Chapter 27

Alec

I’m not sure exactly why my demons decided to show their face again. I would only assume it’s because of all the shit that went down in the past week. I haven’t had a single nightmare since I started sleeping with Courtney. She brings me comfort, like my own personal dreamcatcher.
I wasn’t having a nightmare about my uncle beating me again.
No.
It was much worse than that.
I dreamed of losing her.
I dreamed that Courtney was working and Sergei escaped. He snuck up behind her and held a knife to her stomach. By the time I got there, she was laying in a puddle of her blood.
I put a bullet between his eyes without hesitating. I held her in my arms as she took her last breath telling me how much she loved me. In all my life, I’d never felt so broken and weak. It hurt worse than any beating my uncle ever gave me.
“Baby!” I felt a sting on my face, “Wake up, it’s just a dream.”
I heard her beg me to wake up.
My eyes shot open and she looked to me worrisome. Cupping my cheeks with fresh tears rolling down her face, she kissed me.
“Don’t ever leave me,” I begged her.
My body shook as we held onto each other making me never wanting to let her go. “Never.”
I remembered that I had been so angry earlier at Tony when he came to me asking if I had forgiven him. I punched him in the jaw and headed to the club. All I remember is talking to the bartender about my situation. He told me if he were me he would kick his ass then would consider forgiving him later. The rest of the night was a blur.
Courtney and I had fallen asleep after I had my dream. She asked me what it was about, but refused to tell her. I couldn’t tell her that it was her that I’d thought I lost. It was bad enough I had to live through it.
I just couldn’t relive it.
Ever.
I opened my eyes and my head throbbed from the amount of alcohol I’d drank the night before. I looked over and watched her sleep. I brought my hand up and brushed a blonde strand from her face. She stirred and met my gaze, opening her eyes. “What happened to you last night?”
“Just a dream I don’t want to have again.” I didn’t lie but didn’t reveal what the dream was about. I pulled her on top of me capturing her lips, “Let’s not talk about that.”
She pulled away only to get flipped over on her back. “Where do you think you’re going?”
I wanted a little more time alone with her before I had to deal with Sergei. I groaned as she pushed me off and stood up. This woman is really trying to kill me.
“I promised Giovanni I would make sure Nicole knew where everything was so she could start this morning.” She pecked my lips, “I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
I grinned as she finished changing into her dress and slipped on her heels. “Damn right you will.”
I pulled up the pants and zipped them up just as Lucien walked in. “Are you ready to do this after all that happened last night?”
“Yes. I’m fine.” Today is the day.
I stepped in the room where Sergei was being kept and he raised his head making eye contact. He was missing a few fingers and bruises littered his body. His face had dried blood and his hair was matted from sweating so much. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
Even in pain, he still grinned. “Should I?” He looked up to the ceiling and sighed, “You should be thanking me for killing your biological father.”
My fist clenched the gun I was holding. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He already knew he was going to die. I was going to put a bullet through his head. Why taunt me now? He grinned sickly and threw his head back. “He’s the one that set up your sister’s kidnapping.”
He has to be lying, right? If he was telling the truth, then not only did he plan my sister’s kidnapping. My father handed me over to his brother that tortured me over and over. I always thought that my uncle took me forcibly, but no. My own father separated me and Nicole and for that I hate him. If he wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him myself.
I pressed the cold metal to his forehead. “You really think I’m lying.” He breathed shakily, “I already know I’m going to die so I’ll tell you this. Ask Nikolai Vasiliev about it.”
I pushed the gun harder in his head.
“I hope you burn in hell brother,” I growled spitting the word brother. I pulled the trigger and watched his head fall back as he took his final breath. Blood splattered from the back of his head painting the wall behind him. He was finally gone and dead. Now Courtney can be free of him.
Lucien stood there not knowing what to say. Hell, I didn’t even know what to say. I wanted to believe he lied, but he already knew I was going to kill him.
Why lie?
I knew I had to talk to Nikolai and the only way to do that was to have Gio arrange a meeting. Which also meant I would have to tell him everything.
