The Mafia and His Obsession, Part 2 by Lylah James
Chapter 7
I was in Viktor’s arms; his lips were pressed against the side of my neck, and I felt my pulse beating. My heart was erratic in his presence. Valentin wasn’t home. He was off somewhere, dealing with some business. I knew what this meant. Viktor was silent, as if he could read my thoughts and he knew too.
When Valentin wasn’t home, wasn’t causing me pain—he was off terrorizing someone else. We were all a victim to his sick games. I wondered who else was slowly wishing for their deaths, the same thoughts I used to have.
Until Viktor.
Now, I didn’t want death. I wanted to live. For him. For us. For a new beginning, far and away from these walls.
I love you.
It had been a week since I realized what my feelings truly meant. The word love was a hard realization. Love. A simple word with a heavy meaning. It bound Viktor and me together. My soul belonged to him, and he owned my heart.
I knew he felt the same way, or I liked to believe he did. The way he looked at me, the way he cradled me, made love to me. His touches spoke his silent words. His gaze said a quiet everlasting vow.
I was scared of heartbreak, of losing him. But now, I would gladly walk through fires to be with him.
Viktor moved in my embrace, and he switched his position until his head was on my stomach and he was lying horizontal on the bed. He nuzzled into my belly button and then laid there with his eyes closed. He looked…calm.
God, he was beautiful. In a ferocious, dark knight type of way.
Viktor Ivanshov was my solace. He was the center of my universe, and if he ever walked out, he would take the sun with him and leave me in the dark.
But I knew he would never leave me.
My fingers whispered over the stubborn strands of his hair that laid limply over his forehead. I caressed the stressed lines and smoothed them out. Viktor’s lips twitched into a small smile.
While Valentin was my tears, Viktor was my smiles. I never knew in this lifetime I would feel anything else other than heartache, but I guessed this life was far from over.
I was brought back to the present when Viktor grasped my breast. He squeezed, and I let out a small laugh, knowing he wanted my attention on him. Glancing down at his face, I saw that his eyes were open and he was staring at me intently.
“What is it?” I questioned, soothing the furrowed lines between his eyebrows.
Viktor lifted his hand up and he palmed my cheek. His touch was warm. The way his thumb moved over my cheek in a gentle caress, it was my favorite thing.
His expression was almost forlorn, as if he were stressing over something. His lips moved, but I didn’t catch the words quickly enough. I tapped his mouth with my index finger, indicating for him to repeat. He did, slower this time.
“What am I to you?” he asked. His eyes scanned me carefully, as if he were scared of my answer. He knew what my feelings were for him, but right now, it seemed he needed validation.
Couldn’t he see the cracks in my soul, the same cracks that he now filled with every part of him?
“What am I to you?” Viktor asked me again. There was something in his dark eyes, something that wasn’t there before. A vulnerability that it seemed only I was allowed to see. There was tenderness in his gaze. Tenderness and a weakness for me.
At his words, a burst of colors filled me. “Viktor.” His name was a whispered prayer. I was a worshipper, on my knees, praying for this beautiful man to see his worth in my eyes.
I leaned down and kissed his forehead, like he would always do to me. My lips lingered there for a second longer, and I breathed him in, his warm scent. He smelled like mine.
“Viktor, you are every hope that I’ve ever had. My demons are silent in your presence, and you make my angels dance in harmony.”
I watched his lips and he said my name. “Valerie…”
That was all he said. I imagined it was a whisper. I imagined his voice cracking with emotions because right now, Viktor looked both in pain and at peace. How was that possible?
I gave him a soft smile, and then I told him the truth. It was all in the open for him to see. “You are the earth. And I am the sky that meets you halfway, where the sun is meeting the horizon. It is as simple as that.”
His eyes roamed over my face for a moment before his gaze settled on mine again. “Why are you silent? Do you not believe me?” I asked.
Viktor shook his head. “I believe you. I am just thinking…” He paused, his jaw clenching. I saw the maddening ticks in his cheeks as he grinded his teeth.
“Thinking?”
