Chapter 55
Killian Volkov
“You don’t deserve the truth” she said and turned around, walking away.
I watched her storm away from me, my anger boiling over with every step she took. Her blunt refusal to answer my questions had set off something primal inside me–something Leouldn’t control.
How dare she walk away?
How dare she defy me?
Rage surged through my veins, hot and furious, blinding me to everything else. The way she had looked at me, with that fiery anger and hatred, had only fueled the fire. She didn’t get to dismiss me like that–not after everything she did. Not when the answers I needed were so close yet just out of reach.
In a blur of motion, I reached out, grabbing her arm and yanking her back towards me. Before she could protest, I spun her around and slammed her back against the wall beside us, my body pinning hers in place. The force of it knocked the breath out of her, and she gasped, her eyes wide with shock.
I caged her in, my hands pressed flat against the wall on either side of her. She looked up at me, her eyes glowing with a mixture of anger and hatred. Those pretty eyes of hers, which had once been so full of warmth, were now hard and cold, and it made my chest tighten. I didn’t want to acknowledge it.
Her jaw clenched and unclenched as she stared at me, hate written all over her face. The tension between us crackled like electricity, and the air was thick with the weight of all the words left unspoken and all the feelings left unresolved.
“You’re not going anywhere,” I growled, my voice low and menacing. “Not until you answer my question.”
Her scent filled my nose, wrapping around me like a vice and shaking me to my core. It was intoxicating, making my head spin with a mix of emotions I couldn’t name. Anger. Frustration. Desire. The combination of it all was overwhelming–a storm raging inside me, tearing me apart from the inside out.
But she just glared at me, her eyes burning with the same fury that I felt coursing through my own veins. “I won’t answer your questions, Killian,” she spat, her voice sharp and unyielding.
“You will,” I insisted, my voice trembling with the effort to keep my emotions in check.
She shook her head, her expression hardening. “You rejected me and divorced me, Killian. So why do you care about my kids?”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I had rejected her, hadn’t I? I had pushed her away, convinced myself that she was nothing but a traitor, a liar, and a murderer. But the truth was far more complicated than that. No matter how much I wanted to hate her and erase her from my life, I couldn’t deny the bond that still existed between us.
“I can still feel the bond,” I admitted, my voice rough and raw. It was a truth I had fought against for so long, a truth that I had buried deep down inside me, but it was a truth, none the less.
Adeline’s eyes flickered with something–surprise, maybe, or perhaps something deeper, something I wasn’t sure I wanted to acknowledge. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by that same cold, unyielding expression.
“Then let me make it easier for you,” she said, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife. “I’ll accept your rejection properly this time.”
The words hung in the air between us, heavy and final. I knew what she was about to do and what accepting my rejection would mean, and the thought of it sent a wave of panic through me.
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“I, Adeline West
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Before she could say another word, I grabbed her face, my hands rough and desperate, and slammed my lips against hers. Knocking the breath off her lungs.
Damn, she tasted divine.
The moment our lips collided, it was like the world around us ceased to exist. The anger, the hatred–everything melted away, replaced by a fire that burned hotter than anything I’d ever felt before. Her taste was so good–a mix of sweetness and spice that sent a jolt of electricity through my entire body.
She stiffened in my arms, her handeshing against my chest as if to shove me away, but I didn’t let her. I couldn’t. The feel of her against me, the warmth of her body, the way her scent filled my senses–it was too much, too overwhelming to resist. My grip on her tightened, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss, as if I could erase all the years of hatred and betrayal with this one desperate act.
She started pushing against me, her hands pressing against my chest, trying to break free. But I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to stop. I grabbed her hands, forcing them above her head and pinning them against the wall. My other hand went to her back, pulling her body flush against mine as I kissed her with all the desperation of a man who had starved for years.
But Adeline didn’t give in. She struggled and fought against me with everything she had. Her body twisted and turned, her muffled protests vibrating against my lips, but I held on, refusing to let her go. The more she fought, the more desperate I became, my need for her turning into a wild, uncontrollable force.
hands slipped from my grip, and before I could react, she But then, with one final, powerful shove, she broke free. He pushed me away with all her might. I stumbled back, my mind still clouded by the intoxicating taste of her and the feel of her soft skin beneath my hands.
And then she slapped me.
The sound of her palm connecting with my cheek echoed in the night—a sharp, stinging pain that barely registered in my mind. I stood there, stunned, as the shock of her rejection slowly seeped into my bones. But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think. All I could do was stare at her, my mind still reeling from the kiss, her taste lingering on my lips like a drug I couldn’t shake.
“Don’t you ever touch me like that again!” she yelled, her voice trembling with fury. Her chest heaved with the effort of pushing me away, her eyes blazing with anger and something else–something that made my heart twist in my chest.
I watched her as she turned and walked away, her back rigid with tension. I should have stopped her. I should have grabbed her, pulled her back into my arms, and kissed her until she finally gave in to the desire that burned between us. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I stood there, rooted to the spot, as she disappeared into the darkness.
The taste of her was still on my lips, a bitter reminder of what I’d done. My heart pounded in my chest, and my mind was racing with thoughts I didn’t want to acknowledge. Anger and disappointment clawed at my insides, tearing me apart from the inside out.
How could I let this happen?
How could I lose control like that?
But even as I berated myself, I couldn’t shake the feeling of her body against mine–the way she tasted, the way she felt. It was all wrong, but at the same time, it felt so right. I wanted her I needed her–but I couldn’t have her.
Not like this. Not after everything that happened.
Iclenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I fought to regain control. But the anger, the disappointment—it was too much. I wanted to scream, to hit something, to do anything to rid myself of this overwhelming need for her.
But instead, I stood there in the darkness, alone with my thoughts and the bitter taste of regret on my tongue. I had crossed
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Chapter 55
a line, a line I couldn’t uncross, and now there was no going back. What had I done?
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I replayed the scene in my mind–the look in her eyes when she pushed me away, the way her voice shook with anger. But what was worse was the way I felt–the way my body still
Craved hers.
I hated it.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I was supposed to hate her, supposed to make her pay for everything she’d done. But instead, all I could think about the way she tasted and the way her body felt against
mine.
Wa
Damn it.
I needed to get a grip. I needed to control myself. But how could I, when every part of me was screaming to go after her, to pull her back into my arms and never let go?
But I couldn’t. Not now. Not after what I’d done.
With a deep, shuddering breath, I forced myself to turn away and walk back to my car. But even as I did, the anger and disappointment continued to claw at me, tearing me apart from the inside out. I had lost control, and now I had to deal with the fallout.
As I drove away, the silence of the night was deafening, and I couldn’t shake the image of her walking away from me, her back straight, her head held high. But I knew one thing for certain: I wasn’t going to give up.
Not yet.
Not until I had answers.
Not until I knew the truth.
