Page 42 of Thorns of Love

He held a gun to my wife’s head.

It was all I could think about as the doctor patched up the intruder that wasn’t killed. They didn’t work for me. I knew every single one of my men, and these two were not my men. Which brought me to the only conclusion I could come to.

I had a traitor among my men.

My knuckles were bruised and bleeding. I didn’t feel the pain. Maybe it was the adrenaline running through my veins. Or maybe I was so fucking numb from the realization that I could have lost her.

One fucking day after wedding her.

I rolled up my sleeves, hiding the bloodstains on my shirt.

“You’re a mess and getting blood all over me,” I said coldly while my insides boiled. “Now, I want to know who let you in and what your plan was.”

One guy was already dead, but the guy that held the gun to Tatiana’s temple had the honor of having his life extended. I’d make him regret ever stepping foot anywhere near a Konstantin.

Each time I pictured his gun against her head and Tatiana’s hands covering her lower belly, protecting our baby, rage overwhelmed me. I had to punish him more. So I hit him again. And again. And again.

Boris and Nikita stood behind me, leaning against the wall. They knew this was my punishment to extract.

“Who let you in?”

He glared at me, his expression furious beneath all the blood and bruises. He was tied to a chair, his arms and legs bound with rope. Underneath my garage, I had a special place for those who attempted to hurt my family. It hadn’t been used for a long time since nobody dared.

“For the last time, who let you in?” I gritted.

Blood hit the concrete floor in a steadydrip, drip, drip. There was a lot of it, ruining my suit and my shoes. Isla would be terrified to see me in this state, but Tatiana probably wouldn’t bat an eye.

I was so fucking proud of her. The way she protected Isla. The way she fought this asshole to give me a chance to shoot him. As this fucker held a gun to her head, I couldn’t pull the trigger. I was an excellent shot, but knowing that one move and it could even scratch her skin sent cold terror through my blood.

“I will never tell.” The guy spat out a mouthful of dark red fluid. I ran a check on him. No identity. But his tattoos told me plenty. He was part of the Yakuza. Soon, he’d be a dead Yakuza.

I was so sick and tired of these fuckers coming after Tatiana.

“You know, I believe you,” I said, smiled, then hit him again. “Nobody, my guards or not, are allowed to touch my family. Fucking ever!”

Nikita and Boris nodded. They’d ensure everyone got the message, loud and clear.

His head snapped back, and a pained yelp filled the air. The scent of copper and sweat drifted through the air. It had been hours of this and the fucker refused to crack. I itched to go and check on Tatiana and my sister. The doctor was here to check her out and ensure the baby was okay.

Of course, the stubborn woman refused to see him and slammed the door in his face.

“You know what happens to people who hurt my family?” I drawled, while a tsunami of rage rolled through me. The rage was fresh and burned like a fucking inferno. “I deliver their heads back to their masters.”

His eyes widened and a second later, a howl of agony ripped through the air.

Medieval torture had nothing on my wrath.

* * *

“I told you already, I don’t need a doctor. Tell Konstantin he can have a doctor check his fucking ass over.”

Tatiana’s voice came clear through the door after I knocked on our bedroom door. She locked herself in it. I had showered in a spare room and changed into clean clothes to ensure I didn’t alarm either one of the women with the amount of blood that soaked my clothes.

Although from the sound of Tatiana’s voice, she was out for my blood.

I cleared my throat. “Do it for me then,moya luna.”

Silence followed.Click.The door unlocked, I pushed on the door handle. I almost expected an outburst to greet me. Yet, there was nothing. Just silence. I glanced over my shoulder at my doctor who was watching me warily.