Rise of the Devil - Part 42

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Chapter 42


Khushi’s POV


With cars escorting mine in front and back, even on the sides of the road gives me an intuition of a prisoner more like a Devil Queen. We are relocating. To a safer location.. the prime safe house as Arnav calls it. Devil isn’t travelling with me right now as he had other things to look after, but this time he is not sending me away from him. No matter he’s waging a war in the dark world, I am going to stand next to him and see it all happening. At times, I don’t understand where I got this courage from to face a situation as grave as this. Right from my childhood I was always kept protected from the outside world and Dad never let me be a part of his rivalry with the other people. Today, I am not just ready to face the war my husband has begun to end this dark world forever, I am even ready to sacrifice my own safety for it. Strange but the most needful decision from my end.

It’s been two hours since I am driven to the prime safe house and I don’t know how many more hours are left. Last two nights I couldn’t sleep well. First night because me and devil consummated our marriage and the second night because I couldn’t sleep alone without him. I know we cannot have a regular mushy love making right now but I miss him. Just when I am still lost in his thoughts, a message beeps on my phone. Kate, my personal trainer and bodyguard turns around to check whose message and I know she is doing this on Arnav’s commands.


“It’s Arnav” I say, and she gives me a grim smile before turning ahead, letting me continue to check the message.

‘Tum theek ho?’


I blush profusely as I read that line which he has sent me a couple of times in the past few hours ever since we consummated our marriage. I had always given him a one-word reply but now that he was asking me so frequently, I decide to play along. I type back a reply. It was Arnav’s strictest orders to respond to each of his message henceforth no matter how much I am busy.


‘Physically yes, emotionally no.’


I send the reply and wait for him to answer. Kate meets my eyes from the front mirror and smiles. She doesn’t smile much so I don’t delay asking what made her smile now?


“What?” I pretend to hold my grin.

“Nothing Ma’am.”

“It can’t be nothing. You have something to share. Say it. I won’t mind.”


She takes a second before turning to me again.


“You and Devil make a good pair,” she declares. “Haven’t seen him happy so many years otherwise.”


Decade?

“You know him from since years?” I poke. “I didn’t know that. I mean.. how?”


I really didn’t know Devil and Kate are that familiar to each other. I always thought he hired her recently for me.

“We are not supposed to share that.”

“We? Means there are more people like you?”

Kate zips her lips.

“Sorry Ma’am. It’s a code. I am not supposed to share anything unless I am asked do to so.”

“Oh” I frown. “You mean unless the agency agrees you won’t share these things with anyone? I get it.”

“Agency?” She smirks. “We don’t belong to the agency Ma’am. We take direct orders from the King of Devil. We work for him and no one else.”


I am confused. Direct orders from King of Devil means Arnav? How can he give orders when he himself is following the agency’s commands for the mission? Before I can dig more into this subject, our car takes a left turn and enters the gate of a villa. It’s an old Villa with a garden at front and there’s also a small two-floor building at the side which I assume is the servant quarters. I get down once Kate and the other guards confirm it’s safe to do so. The place is beautiful and as I enter the living room, I see another huge picture of Arnav’s mother hanging on the wall. So, I believe this is one of her homes again. Arnav’s mother belonged to a rich family and looks like Arnav has turned all of her owned villas into his safe houses. Cool!!!


I am quickly shown the place which has a living room, one bedroom downstairs and two master bedrooms on the first floor. The second floor is completely occupied by a gym room and terrace. There’s also an indoor swimming pool which gives me good vibes. I have always loved swimming but never got the opportunity to enjoy a pool of my own. Well!! To be honest I am not aware how long I will be staying here. Moving and shifting to new places everytime there’s a threat is not a very good thing so now I realize I don’t need to keep attachments from houses.


“That’s your bedroom Ma’am. Sir said he has all your stuff pre-arranged here.” Kate mentions as she shows me one of the master bedrooms of the first floor.

“Thanks Kate. Umm.. Does this place have cameras.?” I purposely ask to know how Arnav was going to monitor our safety which I am very sure he has taken care of.

“yes Ma’am. The cameras are installed at every corner of this house except the bedrooms and bathrooms. Don’t worry, we got you safe.”


We? Who is this ‘we’? If Arnav’s agency has started pulling away their resources and no longer supporting the mission then who are these people here who are protecting us and why? Including Kate!! I don’t understand.


Kate informs she is just outside the bedroom if I need her and I happily take a shower first and change into my new set of clothes. Arnav has really chosen all new outfits for me, which are completely my style. Trendy and fancy just like I always intended to wear but couldn’t due to Dad’s restrictions. Looks like my husband is finally giving me the freedom I need. By that I am reminded of the message I had sent him during my drive here and quickly check my phone again to see if he has replied. Since there’s no reply, I go to bed straight without eating anything. After this exhausting travel, all I need is good sleep.


