Chapter 31

Trigger Warning!

This chapter contains graphic scenes of torture.

Cassie's POV

Viktor's car comes speeding down the road, barrelling towards us. Cole uses his grip on my waist to guide me to one of the cars. He opens the door and sits me down in one of the seats.

"Stay here and don't move." he says, pulling a gun out from the front seat.

"What?! Are you crazy? Lupo, I can help. I'm not leaving you." I argue.

"I just got you back. I will not lose you again, gattina. Stay here." he closes the door and leaves before I can say anything more.

I look up to see Sophia and Olivia here as well. I look over to where Viktor is, and I can see two cars and seven additional men. They're all shooting at the group of our men, and I watch in horror as a bullet creates an indent in the car, right next to Cole's head. Bullet after bullet is fired from both ends, most of them missing my brothers, and the Italians.

"Screw this. I will not sit here and watch as they play 'last man standing'." I mutter to no-one in particular, grabbing an automatic and a few throwing knives from back of the car where I'm sat.

I get out of the car and close the door slightly, using it as cover for myself. I glance over at the five men and see Santiago giving Sebastien some ammo. As he reloads the gun, Sebastien looks up and locks eyes with me. I look away and aim my gun at the Russians.

One thing about being 'koroleva nozhey' - the queen of knives - is that I was trained on how to use a gun, not just knives, for situations just like this. Granted, the Volkov's trained me under the assumption I would be on their side, but that's just life for you, I guess. You never know what can happen.

Out of all of the men, I recognise three by name. One of them is Alastair Smirnov, thirty years old, no family, no wife or girlfriend, no kids. He's been part of the Volk's for the past ten years, and he's been loyal to a fault. He was one of the many Volk's that guarded my 'room' before I escaped.

I raise my gun and aim for his head, taking in a breath and letting it out to steady myself before pulling the trigger and killing him. He drops dead and the man next to him turns, the brief moment of distraction causing his life to end as another one of my bullets is shot and ends up in his skull. Adrenaline fills me as I survey the scene in front of me. There are only three men left now at this point; Viktor, a random man, and another man that will soon be just another tally on my list of kills.

Dmitriy Valeriya Maul.

The third mystery man falls to the ground, and I take that as my opportunity to pounce, grabbing one of the knives I took and throwing it at Dmitriy's stomach. His gun drops to the ground, and he clutches his wound, staggering a little to try and stay upright. I charge at Dmitriy, using my shoulder to barrel into him and knock him down with a groan. I get on top of him and pound my fist into his face a few times, screaming in rage as I do so. Someone comes up behind me, and I turn my head slightly to see who it is as they lift me to my feet.

I bring my leg up at full force, making Viktor double over as he clutches his dick. I lean down to grab the knife from Dmitriy's stomach, deliberately twisting it as I pull it out. I swipe the knife across the back of Viktor knees, causing him to cry out and go down. I turn my attention back to the man lying before me, blood dribbling out of his mouth. I lift the knife up into the air and make eye contact with him, smiling darkly.

"This is for raping me, sukin ty syn!" [you son of a bitch!]

I bring the knife down with every ounce of strength I have, blood splattering over my face as the blade pierces through the flesh of his genitalia. Dmitriy lets out a pained scream, and I drag a different blade horizontally across his chest, creating an 'X'. My signature mark.

The thing beneath me goes limp, but I pick up a shallow stream of breath coming from him. Pressing the knife against his neck, I move the blade slowly, killing him in the most agonisingly slowest speed possible. I re-check him for a pulse or any sign of life, but I find none. I stand up, triumphant that I was able to put one of my many monsters to rest.

As the adrenaline slowing begins to leave me, I realise how exhausted I am. From not eating anything other than junk food and snacking on energy bars, to being reunited with mio lupo, getting punish-fucked, and now killing, it's really taken a lot out of me. Sebastien approaches me slowly, as though I'm a wild deer. I probably look like a lunatic with blood all over my face and wearing the same smile from before, it having never left my face. I look at Cole and point to Viktor.

"He's all yours." I say, out of breath and practically panting.

My smile falls from psychotic to content, and I look at my brother.

"Hey Sebby?" I say, feeling light-headed and dizzy.

"Catch me." I manage to get out before my body goes limp and my vision turns black.

Cole's POV

Relief fills me as I watch Sebastien catch Cassie before she hits the ground. He lifts her up into his arms and carries her bridal style to the car, settling her down safely and securing her in the backseat. I look over at the crawling animal on the floor, pure rage and hatred filling me up completely. Noticing him trying to reach his gun, which had fallen on the ground at some point, I raise my Glock, pointing it at him.

Oh no you don't.

