Page 35 of Till Death Saves Me

I'm hard instantly. Fuck. I want her. Need her. It's like a physical ache in my chest.

This isn't me. I don't do this. I don't get attached. I don't yearn. But here I am, watching my wife through a camera, counting the minutes until I can get home to her.

She's addictive. More potent than any drug we've ever moved. And I'm hooked. Completely, utterly hooked.

I know I should turn off the feed. Get back to work. Be the cold, calculating bastard everyone expects me to be. But I can't tear my eyes away from her. From Virginia. My Virginia.

God help me, I'm obsessed.

I forward the shipment details to Lev and grab my jacket. The office walls are closing in, suffocating me with thoughts of her. I need an outlet, something to focus on that isn't Virginia's soft skin or intoxicating scent.

I send Lev a follow up text.

Going to the warehouse.

The drive is a blur. My knuckles are white on the steering wheel, jaw clenched tight. By the time I reach the warehouse, I'm a powder keg ready to blow.

The Red Serpent that we stole from outside the bar is exactly where we left him, chained to a chair in the damp, musty room. His head lolls to the side, dried blood caking his swollen face. Good. He's softened up.

"Wake up, mudak," I snarl, backhanding him hard across the face. His eyes flutter open, fear flooding them as he realizes who's standing before him.

I circle him slowly, savoring his growing panic. "Ready to talk?"

He spits blood at my feet. "Fuck you."

A dark chuckle escapes me. "Wrong answer."

I grab a handful of his hair, yanking his head back. My fist connects with his nose, the satisfying crunch of cartilage giving way under my knuckles. He howls in pain.

"Where are the next moves happening?" I demand, punctuating each word with a vicious blow to his ribs.

He wheezes, struggling for air. "I don't... know..."

Rage courses through me. I need answers. I need to keep Virginia safe.

Between the need I feel for her, the rage I have at not being buried inside of her, and the fear and anger toward someone targeting her, I have a lot to unleash on this guy. I kind of hope it takes him a long while to talk.

I pull out my knife, the blade glinting in the dim light. "Last chance," I whisper, pressing the cold steel against his throat.

His eyes widen, darting between my face and the knife. "Okay! Okay!" he sobs. "There's... there's a shipment coming in tomorrow night. Pier 11. And... and a deal going down in Queens. Friday. Some new product."

I dig the blade in slightly, drawing a thin line of blood. "Where in Queens?"

"Abandoned factory on 48th," he gasps. "Please... that's all I know. I swear!"

I step back, wiping my knife clean on his shirt. The rage subsides, replaced by a cold, calculating focus. We've got what we need. But I'll keep him alive a little longer. We'll see what else he can give me.

"You made the right choice," I tell him, voice devoid of emotion as I pat him on the side of the face hard enough that he winces. "Take a breather."

I turn to leave, my mind already racing with plans. The Red Serpents won't know what hit them. And Virginia... Virginia will be safe.

I drive back into Manhattan, my mind racing with the information I've extracted. My fingers tap out a quick message to Lev.

Meet at Nikolai's office. Now.

The city streets blur past as I weave through traffic, my thoughts a chaotic mix of strategies and... her. Even now, in the midst of Bratva business, she's there in the back of my mind. A constant presence I can't shake.

I stride into Nikolai's office, nodding at Lev who's already there. Nikolai looks up from his desk, his piercing gaze assessing me.

---