SWNOVELS Brutal Savage: Chapter 33
The Russians arrive at my home with their associate for our scheduled meeting at exactly three p.m.
“Welcome.” I shake hands with Sloan, the man they say can facilitate the weapons deal.
Once he greets my brothers, I’m ready to get this show on the road.
“Your home is beautiful. So is your land.” Sloan removes his sunglasses and settles on one of the sofas in my office, the Marinovs joining him.
“Thank you. Shall we get down to business?”
He runs his fingers over his goatee, slowly nodding.
“Konstantin has given me all the details, but I’m a careful man, you see, so I wanted to meet you and your family face-to-face. Just so I know who I’m dealing with.”
“We understand.” I purposely make myself seem casual as he studies me.
The man looks to be in his fifties, maybe late forties. And though he doesn’t appear to be familiar, there’s something about him that isn’t settling right with me, and I can’t figure out why.
A sudden knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. Who the hell could be bothering me during the damn meeting?
“Come in.”
When the door opens, all eyes land on my gorgeous wife.
And I instantly want to tear each one from their sockets.
I grind my teeth as my gaze takes her in. She’s in one of those see-through bikini cover-ups, and I don’t miss the way every damn man shifts when their attention falls to her body.
A flush rises up my neck, fingers curling. It probably wouldn’t be smart going on a killing spree right now, but it sounds fucking tempting.
“What can I do for you?” Didn’t mean to sound homicidal, but fuck, do I wanna punish her for walking into my meeting barely dressed.
“Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry to bother you. I can come back.” She looks embarrassed, and I’m feeling bad about it.
“It’s alright.” My voice softens. “Is something wrong?”
Concern gnaws at me. Why else would she interrupt my meeting?
“No. Just…uh, needed to tell you something.” She clears her throat and shyly looks at the men. “Hello there.”
“Is this your wife?” Konstantin rises.
“I am the wife,” she says, popping a brow. “And I can answer for myself.”
He lets out a short laugh. “Ah, I can see he picked a good one.”
He approaches, taking her hand in his and kissing the top of it. She politely removes it from his grasp when she notices my white-knuckled fist on my desk.
Can just imagine what my face looks like. But I don’t want another man’s lips on my wife, especially when she’s barely wearing any clothes.
I swear, if Konstantin doesn’t sit back down, I won’t be able to stop myself from killing him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Quinn. I’m Konstantin. I hope it’s not the last time we are in each other’s company.”
“I’m sure it won’t be.”
Fionn drops a palm to my shoulder. Didn’t even notice him getting up, my attention zeroed in on Elara, her ass and chest almost all out in the black one-piece swimsuit she’s wearing.
Shit, wanna lay her on my desk, slide the swimsuit to the side and fuck her senseless.
Sloan looks her up and down. “You look familiar.”
Her demeanor instantly shifts, her eyes assessing him. She throws on a fabricated smile, one I know too well.
“Sorry, don’t think we’ve met before.” Her eyes lock to mine. “Anyway, sweetheart…” She moves toward my desk, my cock growing harder the closer she gets. “I just wanted you to know, I made that donation to the charity we talked about the other day.”
I peer up at her with confusion.
“Oh, you know…” Her voice grows small, a little smirk growing. “To Firm Belief. For, uh…” She glances around. “Erectile dysfunction.”
Konstantin bursts with a chuckle. “Problems, Tynan?”
I grind my jaw so hard, my teeth ache.
She thins her lips to stop from laughing.
Oh, she’s gonna pay for this.
She places the paper on the table, and in small print, it says:
You told me to bring it on. So I did.
I snatch the paper and ball it in my grip before tossing it in the garbage.
“They were so happy about our donation of two hundred thousand. I mean, it is a worthy cause, right, gentlemen?”
She gazes around the room, and all but Konstantin grumble in agreement, because he’s too busy laughing again.
“Hey.” She turns sternly toward him. “I’ll have you know many men suffer with that problem. It isn’t a laughing matter.”
She pats my hand, and I yank it away, too proud and pissed at the same time. She got me good, which means I’ll have to get her better.
“That’s great, baby. You’re always on top of things. Glad I married you.” I grab her wrist and throw her onto my lap, wrapping her hair around my wrist.
My mouth drops to her ear. “You’re gonna pay so hard for this, baby girl.”
“I can’t wait,” she whispers, a challenge in her eyes.
She leaves a sweet kiss on my cheek, and I almost forget I’m supposed to be mad at her.
Almost.
“Anyway, have a great meeting. Brody and I are off for a swim. If you need me, just let me know. Love you.”
My pulse instantly quickens. What did she just say?
She’s already out the door, and I’m left wondering if she meant that.
I’m sure she was just putting on a show, though my heart hasn’t caught up to my mind. Or how good it was to hear her say that.
