ã€ŠArranged Bratva Loveã€‹


 Prologue

    Aurora

    I always knew I was going to die.

    My life was destined to end this way right from the start. Staring down the barrel of a gun, pointed at me by my own husband, I was shocked that I was so important that one of the worst men in the Volkov Bratva needed to kill me. The moment I married into this world, my days were numbered. The fact I¡¯d lived this long was a miracle.

    Tears filled my eyes, and I hated that they made me look weak.

    I wasn¡¯t surprised that I was the one on my knees. It took every ounce of strength not to give anything away. Would he kill me if he knew the truth?

    I¡¯d never betrayed my husband or Ivan Volkov, the leader of the Bratva, my husband¡¯s boss. The moment I¡¯d been with him, I¡¯d been loyal to him, to the entire organization, but it meant nothing now.

    My husband wasn¡¯t known for his patience, and I was shocked I wasn¡¯t dead already. It wasn¡¯t like he wanted to be married to me. Like so many things in my life, I was the second-best choice. The real woman he probably wanted was my sister, Isabe. The beautiful one. The one my father couldn¡¯t bear to sacrifice to the disgusting Bratva bastards. Me, Aurora Fredo, the second daughter, the ugly one, I was the one he gave up freely. All my life, it had been so easy for everyone around me to pass me by.

    I was friends with many but not cared about at all. Kind of crazy. I was the nice one. The one people said was sweet and kind, but didn¡¯t give a shit about. I was the one they didn¡¯t invite to parties, or they spent more time ignoring me. It was something I¡¯d gotten used to.

    My family was worse than that. I was the embarrassment. When we went to dinners, I was ced so far away from them, people had no idea who I was.

    Passed over, time and time again.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    On my wedding day, men gave their condolences to the man who stood before me.

    A peace treaty.

    Something new and never before heard of. Ivan Volkov was determined to set about a new era, a modern world for the Bratva, but to do that, for one section of the States he controlled, he needed his head man, his brigadier, vik Ivanov, to bring a conclusion to all the bloodshed with the mafia family.

    I was the sacrifice in that mafia family.

    Our marriage drew peace between the Italians and the Russians, supposedly.

    The moment my father ced my hand in vik¡¯s hand, my fate had been sealed and along with it, this moment.

    There were times I thought it would be different. He¡¯d made me believe I meant something, but like always, I was second best.

    I wasn¡¯t important.

    I wasn¡¯t loved.

    I wasn¡¯t worth anything to anyone.

    I¡¯d lived with this knowledge for years. Some days, I could pretend it didn¡¯t matter, that I wasn¡¯t hurt by it. Then something would happen, a statement, an action, and it would awaken all the wounds I kept hidden.

    Now, it was finally going to be over.

    I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable bullet that would finally end my miserable existence and set vik free.

 1

    Aurora

    Ten months earlier

    The party was boring.

    Women stood in their little groups, gossiping amongst themselves. Some of them nced in my direction. The Italian mafia-made men mingling with the same version of the Russian ones. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure of the full details as to what they were all called. What I did know was vik Ivanov, my husband, was like the Capo in his world. Even though we were parted by twenty-one years. He was forty years old, and I was neen, but in this world, age didn¡¯t matter.

    Sipping on my champagne, I held the ss in my hand, counting to ten repeatedly to try to calm my nerves.

    I¡¯d been married a week. The event had been a huge sess. The press had been there to take pictures and to announce it in the paper. My father hadn¡¯t wanted to give my perfect, beautiful sister to such a man, but me, he had no problem. Put my hand in vik¡¯s and ignored me for the rest of the day.

    Even the following morning, I¡¯d done our family proud by bleeding. On our wedding night, my husband had made me bleed. I was sure a lot of virgins did on their first time.

    The night itself was kind of a blur.

    vik and I didn¡¯t talk.

    No words were whispered or spoken out loud. To anyone who¡¯d look at us, we¡¯d been nothing more than perfect strangers. He hadn¡¯t touched me since, which was a blessing. In fact, at night, I slept alone.

    The pain had been ¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t something I wished to repeat.

    When we¡¯d gotten to the room, he¡¯d pulled the covers back, tore my dress off with his knife, and I¡¯din down and closed my eyes as he climbed on top.

    The only sounds in the room had been his heavy panting.

    I¡¯d drawn blood on my lip.

    Done.

    Finished.

    No longer a virgin.

    The romance books I read were so far off the mark, it wasn¡¯t even funny.

    ncing at my husband, I saw he stood with his constant scowl, looking out over the room. I didn¡¯t know if he had the first clue of how to smile.

    It wasn¡¯t my problem. That was the mantra I kept telling myself.

    Every single night this past week, he¡¯d arrived home, and each time I saw him, he¡¯d been covered in blood. In our world, it was best not to ask any questions, so I didn¡¯t.

    Some would call me a coward. My mother had once told me it was all about survival. As women, we were so easily reced.

    In fact, as the men were all cheering at vik¡¯s virgin, my mother was telling me he¡¯d be bored now and would find other women to deal with his appetites.

    What did I have to look forward to? The children he¡¯d grant me unless he killed me first.

    It didn¡¯t matter. No one cared. I sipped at my champagne and simply waited. This was an engagement party for one of the other bosses¡¯ brigadiers or whatever it was he called them. I didn¡¯t even know if he kept to these terms as Ivan Volkov was supposed to be taking his Bratva into another era. A modern era of peace, where he set the hierarchy and the new rules and terms for how things were run.

    I came from tradition. Where everything was done via the book, including arranged marriages.

    Standing at a party, surrounded by a bunch of Russians, well, it was scary. They all spoke English. I knew my husband did speak Russian, or at least I thought he did. Sometimes I¡¯d heard him in hushed tones. I didn¡¯t even dare to learn thenguage for fear of where that would leave me.

    Finishing my champagne, I chanced another nce at my husband, and shame washed over me when I caught sight of a barely dressed woman hanging around him. Her head was tilted back andughter spilled from her lips. The way she looked so calm and collected around him, I didn¡¯t get it.

    He was scary as fuck.

    Not that I¡¯d say it aloud. In fact, over the years, I¡¯d learned the fine art of saying stuff in my head. I¡¯d even begun to cuss out my parents and tell the boss to fuck off. It was kind of fun. They controlled everything else around them, but not my thoughts. It was the one sense of freedom I got.

    A waiter came by to offer me another flute of champagne, which I ignored. I didn¡¯t know when the polite time woulde to make my excuses to leave. Rather thane with my guard and driver, vik had brought us. The moment we¡¯d entered the party, he¡¯d left me here all alone.

    This was ¡­ humiliating.

    A week married and my husband couldn¡¯t even be bothered to stand with me. Not that it came as any surprise. I wasn¡¯t beautiful. All my life I¡¯d been told I was the ugly one. The ugly, fat sister no one wanted. I had long, brown hair, the tips of which touched the curve of my ass, which again was another issue. I had a weight problem. On a good day, I fit into a size eighteen. I had huge tits, massive hips, a somewhat slender stomach inparison, and chunky thighs. Even when I dieted and exercised, the curves stayed. It was something I had to live with.

    Was it polite to fold my arms across my chest?

    It was so hard to not show boredom when that was exactly what I was.

    When the woman, whoever she was, seemed to be kissing my husband¡¯s neck, I¡¯d had enough of the spectacle and decided to make my way outside. The doors were wide open, and the moment I was out in the fresh air, I took a deep, calming breath.

    Tilting my head up to the sky, I saw it was a clear night, which exined the cold. The chill made me realize I was very much alive. Not a single part of me was dead, even though people seemed to pray for my death.

    The idea of my marriage being a peace treaty was so fuckingme and stupid. They thought it was going to bring peace. The truth was it now made more people hate me because they couldn¡¯t continue their bloodshed.

    ¡°It¡¯s a nice night out, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The deep rumble of a voice startled me, and I turned around to see none other than Ivan Volkov smoking a cigarette in the shadowed corner, slightly hidden away by the door. I hadn¡¯t known anyone else was out here.

    ¡°Do you speak?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, sorry. You startled me.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°The party is not to your liking?¡±

    I quickly nced at the doors. Everything was an act of survival now. If I said the wrong thing, he¡¯d kill me. If he wanted some entertainment with my screams, he¡¯d kill me. There was no way to win.

    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful.¡±

    ¡°And yet you escape to the cold outdoors.¡± He tutted. His ent was rather nice.

    ¡°I just needed some air.¡±

    ¡°Oh, please, I saw you in there.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I would have thought vik would have known better by now.¡±

    Crap! Was I going to get my husband in trouble? Did I care? He had another woman hanging off his arm. Girlfriends, mistresses, they weren¡¯t exactly unheard of in our circles. For many, it meant the husbands had other ces to go for them to sate their appetite. For others, they were a pest and destroyers of loving rtionships.

    Love.

    I didn¡¯t have love.

    ¡°He¡¯s perfect,¡± I said. Internally, I cringed. I¡¯d long ago developed the mask I wore now. Passive verging on submissive. They didn¡¯t know I had my thoughts. How I spoke my own mind. Staring at Ivan, though, I didn¡¯t like how he looked at me. It took every single ounce of control not to react.

    He saw a hell of a lot more than most.

    He chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re a little spitfire. It almost makes me upset that I gave you to vik.¡±

    Pressing my lips together, I averted my gaze, bowing my head just slightly. More often than not, this appealed to men. It had worked to divert their attention.

    Not Ivan.