“I am just thinking how I can steal you away from here without either of us getting killed. I tried, Valerie. For weeks, I have been thinking, planning, plotting. Valentin is not an easy man to fool. I can’t steal you away from here without Valentin coming after us and declaring war. He is merciless. He is a man who likes his pretty dolls broken, and he is not someone to let them go easily. And baby, he believes he owns you. You are his favorite puppet.”
My heart ached, and the burning in my eyes intensified as I fought the tears. Viktor’s words were a reminder of what our situation really was. He fell silent for a moment, and I couldn’t bring myself to speak. The pain was overwhelming and almost too much. Viktor was right.
I was Valentin’s wife and his favorite doll. His pretty broken doll to play with. For us to get out of here alive…there was only one option.
“I need to kill him first. But death is playing a game with us all. I can’t risk you, myshka. I refuse to do that. I refuse to put your life in more danger than it already is.”
“I am scared too, Viktor. But I know the time will come. You did say that you were waiting for Valentin to slip. You needed some information on the operations he ran. Did you figure it out yet?”
Curiosity made me ask the question. I liked to stay away from these conversations. I’d rather be in the dark, live in my little bubble for as long as I could, without being tainted by the darkness surrounding me.
But Viktor, as much as he was my savior, he also brought the darkness with him. It was raw, bloodied, and tainted. There was nothing beautiful about it.
“Yes. I know what he is doing now. But he has the loyalty of many men. That includes Carlos.”
“Carlos?” The name sounded a bit familiar, but I couldn’t place it.
Viktor nodded. His eyes darkened. There was beautiful harshness in his expression now. “The King of the Mexican cartel. He is powerful. Actually, that’s an understatement. The fact that Carlos and Valentin are practically best friends, this makes me weak against them. One wrong step I take, it could cause damage that would hurt Alessio. I can’t put my family at risk.”
I understood him. Better than he believed. I sacrificed my freedom for my family, my sister. I never though of escaping, never thought of ways to end this because I couldn’t jeopardize my family. Just like Viktor. Our loyalty was quite the same. We came from the same thread.
“I can’t risk getting on his bad side by taking out Valentin. Not now. I need a better plan, and I need to make it look like an accident. But that fucking asshole is always surrounded with people. I can’t kill him while he’s here in the estate. I would be an easy suspect the moment I take you out of here. I might be the heir, but Valentin’s men would want retribution. Carlos would think of me as the enemy. As much as I hate to admit this, Valentin is an important man in the underworld of business.” Viktor sounded frustrated, and I knew he was angry. At this situation and at himself.
His fingers clenched, his fists at his sides, and he stared at the ceiling with a brooding look. I could see the wheels turning in his mind during his silence. Viktor Ivanshov was thinking…plotting.
I ran my fingers through his hair, just like I knew he enjoyed. It soothed him, and I did it every time I had a chance. “I know, baby, and I understand. I believe as long as Valentin thinks you’re on his side, it would make your job easy. But maybe…maybe you need to meet Carlos. You need him as an ally. Carlos is a man who wants true loyalty. If you can infiltrate his mind and poison him against Valentin…it would make it easy for you.”
Viktor’s lips quirked up. His dark eyes hardened, and I saw his smirk. It was the look of the devil. Deadly. And he would strike you without a second thought. It would be a poisonous bite with no antidote.
“You read my mind, myshka.”
I smiled at that. For the longest time, I liked to stay away from the bloody world Viktor came from. But right now, it was nice for us to be on the same page. I wanted to share his burden, and I wanted to carry some of his weight on my shoulders. I wanted us as equals.
“I am not just Valentin’s second in command, but I am also his heir. The future Boss. That means I am an insider. I have all information on Valentin, of all his activities. His men who work for him and whom he works for. With that information, I can lead Carlos astray. Make him think Valentin is playing games.”
“Valentin doesn’t need to die at your hands…” I started.
“…Carlos could do the honors himself,” Viktor finished with a calculated smirk.
We both smiled at that.
“Check-fucking-mate.” Viktor’s lips curled back with a snarl.
He rose up quickly from my lap, and before I could react, he had his lips smashed against mine. It was a brutal, bruising kiss. We just sealed a deal. When he pulled away, his fingers smoothed across my tingling, swollen bottom lip.
“Fuck. I love your mind, myshka. Look at you. Being a Queen.” His chest thundered under my palms, and I imagined he growled the words.
