Chapter 38
“Did you think you could just get rid of me? Did you think I would just walk away after what you did?” Marcus asked with a crazed look in his eye as he stepped inside Devyn’s apartment, causing her to step back. He closed and locked the door behind him. Devyn eyed him and felt her stomach muscles tighten with fear when she heard the “click” of the lock.
“M-marcus, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t done anything to you,” she attempted to remain calm even as everything inside her shook with fear.
“Bullshit!” He sneered.
“You and that hotshot boyfriend of yours think you can take my job away from me and have me arrested?! Do you know what it’s like for a police officer to go to jail? Do you know how those thugs and criminals dared to look at me?? As if I was one of them. Fuck that! Somebody needs to pay for humiliating me like that!”
Devyn looked in his eye and saw the pure malice he had for her. He really blamed her for his troubles. Even after all this time, all he had done to her, he failed to take responsibility for his part in his own downfall.
“Marcus none of that is my fault. You were the one who illegally ta–.” The backhand smack caused Devyn’s mouth to snap shut, as she fell to the floor from the impact of his second smack. The pain radiated up from the bottom of the side of her face to the top of her head. She remained on the floor as she brought a trembling hand to hold the side of her face. Her vision blurred as her eyes watered from the pain. Devyn cowered into the floor even more as Marcus pointed the gun directly at her face.
“Watch your fucking mouth, bitch. You’re lucky I let you live this long. I’ve been watching you for days. I could have taken you out on your way to work or been waiting for you inside your apartment when you got home. I’ve been generous, but my generosity is over. Get up!” He commanded as he used his free hand to pull her to stand by her throat.
He pushed her into the wall behind her and his grip tightened around her neck. Devyn tried to grip his arm to loosen his grip in some way but she was powerless. She could feel him toying with her as he squeezed and loosened his grip, in a show of how much control he held over her life.
“What’s the matter? You used to like it when I choked you in bed,” he taunted her.
“Tell me does your white boy give it to you like I did? I bet he doesn’t. I bet he doesn’t bend you on all fours and make you beg for it like I used to,” Devyn closed her eyes as her stomach rumbled in disgust at his words and the memories he brought up.
Marcus moved closer to her to whisper in her ear.
“Maybe I’ll fuck you before I kill you, for old times’ sake. Make you beg for it one last time.” His evil laughter caused Devyn’s stomach to roil one more time. She looked into his eyes and knew he meant every word of what he just said.
“Maybe–…” His whisper was cut off by a loud knock at the door.
“Devyn, baby, open up. It’s me.” A fresh wave of tears hit Devyn’s eyes at the sound of Nikola’s voice. She closed her eyes wishing she could run into his arms and have him tell her everything was okay, that it was just a nightmare; a figment of her imagination and Marcus wasn’t really holding a gun to her with his hand around her neck.
Marcus lowered the gun and whispered, “Get rid of him. If I even fucking think you’re trying to warn him that I’m here, I will kill you and then I will kill him,” he removed his hand from her throat and Devyn gasped for a full breath of air.
“Shut up.” Marcus whispered angrily as he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her closer to the door.
Another knock sounded at the door, harder this time. “Devyn I know you’re here. I saw your car in the parking lot,” Devyn picked up on a hint of worry in Nikola’s voice.
“Nik, I really don’t want to talk to you. Please go,” Devyn said pressing her hand on the door, and keeping her gaze downward.
He was silent for a few moments. “Devyn, baby I really need to see you. I left New York early to see you. Please, just open the door.” Devyn’s heart ached at the pleading she heard in his voice.
“Nik, just go–.”
“Not until I see you.” Nikola demanded. Marcus, growing impatient jammed the gun in her face and mouthed, “Get rid of him, now!”
The look of impatience and anger she saw on Marcus’ face let her know he would make good on his promise.
Devyn closed her eyes and prayed that if she made it out of this alive, Nikola would forgive her for the words she was about to say.
