A Treacherous King- Dark Mafia Romance

forty five

Maeve

The moon's reflection on the surface of Lake Senezh is a scene fit for an oil painting. The cool night breeze blows strands of hair into mg face and I wrap the blanket I got from the couch around me tighter.

After dinner, Nadia and I helped Irina clean the kitchen before she retired to bed. Then Nadia suggested we pop open a bottle of wine and sit out on the deck. Sergi and Ioann were keeping a close distance by occupying the living room.

The afternoon had dragged and I could hardly stomach any of the food Irina had prepared. My nerves had jumbled my stomach into a thousand twisty knots. I couldn't even sit still and enjoy my glass of wine without twitching. I was itching to call Caine and check in with him but I knew better than to distract him. Vlad would be attacking the manor any minute now. I keep obsessively checking the time, consciously hoping that Caine will call.

I'm finishing off my third glass of wine, when a high pitched alarm sounds off from within the house. I jolt out of my chair and immediately reach for Nadia.

"What the..." Before I can finish my thought, a horrific scene unfolds in front of me. Ioann and Sergi came crashing out of the sliding door and grab Nadia and I.

Four men breach the front door, guns raised. One has a red dot pointed right at Ioann's forehead. I can do nothing but scream as Ioann's head flings back and his body hitting the deck with a thud.

"Move!" Sergi shouts, but there's no time. As soon as we make to run, the men take Sergi out too. His body joins Ioann's on the deck. A cold fear creeps it's way up my spine as Nadia and I cling to each other.

The men make their way out on the back deck. It's so dark out, I can't make out their features until they step into the low light provided by the moon and the fire pit Sergi and Ioann helped us light earlier.

"Alexei." Nadia whimpers. I recognize his handsome features almost immediately, but he looks different from the last time I saw him. His friendly smile has been replaced with a look of disdain as he takes in Nadia and I's shivering forms.

I glance at the other men and my knees almost buckle when I recognize Ivan Petrov. He looks worse for wear these days, with gaunt looking features and a sagging posture.

I don't recognize the guy holding the red dot, but I know without a doubt the tall regal looking man standing in the front is Vlad Sokolov.

I can see the resemblance between him and Ilya. Tall, broad shoulders, and hair that at one time was the golden shade of Ilya's but now has streaks of gray. He's got eyes the same shade of blue as Ilya's but they're not playful or charming, they're cold and daunting.

"You must be Caine's whore." He says with a cruel smile. I don't react to his comment and he inches forward a few steps.

"What a beautiful night it is, hmm? Here you both are like two sacrificial lambs waiting for the slaughter while Caine is playing right into my trap." He sneers.

I almost collapse, but Nadia's hold on me is strong. I had been wrong about Ilya. He got me to trust him and plead his case to Caine just so he could turn around and betray us all to get his father what he wanted. I was so stupid.

"Yes, he and all of his men are most likely choking on their own blood at the moment. I ordered for his manor to be burned. He along with it." I can't help the gasp that leaves me. I can't lose Caine. Not like this. He's supposed to come back to me. An all consuming rage forms in my chest and I feel like reaching out and ripping Vlad's throat out.

"He's not dead." I spit.

Vlad laughs, the sound grating on my nerves.

"And what makes you so sure?" He taunts.

"Because I would know it. I would know if he were dead and he's not. He probably saw right through your plan and is on his way right now."

"Well even if that were true, he's too late. I'm taking you girls on a little trip." He smiles maliciously. "Grab them and take them to the car." He barks out.

Alexei and the other man advance on us. The man reaches for me but I kick my leg out, trying to make contact with his crotch but he side steps me and grabs me by the upper arm. I try to kick and hit anything that I can make contact with but he rears back and hits me atop the head with the butt of his gun. It's not enough to knock me out but enough to make my vision blurry and my strength to dissolve.

"Caine likes them feisty. I bet she's a real vixen between the sheets." I can hear Vlad's mocking laugh from the distance.

The guy half drags, half carries me across the deck towards the house. A sticky dark substance trails down my forehead and drips down into my eyes. Blood. I must be bleeding, I realize.

I loll my head back to see Nadia willingly being lead by Alexei. Her face is twisted in a look of pain, although they haven't hurt her yet. I know that look is coming from the burning pain of betrayal.

The men carry us out to the front yard where a sleek black Escalade is parked in the driveway. My mind veers to Irina who was soundly asleep upstairs before all hell broke lose. I hope she had sense enough to hide somewhere when she heard the commotion.

The guy is opening the door to the car and attempting to shove me in, when the flashes of headlights appears in the distance. Followed by the sound of screeching tires and gravel flying. I can't make out much from the blood dripping into my eyes but I can make out a dark figure in the distance. A sob escapes my throat, my heart wrenching with relief.

He came back.