“Are you my King then?” I questioned breathlessly.
“Fuck yes. I’m your only King, baby.”
Viktor took my lips again. He bit down gently and then kissed the pain better. “I am a greedy, selfish bastard. You are worth the risk, the danger…you are worth it.”
I love you.
I kissed him back, taking and claiming him. It was an act of desperation as I tore through his clothes and he ripped mine apart. His lips devoured mine before they slid over my skin, licking and nipping me teasingly. My fingers tightened around his hair, and I forced him to kiss me again.
It was a battle, and he easily won me over as I fell onto my back and he spread my legs, settling between my thighs. He didn’t stop kissing me. Not even when he gripped his length and speared me with his cock, holding me still as I took every inch of him.
I moaned, and he tore his lips away from mine. His groans vibrated against my skin, and I trembled into his embrace, shuddering and softly crying out each time he pulled out before pushing inside of me again.
It felt like I was being split open from the pleasure coursing through me. Viktor was a man on a mission. He wanted to conquer me. He wanted to own and bend me to his touch until I was limp from desire.
We were a sweaty, beautiful mess. Bodies sliding and moving in sync as we gripped each other. The room became hot and the smell of sex saturated the air we breathed. My pulse raced, my heart beat faster, and I wrapped my legs around Viktor, holding him inside of me as I climbed toward my release.
His hips jerked against mine, and I whimpered as he pushed deeper. It felt good. So good that I never wanted him to stop. My nails dug into his back, and I wondered if it hurt. But the thought flew away as I rocked against him. I met each thrust of his with my own. His breath fanned against my neck as he licked and kissed me there.
When his thrusts grew jerky and I knew he was close, Viktor lifted his head up and our eyes met. His gaze was a honey pool of lust and warmth. I found my release first when he forced me to fall as his fingers masterfully played my clit. Our panting blended together. Through blurry vision, I saw him let go too.
I felt him…inside of me. His warmth saturated my inner walls, and I clenched, breathless and utterly satisfied.
“You bring me to my knees, Valerie.”
I kissed his open mouth before he fell onto me, a sweaty, hot blanket. I loved it.
Holding him, I closed my eyes and sunk into a sleep where I met Viktor in my dreams.
***
Viktor
Valerie must have felt me watching her nap because she squinted her eyes sleepily at me. I watched her slowly coming awake, and my dick was waking up for attention too, the greedy bastard. He would never have enough of her pussy.
Her lips parted and she let out a sleepy yawn before turning on her side to face me.
Fuck, now I was imagining her pouty lips wrapped around my cock.
Shaking my head, I tried to clear the tempting thought. I tickled her sides, trying to wake her up. She hummed in response, and I saw her reluctantly opening her eyes for me. “Valerie, I need you fully awake for this.”
“What?” she grumbled in response.
“Remember, I told you I have to leave tonight.”
She snapped into a sitting position, fully awake now. “I forgot,” she whispered.
The sleepiness was all gone. The sated look on her face was gone too. It was all replaced with a hint of fear and uncertainty. I knew she hated being alone.
I held her face in my palms and placed a sweet kiss on her lips before pulling away. “Valentin won’t be back for another four days, from what I heard. I will be home again by the time he comes back. So don’t worry. He won’t hurt you.”
Valentin hadn’t come for Valerie for a few weeks. I was relieved. She was safe. For now. But I also knew he was spending his time with Irina. When he wasn’t here to torture my sweet myshka, someone else was suffering at his hands.
Valerie nodded and then looked down at her lap. I hated the sad curve of her lips. My chest felt heavy at the sight of her unhappy, and it felt even heavier at the thought of leaving her behind. Fuck me, this woman had me pussy whipped, through and through.
She had stolen my heart. A little thief she was. A pretty little swan who had me enraptured.
With a finger under her chin, I lifted her head up. Her eyes met mine, and I chuckled at her pout. I was a greedy son of a bitch, but so was my woman. She was perfect.
“It’s only for a few days, and I will be back very soon. Yegor will keep you company while I am gone,” I explained.
She huffed. “He never speaks to me and always glowers my way.”
I guessed I needed to have a talk with Yegor. “Well. That’s because he’s an asshole.”
