Dangerous Husbands, Broken Wives [18+]

THIRTY FIVE: MAKE YOU HURT

[IVAN]

"She's fine, Mr Volkov. You can rest now." Lena says and I feel my chest tighten as the memory of an unconscious Ana flashes in front of my eyes.

I clench my fist and slam it into the wall. Hard.

The skin splits and blood trickles down my knuckles.

Not that I give a damn.

I can't believe someone had the guts to lay a hand on my Ana. To waltz into my territory and try to snatch my wife. My Ana!

There's only one punishment for idiots like that.

The two guys involved already got what was coming to them.

But there's still one more out there, and I'm itching to get my hands covered in his blood.

Just when I feel like I'm about to lose it, my phone rings. It's Dimitri.

"The only thing I damn well want to hear is that you've got him," I growl into the phone, pacing my office like a frenzied beast while

Lena watches silently with a concerned gaze.

"We do," he says, and finally, I suck in a sharp breath of relief.

"You know where to bring him. I'm on my way."

I slam the phone down and whirl to face Lena. "I need to take care of something. You go and sit with Ana."

"Ana is alright, Mr. Volkov, but you—"

"Did you not hear a damn word I just said?" I roar, unable to contain my mounting fury.

Lena flinches, stumbling backwards.

I can't help myself; the more I think about the terrified look in Ana's eyes, the more furious I grow. She shouldn't have gone through what she did. Nobody should have had the guts to even think they could harm her or take her away from me. I'll damn well kill every single one of them. I'll burn this whole city down if I don't get to avenge my Ana.

But Lena...no, she doesn't deserve my temper either. I need to focus my anger on the right people. I try to simmer down a little, inhaling a deep breath and trying my best to sound as human as possible.

"Lena. Listen to me very carefully. I know I never said this to you, but when it comes to Ana, you're the only one I trust. Even if you were the one helping her escape from me years ago, I get it—you had her best intentions in mind. You were trying to help her. Save her. From me. I get it. I respect that. So, just do what the hell I say and stay with her. Until I'm done cleaning up this mess, I can't show her my face."

Her old eyes soften, and for a moment, I almost forget how messed up everything is.

"I'll watch over her, Mr. Volkov. You do what you need to do."

I stride out of the room, leaving Lena to attend to Ana.

Dimitri meets me outside the mansion, and together, we stride towards the toolshed near the lake. We're still on my property because, in case Ana needs me, I want to be there for her in a heartbeat. Right now, I can't bring myself to be apart from her, especially when she's likely too scared to even step out of bed.

I know my Ana. I know how much blood and gore affect her. I've witnessed her gaze at me as if I were nothing but a monster, seen the terror in her eyes. Perhaps it's her fate, but the one thing I can't change about myself is the world I live in. I can't run from what's mine. I won't give up.

But that doesn't mean I can't change the man I've been with her. Earlier, I tried to control her, thinking that obedience was the key to a happy life for us.