REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 101 – 110
CHAPTER 103 & 104.
AWAKEN.
Hours passed, and as the first light of dawn broke, Kracus had just finished carefully sewing up and bandaging Tesiera’s injuries.
Bose and Clinton had been right there by his side the whole time, tirelessly helping him as he treated the unconscious Tesiera and stitched up her wound. None of them had taken a moment to rest.
Finally, at the crack of dawn, Kracus was done. With exhaustion weighing him down, Kracus eased himself onto the bed beside Tesiera. He let out a tired sigh, “The hard part is over. I’ll keep an eye on her. You two can get some rest; I know you must be exhausted too.”
Both Bose and Clinton nodded, equally exhausted but still up on their fee. “We’ll be in the next room, boss. If you need anything, just call.” Clinton replied.
Kracus nodded before they left his suite and closed the door.
Kracus stared at the bandaged woman on the bed, watching her labored breathing. He was relieved that he’d chosen to stay at one of his own hotels here in Mexico. It made it convenient to access all the resources he needed to treat Tesiera, and allowed him to come and go as he pleased.
Before embarking on their mission, he had discreetly dismissed the staff responsible for his private route to his floor and suite, he’d informed them of his need for maximum privacy on his next visit. He had also made sure that all security cameras were disabled…and now, he was glad about that because they were able to bring Tesiera upstairs without any sort of eyes on them.
After taking a few minutes to freshen up, Kracus returned to the bedroom. He watched over Tesiera who was heavily sedated, her breathing remained steady.
Fortunately, Raymond had missed hitting any bones. Otherwise, the injuries on her thigh would’ve been much more severe and long-lasting. With proper care, the wound would likely heal, leaving behind only a faint, nearly invisible scar.
At last, Kracus eased into the vacant spot beside Tesiera on the king-sized bed, and drifted into sleep. A few hours later, they bundled her up and boarded his private jet, headed back to New York City.
**************
REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 101 – 110
Tesiera drifted in and out of consciousness for two days. Finally, her eyelids fluttered, and she slowly woke up.
The gentle, filtered light coming through the curtains danced against her closed eyelids. Her body felt heavy, every muscle protested with aches, and her head throbbed persistently. She instinctively reached for her head, trying to make sense of what had happened.
As she glanced around the room, a sense of recognition washed over her. She realized she was in Kracus’s bedroom, not Mexico. Her memory remained fuzzy, but it was gradually returning in fragments.
Flashes of the terrifying events filled her mind, and she fought to quell the panic that threatened to consume her. She remembered the feeling of utter helplessness when she was immobilized and at the mercy of Raymond James, unable to defend herself. It was difficult to believe how close she had come to dying at the hands of that man.
But Kracus had saved her.
She recalled how he had held her, shielding her from harm and reassuring her that everything would be okay. Even in her paralyzed state, the sight of him in that suite had an immediate calming effect on her.
In all her life, Tesiera had never felt such a profound sense of security as she’d had in his protective embrace that night.
With effort, she tried to push herself into a sitting position, wincing as pain shot through her body. However, the simple act of being able to control her muscles once more brought immense relief. She propped herself up on her elbows and took a deep breath.
Just as she began to gather her thoughts, she heard footsteps approaching the room.
The door creaked open, and Bose entered. His eyes widened with surprise as he saw her awake. “You’re awake.” He said, his tone carrying a note of genuine concern.
Tesiera couldn’t be sure if it was due to the haziness or not, but she thought she detected a true sense of worry in Bose’s voice. It was disorienting.
“Stay right there; I’ll go get the others,” he reassured her before leaving the room. Before she could utter a word, the door closed once more, and footsteps faded away.
Tesiera’s gaze landed on her bandaged thighs; Kracus must have stitched her up. She attempted the move the leg, not even surprised when shit hurt like hell. Just a new battle scar to add to the tons, she thought mirthlessly.
The sound of several thuds reached her ears before the door swung open again. Clinton, Kracus, and Bose entered the room.
“She’s really awake!” Clinton exclaimed as he rushed over, the big guy halted at the foot of the bed. “You scared the daylights out of us, Tesiera! Don’t do that again.”
“How long was I out?” Tesiera whispered, her voice came out hoarse.
“Two days,” Kracus replied, his gaze carefully assessing her. “You’ve been drifting in and out of consciousness.”
“What happened with Raymond James? Did he get away?”
Bose snorted, from where he stood. “Get away? Not in a million years.I gutted him like a pig and I enjoyed every moment of it.” He puffed out with satisfaction.
Relief washed over her. She regretted not being able to deal with him herself, but she was glad the bastard was dead. Raymond James was so lucky she didn’t get her hands on him.
“Thank you. All of you.” Tesiera said, genuinely.
Clinton shook his head, “You don’t need to thank us. You had no idea how much fun we had.”