***************

I feel Arnav behind me, even before I see him. It’s probably late night and he has just returned finishing his work. His arms pull me to his body and in a second I scoop in his embrace with my back hitting his chest.. Bare Chest!! He smells freshly showered and what ignites me is the fact that he is kissing my neck senselessly to wake me up.


“You didn’t reply my message” I murmur, not opening my eyes yet.


He stops kissing my neck and pecks my earlobe instead.


“I thought to deliver my reply personally.”


I hold my laugh. Aww!! Can this man get any more romantic? In a fraction of second, he turns me to face him and kisses me thoroughly… just what I missed from so many hours. I hadnt seen him much either after our consummation and now having him tonight again, felt such a bliss. The kiss turned into a lot more and just as I desired, Arnav claimed me again, with his heart, body and soul. For the next hour, my body was too sensitive to think of anything else apart from him while he came back to his regular commanding self soon enough.


“Why didn’t you eat?” He asks, stroking my cheeks with his thumb.

“I needed sleep more than food.”

“Not good..” Arnav sighs. “You need more food if you need me to devour you like this every chance we get.”


He is right!! I need to eat because right now I have no energy left to even get down the bed. As if Arnav reads my mind, he gets down and quickly wears his trousers. I love watching him dress up but even more when he dresses me too. That’s utterly intimate and romantic too. Grabbing a Satin robe for me, he helps me put it on.


“None of my mafia book boyfriends ever did that to their spouses.” I tease.

“There is only one King who does that to his Queen..”


Effortlessly he then carries me in his arms and takes me out of the bedroom. My cheeks flush at the thought of cameras.


“Devil, they might be watching us. Kate told me there are cameras at every corner.”

“And I control them..” he replies.


He controls them? How? Arnav places me on the little four-seater dining table in the kitchen.

“How?” I ask.

“I have an app on my phone which controls all that. When I am in the house, I don’t want any cameras on us. Simple.”


I am impressed. He pecks my nose and then looks back in my eyes.

“What will my queen like to eat?”

“Will you cook?” My eyes sparkle at his query.

He nods turning his back to me and walks to the refrigerator.

“I can cook pasta. That’s the easiest and quickest to make at this hour.”


I like that option.

“But you hated Pizzas and pastas.” I remind.

“I never hated them. I just avoid them. But desperate times demands desperate measures so now tell me will you have white pasta or red?”

“Red” I reply instantly. “Your favorite color..”


He passes me his famous lopsided smirk before getting back to work. I don’t sit idle and help him cut the veggies. In 30 minutes, the pasta is ready and we sit together on the table to eat.


“Kate told me she is not from the agency..” I say, as my curiosity to know is still at its peak.

Arnav like old times doesn’t go silent but he surely ignores that question.


“Want some more?” He offers me the pasta again. I throw a scowling glance at him for being so adamant in keeping his secrets.

The next minute, Arnav pulls me on his lap.


“You are a curious cat, you know that?”

“Is that why you dragged me on your lap? To rename me?”


Arnav meets my gaze.

“Fine, yes. Kate doesn’t work for the agency.”

“And she knows you from how many years?”

“Five..”

I am amused.

“Five?” I swallow. “Are there more like Kate who takes direct commands from you?”

“Many…”

Though his replies are short and to the point, its enough for me.

“If they are not from the agency…. Who are they Devil?”


My fingers brush his hair.. playing with them.


“They are your Devil’s army..”


His reply stuns me more than confusing me. Devil’s army? What is that supposed to mean? I sum it al up as much as I understand.


“You mean.. they are specifically hired by you for you… for fighting with your enemies?”

“Kind of. They can kill for me and get killed if necessary to protect me.”


My jaw drops. I stop playing with his hair as he continues.


“I never wanted to believe the agency will support my actions forever. And it can’t be a one man show if the agency ever turns against me. I had this in my head right from the time I signed up for this mission which was like a decade ago. Obviously, it took me years to build this army, group them according to their capabilities and then make them handle all my security which has now extended to you, your father and Madhumatiji as well as the agency won’t be doing so after a week when the mission will be formally pulled off.”


I am awed of his intelligence and now that he is answering my queries, I put forth a few more questions hoping he would answer.


“Who are these people? I mean.. how did you group them and how many do we have?”

Arnav smiles.

“There are thousands of them, Khushi. Most of them are ex-military, a few who failed to get into it and a handful of them are the ones who worked as snippers and private shooters once upon a time.”


OMG!! I am even more interested now.

“And the funding?” I ask. “I mean.. they can’t be working for free for you.”

“They are getting paid.” He accepts but soon pain resurfaces on his face. “My mother had a lot of funds and ancestral properties which are still the source of this funding. She’s left everything for me Khushi.. Wish I could have saved her.”


My heart goes out for him. I wipe the corner of his eyes which shine with fresh tears and give him a hug. We stay like that for no idea how long until he calms down and his mood shifts.

“Time to get some sleep now..” he whispers before picking me up in arms again. I don’t mind if we stay up for some more time. I just can’t get enough of this man and the little time he gets to spend with me.


To be Continued.

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