“Nik, I don’t want to see you. I don’t want or need to be in a relationship with you. You’re too controlling, too manipulative and I don’t need that in my life. That may have worked for your parents, but I’m not your mother. Now leave!” She said with all the force she could muster. Her heartbeat sped up as she waited for his response.
There was no response for long moments. Her body began trembling with fear and worry. She hoped Nikola didn’t believe what she’d just said, but part of her needed him to believe, so Marcus wouldn’t hurt him.
“If that’s how you want it. Fine. I don’t need this shit.” Devyn felt a fresh wave of nausea at his words. Her heart sank as she heard him move away from the door and walk back down the hallway. She looked at Marcus to see a sick look of satisfaction. He gained pleasure from seeing her in pain. He grabbed her arm tightly and began pushing her down the hall to her bedroom. He laughed.
“Did you see how easily he gave up? I told you no one like that would ever really want you. Why would he? He’s got loads of supermodels, actresses and socialites just lined up to fuck him. What would he want with an overweight administrative assistant? He probably…”
Devyn was hardly listening as Marcus continued to taunt her as they entered her bedroom. The fear she felt only moments before began to turn to white hot anger.
She grew angry as she replayed the many times Marcus called her ugly names and mocked her for not being skinny enough. She thought about the moment she walked in on him in bed with another woman, and his angry tirade blaming her for his cheating. She hated him for making her say those horrible words to the man she loved. She grew irate at the knowledge that even after five years of beating down her self-esteem and self-worth, it wasn’t enough.
After secretly video recording their sex life and threatening to release it for the whole world to see, he still wanted more. He was trying to take her very life.
Devyn’s anger rushed over her like a tidal wave. Devyn embraced her anger. Propelled by her fury, Devyn spun around, and with the precision and form she learned in her kickboxing class, she punched Marcus, where she knew it would inflict the most physical pain. Marcus howled in pain, and lost his grip on the gun.
Devyn barely registered the thump as the gun hit the floor. Marcus bent over at the waist, cupping his penis in obvious agony. Devyn wasted no time, as she clapped the sides of his head with all her strength, and brought her knee up to knee him in the face. A second howl rang from Marcus, as blood began to pour from his nose and he fell to the floor. Devyn wasn’t done.
She was too full of rage to recognize he was no longer a serious threat. She kicked Marcus in his side as hard as she could in her sneakered foot. She stomped on the hand that still covered his penis and he writhed in pain on the floor. She kicked and stomped him over and over, as she thought about his taunting words and his threats. She kicked him for the fear and disgust she felt at finding out about the pictures and video he had of her. She kicked him for the violation she felt at having her privacy invaded by someone who once claimed to love her.
Devyn was in such a rage that she didn’t even notice when her apartment door slammed open.
Chapter 39
Nikola was shocked at the scene that greeted him when he and Raul entered Devyn’s bedroom. In front of him was one pissed off woman kicking the ever-loving shit out of her ex-boyfriend.
When Nikola arrived at Devyn’s apartment, he was slightly relieved to see her car in the parking lot. Hoping he was
n’t too late, he entered Devyn’s building and headed straight to her apartment. When he knocked on her door and he heard her refusal to see him, he knew something was wrong. He played along to try and nullify Marcus, who he suspected was inside with Devyn. He walked away and pulled out his cell phone to text Raul.
He’s inside.
As soon as he got the text, Raul sent his two men around the perimeter of the building just in case Marcus tried to escape out a side door. He then rushed up to Devyn’s floor, joining Nikola. They contemplated picking the lock or another way they could get inside. It was when they heard the first yell that Nikola took matters into his own hands and kicked the door in. Pulling out his gun, he and Raul rushed into Devyn’s apartment, following the yelps of obvious pain. Nikola was too far gone to realize it was a man’s screams of pain he was hearing. He just wanted to get to Devyn—to get her away from any sort of danger. To say he was shocked by the scene he found in her bedroom was an understatement.
Nikola saw Raul move to pick up a gun out of the corner of his eye. He assumed it was Marcus’ gun. Raul’s movement spurred him into action.
