Kidnapped to love

chapter 23

Dimitri walked into the dimly lit room, carrying Crystal in his arms, her unconscious body limp against his chest. His steps were quiet but purposeful as he crossed the space, his gaze never leaving her face. Gently, he laid her down on the bed, pulling the blanket over her delicate frame.

"Was it worth it, doll?" he muttered, his eyes scanning her bruised and battered body. His jaw clenched as he reached for the first-aid kit nearby. Kneeling beside the bed, he began cleaning the deep cuts on her feet, each one a painful reminder of how far she had run to escape him.

"You’re stronger than I thought," he said, dabbing at the blood with a cold cloth, his voice filled with a strange mix of admiration and anger. "But look at your body now." He ran a finger along the worst of her wounds, his touch strangely tender despite the violence that burned beneath his skin.

Once he finished bandaging her injuries, he leaned forward, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Sweet dreams, doll," he whispered before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. He stood up and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him quietly.

As he entered the living room, his face hardened, the coldness settling back into his features. His guards stood in a line, shivering, knowing what was coming. None of them dared to look him in the eye.

"We’re sorry, boss," they all said in unison, their voices shaky.

Dimitri’s silence was more terrifying than any words could have been. He slowly walked past them, his hands tucked into his pockets. The tension in the air was palpable, each step he took a countdown to their fate.

"Mam was so fast. We tried, but... we couldn’t catch her," one of the guards stammered, his voice filled with fear.

Dimitri stopped, turning to face the man. His gaze was icy as he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his gun. The guard’s breath hitched, his eyes widening in terror.

"You let her run," Dimitri said softly, stepping closer until the barrel of the gun pressed against the man’s forehead. "Do you know how much pain she’s in right now? Because of you?"

The guard opened his mouth to plead, but the words never came.

Bang.

The sound echoed through the room, the guard’s body dropping lifelessly to the floor. The others flinched, fear gripping them as Dimitri turned his attention to the next man.

“She might not be able to walk for a week,” Dimitri continued, his voice eerily calm. “Her feet... torn apart. Bleeding.” His eyes flicked to the others, who stood frozen in place. “And you think I’m going to let you walk away?”

He approached the second guard, pressing the gun against his chest. The man’s legs shook beneath him as he tried to speak. "W-We didn’t hurt her, boss! We couldn’t even get close—"

Bang.

Another body hit the floor.

Dimitri exhaled, his patience growing thin. "It doesn’t matter. You made her run. You made her afraid." He pointed the gun at the next man, who was trembling uncontrollably. “She’s mine, and you’re the reason she’s in pain.”

The man collapsed to his knees, hands raised in desperate surrender. "Please, boss—"

Bang.

The plea died in his throat, his body crumpling to the ground. Dimitri wiped the barrel of his gun with a handkerchief, looking at the remaining guards.

“You’re the reason she’s lying in that bed, hurt.” His voice lowered to a dangerous whisper. “Her pain... is your fault.”

He shot the last two guards with quick, merciless precision, their bodies falling into the growing pile of death around him. The silence that followed was suffocating, broken only by the soft ticking of a nearby clock.

Dimitri stood there, his chest rising and falling with slow, controlled breaths. His hand loosened around the gun, his rage simmering beneath the surface. But the anger was never gone—not really.

He turned toward Crystal’s room, his expression softening as the image of her fragile, broken body flashed in his mind. She was the only thing that mattered. The only one he would protect, no matter what.

Walking back into her room, Dimitri knelt beside her bed once more. His hand hovered over her cheek, his fingers brushing lightly against her soft skin.

“I’ll never let anyone hurt you again,” he whispered, his possessiveness deepening with each word. "You’re mine. Forever."

And as the room grew quiet again, the darkness of his love enveloped her, binding her to him in a way no one could break.