Page 101 of Konstantin

“She’s mywife,and you touched her.”

The man stammers, “L-l-look, man, I’m sorry. I-I was being stupid. I l-learned my lesson.”

“No, you did not. But you will, I promise you that.” Konstantin grins, cold and predatory. “You see, you broke a very sacred rule of mine. Do you know what that is?”

He shakes his head, panic rising.

“You touched what belongs to me. And for that, you deserve to be punished, don’t you think?”

When Konstantin drops him to the ground, the man tries to back away, but Konstantin’s two men are right behind him.

“Fuck. I-I just thought she was pretty, that’s all. I didn’t know shewas married, I swear.”

“Next time, don’t think. Clearly, your mind is your worst enemy.” Konstantin shifts his attention to me, his gaze hardening. “Which hand did he use to touch you?”

“His right.” My teeth grit, my chin rising.

Whatever happens to this asshole is his fault.

Konstantin pulls out his gun from the holster at his waist in one smooth motion. “Hold out your right hand.”

The man hesitates, his body trembling like a leaf.

Konstantin’s gaze locks on to him, cold and unyielding. “Do it. Now. Or I will take your entire arm. It’s your choice.”

“Fuuuck, man! Come on,” he pleads, but a second later, he obeys, holding out his hand.

Without hesitation, Konstantin fires, the low sound of a gunshot ripping through the man’s palm. Blood spills from the wound as his scream cuts through the silence.

“You should be grateful.” Konstantin’s mouth winds. “Normally, I’d have a chainsaw in my trunk. I forgot it today. I won’t forget next time.” He grabs the collar of the man’s shirt as blood continues to drip to the ground. “Say a word about this to anyone, and I’ll cut off both your armsandyour legs. Understand?”

“Mm.” The man nods.

“Good. Now go get that looked at. You wouldn’t want to bleed out, would you? That would be a real shame.”

As we start to head for the exit, Konstantin turns back around, points his gun at the man, and pulls the trigger. One clean shot straight through the head.

Holy. Shit.

I didn’t see that coming.

“You didn’t think I’d let him live, did you?” He takes my hand and kisses the top of it, his demeanor relaxed, as if he didn’t just murder a man. His gaze softens, a tenderness that always catches me off guardno matter how many times I see that side of him. “Are you okay?”

A lump rises in my throat.

“I don’t know.” I give him the most truthful answer I can.

His fingers tighten around mine. “I will never leave you alone again.”

“I’m not helpless, Konstantin.”

My hand reaches up, fingers brushing against his cheek. I need to touch him, to make him realize how much I appreciate the way he stood up for me. His eyes close, his fingers reaching for my wrist and gripping tight, like he wants to keep me there for as long as possible.

“I know you’re not.” His words are thick with emotion, each one heavier than the last. “But I’m your husband, and I’ll always protect you. It’s my job.”

With a sigh, I lower my face against his front, and he wraps his arms around me, pulling me in tight, like he’ll never let go.

“Let’s go home, malyshka.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head.