Her Volkovs #Book 3

Belle's POV

My eyes flicker as I am slowly awakened by small kisses on my forehead. The soft touch of the sunlight is making it hard for me to fully open my eyes to have a clearer picture of what's around me. "My love....."

Said the familiar soft voice. I inhaled and instantly recognize his scent. It's Artan.

I crinkled my eyebrows in confusion. This man was close to being dead last night. How come he's already awake now? I realized that I'm already in his arms all wrapped around him. He is half naked and a bandage is wrapped around his torso.

When the doctor allowed us to be with him last night, I made sure to be on his side but I could not recall lying beside him in bed.

He cupped my face with his palm and looked me in the eyes. He let's out a naughty smile and spoke, his voice still hoarse.

"I should have known getting shot is what it takes to wake up with you like this." He said while gently rubbing his fingers on my face. "Artan...you getting shot is not funny."

I moved to step down the bed but I wasnt able to remove myself completely because he instantly grabbed me.

"You know, my pole is kind of waving its flag right now."

My lips parted in disbelief. "Artan!!!!" Oh my god this man!

I heard someone soft chuckle inside the room. When I looked around, I see Dardan, Besian, and Adnan looking at us all amused. I hit him on his chest which made him wince in pain.

"Ahh.." He muttered.

I squirmed because blood instantly soaked the gauze and bandage on his side.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry Artan."

He just smiled and pulled me even tighter towards him but far fom the side where he got shot.

"Artan you should stop straining yourself."

"I will be forced to strain myself if you move. So just don't move baby."

I decided to stop putting up a fight.

"That's better." He said while planting a kiss near my lips.

My palm landed on his face instantly, but his grin just grew even wider. For a man who got shot and almost died, this one looked the happiest.

Artan signalled his men to come to us while his face is near mine.

"You look a hundred percent Boss. I wonder why." Said Adnan who is looking at the two of us with a smile on his face.

Artan softly chuckled and cocked his head to face Adnan. "Am I? Maybe because of this wonderful drug beside me." Yup the man has completely lost it.

"Boss, we need to talk about what happened." Said Besian.

"Some other time." Artan replied.

"The Russians deserve to answer for this! We will look weak if we let this one pass Boss." Scowled Besian.

"What did I just say Besian?" Artan sounded calm but with enough firmness to cause chills to run down my spine. "But Boss..."

Adnan placed his hand on Besian's shoulder as if telling him to stop pushing.

"We will talk some other time Boss, we will leave you and Ms. Belle alone."

"Good. Tell everyone not to disturb us or I will shoot whoever goes through that fucking door." Said Artan and he doesnt look like he's even kidding at all.

Adnan soft chuckled and gestured a salute with his index and middle finger. "As you wish Boss."

The three went out of the room leaving the two of us behind. I thought that this is the best time to plead to Artan not to exact revenge to Nikolai anymore. If there's one person who can once and for all end this, it would be me. The very reason why this is all happening in the first place.

"Artan please.... you and Nikolai can still talk things over. You have been friends for a long time. Don't put that friendship into waste."

"I think Volkov and I are way past talking my Belle."

"Please....I was devastated last night when you were shot. It will completely ruin me if anything happens to Nikolai and Alexei, especially now that I'm..."

Artan crinkled his eyebrows, "Especially now that?"

"Nothing. Just please Artan. No bloodshed anymore?"

Artan looked at me like he's thinking. "Okay.. for now."

That's good enough for me. It would buy me some time to think and hopefully end this chaos. Besian is so fixated in exacting revenge to the Russian Mafia and only his Boss can stop him from pushing forward with his plan.

"Youre wearing my shirt...you look perfect in it." Artan said as he drops his face on my neck.

"Thanks for this by the way."

He smiled. "You have my whole closet at your disposal baby."

Artan's eyes are slowly shutting down. I tried to fight the urge to close my eyes as well but eventually my eyelids became too heavy to bear. Slowly everything around turned so quiet, my body relaxed for slumber.

*Nikolai and Alexei in the study. They just had an argument when Yuri entered the room.*

"Boss, Madame Volkov is here."

The two looked surprised. Nikolai instantly stood up but noticed that Yuri looked very uncomfortable.

"Uhhh... Boss, It's Madame Irene Volkov."

Irene entered looking calm and composed. "Thank you Yuri, you may now leave."

Yuri nodded and shut the door on his way out. Nikolai and Alexei looked like they have seen a ghost. Irene placed her vintage Chanel bag on top of the chair in front of Nikolai's wooden table. She slowly removed her coat and then her gloves.

"Where are your manners boys? Is this how you greet your mother? No wonder the princess left this god forsaken house!"

Nikolai and Alexei gave her a hug and kissed her on her forehead.

"Matushka.." Said Nikolai. His facial expression is still one of puzzled surprise.

"Matushka, what brings you here?" Asked Alexei, he has the exact reaction as Nikolai.

"You know why I am here. Now sit. Don't make me jump for your faces."

Nikolai and Alexei sat down next to each other in defeat, knowing fully well what's coming to them.

