Till Death Saves Me (Forced Mafia Marriages)

17. Ivan

17

IVAN

I stare at my screen, but the words and numbers blur together. I'm supposed to be looking at all our upcoming shipments but my mind's not here. It's back home, with her. Virginia. My wife.

Fuck.

I rub my eyes, trying to focus. There's work to be done. Shipments to track, accounts to balance, threats to eliminate. But all I can think about is her smile. The way her eyes light up when she laughs. How perfectly she fit in my arms last night.

"Goddamnit," I mutter, slamming my laptop shut. This is getting out of hand.

I lean back in my chair, closing my eyes. Big mistake. Instantly, I'm back there. The softness of her skin under my fingers. The little gasp she made when I first entered her. The way she clung to me afterwards, like I was her lifeline.

I run a hand through my hair, frustration and desire warring inside me. Fuck, I can't stop thinking about her. Last night... Christ, it was beyond anything I could have imagined.

After that first time, I couldn't get enough. I took her again, slower this time, savoring every inch of her perfect body. And then once more, unable to resist when she looked at me with those big brown eyes, begging for more.

I had to force myself to stop. She was a virgin, for fuck's sake. I couldn't risk hurting her, no matter how much I wanted to keep going.

But goddamn, she felt perfect. Like she was made for me. The way she responded to my touch, the little sounds she made... It's like she knew exactly what I needed before I did.

I shift in my chair, uncomfortable with how hard I'm getting just thinking about her. This need for her is all-consuming. I knew I'd get addicted, but this... this is something else entirely.

She pushes me when I need it, challenges me in ways no one else dares. And then she turns around and pleases me in ways I never knew I wanted. I'm obsessed.

I check my watch. Still hours before I can go home to her. The thought of waiting that long is torture.

My phone buzzes. It's Lev, asking about the latest shipment. I should answer. I need to answer. Instead, I find myself pulling up the security feed from the house.

There she is, padding around the kitchen in one of my shirts. It barely covers her ass, and I feel a surge of possessiveness. Mine. She's humming to herself as she makes coffee, swaying slightly to some unheard rhythm.

I'm hard instantly. Fuck. I want her. Need her. It's like a physical ache in my chest.

This isn't me. I don't do this. I don't get attached. I don't yearn. But here I am, watching my wife through a camera, counting the minutes until I can get home to her.

She's addictive. More potent than any drug we've ever moved. And I'm hooked. Completely, utterly hooked.

I know I should turn off the feed. Get back to work. Be the cold, calculating bastard everyone expects me to be. But I can't tear my eyes away from her. From Virginia. My Virginia.

God help me, I'm obsessed.

I forward the shipment details to Lev and grab my jacket. The office walls are closing in, suffocating me with thoughts of her. I need an outlet, something to focus on that isn't Virginia's soft skin or intoxicating scent.

I send Lev a follow up text.

Going to the warehouse.

The drive is a blur. My knuckles are white on the steering wheel, jaw clenched tight. By the time I reach the warehouse, I'm a powder keg ready to blow.

The Red Serpent that we stole from outside the bar is exactly where we left him, chained to a chair in the damp, musty room. His head lolls to the side, dried blood caking his swollen face. Good. He's softened up.

"Wake up, mudak," I snarl, backhanding him hard across the face. His eyes flutter open, fear flooding them as he realizes who's standing before him.

I circle him slowly, savoring his growing panic. "Ready to talk?"

He spits blood at my feet. "Fuck you."

A dark chuckle escapes me. "Wrong answer."

I grab a handful of his hair, yanking his head back. My fist connects with his nose, the satisfying crunch of cartilage giving way under my knuckles. He howls in pain.

"Where are the next moves happening?" I demand, punctuating each word with a vicious blow to his ribs.

He wheezes, struggling for air. "I don't... know..."

Rage courses through me. I need answers. I need to keep Virginia safe.

Between the need I feel for her, the rage I have at not being buried inside of her, and the fear and anger toward someone targeting her, I have a lot to unleash on this guy. I kind of hope it takes him a long while to talk.

I pull out my knife, the blade glinting in the dim light. "Last chance," I whisper, pressing the cold steel against his throat.