I shoot his hand and he lets out a wail, clutching the bloodied limb. I walk over to him, standing on his arm and applying just the right amount of pressure for it to break. As it does, Viktor lets out an animalistic sound, writhing beneath me. Not even a few seconds later, the noise grates against my brain, and I decide I've had enough of his mere presence.

"Shut up already." I groan.

Raising my gun, I slam the butt of it against his head. He goes out cold.

"Thanks." I mutter to his unconscious body.

"Got anything to restrain him with?" I ask, not directing my question at anyone in particular.

"Would these work?" Sebastien calls out from behind the same car as he was in when Viktor arrived.

He comes up to me holding rope and zip ties, presenting them to me.

"Yeah. Thanks." 

I grab the zip ties and restrain Viktor's legs, doing the same his arms behind his back. Then, I take the rope and secure it around his wrists, then looping the same piece of rope to his legs and securing them around his ankles. Being a Dom and knowing how to tie rope securely so my sub can't escape, I'm confident that these will hold him. I drag the creature to the back of a car and open the boot, then I turn to Sebastien.

"Hey man, mind helpin' me out?" I ask.

"Yeah, sure." 

He comes up and helps me lift the awkwardly arranged body into the trunk, bumping Viktor's head as he does so.

"Oops." he says, nonchalantly.

I laugh, knowing that move was completely intentional, and slam the door shut.

I look around at everyone. Ma is scolding Pa for his 'completely and utterly ridiculous behaviour', which - in Ma speak - means that she was worried he would get hurt. Although, it wouldn't be the first time. Olivia is cuddled up against Santiago as he runs a hand up and down her back. Sebastien leans against the car that has Viktor in it, which also happens to be the car with mia gattina in it. Zio is leaning against another car, a cigarette in between his lips and fingers, over half-way smoked.

"What do you guys say we get outta here and go back home?" I suggest to everyone, opening the door of the seat that Cassie is situated in and sitting on the edge of it.

Everyone turns to face me and nods until Ma speaks up.

"Let's stay for the night. If I feel tired, I can't imagine how exhausted mia nuora is." [my daughter-in-law] she says, covering her mouth with her hand as she stifles a yawn.

"Okay." I nod my head in agreement.

"We'll leave tomorrow. I'll tell Javier to get the jet ready for, let's say, noon?" 

With everyone in agreement, I call said pilot and arrange for the jet, giving him plenty of time to refuel and restock everything. Once everything is settled, we decide on who takes what car with who. We agree to torch and leave all three of Viktor's vehicles - the two that he and his men came in, and the one Sebastien and Cassie came in.

Sebastien was kind enough to offer to drive me and mia gattina, letting us sit together after so long apart. A gesture of which I was extremely grateful for, as I didn't want her to be too far of me, not even if it was just in the passenger seat whilst I drive. Ma, Pa and zio take another car, whilst Santiago and Olivia take the final one. With that sorted, we get in our respective vehicles and set off for the hotel we've been staying at. With the amount of men I brought over here - which as it turns out, I don't even need - I'm practically renting the entire place out.

I get into the back seat and close the door gently, trying my best not to wake Cassie up. I undo her seatbelt and go to slip my arm around her when she stirs. She glances up at me and smiles, to which I return, and allow her to get comfortable against me. She lays her head on my lap, her body now lying flat on the seat with her feet by the door. Gattina's arms wrap around my torso, and she snuggles closely against me, sighing in content and relaxing against me. I run my hand through her hair as we drive, and soon enough, she dozes off again.

I love Cassie with all my heart, that's why I had bought the ring so I could propose to her. She's even carrying my child, for Devil's sake. But hearing about her and him. God, infuriated is an understatement. The pain of being told what happened, it's almost enough to break me. But I'd like to think I know mia gattina. She's my principessa, my angel of light, my Queen. I couldn't bear the thought of him and her together. On the whole way to the hotel, I kept trying to justify why she would do something like that?

Had she been forced to think she wanted to?

Was she miserable and wanted to take her mind off of everything, using it as an escape?

What if she initiated it?

Did she wake up to him doing stuff to her, so she just went along with it?

I had come up with a hundred different reasons by the time we arrived. 

I opened the door and went to lift mia gattina in my arms to carry her up, when I heard shuffling from the boot.

Great. Just what I needed.

I slip out from beneath Cassie, laying her torso back down, and open the back of the car, my gun by my side as the trunk opens. Viktor squints and goes to speak when I knock him out again.

"Pezzo di merda." [Piece of shit.] I mutter, closing the door again.