Irene followed them next to the sofa. She faces them and raised her hand from the top of her head, swung it to a curve and landed a slap on Alexei's face. The latter looked to the side as he accepts all the strength of Irene's slap.

"I fought for her...." Said Nikolai.

"The sweet princess is still not here. You did not fight for her enough."

Irene swung her hand once again and landed a slap on Nikolai's face. She then walked back to the chair while slowly massaging her hand.

"I will stay here for a while. I have all the time in the world to listen to your lame excuses. Now speak."

"She doesnt want to see us." Said Alexei.

"If I were the princess, I never want to see you two as well. In my case, I will smother the two of you in your sleep and bury you 10 ft below the ground. All these years, I have come to realize that dead bodies make for a good kind of fertilizer to the soil. Have you seen my roses and tomatoes back home? Who would have guessed being a wife to your Fathers will make me an expert agriculturist."

Nikolai and Alexei remained silent.

"Nobody's talking? Very well, you have until dinner to come clean or else Matushka is going to be very upset. You don't want to see an upset Matushka dont you boys?"

Belle's POV

"Artan, open up."

He tapped his side, gesturing me to sit next to him in bed. I'm holding a bowl of soup in my hand trying to feed this stubborn man in front of me. Artan has apparently been awake long before I woke up. And he has taken that opportunity to kiss me on god knows what part of my body. The man is wounded but still manages to take advantage of the situation.

"No." I muttered.

"Then I'd rather starve to death." He replied.

"Do whatever you want Artan."

I placed the bowl on the table next to the bed and exited the room. I rested my back on the door as tears fall down my eyes. His stubbornness reminds me so much of Nikolai. It's like everytime he speaks I see and hear Nikolai in him and I hate it so much.

"Ms. Belle? What's wrong?" It's Dardan. The bandage can be seen on his arm where he was shot, peeking through his white cotton shirt.

"Nothing Dardan." I said as I wipe the tears from my eyes.

He looked at me unconvincingly. "Just tell me if you need anything."

"Thank you Dardan."

"I should be the one thanking you Ms. Belle."

I looked at him all puzzled. I have put their Boss' life in jeopardy but sill he manages to say this to me?

He smiled at me and continued, "I havent seen the Boss this happy Ms. Belle. He never smiles genuinely except when youre by his side."

I just offered him a faint smile and walked past him. "Ms. Belle, if you can stay a little longer, please do so. Give the Boss a chance to prove himself worthy of your time, and perhaps your love."

"Dardan, I have cause enough trouble to your Boss and the Albanian Mob, it's not wise for me to stay."

"Can't you see? The Boss believes that you are worth all of it. You're the only one missing in his life, a wife and mother to Aria."

"Do you realize how much your asking me Dardan?"

Dardan was obviously taken aback. I can see in his facial expression that he himself was surprised by his own bluntness.

"I...I'm sorry Ms. Belle."

"It's okay. I have to go."

Dardan looked defeated. He nods and turn his back on me and opened the door to his Boss' room. When I'm already in the living room my eyes widened because of a sweet surprise.

It's Aria. The little angel.

She instantly ran towards my direction with a smile on her face. She hugged me so tight, my heart instantly melted.

I knelt in front of her to meet her in the eyes. "How are you my little angel?"

She kissed me on my nose as her answer. Oh god, this little girl has no single clue of what's going on around her. I feel like my heart is being crushed.

"The Boss wanted to see her so I brought her back home." Adnan said, his hands are in his pockets as he spoke.

I stood up and held her hand tightly. She looked at me from head to foot while her eyebrows are crinkled. I think she noticed something that really caught her attention.

She pulled me to follow her. I looked at Adnan all puzzled. He just shrugged his shoulder telling me that he has no idea.

"Hey Aria, where are we going?"

She just continued walking and climbing up the grand staircase towards her room. She went directly to her closet and I think that she's looking for something based on the clothes being hurled out every now and then.

I sat on the edge of the bed and waited for her to finish whatever it is that she's doing. She then raised her hand while holding a pink shorts. She pulled me up and then raised the shorts in front of me as if trying to measure if the shorts will fit me. It was then that I realised that I am not wearing anything except for Artan's shirt and panties. The little girl wanted me to wear something underneath. A smile instantly formed on my face.

She cocked her head to the left and then to the right being all serious in dressing me up.

"Uhh... I think that will not fit me Aria."

She placed her index finger on her right cheek as if thinking. Seconds later, her eyes widened in a light bulb kind of moment. She again pulled me to follow her this time in her father's room. We went directly to the walk in closet. She scoured and scoured and finally settled on her Father's boxer shorts.

She looked so confused when she realizes that there's a slit in the middle where the man's member usually goes through when they pee. I tried so hard to hold a giggle but eventually failed. Oh goodness his little angel is so adorable.

We were interrupted by a knock on the door and it's Adnan.

"Hey, come with me Aria your daddy wants to see you."

He then carried Aria in his arms. The little girl gestured me to follow them but I don't want to go back there anymore so I just made an excuse.¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