Why? Why should I stay where I’m not wanted? You don’t trust me. You called me a liar. You don’t speak to me. I barely know anything about you, and what I do know, I’ve learned from other people. You’ve never asked me anything about myself. I’m nothing more than a job to you.”

“No,” I growled.

“I get you have a hard time expressing shit, but I don’t have that problem. I’m an open book, Vladmir. More importantly, I’m a woman and I need to hear the words. I can’t live my life where I don’t feel wanted. I need to feel like I belong. My entire life, I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. That no one wanted me. I refuse to live like that anymore. If you can’t tell me the real reason you married me, then I will leave.”

She was pushing me.

Emotions got people killed in my world.

They were a hinderance.

A sign of weakness.

I wasn’t weak. I couldn’t be.

I needed to be strong for the Pakhan and that’s when I remembered his words. ‘ In our line of work, we rarely get second chances. Don’t let this one slip by you because you will regret it.’

“My God.” Aksana shook her head. “You really can’t say it, can you?”

Standing there, my daughter’s words whispered around me.

“Promise me something.”

“Anything.”

“If you ever get the opportunity for a second chance, grab it with both hands and never let go.”

“Real or not. I want a divorce. I’m done,” she sneered, walking away when I uttered the words she desperately needed to hear.

“I love you.”

Stopping dead in her tracks, she didn’t turn around.

Her back stiffened and I watched her hands ball into fists.

“Don’t you dare tell me what I want to hear unless you mean it. I’m not some fucking game you can play with, Vladmir.”

“I love you.”

Walking over to her, I slowly turned her around and cupped her face. Her eyes filled with tears.

For so long, I had lived in the dark with my memories of the past, knowing I would never feel the love of another again. I’d accepted my fate, knowing that death lurked around the edges of time, waiting to take another soul I cared about.

I hardened myself to this life, until I felt nothing, wanted nothing. The solitude, my constant companion, my guide that led me from the lonely darkness to this moment, this instant, where I found myself standing in the bright sun, surrounded by her warmth.

For a moment, all I could do was stare as I let my eyes take in her beautiful form. My only thought was how achingly beautiful she was. So beautiful, she made my heart long with a deep hidden desire I long forgot about. Her eyes connected with mine and recognition hit me like lightning.

She was my riddle, my rhyme, the answer to all of my questions.

Everything I ever wanted and desired.

“I love you.”

“Maxim told me back in Virginia that to love Bratva was a full-time commitment. Once I made that decision, there was no going back. So be sure about this, Vladmir, because the only way out is death.”

“And what a perfect way to go,” I muttered, crushing her mouth in a searing kiss. My kiss was not gentle as emotions crashed into me like a storm assaulting the shore.

Terrible in their intensity, searing in their heat.

The perfect expression of my true feelings.

In that moment, nothing else mattered in the world but her, while memories raced through my mind, a silent acknowledgement of my past, my pain, all the betrayal, the loss I endured, the lies I told. All washed away by the rushing wave of her as she flooded me with visions of what was yet to come. A life of love, children yet to come, joy, laughter, friendship, and even more tears. She stood at my side through it all, holding my hand. Never letting me go. The joy of discovering my greatest desires within my grasp overwhelmed me as my body shook in fear.

Fear that I could lose it all.

She ended our kiss, as both of her hands came up to hold my head.

I closed my eyes.

I couldn’t look at her.

If I did, I would fall.

“Vladmir,” she whispered. “Look at me.”

Slowly opening my eyes, I looked into her fathomless blue eyes and watched entranced while she smiled. “I love you too.”

I was moving before I realized her arms were around my neck, the rounded curves of her ass in my hands, holding her to me, her legs around my waist when I felt the wetness of tears rain down upon my face while she sweetly kissed them away.

My feet moved of their own accord, shuffling around the room until I felt the touch of the mattress against the back of my legs. Holding her tightly, my precious only love, I fell backward onto the bed and looked up into the cascade of her lustrous, perfect curls.

For a moment, I found myself lost in the wonder of her love.

In the next heartbeat, she lowered her body against mine, holding me down as her mouth descended upon mine, gifting me a kiss fueled with so much love I felt like my heart would fall apart.

Rolling her onto her back, I leaned over her and kissed her hard and passionately. I could feel her chest rise and fall rapidly as she held the back of my head, not wanting me to let go of her mouth with my lips.

I pulled away from her, needing to see her in all her glory.

I needed to make sure she was real.

That I wasn’t imagining her.

I noticed her eyes were moist with tears.

I reached down with my finger and wiped a tear from her cheek and placed it to my lips to kiss it, then placed it against her lips.

“Don’t cry, baby. You’re breaking my heart.”

“I can’t help it.” She smiled sweetly up at me.

“I know,” I whispered as I felt my own tear slide down my cheek. “I can’t either.”

I allowed my eyes to roam over her, admiring the object of my desire, and wondered what I had done to get a second chance. The fear of waking from this dream without knowing what tomorrow held threatened to consume me.

This life was unforgiving and bloody.

Sometimes, at night, I could still feel the blood of my enemies dripping down my fingers. It was a stain on my soul I could never erase. For so long, death had been my companion, solitude my guide as I stumbled around this world with no direction, trapped in the dark void.