I hear Cassie moan in discomfort and go back around the car to where I left her. She's still asleep, but her eyebrows are furrowed, and her face appears to be contorted in pain. I go to pick her up, but as soon as I make physical contact with her, she jolts awake and screams, scooting as far away from me as possible.

"Hey, hey. Gattina, it's just me, principessa." 

At this point, I could feel everyone else - Ma, Pa, zio, Santiago, Olivia and Sebastien - gathering around behind me to see what was going on. I ignore them entirely though, focusing on calming down mia gattina.

"Baby, you're okay. See? It's just us. You're safe, alright, gattina?" the tone I use is very soft and welcoming, a tone that I would only ever use with those close to me.

Cassie looks at me, then behind me, and back at me. We lock eyes and she considers me for a moment. I give her a small smile, opening my arms for her. She looks outside, worry on her face as she looks around. Her eyes settle back on me and, slowly, she starts moving. She slides across the seat a little, settling in the middle and glancing around behind me again. When gattina locks eyes with me for a second time, and she practically leaps across the rest of the way, latching onto me. She cries hysterically and wraps herself around me as I use my grip to secure her firmly against me. 

I turn around and sit on the seat sideways, so my legs are out of the car. I nod to mia famiglia, and they all make their way inside. Sebastien stands there, looking at his sister with sad eyes, not that I can blame him. Just because I'm having conflicted feelings about the whole situation with her and Viktor, doesn't mean that it doesn't break my heart to see her like this, because it does. I hate seeing her upset, especially when I don't know why. Not knowing the reason makes finding the solution that much harder.

"We'll be okay. Go to the desk and tell them to give you a room. Give them the name 'John Gilbert', and they'll sort it out." I say to him as I rub a hand up and down Cassie's back.

"Okay, thanks man- wait. John Gilbert as in it's a random name you made up, or John Gilbert as in-"

"As in The Vampire Diaries, AKA Cassie's favourite show to ever exist because 'yum', then yes. I started watching it as a surprise for her, I'm only on season one, episode nineteen."

"Who's your favourite so far?" he asks, crossing his arms.

"Ummm, don't really have one yet honestly. Elena's alright, Caroline seems like an annoying bitch, Bonnie's a badass - just like mia gattina. I'm quite fond of the brothers, and actually, now that I think of it, Matt too."

Cassie shoots her head up, staring me straight in the eye, and her hands resting on my shoulders. I look at her confused, making sure my hands are securely wrapped around her lower back.

"Wha-"

"Take that back!" she demands.

"Take what back?" I ask, completely and utterly confused.

What did I say?

Mia gattina crosses her arms and turns her head to the side, her eyes closed, and she sits dramatically on my lap. I look at Sebastien for help, and thankfully, he gives it.

"Matt." he mouths, not making even the smallest of sounds.

Ohhh. Well, clearly my Queen isn't fond of Matt, and if she doesn't like him, then nor do I.

Why, I have no idea, but regardless. What mia gattina says, goes.

"I take back what I said gattina. Matt Donovan is a horrible, horrible person. Please forgive me amore."

Cassie opens one eye to peep at me, and I plead with her using my eyes.

God, am I whipped or what?

"Okay, I forgive you." she smiles gives me a peck on the lips.

"Great. Now, let's get in, shower, and sleep. Then tomorrow, we can go home." I say, standing up carefully, so not to bang Cassie's head on the door frame.

"Wait. Are we really going to leave hi-"

"Yup." I cut Sebastien off and walk into the builiding.

He laughs and walks beside us.

"You're my kind of crazy." he laughs.

"I think we're gonna get along just fine." he says as we walk through the doors. 

We walk over to the receptionist - who has been nothing short of flirtatious and touchy - and I lean Cassie against the counter.

"One room for my brother-in-law, here." I say with no emotion, wanting this over as soon as possible.

The female behind the desk giggles, pushing her chest up to try and emphasise her cleavage.

"Sure thing, Mister Gilbert." she says, trying to be seductive.

Cassie's head whips around and she death stares the woman.

"Listen here, missy. I don't know if you're dumb, blind, or have a death wish. But just case you're all three, let me make this clear to your horny ass. For one, you see this? How I'm clinging to my man? Yeah, that's because he's mine, and if you need more proof for your slow pea-sized brain, look." 

Cassie shoves her hand in the woman's face.

"You see this ring? That's because he's my fiancé, and he's my baby daddy. For two, there is a perfectly single and available man right next to me, so if you're going to be hitting on anyone, I should think it's the single man. And finally, if you so much as think to look at my man again, you will meet an excruciating death. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to go up to our room and have sex." she smiles sarcastically at the woman and turns her head back around, slamming her lips onto mine.

God damn, as if I wasn't already hard from that show of jealousy and possessiveness.

