The Billionaire’s Bargain Bride

The Past

CENRIC

“You have to promise me, Sergeant Wolff, that you will give this to my daughter.” She was clutching my uniform. Her face was so pale and sweaty, but I could see her beauty had aged in her. Her blue eyes were glassy.

“No, Dr. Arisov, you will give it to her as soon as we get out of this hell.” I ducked my head, bullets flying everywhere. The old single school building was already filled with bullets hole and the only thing that covered us from those militants.

She dragged her breathing. “You know I’m a medical doctor, right? I know my condition. Can I call you—what’s your first name, honey?”

“Cenric, doc.”

“Nice name.” She held her lower abdomen, where she got shot a few minutes ago. It didn’t damage her artery, but she was bleeding so fast. Our reinforcement would reach us in ten. I was afraid she wouldn’t make it.

“Mom gave me the name.” I fired right at nine o’clock. “At first, my dad disagreed.”

We thought our course was classified. No one knew we were going in this route, but I was wrong. It seemed that the militants knew our plans after all. We were ambushed in the middle.

“Can I call you Cenric?”

“Of course, doc. It’s seemed that it’s time we passed the formality, right?”

“It’s Yelena. Call me Yelena.”

“Why don’t you save your strength then, Yelena?” She could barely open her eyes. Her face was as white as a cloth. “Stay awake, doc. Our reinforcement is almost here.” I had to lie. “Don’t ever pass out on me!”

“Take this.” She had something in her grasp that I didn’t get a chance to see. I was busy securing our current location.

“I won’t do this.”

“Wollf, I’m out!” Beck yelled from the other corner.

“I have a few rounds left.” I threw one clip at him.

“Cenric, I know my body. Tell her I love her so much, and she’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“Yelena, please?”

“You know, I called her father when the militants just started looting the village and killing civilians and women. He said I get what I deserved for abandoning him and wouldn’t deal with those people to save me.”

“He’s an asshole, huh?” I clenched my jaw hard. Motherfucker.

“I’m scared for my daughter. Promise me you’ll look for her and keep her safe. Her name—”

Whoosh.

Silence. The silence was only a matter of a second, but it felt the time had just stopped at that moment.

It was deafening.

My heart pounded in my ears.

Everything around us faded. The world seemed to stop spinning. Then it moved in a slow-motion as I turned to look at her.

I found her shot in the head—point-blank.

“Sniper!”

“Fuck! No!”

“Cenric!”

“Fuck.” My skin was as cold as ice, and I was profusely sweating. My heart was as fast as a million a mile.

“You okay? Another bad dream?”

“I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“Better than you, I guess.” There was deep worry in her eyes.

“I’ll be alright.” I leaned against the headboard as I tried to breathe deeply. I wiped off the sweat on my forehead.

Sadie got off the bed. “I’ll be back.” She went out of the room, swaying her firm gorgeous little ass.

I felt terrible yesterday. I didn’t know what had gotten into me. After I had a nightmare and my cock was throbbing so hard, I fucked her, and she didn’t even resist. And I didn’t even apologize. What a fucking asshole I was.

She came back with a towel and bottled water. “We should talk about this dream of yours, Cenric.”

I drank the water, and she wiped my sweat off. “Okay.”

Her brow cocked as if she was surprised by my reply.

I didn’t even know where to start or how to start. I looked up at the ceiling as I blew my breath.

“That bad, huh?” She sat Indian style in front of me, her hand on my knee.

“It was about my last tour with Beck and Gabe.” That was how I knew I could trust them both with my life.

“Our mission was recon only until we had no choice but to rescue American volunteer doctors. They were there when there was an outbreak in that small village. It turned out the militant leader sabotaged the drinking water to lure out Americans and kidnap them. It happened so fast. We were already on the road when we were ambushed.”

I looked at her, and she was listening, and it looked like she had no idea what I was talking about. She didn’t interrupt me.

“She got shot, but we still managed to find a small building. Beck and I got separated from the team by a few blocks. Shots fired, bullets flying everywhere. She bled out, and she made me promise something. She died believing that I would fulfill that promise even if I failed to save her life. She trusted me with that message that until now I couldn’t do it.” I blinked back the tears.

Sadie was already crying, yet she managed to smile. “I’m sure you did all you could. It was not your fault. You were ambushed and outnumbered.”

“We were. Beck and I got shot.” I rubbed the healed bullet wound on my thigh. The scar didn’t look hideous, and I was thankful the bullet did not hit my artery. She also touched it. It was a through and through. “Even if we failed, we were still awarded and treated as fucking heroes.”

“You are, babe. You served your country. You saved many lives. You gave something back to the communities. Heroes don’t just die for their countries. They are also admired for their courage and their outstanding achievements. And you have all those qualities.”

“I’m sorry about the other night.” I squeezed her hand.

She smiled. “You’ve been through tough times just like me. And I know there’s been bothering you lately. I may not pry, but trust me, I know, and I can feel it when something’s wrong. You don’t have to tell me right now, but I will earn your trust.”

“Babe.” My face contorted with pain. “I trust you, I swear, but there are things that are good left unsaid or kept hidden. I don’t want you to carry that burden for me.”

“Isn’t it—”

“No, no, no.” I raised my hand. I know what she was about to say. “That won’t work for me.”

“You’re unfair, Cenric.” She leaned over to kiss me. I let her sit on my lap as I kissed her back. I let my hand explore her soft skin, lifting the thin lingerie she was wearing. I could make her naked in one rip. Maybe that was the purpose of it. It didn’t need effort and time.

I cupped her firm, sweet pert breasts with my palm, and she quickly pushed her body against mine, grazing those hard nipples against my chest. The fire in me quickly lit up into a blazing flame.

In a few seconds, we were both naked as we rocked our world in earth-shattering orgasms.

I was still inside her when she asked, “Who’s the woman?”

“Let’s not talk about that painful and horrifying past while I’m still inside you, shall we?”

“You never talk to an expert about this?”

“No. I feel like it’s a waste of time. I met a monk, though. Somehow his guidance enlightened me. Up for shopping or dinner date?”

“Sounds like a plan.”