Chapter 17: Dark Obsession: Chapter 17

I sit on the hospital bed, looking down at the bandages on my arms, trying to process everything Grigori just laid out. After talking to my brothers, he came in and gave me the CliffsNotes version.

His past, the revenge, the fire, the cartel… I’m now stuck in the middle of it all. I catch him staring at my bandages, guilt written all over his face.

‘This isn’t your fault, Grigori.’

His jaw tightens, and I know he’s not buying it. ‘How could it not be?’ he snaps, his voice rough. ‘Those men are trying to kill you because of what I did. Because I went after Molina, and worst of all…’ He trails off, fists clenched, voice dropping lower. ‘I lied to you.’

He pushes up from the chair and walks to the window, staring out like he can find answers there. His back is tense, his whole body coiled up like a spring about to snap. He’s pissed—at himself, mostly.

I push myself off the bed, crossing my arms as I speak. ‘You didn’t lie. You protected me. There’s a difference.’

Grigori’s there in a flash, his hand gently on my arm, stopping me from moving any further. ‘You need to rest.”

I sigh, a little amused. Even now, after everything, he’s still in full-on protector mode. It’s kind of sweet.

‘Okay, fine,’ I say. ‘Then come over here and sit with me.’

He hesitates for a second but then does as I ask, sitting down gingerly on the edge of the bed. I reach out, placing my hand on his shoulder, feeling how solid and strong he feels under my fingers. It’s comforting.

“I didn’t know you’ve been carrying this guilt for so long,” I say softly.

He doesn’t look at me, his gaze still fixed on some invisible point in the room. “I’ve forgotten what it was like not to have it.”

That hits harder than I expected, and I scoot closer, leaning into him, resting my head on his shoulder. There’s something about being close to him, feeling the heat from his body, that calms the storm in my mind. Maybe he’s used to the weight of his past, but I’m not about to let him carry it alone anymore.

I turn to face him, my eyes locking onto his. Those gorgeous eyes, dark and intense, always seeing through me. I glance toward the door—it’s shut. No interruptions.

“I need you,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper but full of heat. “I need your kiss, right now.”

He doesn’t say a word, just leans in and kisses me hard.

The moment his lips crash into mine, I feel the tension leave my body. His mouth moves with that intensity and raw energy that only Grigori has.

It makes my head spin.

The kiss deepens, and I can feel the fire building between us. My body responds instantly, heat pooling low in my belly. I grab his hand and slide it between my thighs, moaning the second his fingers press against me. His touch sends waves of pleasure through me, and I can’t help but arch into him.

I need more. I always need more from him.

As his fingers start working me over, I reach for him, my hand trailing down his chest until I find his hardness. I stroke him through his jeans, feeling him growing harder under my touch.

He wraps his arm around me, pulling me tight against him, his lips brushing against my ear. His voice is rough, low, full of something more than just lust.

‘I was so fucking worried, Elena. When Alexei said you’d been hurt… I thought I might’ve lost you.’

I grab his face, making sure he’s looking right at me. ‘You don’t need to worry about that,’ I tell him, my voice full of assurance. ‘I’m right here in your arms.’

I pull him down into another kiss, our mouths crashing together, every second making me want him more. His weight presses down on me, his body hot and heavy, and I spread my legs, aching for him. He doesn’t make me wait. He presses his cock against my pussy, the pressure sending shivers through me. I need him so badly it hurts, and the second I feel him against me, I moan, my hips grinding up into him, desperate for more.

His hands are everywhere—my waist, my thighs, my breasts—yet I still need more. I squirm beneath him, my body practically begging for him to fuck me.

But then, just when I think he’s about to give me everything I need, he stops.

I blink up at him, breathless, frustrated. “What the hell?”

He looks at me in this strange, unreadable way, his jaw tightening, eyes clouded with something I can’t quite grasp. Then, without warning, he pulls away, gets off the bed, and leaves the room.

No words.

No explanation.

Just… gone.

I lie there, stunned, the warmth of his body still lingering on my skin.

What the hell just happened?

My head spins, trying to make sense of it. I know he’s been feeling conflicted, drowning in guilt, but this? My pussy still throbs with need, and the ache isn’t just physical anymore.

I glance at the closed door. Normally, I’d let him have his space. Let him brood and mope around before coming to his senses. But not this time. There’s too much at stake, too much going on, and I refuse to sit here wondering what the fuck is going through his head.

I hop out of bed, taking a quick second to compose myself, adjusting the hospital gown and running a hand through my hair. No way in hell am I letting this slide.