“Devyn!” He said loudly, trying to bring her out of her enraged state. She delivered another hard stomp to Marcus’ genitals. He smirked.
The bastard was getting what he deserved, and though Nikola preferred to be the one to deliver the ass whooping, he got a sense of relief knowing Devyn was getting her own revenge. But he couldn’t let it continue. He knew Devyn wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she actually caused a life-ending injury. Nikola didn’t have that problem though.
“Devyn, baby!” He grabbed her around her arms, not tightly, just enough to get her attention. When he spun her around to face him, he had to block one of her fists as it flew towards his face. He grabbed her around her wrists and looked into her eyes. They were wild with rage and revenge. He knew that look.
He’d seen that look on many soldiers’ faces when one of their comrades had been killed in battle, or as they fought for their lives with a combatant. He’d never wanted to see that look in the eyes of the woman he loved.
“Devyn, it’s okay. It’s me, baby. It’s okay,” he repeated it over and over again as he rubbed his arms up and down her shoulders. Slowly he felt the tension drain from her body.
“Ni-Nikola,” she said as recognition settled into her eyes, followed by relief.
“H-he tri-tried...”
“Shhh...It’s okay.” He pulled her in for a hug and stroked her back as he felt her tremble. She pulled away.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean those–”
“Don’t. I know you didn’t mean it,” she turned her head to look at Marcus’ still lying on the floor as Raul stood over him. Devyn blinked as if she was just realizing for the first time that Raul was in the room.
“Is he…?” Her words trailed off, not wanting to imagine that she could have killed Marcus in her fit of rage.
“Unfortunately not,” Raul said, a trace of danger in his voice. The same danger she saw in Nikola’s eyes when he looked at the man on the floor.
“Don’t worry about him, come–…”
Devyn jumped as two more big men ran into the room. “Police are on the way,” Nikola tightened his arm around Devyn and had to keep himself from yelling at Raul’s men for scaring her.
“Come on baby, you don’t need to see this,” Nikola said pulling her out of the room and down the hall.
“What are they going to do to him?” She asked fearfully.
“They’ll just hold him until the police arrive,” he said knowing that was only partially true. Devyn looked at him as if trying to figure out if he was telling the truth.
He reached out to caress the side of her face. “They won’t hurt him.”
He looked over the side of her face and could see where her skin was red and starting to swell, for the makings of a sizeable bruise. His eyes trailed down her face to her neck, seeing what appeared to be the outline of a handprint, as if she had been choked. Nikola’s body tightened and his face went rigid with anger. He was poised to go back in her room and finish the job on Marcus she’d started.
Devyn’s hand folded over his stroking hand. “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt that bad.”
Nikola began to roam his hands over the rest of her body to inspect for any other marks or bruises. He needed her to be all right. He felt her stop his prodding hands, just as the police entered her apartment. He nodded his head in the direction of her bedroom for the police to follow Raul back down the hall. Marcus was now coming around, and was moaning that he needed medical attention. Hearing his voice made Devyn jump, and Nikola pulled her out of the apartment, telling the officers they would be able to question her at the hospital. Even as Devyn protested that she didn’t need to go to the hospital or be seen by a doctor, Nikola placed her in his car, texted Raul to meet him at the hospital and drove off.
Chapter 40
Devyn sat in the exam room with a pacing Nikola. He looked like a lion protecting his lioness as they waited for the results of her tests. The side of her face was throbbing, and the beginning of a headache was starting to form, but she didn’t want to alarm Nikola. She could tell he was already on edge.
“I see you got my hint,” she tried to ease his tension.
Nikola walked over to her and placed his forehead on hers and massaged her shoulders.
“You called me Nik,” he smiled.
Devyn once told him she preferred to call him Nikola because it fully captured everything he was, strong, capable, and a leader. To her “Nik” didn’t fully embody all of who he was. He was her “Nikola.” When he heard her refer to him as Nik, he knew something was wrong.
“You returned early,” she looked up at him, questioningly. She knew he was supposed to be in New York at least another two days.