“He’s your friend.” Valerie gave me the side-eye, but I could tell she was fighting a smile.
“He’s an assholey friend then,” I returned.
Slowly, I kissed her cheek before getting off the bed. She pulled the blanket up and covered her nakedness. “No need to be shy now, baby. I have seen it all.”
Her blush had my lips quirking up before I could stop myself. Valerie’s gaze traveled over my body. I was unapologetically naked. Her eyes settled on my dick and then up again to my stomach and my chest. I flexed, because why the fuck not? It made the pretty pink in her cheeks more visible.
Giving her a wink, I sauntered into the bathroom. Not before flexing my ass too. I knew she was looking. Felt her stares burning into my back. Yeah, I was a shameless asshole. And the ladies fucking loved it.
I quickly showered and got dressed again. My suit now molded to my body like a second skin. Back to being the gentleman with a killer instinct underneath it all. A nice face that hid the darker truth.
Walking out of the bathroom, I found Valerie in the same spot as I left her. My legs took me to her side of the bed. I bent forward and kissed her forehead.
“Valerie, I have made many promises to you. And I intend to keep and fulfill all of them, one by one,” I said. She gave me a wobbly smile.
“I know,” my sweet Valerie whispered.
And I will start by returning you your friend. Soon, pretty myskha. Very soon. Then it will be your freedom. And lastly, I will give you your family back.
I kissed her forehead once more. My lips lingered there sweetly before pulling away. I stepped back, but Valerie stopped my retreat. Her grip on my arm tightened.
“Viktor…I need to ask you something,” she started. “Please don’t lie to me.”
My brows furrowed at her question. She sounded scared and a little lost. “What is it, baby?”
She took a deep breath and then let it out. It looked like it pained her to do so. “You went to see Irina, didn’t you?”
My breath left me. Shock shot through my veins, and my body went cold. Damn it. This was something I didn’t want Valerie to know. It would hurt her, cause her more pain than she could bear.
“I don’t want to lie to you, Valerie. But I also don’t want you to know the truth,” I said slowly. It was difficult to admit. I watched my woman bleed at my words, and it hurt.
“So, Valentin still has her?” she choked past the emotions.
I nodded in response, refusing to give her any more information.
When she went to ask more questions, I laid a finger on her lips and stopped her. “Don’t ask any more because my answers will only hurt you. But trust me when I say, I will make sure you see Irina once again.”
Her chin wobbled and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Okay,” she said so softly I almost missed it. My sweet myshka. Her heart was tender, and I wanted to protect it, protect her, at any cost. Even from myself, sometimes. For I was also a monster.
I took her lips in a slow kiss. It was a craving that would never pass. Valerie breathed into our kiss. She was my silent prayer and my vow of devotion. Pulling away, I gave her a final look before walking away.
It was time for me to take care of other things. Valerie was safe in her room, and that was the only good thing that mattered right now.
Yegor met me in the halls, and we both walked down the stairs. “Listen to me. And listen to me carefully,” I growled at him. Valerie was turning me into an animal. “While I am gone, Valerie is in your care.”
“I know.” He nodded, but I was already cutting him off.
“Don’t you fucking touch her. You look, you watch, you protect. Think of her as your motherfucking Queen and you are her soldier. Got it?”
Yegor paused and then scoffed, looking quite offended I would even say that. “Not interested, Viktor.”
My sweet Valerie would drive me mad one day. She’d make me fight my own man for her, and I was even fucking jealous that I had to leave her in Yegor’s care. Even if it was only for a few days.
“She ain’t my type. That I can assure you. I like myself some chocolate mocha,” he continued. We resumed walking, and I could feel my shoulders relaxing the tiniest bit.
“Ah. Some chocolate-covered peaches. Gotcha,” I said, throwing a smirk his way.
He laughed and then winked. “The darker, the better the flavor. Bitter, but so fucking sweet after.” I could tell Yegor’s mouth was practically watering at the image he had conjured in his head.
Walking out into the cold dark night, I found a car already waiting for me. “You know what you have to do,” I said before getting in the car. I gave Yegor a look that said everything. He understood and he nodded. We were both on the same page. Good.
I got in the car and watched the estate grow smaller as we drove away.
It was time to see my family.
