Page 72 of The Bratva's Auctioned Bride
Angel reaches over and takes my hand in hers, pulling my hand onto her lap and leaning her head against my shoulder. Her body is shaking. I don’t think she even realizes how shaken she is. Adrenaline tends to mask many of the effects until much later.
I glance at my watch. “Any second now,” I say, threading my fingers tighter through hers.
The bombs aren’t massive. But they send a small shockwave through the night sky. An implodingwooshof air that seems to suck the sound away from us.
Angel’s eyes grow wide as two sides of the warehouse burst into flame, metal panels falling away from the main building, and a portion of the roof collapsing in.
A slow smile spreads over her lips, and she whispers, more to herself than to me, “That’ll teach you to hurt people.”
I let her watch for a few more minutes before I’m willing to risk sticking around any longer. I have a feeling she needs tosee this through to the end. A sort of closure on the whole story. The final collapse was happening right in front of her eyes.
Then I start the car and drive off the back side of the quarry, and head toward my penthouse.
Before we reach home, Oleg messages to confirm the girls have been dropped off at our safe house with a medical team.
I pass the phone to Angelika so she can read the message too.
“What will happen to them now?” she asks.
“Tonight, they’ll get medical attention, and the team will help them contact their families. If they don’t have family, maybe friends… We’ll ensure it’s safe for them to return to their people and that no one will pursue them. If they need help leaving the country, we’ll assist with their relocation. Whatever they need, they’ll get. They’re safe now, princess. Thanks to you.”
“Thanks toyouand your brother. I could never have done it without you,” she says, smiling softly.
“It was a team effort. Because we couldn’t have done it without you either. I really don’t look good in a grey dress. I couldn’t have pulled it off like you did,” I grin, eyeing her cleaner’s uniform. She laughs loudly and scrunches her nose, shaking her head. “You’re impossible,” she huffs, giggling.
***
As we park in the underground area beneath the penthouse building, Angelika tries to hide a massive yawn behind her delicate hand. Her eyes water as she takes in a long, slow breath.
“The adrenaline is wearing off now. Be prepared for a whole new level of exhaustion that you’ve never felt before. Yourbody was pumping pure cortisol for the past few hours, and now it’s done and you’re safe. You’ll need to rest,” I explain, pulling the door open for her and holding out my hand.
“A few hours? I think my body has been pumping cortisol since you told me about the auction at the bar. It’s been days, not hours.”
I chuckle. “Fair enough. But it’s over now, princess, and you really are safe.”
She slips her hand into mine and we climb into the elevator. Exhausted, she leans against me as it carries us up to the penthouse.
Once we’re safely locked away inside my home, I run her a hot bubble bath and flick the kettle on to make tea.
When I walk into the bathroom to turn the water off, thinking it must be ready, she’s standing there, undressed, about to get in.
“Oh,” I stammer, quickly turning away.
“Oh, um, I was… I thought…”
“No, it’s fine, I tapped the bath for you, go ahead,” I laugh nervously.
Fuck, she’s gorgeous. Dammit. She’s so fucking perfect.
I hear splashing and a little sigh.
“Ok, you can turn around,” she says.
I hesitate before I do, wondering if I can control myself, knowing I have no choice.
Angelika is neck deep in bubbles. Only the delicate curve of her shoulders and collar bones is visible above the water. Steam curls from the bath up around her, and she smiles at me, tracing her fingers over the surface of the bubbles.
“Thank you, this is exactly what I needed. I didn’t realize how tense every muscle in my body was.”