“I needed to see you. I couldn’t wait.” Devyn smiled gratefully, she was glad he couldn’t wait to see her.
“I was on my way over to your condo when…” Devyn’s voice trailed off just as the doctor knocked on the door and entered.
“How you feeling Devyn? Any pain?” Dr. Kozak asked Devyn.
“No, not much. I’m sure it’ll go away with a little bit of sleep and some ice,” she tried to downplay any pain she was in for Nikola’s sake. She was afraid of what he might do if he felt she was in real pain. She wasn’t thankfully. A few bruises weren’t that bad in comparison to what Marcus had actually planned to do. She shivered thinking of what could have happened.
“Good. That’s good. All your tests came back fine and I don’t want to prescribe anything for pain because of the baby, so–…”
“The what!?!” Devyn and Nikola said at the same time. Dr. Kozak looked taken aback by the disbelief she saw on both their faces.
“You didn’t know?” The doctor asked. Nikola looked towards Devyn and she shook her head.
“I had no idea.”
“Have you been feeling tired or run down lately?” Dr. Kozak asked.
“Well, yeah for the past week I’ve been going to bed at 8 o’clock almost every night, and I’ve been having cravings for foods I hardly eat….” She looked up at the doctor as realization sunk in.
She was pregnant with Nikola’s baby. She unconsciously rubbed her stomach, thinking that Marcus could have killed her and her baby.
The news shouldn’t have come as a surprise. They had stopped using protection months ago. It was the first time she’d never used protection with a sexual partner.
“How far along is she, Dr. Kozak?” Nikola asked. Devyn had a hard time gauging his reaction. He had that stony face he put on when he was thinking heavily or conducting business.
“Well, that’s difficult to say without an ultrasou–.”
“We want an ultrasound.” Nikola spoke without giving the doctor a chance to finish her sentence.
“Uh, I would–.”
“Tonight. Now.” Nikola insisted. Devyn grabbed his hand, and looked apologetically at the doctor
. The doctor nodded.
“Sure thing, Mr. Collins. I will have to get someone from gynecology to come down.” Devyn would have told the doctor she’d just make an appointment with her own gynecologist, but she was as anxious as Nikola to find out how far along she was. When the doctor left, Nikola turned to Devyn.
His lips turned up into one of the most dazzling smiles she’d ever seen. He began talking fast.
“I was going to give you a few months to plan, but now that I know you’re pregnant with our baby, I’ll give you six weeks. I’m sure my mother will want to help plan, and we can even fly your sister and mother in to help plan–”
“Wait, Nikola slow down. Plan what? What are you referring to?” She asked confused and still in a state of shock from being attacked and learning she was pregnant in the same night.
“The wedding,” he said as if that was the only logical answer.
“What wedding?”
“Our wedding, of course. We can speak with mother tomorrow, and call your mom first thing in the morning–.” He was talking as he pieced everything together in his own head. Devyn could barely keep up.
“Nikola.” She grabbed his arm to halt his speech. “We don’t have to get married just because I’m pregnant. I mean we need to ta–.”
“Just because you’re pregnant? Is that what you think? That I’m marrying you only because you’re having my child?” He stepped back and dug a hand in the pocket of his jeans. He pulled out a ring box. Stepping closer he held the box for Devyn and slowly opened it. Devyn gasped. Her eyes glossed over with tears.
Inside the box was a beautiful rose gold ring, with two round cut diamonds that flanked either side of the ring. At the center between the two diamonds laid a shining Tahitian black pearl. It was perfect. The tears she’d been holding fell as Nikola removed the ring and placed it on her left ring finger.
“I went to New York for two reasons: one, to finish that damn deal; and two, to stop by the jeweler for a very special order. None of the other rings had the right feel, so I had this one especially made for you. I knew you were the one for me long before tonight. I know I can be controlling and I promise to work on it, but don’t expect me not to do everything in my power to protect you, every day for the rest of our lives. Marry me, my Black Pearl.”
Black Pearl: a BBW, BWWM, Alpha Male romance Page 18