    He ced a finger beneath my chin and tilted my head back, looking into my eyes. ¡°Such a shame. vik is usually a man who sees so much and yet, he doesn¡¯t see you, does he?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the perfect husband and loyal to you, sir.¡±

    ¡°Twenty years old and already know the way the world works. I don¡¯t get those mafia men. You see, submissive women have their qualities in the world, Aurora, but the women who know how to bite back, they¡¯re the ones who make our blood boil.¡±

    Why was he telling me this?

    ¡°Maybe one day, when you¡¯re not so afraid, we can have a proper conversation, don¡¯t you think?¡± He still had a finger beneath my chin. ¡°And when you¡¯re dealing with vik, heed my advice.¡±

    ¡°Sir,¡± vik said, choosing that moment to interrupt.

    I didn¡¯t jerk back, captivated by Ivan¡¯s gaze. I couldn¡¯t look away. It was like he was trying to tell me a million different things in his gaze alone, and I nodded. That was all I did.

    ¡°Charming.¡± He released me and turned to look at vik. ¡°You would be mindful to pay more attention to your wife than the whores who grace this ce.¡±

    vik nodded his head.

    It wasn¡¯t a warning or an order.

    I got the sense vik and Ivan were more than just boss and employee. They were friends, which again was odd. Most bosses in our world didn¡¯t have friends. They made sure people feared them.

    Learning the ever-changing dynamics that now surrounded me was difficult, but it was something I needed to master. Years of being around my own family had given me a lot of chances to watch, to listen, and to find out all the details I needed to survive even my father.

    ¡°Come,¡± vik said, holding out his hand.

    I moved toward his side.

    He took my hand in his grip, and I expected us to leave. Instead, he led me inside and took me straight to the dance floor. One quick nce around the room and I saw we¡¯d be the spectacle. I hated anyone¡¯s gaze on me, but it was easier to get this over with.

    vik had been scorned. Would he beat me when I got home?

    Once, when I was a child, my sister Isabe had embarrassed my father by ying the role of a spoiled brat. When we got home, rather than punish the perfect one, he¡¯d turned his wrath on me, smacking me so hard I¡¯d fallen into furniture. The blow had caused me to catch the skin across my eyebrow. I still had the scar at the corner of my eyebrow. It had long faded, but if you looked closely, you¡¯d see it. The slight imperfection. I had several marks from old punishments. All of which I had to take as my father wouldn¡¯t dream of hurting his precious daughter. The beautiful one.

    Some would say I had every right to hate and resent my sister. I didn¡¯t. I loved Isabe. It wasn¡¯t her fault, but our family¡¯s. She¡¯d been raised to believe she was a princess who deserved all the attention, while I¡¯d been taught to expect what I got and to be grateful for it.

    With vik¡¯s hand on my back, the other holding my hand, we danced. The tune was soft, not too slow that it required us to stand close to one another, but not fast enough to create a good distance. Being this close to him terrified me.

    I¡¯d heard the rumors of just how deadly this man was. He was feared far and wide. The women gossiped about how he had the ability to tear apart a man with his bare hands.

    I didn¡¯t even know if that was possible. Fear ran down my back, and I tried to ignore it.

    Ivan¡¯s words rang in my head about how men liked to have a woman who talked back. Not in my experience they didn¡¯t. They liked a quiet, submissive woman who was pretty and spat out sons. There, I¡¯d said it, albeit in my head.

    ¡°What was Volkov talking to you about?¡± vik asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±

    ¡°You heard me.¡±

    I did, but I was buying time. This wasn¡¯t a conversation I wished to have with my husband. How did I get out of this?

    ¡°He talked about the party.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°Nothing more.¡± I wasn¡¯t about to tell him the man¡¯s advice.

    vik¡¯s hand tightened at my waist. I didn¡¯t know if he was trying to warn me, or if he just had to hold me a little tighter.

    ¡°How are you enjoying the party?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a fucking party, Aurora. How do you think?¡±

    His harsh tone had me flinching. Of course. I was being treated like a fucking dumb woman. Rather than look into his dark, almost ck eyes, I went back to staring at his chest. Had Ivan given me that advice on purpose?

    Either way, I wasn¡¯t going to use it.

    Once the dance ended, vik told me that my driver, Sergei, was going to take me home.

    Without another word, vik kissed my cheek and handed me to Sergei. No doubt he was going to be fucking the woman who had been hanging off his arm.

    Against my better judgment, I looked toward Ivan, who watched me. He raised his ss in my direction, and I offered him a smile.

    Staring down at the floor, I followed Sergei out to the waiting car. He held open the back passenger door, and I slid inside. The noise from the building seemed to grow louder, but I ignored it.

    Parties had never been my thing. The fear of something bad happening always lingered in the air.

    I was growing tired of living in fear. Resting my head back against the car seat, I didn¡¯t bother looking back to see the building. Instead, I stared out the window at the passing scenery.

    The city in darkness always seemed to offer a sense of freedom. There were more shadows, ces to hide. It would be so nice to run, to escape.

    Now that I was married, my chances were gone. I was trapped in a loveless marriage to a man who clearly couldn¡¯t stand me. My days were numbered. Pressing my fingers to my temples, I tried to massage the pain that began to build.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    Showing weakness would get me killed.

    Being strong and loyal, that was what I needed to do.

    To survive.

    To one day earn my freedom.

    I had a n, I just hoped I knew what I was doing.

 2

    vik

    The party had long ago ended. Wives were gone. Children were nowhere to be seen. The only people left were men, avable women, and whores. Ivan sat at the head, looking like a king, which was exactly what he was. In front of him was the woman who had been hanging off me earlier.

    Dana was her name, and he had proof of her treachery. No one could outrun the Volkov Bratva and they certainly couldn¡¯t betray it. There were many enemies of Ivan¡¯s wanting to take over. They didn¡¯t like the new era we all worked within. The treaties he built. The ces he ran. The rules he implemented.

    I did.

    I was loyal to him.

    My life was in his hands.

    I¡¯d die for this man. I owed him everything, and he knew I¡¯d do anything for him. The moment he told me to marry Aurora Fredo, I¡¯d done so without argument. My wife was different. The truth was in marrying Aurora to me, her father had given us the greatest of insults.

    It was known far and wide the second daughter wasn¡¯t perfect. To many, she was the ugly, fat let-down. The real prize was her sister.

    What Fredo didn¡¯t know was Ivan had wanted Aurora from the start. Again, I had no idea why he wanted her, only that he did. What I didn¡¯t like tonight was seeing them together.

    I didn¡¯t love my wife.

    Our wedding night had been a fucked-up mess.

    My order from Ivan had been clear: consummate the marriage and produce the bloody sheets as per tradition in Aurora¡¯s family. I¡¯d done that, and even the memory of it grated on my nerves.

    She¡¯d been terrified but duty-bound.

    The moment I touched her, I found her so fucking dry, it didn¡¯t matter what way I¡¯d taken her, she¡¯d have been hurt. Getting it over with had been a challenge. I¡¯d moistened her up with my saliva, pretending I was getting my dick ready as I¡¯d done it.

    I hadn¡¯t touched my wife in a week, and it wasn¡¯t like sheined. She slept stiffly on her side of the bed, rarely moving. I had to wonder if she slept at all.

    Some nights, I found myself watching her.

    She had long brown hair, a temptation I didn¡¯t allow myself to give in to. It would be so nice to run my fingers through the length, to wrap it around my fist, and to jerk her back against me as I fucked her long and hard. To show her what our wedding night should have been like.

    Instead, I watched.

    I craved.

    But I didn¡¯t give in.

    That would be pointless. At this time, I didn¡¯t even know if I liked my wife. We didn¡¯t talk.

    I stared at the scene before me, and the truth was my dick was not getting hard.

    Dana¡¯s face was already covered in cum. As per Ivan¡¯s instructions, we¡¯d created an orgy. Fuck to your heart¡¯s content, and only when he had Dana where he wanted her would he strike.

    That time was now.

    One of the soldiers had his dick inside her ass. One of his hands gripped her hair, holding her head to the floor as he rode her anus. All the while, he had his gaze on Ivan, waiting for the signal.

    The moment Ivan nodded, the soldier pulled her up against his chest, held her hair tightly, and ced the de against her throat.

    It took her several seconds to realize what was going on. Anger, fear, and sadness all danced across her eyes.

    ¡°Volkov, what is the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°You think I wouldn¡¯t find out? First you steal from me, then you hand it straight to our enemies, and now I¡¯ve got their fucking shit running in my clubs. In my city. You fucking dirty slut. You should know that I would find out. Nothing is ever hidden from me. Nothing.¡±

    ¡°No, please. No. I don¡¯t want to die. They made me do it.¡±

    Ivan got up off his seat and walked down to where Dana knelt. Tears streamed from her eyes.

    He got close. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know about the payment? How you¡¯re a couple of mil up on takings?¡±

    Dana¡¯s eyes closed as the reality of what she¡¯d done and been caught doing finally sank in.

    The de swiped across Dana¡¯s neck, blood spilling from the wound. She cupped her neck as the soldier pulled out of her ass.

    It was done. The deed was finished.

    I watched, and I didn¡¯t care.

    Greed got people killed. Far too many people were lured into a trap by the green stuff. Dana had taken a bag of our coke, our own special blend that was worth so much more money than she sold it for. Once they got the chemist on it, they adapted it and changed the form. We¡¯d been made truly aware of the damage when ten people had been found overdosed in our clubs within one night.

    This was a new part of Ivan Volkov¡¯s era. He didn¡¯t want people dead. Dead clients meant product didn¡¯t move. He liked to keep people alive.

    Again, a new first.

    Ivan clicked his fingers, signaling the party was over. Dana¡¯s body would be disposed of. Unimed. Dead and useless.

    ¡°You needed an borate party to do that?¡± I asked, following him out toward his car.