“Well, your wife is some woman.” Sloan shakes his head, like he’s clearing dirty thoughts of her.
The meeting continues without interruption. But as soon as Sloan gets to his feet, he glances out the window…at the perfect view of Elara swimming with my son.
Rage simmers in my blood.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I’m right behind him, my hand gripping the nine at my waistband.
“Just enjoying the view.” His tone is indifferent and that only enrages me. “You’re lucky you get to fuck that.” When he faces me, a single brow curves. “Yet I’m wondering if you actually know who your wife truly is.”
My fingers round the grip of my gun. If this fucker says one more word, I’m gonna kill him.
“I suggest you stop talking right now,” Fionn says from behind me.
“Yes, let’s all relax, gentlemen,” Konstantin throws in. “Before one of us does something we can’t undo.”
But I ignore them all, my body pulsing, needing to rip Sloan’s goddamn throat out.
“I don’t mean any offense.” Sloan raises his palms in the air. “I just remembered where I’ve seen her before. Don’t you wanna know where?”
Blood rushes to my head, and I grit my teeth for control.
“In Colombia, getting drugs shoved down her throat.”
I’m on him before anyone can stop me, fighting my brothers as they try to tear me off from the ground.
My fists are in his face, and I don’t even know how many times I’ve hit the bastard.
I remove my gun, forcing the barrel into his mouth, and his eyes widen with deafening fear.
“Say something now, you fucker.” The blood from my knuckles drips over his face.
“Do not kill him,” Konstantin warns.
I don’t give a shit. He’d do worse.
“Now isn’t the time,” Cillian warns as he attempts to pull me off.
But it is. He deserves to die for what he just said about her.
Fionn helps Cillian drag me up.
“Not here,” he whispers.
My breaths rage out of me as Kirill helps Sloan up.
The motherfucker still manages to grin, wiping the blood from his mouth. “All I wanted was for you to know who you married.”
I rush for him again, breaking from my brothers.
But Konstantin appears between us, palms against both of our chests. “I am truly disappointed.” He sighs with a shake of his head. “This is not the way to do business.”
“I agree.” Sloan’s nostrils flare, his one eye starting to swell. “We’re done here.” He looks at Konstantin. “And if you think I’ll ever do business with your family if you continue to associate with these barbarians, then you have another think coming.”
He heads for the door.
Konstantin sighs. “What a pity.”
Before we know it, he whips out his gun and shoots Sloan in the back of the head.
He falls to the ground with a thud.
“What the hell was that? Thought you told me not to kill him.”
“I did.” He smirks. “Though only because I was looking forward to doing it myself. He was really starting to piss me off.”
Fionn chuckles, while Konstantin returns the weapon back to his holster.
“Well, now we need another contact.” I run a frustrated hand down my face. “Got anyone else in mind?”
More blood leaks from Sloan’s head, and I hope it doesn’t ruin my floor.
“I do, actually. Someone with a lot more integrity and respect, which is very important in our business.” He stares contemplatively. “But he’s skittish. Really doesn’t like new people. However, I will convince him.” He walks over to Sloan’s body and spits at his face. “Suka. We, of course, know never to mess with each other’s women. He clearly never learned that lesson.”
“Let me know about the new contact. We really need this done.”
“Everything in due time, my friend. Once I arrange a sit-down, I will let you know.”
I nod.
“Do you need our help cleaning this up?” He peers down at Sloan in disgust once again.
“Nah, we have our own people for that.”
“Very good, then. Let’s go, boys.” His brothers start following him out, shoving the body away with their loafers so they can get past.
“And tell your lovely wife we said goodbye,” Konstantin adds. “I do hope you both can make it to my party.”
Shit. His birthday.
“We’ll all be there.”
“Wonderful.”
Then he’s out the door.
What a fucking day.
ELARA
My pulse batters in my temples as I scold myself for being so stupid. Why did I think it was a good idea to interrupt his meeting? A meeting I knew was with people like him.
Dangerous people. Men who could very well know Jerry.
I’ve gotten too comfortable and let my guard down. Now that could cost me everything.
That man who said he knew me didn’t look familiar at all, but Jerry had many contacts, and some could’ve even seen a photo of me. He could be just about anyone in Jerry’s circle.
Tynan is still in his meeting, and it’s been over an hour since I left. I really need to see him and find out if that guy said anything else about me.
I should’ve never played that stupid prank. It sounded a lot better in my head.
What if that guy was sent by Jerry to see if I was really here with Tynan? Now he’ll know!
“Ugh!” I yank my hair, pacing in the laundry room, not wanting Ruby or Brody to see me this way.
I jolt when my cell beeps with an incoming text. Staring down at the screen, I find that it’s from Tynan.
Tynan
Come up to our bedroom. We need to talk.
