[REBECCA]
I drew in a deep breath, tempted by his proposition. The idea was enticing, but I shook my head, reminding myself of the situation. “No, because that wasn’t the purpose of bringing me here. After you explain everything, perhaps we can adjourn to our room, and you can have your way with me.”
“Hmm…sounds like a reasonable arrangement. Although you might find walking a challenge tomorrow. Does that prospect appeal to you?”
His persuasion was relentless, making it increasingly difficult to resist his allure. Turning within the circle of his arms, I smiled at the unabashed grin on his face. Leaning in, I pressed my lips against his in a deliberate, unhurried kiss before drawing back.
“You can always carry me around. It’s what you do most of the time anyway,” I teased, my voice infused with affection.
“You’ve struck quite the deal, Rebecca Loskutov,” he stated with a note of pride, his preference for using my full name a silent affirmation of our union.
After enduring the tribulations of heartache, I had finally become his in every conceivable sense.
“You’ve been an excellent teacher, Artemy Loskutov,” I replied, embracing the new phase of our shared journey.
Our eyes locked in a profound exchange, the air heavy with a mixture of emotions that danced between us. Our shared smiles, tinged with a touch of silliness, conveyed a deep connection. But as time passed, his adoring gaze shifted from me to the portrait adorning the wall behind, and a subtle shift crossed his countenance-a shadow of pain that rippled through his features.
In response to his changing demeanor, a surge of empathy welled up within me, and I instinctively drew him into a tight embrace, as if hoping to absorb some of the hurt he was feeling. Whispering softly, my words barely more than a breath, I sought to offer solace amidst his anguish. “I’m sorry, Artemy.”
His arms enveloped me in a firm hold, his response a blend of reassurance and understanding. “Don’t apologize, Rebecca. There’s no need for you to carry any apology.”
A quivering hiccup escaped my lips, my emotions teetering on the edge of overtaking me. His unwavering love had always left me rendered speechless, and now, as I held back a soft sob against his chest, I grappled to find my voice.
“It continues to haunt me, Artemy,” my words, laden with vulnerability, found their way through the tears. “The knowledge that my family was the agent of your family’s devastation. I’m still baffled by how you can look at me and not be consumed by resentment. How can you hold love for me, the descendant of the man who took your mother’s life?”
His touch traced soothing patterns along my back, a gesture that conveyed as much comfort as his words did strength. When he spoke, his voice resonated with a quiet authority, a conviction that radiated from within. “It’s not your burden to bear. I refuse to attribute blame to you for this. You question how I can love you? Truth be told, I don’t possess an explicit answer, Rebecca. Love needs no rationale. What I do know is that my existence is intertwined with yours. Your smile, your laughter-they bring me peace. In your presence, I find solace. It’s as simple as that; without you, there is no ‘me’.”
I surrendered to his embrace, enveloped in the cocoon of his affection. The unspoken words between us held as much significance as the spoken ones-love that transcended explanation.
“Curiosity led you to inquire about my reasons for bringing you here,” he remarked, prompting me to nod, my attention undivided.
With a sigh that carried the weight of unspoken emotions, Artemy gently eased our embrace, his fingertips tenderly brushing away the evidence of my tears. “This place, Rebecca, this moment-it signifies a shift. Our turn to grace that wall.”
“The throne is yours to ascend, my Queen. A tradition etched into the legacy of the Loskutov family, spanning generations. For some, the women bear no influence, but within our lineage, our wives reign as queens-our cherished Angels.” He paused, momentarily overcome by the emotions that surged within him.
“In a matter of hours, the photographer will capture our image. By dawn’s light, our portrait shall join those adorning the wall,” Artemy continued, punctuating his declaration with a tender kiss upon my forehead.
“Truly, you are my wife in every sense,” I affirmed, a tremor of sentiment in my voice.
“Yes, my Angel,” his reply was accompanied by a tender smile.
As he turned me around, his presence a warm shield against the world, our gazes settled on the pair of portraits displayed on the wall. “Behold, not just the Queen of the Loskutov family, but a sovereign with dominion over countless souls. Four Russian dynasties and their loyalty belong to you.”
His lips brushed my ear as he shared words meant for only me. “Even the Italians bow before your sovereignty. They kneel at your feet. You command them, Angel. Your stature eclipses them all. I’ve ensured it.”
A tremor coursed through me, his voice imbued with a commanding tenor that stirred my senses. A swallow betrayed my nervousness as I grappled with the weight of his words. “It’s all rather overwhelming, Artemy. Not long ago, I had nothing. Now, it feels like more than I could ever desire.”
“Deserving, Rebecca. You possess everything you are worthy of,” he asserted, his hand tenderly resting upon my burgeoning belly.
A surge of elation swept through me, my eyes fluttering shut as I released a contented sigh. “You’re extraordinary, you know? At times, it feels as though this existence is a dream. And you, unreal-a creation of fantasy.”
His demeanor shifted, a sudden rigidity replacing his previous tenderness. “I’m not a paragon, Rebecca. Far from it. If you knew the depths of my deeds, you might retract your praise.”
Inquisitiveness mingled with concern, and I pivoted within his arms to scrutinize his countenance. “What do you mean?”
With an unflinching gaze, he delivered a stark truth. “I’m a harbinger of death, Rebecca. A killer.”
His revelation hung in the air between us, a precipice awaiting my reaction.
