Page 17

Chapter Seventeen

Aiden

I ’m frantically searching every street that’s in close proximity to Jameson’s house when a car pulls up next to me and Dante gets out.

This can’t be good.

“You’re probably wondering where Elena is,” he says. “Get in, Aiden.”

“You’re not going to kill me, are you?”

“No. I promised Elena I wouldn’t. And besides, you’re still my friend. I don’t want you to die. Get in.”

With no other choice, I do as he says. Dante begins driving. “I figured you’d be around here somewhere.”

“How?” I ask.

“I found Elena at one my restaurants. I got a call that a girl fitting Elena’s description walked in. I realized that my restaurant is close to the doctor’s house you go to whenever you need to get fixed up. It wasn’t hard to assume you’d be in the area, wondering where Elena is.”

“So, you brought her back home.” A heavy cement settles in my stomach as I come to terms with that.

“I did. She’ll be safe. Erik will make sure she has guards stationed at her house twenty-four seven. She’ll be safe until the wedding with Viktor.”

“And when is that?” I ask through gritted teeth.

“In two days. This Saturday.”

“And you’re telling me this… why?”

He parks the car and faces me. “I’m telling you so you know. You have the right to know. Last time we spoke, I could tell you cared about Elena. I’m sure you won’t be happy with her marrying Viktor but it’s happening.”

“You’re such a fucking hypocrite,” I mutter.

“How so?”

“You stole Viktor’s first fiancée and married her yourself. You kidnapped Nadia. You fell in love with her. And you got your way because you’re Dante Moretti. But heaven forbid anyone else get their way.”

“It’s because of what I did that we can’t piss Viktor off any more than he already is. If you took Elena for yourself, who knows what Viktor would do? He has a lot of power. He could reign terror down on any of us if he wanted to, including Erik. It’s bad enough to be at war with the Bratva but when there’s infighting, it all somehow becomes even more worse.”

“So what are you saying?”

“I’m saying you need to let her go. For the safety of everyone, including yourself.” He shakes his head. “I mean, Aiden, you’ve never had a problem putting yourself above others. You did your job and called it a day. Why all of this now? Why do you even care about her?”

“I just do,” I growl. “I’ve saved her life on multiple occasions. And she saved mine. Did you know she killed a few men to save me?”

Dante blows out a breath. “I didn’t know. Good for her. Or bad for her, depending on who you ask. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is now that Elena has been returned, we can start restoring peace. Finn will still have to be killed for killing Ivan but you can be spared. You just won’t be able to live in New York anymore. I doubt Viktor will appreciate seeing the sight of you.”

“So where will I go? I pissed off the Irish mob in Boston by killing Patrick Sullivan, then his second in command, Connor.”

“Shit, Aiden. What the fuck have you been up to this past week?”

“I was keeping Elena alive. And I was trying to find a way to save Finn. Is that so wrong?”

“It’s not wrong. He’s your brother but he’s going to get you killed. I was once filled with rage and revenge. I hurt Nadia to get what I wanted. But then I realized it was all pointless. None of it mattered. What mattered was how Nadia saw me. She saw a good man. And I’ve been trying to work with Erik for the past year to make Nadia proud. I’m not going back on my word. I will always choose my wife now above anyone else. Even you. Even Finn. Yes, I got lucky in marrying Nadia and not having to pay for my crimes. But you’re not me and you’re going to have to pay for your crimes by losing Elena and losing your brother.”

I slump in my seat. For the first time since I was a boy, I feel the urge to cry.

Dante places his hand on my shoulder. “I am sorry, Aiden. Now, I’ll take you somewhere safe so Viktor can’t find you. I hope you’ll do the right thing and let Elena go.”

The thought of her marrying Viktor rips me right in half but what other choice do I have? I could steal her away in the night but we would just end up looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives and what kind of life is that?

It’s not one Elena deserves.

As long as she’s safe, that’s all that matters.

Fuck. I am whipped for this girl. I think I might even love her.

Dante takes me to an apartment building. It’s a large glass tower in a nice neighborhood. Not the worst place to tend to my broken fucking heart. “This is on short notice until I can get a place lined up for you somewhere else. I expect you to go in there and don’t leave until I tell you to. Don’t be stupid, Aiden.”

“Easy for you to say when you’re not the one who has to give anything up.” I slam the car door behind me as I walk up to the apartment building.

Dante doesn’t follow me.

Elena

Inessa comes to visit.

“I’m so glad you’re ok,” she says, giving me a hug the moment we’re in my room and away from my mother’s critical comments. She always loves telling Inessa how cheap her clothing looks. It’s not Inessa’s fault that her father doesn’t have a lot of money.