I looked to Lucien and his face wrinkled up at the sight of Sergei’s limp body. “Can you get a meeting with Nikolai Vasiliev without Giovanni and your father knowing?”
He nodded pulling out his phone. “I’ll see what I can do.” He looked up from his phone and nodded letting me know it was all set. “Tomorrow at his club.” Tomorrow I’ll get some answers, but for now, I needed Courtney. “Go. I'll have someone clean this up.”
I walked in and saw her applying her makeup. “You don’t need any of that.”
She snapped the compact shut gasping. “Oh my god!”
I still had on my old clothes which were stained with Sergei’s blood. “Sergei is dead.” I deadpanned. I needed her to know he could never hurt her again. “You’re free now.”
I pulled her close and kissed her feverishly not caring if I got her dirty or not. I just needed to touch her badly. She pushed her tongue in my mouth teasing me.
She gripped my shirt ripping it open making the buttons fly. This is what I like about her. She's so unpredictable and I fucking love that.
She worked on my zipper and whispered seductively. “I’m not wearing any panties.”
Fuck!
She’s trying to kill me. I nipped at her neck. “What do you want?” I wrapped her legs around my waist. “Tell me!”
I walked her to the bed and hovered over her as she held my length pumping it. “I want you to fuck me.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I plunged deep inside her and she screamed out. “Alec!” She fisted my hair pulling me down crushing our lips together. I knew I wouldn’t last long because for some reason she felt tighter than she had ever felt before. She met my thrusts halfway and hooked her legs behind my ass.
“Courtney!” My thrust became sloppier as I felt her contracting around me. She was coating me with her juices and that’s all it took to plant my seed inside her. My dick twitched as she clawed at my back. “You feel so good. Courtney baby.”
I collapsed on top of her and pressed our foreheads together. We were both out of breath as I kissed her lips. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
I rose up and went to the bathroom turning on the shower. As I stepped in, I heard her talking. Lucien had called her phone. She stepped in and stood under the stream. “Lucien said to meet him at Nikolai’s club in the morning.” She lathered the soap and washed my body. “Is there something I need to know?”
“Nikolai holds the answers to some unanswered questions. Don’t tell anyone.” She put down the soap and picked up the shampoo. “Only you, Lucien and I know.” She hummed as she massaged the shampoo through my hair.
I stepped out and wrapped a towel around my waist. I dried off and dropped the towel. Pulling my shorts up, I entered the bedroom and laid down. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Now if I could get some answers from Nikolai tomorrow. I just hope all goes well and put this shit behind me. Courtney snuggled up next to me and kissed me. A moment later, I felt sleep come.
The next morning, I got up without waking her. Lucien and I stood at the entrance to his club. This is it. I might not get the answers I want to hear, but at least I would get the truth. Nikolai held a finger up calling us to the table.
Nikolai sipped his drink and adjusted his suit. “You want to know about your father, yes?”
I folded my hands on the table.
“Yes. I have a lot of questions, but today I only want to know one thing.” He nodded for me to keep going. “Who was my father and was he behind my sister's kidnapping? If so, why?”
“Your father was in business with my father and my father wasn’t a good man. They were setting up kidnappings of teen girls, but with your sister, it was a little more complicated.” He paused and breathed out as if he was in pain, “He had it set in his mind that she would be his key to the Russian. My father promised him if he handed your sister over to him, then he would be his second in command. He was killed by his Russian son. Sergei.”
So Sergei was telling the truth. “Sergei is dead.”
He cocked his head to the side. “I hope you made him suffer the way he ripped away that woman’s innocence that night.”
“I did.” I paused looking around the club. “Do you think you could keep this between us for a while. I didn’t want to say anything to Giovanni until I knew the facts.”
He nodded. “I’ll have Luka walk you out.”
I knew those weren’t the answers I wanted to hear, but it was the truth. Everything I thought I knew about my family was all a lie. So many secrets were kept from me and there was so much more to uncover. I need to do is to sit down and talk to Gio. Tell him everything I know, but first I had to make things right with my sister.
Even if that meant I had to forgive Tony and give him my blessing.