    ¡°No, I needed an borate party because it fucking entertains me.¡±

    I only ever talked to him as a friend when we were alone. The moment we were surrounded by others, I was the loyal subject.

    ¡°You know your wife was so fucking bored tonight, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Leave Aurora to me,¡± I said.

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°I think I made a mistake in allowing you to marry her. You clearly don¡¯t see the wild woman waiting to be unleashed.¡±

    This did make me snort. The soldiers were a close enough distance away that I didn¡¯t have to y any other role. I could be myself. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re looking at the same woman?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re even looking at the right woman?¡±

    This made me pause. ¡°I know my wife. She¡¯s submissive. That¡¯s what they trained her for.¡±

    Ivan clicked his tongue. ¡°There you go again. I have to wonder if I should demote you and keep that wife of yours. Look into her eyes, my friend. You will see.¡±

    He climbed into his car, bringing our conversation to a close.

    We¡¯d been friends for a lifetime already. Together, we¡¯d grown up on the streets. I¡¯d saved him from being killed more times than I could count.

    We had a n. A goal that would make this city ours. When we were kids, the Bratva were ¡­ hot tempered, and in truth, their vision wasn¡¯t big enough. They worked small. Petty criminals. They didn¡¯t see the big picture.

    Ivan Volkov had. He was the big picture, and now, he ran half of the country, which he divided into six areas. I controlled area one. The biggest with the main cities all bowing down to my rule. Ivan only ever dealt with his brigadiers, his main men.

    I was aware of the men he sent out to all areas. The spies he used to control everyone. It was how he learned of betrayals, of the greed, and of course, the rats. Everyone was in his pocket.

    Even though he was considered the fiercest and most evil person around, he was also fair. If you didn¡¯t cross him, you lived. If you showed loyalty to him, then he took care of you.

    The moment you turned your back on him, betrayed, or stole from him, well, your days were numbered.

    Watching the car leave the parking lot, I stood there as the cleaning crew came. They nodded at me. I was on first-name terms with most people in Ivan¡¯s control. I made it my business to know everyone.

    I¡¯d always been a firm believer that knowledge was power, and when it came to keeping Ivan in control, I was willing to do whatever it took to keep him there, even marry a woman I didn¡¯t trust.

    It waste when I arrived home. The guard I¡¯d assigned to Aurora¡¯s care stood at the door, waiting for my signal to leave. I gave it to him. There were always guards around. Soldiers. Men designed to help us gain power and to forever grow stronger. They rose up the ranks, iming to be the best everyone had to offer.

    After taking a quick shot of the finest whiskey, I headed to the bedroom. Aurora was still awake, but the moment I entered the bedroom, she closed the book she¡¯d been reading.

    When all of her belongings arrived at my penthouse suite, I¡¯d been surprised. She didn¡¯t have many.

    Books.

    She¡¯d had close to three hundred books. All in paperback. I¡¯d gotten the designers in, and one of the spare bedrooms had been converted into a library for her. I¡¯d also granted her a credit card in my name to which she¡¯d not spent a single penny. We¡¯d been married a week, and I¡¯d known other men in my position had been near bankrupt in that time by how wild their wives¡¯ spending could be.

    I nced at my wife. She wore a silk negligee that showed off her full tits. I hadn¡¯t given myself the pleasure of looking at her entirely, but one day soon, I intended to look to my heart¡¯s content.

    Removing my jacket, I took my gun with me. I didn¡¯t go anywhere without at least two guns and three des. I was a precautious man. I¡¯d survived this long with them, and I wasn¡¯t about to ruin my chances by fucking it up and letting down my guard. I¡¯d seen what happened firsthand to men who got sloppy. They ended up dead, and I knew because I¡¯d been the one to kill them.

    Once inside the bathroom, I stripped off my clothes and stepped beneath the cold water of the shower. I didn¡¯t like taking hot baths or showers. I liked the shock of the cold. It kept me alive and alert.

    Also, I didn¡¯t linger too long doing one thing. Men struck during these times. I¡¯d lost count of the number of men I¡¯d taken out while in the shower.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    I turned off the water, wrapped a towel around me, picked up my gun, and walked back into the bedroom. With my back to Aurora, I put the gun beside my bed and checked the time to see it was a little after three.

    ¡°You need to be careful around Volkov,¡± I said.

    I had no idea why I was giving her the warning. If she died doing something stupid, it was on her. I wouldn¡¯t take responsibility for her mistakes. She was the enemy. A foreigner to me.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t seek him out.¡±

    Her voice was so low, I only just made it out.

    I turned toward her, and she immediately shrank away. I didn¡¯t need her fear. ¡°Do as I say.¡±

    She nodded her head after a few seconds¡¯ hesitation, which pissed me off. While I¡¯d been in the shower, she¡¯d already put the book down and had sunk beneath the covers.

    My dick was hard, but I was in no mood to fuck an ice queen.

    I turned off my light, removed my towel, and climbed into bed.

    The bed shook a little. I was sure she cried, but it wasn¡¯t my problem. I had a lot of shit to do over the next few days, but sleep didn¡¯te to me.

    My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I could make out her outline. A sniffle escaped her. Time ticked by, and she finally fell into a fitful sleep. It was while she slept that I moved in close. I didn¡¯t touch her, but I felt her body heat and breathed in the heady scent of lemon.

    It was just one of the many parts of Aurora I found ¡­ intoxicating.

 3

    Aurora

    There had to be some kind of survival in never seeing your husband. There had to be. The days turned into weeks, then months, and it wasn¡¯t long before I¡¯d been married for a grand total of three months and four days. Yay. I was still alive.

    Still alive.

    Still ignored.

    But it was moments like now that I actually lived for.

    On rare asions, vik would demand my presence at parties, social gatherings, and the necessary dinner at a restaurant.

    Thetter was always the hardest. They tended to be the two of us. He¡¯d look the part but spend the entire time either talking on his cell phone or to a guard. I¡¯d sit and have to listen to his tones of Russian.

    I¡¯d thought about starting to learn, but so far, I hadn¡¯t pushed my luck. Now these asions, where we sat for dinner with a group of people, I could get through them. vik sat beside me, ordered my dinner, andplimented me. yed the role, saying all the right things. For a short time, I could pretend this was normal.

    At least at this dinner party, there were other women. Three of whom I sat close to. They were talking about theirtest designer gowns. I had no idea who I wore but they seemed to.

    I nodded and smiled,ughed at the right points, and even told a few jokes. Sofia, Irina, and Amanda were all beautiful women. They were destined to be married to three of the other brigadiers under Ivan Volkov¡¯s rule. I wasn¡¯t sure who they were going to marry, but by the rocks on their fingers, it was a pretty big deal.

    ¡°You know, I was thinking we could all do lunch,¡± I said.

    In thest four months, other than being with vik, I spent most of my time indoors, unless he ordered me to shop.

    It would be nice to make some friends in his world.

    No one called me from mine. No distant friends or cousins. Even my sister didn¡¯t have time for me.

    I smiled as the women agreed.

    Feeling the need to use the bathroom, I excused myself, feeling happier than I had in a long time. This dinner could be the turning point, where I finally found some people. The bathroom was divided into two sections. One was lit, and the other was in darkness. For some odd reason, I decided to go to the opposite side, shrouded in darkness. I used the toilet, flushed, and was washing my hands when I heard the giggling.

    ¡°Can you believe her?¡±

    I recognized Amanda¡¯s voice. I stepped back into the toilet stall. Who were they talking about?

    ¡°My face hurts from smiling so much,¡± Sofia said.

    ¡°Tell me about it. If vik wasn¡¯t here, I would have been able to ignore her. Do you know what they call her?¡± Irina asked.

    ¡°No, what?¡± Sofia and Amanda asked.

    ¡°The fat Italian. Honestly. People feel sorry for vik. I don¡¯t know how he puts up with her. He could do so much better. I know my dad tried to get me thrown at him, but Volkov decided the Fredo girl was more important.¡± The jealousy in Irina¡¯s voice was clear to hear.

    So, where I thought I¡¯d made a connection with these women, it was all an act.

    ¡°Did you see the dress?¡± Amanda asked. ¡°She looked like a cow. All vik has to do is say the word, and I¡¯d do anything for him. I heard on her wedding night, vik had to cut himself because he couldn¡¯t find her pussy through theyers of fat.¡±

    It went on and on. Between them using the bathroom, washing their hands, and applying makeup, they continued to insult me. Once they left, I stepped out of the stall. It wasn¡¯t the first time this had happened.

    I stared at my reflection. My hair had been curled by the male hairstylist vik had hired. He¡¯d wanted to cut my hair, but I refused, and so he curled it.

    Tonight ¡­ I thought I looked pretty. I guessed I was wrong.

    Tears shimmered in my eyes as I looked at my reflection, and my smile wobbled. ¡°What did you expect?¡± I took a deep breath, calming down my nerves, and finally, the tears faded.

    Time to go and y a role.

    I stepped out of the bathroom and took my seat back at the table. My hand shook as I reached for the ss of water.

    Amanda, Sofia, and Irina were back at the table, and I kept my gaze forward.

    vik¡¯s hand brushed mine. I turned toward him as I jerked my hand away from him. My entire body shook.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    He didn¡¯t need to know that another hope and dream had just been dashed. My pity party was my own.

    My heart raced and I sat back. I ignored the women at my side and stared across the table. Ivan stared right back at me. I didn¡¯t know what to do, and so I looked down at where a slice of chocte cake waited for me.

    It looked delicious with the dark frosting and the moist cake, but I felt sick.

    ¡°I ordered dessert for you,¡± vik said.

    ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m not hungry.¡± I sipped at my water.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got some news to tell me?¡± Ivan asked, silencing the table as he talked.

    When he spoke, everyone else shut up.

    Heat filled my body, and I made sure not to look at Ivan.

    ¡°No news.¡±

    ¡°So no little babiesing our way? The next generation of good strong men?¡± he asked.

    Babies. We¡¯d have to be having sex to have babies, and that wasn¡¯t happening.

    ¡°No babies,¡± vik said.

    ¡°Aw, vik, you break this poor man¡¯s heart. I want to see more children.¡±

    This entire conversation was getting to me.

    ¡°May I go home?¡± I asked.

    As I asked, I knew it was incredibly rude of me, but I needed to get away from here. I had to have a break and leave. The thought of staying here, well, I needed distance from the women, from vik, from duty.

    Gazes turned from me to Ivan, and he nodded. ¡°Of course, my dear.¡±

    vik clicked his fingers, signaling Sergei, but Ivan tutted. ¡°No, your wife is clearly feeling unwell. We¡¯ll talk another time. Go with her.¡±

    Ivan¡¯s word wasw.

    So, together, we stood. I made my escape toward the exit. Sergei already had my coat, which I took, grateful.

    vik came back and held out a small white card.

    ¡°Amanda said you needed to organize a lunch together.¡±

    I stared at the card for several seconds before I reached out to grab it. Without question, I tore it up and threw it in the trash. I wasn¡¯t going to make friends with people who talked behind my back like that. All my life I¡¯d been alone, and I could continue to be so.

    Wrapping my arms around my body, I stood outside, waiting for the car. vik stood beside me. He was so much taller than me. Muscr as well. From the glimpse I¡¯d gotten of him on my wedding night, I knew he was heavily inked, and he clearly worked out a lot.

    I gritted my teeth as the car came into view. Sliding into the back seat, I tried to hug myself against the door, but I couldn¡¯t get close enough. vik was too close.

    He pressed a button that raised the partition, separating us from the driver. We now had privacy.

    ¡°Do you want to tell me what is going on?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nothing is going on. I didn¡¯t need you to take me home. I was happy going with Sergei.¡± I sank my nails into my palm as I stared out the window.

    vik wrapped his fingers around my wrist and tugged me close. ¡°I don¡¯t like being ignored.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re hurting me.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re starting to piss me off.¡±

    Tears filled my eyes. He could so easily break my wrist. I stayed perfectly still.

    ¡°I just ¡­ I wanted to leave.¡±

    ¡°You think I didn¡¯t see a difference after you¡¯d gone to use the bathroom? What was said? They went after you but came out first? Are you hiding a pregnancy from me? Tell me.¡±

    He spat out all these questions, and I struggled to keep up. I was terrified, scared.

    ¡°What? No. I¡¯m not pregnant. And ¡­ I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with the other women.¡± I didn¡¯t want to tell him the reason why, but when he insisted, I had no choice but to tell him what I heard. I told him every single word.

    Afterward, silence fell between us, and I realized he¡¯d released my wrist. I pulled away from him, holding my wrist against me, protecting myself against him. He ¡­ frightened me. There was no other word for it, and now he heard my shame.

    ¡°You will never be left alone with those women,¡± he said.

    Not like I hadn¡¯t already nned to ignore them. I wouldn¡¯t invite myself to any of their parties, nor would I have anything more to do with them.

    I¡¯d wanted friends. Who didn¡¯t? But there was no way I was going to impose my presence on people who didn¡¯t want me.

    My lip wobbled.

    I hated this feeling. Gritting my teeth, I tried to ignore the pain. The loneliness. The desperate question of why people didn¡¯t like me. It wasn¡¯t like I did anything to incite it. At least I didn¡¯t think I did. I guessed I was just one of those people others couldn¡¯t stand.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not pregnant?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been having my period,¡± I said. ¡°It takes sex to have babies.¡±

    I hoped he didn¡¯t think that was an invitation.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    We arrived back at his apartment building. From what Sergei had told me, vik owned this ce, and several more. They were his personal investments. It was why if I chose, I could have the indoor swimming pool to myself, along with the gym.

    Thinking about the cake tonight, those horrible words the women threw at me, I finally made a decision.

    I took a deep breath and climbed out of the car, not waiting for either man to open my door.

    Whenever something like this happened, solitude helped me to deal. Keeping the tears at bay was proving to be difficult. A burn settled at the back of my throat.

    Staring at my reflection in the metal elevator doors, I had to wonder, was it me? Did I make people hate me? Was being nice a crime? A weakness? Why did people go out of their way to despise me? To hurt me? Or better yet, to avoid me?

    I rubbed at my chest where a stabbing pain struck hard.

    Stepping into the elevator, vik put his hand at the base of my back, but I didn¡¯t feel it.

    ¡°Do you ever care what people think of you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    I smiled. It didn¡¯t exactly reach my eyes. Simple. Direct. To the point. I liked it.

    ¡°Do you?¡±

    ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t, but it¡¯s kind of hard not to when everyone around you seems determined to hate you.¡±

    The bell dinged, and the doors opened.

    We stepped out.

    vik keyed in the code to our apartment.

    When we arrived, I often kept my distance, steering well clear of him out of fear of capturing his attention. Today, I wanted to be alone.

    I removed my shoes, ced them in the right ce, and without another look back, I went to the bathroom.

    Door closed and locked, I stared at my reflection in the mirror and allowed the spiteful words to wash over me.

    They were not the first.

    ¡°The fat Italian. Honestly. People feel sorry for vik. I don¡¯t know how he puts up with her. He could do so much better. I know my dad tried to get me thrown at him, but Volkov decided the Fredo girl was more important.¡±

    ¡°She looked like a cow. All vik has to do is say the word and I¡¯d do anything for him. I heard on her wedding night, vik had to cut himself because he couldn¡¯t find her pussy through theyers of fat.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a disappointment.¡±

    ¡°The ugly one.¡±

    ¡°The fat one.¡±

    ¡°What can we do to avoid being near her? No one likes her, no one wants to be around her.¡±

    I pressed my palms against my eyes as the tears fell, thick and fast. Each one that dropped added to my mortification. I was not liked. I was not loved. My own family didn¡¯t care who they sold me to.

    ¡°Aurora, open the door.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in the shower.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t hear it running. Open the door or I knock it down. Two choices.¡±

    I sshed my face with water, wiping off the makeup I¡¯d chosen to wear.

    ¡°Aurora!¡±

    I opened the door and stepped back. Turning the shower on, I reached for the sp at the side of my dress and eased it down.

    vik was in the bathroom, and any other time, I¡¯d have been afraid. There was no fear right now. Just pain and anger. Humiliation.

    I hated this feeling.

    ¡°What is going on with you?¡± he asked.

    I ignored him.

    Was I sporting a death wish?

    No one ignored vik Ivanov. His reputation for destruction preceded him. Women talked about him with abination of awe and fear.

    With the dress on the floor, I flicked the catch of my bra, followed by my panties, then stepped beneath the spray of the water. I let out a cry as the cold water washed over my body, shocking me to the core.

    In the back of my mind, I cursed myself, telling myself that I shouldn¡¯t be doing this. vik had asked a question, and the least I could do was answer.

    Silence.

    Gritting my teeth, I closed my eyes and tilted my head back.

    I¡¯m fine.

    I¡¯m fine.

    I¡¯m fine.

    The mantra went on and on inside my head. I didn¡¯t have much choice. When I was a kid, I had to learn to live with it. My father had hit me for showing weakness. Tears were pathetic and shouldn¡¯t be seen on a Fredo¡¯s face.

    I released a gasp as strong arms grabbed my shoulders and turned me around to face him. vik was naked as well, which surprised me. I expected him to leave.

    Why hadn¡¯t he left?

    ¡°Tell me what the hell is going on.¡±

    ¡°Nothing! Nothing is going on. Don¡¯t you get that? I¡¯m taking a shower.¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re lying to me.¡±

    Be thedy. Don¡¯t give in.

    Old advice and demands rushed forward. The rules of the obedient woman consumed me, making me feel sick.

    ¡°You really want to know?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t give him chance to answer. ¡°I am sick and tired of being treated like I don¡¯t care. Like I don¡¯t matter. I tried to make friends and like always, I got shit on. What is it about me, huh? Do I just have unlikeable written across my forehead? Do people just enjoy kicking me while I¡¯m down? The only reason they were nice to me tonight was because of you.¡± I took in a deep breath, realizing my mistake and wishing I could take it back.

    This wasn¡¯t what I wanted. I stepped beneath the spray, waiting for the hit, the punishment. It was destined toe. My mother, when she talked back to my father, always ended up bruised. One time, I hadin in bed, terrified as I heard them. The yells, followed by the screams, the cries, the begs. The following day, I hadn¡¯t been allowed to see my mother.

    For three weeks she stayed in her room, and when she came out, she sported a broken arm, split lip, and bruised face. That was what we could see.

    My mother had taken me and Isabe aside not long after and said we must do whatever we could to not fall into the trap of inciting our husband¡¯s wrath.

    This was a code I tried to live by.

    No blow came.

    I wasn¡¯t even worth it.

    Instead, vik left the shower, leaving me to feel far emptier than I ever thought was possible.

 4

    vik

    The following day, Aurora¡¯s words were still running rife through my mind even as I dealt with the necessary business of incorrect funds at one of our many brothels. We worked it all, guns, drugs, money, pussy, whatever depraved thing men and women wanted and could pay for, we supplied.

    We had politicians, government officials, and police officers on our payroll, and all were told to turn a blind eye. Where there was power, we had a hand in it. It was how we always stayed one step ahead.

