The elevator was descending irritatingly slowly. I fidgeted with the edge of my jacket sleeve.
He waited for me, didn't he? I need to talk to him... I have to explain everything to him. I have to.
The city air hit me harder than I had expected. But my eyes were already darting across the parking lot in search of his car.
And then I noticed an expensive car slowly approaching me. As soon as it stopped, I opened the door without a second thought and jumped inside.
He was still there.
Theron was sitting with his head tilted back, his eyes closed. It seemed he was asleep and hadn't even noticed me getting in.
I moved right up against him, and the car started moving. I leaned slightly against Theron, but even that did not disturb him.
He sat without moving, as though he were sleeping very deeply.
"Everything is all right."
Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at me.
Without thinking, I pressed my lips to his. Unexpectedly, even to myself, my tongue slipped into his mouth.
Theron froze for a moment, but immediately responded, pulling me even closer to himself.
With one movement, he seated me on his lap without stopping the kiss, as though devouring me.
I could think of nothing except his wandering hands over my body after he unfastened my jacket. Of his lips greedily consuming mine. Of his tongue caressing my tongue. And of his... erection, pressing against me even through all our clothes.
How much time had passed? A day, two, or an entire eternity?
It seemed to me that I would never feel him against me again.
But even after everything I had done, he still wanted me.
Desired me...
The car came to a smooth stop, and I noticed that we were at his building, beside his private apartment.
Theron stopped and, breathing heavily, looked at me with disappointment.
"I have some work to do, so we'll stay at my place tonight. If you want, I can have someone pick up your things."
The thought of his guards going through my clothes immediately repelled me. I shook my head.
"I'll find something to change into." I smiled and climbed off him.
Theron got out and, no matter how much it hurt him, held the door and extended his hand to me. Trying not to lean on him, I jumped out of the car.
His apartment was exactly as I remembered it.
Theron helped me take off my outerwear, waited until I removed my boots, and led me into the bedroom.
"Take a shower. Dinner will be ready soon. I need to take care of a few matters."
He gave me a brief kiss and left.
I already knew this place, so I quickly found the salt I was looking for and began running the bath. On the little table beside the shower, I noticed numerous ointments, bandages, and capsules with syringes. Painkillers.
I knew that even through a bulletproof vest, bullets could break ribs and leave hematomas. And he had taken two shots.
I put on a robe and went looking for Theron.
He turned out to be in his study, talking to someone on the phone. As usual, I wandered around detachedly, not listening to his conversation, and let my eyes roam over the books on the shelves.
"Did something happen?"
I heard his calm, slightly low voice behind me.
I immediately turned toward him.
"I thought that because of the pain, it was probably difficult for you to wash yourself properly. So I came to invite you to..." I choked on my words, slightly embarrassed. "I came to get you so I could bathe you..."
I said it uncertainly and awkwardly.
And for the first time in a long while, a smile touched his lips.
"I'm serious. I know how badly you're injured, and I saw..."
I faltered again. Conversations like these were not something I was accustomed to. Nor were we.
As a rule, we silently did what we were accustomed to doing. What we wanted. And everything in silence.
"Painkillers. You took two shots for me. Because of me. So washing you is the least I can offer as compensation."
Theron's arms encircled me.
"I chose to do it myself. So don't think that this is your fault. You didn't ask me to, and you didn't force me to do it. It was my choice. And considering that you went there alone so stupidly, without telling anyone..."
He fell silent, and I felt him tighten his hold around my waist.
"I thought that when I found you and you were still alive, I would kill you myself so I wouldn't have to suffer like that anymore. Or put you on a chain. Like a dog. You'd always be at my feet."
Theron leaned down and kissed the crown of my head. He paused for a moment.
"For these feelings, I will never forgive you. You will apologize for this for the rest of your life."
Even though he was saying something so absurd, I could feel the care in his hands and movements.
"We won't destroy each other," he chuckled. "You will destroy me."