At the thought, my stomach dropped and I closed my eyes, leaning back against the seat. I didn’t want to face the reality. I was here, doing my job, playing my game—yet on the other side…
The devil made his appearance again. He mocked me. He laughed. Little shit.
***
Home sweet home, I thought as I faced the Ivanshov state. My feet were rooted on the spot and my legs didn’t seem to work. I couldn’t bring myself to step forward.
It was time to face my nightmare.
My heart pounded, and all kinds of thoughts started to flood my mind.
Alessio was going to kill me. Plain and simple. I wouldn’t make it out alive this time. The last time he shot me, he purposely missed my heart. He didn’t want me dead. But this time…oh this time, he would gut me and pull out my intestines and shove them back into my ass.
It wasn’t that I was scared of Alessio.
No, I was scared of facing Ayla. Scared of seeing her in pain and broken. Scared because I knew I would have been the cause of it.
My lungs started to burn, and I realized that I wasn’t breathing. I inhaled and then exhaled.
For weeks, I tried not to think of Ayla or Alessio. I tried to forget they might be mourning right now. I refused to think of the incident. It was better that way, but now…I couldn’t escape. Fuck, there really wasn’t any escape.
I was in Alessio’s territory now. He knew I was here. He was waiting.
One step forward, another step, one more. I continued like that until I was standing inside. My fists clenched at my sides and my stomach tightened, a sick feeling taking over me.
I walked further inside, and with each step, I found it harder to breathe.
Would I ever be able to forgive myself? Would Ayla? And Alessio?
I saw Maddie coming out of the kitchen. She halted at the sight of me. There was a ball up my throat, and I found it hard to swallow. She moved toward me slowly, an eyebrow raised.
“Are you sure you want to take one more step forward?” she asked. Her words sounded almost mocking. Bitch.
“Where is Alessio?” I shot back instead of answering.
“In his office.” Her response was dry. She gave me a once over. “You are very much alive. That won’t be for long, though.”
Fuck you.
“And…and what about…”
“Ayla?” she said when I couldn’t seem to find the words.
I nodded and she released a long sigh. “In her room. Where she has been for the last few weeks. She hasn’t left her room—not even once.”
That almost confirmed it. The sick feeling worsened, and I felt weak in my knees.
How was she surviving?
After we rescued Ayla from Alberto’s clutches, she hated staying in a room for a long time. She’d rather be out in the garden or walking around or out in a wider space than locked in a room.
Alessio did everything in his power to accommodate his Angel, to make sure she was at ease, happy and comfortable in her home.
And I was the fucking devil who destroyed that.
They must hate me.
I almost laughed at the thought. Right now, even I hated myself.
“I want to see Ayla,” I choked through the emotions.
Maddie shrugged, but she just looked sad. “You can. Go before Alessio finds out you’re in the room with her. He won’t be very happy.”
With Maddie’s permission, I quickly made my way upstairs. My legs froze in front of Ayla and Alessio’s room. I could walk inside. Face the truth and be done with it. Rip off the band-aid and let the wound bleed. Make it faster and easier for us all.
But I couldn’t seem to move. Fuck, I just couldn’t.
Seconds turned into minutes. It took me great strength to open the door and walk inside. My bones shook. My legs cramped. My stomach twisted. And my heart…my heart was shredded and in my throat.
Ayla was in the corner of the room, sitting on the couch with a book in her hand. She lifted her head up at the sound of me coming inside, and our eyes met. There was shock at first. Thick tension filled the room as I walked further inside. I stood in the middle for a second and then took more steps toward Ayla.
I kept my gaze on her face, because I was a weak man. I couldn’t look down at the rest of her body.
When I stopped in front of her, so close I could reach out and touch her, my eyes finally drifted to her stomach. My lungs burned, my chest ached, and I sucked in a deep breath.
My knees sank to the ground with a heavy thud, and I knelt at Ayla’s feet. She regarded me through the darkness, her green orbs flashing beautifully against the small light created from the fire behind me. The flames reflected in her eyes, and they were breathtaking.
My throat closed with emotion, and I placed my head on her lap, my hands holding on to her legs tightly. My voice was a whisper, so softly that I barely even heard it. “I am sorry.”
