Page 60 of Kidnapped Prisoner By the Bratva
Reflexively, my eyes yanked open again, and by now, Val was already inches away, his hand snapping out behind my ear. In a flash, he gripped the thick neck of a snake without breaking a sweat.
A strangled scream tore from my throat, and I leaped away immediately, my pulse racing almost as fast as my heart. The snake thrashed violently in his hand, its jaws wide open, fangs shining in the sunlight. I yelped, pushing myself behind him, trembling like a leaf.
Val didn’t flinch, and with a primal growl, he slammed the snake’s gaped jaw into the trunk of the nearest tree. The impact was so hard that the snake lost a fang. Val let the reptiledrop to the ground, and before it could even move, Val’s boot crunched the head of the serpent with a sickening thud.
That single stomp was powerful enough to destroy the reptile. Its head flattened into the dirt, its body rattling violently as its fangs snapped into the earth. Soon, the shuddering stopped, and the snake went limp.
I stood behind him, frozen in place, eyes wide open, with trembling hands. Even when he turned around and took the camera from my hand, I didn’t react. I couldn’t. Not yet, anyway.
He looked at me, a mocking smirk lining the corners of his lips as he lifted the camera to his face and took a photo of me. “Here. I took a picture, it’ll last longer.”
“It’s not funny.” I wore a plastic frown and snatched the camera from his hand.
“It kinda is.” He chuckled, pointing at my face. “That fear was priceless.” His hand gestured at the camera in my hold. “See for yourself.”
I locked my jaw, hating how he stole my move. “I’ll just delete it.” I rolled my eyes and hurried back into the house.
“You’re welcome!” he called after me, laughing softly.
My lips curled into a smile as I pushed the door open and walked inside. He saved my life. Again. If Val weren’t keeping an eye on me while I wandered around, taking random photos of Mother Nature, that snake would’ve struck me, and I’d have been a goner in less than a few minutes.
Luckily for me, my husband had lightning-fast reflexes and was trained to fight just about anything. Or anyone. Depending on who or what his enemy was.
***
Later that night, I found him seated on the porch bench, gazing absently into the distance. Overhead, twinkling stars stretched endlessly across the celestial canvas.
The full moon hung somewhere, bright and watchful, its soft glow draping over the forest, silvering the tops of the towering trees.
Fireflies drifted lazily across the darkness, their glowing tails blinking like tiny lanterns suspended in the air. A gentle breeze rustled leaves and brushes as if the forest itself was alive and breathing.
“Hey,” I called softly, stepping out the door.
“Hey,” he answered, lifting his head to face me.
I walked over to the bench and sat beside him, gazing out into the distance.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked without turning to look at me. “Nature.”
I nodded, waited for a moment, then added, “And deadly too.” A faint grin tugged at my lips as I referred to the snake incident from earlier today.
He let out a quiet chuckle, and silence settled between us: not awkward, not heavy. Just good old silence. “Thank you, by the way,” I said, facing him.
He looked in my direction and met my gaze. “That won’t be necessary. Keeping you safe is my number one priority.” His eyes bore into mine, his words laced with sincerity. “Besides, you’d do the same for me,” he teased, a small grin playing on his lips.
I raised my brows. “What, catch a snake with my bare hands?” I shook my head, a soft laugh spilling out. “Hell no, mister, I’d let you die in the blink of an eye.”
Again, he laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. The sound faded in no time, but his gaze still lingered, holding mine long enough to stir up a flutter in my chest. The teasing edge melted into something heavier, quieter, and more demanding.
Neither of us broke eye contact, and the longer we stared at each other, the faster my heart raced. The silence between us was charged with something I was too scared to name.
A cold shiver sprinted down my spine, and my breath hitched in my throat. My fingertips tingled as did my cunt, a feeling I was all too familiar with around him. But this time, something was different.
My craving for him was far beyond the physical touch, and my emotions weren’t a mix of lust and reckless desire anymore. Something else simmered beneath the surface. Anxiety twisted in my chest, and for the first time, all the voices in my head chorused two words:Kiss him.
Val’s gaze dropped to my lips, and he leaned in, his head dipping slightly. Without thinking twice, I tilted mine toward him, my eyes fluttering shut. His lips met with mine, soft and gentle, different from all the other times we’d kissed.
A jolt of electricity surged through my body, and when his hand rested on my cheek, I felt myself unravel beneath his touch.
