THE DANGEROUSLY SEXY MAFIA KING’S WIFE

CHAPTER 5 PART II

I took a step, my head down, my eyes staring at where I stepped. I took slow steps until I was down, touching the ground. My ankles, sure they would bend again from the exhaustion of bearing with the killer shoes I was wearing.

Three cars stood there, guards outside, waiting for us with the door of the middle car already opened. I slipped through, sliding through the seat to the edge of it. I needed distance, I needed space from him. What was up with me, s****l frustration that I had not known was there just bursting on me all of a sudden? I played with my hands, rubbing my palms on my knees, not even daring to stare at him as the door closed.

The guards got in, the car moving following and the one before it.

My mind, my dirty mind, just kept playing the scene over and over, the way he had gripped me, the feel of his arm on my body. It felt……I could not explain the feeling, the tug as he took a step toward me. I smiled, looking out the window, hiding it away. What was happening to me, I had thought my heart was stone cold, had thought I was not a girly girl, but there I was thinking of a man who I knew nothing about. I had told myself I could never love someone, had thought my heart was too dark, but there I was peeling like a beautiful flower—blooming. Did I hate it? Yes, but was it the best feeling ever? Definitely Yes.

It was just so overwhelming, having me all warm within.

My eyes closed to open, playing the scene again. What would it be like living with him? Would we cook together, would we talk for hours, cuddle in bed and take baths together? What other things do couples do? I did not know. I had not grown up in a loving home, there was nowhere where I could see what loving couples looked like or what they even did together. When I thought of my parents as a couple, I remembered nothing but horror, having my body shudder.

What a mess this man was getting himself into. I did not even know how to cook. I had no place to learn. Even if I was given the opportunity, what would I cook? I shook my head, I did not know all the things I had talked about, I swear. What were my duties as his wife? Of course, I would clean, I would learn to cook, I would wash, then what? What did a wife do for her husband? I mentally sighed, having no one to ask but I was smart, I would figure it out, I would try my best to be the best wife ever, but what about him? What did he have to do when it came to me, his wife? He had to provide and protect, that was all I knew. But I did not want to be dependent on him, I was going to finish my degree and save some money which I would invest without him knowing. If marriage was not my thing, then I would run away with all the money I would have gotten from him and start a new life with a new identity, which was why I did not have to get pregnant early in the marriage. If things were bad, leaving with a child would be hard. I had to use contraceptives, I would find a way to get them without him knowing.

I nodded my head, snapping out of my thoughts as the car came to a stop. My head picked up, I had done it again, zoomed out. Where were we?

I looked around, smoke in the air, sipping even in the car as we sat. There seemed to have been an establishment but had been burned down. My heart drummed, looking around and seeing a lot of black cars waiting there, a lot of people, men just walking around.

The door opened, fear having me paralyzed for a second. What had happened there?

My head snapped to the open door, finding Vladimir standing outside waiting for me. My body shot out, sliding through quickly and stepping out with the smoke thick in the air. Another smell lingered too, meat, as if there was a barbecue. I wiggled my nose, nearly sneezing. I stepped away, the guard closing the door.

Vladimir was already walking, so many guards there, talking to each other and there was chaos. I followed, seeing some of them stare at me but looked away, not paying much attention. I thought I would faint with how scared I was, yet held my head high and walked as if I knew what I was doing.

The area went quiet as Vladimir walked, his walk one of determination, walking fast, which had me take longer steps to compensate. One of the men that were on the flight with him walked, talking to him. I wondered who he was, he seemed like someone important in the pyramid of things. It was of the utmost importance to know which people were key players in Vladimir’s life and business, know which to nearly trust, and which to tread carefully around.

The two suddenly stopped and there I was catching up to them only to gasp and turn around quickly. On the floor right before the burnt-down building lay so many bodies, dead bodies that had been burned, skin melting off. I thought I would vomit, trying to catch my breath, yet the air smelled of roasted flesh, human flesh. Oohh my, I was going to faint. I walked away, needing to get away from there, but suddenly a hand was wrapped around my wrist. I froze where I was, my body cold. I was trying to act all unbothered but I was miserably failing, shudders hitting my body one after another.

I turned around, meeting Vladimir.

“Come,” he said, and heavens I did not want to. I wanted to shake my head and run back to the car but I saw from his face that it was not a request. I swallowed, turning back to walk closer, my eyes staring at anything but the people that lay cognizable on the floor.

