It begins with us.

Chapter Fourteen

Yaakov's POV

Guilt was something that I had never experienced in my 32 years on this earth.

You would think that a man that had the blood of so many on his hands would feel some sort of guilt, even a tiny sliver of disgust at what I have done over the years but no, never had until this very moment. I fucking should have known better than to give such an order to my men, knowing full fucking well what she had been through, and that she was still recovering from the days prior. It didn't matter that she had run laps around my men, sending three of them off to get a handful of stitches. Once I had her in my grasp, I should have walked her back to the room and explained everything to her. Hell, I should have explained it all the moment she had woken up but, I honestly didn't know what to tell her, and still don't.

Sorry, I can not let you leave because I have developed some sort of obsession with you.

Sorry, but if I let you leave, then there is a great chance you will tell the US Army where you have been, and I can not afford to have them breaking down my door.

I was struggling with both thoughts as I sat at the kitchen Island, my hands cupping the glass of Arak while my shoulders sagged with misery. It was never my intention to keep her here against her will, I was not that kind of man but, something about never seeing her again terrified me to my very core, and I had begun to act the complete opposite of who I truly am. I was a ruthless King, I had no remorse for my actions and I did what was necessary to survive because, in this world, a weak person wouldn't last a day.

I had my family to look after and protect. My Mama, Sister, brother....the people who work for me and with me, they all meant something to me. On any normal given day I would have picked my family over anything, protecting them with my own body if I had to, nothing would have made me think twice.

But now?

There was a constant war taking place inside my head.....because I had to make a decision...Ava or my family, and for the first time in my life, I didn't know what to do. She had no idea of my feelings towards her, and it was in everybody's interest that it stayed that way, but I couldn't deny that a part of me was extremely pleased by the reaction I was receiving from her, well her body that is. She responded to my touch within seconds, her body craving me just like mine was for her. And it wasn't about anything untoward, it was just holding her that satisfied me greatly, feeling her skin under my fingertips and inhaling her beautiful scent. She was the first woman that I just didn't want to fuck but, talk to, and find out what she loved and what her passion was. I wanted to get to know her inside and out, and have her stand beside me for the rest of our lives...

"Yaakov Avraham! You better have a good reason for what you did to that poor girl, or so help me I will slap you from here to the holy land!"

Fuck.

I grimaced as Mama made her way into my line of sight, being lost too deep in thought that I didn't even hear her Valentino's hitting the tiled floor as she stormed into the kitchen with determination. She stopped on the other side of the island as her glare felt like it would set me alight. Her hands came down hard as they rested on top of the island. I allowed only my eyes to drift in her direction so I could see the disappointment glaring right back, making me hang my head lower with shame. What else was there to do? I knew I was a bastard for what I had done.

"What? You have nothing to say?"

Her voice made me cringe as I brought the glass up to my lips, knocking back the liquid in one gulp. Thinking that alcohol would help was a bad idea because it only added to my misery and headache that was beginning to attack behind my eyes. I flinched as the glass went flying across the kitchen, smashing against something while the shattered pieces fell onto the floor. I saw Mama standing tall to my right as she narrowed her eyes at me.