    When a brothel began to lose money, especially a really good one, it meant trouble. Not for Cara, the cute redhead who ran the ce. The moment she saw a problem, she called. I didn¡¯t like dealing with the small businesses, but Cara was ¡­ a friend of sorts.

    She sipped at her coffee, dressed in a cute pinstriped business suit. No one would have ever guessed that she loved her job running and participating in a brothel. She was a powerful woman and knew how to manipte men.

    I happened to adore her, as did Ivan, which was why I dealt with her face to face. Cara had been on the streets, fighting for her life. She¡¯d helped to save our lives a time or two, and that meant we took care of her.

    She was loyal and we cared for her. Protected her.

    ¡°As you can see, the money doesn¡¯t add up. We¡¯re gaining more clients every fucking day, and that shit doesn¡¯t sit well with me.¡± She also didn¡¯t dress anything up either. She was fact all the way.

    ¡°Are you sure you just can¡¯t count?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Cheeky bastard. You think I didn¡¯t go over the figures a hundred times before calling you?¡± she asked. ¡°I get how busy you all are, and I run a tight ship.¡±

    I took the file she offered me and started to look through the facts and figures. Just from the quick nce, it appeared they were losing close to ten grand a night-not good. The brothel Cara ran was more ¡­ exclusive. Rich men who wanted to live out every dirty little fantasy could have their fun. The women were always beautiful, always ready to fuck. Cara said she didn¡¯t deal with crack whores, or women who were desperate. She worked with women who wanted to get paid to fuck. Who actually enjoyed their work. When she ran the idea by Ivan many years ago, I thought she was going to fail. There was no way women would be lining up to want to fuck for money. I¡¯d been wrong. Her club, aptly called Cara¡¯s, had proven to be a sess. Even if it hadn¡¯t been, I was sure Ivan would have seen to it that Cara was taken care of.

    Cara put down her coffee and rubbed at her temples. ¡°I¡¯m pissed off, Vik. It means someone is in my business, taking from me, taking from Ivan. I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    Only close friends called me Vik.

    I looked at the figures. ¡°And you¡¯ve had no new people?¡±

    ¡°No. None. I haven¡¯t hired anyone in a year, at least.¡± She sighed and sat back. ¡°The problem I have is the security cameras, they¡¯re all in the rooms. I don¡¯t have them in our private business. You know that.¡±

    ¡°So whoever it is, they¡¯re either taking it from the private rooms or up front. You ever thought the girls are giving it away for free?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I have to protect them. You know that. I¡¯ve got guards there. Payment is always secured before any business takes ce. You know my rules.¡±

    I did. ¡°I¡¯ll take this to Ivan. He¡¯ll look into it.¡±

    ¡°Tell him I¡¯m on his side. That I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± Cara sat back. ¡°So, now that business is out of the way. Tell me how your wife is doing.¡±

    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Not happening.¡±

    ¡°Oh please, you¡¯re being an asshole, aren¡¯t you? I think I can see it now. You probably don¡¯t even see your wife.¡±

    I thought about how she spoke to me in the shower. Aurora had been different then. She¡¯d been filled with fire, passion, and pain. I recognized all three. They were emotions I could rte to.

    Staring at Cara, I know she¡¯d understand, but when it came to my wife, I didn¡¯t understand her.

    ¡°This is not a topic of conversation.¡±

    Cara ran her finger along her chin, assessing me. I¡¯d never fucked her. A lot of men had, but me and Cara, we weren¡¯t inclined that way.

    ¡°You know I met her at the wedding,¡± Cara said.

    ¡°You did.¡±

    ¡°She ¡­ seemed nice. Terrified, which is a given. She was being given to you, but I also heard what people were saying about her. What they were calling her.¡±

    ¡°I heard as well.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but does your wife know what you did to those people?¡± Cara asked. ¡°Is she aware that you put a de in a man¡¯s throat because they called her a fat cow?¡±

    ¡°No one disrespects my wife,¡± I said.

    ¡°Which again, I find so intriguing. For a man who ims not to care, you seem to do a whole lot of caring.¡±

    ¡°Are we done here?¡± I asked.

    She chuckled. ¡°We are, for now.¡± She stood up and held out her hand.

    I shook it and then we embraced.

    ¡°Take care of yourself, Vik. Don¡¯t be a stranger.¡±

    ¡°Let me know if you have any more findings about this.¡± I held the file she¡¯d given me, and she agreed.

    She left and I paid the bill, leaving a healthy tip.

    I turned on my heel and left the restaurant. After heading to my office, which was located at one of our casinos, I sat down and went through the figures. Cara¡¯s notes were along the side, and I could see she was trying to work out the problem.

    Cara was an amazing businesswoman, but she sometimes didn¡¯t see patterns. There was something here, I could see it.

    Closing the file, I ced it to one side, handled a few emails, checked over some inventory. Called men to arrange meetings with, and handled my district one. Sergei regrly checked in with me about my wife¡¯s whereabouts, and today wasn¡¯t any different. He texted me that she was still inside the apartment.

    What was different this time was she¡¯d taken a quick detour to the gym, followed by the pool.

    She normally sat and read.

    My wife¡¯s calendar was always empty.

    Sitting back, I stared at the text message.

    Aurora was hurting.

    Her family hadn¡¯t been in touch. Everyone she¡¯d ever known had left her behind as if they didn¡¯t care about her.

    I didn¡¯t understand her pain.

    My family was dead to me.

    Ivan¡¯s words about children came back to me.

    Getting to my feet, I texted Sergei to let him know I was heading home.

    Everyone moved out of my path as I made my way to the car. I climbed inside the back and handled some more business as I was driven to my apartment. I didn¡¯t give Sergei any instructions.

    After arriving, I climbed out of the car, took the elevator, and entered my apartment, dismissing Sergei with a single look.

    Aurora was nowhere to be seen.

    I checked the kitchen, living room, dining room, and then opted for the spare bedroom I¡¯d turned into a library for her.

    She sat in a chair, reading a book. Exactly how I found her more often than not. This time though, she worerge clothes. Theypletely covered her body. Her sses were perched on her nose, and she did look incredibly cute.

    I entered the library.

    ¡°Hi,¡± she said.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    I stayed silent, ncing around at the bookshelves. When I¡¯d married, I¡¯d been determined to ignore this woman, but each day, I found her invading my thoughts. It was very fucking annoying.

    ¡°You like to read?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It was a dumb question. Anyone could see she loved to read.

    Spinning around, I found she now stood, looking at me. Her hands held the book close to her as if it was a protective shield. It wouldn¡¯t ward me off.

    ¡°We have a duty to produce a baby,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh.¡± She nibbled on her lip. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there was a rush.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t, but the truth was I wasn¡¯t used to going without fucking and so far, I hadn¡¯t been with any other woman. Again, it was fucking beyond me why I hadn¡¯t. We had willing women at our fingertips, and it would be so easy to find a woman.

    ¡°Get in the bedroom. Get naked.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t a good man. I didn¡¯t know how to have a wife, or to be nice to a woman.

    She was the enemy.

    Aurora left the library.

    I didn¡¯t trust her. For all I knew, she could be running off and telling her dad all of our secrets. The moment I had the thought, I quickly squashed it. There was no way it would happen. All her actions were monitored. There was no way she¡¯d be able to do it without us noticing.

    No one had called her.

    Her family had cut her off.

    So much for a blessed treaty.

    Entering the bedroom, I found her lying on her back, naked, staring up at the ceiling. My cock hardened at the sight of her.

    It was true what Cara said. Some men on our wedding day and night offered me their condolences. I¡¯d made sure the men knew to keep their opinions to themselves as they¡¯d been unwanted.

    When I looked at Aurora, I didn¡¯t see a womancking. She wasn¡¯t a stunning beauty, but she was beautiful. I liked her curves. I was a big man, and I didn¡¯t want to break a woman while fucking her. My strength and my appetite had me drawn to fuller women like Aurora.

    I enjoyed sex and wanted it often.

    I¡¯d gone without for so long, only taking care of my needs by my hand. Several women had offered themselves to me, all of which I¡¯d turned down. I had no interest in sticking my dick into a used cunt.

    There was the problem.

    Aurora had spoiled me.

    Her virginity had been given to me, and now, there was no other pussy I wanted but my wife. The only problem was I didn¡¯t exactly know how to have a wife. It was a weakness, and there was no way in hell I¡¯d ever fucking tell anyone that.

    I had no weakness. I was fucking strong.

    Standing at the edge of the bed, I saw her eyes close, and I couldn¡¯t do it. There was no way I could climb between her thighs and fuck her while she looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but with me.

    ¡°Come here. On your knees.¡± I clicked my fingers, and Aurora did as I asked. I saw the redness in her cheeks, but I didn¡¯t care.

    I had to fuck, to spill my spunk inside her willing body now. I had to take her, and the only way I was going to do that was if I didn¡¯t see her face.

    The moment I touched her, she jerked.

    I moved her into ce to steady her, and then I skimmed my fingers along her ass, teasing her. When I cupped between her thighs, I found herpletely bone dry, and I cursed.

    This would hurt, and she¡¯d probably bleed if I took her. With no other choice, I found the tube of lubricant I always kept on hand, spread some on my fingers, and applied it to her tight cunt.

    Easing out my dick, I smeared the rest of it across my hard length. I was rock-hard. My need was so great that I wasn¡¯t even distracted by her dryness. All I wanted was to fuck.

    With the tip at her cunt, I slid inside, and she was even tighter than I remembered. I¡¯d been with my fair share of women, and I¡¯d never known them to be like this. Clearly, they¡¯d been broken in by a lot of men, because Aurora was tight.

    I gripped her hips tightly, closed my eyes, and started to fuck her. I didn¡¯t go slow, but I took her hard.

