Chapter 18

Courtney

If anyone would have asked me a couple of years ago if I ever want to fall in love, I would have said no.
All the pain and torture Sergei caused me made me shut down my emotions. I felt numb on the inside and out. I felt nothing when he would abuse me. I never knew what it meant to have a family. Now that I have that, I never want to let go.
I can't say Alec and I are in love, but we care about each other. If he's willing to try to have a relationship with me, I'm willing to try too. Neither one of us is used to showing emotion and that's something we'll have to adjust to together.
The fact Alec didn't take me last night proved to me that he may be changing for the better. Deep down inside I do love him, but I'm not ready to take that step to yet. Right now, I'll take what I can from him right now and if it's just sex I'm okay with that.
The next morning, I wake up feeling happy for the first time in my life. Alec Vitale is the person responsible for my happiness. I never thought in a million years I would ever find myself saying that about him. When I first met him, there were only three words that came to my mind to describe him.
Cold.
Arrogant.
Jerk.
I feel Alec moving behind me leaving a trail of kisses down my exposed back.
"Courtney. “He moans against my skin as I grind my ass into him. He runs his tongue down my back making my body shiver in excitement from the shocks going through me.
"Mmm." I moan in pleasure as I feel myself growing wet from his contact. He gets up and turns me over on my back pulling my panties down. He brings them to his dark eyes glazed over with lust.
"You're dripping wet." He says breathing heavily as he opens my legs and leans down. Opening my slit with one hand on my pussy and the other pinching my nipple. He latches his mouth on my clit sucking on it. The immense pleasure I'm feeling is pushing me over the edge.
"Alec, yes." I hiss, grabbing the back of his head pushing him into me more. I arch my back as I feel his tongue increasing in speed and pressure making my body tighten up and curling my toes as I come in his mouth.
"Alec!" I scream as my body convulses.
This doesn't keep him from stopping anytime soon. In one swift action, he pulls his boxers down fisting his throbbing erection teasing me. "Is this what you want, baby? You want this?"
I nod not being able to form any words and he thrust inside harder than he ever has before making the headboard bang against the wall.
He thrusts so hard the pictures on the wall shook. His lips find my neck and I feel him tense up. I know he's close now so I tease him as he did me.
"Baby, cum for me."
All it took was those three little words to make him thrust harder and faster. I can tell he's been trying to hold back, but now all the control is gone. I scratch my nails down his back and I feel him start to twitch while I start to clench around him.
He grunts out, "Courtney! I'm coming."
His thrust becomes faster and sloppier as I feel him release inside me. We are both drenched in sweat and he kisses my forehead. "I've never come so hard baby. That was amazing."
I find myself closing my eyes as I hear him say, "I'll be back later. Need to go with Lucien to check a lead."
I wake up with an ache between my legs. I smile to myself knowing why I'm sore. Alec really worked me over good this time.
I stand up and walk to the bathroom turning on the shower. The hot water runs down my body.
Taking the soap, I lather it up washing the sweat and hint of Alec off my body. I massage the shampoo into my hair and rinse it out. Stepping out of the shower, I wrap the towel securely around me and proceed to dry off.
I slip into my shorts and shirt feeling refreshed after cleaning up. I start to walk downstairs when a voice makes me freeze in my steps. I slowly turn around and see Nikolai Vasiliev standing there. He doesn't seem to be a threat, but that doesn't mean anything. A mafia man can look so calm right before he kills someone. I've seen Alec do it once.
"Sorry to intrude, but Giovanni wanted me to stay with you while they go track down Sergei." He says in his this Russian accent. I don't know if I trust him or not. "You can trust me. If it makes you feel any better you can call Giovanni to confirm."
I shake my head and proceed to go to the kitchen for a drink. He follows right behind me and sits at the bar. "Do you want a drink? I think we got Vodka around here somewhere."
He nods his head and speaks up, "Whiskey is fine. Sometimes I like Whiskey."
As I pour his drink, he lights a cigarette. "Can I ask you something?" I ask as I'm pouring my drink.
He nods letting me know I can. "Why are you helping us? Aren't the Italians and Russians supposed to hate each other?"
He downs his drink and sighs. "Yes, most of them hate each other. I'm not like the rest of them. Giovanni saved my life from being killed by some nasty Italians, so I feel like I owe him. As for your first question, I don't care what race or nationality a woman is. Nobody should ever put their hands on a female forcibly. So that's why I'm helping."