However, the fleeting fear only endured for a brief moment, as in the very next instant, I found myself tightly intertwined in her arms. My hands and fingers delicately brushed and explored her body while I pressed myself against her, urgently needing to touch her.

While I succumbed to my desires, time seemed to freeze, and I found myself completely immersed in the enchanting and euphoric bliss of her affection. In the midst of ravishing the gift she willingly shared, I felt an overwhelming need for her to overpower every inch of my being. I came to the realization that no matter how much I indulged, I would forever yearn for more, never finding true fulfillment. I would always have a constant desire for her, a deep need for her and this would remain unchanged until there was nothing that could come between us.

As I lay there, my mind clouded with delirium, I suddenly became aware of her presence, and to my surprise, she had taken control of my cock. The way she touched me was a perfect blend of firmness and scorching intensity, igniting a cascade of pleasurable sensations that surged through my entire being. The execution of each stroke was done with such incredible skill and finesse, it only served to enhance my pleasure to an even greater extent.

It was at that moment, I realized I was naked. When that happened, I didn’t know. At that precise moment, all I was certain of was her presence next to me, a radiant smile on her face, bestowing upon me my ultimate wish.

Surrendering myself to her, I leaned down and planted a passionate kiss on her lips while she expertly guided my cock into her welcoming depths. The intense heat emanating from her had a profound effect on me, searing my soul and leaving an indelible mark, as if she were making a claim on me.

The moment our eyes met, it was like time stood still, and I could feel her hands fitting perfectly into mine, igniting a profound connection as I delved into the depths of her soul. The feeling of her body was so intense that it made me cry out in agony. It felt like my sanity was being slowly stripped away. It was impossible to put into words the overwhelming sensation of being inside her.

She was beyond description.

She was pure desire, a craving I had ignored my entire life.

My salvation in a world of deception.

Her remarkable level of wetness granted me the opportunity to enter her effortlessly. However, it was her firm and unyielding grip that held me close while I poured my deepest emotions into her, longing for her to fully comprehend the profound impact she had on me. With just a single glance or a simple utterance, she possessed the power to either completely shatter my being or grant me immense strength.

The collision of our bodies brought us together and, in that instant, I felt a sense of relief when I realized I was no longer alone in the darkness. Our connection was so deep that we now existed as one, with a shared being, a shared soul, and a breath that bound us together.

There was no Vladmir without Aksana.

An overpowering desire, an overwhelming need, and an insatiable craving for her engulfed me. I relentlessly drove her past the thresholds of endurance. Drowning in an overwhelming wave of love for her, I forcefully thrust my hips, savoring the sensation of her legs clasping firmly around me. My mouth covered hers, silencing her cries. I relentlessly took what she willingly gave.

The contrast between the cool air in the room, which felt frigid, and the blistering heat emitted by her searing walls was striking. With precise control, I withdrew slightly, savoring the sensation of her moist lips delicately brushing against the tip of my cockhead, before plunging back into her depths with an intense and vigorous thrust.

Again, my body collided with hers.

In a display of perfect synchrony, I relentlessly pounded her sensitive, clasping pussy with my rigid, pulsating manhood. The intimate connection between us grew stronger with each passionate movement. Her body welcomed me eagerly, her tightness caressing my cock and coaxing it to surrender at the exact, blissful moment.

When she climaxed, her voice echoed with exultation, crying out my name and surprising me with the intense impact of her orgasm. Her body convulsed with pleasure, her tight walls clenched around me, exerting a strong pressure that trapped me inside her. I could feel the intense heat of her essence as it forcefully surged through the seal she had created around my shaft, causing a scalding sensation. In that moment, a cascading waterfall of pleasure engulfed the base of my cock and covered my balls.

Filled with an intense, crazed energy, I let out a growl that seemed to come from the depths of my being. Then I snatched her calves and drew myself closer to her, feeling the weight of her thighs against my chest and her ankles suspended over my shoulders. With a powerful embrace, I folded her in half against my body as I thrust forcefully and deeply into her with my erect shaft. The volume and intensity of her screams indicated she was completely and satisfyingly filled. I expertly maintained my position with my cock inside her. She was the epitome of compatibility for me, like her body was custom-built to seamlessly fit with mine.

In a wild flurry of movements, I whipped my hips into a frenzy, forcefully rearing back and powerfully stroking, all with the sole purpose of driving her over that edge once again. Witnessing her actions, it became clear that she was in a state of possession akin to a woman possessed. Her movements were uninhibited and chaotic, she thrashed uncontrollably across the bed, surrendering to the immense power of each successive orgasm that crashed upon her like a forceful hurricane.

Without warning, a powerful sensation consumed me, a moment that carried an irreversible momentum. In that very moment, I couldn’t contain myself and let out a loud roar, passionately uttering her name when I plunged deep inside her. A paralyzing sensation engulfed my entire body as a piercing scream erupted from the depths of my soul, resonating against the walls. I erupted inside her with heavy spurts as I gave her everything that I was. With every release of cum, my body convulsed and sent a scalding offering into her still-spasming pussy.

Then I blinked and she was holding me.

With her arms wrapped around me, I lay there in a state of utter bliss. Her fingers delicately caressed my hair, moving slowly and almost reverentially, while I struggled to regain my breath. My thoughts raced to make sense of the profound experience that had just unfolded, when I felt her whispered words float into my soul.

“I love you, Vladmir.”