“How are you feeling?” Kracus spoke for the first time then. His voice held genuine concern, causing her heart to flutter.
Tesiera allowed her gaze to settle on him.
“Like I’ve been run over by a truck,” she admitted, managing a weak smile.
Kracus’s expression softened. “That’s to be expected. You’ll start feeling better with time.”
Bose glanced between them for a moment, then grabbed Clinton by the shoulder. “Come on, Clint, let’s go.”
“Hey! But we just got here,” Clinton protested, giving Bose an annoyed look. “We still need to ask her what it was like standing at death’s door looking all pretty like that.”
“Later. Let’s go,” Bose gestured toward the exit, staring meaningfully at Clinton, and extending his eyes to Kracus and Tesiera.
Clinton finally caught on to the mood in the room. “Oh, yes, of course. We should leave. It’s good to see you awake again, Tesiera.” He hurried out, grinning at her, while Bose practically dragged him out in a hurry as if to stop Clinton from further embarrassing himself.
Clinton shot a frustrated glare at Bose as the door shot firmly behind them.
Kracus and Tesiera found themselves in a momentary standstill, their eyes locked in a profound connection that seemed to transcend words. The echoes of the closing door faded into the background, leaving them alone in the quiet intimacy of the room.
With deliberate steps, Kracus closed the gap between them, and his arms enveloped her in a comforting hug. A gentle but firm embrace that conveyed both relief and care.
“I’m relieved to see you’re okay,” he whispered, his breath warm against her ear.
Tesiera didn’t let herself think, she practically melted against him. She slowly raised her arms, and wrapped them behind his back, resting her cheek against his neck. The rhythmic beat of his heart filled her with calmness. His presence, solid and comforting, seemed to fill whatever void she had inside her.
“Thank you for everything,” she whispered.
Kracus simply shook his head, a soft smile curving his lips. His fingers gently traced comforting patterns on her back. “No need to thank me. I’m just grateful I was there, grateful I could be of help.” he murmured as he pressed a kiss against her hair.
“I’m grateful you were there too,” she replied, realizing it was the truth. She felt a deep sense of gratitude that he, along with Bose and Clinton, had been there to save her. Tesiera knew she would have lost her life if not for them, especially him. “Thank you for being there.”
“You scared me,” he admitted out loud. His arms around her tightened, “I thought I lost you, Tesiera.”
“I’m not that easy to kill, doc.”
“No, you’re not.” He agreed with a smile.
In the ensuing silence, Tesiera let go of her thoughts and allowed his comforting embrace to envelop her. Eventually, he pulled away, leaving her with a sense of loss.
“What happened afterward?” she asked.
“We made our escape, I patched you up, and we returned here. The news about Raymond’s death has made headlines, but they’re keeping the details under wraps. They’re burying it so, Big Cat did his job well,” he explained.
Tesiera nodded, unsurprised. There was no case the Mafia Godfather who’d raised her couldn’t bury. No body he couldn’t hide. “How are my injuries, doc? Is my leg permanently damaged?”
He shook his head, “The knife wound will leave a scar, and as for your ankle, you’ll need to give it some rest. If we follow the treatment plan, it should heal in a couple of weeks.”
Shit. Just as she’d expected. She hated being off her feet, but she was grateful that her injuries weren’t fatal. Serious, yes, but not fatal.
Fuck you, Raymond. It looks like I won after all. May your soul rot in hell. As for you, Jaden Newman, I’m coming for you.
“Hey,” Kracus gently crouched down to meet her gaze, concern evident in his eyes, “What’s on your mind? Whatever it is, it’s clearly got you so riled up, your fists are clenched.”
Tesiera hesitated. She had always been accustomed to keeping her thoughts to herself, but now, she found herself effortlessly opening up to him. “It’s Jaden Newman,” she confessed.
“The leader?” His face softened with understanding, and he reached out to caress her cheek. “Darling, you don’t need to carry that burden right now. We’ll deal with him much later. Right now, focus on healing and getting back to full strength.”
A hint of a wry smile crossed Tesiera’s lips, “Oh, I’m very much interested in making a complete recovery. I’m not about to go after that maniac in my current state, but when I fully recover, all bets are off.”
Kracus nodded, and straightened to this full height. Then, he hesitated, “Even though Kira, the forensic nurse I called over to examine you, found no physical evidence of sexual assault, I still need to be certain, Siera. Did Raymond…” Kracus dreaded asking that question, fearing the answer.
He didn’t want to imagine how traumatic it would be for her if she had endured being raped by that sonofabitch, especially after all she had been through. The unasked question lingered in the air between them.
“He intended to,” she whispered at last, “He didn’t, but he intended to… afterward.” Tesiera hated thinking about it, as it brought back the overwhelming sense of helplessness she had experienced in that suite.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” Kracus whispered, hugging her tightly again, “I’m so sorry this happened to you, Tesiera.”