    Harder than I intended, but it was what I needed.

    In and out, I watched her cunt open up. She softened, but I didn¡¯t give her a chance toe. At the final point, I mmed in balls deep and spilled my cum into her cunt, flooding her.

    Ivan wanted kids, and I was duty bound to give them to him.

    My cock was now spent for the time being. I slid out of her and put myself away.

    Aurora didn¡¯t move.

    I stared at her ass, seeing my cum spill out from between her pussy.

    ¡°Lie down, put a pillow beneath your ass, and give it half an hour,¡± I said.

    My cell phone rang, and without a backward nce, I left the room, feeling like a fucking asshole.

    Why did it matter?

    Why did I fucking care?

    She was my wife, to do with as I pleased, and if I wanted to fuck her throughout the day, she would submit to me.

    Then why did it leave a bad taste in my mouth?

 5

    Aurora

    Tonight was going to be a disaster.

    I don¡¯t know why vik had agreed to this dinner, but I was terrified. It was the first dinner as a married couple. Nearly five months into marriage, and he finally decided it was time to host a dinner. A private family dinner.

    My parents wereing.

    Only mine.

    He didn¡¯t have any parents.

    This was going to be a nightmare, but for the past three days, I¡¯d been nning it. vik had insisted on a cook. He wouldn¡¯t eat anything I cooked for him. Not that it hurt or offended me.

    It really did, but I tried not to let it show.

    Along with reading, I also liked to cook. What vik didn¡¯t know was that I¡¯d put myself on a very strict diet. Years of name calling and abuse, and I was done. I wanted to be happy with myself, but I couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. That day back in the restaurant had sealed the deal. Those words the women hadughed about. They hurt.

    I worked out at the gym every single day. I swam every day. I counted calories, being sure not to go over my limit.

    So far, I¡¯d lost a couple of pounds, not that anyone noticed.

    I did.

    I¡¯d even started to use the scales in the bathroom. They¡¯d been ced in one of the storage cupboards. Now every single morning and each night, I weighed myself. It was difficult, but I tried to keep the weight the same morning and night. I ate little. Drank water, and in all honesty, prayed.

    This evening was going to be difficult. In the past, my family had even mocked my attempts to lose weight, which had set me on a spiral of overeating.

    I¡¯d be in control. I was a married woman, nning my first dinner party. It would all go well. I was determined for it to work out.

    Even as I thought the words, I couldn¡¯t help but doubt myself.

    vik had already returned home. We hadn¡¯t talked since he¡¯de home at lunch and demanded sex.

    I had no idea why women enjoyed sex. It was ¡­ boring, slightly painful. Whatever he¡¯d put on me before he¡¯d entered me had made itfortable, but still, I didn¡¯t understand why so many women were into it. Why there was even a porn industry.

    Dressed in a simple ck dress, I looked into the mirror. Was it slimming enough?

    vik entered. ¡°We¡¯re not conducting a funeral. Change.¡±

    He went to the bathroom.

    Staring at my reflection, I thought I looked okay, but ck was for funerals. I wished I had the balls to defy him.

    I changed out of the ck dress and opted for a white one, instead. This one clung to my curves.

    I was about to change when vik came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his impressive waist.

    Attraction was still new to me, and even though I hated my husband, I did believe I ¡­ fancied him, at least a little bit. He was heaven to look at.

    The bad boy.

    Dangerous.

    Deadly.

    Shaking out of my thoughts, I saw vik was still looking at me. ¡°Wear that,¡± he said.

    I looked down at myself.

    The dress went to the knee, and the front of the dress plunged to the top of my breasts. It covered everything but it felt so ¡­ sexy, and this was a family dinner.

    Rather than argue, I changed the ck shoes for a pair of white heels. They stung the backs of my ankles, but I ignored the pain.

    Just as I was about to leave, vik ordered me to stop.

    I turned as he came toward me.

    He reached behind my head and I had to give myself a pat on the back for not flinching away from his touch. He released the clip that bound up my hair.

    Staring up at him, I waited.

    He didn¡¯t give me permission to leave as he walked toward his jacket and came back with a velvet box.

    He opened it up, showing off a pair of diamond earrings and a matching ne. They were both beautiful, delicate.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.

    ¡°Wear them tonight.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only dinner with my parents.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I want them on you tonight.¡±

    I took the box from him, but he stopped me, taking out the ne. Turning my back to him, he ced it over my head so ity against my chest, and secured the sp. Staring in the mirror with him to my back, it seemed intimate. I¡¯d read many scenes where the hero had now kissed the heroine¡¯s neck and drawn her back, where she¡¯d be able to feel his arousal. But he stepped away, leaving me cold and feeling a little stupid.

    ¡°Go,¡± he said.

    My master had finally released me.

    I took the box, and in another room, I put the earrings in. They were very pretty.

    After closing the box, I ced it in a cupboard and then made my way to check on the table. Everything was set perfectly. Candles had been lit. Wine sat cooling, ready for the right moment to pour.

    The house had been cleaned. vik had insisted on a cleaner toe in. There was so much he wouldn¡¯t have me do. To be honest, I didn¡¯t even know why I was here half the time. It wasn¡¯t like he had any use for me. It was very embarrassing.

    I checked into the kitchen and the chef who had been hired gave me a wink and promised it would be the best food imaginable. It looked like he was cooking seafood. I hated seafood, but I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him for a fifth time.

    The scents alone were making me feel queasy. I wondered if I was pregnant and wasn¡¯t entirely sure if I was happy or sad about that.

    Bringing a baby into this world seemed cruel. A boy would be forced to train and kill. A girl would grow up to be a bride. Either happy or abused by her husband. This was our life. Did I want to risk bringing either child into the world? Possibly hating one while also dreading the life of another? It made absolutely no sense to me to do either.

    I left the chef to his own devices and instead went toward the corridor where Sergei stood, waiting for instructions.

    He always lingered. I hoped one day he¡¯de to see me as a friend and not as a job or obligation.

    The smile he offered me was wee.

    I spent all my time with him. What I didn¡¯t like was how often he was around me. A constant shadow.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to do great,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    The truth was I knew this night was going to be a disaster.

    ¡°Rx.¡± Sergei reached out, putting a hand on my shoulder. It was the first time he¡¯d touched me since I¡¯d been married to his boss. On instinct, I jerked back. No one else was supposed to touch me or even be allowed near me. Those were the rules. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have time topletely process the thought as the doorbell rang. I should have waited for vik, but my nerves were getting the better of me. Against my better judgment, I opened the door to wee my father, Franco. My mother, Gianna. My sister, Isabe, and one of my brothers, Cole.

    Offering a smile, I stepped back to allow them entry. My hands grew mmy and my heart raced.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be answering the door,¡± my father said. ¡°Can¡¯t the Bratva pay for help? Are they that hard up for cash?¡±

    Before I got a chance to answer, vik was there. ¡°We allow our women to have their own minds and know they can answer the door without the need for assistance.¡± He came to stand beside me.

    I had no idea how much I needed thefort, but the moment he was there, I didn¡¯t want him to leave.

    Our marriage wasn¡¯t a happy one, nor pleasant, but clearly something had been going right in the past five months for me to prefer hispany to my parents. The idea of viking home every night didn¡¯t make me sick to my stomach.

    ¡°What if I¡¯d been your enemy? Your wife would be dead now.¡±

    My father had clearly washed his hands of me. No reference to me being his daughter or a member of his family. I was vik¡¯s now.

    ¡°I have Sergei,¡± I said, speaking up, breaking all the rules. My dad couldn¡¯t punish me now. I was no longer his responsibility.

    In fact, realizing that, it kind of sent a shiver of pleasure rushing down my spine. They were in vik¡¯s home now. I belonged to him. His property.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    ¡°Please, I¡¯ll show you to the dining room.¡±

    vik took my hand, not allowing me to go far.

    ¡°They can find the table. Sergei, make them sit,¡± he said.

    I heard the outrageing from my mother, but I ignored it as vik held my hand, stopping me from going anywhere. ¡°What seems to be the problem?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Why are we having fish?¡±

    His question caught me off guard. ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Fish. It¡¯s being served.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what the chef decided.¡±

    ¡°You hate fish.¡±

    For a split second, I was speechless. How did he know that? Why did he even care? Licking my dry lips, I looked over his shoulder, but he snapped his fingers. This made me feel like a child.

    ¡°You wanted a chef, and he wouldn¡¯t listen to me. No, I don¡¯t like fish, but he wouldn¡¯t allow me to have any choice.¡±

    ¡°What will you eat?¡±

    ¡°Bread, or whatever else is around. I won¡¯t starve.¡± I had to wonder how many calories were in bread. I hadn¡¯t eaten a whole lot today. The moment vik told me he¡¯d invited my family to dinner, eating had been thest thing on my mind. The idea of sitting with my family and hearing their judgmentalments was enough to stop me from eating. If he¡¯d told me this at the beginning of the week, I¡¯d have lost a great deal of weight already.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡±

    ¡°Next time, don¡¯t organize a chef and have a little trust in me.¡±

    ¡°Why should I trust you?¡± he asked.

    I didn¡¯t know what came over me. Hurt? Anger. Irritation that I should trust him, but he can¡¯t trust me.

    ¡°And why should I trust you?¡± I red at him and tugged my wrist from out of his hold, marching into the dining room. The moment I crossed the threshold, the mask was firmly in ce.

    Dinner hadn¡¯t even started, and it was already a disaster. My father had taken my ce setting at the head of the table. This was an instant sign of disrespect. I clenched my hands together, twisting them, trying to figure out what the hell to do.

    vik entered and paused. ¡°I¡¯m not married to you, Fredo. Get out of her seat,¡± he said.

