Page 24 of Kneeling for Daddy
Something inside of me snaps, and I cross the club like a man possessed. Seeing another man’s hands on her skin, my pulse to spikes and heat creeps up my neck.I want fucking blood.
“Get your fucking hands off her,” I bark, my voice loud enough to cut through the bass of the music, causing heads to turn. The man looks up from Ani, slowly and unhurried, not heeding my warning. The smug grin when he glances over his shoulder only fuels my fire.
I reach them in three more quick strides. Vigorously shaking her head, Ani tries to explain, “It… It’s not?—”
Grabbing the bastard by the back of his jacket, I throw him backward. He drags Ani from her stool as his hands tear from her body. Enzo catches her, his hand steady on her arm, andpulls her into him before she loses her footing, as my focus stays on the stranger. He flails backward onto a table, and the glasses on it crash to the floor. “You put your fucking hands on her?” I snarl, stalking forward.
He clambers to his feet, blubbering, “She was flirting?—”
His words are cut short when I slam both my palms against his chest, shoving him into another table. “Do you have any idea who the fuck I am?” My fist cracks against his jaw, snapping his head to the side.
“Nik!” someone barks, but it’s background noise and barely registers.
“Nikolai,” the man mutters my name like he realizes he just sealed his fate.
Reaching forward, I fist the front of his jacket and yank him upright. “More importantly, do you know who the fucksheis?” My spittle sprays over his face. Clueless, he shakes his head. Tightening my hold, I pull him within inches of my face. “She’s my fucking wife.” I swing my head back and slam my forehead into his nose, blood gushing from it as he drops to the floor, hard.
The crowd gasps and music screeches to a halt as I climb onto him before he can get his bearings. Now straddling his chest, I slam my fist into him again. My punches rain upon his face, bone crunching beneath my knuckles and blood spraying across the polished floor.
“Mine. My fucking wife,” I growl, throwing another fist into his face. His pleas gurgle through his shattered face and missing teeth. My vision stays red. All I see is his hands on her.He had the fucking audacity to touch her. “She’s mine. I’d gut you andburn your fucking corpse in the street for daring to breathe near her… And you fucking touched her?”
Strong arms lock around my shoulders, yanking me backward. Cillian’s voice cuts through the haze like a whip. “That’senough!”
I thrash against him, teeth bared and blood warm on my hands. “Let me go! He’s still fucking breathing!”
“Nik, you’re gonna kill him in the middle of our club,” Cillian snaps, tightening his grip. “Do you want the cops swarming? Do you want Ani watching you beat him to death?”
Ani.
I stop struggling and jerk my head toward her. Enzo has pulled her halfway across the club and is using his body to shield her. Groans rise from the man on the floor. He’s barely conscious, and blood is pooling beneath his head. The rage in my chest buckles under the heaviness of the guilt suddenly consuming me. Not for the piece of shit lying in a heap at my feet, but for Ani.
Her eyes are wide, and tears are streaming down her cheeks. Enzo’s arms are wrapped around her as tightly as her own are on him, but she’s still trembling. Our eyes meet, and there is no denying that she is absolutely terrified. Not of the man or of the mess I made, but of me. She looks like she might bolt if the wind blows too hard.
My fists ache. The knuckles on both hands are split, red, and raw. Blood is splattered across my shirt—and probably my face. “Let me go,” I demand again, my tone softer. Cillian loosens his grip, and I shove away from him, heading immediately toward Ani.
I pull her from Enzo’s comforting hold. Her gaze meets mine, and her legs falter. She stumbles into me, her hands planting firmly against my chest. “I’m sorry,” she chokes, sobs catching in her throat. “Nik, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to… I was just… Don’t…”
“Shhh...” My voice is rough, breaking in ways I can’t control. I drag her against my chest, my arms banding around her tiny, trembling frame. “I’m not mad at you.”
Her breath hitches. “You looked… you looked so… like you wanted to kill m?—”
“I was fucking livid,” I cut in, fierce and unyielding. Pulling her tight, I press my lips against her temple and breathe her in. “Athimfor touching you.”
She cries harder, her relief muffled against my shirt as her fists twist in the blood-stained fabric. My throat burns as I tighten my hold, rocking her slightly without thinking. I don’t care that half of the club is staring at us. She’s shaking, and I need her to know she’s safe.With me.That no one will ever touch her like that again.
Enzo clears his throat, his voice gentler than usual. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”
I nod once. Not letting go of Ani, I guide her through the gawking crowd and into the cool night air. The valet pulls Enzo’s black G-class to the curb. I slide into the back seat, pulling her in with me. I expect her to push away and demand a bit of space, but she collapses against me as the door closes behind us. She’s still trembling, and her sobs are ragged against my chest. I tuck her under my arm and hold her close as though it’ll fix everything.
Enzo climbs behind the wheel, his eyes finding mine in the rearview mirror as he silently slips the SUV into drive. The hum of the engine fills the otherwise silent car. I stroke Ani’s hair, my bloodied hands staining her blonde locks as I try to comfort her.
I might not have wanted her, but if tonight proved anything, it’s that she’s mine. I lower my head, and my lips brush against the crown of her hair. “You’re safe now, little pet. Always safe with me.”
She exhales a shaky breath, and for the first time since I saw red, my pulse begins to steady. We can continue to fight it, but beneath it all, one truth pounds steadily in my veins: If anyone touches Ani again, Iwillkill them, and no one—not even Enzo or Cillian—will stop me. She is mine to protect.
Mine.
Nik doesn’t speak as the door to the apartment clicks shut. His arm is wrapped across my back, and his hand is resting firmly on my hip. He hasn’t let his hands fall from me since he ushered me out of the club. I’ve stopped crying, and my thumping heart has finally slowed, but I am still shaken over what transpired tonight. A man put his hands on me, and he nearly killed him for it