“I understand,” I replied in a hushed tone.
“For years, I’ve taken lives, and I will continue to-for the sake of this family. To safeguard my dominion. And to ensure your safety and the well-being of our children. It’s ingrained in my identity,” he elucidated in a subdued manner.
“I comprehend,” I affirmed.
“No, you don’t truly grasp it, Rebecca. You’re unaware of the depths I’ve plunged into. I’m not a commendable man. I’m a creature of darkness,” he persisted, his gaze reflecting a trace of sorrow. “I’m not worthy of you.”
My hands instinctively found their way to his chest. “Please stop saying that. Just cease, Artemy. The determination of whether you deserve me lies with me. And I say you do. Just as much as I deserve you.”
Artemy managed a brittle chuckle. “So pure, Angel. I’m tempted to preserve that innocence. I’m reluctant to draw you into the abyss that envelops me, yet I cannot release you either.”
“Artemy-” I started, but he shook his head, intercepting my words.
“If I were a virtuous man, I would have released you to lead a wholesome life. Not ensnared you in my world,” he reflected, a pang of regret lacing his words.
“But this is my choice. I opted to stay by your side. I chose you,” I retorted with quick resolve. His perspective had taken an irrational twist.
Artemy’s hand lifted, cradling my face. His thumb trailed the delicate skin beneath my eye, drifting along my cheek. “I’m no superior to your father or Raffaele. You’ve fallen in love with the very essence of darkness.”
My eyes widened, my lips parting in astonishment. “You don’t mean that. Stop it!” I protested. “Never equate yourself with them. Do you understand?”
Clutching his lapels, I locked eyes with the man I deeply loved. How dare he liken himself to their malevolence?
“Allow me a query, Artemy. Have you ever forced yourself upon a woman against her will? Have you ever inflicted harm upon a woman? Violated her until she lay unconscious, immobile? Assaulted her while she carried another man’s child? Have you ever shackled a woman to a wall, subjecting her to torment… lashing her until her tears birthed sickness?” I inquired, fueled by ferocity.
Before he could respond, I pressed on. “Raffaele subjected me to all those horrors and more. I discern the divergence between virtue and malevolence. You might wield death, but you carry virtue.”
Tears streamed freely down my cheeks. I yearned for Artemy to trust me, to believe in my perception.
Grasping his cheeks, I rose onto my tiptoes, narrowing the gap between our faces. Our lips hovered inches apart. “You claim to have ensnared me. Yet, tell me, if I ever yearn to depart… if I ever opt to carry our daughter away from this realm, will you release me? What if I can no longer abide within this estate… or beside you? Should I decide to depart, would you permit it?”
He drew in a startled breath, his countenance etched with torment, as though I had wounded him, wrested his heart from his chest and trampled upon it.
“Even if it shattered me, even if the urge to bind you to our bed were nigh irresistible, I would let you go. Only if it equated to your happiness. But not without a struggle,” he uttered, the words emerging as if wrenched from deep within.
I nodded, already foreknowing his response. I captured his lips, guiding the kiss. I pressed my lips tenderly against his, channeling all my affection into that singular touch.
“And that’s the very divergence between you and Raffaele. You two exist in entirely separate realms, my love,” I whispered against his lips.
His arms enveloped me in an embrace so tight that breathing almost became a challenge. “You won’t depart from me?”
I shook my head. “No, I won’t. It was a mere illustration,” I murmured. His heart quickened against mine, and I soothingly rubbed his chest.
“Never conflate yourself with them. I’m aware you’ve claimed lives, and I acknowledge that you’ll continue to do so. It doesn’t intimidate me. Because I know, ultimately, when you return to our haven, you’ll enfold me in your arms and express your love in the most tender way,” I continued softly, my lips now grazing his chest, over his heart that beat with fervor.
“Always,” he vowed.
I smiled. “Precisely.”
“I’ve committed atrocious acts, Rebecca, but my affection for you is unwavering,” he admitted.
“How atrocious? Tell me,” I demanded.
“I nearly snuffed out a man’s life before his wife and daughter. I subjected them to the spectacle as I tormented him. I’ve extinguished more lives than I can enumerate. I silenced Milandro forever,” he paused as my expression flickered with the gruesome imagery.
“I inflicted hours of pain upon him, causing Dalton to bleed relentlessly. I mutilated Dalton by severing his manhood. I subjected them to excruciating torture until their consciousness faded and their breaths became shallow,” Artemy confessed, his head bowed in recollection.
“And I forcefully tore Raffaele’s heart from his chest with nothing but my own bare hands,” he hissed into my ear, a mix of bitterness and intensity. “Is this the kind of narrative you’re seeking, Angel?”
“They were all individuals with malevolent intentions. They earned their fate, Artemy,” I stated with determination.
“Though not every single one was steeped in malevolence,” he countered in a dry tone.
His words caught me off guard, leaving me breathless. “What do you mean?”
Artemy remained silent, his gaze piercing into me. The shock of his statement held me captive. “Have you… ever taken the life of an innocent?”
His unyielding blue eyes bore into mine. “I cannot definitively say. Perhaps. Perhaps not. I do what is imperative for my family. For the empire I’ve built. When I have a goal, a purpose… I pursue it ruthlessly. I seize whatever is necessary, regardless of who stands in my way. Anyone obstructing my path ends up devoid of soul. I fixate on my target, heedless of the havoc I leave behind.”