Tesiera’s exhaled loudly. “It’s not your fault, doc. Thank you for saving me when you did.”
Kracus shook his head, his voice laden with guilt. “I double-checked every alias we used, and the plan was solid. I don’t know where we went wrong for your cover to be blown like that.”
“It wasn’t you. He knew who I was. It had nothing to do with the aliases. It’s not your fault, Kracus. Raymond James and Jaden Newman stayed in touch all these years, they knew everything about me, and they knew I was coming for them. He intentionally lured me to that suite to kill me after torturing me. It had nothing to do with the aliases or the plan.”
“But how did he know everything about you—”
As Kracus began to ask, the door swung open, and two of his security personnel entered. He recognized them as the ones responsible for the main gate.
“Sir, I’m Miles. There’s a man here requesting entry onto the property. He’s not anyone we know, and his name isn’t on the list of registered visitors—neither permanent nor temporary,” Miles explained.
“Then, send him away,” Kracus instructed.
Miles hesitated.
Kracus looked at him again, “What is it?”
“We tried, but he refused to leave. He said we should get permission from our boss and he’ll wait. If we don’t, he threatened to open fire with his men.” Miles explained.
“Let me see,” Kracus indicated the iPad the man was holding.
The security officer handed it over, and Kracus studied the four men standing by the doors of the parked Range Rover Sentinel outside the main gate. However, his attention was drawn to the older man standing apart from the car, tapping his expensive walking stick on the ground while gazing directly into the camera.
“I don’t know him,” Kracus said, observing an aura of danger around the man. He usually remembered anyone he had met who exuded that kind of presence. “Did you ask his name and reason for visiting?”
“Yes, sir, I did. But he said something strange,” Miles scratched his head. “He mentioned he’s here to see his daughter. His name is Damian Solokov.”
Tesiera, who had reluctantly closed her eyes to nurse her headache while Kracus spoke to the security personnel, bolted upright. “Damn it,” she muttered, taking the iPad from Kracus, glancing at it.
She winced. “That’s Big Cat.” Turning to Kracus, her voice filled with wariness. “What is he doing here?”
“So the Mafia Godfather is standing at my gate with his Mafia soldiers?” Kracus sounded more wary than Tesiera.
“Did someone say Mafia!?” They heard Clinton’s excited voice first before he barged in with Bose. “Hell yeah! Finally, a worthy opponent to fight! Where’s the action happening, boss? Should we get our guns?”
Kracus rolled his eyes, “No one is going to fight, Clinton. Remember, they’re Tesiera’s family.”
“Damn, I forgot.” Clinton’s expression fell.
“Don’t mind Clinton. You know how his brain lags behind his mouth when he gets excited?” Bose said, addressing Tesiera.
Clinton smacked Bose on the back of the head. “Stop it. A guy can dream, can’t he?”
Bose shook his head, disapprovingly. “He’s a lost cause.”
Tesiera’s lips twitched in a small smile; she couldn’t help it.
“Did she just smile!?” Clinton chuckled. “Hell yeah, give us more of that, Torturer. It makes you seem more human and less like a Torturer.”
“With all these,” she gestured to her injuries, her tone flat, “I look more like the Tortured right now. Let’s focus on the task at hand, shall we?”
“The lady just cracked a joke. I didn’t think she had it in her,” Bose remarked, looking surprised but with a small smile on his face.
“It might be all the drugs we gave her,” Kracus joked, also amused.
“It just might be. Are you sure everything’s in order in there, boss? I mean, you were pretty exhausted and sleepy when you were stitching her up. Are you sure you didn’t accidentally sew in a weird pill?” Clinton asked, looking seriously at his boss.
Kracus reached out and smacked him on the back of the head. “Shut up.”
Clinton and Bose burst into laughter. Kracus shook his head at them and instructed Miles to allow Big Cat onto the property. Even after the two security personnel left, Clinton and Bose were still chuckling.
“You two are hopeless,” Kracus sighed.
Tesiera observed them, a contented warmth settling in her chest as she witnessed their familiar easygoing banter and the welcoming ambiance that surrounded her. It was a sensation she had never truly experienced before, a feeling of belonging that was entirely foreign yet undeniably comforting.
Throughout her life, Tesiera was always alone. A solitary figure, never quite fitting in anywhere…never wanting to belong anywhere. But these three had entered her life unexpectedly, they had persistently joined her on her mission, and when her life was in danger, they’d rescued her and killed her target for her.
They didn’t treat her like an outsider or a killer who should be kept at a distance. Instead, they cracked jokes in her presence, made efforts to include her in their conversations, even though she lacked in both humor and talking. It filled her chest with warmth, happiness and feelings she couldn’t begin to identify.
Perhaps, deep down, she had always yearned to belong, to be part of something. She just hadn’t realized it until now.
REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 101 – 110
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