Just as he finishes talking, we hear a knock on the front door. I know it's not Gio, Alec, Luca or Lucien because they would never knock. Nikolai pressed a finger to his lips as he pulls his gun out of his jacket.
"Go upstairs and lock the door. Don't open it unless it's me."
My trembling hand locks the door and I find myself sliding down the wall with tears running down my face. I run over to the nightstand and pull out the gun Alec gave me just in case of an emergency. Alec wanted me to be able to protect myself. He wanted me to be safe out of harm's way.
Shaking in the corner, I aim the gun at the door ready if an intruder would happen to bust through the door. I have no idea how long it's been since I've locked myself in here. Nikolai should have been back by now. Something isn't right. Maybe I should just take a peek.
My inner voice warns me to listen to Nikolai and stay put, but I don't. Slowly unlocking the door, I look out in the hall. Nothing so far. I quietly step down the stairs and see a man with his back turned to me.
Nikolai and the unfamiliar man is arguing. The man has a gun pointed at him. My instincts start to kick in and I pull the trigger shooting him in the let. He drops his gun and screams in pain and Nikolai takes this chance to grab his head smashing it on the counter knocking him out cold.
He dragged him to the basement probably to tie him up and comes back taking the gun from my trembling hands. "I'm glad you came down, but you could have been seriously hurt. I thought I told you to stay upstairs."
I hang my head down in shame and he hugs me, "I'm sorry." I whisper afraid that I might get in trouble with him. I expect him to slap me or hit me, but he doesn't. I wonder who that is down there? "Who was he?"
His facial expression darkens and growls out. "Sergei sent him here to kidnap you. It's a good thing I was here."
When will all this end?
I just want to be free from that demon for good. I hate Sergei so much for what he's done to me. I just want to go back to work already and work on my relationship with Alec. Is that too much to ask? I take this time to sit down and try to calm my nerves before Alec gets back. I know it upsets him seeing me like this.
Just as I turn around to go upstairs, Alec envelops his arms around me and kisses my lips. "Nikolai told us. Are you okay?"
I don't say anything and shake my head making him hold me even tighter. I hold my hand in his tightly as he guides me to the bedroom. My nerves are so twisted up in knots and I think he can sense that.
"Baby, let me take care of you this time." He says kissing my lips. He guides me to the chair and walks behind me. I feel his hands on my shoulders massaging them rough but yet so gentle. My eyes close as I groan in pleasure from him kneading my shoulders.
His touch always makes my body feel like it's on fire.
"Mmm, that feels so good." His hands go to the front of my shirt sliding down to my breast pinching my nipples.
He turns the chair around to face him and his hands pull my shirt up over my head and he buries his face in my chest while he continues to assault my nipples. I can feel myself getting wet for the man bringing me pleasure once again.
A knock at the door causes him to groan between my breasts. "What?" He hisses out in frustration.
Lucien speaks on the other side of the door. "The intruder is requesting to speak to you and Courtney."
Alec's face contorts into a scowl and I slide my shirt back over my head walking hand in hand with Alec not knowing what to expect from this stranger.
I look to the bloodied and bruised man and he raises his head to look at me. He smirks and I swear he almost has that sadistic look to him just like Sergei did right before he punished me in front of his men.
"Finally, I get to meet the famous Courtney. Sergei has a message for you. If you surrender now, he won't hurt you and won't kill these Italians."
My fear instantly turns to hatred at the mention of Sergei. "You're a terrible liar. We all know he will and probably attempt to kill them, but he won't. You know why?"
He shakes his head as I smirk this time. "Because we have the Russians on our side too. Nikolai Vasiliev to be exact. The man who you pointed the gun to and now you're as good as dead. Nobody crosses Nikolai and lives to tell about it."
His face turns white and trembles in his chair he's tied up to. He's scared and he should be.
Not only did he cross one Mafia family, but he also crossed two. If the Russians don't kill him, then the Italians will and he knows it.
"You're scared. Good. You should be." I mused as I watched him squirm in his chair looking like he just pissed himself. I look to Alec and he's smiling to me adoration. I'm tired of Sergei trying to send his pathetic men here just to scare me into running back to him.
This time Sergei it's not going to work. I'm taking a stand for myself and I have my new family to thank for that. I think everything is going to be okay with Nikolai helping out.
It's time for your punishment Sergei and I will enjoy watching you suffer.