Mafia's Captive |(His Captive)|✓

Chapter 32

I woke up, my body aching and heavy, as if I had been asleep for centuries. Blinking against the harsh light, I tried to orient myself. My head throbbed with a dull pain, and every muscle screamed in protest as I attempted to shift slightly on the bed. The air smelled clean but sterile, a mix of antiseptic and something faintly medicinal. I was not in a conventional hospital; this place had a different aura, one of quiet, almost luxurious efficiency.

It took me a moment to remember where I was. The last clear memory I had was of Kazimir's father, the Pakhan, his hands brutal and unrelenting as he beat me. Fear clawed at my throat as I recalled the cellar, the cold stone, and the searing pain. But here, in this room, I was safe. For now.

As my senses gradually returned, I became aware of the beeping of medical equipment, and the soft hum of machines monitoring my vital signs. I turned my head slightly, wincing at the pain that shot through my neck, and saw a window with heavy drapes partially drawn. Through the small gap, I could see a patch of blue sky. It felt surreal, this tranquillity after such violence.

Physically, I was a mess. Every breath hurt, and my ribs felt bruised and tender. My limbs were stiff, and I could barely move without wincing. Mentally, it was worse. I felt disoriented, my thoughts tangled in a web of pain and fear. How long had I been out? What had happened since then?

I closed my eyes, trying to piece together the fragments of memory. The fear I had felt in the cellar was overwhelming, but beneath it was a simmering anger. Kazimir. He should have been there. He promised to protect me, and yet, when I needed him most, he was nowhere to be found. The realization hit me hard, a cold, unrelenting truth that made my heart ache even more than my battered body.

Valerius... he said that my brother was dead. All this time and Kazimir didn't tell me and played house with me like everything was normal. Tears streamed down my face, and the sound of the machines around me turned beeped rapidly as I screamed at the top of my lungs. There was no coming back from the pain, the loss of my brother. the man who was not capable of feeling emotions but somehow managed to take care of me even if was only for Carina. Nurses barged inside the room, checking and asking questions. My heart broke for her, the pain in my chest became unbearable, and black dots swam in my vision as I lost consciousness.

Two weeks later, the physical wounds had begun to heal, but the emotional scars were deeper, and more painful. The mansion was in chaos. Rumours of our mutiny against the Pakhan had spread, and the Bratva was divided. Some were loyal to Kazimir, while others saw our rebellion as a betrayal. Ruslan told me everything some i heard half-heartedly, and some mended my broken heart a fraction when i heard about the situation in Nevada.

Kazimir and I had barely spoken since I woke up. He was consumed with dealing with the fallout, his eyes shadowed with guilt and something darker, something I couldn't quite place. 6 weeks had passed by, I was still heavily wounded but It was time to confront him, to lay everything bare.

I saw him in the corner of the room looking out through a small window in the room, staring out the window with a haunted look in his eyes. "Kazimir," I said softly. He turned to me, his expression softening for a moment before the guilt settled back in.

"Gaia, you shouldn't be up. You need rest," he said, moving towards me as i tried to sit up by myself. But I held up a hand to stop him.

"No, Kazimir. We need to talk. Now."

He stopped, his shoulders tense as he nodded to me to go ahead.

I took a deep breath, the words I had rehearsed in my mind spilling out in a rush. "You knew what you wanted, but you didn't wait for me. You had to have your... needs met. That's your idea of love? Hell, that's not even an obsession. A creepy stalker stays more loyal to its prey than you." he gaped at me, confusion marring his face. That's not what he had expected from me. He must be thinking that i would blame him for what his father did to me, how he failed to protect me. Ruslan has already told me that their father had died a painful death. And I know in the marrow of my bones that Kazimir never would have laid a hand on me, nor he would ever wish, even in his wildest dream. He doesn't want to hurt me in any way. His way of loving me is twisted, and his intentions are clear to him from the beginning. He wants me.

"You were a lonely kid in Russia, who thought he was poor and would remain that way until a rich man claimed you as his child and gave you an adventure. I always wanted a love like Valerius and Carina." He flinched at his mention, but I pressed on. "Do you know why? Because he loves her so much, he would let her go if that's what she wanted."

Kazimir opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. "And you, Kazimir, you are so selfish you couldn't even handle seeing a cop coming to the house. People make false calls all the time. I didn't know what I was going to say to them. Maybe I would have dismissed them... but that's the thing about you, Kazimir. You never gave me a choice to begin with. You love me, sure. But it's not selfless."

I saw the hurt in his eyes, but I couldn't stop. "If I go with you now, I'll shiver in fear my entire life because one mistake, and you'll convince yourself I don't love you. I thought I had issues with self-love but look at you, Kazimir. You are the insecure one in this story."

He looked stricken, but I had to finish. "So I will say this to you with all my heart, this bloody, treacherous heart that loves you with all its might. Love yourself first. Make decisions for yourself. Make a strong man out of yourself for yourself. Then come back. I am already too broken to pick up both of our pieces. You owe me this." I whimpered.

Tears welled up in his eyes, but he nodded slowly, understanding dawning on his face. He reached out to touch my hand, but I pulled back. This was his journey to make, and I had to heal in my own way.

Ruslan came into the room to wheel me out. As I left the room, I felt a strange mix of sorrow and relief. This was not the end, but a painful, necessary beginning. For both of us.