After we break away, I look briefly at Sebastien, who's smirking at me.

"Divertiti, amico. Lei è tutta tua." [Have fun, buddy. She's all yours.] I say, nodding to the bitch with her jaw on the floor.

I hold Cassie up her ass and rush us over to an empty elevator, stepping inside and pressing my floor - the penthouse.

I push my Queen against the railing and continue to make out with her as the elevator take us up through the vast number of floors. When the doors open, I lift her back into my arms - still kissing - and make our way inside. I walk blindly to where I think the bedroom is and turn the light on, my intuition rewarding me with the Queen sized bed that's situated in the middle of the room. I take long strides, stopping the foot of the bed and letting Cassie down so she's resting on her knees.

"Stay here." I say firmly, turning around and walking over to my suitcase.

I open it and shuffle through the articles of clothing until I find my belt. Walking back over to mia gattina, I throw the belt on the bed and take a firm grip of Cassie's hair, pulling until she's forced to look up at me from the floor.

"What's your safe word?" I demand.

"Rose." she responds, breathless.

"What do you do if you need to breathe?" I ask, unbuckling my pants and pushing them down.

"Tap you."

"Good girl." I fist the base of my cock, looking down at her with demanding eyes.

"Open."

Cassie opens her mouth, sticking her tongue out, and I both of my hands to get a good grip on her hair before I begin fucking her throat how I see fit. Her hands come up to touch me and I free one of my hands to swat hers away.

"Hands behind your back. Do not touch me, do you understand?"

Cassie makes a sound of agreement around her mouthful of my dick, and I continue to use her mouth and throat how I see fit. I push her head down, so I hit the back of her throat and she gags, trying to retreat from my assault. I slap her cheek in a derogatory way.

"Use your safe word, slut, or take what I give you." 

I bob Cassie's head up and down my length more, her saliva dripping off of my cock, coating my balls, and falling to the floor.

"Such a good little whore." I curse under my breath.

Soon after, I feel my lower abdomen tighten and I release Cassie's hair.

"Suck me dry like the good little girl you are."

Eagerly, Cassie shoots up, using her hands and applying the perfect amount of pressure as she sucks my dick. She uses one of her hands to play with my balls, and that's all it takes to send me over the edge. I explode down her throat and, despite her expressed dislike for the taste of it, she drinks up every drop. I pull away and go to the bathroom, turning on the bath and filling it up with the shit soap the hotel supplies. Once I've taken my suit pants properly, I go back into the bedroom and lift a confused Cassie into my arms, bringing her into the bathroom with me. I sit her on the bathroom and strip myself of my shirt.

"Wait, are we not-"

"Remember how earlier today I mentioned punishment? Part of that will be the denial of any and all orgasms. I will not give you any, you - nor I - will not use toys or anything else to give you any, and if I catch you so much trying to give yourself any, I will deny you orgasms for a week straight. Is that understood?" My declaration leaves zero room for compromise or discussion as I look down at Cassie.

Cassie's eyes wides as she nods her head.

"Yes Daddy." she whispers.

"Lift your arms for me."

She does, instantly, and I pull her hoodie off of her, then her bottoms, and finally, her underwear. Cassie lifts her hips as I pull them off, her breath hitching when I tease her by placing a kiss to her thigh. Once the water is shut off, I collect her in my arms and set her down inside the tub before doing the same myself. After I get in, Cassie scooches back, snuggling her back against my front and relaxing. A few minutes of comfortable silence goes by before we begin washing ourselves.

I get out of the bath first, grabbing a couple of towels and handing one to Cassie. We wrap ourselves up in the white material and I walk over to where my clothes are, picking out a few comfortable options for us to wear to bed. Joggers for me, one of my shirts for Cassie. Changing and getting into bed, I pull Cassie by her waist and bring her flush against my chest. She turns in my arms, so she's facing me, and snuggles into my chest. Once she's settled, I place a kiss on top on her head.

"Goodnight kitten."

"Goodnight Daddy. I love you."

After all that I know from our time away, I'm not really sure if I can believe that statement. I know it may be messed up that I slept with Cassie whilst having doubts about her commitment to me and if she truly cares for me, but I had been so overwhelmed with emotion and information that I hadn't really been thinking straight. Now, though, my head is a lot clearer. And because of that, so many questions are running through my head, and yet, I have absolutely no answers. Not even a starting point. And I won't have any until tomorrow when we talk about the whole situation. I'm not too sure if I'll ever be able to trust her with absolute certainty again. There will probably always be a seed of doubt about certain things or situations, and it may never go away.

Despite all of this, I know that what I say next, I say it with absolute truth and certainty.

"I love you too."

Word Count: 3,980