Chained Princess

Chapter 26: Bunny

A A R O N ' S P. O. V

"That is not good enough. I want double the money now, or I'm taking back everything, including shipments you've already sent out!"

The room echoed with the thunderous raw of Mikhail, his primal nature was scratching at the surface, threatening to expose his true self in-front of dozens of co-operate executives and leaders.

"Mr Ivanov let me assure you that the money will be given to you, but we just need some more time."

"Time? Time?" My financial advisor flinched. "I need the money to find my missing children, I don't have time. I need results."

I didn't miss the way his eyes flickered over to me at mention of his children. As always, I kept a cold calculated look on my face, fighting the urge to snarl out and place the barrel of my gun at his forehead.

Calmly, I leaned forward on the table. "Mr Ivanov, maybe it would be best if we didn't conduct business anymore?"

He scoffed. "Oh really, and why is that?" The thickness of his accent blurred with his raging anger caused his words to be spat out.

"Well, clearly you need to focus on your personal business and I've already found a new provider."

"Who?"

"Romano industries. They're sales are increasing alarmingly, they're numbers are higher than ever and..."

"You're f*****g that bastard Ryder's little Princess' cunt."

My teeth gnawed at my bottom lip with such force I felt the skin spilt open. The raw tang of blood seeped into my mouth but I welcomed the acidic metallic taste as I pushed back the murderous intent of my thought.

He called her Princess. No-one called her Princess but me.

I smiled sordidly, an air of cold professionalism surrounding me. "Our business is done. If you'll sign the papers, everything will be conducted accordingly and then we will be finished."

"Awfully good timing." He spoke with such grace now that it was clear to see the way he made billions.

"Or just a simple coincidence."

I watched, eyes like a hawk, as he sighed across the dotted line. My chest finally felt lighter, the lingering heavy burden of the Ivanov's finally done and dusted.

We were free.

As always my team shook hands with Mikhail's, but my hand clasped inside his rough calloused palm, I felt the chill of his voice slice across my skin.

"I hope that you never have to feel the way I do. Children, heirs, mean everything to men like us. They're the future."

"I believe my little girl will have the choice if she wishes to share the same burden as us. However, we have a while for that."

For the first, he smiled. It's raw primal tendrils invoked a sense of evil I had ever before encountered.

"Let's pray no harm befalls her. The ones we love are the only things keeping men like us from becoming the monsters we were born to be. Without them, there's no telling when we'll stop. I know that without my little Sasha, I'd be gone forever. The only part of me that would remain would be the murderous d'yavol (devil) that would thrive solely on the principle of vengeance. Goodbye Mr Black."

His heavy footsteps disappeared as I remained stood there, staring at nothing but the whites of the walls. Did he...

"Ryder's calling," Finally blinking, I found myself dragged back to the present. "Aaron?"

Tristan stood at the doorway holding my phone. The room was empty now, all papers and mugs gone, the only thing that remained was the faint droning of traffic outside.

He threw it towards me. My hands clapped around it, as the phone rang incessantly in my hands. "Man, what's wrong?" Tristan kicked off from the doorway and crossed the room.

I shook it off, the terrible overwhelming feeling of potential darkness and clicked answer.

"Anastasia was kidnapped." Are the first three words he said. Everything else proved to be an inconsequential string of information that became blurred out by my heavy thoughts.

Mikhail. The bastard knew.

I was storming out of my office, cursing and shouting orders as I went. Tristan left to find Mia and the rest of the office turned into a chaotic shamble at my sudden demands.

I didn't even know I was there until I was suddenly pulling up outside a regal colonial mansion. My engine was left running as I sprinted inside, the mechanic thrum of it followed me in.

"Aaron," Gabi breathed out, tears marred down her face. I found police speaking to Kieron and Ryder in the corner, Kalen and Kai on phones with maps directed in-front of them but Kiara and Tessa were nowhere to be seen.

"She'll be okay." The warm envelope of Gabi's hug provided me with a maternal affection I hadn't really experienced before. "She'll be okay." I felt the burden fall as I relinquished all my worries.

"Where's Kiara?" My voice was hoarse with pain, fear and anger.

"She fainted. She hasn't woken up yet. Tessa is with her." I started towards the towering staircase. My feet thudded hard against the marble, and skidded as I rounded the corner to her room.

The door were already open, a faint murmur of soft voices drifting out of it. As I pushed it open, I caught sight of my Princess, laying across large bed, her body surrounded by a mass of pillows.

Tessa hand her hand clasped in hers. "She should wake up soon." Her eyes didn't bother to meet mine, they were fixed in Kiara with unwavering devotion.

I heard a soft pad of feet approach me. "We'll get her back, right Aaron?" Caitlin. Her eyes were filled with tears that threatened to spill over. Opening my arms up, she fell into them, her face burying into my chest.

I forced my own sobs down as her body racketed. "Yes, we will." My head rest slant on top of hers, her arms wrapping tighter and tighter around my chest as though she was afraid I would soon disappear as well.

"Anastasia," The voice slurred, yet the hypnotic lull of it was enough to draw me in. Gently, I pulled back from Caitlin, urging her to go downstairs and keep Gabi company.

