Page 48 of Forced By the Bratva

I lifted my head to the ceiling and blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall down my cheeks.

“Very sure,” I replied and nodded.

Feliks pulled me into his arms and hugged me for a few more moments. I shut my eyes and listened to his heartbeat. It wasn’t steady. This reminded me of the time we got lost in the jungle.

I placed my left hand close to his stomach.

After a while, he pulled me away gently and kissed my forehead.

“I will take care of you from now on, I promise. I won’t let anyone, or anything hurt you. I know I hurt you, and I shouldn’t have. I promise you that it won’t happen again.”

Feliks’ words made me emotional once again, but I realized that there were no more tears in my eyes to cry. I just blinked rapidly; my eyes were too dry to weep.

“I just hope that...” I started, but I paused.

“That I will keep my word?” Feliks asked.

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I knew I should. I was so scared of Feliks, and I didn’t want to live my life in fear. My marriage shouldn’t be like this.

I nodded gently.

Feliks was quiet. I knew he felt a little bad that I doubted him, but he’d brought it upon himself. “I’m sorry, but I just feel so scared right now. I don’t know what you are going to do to me next.”

“I won’t hurt you. No one is allowed to hurt you, and I will ruin anyone who tries.”

I lifted an eyebrow. What did Feliks mean by he’d ruin anyone who hurt me? I thought that he was referring to my stepmother and her daughter, and his next words confirmed it.

“I will ruin your family. They caused you so much pain, and they deserve to pay for it.”

I sighed. I’d seen this coming. Even though I wanted them to pay for what they’d done to me, I knew Feliks well enough to know what he meant by ruin, and I wasn’t sure I wanted that.

Someone who tried to kill his wife. He would not spare anyone.

I remembered the wedding. We were told that he was attacked, but he returned unharmed.

“You know you don’t have to take revenge for me, right?” I asked him.

“They have to pay for what they did to you.”

“You can’t hurt my family, Feliks,” I said, shaking slightly. “My father is the one paying for my mom’s treatment. If you did anything to hurt him, her life would be in danger.”

Feliks let go of my hands. He drew even nearer, leaving very little space between us. He gently took my jaw and lifted my chin to face him. He peered into my eyes. Feliks opened his mouth to say something, but he ended up shutting his mouth again.

He licked his lips. “Jenna,” he finally said.

“Feliks,” I whispered.

“You are my responsibility now,” he said firmly. “That was what I meant when I said I would care for you. I want to take care of your needs, Jenna. I will care for you and your mother because you are mine.”

It seemed like he pronounced the words carefully to make sure I heard every word he spoke. I could not keep the pace. I kept blinking. I tried to look away, but I could not.

“You need support from no one other than me, Jenna. “

Chapter 24 - Feliks

My palm spread over my lips, and I yawned for the umpteenth time that evening as I tucked away the last set of files on my table and pushed them into a drawer.

I leaned back on my seat, which creaked a bit with the pressure, and stretched out my body. I made a mental note to replace the chair soon.

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