Craved by the Wrong Volkov

Raphael’s POV

The road stretched ahead under the dull glow of streetlights as I drove, one hand on the wheel and the other tense around the steering wheel. Mum sat behind me, her gun was still pressed close enough for me to feel every wrong breath I took.

I could not see her properly, only fragments of her through the rearview mirror when I risked a glance. She leaned forward immediately, the barrel shifting with her movement.

"Don’t look back," she said. "Face forward," she instructed.

I let out a short breath through my nose and kept my eyes on the road. "Mum, bring the gun down. This is dangerous." I tried to reason with her. I didn’t know what reaction she had on her face but it was ridiculous how a mother didn’t bat an eye at having her son at gunpoint.

"I will stay up as long as you aren’t calm," she replied.

"I am calm," I said, though my grip tightened on the wheel. "At least tell me what this is about." I tried to dissuade her.

For a moment she said nothing. The silence inside the car felt as tight as the road outside. Then I saw her ease back slightly. The pressure at my neck lessened, though I knew better than to trust it fully.

"I will lower it," she said. "But only if you promise not to do anything stupid." she threatened.

"You are the one pointing a gun at me," I muttered trying to keep my emotions at bay.

"I said promise me, Raphael," she repeated not trusting my words.

"I will," I answered after a pause.

The gun moved away from my neck, and I caught her reflection again in the mirror. The disguise made her look like a stranger, not the woman who raised me. Only her voice still belonged to her.

I swallowed and focused back on the road. "I did not expect you to still be in the city," I whispered. She wasn’t particularly smart for still being in the counter.

Her laugh was short and without warmth. "You think I have the luxury of leaving?" she snickered.

"What do you want?" I asked. My voice came out harsher than I intended. I could feel it rising again, everything I had been holding down since the arena. I couldn’t believe she had the nerve to show up before mr after what she did.

"I need your help." She had the nerve to say. I was so shocked I needed to park before I did something stupid

I turned off the main road and pulled into a quiet stretch near an alley. I parked the car and turned slightly in my seat, just enough to see her properly.

She noticed immediately and pressed the gun back toward me. "Do not turn around," she warned.

I let out a dry laugh, the sound catching in my throat before it settled. "You have to be kidding me." I turned fully in my seat and a gun was pressed immediately to my forehead.

"You will do what I tell you," she said. Her hand didn’t even tremble pointing a gun at her son. The words did not surprise me. Nothing about it can surprise me again.

I stared at her. My body stayed still even though everything inside me was moving too fast to name. This was my mother and the woman who had orchestrated most of the collapse I was still living inside. Just staring at her made my blood boil.

Yet my voice came out steady. "Pull the trigger," I said leaning closer to her gun. Her expression shifted slightly. There wasn’t the slightest hint of fear in my eyes.

"Are you crazy," she said. Natalia’s gaze darkened but she didn’t drop the weapon.

"Maybe I am, mother," I replied. "You already pushed me to this point. You ruined my life and all that is left is to end it. Pull the trigger if you have the guts." I urged her again

She was startled by how calm I was. Her hand jerked once and the gun dropped for a second before she caught it again. That hesitation told me more than her words.

I watched her without moving, my gaze was filled with disdain at the way she trembled. . "You really have the nerves to approach me, Natalia," I said, using her name without hesitation. The last familiar affection between us was dead.

Her shoulders stiffened but she steadied herself. "You are the only one who can help me. Your father would call the police the moment he sees me." Her words sounded absurd.

"And the son whose life you ruined is a safer bet," I replied flatly and she flinched.

"Please just listen to me," she pleaded I don’t know why I bothered to listen to her. I did not answer immediately. She took the silence as permission.

"I want to kill Amelia. She knows too much," she continued. "If she talks everything collapses...."Natalia was still rambling about cleaning her name and getting rid of Amelia completely unaware I had gone cold. Something inside me went cold at that sentence.

When she finished, she finally glanced up the cold look in my eyes made her go pale.."You did not just ruin my life," I said. "and now want to turn me into a criminal and a murderer." I snickered

She shook her head quickly. "I do not mean it like that." she waved her hand trying to explain

"Then how do you mean it," I snapped. Her voice softened, almost pleading. "Raphael, I am your mother."

That made me laugh. My eyes tear up as I laugh. My insides twisted. "Mothers protect their child," I said, "they do not scheme to get them destroyed or push them into becoming criminals."

My voice got louder. " They definitely don’t scheme on getting them raped or trying to murder someone to frame them." I barked at her and she flinched

A heavy silence followed..I pointed toward the door. "Just get out," I said calmly. Too calm compared to the turmoil I felt inside

Her head lifted slightly, disbelief flashing through her eyes.

"Mum leave," I said blinking back the tears. My voice stayed firm. "This will be the last time I call you mum. You lost that right the day you helped Amelia violate me."

She hesitated, and for a moment it looked like she might argue. Then she reached for the door before she stepped out, I spoke again. "And never contact me again," I said. "Next time I see you, I will not hesitate to send you to jail. I am only letting you go because you were once a good mother."