Page 13 of Savage Mafia King

“I... I didn’t want to ruin tonight,” she whispers, her voice barely audible.

“Ruin it?” My anger flares, but I keep it in check. Barely. “What happened?”

She hesitates, and that only makes the anger burn hotter. I sit up, pulling her with me, my grip firm but not rough. She needs to tell me. Now.

“Elena,” I say, my voice low, dangerous. “I’m not asking again.”

She swallows hard, her gaze finally meeting mine. “One of the Russians. He was at the school. In the coatroom.”

Everything in me goes still. The words hang in the air like a death sentence.

“What?” My voice is so quiet, so deadly, that I feel her flinch.

“He... he cornered me,” she stammers. “He threatened me. Said they’re waiting. That they’ll get to me. To us.” She’s shaking now, tears filling her eyes. “He said... he said they’ll wait as long as it takes.”

A cold, murderous rage floods through me. My hands tighten on her arms, and I see her wince, but I can’t stop myself. My blood roars in my ears, my vision narrowing as fury overtakes every other thought. The Russians. Those motherfuckers. I told them—I warned them. Touch her anddie. That was the deal. That was the fucking rule. And now, they’ve crossed it.

“Elena,” I say, my voice a rough growl, “look at me.”

Her wide, terrified eyes meet mine, and I lean in close, my grip firm. “No one. Noonetouches what’s mine.”

The fear in her eyes shifts, softening into something else—something that looks almost like relief. She knows, deep down, that I’ll protect her. That I’ll always protect her. But right now, she’s afraid, and that’s not acceptable. Not when she belongs to me.

“I’m going to handle this,” I say, my voice a promise wrapped in steel. “They’re going to learn exactly what happens when they fuck with me. When they fuck withyou.”

“Dimitri—”

“No,” I cut her off, my hands still gripping her arms, my eyes locked on hers. “You listen to me. You aremine. And anyone who thinks they can take you, hurt you, or even threaten you will fucking regret it. Do you understand?”

She nods, her breath shaky, her body still trembling. I pull her into me, holding her tightly, trying to calm the violent rage boiling in my chest. I’ll kill them. Every single one of them if I have to. I’ll make an example out of whoever came after her.

“You don’t need to be scared, Elena,” I whisper into her hair, my voice softening slightly. “I’ll protect you. No one touches what’s mine. No one.”

I feel her relax slightly against me, but it’s not enough. She’s still scared. She still feels unsafe. And that... that is unacceptable.

I’ll show them. I’ll make them fuckingbleedfor this.

Gently, I pull back and cup her face in my hands, brushing my thumb over her cheek. “I’m going to take care of this. You won’t have to worry about them ever again.”

“Dimitri, please don’t—”

“I said I’ll handle it,” I growl, standing abruptly, the fury inside me barely contained. I pace the room, trying to rein in the violent urges crashing through me. I want to storm out of here right now, hunt them down one by one, and show them what real fear is. But I can’t. Not yet. I need a plan.

I turn to her, my voice cold and hard. “They willnevertouch you again, Elena. They’ll learn exactly who they’re dealing with.”

She looks at me, a mix of fear and trust in her eyes. She knows I’m serious. She knows what I’m capable of.

I’m going to make sure the Russians understand that too.

Touch her, and youdie. And I don’t care how long it takes, or how far I have to go. They’re going to pay for this. With blood.

13

Elena

I can feel the fear wrapping itself around my chest, constricting tighter and tighter with each passing moment. It’s that same gnawing terror I felt when I found my father’s lifeless body, blood pooling around him, and my world shattered. The fear that something unspeakable is waiting just around the corner, ready to pounce.

It’s happening again.

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