His eyes widen, darting between my face and the knife. "Okay! Okay!" he sobs. "There's... there's a shipment coming in tomorrow night. Pier 11. And... and a deal going down in Queens. Friday. Some new product."

I dig the blade in slightly, drawing a thin line of blood. "Where in Queens?"

"Abandoned factory on 48th," he gasps. "Please... that's all I know. I swear!"

I step back, wiping my knife clean on his shirt. The rage subsides, replaced by a cold, calculating focus. We've got what we need. But I'll keep him alive a little longer. We'll see what else he can give me.

"You made the right choice," I tell him, voice devoid of emotion as I pat him on the side of the face hard enough that he winces. "Take a breather."

I turn to leave, my mind already racing with plans. The Red Serpents won't know what hit them. And Virginia... Virginia will be safe.

I drive back into Manhattan, my mind racing with the information I've extracted. My fingers tap out a quick message to Lev.

Meet at Nikolai's office. Now.

The city streets blur past as I weave through traffic, my thoughts a chaotic mix of strategies and... her. Even now, in the midst of Bratva business, she's there in the back of my mind. A constant presence I can't shake.

I stride into Nikolai's office, nodding at Lev who's already there. Nikolai looks up from his desk, his piercing gaze assessing me.

"What did you find out?" he asks, cutting straight to the chase.

I relay the information about the shipment and the deal in Queens, watching as Nikolai's expression hardens. But as I speak, I realize something's changed. My words are the same, cold and calculated as always, but the motivation behind them...

It's all for her now.

Every move, every strategy, every ounce of effort - it's all to keep Virginia safe. The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. When the fuck did that happen?

"We need to hit them hard," Lev says, his voice pulling me back to the present. "Send a message."

I nod, but my mind's already racing ahead. "We need to beef up security too," I hear myself saying. "Not just for the shipments, but for our families."

Nikolai raises an eyebrow. "Worried about your new bride, Ivan?"

There's a hint of amusement in his tone that makes my jaw clench. I force myself to stay calm, to keep my face impassive. "The Red Serpents have shown they're willing to target our women. We can't take any chances if we're about to hit them."

Lev snorts, but I can tell he's thinking about Aleks. "Since when do you care about-"

I cut him off with a glare that could freeze hell itself. He shuts up, but I can see the wheels turning in his head. Fuck.

It's unsettling, this shift in priorities. I've always been loyal to the Bratva, always putting the family first. But now... now there's something - someone - that matters more.

Once the meeting is over, I decide it's time to head home. I grip the steering wheel tightly as I navigate through the city traffic, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. The events of the past few days replay in my head on a loop - Virginia's smile, her laugh, the way she felt in my arms. Fuck, I can't shake her from my thoughts.

My phone rings, breaking through my reverie. It's Anya.

I answer, putting her on speaker. "What?" I grunt, eyes fixed on the road.

"Well, hello to you too, big brother," Anya's voice chirps. "Just left your place. Ginny seems to be doing really well."

I can hear the insinuation in her tone. "Spit it out, Anya."

She chuckles. "Looks like you took my advice. Ginny's happy. Like, really happy."

I grunt noncommittally, but internally, I feel a warmth spread through my chest. Virginia's happy. Because of me. Fuck, when did that start mattering so much?

Anya's voice softens. "How are you doing, Ivan?"

I hesitate, then decide to be honest. "She's... not so bad. Might make a good wife after all."

"Oh, Ivan," Anya says, and I can hear the smile in her voice. "It sounds like you actually like your wife. In fact, with the bookstores and art galleries, and how happy she was today... I'd say you might even be falling in love with her."

My heart rate spikes. "I don't have time for your ridiculous notions," I snap.

Anya just laughs. "You know I always call you on your shit." And before I can retort, she hangs up, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Fuck. She's right. My sister knows me too well. The realization hits me like a punch to the gut - I'm falling in love with Virginia.

Terror grips me. What the hell am I going to do? Love is a weakness in our world, a vulnerability that can be exploited. And yet... the thought of Virginia's smile, her warmth, her fierce spirit... it makes something inside me come alive.

This wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to feel this way.

But I do. God help me, I do.