    I¡¯d never heard anyone speak to my father like that. I looked at my husband, whose gaze was on my father.

    ¡°Pardon me?¡±

    ¡°Are you going deaf as well as being stupid? Get the fuck out of my wife¡¯s seat now.¡±

    ¡°This sign of disrespect-¡±

    I cried out as vik grabbed my father, dragging him out of his seat and cing him firmly in his own. ¡°My house! My fucking rules. Live by them, or I will cut your throat, treaty or not.¡±

    Silence rang out and was only interrupted by the chef bringing out the first course. The scent of fish was too much for me, and with a hand on my stomach, I threw up all over Isabe¡¯s designer dress.

 6

    vik

    ¡°It was a family dinner,¡± I said, not the first time either, and Ivan was stillughing. It would seem my father-inw didn¡¯t take kindly to my threats. ¡°Have you had a chance to look at what I¡¯ve sent you?¡± I wanted to get back on track, not discussing the poorly organized dinner.

    Aurora had looked tense the entire time. I noticed the way her family treated her with indifference. They didn¡¯t care about her. I saw it more clearly now than ever before. They¡¯d given me and the Bratva a daughter they held no regard for.

    After my wife threw up on her sister¡¯s dress, Isabe had changed into some clothes of Aurora¡¯s, which had started a whole conversation about the size difference between the two women. I¡¯d immediately brought a stop to it.

    Her sister Isabe had talked the whole time, and while she did, the sound of her voice grated on my nerves. Her family doted on her, though. It was like she¡¯d hosted our partyst night, not Aurora. As for the chef, well, he¡¯d gotten what wasing to him. Telling my wife what he¡¯d serve and not listening to her. He¡¯de from one of our restaurants, and clearly, he hadn¡¯t been given the update on who was in charge. I¡¯d enjoyed every single moment of reminding him.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m looking at it, and it seems to ur during two specific times where the rate of men versus ie differs.¡±

    I listened as Ivan gave me the few remaining details of the puzzle. All I had to do now was go back to Cara with them and we could run down a list of employees who would have full ess to the office, along with the ability to take money. It wouldn¡¯t be a hard deal to handle.

    ¡°How is the lovely Cara these days?¡± Ivan asked.

    With Ivan being in the tower of power, it was rare for him to see Cara. She was considered under my jurisdiction. Of course, if he actually wanted to see her, all he¡¯d need to do was make a phone call.

    ¡°Well, from what I saw.¡± I¡¯d never been one to make small talk.

    ¡°And your wife? Have you started to make babies yet?¡±

    I ran a hand down my face. If Ivan wasn¡¯t my friend and my boss, I¡¯d tell him to go and fuck himself.

    ¡°Everything is going well.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking lie to me, vik. You and I know how important this treaty is. I¡¯ve given you a woman because I know you¡¯ll follow instructions and she won¡¯t be dead within a few years at your hand. This y cannot work without all the cogs working. Get her pregnant and do it soon.¡±

    He hung up and I stared at my phone before pocketing it.

    I nced up at the night sky, taking a final deep breath. The y was the chance to expand, to take more turf. With Aurora as my wife, it made the Italians look weak. They wanted an alliance to stop the bloodshed, as we¡¯d been killing their made men for years. This treaty, however long itsted, would gain us the power topletely wipe them from our list of enemies.

    It was always about ground and money. Two of which always equaled power, and we always wanted a lot of it.

    Entering the warehouse, I heard the screams. My men stood waiting for the instruction. The man hanging upside down, blood streaming from several shes that had been made into his flesh, whimpered, and the almost animal-like sounds he made echoed around the room.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    I¡¯d long ago been desensitized to the noises of the tortured. This man had stolen from us. Taken product in the intent to hand us over to thew. We didn¡¯t take betrayal easily. He¡¯d also been trying to get out of the country ever since he realized he was the piece in a trap.

    ¡°No, please. No. I¡¯ll do anything.¡±

    I crouched down so we were at eye level. ¡°Who were you going to meet with?¡± I asked.

    After he¡¯d called to try to buy protection for the information he believed he had, he went running to one of our enemies, the Italian mafia. This morning, I got the call from Fredo himself, the man willing to trade secrets. This was why the treaty worked.

    ¡°I¡¯m dead anyway,¡± the man said.

    I tilted my head to the side, looking at him. He¡¯d already pissed and shit himself. The contents of his body swirled on the floor, creating a stink. I hated weak men. This man was the lowest of the low.

    When you swore loyalty to someone, you gave yourself to the cause, and this fucker was everything I despised.

    Ivan Volkov was a fucking king in our world, and to all those who turned on him, turned on us, I never showed mercy.

    ¡°True, but I can make it an easy death. You wouldn¡¯t feel pain. Or I can keep you alive for days, weeks, months, and every single day, you will feel nonstop pain.¡± I tilted my head to the side with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s it going to be?¡±

    When I smiled, it terrified people.

    I was used to having that effect on people because I rarely found humor in this life. I had no desire for it. I had one set mode and that was to kill. To annihte my enemies.

    He still didn¡¯t talk, so I figured it was time to remind him. I¡¯d already plucked his toenails and fingernails, but now I would extract his teeth, one at a time.

    Two of my men lifted him, holding him still as I pried open his mouth. He thrashed, trying to get away, but he was no match for our strength. I used the right tool for the job, and within seconds, held a very healthy-looking tooth.

    ¡°Please, I¡¯ll tell you anything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± I was sure to keep the sight of the tooth for him to see as a reminder. It worked. He told me all about the knowledge of our treaty. How the Italians had insulted us by granting us a marriage with a daughter they wanted to get rid of and how there was a rumor of a takeover.

    Now this was news to me.

    He continued to exin the gossip running rife about our enemies, how they were willing to band together with some MCs, and even the cartels had been seening and going through their turf.

    Once he was done, I had enough to work through, and so the death was clean, precise, and over with. He had given me far more work.

    We intended to take the turf away from the Italians. Any attack now would be suicide. I filled Ivan in on the details I¡¯d gained, and along with it, I heard the new anger in his voice. We¡¯d been aware of Aurora¡¯sck of desire, but this went beyond that. We couldn¡¯t attack now, but we would be aware, gathering the necessary intel that would be required for us topletely wipe them off the face of the earth.

    ¡°What do I do with Aurora?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Simple. I have a feeling if she¡¯s as expendable to them as everyone believes, they won¡¯t care about her death. We keep her alive. You use her. Host several more of those family dinners. Find out everything we know and y the loving husband. We will hurt them for this.¡±

    I agreed and hung up.

    My biggest problem ¡­ I didn¡¯t like the way they¡¯d disregarded Aurora. She was my wife, and it was my duty, for now, to keep her alive, but I had a problem with how they treated her. From the moment the agreed treaty of a marriage was negotiated, I¡¯d seen the way she was handled. How they pushed her to one side as if she didn¡¯t matter. Not only that, but even the other night with those women at the dinner table. They couldn¡¯t stand to be around her.

    I didn¡¯t get it. Aurora was sweet. She was kind. I saw it in her eyes even though she tried to hide everything. What I also saw was eptance. She lived with this, being constantly passed over, ignored.

    Arriving at my penthouse suite, I discovered it was empty. No sign of Aurora or Sergei, which pissed me off.

    I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Sergei.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± I didn¡¯t like this one bit.

    ¡°We¡¯re at the pool. Aurora wanted to do someps.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Mrs. Ivanov,¡± I said, hanging up the phone.

    I was already heading toward the pool. In the elevator, I rubbed at my temple. I hadn¡¯t slept in two days so far. Sleep rarely came to me. I had no trust in anyone around me, and right now between Cara¡¯s problem, and now the Italian one, there was no way I was going to rx.

    You were killed if you let down your guard, and that was thest thing I was going to do.

    The elevator went down to the level with the gym and the pool. I saw the sign posted, stating the pool was closed for the time being.

    As I entered, I caught sight of my wife wearing a one-piece swimsuit. She had her arms crossed over the edge of the pool, and Sergei, as far as I was concerned, looked a little too cozy with my wife, which pissed me off.

    We¡¯d been married a little over five months, and as I watched them, I didn¡¯t like how close they seemed. Anger worked up my body as I stepped into view. The moment I did, the smile on Aurora¡¯s lips fell and Sergei stood.

    He bowed his head to me. ¡°Sir.¡±

    ¡°You can leave,¡± I said.

    He nodded. Without another look at my wife, he left the room. Alone with my wife, I saw Aurora move back into the water. We looked at each other.

    She wasn¡¯t a stunning beauty, but there was a beauty there. I¡¯d had my fair share of fake beauty. There was something about Aurora that called to me.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you wereing home,¡± she said.

    ¡°You never do.¡±

    Again, small talk wasn¡¯t my strong suit.

    ¡°It would be wise of you not to flirt with my men.¡±

    This had her frowning. ¡°I wasn¡¯t flirting.¡±

    ¡°You think I didn¡¯t see what you were doing?¡±

    She looked to where Sergei had left. ¡°We were just talking. Not everything between a man and a woman has to be about ¡­ sex.¡±

    My cock twitched. I hadn¡¯t gotten the pleasure of enjoying my wife. She¡¯d moved toward the edge of the pool, and as she grabbed the side, I watched as she pulled herself out. I admired the curves of her body. The fullness of her ass. She grabbed a towel.

    ¡°If you continue to flirt with Sergei and give him the wrong message, I will kill him.¡±

    She red at him. ¡°I wasn¡¯t flirting with him. He¡¯s my ¡­ friend.¡±

    This made meugh. I couldn¡¯t help it. Sergei wasn¡¯t a friend. None of my men were her friends, and if given the order, they would turn on her at a moment¡¯s notice.

