Page 44

CHAPTER 43

MIKHAIL

Song- Glass Houses, Bring Me The Horizon

“Who is that guy over there?” Ana nudges my side. I follow her line of vision and squint.

And then it hits me when I see his neck tat. The fucking clover just behind his ear.

Declan Quinn.

The man who, much like myself, hides in the shadows.

But in a room, he certainly holds a persona. Covered in tattoos, a long tailored black jacket to show the bulging muscles and a fist full of rings, finished off with a flat cap. He looks every bit the unhinged Irish Mafia boss.

He’s also a very good contact to have in your pocket.

The best part, he also runs a damn chocolate factory. One very much to Enzo’s tastes so I have heard, Enzo was very busy helping Declan turn Decadence into not only arguably the best money laundering scheme around, but the most erotic sex club I’ve ever heard of.

He’s basically a kinky 21st century Willy Wonka, but instead of eating chocolate all day, the man indulges pussy.

The shit that goes down in that place even makes my eyebrow raise.

I squeeze Ana’s hand. As amazing as his attributes are, he isn’t someone I want near my wife.

Frankie stops me in my tracks before I get to the bar. Ana spins around and smiles sweetly at us both. God she’s beautiful.

“I’m just going to grab our drinks, Lara is at the bar, I’ll stay with her until you’re done,” she whispers in my ear.

“Sorry, Frankie, give me a second.”

He nods to me, pulling Zara tightly against his side. I did wonder where she was, Frankie never leaves her.

I glance up at Lara and Alexei laughing at the bar and smile under my mask. I know they’ll protect my girl. She’s safe here as far as I can tell, Enzo has the place covered.

Not that I’ll take my damn eyes off her. Not after her confession about feeling uncomfortable around men earlier.

“Okay, baby. I’ll only be here. I’ll be over in a few minutes.”

She presses her lips to my cheek, I wish my mask was off so I could feel her lips properly.

As she saunters off to the bar, I grind my teeth and watch the crowd’s eyes follow my wife’s ass around the room.

“You good, Mikhail?” Frankie’s deep Italian voice drags me out of my burning inferno.

“Fine,” I huff, clenching my fists by my side.

“So what do you think of the plans for the docks I sent you?”

“I’ll send Niki and Jax down to you to scope it out. I can’t turn down more weapons can I?”

I don’t take my eyes off Ana as she approaches the bar. Lara wraps her arms around her and they’re chatting while Alexei orders up the drinks dramatically.

“You really like that girl, don’t you?” Frankie says.

“Love.” I correct him.

He chuckles. “When I heard you were married I assumed it was for a deal, not love.”

I rub my jaw. “It’s complicated.”

“True love always seems to be,” Zara chimes in. I’m still not sure how I feel about her being the NYC commissioner now. But, she’s Frankie’s wife, it works for business too.

Alexei whispers something to Lara and she turns to face him while Ana rests her elbow on the bar as her drink is slid across to her.

A tall guy with blond curly hair nudges closer to her.

“He one of yours?” I nod in the direction of the guy.

“No. Nothing to do with us,” Frankie replies.

The unknown man leans back and looks down at Ana’s ass.

I can feel the rage boil within me.

I step forward just as his hand snakes around her back, right above her ass.

She jumps away from his touch and bashes into Lara. Before Alexei can intervene, I grab my blade from my inside pocket and flip it open.

I grab him by the back of the neck and slam his head into the bar. Turning him to face me, my fingers grip his throat. His green eyes fill with fear, but that only fuels me further.

“Did my wife give you consent to touch her?” I spit out.

He shakes his head, beads of sweat pooling on his forehead.

Alexei cackles behind me. Nikolai will no doubt be there when I turn around.

“Well? Asshole?”

“N-no. I didn’t realize she was your wife.”

I nod slowly, pulling him upright. He’s a few inches shorter than me and nowhere near my build.

“Oh, so if you knew she was my wife, you wouldn’t have touched her?”

“Never. I’m sorry.”

Pathetic.

“But, if she wasn’t my wife, you wouldn’t give a fuck if she consented to you grabbing her like that? Like a piece of fucking meat?”

“Uh,” he stammers.

“Did your mother not teach you manners? Like when it’s acceptable to touch a woman?”

Blood trickles from his nose and he shakes his head.

I turn to Ana who seems to be fascinated by this, a little grin on her lips.

“You good, iskorka?”

She nods. “I’m better now, big man.”

I turn my attention back to this piece of shit.

“Apologize.” I tighten my grip around his neck just before I let go and his back crashes into the bar.

“I’m really sorry,” He says, looking at me.

I roll my eyes. “Not to me. To Anastasia.”

The color drains from his face as he turns to her. She doesn’t look amused.

“I’m very sorry. It won’t happen again.”

She scoffs. “Yeah right. Men like you can’t help yourselves. Fucking pigs. Probably why you’re so desperate. No girl in their right mind wants a guy like you.”

I nod and smile at her, she’ll know I approve, she reads my eyes when the mask is on.

“Can I go now?” he asks, rubbing at the red marks on his neck.

“No.” I pause, wiping the blade over my palm.

“Now I teach you a lesson on touching and consent.” I snatch his right hand, the one that touched my wife, and press it on the bar.

“See now, you will have a reminder. A scar. That will haunt you for the rest of your life and remind you not to touch without asking.”

I know the pain of the memory of a scar. This might make him think twice.

Before he can reply I stab him through the middle of the hand, hard enough the tip of the blade goes through to the wood of the bar.

He screams out in pain.

I lean in as the tears stream down his face.

“You’re lucky I didn’t cut both your fucking hands off.”

I turn my attention to Ana, and she slides her fingers through mine. I pull her tight against me and rest my head on the top of hers, inhaling her sweet scent.

“I told you, I shouldn't have worn the dress.” She hiccups against my chest.

I squeeze her tighter. I’ll make sure there isn’t a room in this world where my wife can’t walk in and feel safe.

I’ll scorch this earth of men like that asshole, not just for her but for all women.

“At least I didn’t kill him. I wanted to.”

She pushes back and looks up at me.

“I’m proud of you. I think you got the message across.”

My chest swells and I guide the back of my hand gently over her cheek.

“I love you, pretty girl. No one touches my wife.”

She rises onto her tiptoes and presses her lips on mine through the fabric.

“Do I get to stab anyone that touches you too?” she asks playfully.

Zara giggles behind us. I assume she’s probably a woman who has done something like that for Frankie.

“Yes, baby. I’ll even hand you the damn knife.”

“Can I start with Zoya the next time she puts her disgusting hands on your shoulder?”

I can’t help but laugh at her comment.

My feisty girl.

I need to be careful she doesn’t. Zoya is really pushing it with us both. She barely survived the drowning episode.

“I’ll take care of it, I promise.” I tell her.

“Good. Because I’m sick to death of her.”

I lean in and rub my hands down her back and rest them on her ass.

“Can you still feel my come dripping out of you?” I whisper against her ear, feeling the heat of her blushing radiating off her.

“Yes. I wish I wore panties.”

I groan, remembering the fact her perfect pussy is exposed.

“You are my wife. The woman with my DNA dripping out of her in a room full of hundreds of my associates. You own my heart, pretty girl. You always will. You have nothing to ever worry about.”

She nods with a small smile.

I know there are niggling doubts, mainly from Zoya’s spiteful words.

Looks like I’ll just have to keep proving myself to her, I’ll do that for the rest of my life.

She is it for me.