I raised my head and looked into his beautiful eyes. At his alluring smile.
I could not help myself and kissed him again. Only this time, more calmly and slowly.
Theron immediately returned the kiss, but already more fiercely, more passionately. He pressed me against the shelves with his body.
His hands opened my robe. One of them gently squeezed my breast while his tongue took possession of my mouth. And it was exactly that—a conquest, complete and unconditional control.
I moaned when his hand released my breast and moved between my thighs. His fingers caressed my loins, and every movement made me arch toward him.
I could barely control myself. The pleasure of his touch overwhelmed me.
Reaching his belt, I unfastened it. Then the button, the zipper. My hand finally managed to free his heated cock and weakly squeeze it in my palm.
Theron jerked and abruptly lifted me. Without thinking, I wrapped my legs around his hips.
But then I remembered his injury.
"Theron..." I tried to reach him through his kiss.
"No," he cut me off immediately.
His cock rubbed against my clitoris, not allowing me to concentrate on my protest.
"I want to feel you. I want to feel that you are mine. That you are still alive. That you are in my hands..."
With one sharp movement, he entered me completely, and I moaned from the rush of sensations.
His thrusts were unusually rough and sharp. But his hands held me carefully despite all the pain he was feeling.
Again and again, his hips pushed me against the wardrobe. He filled me completely.
But it seemed not enough to me.
He was not enough for me.
My moans of pleasure broke free with every one of his thrusts. His movements grew faster, his grip stronger. Everything inside me was building, and I did not want it to end.
Just like him, I wanted to feel him. I wanted to feel that he was mine.
And I was his.
Just as it had been...
One more thrust—and an orgasm swept over me with furious force.
"Theron!" I cried out his name, tightening my grip around his hips and embracing him around the neck.
I could not control my body.
"Fuck... You squeezed me so tight..." Theron rasped.
One more thrust, and his orgasmic moan broke free right beside my ear.
I squeezed him with my thighs, while he pressed me against the wardrobe. We were like an intertwining of branches that did not want to let each other go.
It took us about two minutes to come to our senses.
Theron pressed his forehead against mine and breathed heavily.
"Theron, let go. Your wounds..." I patted him on the shoulder.
He smirked, but pulled out of me and lowered me to the floor.
I looked at him—all disheveled, with his trousers unfastened. The traces of our intimacy were still visible on his cock.
It was so sexy.
I wanted to take everything off him and...
What are you thinking, Mirey?
I shook my head and, taking him by the hand, led him to the bathroom.
He watched me with a sly smile and, without resisting, followed.
After completely undressing him and removing all the bandages, I led him into the shower. Soaping him up, I could barely restrain my movements so as not to push him toward sex again.
But the bruises on his back quickly brought me back to my senses.
"Turn it colder," Theron unexpectedly asked.
But the water was not hot to begin with.
I began rinsing the soap off him and, touching his chest, realized that he was burning all over.
Oh, shit.
Theron stood there with his eyes half-closed. I immediately turned off the water and began drying him. He did not resist me at all, and I prayed that he would not fall. I would not be able to drag him to the bed alone.
After dressing him in a robe, I immediately led him to the bedroom. He collapsed onto it like a stone and immediately passed out.
Shit. Shit. Shit...
I returned to my jacket, found my phone, and immediately dialed Ostin.
For a moment, it seemed to me that he would not answer.
But the ringing stopped. I glanced at the screen. Time was passing.
"Theron has a fever," I calmly informed him, waiting for an answer.
"How long?"
Surprisingly, he answered just as calmly.
"I was washing him, and he suddenly became feverish. I led him to bed, and he seems to be sleeping."
I headed for the kitchen. Dinner was already laid out on the table, but right now I was interested only in the first-aid kit.
"Does he have anything for reducing a fever at home?" I asked, looking around.
"No. Wait. I'll be there soon with Ame. Make him a cold compress for now."
