Dangerous Husbands, Broken Wives [18+]

SEVENTEEN: DINNER IS READY

They had been driving non-stop for twenty minutes when he noticed Dimitri shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Dimitri was the one behind the wheel, taking the couple to a surprise destination for Anastasia. However, Ivan couldn't ignore the fact that his trusted companion kept glancing back and forth between the rearview mirror and the road ahead.

Ivan knew something was off.

"What's wrong?" he asked, trying to keep his calm, not wanting to alarm Ana who was sitting beside him. He could feel her eyes on the side of his face, but he was relieved that she chose to observe without immediately panicking.

Dimitri cleared his throat and broke the news, "I think we're being followed."

That was definitely not good news.

Years of experience had taught Ivan not to overthink or overreact. He needed to stay composed, and that's exactly what he did. "Can we shake them off for a couple of minutes? We need to find a safe place to drop Ana off."

"Marina's place is close by," Dimitri reminded.

Ivan nodded. "That's a good idea. I'll message her right away."

"What's happening?" Ana's voice sounded worried and slightly confused. "Who's following us? What's going on? Are we in danger?"

Ivan knew better than to reveal his own concerns, as it could only increase her anxiety. Instead, he smiled at her, gently cupping her face and giving her a reassuring kiss on the lips. "Not you, malysh. I'll never let anything harm you." He kissed her forehead before locking eyes with her. "Do you trust me?"

Ana swallowed but nodded nonetheless.

Ivan's heart swelled at her gesture. "Good. I'm going to drop you off at my sister's place. When you get there, go straight inside the building and don't look back. Marina will come and get you. Once I take care of this situation, I'll come back to pick you up. Do you understand?"

"But I've never met your sister," she spoke softly. "I didn't even know you had a sister."

"Everything will be revealed in due time, malysh. For now, just trust me and do as I say, alright?"

[IVAN]

"You know why you're here, don't you?" I ask, eyes easy and relaxed on the man sitting in front of me.

Nikolai Belyaev is bound to a chair, his once handsome face now battered and bruised. His lower lip is split, and a trickle of blood runs down the side of his face. With the frigid winds blowing outside the warehouse, the chill permeates the room. It's a well-known fact that winter amplifies pain tenfold, and I can only imagine how much agony Nikolai must be enduring at this moment, and how much more he can withstand before begging for mercy.

But Belyaev is one tough son of a bitch. His pain tolerance has always been a goddamn mystery to me. This isn't the first time we've been face-to-face like this. We've done this dance before. And I have to admit, he bounced back surprisingly quickly and remarkably well after the beating he took last time.