That doesn’t sound good.
I rush out of the laundry room and straight for the stairs.
He’s probably mad at me for being stupid too. Maybe I’ve finally overstepped my boundaries. Then I had to go and throw “love you” at him, trying to act like we’re truly married.
It was stupid. I shouldn’t have said that. He clearly told me what to expect from this marriage. And love isn’t an option for us.
Not that I love him or anything. Those were just words. They didn’t mean anything.
Didn’t they?
I shake off that thought as I enter our bedroom, finding him pacing with his back to me, the same clothes he had on at the meeting.
When he turns, his expression is tense.
But that’s not what stops me dead in my tracks.
Blood.
So much blood.
I rush toward him, grabbing his bruised-up knuckles, crimson covering them too. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
Frantically, I look him up and down. That gets a small crack of a smile to burst through.
“If I knew almost killing someone would get you to be concerned about me, I’d have done it sooner.”
I suck in a harsh breath. “What? Who? Why?”
He cups my face, his brows snapping, emotions riddled in every crevice of his features. And I’m lost to it. Lost to him. Lost to the utter and beautiful way he consumes me.
He lowers his mouth a fraction at a time until he’s kissing me. Invading my heart and my soul. So much so, I don’t even care that he’s touching me with bloody hands.
This kiss is slow, yet deeper somehow. In meaning and intention. I can feel it pulsing between us, like it’s alive.
He pulls me closer, pinning his forehead to mine.
“Tell me what happened,” I whisper. “Was it that man? The one who said he knew me?”
He snaps back, anger radiating in his gaze. “Did you remember him?”
I shake my head. “But what if he does know me through Jerry’s family?” Panic sucks me whole, my inhales and exhales battling for space. “What if he tells everyone about me?” I move past him, grabbing my hair. “I’m so sorry…”
My body grows shaky until I’m close to collapsing.
But his strong arms hold me from behind, his soft voice lulling me. “Shh, relax. No one will hurt you anymore, Elara. That’s over now.”
I want to believe him. I really do.
But I can’t.
Not until I see Jerry and his father dead for myself.
“Take a shower with me, baby.” His palms splay across my abdomen, like he’s cradling a child that isn’t yet there.
“What?” I drop my head against his chest and take deep, calming breaths.
“I need to get cleaned up, and you need help relaxing.”
“Okay.”
His mouth finds my neck before he starts stripping all my clothes, taking his time, until I’m bare before him. As he turns me, his eyes drift down my body, and I don’t feel an ounce of shame like I once would’ve.
I like it when he looks at me.
And I realize somewhere between the time he forced me to show him my scar to this very moment, I stopped feeling uncomfortable with him looking at my body. It’s freeing. This feeling of letting all that go.
He runs a hand down his face and mutters something in Gaelic before he’s stripping his own clothes, bringing them to the bathroom with us.
Taking my hand in his, he brings us into the shower, the water sluicing down our bodies. With the back of his hand, he tugs my chin up, his eyes lost to mine.
“I’ll always keep you safe. I need you to know that.”
“I do,” I tell him.
But he can’t protect me from everything.
His mouth drops to my neck, his lips kissing me hotly, palms across my hips.
“Let me clean your hands,” I whisper, grabbing a bar of soap.
He watches intently as I wash the blood from his hands, my fingers slicing through his, the water dripping down our bodies.
Picking up my sponge from behind me, he works up a lather, washing me gently, spreading my thighs open to make sure I’m clean everywhere.
He pours some shampoo into his palms and works the pads of his fingers through my scalp as I let out a sigh, leaning back into his chest.
“I like taking care of you, mo chuisle.” His voice is sinful, yet sweet, making me crave him with every passing moment.
“Mm,” I groan as he lets the water run the suds out, using his hands to clean me off before pouring conditioner into his palm and working it through my ends, fingers massaging up through the strands.
My body grows languid.
Enjoying the way he touches me.
I allow the conditioner to remain while I pick up a bar of soap, cleaning him with care the way he did me.
He groans when my palm runs down his abs, and his cock jerks from the feeling of it.
“What happened to that man?” I ask, my heart beating faster. “The one who asked about me. Did he say anything else? Did you let him go?”
Rage sizzles in his green irises. “I was gonna kill him anyway, but someone did it for me.”
My heart gives a thump. I’m secretly glad that the man is dead, even though I hate thinking that way. But if he was connected to Jerry, then he can’t go back and tell him anything.
“Is he still in the house?”
He shakes his head. “We got rid of him.”
“How?”
He grasps the back of my head, his gaze searching. “You don’t need to worry about that. That’s my job.”
“Okay,” I whisper.
He tugs my face to his chest, holding me firmly while I start to wonder if Jerry and his father will ever truly be gone, and if I’ll ever feel safe again.