Ostin immediately hung up.
I returned to the bathroom, took a small towel, and did everything Ostin had instructed.
Theron lay still, but his entire body was sweating and burning.
About twenty minutes passed before Ostin and Ame arrived. They immediately went into the bedroom, and she began setting up an IV and checking his condition.
"Did he do anything specific before the fever came up? Maybe drink alcohol or something else?" Ame began her interrogation without looking at me.
"Well, we..." I hesitated slightly. "We had sex. Does that count as something special?"
"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Ostin said in utter dismay.
Ame merely giggled and continued connecting the IV.
Strangely enough, Ostin said nothing else, only watching as Ame finished all the procedures.
"Let him sleep it off, and no physical activity. He needs to recover. Nothing serious happened." She winked at me and left.
Ostin still remained and, approaching Theron, checked his condition once more himself.
"How are things with Vel?" I asked, hoping to get at least some information.
Although, perhaps, it sounded ridiculous.
I was still on the list of those who had made a deal with the number-one enemy.
"Theron took care of everything." To my surprise, Ostin answered calmly.
"How?" I took another step forward, trying to draw more out of him.
"The old tried-and-tested way."
Ostin was still standing there, without taking his eyes off Theron.
"I don't understand."
"He held out until the very end. Even because of Amy, he had not planned to return to mafia methods. But when it came to you, without hesitation, he tortured him almost to death until he gave up everything himself."
He had broken his word because of me again.
First my stepfather. Then Vel.
"You're, in my opinion, the only one who doesn't take me seriously or see me as a threat," Theron whispered.
He opened his eyes slightly and nodded at Ostin. Ostin nodded back.
"And what about the clan and the companies?" There were too many questions after everything that had happened.
"The cleanup has quietly begun," Ostin commented.
"Everyone who played along with Amy and tried to take over the entire business will pay according to the clan's rules," Theron added again.
He patted the space beside him, inviting me to sit.
I accepted the invitation and sat down beside him.
He took my hand in his.
"And Liana and Dave?" I reminded him.
Theron closed his eyes.
"Liana admitted that after Theron ended their partnership, she immediately received an offer from Amy and followed her plan: to gain the clan's trust and, together with Dave, lure as many people as possible over to Amy's side. They were involved in absolutely everything, except the agents. Even they did not know that Amy had contacted them as well."
"And what will happen to them?"
As soon as I asked the question, Theron's hand trembled.
"Dave and her will be judged by the clan's laws as well," Ostin exhaled heavily. "And unfortunately, by the clan's old laws."
"I'm sorry."
I understood that Theron had lost his brother and the person he had trusted...
I tried my utmost not to remember that he had slept with her.
"No," Theron answered calmly without opening his eyes. "It was my decision, and I do not regret it. And you shouldn't either."
"Will you finally tell me what you were doing in the FBI?" And right then, Ostin's calm voice sharpened.
"I made a deal with them," I answered immediately.
I had wanted to tell everything for so long.
Theron slightly tightened his grip on my hand, urging me to continue.
"In exchange for Amy admitting to the murder of the agents, they will close the case concerning my stepfather's murder," I blurted out as quickly as possible so I could finally free myself from this burden.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Theron asked calmly.
"I... Everything happened so suddenly. Derek, her message, the agents, and Vel. I acted overconfidently and... you killed him because of me. I only wanted to repay in kind. To protect you. But, as always, everything went completely to hell."
"I'll leave you two," Ostin interrupted me suddenly and walked out.
Theron pulled me by the hand, and I lay down beside him.
"Say it again," he whispered.
"Say what?" I looked at him questioningly.
"That you love me to the point of losing your mind," he smirked.
"I love you. And I want to see our future together."
And it was the truth.
I wanted to see our future. I no longer wanted to get rid of everything in my life. I wanted to live.
And I wanted to live beside Theron.
Theron brought my hand to his chest.
"Thank you."