Page 9 of Deadly Vows

As we began the drive back to the mansion, I felt the first stirrings of unease. Vic was a coward, but he was also cunning. This wasn’t over. I checked my phone, a habit born of paranoia and necessity. A new message blinked on the screen, sending me a fresh surge of fury.

Vic: Sorry I didn’t get the chance to kill you, Aleksandr, but I guarantee I will. And next time, I won’t lose Talia. One taste was enough to know her sweet pussy would belong to me.

The words were a knife in my gut, twisting with every syllable. I handed the phone to Dimitri, my voice a deadly growl. “Pull over.Now.”

We were on a deserted stretch of road, the forest looming on either side. As soon as the car came to a stop, I was out with my gun in hand. The first shot was wild, venting of pure rage. The second found its mark, splintering the trunk of a tree. I emptied the clip, each bullet a catharsis, a promise of retribution.

When the gun clicked empty, the silence returned. I stood there, breathing hard, the echoes of my fury fading in the night. My men waited, understanding in their eyes. They knew this was personal. They knew I wouldn’t rest until Vic was dead.

Dimitri approached me cautiously. “Brat, we will find him. But we need to be smart about this. He’s trying to provoke you.”

I nodded, my chest still heaving. “I know. And that’s why he must be dealt with. He’s a threat to Talia and to our family. I won’t let him get away with this.”

“We’ll get him,” Dimitri assured. “We just need to regroup and plan our next move.”

Back in the car, the drive home was a blur. My thoughts were a storm of images: Talia’s face, the children’s fear, Vic’s smirk. By the time we reached the mansion, I was a coiled spring, ready to explode at the slightest provocation.

Inside, the house was quiet, the staff having retreated for the night. I made my way to my bedroom, the need to see Talia, to reassure myself of her safety, an almost physical ache. She lay there, a fragile figure amid my turmoil, her sleep troubled but deep.

I sat on the edge of the bed, brushing a stray lock of her chocolate brown hair from her face. She stirred, eyes fluttering open to meet mine. The relief I felt was tempered by the memory of Vic’s message, a dark shadow over this moment of peace.

“Talia,” I said softly, my voice rough with emotion. “Did he touch you?”

She hesitated, and for a moment, I thought she wouldn’t answer. But then she sat up, her eyes meeting mine. I saw the truth there, stark and painful. “He didn’t... he didn’t fuck me.” She looked away, fury and disgust burning in her eyes.

“Did he hurt you?” I asked, my tone dangerous.

She wouldn’t look at me, instead staring at a nonexistent spot on the floor. “He…he touched me. He tried to hurt me, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction,” she spat. “He threatened to kill you and keep me for himself, fucking me every day until he marked every part of me.” She choked back a sob as her fingernails dug into her palms.

The anger I had spent so long trying to control flared up again, hot and fierce. I pulled her into my arms, holding her tight as if I could shield her from the horror she had endured. “I willkill him,” I vowed, my voice a low, menacing growl. “I will make him pay foreverymoment of fear, foreverythreat, fordaringto touch what belongs to me.”

She nodded against my chest, her body trembling. “I know you will, Aleksandr. I know.”

We sat there in the darkness, the promise of vengeance a bond between us. Vic had made this personal, and I would not stop until he was nothing more than a memory, a cautionary tale whispered in fear. The night was far from over, and the fires of my fury would not be quenched until justice was served.

Sleep was elusive that night. I lay beside Talia, listening to her breathing, stewing in my anger and the burden of my promise. Every thought and emotion was a jagged edge, cutting into my resolve and sharpening it. The soft glow of the moonlight did little to chase away the darkness within me.

When dawn broke, I was already up, the restlessness driving me from the bed. I needed to move, plan, and turn my rage into action. In the study, maps were spread out before me. Vic was out there, somewhere, and I would find him.

Anton and Dimitri joined me, their expressions as grim as my own. “We need to regroup,” I ordered. “We need to find himnow.”

Anton nodded. “He can’t hide forever.”

I studied the map spread out on the table, tracing the potential routes Vic might take. “He’s smart,” I muttered. “He knows we’re coming for him. We need to be smarter.”

“We have contacts,” Dimitri said, pointing to various locations marked on the map. “People who owe us favors, people who can give us information. We just need to reach out to them.”

I nodded, considering our options. “Make the calls,” I ordered.

By evening, I was in a knot of tension that refused to be undone. I stood on the balcony, looking out over the estate, my failure heavy on my shoulders. Talia joined me, her presence a soothing balm to my troubled mind.

“We’ll find him,” she said softly, slipping her hand into mine. “I believe in you.”

I turned to her, my eyes meeting hers. “I can’t lose you, Talia. I can’t lose any of you.”

“You won’t,” she said, her voice steady. “We’re stronger than he thinks. And we’re together.”

I pulled her close, the feel of her body against mine grounding me, giving me the strength I needed. I would find him. I would end this. And when I did, there would be no mercy. For Mikhail, Talia, the children, for everything he had taken from me, I would make Vic pay.

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