My footsteps had almost never sounded heavier, the mechanic thud of each one getting louder and louder as I approached her. "She's waking up." Tessa muttered, eyes as ever transfixed on Kiara.

I sunk onto the other side of the bed and held onto her hand tight. My heart jolted as her fingers squeezed mine, interlocking in the same way to perfect jigsaw pieces fit.

"Princess," My hand drew back hair matted to the sheen across her forehead.

Sleepily, her eyes blinked open. Her mouth formed into that perfect pout of hers, and her eyebrows drew together. She took in the bed she lay in, the room that surrounded her, Tessa and then finally me.

A mess of a man with red watery eyes, tears tracked down my cheeks and the shadow of a smile that was threatening to break.

"So, it wasn't a nightmare? Someone really took our baby?"

I brought her hand up to my lips, and smothered it with a plethora of soft kisses. As though it was enough to soothe her aching soul.

"Yes they did, but I'm getting her back."

I watched as her bottom lip trembled. "How?"

"By hunting down the bastards who took her, and slaying them all. One by one."

Tessa moved to get some water from the kitchen. I took the opportunity to move in closer, and cradle her into my arms. The moment her skin touched mine, her face pressing flush against my cheek, I let the walls crumble and the anguish unleash.

"I'm so sorry Aaron. I'm so sorry." Drawing back instantly, I cupped her warm cheek in my palm and bore down into her eyes with a fierce intensity.

"This was not your fault. It was his."

"His?" It took her a moment but I watched the confusion mellow out from her eyes. "Mikhail. He took her."

"He was acting so strange in the meeting today and I had a feeling, I just knew. Then Ryder called and...my worst fear came to light. He hasn't called me yet, I've called him. Multiple times and yet no answer. He wants revenge so he sought it out and took it."

"She's just a child. Surely he wouldn't..."

"He would." I remembered the violence and brutality of the murders that took place in Russia when he wanted to take over several mob owner's businesses. He was determined to eradicate the line, and so he did. Murdering pregnant women, children...even a five month old baby.

The man was a monster, and now we had unleashed him upon us all.

Her eyes glistened wet with tears. I felt the dampness leak against my shirt whilst her body shuddered with violent sobs. My eyes fell shut as tears flowed down my cheeks, mirroring her own.

We weren't Aaron and Kiara anymore, we weren't criminals, or children of criminals. We didn't have legacies. All we were grieving parents, fearing for our child.

"Water?" Tessa's footsteps slowed as she took in the scene. I glanced up with blurted vision and shook my head gently. Her mouth pressed into a thin smile and she set the glass down on the beside, before quietly leaving the room.

We stayed like that for about ten minutes. Needing a moment of solitude where the two of us could just break down. I noticed the tight black slip she had on. It pushed her breasts up with such a fashion that I was surprised I didn't notice it before.

"What are you wearing?" A flush of red coated her cheeks.

"I was planning to surprise you with a date night. Just us. That's why I asked Kieron to pick up Anastasia and said it was fine for her to leave. f**k, how did they know that I asked Kieron to pick her up? What if I didn't?"

"It wasn't a coincidence. Ryder told me that someone had tapped Kieron's phone. They tapped into all our phones. The software was advanced and discreet, the only reason we found it was because Ryder got a CIA analyst to detect and decode it."

"So Mikhail knew all this time and just continued to work with you?"

"No, I don't think he does. He's unsure, he wants to find the right person and I'm at the top of his list. I don't think he suspects you and we have to keep it like that."

"I'm not letting you go down for this. It's my mess."

"And it's our baby." I wove my fingers into her hair, forcing her to look at me. My grip grew tighter with rising tension and panic. "I can't lose you Kiara, and I can't lose Anastasia either. There's no telling what he'll do if he finds out you did it, with me, he expects it, but with you he won't."

"Exactly! We'll catch him off guard."

"Or piss him off even more. This man is unpredictable and a beast. I'm not risking it and I'm not losing you."

"I'm not losing you either." She demanded in equal ferocity. I took in her flushed cheeks, swollen cheeks, and big wet eyes that stared up at me with brazen anger and passion.

Fuck it. I dove my tongue straight into my mouth, seeking her own, to unleash all my unquenchable anger. Her hips shifted, rubbing gently against the raging fire that spurred inside my pants and I let my hands run over the soft silhouette of her curves, mesmerised by the sheer vitality of it.

Finally we broke free. Our eyes met in an enchanted gaze of lust, and I gripped her hair, pressing my forehead against hers. "I'll get her back Princess. I promise you."

Her heavy breathing filled the room. "Just promise me she'll be safe, you'll make her safe, no matter what. Even if it means sacrificing me."

How could I choose between the love of my life and my child? I loved them both in equal boils but so differently that I would be left broken either way. If we lost Anastasia, it would mean losing each other too.

"I promise...only if you'll do the same?"

"I swear to you," She brushed her lips against mine in a frantic desperate manner. "I will."

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A/N: I know this kind of a short chapter but I promise that the next will be so worth it!!

Theories about what you think might happen?

Thoughts on Aaron?

Kiara?