Overthrown

Chapter 19

Fuck. Snapping out of it, I shake my head to rid my mind of the painful memories. Snatching a tissue from the counter and dabbing at the traitorous tears that leaked out. I close my eyes taking a deep breath as I lean against the marble vanity.

Jason was right! You are a pathetic waste of space. How long do you think before Nikolai realizes it for himself??

Ignoring my demon as I try to focus back to the task at hand, I quickly style my hair into big waves and apply some makeup. With the help of concealer, I am able to cover my red cheeks and tear stained eyes.

The t-shirt dress I picked out hangs casually off my shoulder. Staring into the mirror as my hands nervously palm at the soft cotton material, it's odd seeing myself dressed so relaxed. I used to always be so guarded when it came to my appearance. I never wanted to give Jason an excuse to pay too much attention.

Looking at my reflection square in the eye, "Get your shit together, Mitch. Nikolai isn't Jason." Staring into my own eyes until I am satisfied that the words have sunk in.

I slip on a pair of leather boots before heading downstairs. As I reach the bottom of the stairs I am immediately hit with the scent of bacon. My stomach growls as the sound of voices draws me into the dining room. Nikolai is seated at the head of the table while Andre is perched on the tabletop next to him eating a slice of bacon. I clear my throat as I enter the room not wanting to be seen as eavesdropping. The room goes quiet as they turn to look at who entered.

I can feel Nikolai's eyes scorching into me as they slowly work their way down my body. Andre turns over his shoulder to see who Nikolai is looking at, his mouth opening slightly. Unfortunately for Andre, Nikolai notices, pushing his chair out from the table abruptly and standing. Andre instantly stands up straightening himself while turning his attention back to Nikolai.

"Can you handle this or do I need to deal with it myself?" Irritation clear in his voice as he stares down at Andre. "Consider it taken care of Pakhan." Andre barks at the rest of the guards and they quickly clear the room.

Andre turns back to Nikolai as he hands Andre a file folder but before he releases his grip, he pulls Andre in. Leaning closer he says something low in Russian. His voice is venomous as his jaw clenches.

"Won't happen again." Andre's voice was firm and clear as he held eye contact with Nikolai. They continued to glare at each other for another excruciating moment before he turned on his heels leaving. His eyes fixated on anything but me as he exits the dining room.

Andre's voice echoes through the foyer as he yells at the guards. Tilting my head to look out the window as I watch them file into black SUVs lining the drive. The engines roar to life and immediately speed away.

As I watch the cars drive off, I feel Nikolai's arms wrap around my waist, his face pressing into my neck. Taking a deep breath as he places a delicate trail of kisses down my neck to my bare shoulder. "Please don't make me kill my head of security for looking at you." He chuckles as he spins me around to face him.

"Wait, were you threatening him?" I scoff slightly at the idea of someone being jealous over me. "Yes." He states matter of factly as he brushes my hair out of my face. My eyes study his face as I look up at him realizing he is being serious.

"Why?"

His eyes returning to mine as he cups my face in his hand. "You are mine. It needs to be clear that you belong to me. I will kill anyone who dares to try and take you away from me." Searching his face for a hint of ingenuity, "Even one of your own men?"

"Especially one of my own men."

"You have nothing to worry about, I'm not going anywhere." I reach up to place a gentle kiss on his lips. His lips press firmly against mine as if he was claiming them. As he pulls away, I find myself awkwardly blurting out, "Can I ask you something?"