“I was always ok.”

She frowns. “What do you mean? I remember Aiden. He threatened to shoot me.”

“Not really. He was never going to hurt you. He just wanted you to leave us alone so we could escape. That was it.”

“You make it sound like it was no big deal.”

I sit down on my bed and hug my pillow to my chest, feeling like a little girl. “I like him,” I admit. If I can tell anyone this, it’s Inessa.

Her large blue eyes widen. With her fair hair and porcelain skin, she sometimes looks like a doll. “I don’t understand. He kidnapped you. That’s what everyone has been saying.”

“I know what everyone has said. But it’s not true. Aiden didn’t kidnap me. He took me away to save me from Finn. It wasn’t to hurt me.”

She plops down next to me. “Huh. That’s… I don’t know what to make of that.”

“None if it matters though. I’m going to be forced to marry Viktor in two days. My life will be completely changed.”

“It sounds like your life has already changed.”

“It has.”

She’s quiet for a moment before asking, “Did you…”

“Did I?”

“You and Aiden?”

I can’t stop my blush. “No. We did some stuff. But I’m still a virgin. I hate that he doesn’t get that part of me. He’s the one I want, Inessa. Not Viktor.”

“What’s wrong with Viktor?”

“Nothing is wrong with him. He would be the perfect husband but… I just love Aiden.” I know it’s true the moment I say it. Inessa is the only one I can allow myself to be this vulnerable with.

“You love him?” she whispers. “Wow. I’ve never known love. Romantic love, I mean.”

“Does your father have any plans to marry you to anybody?”

“If he does, he hasn’t told me. He’s paranoid that something is going to go wrong. It’s been making him twitchy and anxious. I’m worried he might hurt somebody. Besides, we’re so low on the Bratva totem pole. What man would want to marry me? My father doesn’t have anything to offer anyone.”

“You could have Viktor.”

Her laugh is like fairy bells. “He’s never even met me. I wouldn’t even know what he looks like. I’ve only heard the stories about him. How stern he can be. How he keeps his sister locked away. He wouldn’t want me, when my father has no money. I have nothing to offer a proud man like him.”

“It was just hopeful wishing on my part.”

“You want Aiden,” she says softly.

“I want Aiden.”

“So why can’t you go be with him?”

I give her a side-eyed look. “You know how our world works. You know that I have to play by the rules. Erik made a deal to marry me to Viktor. My father signed off on that deal. I have to go through with it.”

“You can do whatever you want, Elena. You have money. You have status. Your father was Ivan Romanov, a great man.”

“It’s because of all of that that I can’t be who I want to be. That I can’t be with who I want to be with. Everyone expects me to marry Viktor. And besides, they all think I was kidnapped. None of them know that I went with Aiden willingly.”

“Why did you? I’m not judging. I’m curious.”

“He made good points. If he brought me back home, Finn would only find me. And… I didn’t really want to come back home. Before Finn kidnapped me the second time, my mother blamed me for my father’s death.”

Inessa gasps, her lips forming a perfect pink circle. “She did?”

“She did. It hurt so much. I didn’t want to come home to that. And now… here I am.” My hands flap to my sides. “Stuck with my mother again. Forced to marry a man who I don’t love when the real man I do love is out there, still fighting for his life.”

“I’m so sorry, Elena. None of that is fair.”

“You know that better than anyone. You lost your mom just a couple of years ago. And now your dad is gambling away all of your money.”

She flushes. “I know. But I still feel bad for you. My own pain doesn’t take away from your pain. And if I could do anything in my life, it wouldn’t be trapped within the rules of the Bratva. If you want to be with Aiden, then go be with him.”

“But that will start a war. Viktor will hunt Aiden down and kill him.”

“Not if you tell Viktor that you love Aiden.”

I shake my head. “That won’t go over well. He wants me because Dante spurned him when he married Nadia. Viktor won’t appreciate being spurned again.”

“This isn’t Viktor’s life. He’s a grown man. A successful one. I’m sure he’ll find someone else. You need to be happy. You’ve suffered so much these past couple of weeks. And I see a change in you. You sound more confident and brave. If you want to be with Aiden, go be with him. Don’t worry about starting a war. You’re not the one who will be starting it. It’s all of these men who refuse to let go of their own anger that will be their own downfall. You need to be happy on your own terms.”

“It’s not that easy,” I say, even though my heart is pounding out of my chest. Inessa’s words are making me believe that anything is possible. “Besides, I don’t even know where Aiden is.”

“Dante would probably know.”

“Dante is doing everything he can to not create a war. I doubt he’d tell me.”

