Chapter 31

Dizzy, winded and aching all over as it all catches up with me in one painful moment. This is going to hurt like hell in the morning. Alexi doesn’t say a word, his face returning to cool and blank. Eerily he just steps towards me, bends and catches me by the waist with both of his strong hands to pull me up into his abdomen and cradles my face with one of them, tilting my chin as he scans all of me with a completely unreadable expression.

He gives nothing away to how he is going to react. He is in that ‘’show nothing’’ mode and I just tremble under his scrutiny, relieved that he has intervened. It’s weirdly gentle and even though I can’t stand him any other day of the week, right now I suddenly feel safe in his arms. Like I know it’s over, and he won’t let anything else happen to me—it completely confuses me.

No man has ever made me feel safe, especially not one like him, who probably has the capabilities to do a hell of a lot more damage than most. Yet standing in the crook of his arm, under his protection, I know Demagio has no chance in hell of touching me again, and he’s not about to flip out at me for this either.

We are in the female toilets; it’s obvious who followed who in this and a bloody nose doesn’t normally follow something consensual. Alexi isn’t stupid by any means.

“You laid hands on her … on my woman; on my property?” He says it so calmly and slowly it puts the fear of God into me, his eyes trained on me, not breaking eye contact and I just stand completely frozen, with my breath held as my body turns to liquid in his embrace. His focus is clouding over as his grey eyes darken slightly and the tiny tensing of a muscle in his jaw are the only hints of his rage building underneath his mask. It’s not aimed at me but even I begin trembling.

It’s his sinister low and even tone of inevitable psycho.

Jesus Christ. Demagio is going to get it now.

‘’Alexi, I’m drunk and stupid and … I thought it was what she wanted. She kept teasing me and giving me come-ons …’’ Demagio sounds like he’s about to cry and I cannot tear my eyes away from the soulless greys keeping me rooted to the spot. Alexi is giving nothing away, just so steady and in control and that’s what is most unnerving. His eyes on mine, and he has me mesmerised in a trance of unease.

The withering mess of man behind me is proof that Alexi’s reputation isn’t just a myth. If the man claiming to have known him a long time having a mental breakdown is anything to go by.

I swear he has started bubbling and out of the corner of my eyes I see him drop to his knees to beg. I catch a glimpse of black from the corner of my eye as one of Alexi’s men appears behind him, and he finally looks away from me, breaking his spell but keeping me up close against him protectively. My body shaking and clinging to him for support even though on any normal day of the week I would not be getting up close and personal for anything!

‘’Take Marcus outside; I’ll be a minute. I want to talk to him.’’ He moves me aside, hand still around my waist keeping me pinned to him, so he holds my full weight, still cradling my jaw with a gentle hand and doesn’t react when the man sweeps past us at speed.

Demagio is still stammering apologies and avoiding looking my way. Alexi’s men are practically dragging him as he offers no resistance. Begging like a little bitch to be spared.

I hope Alexi kicks the utter shit out of him and cuts off his balls.

The last black suit follows, and I can hear the voices stray further down the corridor until they are hushed tones in the distance and Demagio’s begging whiny tone is barely audible. I have no idea what he’s going to do but I can guarantee it won’t happen in the opera house, so publicly. He will have him removed somewhere private instead and deal with him in his own time.

Alexi lets go of my face and puts his hand into his inner pocket, bringing out a white folded handkerchief and presses it to my mouth firmly, stemming the blood that was making its way down my chin. I lift my hand impulsively, to cover it, and hold it instead.

His hand underneath mine feels different, even though it’s not the first time we have had physical contact, somehow the intimacy of this pose and what just happened has me feeling out of whack, and his touch right now is doing weird things to my nerves.

He is calming me effortlessly, soothing me, and we just seem to stand for a moment locked in a gaze before he says anything. It’s almost as though everything else fades out and all I am aware of in this second is his close proximity and those eyes reaching deep into my soul.

‘‘Here. Compose yourself and fix your appearance, I’ll be outside. Take your time, as much as you need. I’ll wait.’’ He says it so softly, so non-Alexi and I melt with some weird relief that he’s not angry at me and being weirdly human and warm. I feel like we are in another dimension, to be honest. One where Mr Emotionless has a hint of gentleness and care and instead of hating on him I suddenly want to curl up against him and let him make it all better.