I step out into the hallway, my eyes scanning for him. And then I spot him—slipping into a room at the end of the corridor. I grit my teeth, determination flaring hot in my chest.

I’m not letting him walk away from this. Not from me.

I follow him, my steps quick and determined, ignoring the concerned look the nurse shoots me as I pass. She probably thinks I should be resting, but honestly, the fact that I’m in this hospital at all feels ridiculous. I’m fine, and I’ve got bigger things to deal with than scratches and bruises.

I reach the door I saw Grigori slip through and step inside, shutting it firmly behind me and locking it for good measure. It’s a conference room. Grigori is standing by the window, hands behind his back, staring out into the rain.

I scoff, half-annoyed, half-amused. “Seriously? You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, standing there with your hands behind your back, staring out at the rain.” He doesn’t turn around. Doesn’t even crack a smartass comment.

Now I’m pissed.

“What the hell, Grigori?” I snap, crossing the room toward him. “What was that back there? Why did you just leave like that?”

He keeps his back to me, his voice low, tense. “It wasn’t right.”

I blink, caught off guard. “What? What wasn’t right?”

He finally turns to face me, his expression dark, his jaw clenched tight. “None of this is right, Elena. What I did. What I’m doing. I shouldn’t have let it get this far.”

I cross my arms, my irritation flaring. ‘What the hell are you talking about?’

‘Everything. Us. You. I can’t. I shouldn’t be with you.”

I walk around the big conference table, not taking my eyes off him for a second. ‘What the hell do you mean, you shouldn’t be with me? That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

He tenses, jaw tight. “Elena, I’m no good for you. A woman like you… your brothers wouldn’t want me anywhere near you, especially now with a target on my back.”

I roll my eyes. If only he knew that Alexei already suspects what’s going on between us. But I’m not about to spill that just yet. “My brothers aren’t my owners, Grigori. I can be with whoever the hell I want. And I want you. You know that. And you know you want me, too.”

“It’s not about what I want. It’s about what’s best for the Bratva, for the family.”

I scoff, narrowing my eyes at him. “That’s a convenient excuse, isn’t it?”

His eyes flash, his expression hardening. “Excuse for what?”

“For how scared you are,” I say, not backing down. “You’re scared, Grigori. Scared of what this could be, of what it already is.”

His silence tells me everything I need to know. He’s terrified, not of the war, not of the bloodshed, but of us, of me.

I don’t hold back. “You opened yourself up to me, and now you’re pulling back because you’re scared of what it means.”

His jaw clenches, eyes hard. “We’re all in danger, Elena. This is no time for romance, for sex, or any of that.”

“I’m not a little girl who needs you making decisions for me,” I snap, refusing to let him off that easy.

He grits his teeth, the tension radiating off him. “It’s not a good idea for me to be involved with the woman I’m supposed to protect. Do you not get that?”

“It’s too damn late for that!” I shout back. “We crossed that line, and we both know there’s no going back. We’ll never be what we were before, Grigori. And you need to accept that. Stop trying to shove everything back into the box you opened. We opened.”

He stays silent, his gaze locked straight ahead, refusing to meet mine. It only fuels my anger. “Say something,” I demand, my voice cutting through the heavy tension between us.

“Just be quiet for a moment,” he says.

I freeze, the audacity of him telling me to be quiet making my blood boil. “Excuse me? How dare you—”

“Elena,” he interrupts, his tone sharp, his eyes still fixed on something outside. He’s not looking at me—he’s staring at something beyond the window.

I turn to see what it is.

“There,” he says. “That car.”

It takes me a second but then I see it. A big van, speeding through the parking lot, weaving in and out of spaces like it’s looking for something—or someone.

The van barrels toward the hospital’s main entrance, picking up speed. It’s going way too fast, and a pit forms in my stomach, twisting tight.

“What’s going on?” I ask, my voice quieter now, though I already know whatever’s happening is bad. Very bad.

Grigori doesn’t respond. Instead, he grabs my hand, his grip tight, and pulls me closer.

The van is aimed straight at the hospital entrance directly below, like it’s about to plow right through.

“Shit,” Grigori mutters, eyes flashing. “Get down!”

Before I can react, he yanks me hard, dragging me over the conference table. In one swift motion, he flips it onto its side, creating a shield between us and the windows.

I barely have time to brace myself before the squeal of tires and the sound of shattering glass, followed by a deafening crash. Screams erupt from the distance, filling the air, then—

Boom.