Page 39 of Vows in Violence

He repeatedly hits my arms, kicking wildly.

I hold his gaze and watch his eyes bug in his head. “You put your hands on my wife.”

I squeeze even harder, sure my fingers will shred through skin and bone with the pressure.

“That’s the last thing you will ever do.”

The force of my thumbs cracks his trachea. I feel the bones snap under my fingers, giving my grip more space until I twist and snap his neck.

My shoulder screams in agony, the knife wound burning, but I don’t let go. Not until my fingers do a bit more damage.

I release him, breathing hard. His lifeless body slumps to the ground. The alley is silent except for the sound of my ragged breaths. The pain in my shoulder is fierce now, no longer masked by adrenaline. But it’s done. He’s gone.

I stagger to my feet and make my way back to the others. The fight Angel and Lulu had must've caused a huge commotion on the main streets. People are gathered, staring, whispering, some calling for help.

“We need to leave, now,” Lulu says the moment she sees me.

I’m surprised they are still here, that they waited for me.

Lulu has Vivi tucked to her side securely while Angel walks on her other side. I didn’t intend on Angel remaining my problem, but I let him tag along. We move quickly, making our way through the city.

I keep looking at Vivi, but Lulu seems to sense my gaze and tightens her hold on her sister. So, I focus on finding the nicest hotel with a vacancy. It’s still early in the day, but after the last day or so, we need rest.

I find one. The manager, familiar with the Romanov name, rushes to get our rooms set up.

No one dares question our appearance.

In all the commotion, I’ve lost my phone and reach across the reception desk and pick up the receiver. The receptionist scoots her chair back like she’s terrified I’ll hurt her.

I call one of the few remaining men I have left to watch Angel.

Lulu and Vivi sit together with Angel, the three of them are having a moment. My focus is on Vivi. I watch how she tucks strands of hair behind her ear. How her hands shake slightly. She’s pale, and her clothes don’t sit right on her.

How I wish I had more time to capture Nikolai and cut off each body part one at a time while keeping him alive.

I don’t know how long I stand there, but my man appears.

“You found her,” he says the moment he sets eyes on Vivi.

Three key cards are sitting on the reception desk for me. I take one and hand it to my man. “Take Angel up to his room. Don’t leave his side.”

Angel isn’t happy to have a babysitter again, but I don’t care. My focus returns to Vivi.

Lulu stops speaking as I approach. I hand her another room card and hold out my other hand for Vivi.

She slips her small hand into mine with no fear. Before we go, she turns to her sister.

“We'll talk later.”

Lulu’s gaze is weary as she lets me take her sister away. We ride the elevator in silence to the penthouse suite. She doesn’t release my hand, and the moment we step into the room, I finally allow myself to breathe. I pull Vivi into my arms, holding her close. Her body trembles against mine, and I feel the weight of everything she’s endured.

“What do you need?” I ask softly, my voice thick with emotion.

Vivi pulls away slightly, tears glistening in her eyes. “I need you to touch me.”

Her words catch me off guard. I didn’t think she would want anything like that after what Nikolai did to her. But the look in her eyes, the desperation, makes my heart ache.

“I only want you to touch me from now on,” she continues, her voice breaking.

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