Page 35 of The Butcher
“You’re sure you’ve never heard of him?” he asked, his voice quieter now, but no less controlled.
“I haven’t,” I said. “I swear to you.”
He watched me for a long moment, searching my face, looking for anything that didn’t line up. When he didn’t find it, he gave a small nod, like that was all he needed. “I knew as much,” he said.
Something cold settled in my chest. This wasn’t just about whether he believed me. It was about what came next.Whether I wanted it or not, that tied me to Alessio in a way I couldn’t undo.
Alexei’s hand tightened slightly at my neck enough to make my breath catch and remind me exactly who I was standing in front of.When I looked at him, there was nothing uncertain in his expression. No hesitation, or question.Only intent.
“This doesn’t touch you,” he said quietly, his voice dropping lower, rougher now. “I won’t let it. I won’t let anyone fucking get near you. Do you understand me?”
I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure I fully believed that was possible anymore.
His grip didn’t loosen, but it felt safe, almost comforting. “But I’m putting a stop to it,” he continued, his gaze locking on mine. “And it ends soon and fast.”
A chill ran through me at the way he said it, not because I didn’t believe him, but because I did.
Because I could already see it in his eyes. Whatever Alessio had started, Alexei was going to stop it.
The Butcher—my husband—was going to handle it.
And there wasn’t anything in me that believed he would not spill a whole lot of blood over this.
Chapter Nineteen
Lucia
The silence was so thick I swore it could be cut with a knife. It pressed in on me until it felt like I couldn’t take a full breath.
Alessio. The name still sat in my head, sharp and unfamiliar, and no matter how I tried to make sense of it, nothing fit.
Alexei didn’t move away from me. His hand stayed at my neck, firm and steady, his thumb dragging slowly over my skin like he was keeping me exactly where he wanted. It wasn’t gentle, but it wasn’t rough either.
“You’re letting it get into your head,” he said quietly. “I don’t like keeping things from you, but also refuse to let them weigh on you either. But you deserve to know what's happening. Word willeventually get out and I wanted you to hear this from me.”
My breath hitched when his other hand came to my waist, his fingers digging in just enough to pull me closer. The space between us disappeared, his body pressing into mine, solid and unyielding. I was backed fully against the terrace railing, caged in my big, muscular, and tattooed killer. And I’d never wanted anything more at that moment.
I wanted to get out of my head, to stop worrying and thinking about the what ifs. I knew he could give that to me. And when I reached down, rubbing my hand on the crotch of his pants, a soft breath left me at how hard he was already.
I felt the thick, hard length of his cock, and didn’t stop my moan of appreciation. He pressed himself into my palm, grinding that length against me until we were both breathing heavier.
“Take me out,” he groaned, and leaned in, running the tip of his nose up the side of my neck.
My fingers twitched and my hand shook when I unzipped his slacks and freed that massive cock. The tip was already slick with his need for me.
“You feel that?” he asked, his voice dropping lower.
I nodded, even though my throat had gone dry.
“That’s what you do to me. I walk around with a constant hard-on because all I can think about is you, Lucia.” His hand slid from my neck to my nape, his grip tightening as he tipped my head back so I was forced to look at his face. His mouth crashed down on mine, hard and controlled.
The kiss wasn’t soft, but right now it wasn’t meant to be. It took what little control I had left and stripped it away, leaving nothing but Alexei dominating this moment.
His tongue fucked into my mouth with raw hunger while his hand shoved under my dress, fingers pushing my panties aside and plunging two thick digits straight into my already soaked pussy. He curled them deep, stroking that spot inside me that made my knees buckle as his thumb rubbed rough circles over my swollen clit.
I leaned into him without thinking, my hands moving to his chest, gripping his shirt as his mouth moved against mine again, deeper this time. He didn’t rush it, fumble or hesitate. He knew exactly what he wanted and wasn’t going to stop until he had it.
Alexei’s hand stayed at the back of my neck, holding me there as he tilted his head, the kiss turning slower, heavier, until I felt it consume everysingle inch of me. My thoughts started to quiet, the sharp edges of everything that had been spinning through my mind dulling under the weight of him.