“Maybe not,” she murmurs. “But he might have told Nadia. It’s worth asking her. She defied convention when she married Dante. I know he was an enemy of Erik’s. If anyone knows what it’s like to follow your heart, it would be Nadia.”

“How are you so smart?” I ask, gazing at my best friend in amazement.

She reaches over to the side of my bed and picks up the painting I made of Aiden. “This is why. You did this before you went on this journey with him. I might not fully understand it all but I do know that this means something. You’re my best friend, Elena. You need to follow your heart.”

I stare down at the painting of Aiden’s face. I had feelings for him even back then. It was like my heart knew.

“Ok. I’ll ask Nadia. It’s the least I can do. Are you going to be ok?”

She smiles but I can tell it’s tight. “I have to be. I’m dependent on my dad for money. I may be nineteen but I don’t have any job experience or any marriage prospects. I have to be fine because if I think about it for even a moment, I might break down and never get back up.”

“You need to follow your own heart too.”

She nudges me. “You first.”

I know what I have to do.

Find Aiden and tell him I love him. If I’m going to be forced to marry Viktor, I might as well be with Aiden for as long as the time I have left.

Dante and Nadia’s house is an intimidating mansion on the outskirts of the city, away from the hustle and bustle of everything.

I convinced my mom to let me go over here with a guard. His name is Jack, which is not lost on me. I think back to the previous Jack who tried to hurt me and who Aiden killed. It’s a common enough name but it’s not one I want a reminder of.

He stands back as the housekeeper lets us inside. Nadia comes to greet me.

“I’m so glad you made it back home safely,” she says, guiding me into the living room. Anya is there too. Her large pregnant belly makes her look like she’s going to give birth any second.

“Elena,” Anya says with a relieved smile. “When I heard Dante found you and took you home, I was so happy.” She gives me a comforting hug. She is someone I’ve always trusted after she saved my life from one of my father’s men when I was fourteen.

“So, how have you been settling in?” Nadia asks.

“Since it’s only been a day since I got back, I would say… not well.”

“You’re getting married tomorrow,” Anya says. “How do you feel about that?”

“That’s what I’m here to talk about.” I glance around the room. “Nadia, is Dante around?”

“No. Not at the moment.”

I turn to Anya. “And Erik? Where is he?”

“At our house, helping to plan the wedding tomorrow. There are a lot of pieces that need to be put together for everything to be ready. Why do you ask?”

“Because I need your help. You need to know that whatever you’ve heard of Aiden is a lie. He didn’t kidnap me. I went with him, willingly. He saved my life from Finn.”

Nadia’s eyes widen. “Wow. I’m… surprised. I’ve met Aiden before and he never showed any kind of care for anyone.”

“I’m not surprised,” Anya says. “I know well enough how men can change. When I first men Erik, he was a cold bastard but now… now he’s the love of my life. We’re going to be parents soon. So, I get it. But what exactly are you saying, Elena?”

“I’m saying that Aiden doesn’t deserve to get killed for his brother’s actions. Aiden is not the bad guy here.”

“I can tell Erik that,” Anya says. “He’s pretty good at listening to me.”

“And I can tell Dante,” Nadia offers.

I wring my hands together. “See, the thing is, I think Dante already knows. He found me and Aiden and he let us go. But that’s not why I’m here.”

“Then why are you here?” Anya asks flatly like she already knows what I’m going to say. There’s a good chance she does.

“I love him,” I admit.

“Aiden?” Nadia squeaks.

“I can’t marry Viktor. But if I have to, then I want to say goodbye to Aiden one last time. I never got the chance. But I need to know where he is.” I turn to Nadia. “And I figured since you’re married to Dante…”

“That I’ll know where Aiden is.” She sighs. “Dante did mention to me that he’s keeping Aiden in a safe house until everything is figured out. But I’m not sure exactly where.”

“You just want to say goodbye to him?” Anya asks. “Just goodbye?”

“Yes,” I lie. If anyone deserves to have my virginity, it’s Aiden, but I don’t want to tell Nadia and Anya that. “I need to say goodbye. Please. You can understand. Especially you, Nadia. Falling for the enemy.”

“She has you there,” Anya comments.

Nadia sighs again. “You’re right. I do know what that’s like. Ok. I’ll help you. If this is what you want and Aiden has truly been good to you…”

“He has been. He saved my life multiple times. He’s not the man he once was. I promise you that.”

“Then let’s find out where Dante is hiding Aiden.”

We go into Dante’s private office. It feels so defiling being in a space that doesn’t belong to me. Nadia doesn’t have that problem though.

“What’s Dante’s is mine,” she says simply, making Anya laugh.

