His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 137 [MIA] I woke up because of footsteps around me. My stranger danger is seriously lacking, because instead of pretending to be asleep, my eyes flung open.

Alex was leaning overin the dim light of the room.

"Alex?" I blinked, a sense of relief washing overeven in my half conscious state when I sat up straight and switched on the night lamp to look at his face. "You're here.” "I'm sorry I woke you up, cupcake." He sounded tired and a little wearied out.

"Alex.." I breathed his presence in, rubbing my thumb over his jaw, taking in his state. "There's blood on your shirt." "Not mine." "What's wrong?" I asked him, my heart dropping. "You left.” "I'm sorry, baby." He holds my hand, the one on his face, and brings my knuckles to his lips to place an innocent kiss.

"What's wrong?" I repeat. "Why did you leave?" "I couldn't lay next to you knowing the men who did that to you are still out there he says cautiously, as if reading my expression with each word he says.

"Why did you leavehere?" I whispered. "You should've takenwith you." "To a war zone?" He retorts in a low voice. "Am I crazy? You were safe here." I'm safe with you, I wanted to tell him. I don't. "You're back." He nods a little. "I found them." I gulp when his words register, my lips a little parted. "How?" "May or may not have invaded the Italian hideout." He smiles. "Found every man that fit the description you gave, got the culprit identified by Dom, and then I took the next flight out to you." "Dominic is awake?" I focus on the only positive my mind could find. "He's going to 1/5 15:53 Thu, Jul 25 3 GO Chapter 137 be okay?" 3 "Just woke up again two days ago, and he's officially out of danger as of yesterday." "Oh." Tears rim my eyes. Happy tears. "That's good." We both made it out alive.

Alex rubs his thumb under my eye to wipe them off the second they threatened to fall. "You decide what we do with those men, baby," he says, "It's tto return home." I remain in my own thoughts for the entirety of the next day. Alex tries talking toabout it, but I wasn't much of a conversation. I sleep on the plane in the bedroom in Alex's jet, and stare out of the window of the car after we land.

At spoint, Alex extends his hand to my lap and entwines our fingers, and that getsto shift closer to him and find comfort in the man I loved.

I knew we had reached the said place two hours into the outskirts because there was so much blood on the streets leading to it.

I gulped, speaking my first words in a long time. "You did all of this?" "Most of it," he replies, not sounding sorry. "The entire Bratva helped." "They all helped?" I ask in a low voice. "Your uncle must've not been too happy about that?" "Why do you think that?" "He didn't look like he likedtoo much when you tookto his house.” "He might not approve of our marriage, but that doesn't change the fact that you're my wife. That makes you one of us. And we take attacks on any one of us personally." Alex reassuresand my heart beats faster as the car rounds up.

One of us.

One of them.

I was a part of the Bratva now.

I hold Alex's hand tighter when we get out of the car and Alex leadsinto the warehouse. Hundreds of soldiers with rifles in their hands straighten when they 2/5 15:53 Thu, Jul 25 B GO Chapter 137 see us, sgo as far as saluting Alex.

He nods in acknowledgment, still holdingclose.

84% +5 "There's no need to be scared, okay?" He whispers towhen we walk close enough. "They're beaten up enough to not even be able to talk properly. And, I'm with you. I'll my life a hundred times before I let anyone touch a hair on your head again, you know that right?" I nod, breathing deep to not cry.

"Yours." Alex handsa gun tucked under his vest. "It's loaded." "I thought I'm safe inside?" I whisper back, grabbing the gun with shaking hands.

"You are," he promises. "This is just to put my mind at ease." I nod, grab his hand tighter and we enter inside.

Sure enough, the men were inside. Bloodied. Bounded. Chained. Suffering. Just like I was.

All my strength fades as tears fill my eyes immediately and my lips quivered. Even twenty-four hours were not enough to prepare myself to see these men again.

My hands shake when I grab the gun tighter with one hand and Alex with other.

"You get to decide if they live, and how they live," Alex assures me.

"Can they- Can they even see us?" I asked. They were both very beaten up to the point I couldn't even see their faces clearly. I wouldn't have been able to recognise either of them if their faces hadn't been etched into my worst nightmares.

A tear trails down my cheeks, my eyes fixed at the ginger head one. The weight of his body over mine, his touch on my boobs while his other hand stroked his d**k, how desperately he tried to open my pants and snuggle his hand inside to touch me- all of it haunted me. It plagued me. It consumed me.

I didn't hear what Alex replied.

For a moment, I forgot he was even there, or the other guards.

It was as if it was justand that ginger man in the room.

I didn't realise when the gun I was gripping was raised and gunshots reverberated 3/5 Chapter 13% in the air until blood oozed out of his abdomen, right where he had shot Dominic. I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. I aimed for his d**k next, the sone that was all hard and wet for me.

His dead weight falls on the ground with a thud, and I stare at his body with blurred vision because of the tears in my eyes.

I stare till Alex grabs me, but when he realises I was zoned out enough to not hear a word he said, he walksout of the room where the first man I ever killed lies in a pool of his blood.

"Are you okay?" Alex's voice takesout of my thoughts when he handsa coffee six hours later in his house, after I stood in the shower for hour and scrubbed all blood off me.

I give him a nod. "Is it a bad thing that I don't feel guilty?" "It isn't," he replies, kissing my forehead before taking the chair opposite mine on the table. "If you wouldn't have done that, I would have." "Can I- Can I visit Dominic?"

Alex looks a little surprised, but nods nonetheless. "I'll arrange something tomorrow morning," he replies, slowly adding. What he adding, that is, if you want to stay here another night. If you want to fly back to the city, to my parent's house, we can do that too." I consider the options before deciding on mine. "I want to meet Dominic." "Very well." He offersa small smile. "And after that? Do you want to stay here, or leave?" "I don't know." I raise my shoulders a little in a helpless shrug. "Your life is here. Your work is here. How long can we stay there?" "As long as that place makes you happier than this, "I can stay there?" I catch on quick. "Not you?" can stay there, Mia." Alex raises one corner of his lips to smile but not much comes out. He leans over the table to take both my hands in his. "Mia..." he breathes, "I'm your culprit just as much as those men are." 4/5 - 15:54 Thu, Jul 25 G Ch 137 "What?" @+84% +5 "You... you were right." He nods reluctantly. "I always took what I wanted from you. Never gave you a choice." "Alex, what?"

"Please let me," he interrupts. "I.. I hope you know my threats towards Jenny were empty. You loved then little girl enough to not give her out when you first metand stay witheven though you despised me, and I hoped as f**k that you loved her enough to marry me." "Alex..." "I didn't kill your best-friend. Or her family. I didn't tell you the truth because I was scared the mystery would be over and you would leave me." He chuckles under his breath.

"I got selfish with you." He goes on, "I.. I wanted you when I really shouldn't have. This isn't the kind o world you marry and fall in love in, or worse, bring children in. And I of selfishly wanted it all with you." I blink, my voice a little broken. "You want kids?" "Wanted." He corrects me, "With you." "But I'm still here?" "No." He shakes his head, a sad smile on his lips. "I took too many decisions away from you. I forced you into too much you didn't want." "Alex," An unknown fear grips me. "What're you saying?" "Mia," He reluctantly says, "I'll divorce you. If that's what you still want, I'll let go.” X