“Look.” He said, me nearly crying out as he said so. I did not want to look, oohh my, what was this? Had he killed all these people, had he burned the building with all the people in it? My blood ran cold. What kind of monster was I getting involved with? I thought I could deal with such evil, but I guess not really. My mind was taken to extremes, my soul deeply tainted.

Slowly, I turned my face, my eyes moving from body to body, almost about thirty people, mouths wide, seeing that they were screaming. My heart broke, stumbling, yet he held me firmly, making sure I did not run away.

All the men stood around with their heads bowed, silence filling the area, suddenly realizing that they were all graced with faces of horror. I dared stare at Vladimir, finding his face pale, the look he wore scared the hell out of me. He had not done this, someone had done this to his people. All the men around were grieving, my heart tearing apart.

My hand was let go, my feet rooted to the ground, my eyes moving back to the people who had lost their lives so painfully. Vladimir walked closer to the dead bodies and I swallowed back all that threatened to spill from my mouth. My face was in horror. He walked from one body to the other, standing before them and looking down deep in thought. He walked until he stood, lowering to a single knee. My heart stopped, all the men kneeling down on one knee, heads bent downwards. What was happening? Should I kneel too? I did not know what to do, turning to watch as Vladimir took out what I guess was a rosary and bowed his head, praying. My head bowed, I knew all about religion but was not really religious. It was awkward standing there so I just kneeled too and bent my head, hearing whispers as they all prayed, the wind whispering all around us as if the cries of all the people that had lost their lives. I don’t know how long we kneeled there but suddenly Vladimir stood up, tucking away his rosary in his pocket. He turned, seeing people shoot up, so I did so too, some still praying. My heart cried out, I could barely swallow, what a painful night it had been. It was so sad that when you are smiling and having a good time, someone out there in the world is being killed, someone is being assaulted, someone is being beaten to a pulp. All those people would not see tomorrow, they all would not see the sunrise again.

I shook my head, hearing words being spoken, Vladimir throwing out instructions, in Russian, of course. I sighed, the men moving as some ran to get empty body bags, others picking up the bodies and waiting to place them in body bags. They all worked, Vladimir in the middle of it all. He bent down, his eyes staring at a body before he cupped it from the ground, blood washing over him, yet he did not care. Someone brought a body bag which he slipped the body in. He worked, he and the men he had come with and a few others picked the bodies up while the rest just stood and watched, others getting body bags. It was painful, all watching with heads bowed.

In no time they were done, the bodies were ready for transportation and that was when a large truck came. They placed the bodies in the back of the truck. Ten men hopped on the back of the truck with it soon driving away. I stood there, in nothing but dismay. The cars left one by one, all the men coming to pay respect to their boss before leaving until only our cars were left. Vladimir just stood there watching it all before him in the dead of night. Everyone left him be, all walking to stand outside the cars that waited for us. I stood right behind him, not saying anything, but just staring ahead at what he was staring at: the ashes of the building. We stood there for a very long time, I did not mind, just wondering what was going through his head, what he felt. Did he know who had done that, what did he plan to do in return?

“There is always a war.” He suddenly said, his voice strained.

“This is the world you are getting into. Next day, could be you lying there, burnt.” He continued, his voice firm and strong with each word filled with such emotion I could not put either as anger or pain.

“You will always be more in danger than safe wherever you are.” The words hit deep, he was right and I knew it. It was better to die than what I was throwing myself into. There was nothing but absolute pain where I was heading.

“I will not kill you, you are free to leave. My guards will take you back to your home. Stay away from that club. Next time I see you I will kill you.” He simply said, with me swallowing. His body turned, walking past me without even sparing me a look. I stood there frozen, all his words just echoing in my head, my eyes on the ashes without him before me. My body turned, watching him walk away to the car where the door was opened for him. I sucked in a breath, seeing the car behind where the door was also opened, the guard standing there, waiting for someone to get in. Vladimir got into his car, the door closed with the guard walking around to get into the front passenger’s side. The engines were running, the lights on. I hugged my body, the air so cold and harsh on my skin. I turned back to look at the burnt remains before turning to the cars. The guard of the last car was still standing with the door open. It was clear he was waiting for me, to take me back to where they had found me.

I took the first step, my head heavy, my heart calm. I took another step, walking until my head tipped up with much confidence.

I got to the car, opened the door, slid in, and closed it behind me, only to sit back to relax. It had been a long night, a rollercoaster of emotions, leaving me raw to what was happening out in the world when some of us were dreaming of things that had such little significance.

My eyes opened, my head turning to the man sitting next to me with his eyes on me.

“Make me yours Vladimir.”