“I remember when I married Erik and was terrified of walking around the house. You’re lucky you never had to fear Aiden.” Her eyes go wide. “Shit. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“I did fear him at first. But he never killed my dad. He saved me from his own brother. That won him some brownie points for sure.”

“Here,” Nadia says, picking up a notebook. “Dante rented a new apartment just yesterday. That’s got to be it. It’s for only one unit.”

“It’s a place to start. Thank you both for understanding.”

Nadia shrugs. “We’d be hypocrites if we didn’t understand.”

I give them both a hug before leaving. Jack takes me back home, where my mother immediately questions where I’ve been.

“I was with Anya and Nadia. Now back off,” I snap at her, making her gasp and clutch at her throat.

“You don’t get to speak to me like that, young lady.”

“Mom. You’ve been nothing but mean to me my whole life. So yes, back off.” I hurry up into my room but she only follows.

“You’re grounded.”

“I’m getting married tomorrow. You can’t ground me. Besides, I’m nineteen.”

“I can keep you here until the wedding.”

“Fine.”

“Fine. You know, sometimes I wish it was you who had died instead of your father.” She storms out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

I sink onto my bed and let myself cry for only a few minutes. There’s no time for a pity-party. I only have a limited amount of time to find Aiden and tell him how I feel.

And have him make me his before I’m married off to another man tomorrow.

I wait until nighttime. It’s more risky traveling at night but I don’t have any other choice. My mother always takes a few Ambien before bed so I know she’s crashed out. I’ll just have to get past the guards. Erik made sure to hire a lot in case Finn decided to show his face again.

Two are inside, watching the TV at a low volume. They’re fairly easy to sneak past when I leave out the backdoor. Only one guard is out in the back yard, smoking a cigarette. I can see the back gate from here. There’s no way I can bypass him without him noticing so I decide to approach him.

“Hey,” he says.

“Hey. Listen, I like to go for walks late at night. Would you come with me?”

“It would be safer to stay here.”

“But you were hired to keep me safe and you can’t lock me up so it’s either come with me or let me go off on my own, Which is it?”

He sighs as he stubs out his cigarette. “Fine. I’ll come with.”

We leave through the back gate and start walking down the sidewalk. I just need to lose him.

“How long are we going to be out here for?” he asks.

“Not long.” My eyes land on a hotel across the street. Perfect. I can lose him inside of there. “This way.”

“Why are we going here?” he asks as we walk into the hotel.

“It’s nice inside.” Before he can react, I take off running.

“Shit,” I hear him mutter.

“That man is attacking me!” I shout, pointing at the guard. A security guard runs for my guard and blocks his path, giving me the chance to run out another door of the hotel.

I don’t stop running until I reach the nearest subway. My mother would abhor me using the subway but I don’t have any other choice. I stole a few dollars from her wallet before leaving tonight.

It takes me a few minutes to figure out where to go but then I’m off and within the hour, I’m standing before a large apartment building. There’s no doorman out front, making it easy for me to enter. I pretend like I belong here as I go to the elevators and up to the floor that Dante has written down in his notebook.

I find the apartment itself and after taking a deep breath, I knock.

Aiden answers.

“Elena.” Within seconds, I’m in his arms and he’s pulling me into the apartment and kicking the door shut. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“With the help of Nadia. I had to see you again. Aiden, I’m getting married tomorrow.”

His eyes darken. “Trust me. I know. I can’t fucking believe it. Dante told me I had to let you go otherwise I would have shown up at your house and taken you again.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. I wouldn’t want you to get killed for me. What happened with Finn?”

“I knocked him out and went looking for you. Dante found me and brought me here. I’m not sure what happened to Finn after but I know I left him alive. He’s probably pissed and wants to kill both you and me even more.”

I shudder. “That’s horrible. I’m sorry you’re at odds with your brother but you know how I feel for him.”

“I do. I don’t want to talk about him. I want to talk about you and what you’re doing here.”

“I had to see you. They’re going to make me marry Viktor tomorrow. But I don’t love him. Aiden… I love you.” I said it. It’s completely out there now and there’s no taking it back.

His eyes widen. “You…”

“I love you. I needed you to know. I don’t want you to think I’m marrying Viktor because I love him. I don’t want you to think I was just using you.”

“Elena, I could never think that.”

“And I wanted to ask you something. Maybe it’s wrong of me but…”

“Ask.” His voice is so strong and confident. Instantly, I feel at ease.

“I want you to make love to me, Aiden. Make me yours. I want you to be the first one to have my body. Not Viktor. Please.”

“If we do that, Elena, there’s no taking it back. And it will only make it harder to let you go.”

“I know. But it’s what I want. What do you want?”

Aiden doesn’t hesitate to grab my face and kiss me. “I want you.”

“So make me yours.”