    What I didn¡¯t expect was the p to the face. I captured her hand and pulled her against me. She began to wriggle, and with how close her body was, I had no problem with it. Not that I¡¯d force her. Rape wasn¡¯t something I wanted to ever experience.

    Staring into her eyes, I restrained her, making her pause with a single hand on her ass. I gripped her tightly, and tears filled her eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever fucking do that again.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like being hit. I tend to hit back.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t use me of doing something I never did. I don¡¯t flirt. I wouldn¡¯t even know how.¡±

    ¡°My men know the rules. You¡¯re a job to them, nothing more.¡±

    She wore a good mask, but I saw my words had struck her hard. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that? It¡¯s all I do know. I¡¯m a job. It¡¯s why I don¡¯t flirt. Now let me go, or is there something else you want from me?¡±

    Her lips looked really tempting, but my anger was not in a good ce. I released her, and without a backward nce, she left. The curves of her ass just begged for me to call her back and show her what real sex was all about. The two times I¡¯d fucked her hadn¡¯t been real. It had been mechanical, a necessity and then a release. I wanted her again, but not tonight. I never allowed my hormones to take charge. I was the one who held control over myself, no one else.

 7

    Aurora

    For the next week, I stopped talking to Sergei, and I ignored vik when he decided to join me for dinner or anything else. We did end up going to two different dinner parties, but like the ones before, I was able to sit without saying a single word.

    Dinner invitations were offered, but I declined.

    I¡¯de to the conclusion I didn¡¯t want to make friends with vik¡¯s world. So by the second week after my decision, I sat on the sofa, bored out of my mind. I¡¯d read so many books I couldn¡¯t even remember a single title or author. The stories had been great but it was like I hadn¡¯t really taken them in.

    There was nothing for me to do but stay here.

    Sergei stood a few feet away as I stared down at my feet.

    I¡¯d already done my workout for the day. ording to the scales today, I¡¯d dropped another couple of pounds. Even as my stomach rumbled, I ignored the growl. Eating was done carefully and controlled.

    ¡°You need to eat something,¡± Sergei said.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Starving yourself is not the answer.¡±

    I lifted my gaze. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be talking to me.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Aurora, don¡¯t be like that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Mrs. Ivanov,¡± I said. I heard him tut, and I red at him. ¡°Do you know what my husband thinks? He thinks I was flirting with you.¡± Iughed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to give him the satisfaction.¡±

    I hated him. He was an asshole.

    I was so fucking bored. Five months of married life sucked. Not that being a daughter was any easy feat. Nope. Both sucked.

    ¡°You do know he is probably with a mistress right now,¡± Sergei said after a short pause.

    This had me looking at Sergei. ¡°What?¡±

    He moved closer into the room. I didn¡¯t stop him as he sat down opposite me. I moved my feet out of his room. Sergei had never been like this before, and I quickly nced around to make sure no one watched. I didn¡¯t know why I did this. We weren¡¯t breaking any rules, but all of a sudden, this felt way too intimate. Like I shouldn¡¯t allow this. Did it make any sense?

    I wasn¡¯t betraying vik, but with his usations still ringing in my ear, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was.

    Other than my family, I¡¯d never sat down with a man. Rarely talked to one that wasn¡¯t my husband or blood rted. In fact, Sergei and Ivan were the only two men I¡¯d spoken to in my life.

    Sergei put a hand on my foot, and I gritted my teeth, doing everything in my power not to pull away from his touch. My family had drilled into me at a young age that touch by anyone but my husband was bad.

    ¡°A man like vik has needs. They¡¯re important to him. He¡¯s not the kind of man who is going to enjoy straight sex. He likes it dirty. He¡¯ll find an outlet with a woman who is not his wife.¡±

    So my husband of five months was already cheating on me. I should have known. Why did it hurt so much?

    ¡°Have you ¡­ met her?¡±

    ¡°No. Men like vik are never at a loss for femalepany.¡±

    I didn¡¯t like the way Sergei rubbed his thumb against my foot.

    Quickly, I moved, standing up. ¡°Then I guess I should count my blessings that he¡¯s finding his pleasures elsewhere. Excuse me.¡±

    I left the sitting room and entered our bedroom where we slept side by side most nights. I wrapped my arms around myself. With my back pressed against the closed door, I slid down and stared at the bed.

    Sex always sounded so good in the books, but in real life, I couldn¡¯t imagine a woman enjoying herself. It was too ¡­ horrible and boring. After the two times I¡¯d had sex, I didn¡¯t care for a repeat performance. I hadn¡¯t enjoyed it.

    Running fingers through my hair, I pulled my knees up to my chest, resting my chin on top.

    Time ticked by.

    The only passing I was aware of was the fading light in the window shining into the room. I didn¡¯t move.

    My stomach had stopped growling, and the sickness had also faded.

    My marriage was already over. He was screwing someone else. Probably a whole lot of something elses. I shouldn¡¯t care. In fact, I didn¡¯t care.

    Then why the hell did my entire core feel like it was being torn in two? It made no sense. vik could go and do whatever the hell he wanted. I didn¡¯t care.

    The bedroom door was pushed open, and the force had me falling forward. I caught myself before I face-nted the floor.

    vik entered. ¡°What the fuck is going on here?¡±

    I¡¯d started to notice his ent appeared more pronounced when he was angry.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± I got to my feet and kept my back to him.

    I didn¡¯t want him to see me like this. I had to get myself under control.

    When he grabbed my arm, I yelled and told him to leave me alone, spinning around to confront him. I wanted to hit him again, but thest time I did, there was a real threat there. This man killed people with his bare hands. I wasn¡¯t a match for him.

    ¡°What the fuck is your problem?¡± he asked.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    My hands clenched into fists. Had he been with a woman today? Had he fucked her? Had he enjoyed his time with her?

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem. Just don¡¯t touch me,¡± I said.

    He red and advanced toward me. I stepped back. I kept on doing this until the edge of the bed met my back and I stumbled, falling. I tried to get up, but vik grabbed my arms, pinning me down. ¡°You are my wife. I will touch you if I damn well please!¡±

    I screamed and tried to pull away.

    Anger tore out of my throat, but I was no match for him. It would seem I¡¯d never be a match for him as he held me down on the bed.

    ¡°Let me go. Get your hands off me.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, Aurora. Stop.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you touching me with hands that have been on your whore!¡± I yelled each word, hoping he¡¯d get the hint and leave me the fuck alone. I didn¡¯t even know why I was so angry. It wasn¡¯t like we had a normal marriage. I didn¡¯t know him, and I didn¡¯t like the rumors I¡¯d heard. When I¡¯d been given to him, I¡¯d heard what my father had said. He hadn¡¯t wanted to give Isabe, his precious daughter, to this man, but me, he was more than happy to. All it did was drive in deep the hurt of not being enough. I never was.

    Now I wasn¡¯t even good enough to use for sex.

    I felt so ¡­ humiliated. I wasn¡¯t good enough at anything for anyone.

    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡± he asked.

    I cried out as he gripped me a little tighter than what I was used to. His touch had me pausing, trying to capture my breath. None of this made any sense to me. Not my anger or the sense of betrayal.

    Mistresses weremon in our world. I knew for a fact my father had several. My mother never made a scene.

    Tears spilled down the corners of my eyes, and I closed them, hoping to stem the flow and to stop feeling like this. I hated all of this. The pain was more than I could bear.

    ¡°Aurora.¡±

    ¡°I know you have ¡­ women,¡± I said.

    ¡°You do, do you?¡± he asked.

    With how he held my arms, I couldn¡¯t cover my face. I couldn¡¯t hide away, and at that moment, there was nothing I wanted more than to hide.

    He wouldn¡¯t let me.

    ¡°Please, get off me. Leave me alone.¡± I was in control now. I didn¡¯t yell but spoke the words calmly.

    ¡°No,¡± he said, and this made me open my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere until you tell me what the fuck that was all about.¡±

    Why did this have to happen? I felt so embarrassed.

    ¡°Can we just forget the whole thing?¡±

    ¡°First, Ie home and see my wife has spent most of the day here. I open the door and you were leaning against it. I try to talk to you, and you freak out.¡±

    ¡°I know ¡­ you have needs. I don¡¯t want you touching me with the hands you touched her with.¡± I hated this woman so much. I didn¡¯t even know who she was, but I despised her.

    ¡°You are my wife. You will do as you¡¯re told and submit to me. You don¡¯t get a say, and if I decide to fuck other women, then you will do what all women do and learn to live with it.¡±

    His words shattered my being.

    They struck me more than any blow could.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re getting your information, Aurora, but I don¡¯t have the time to fuck. Ever since we¡¯ve been married, you¡¯re the only woman I¡¯ve been with.¡± He pulled away from me.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You heard me.¡±

    I rubbed at my temple, already feeling the headache start. ¡°You haven¡¯t been with any other woman?¡±

    vik merely red at me. ¡°And if I was with other women, you¡¯d deal with it.¡±

    ¡°So, I can take a lover as well?¡± I asked.

    He grabbed the back of my neck with a snarl and pulled me close. ¡°No. No other man will ever touch you. If you so much as try, I will fucking kill him. Do you understand me? You do that and you¡¯ll be signing his death sentence.¡±

    vik shoved me back, and Inded on the bed. He¡¯d been so close, and it was crazy, but at that moment, all I could think about was the fact we¡¯d never kissed. Not even after the priest pronounced us man and wife. He¡¯d kissed me on the cheek. Even theck of passion had been something to talk about on our day. People hadughed at how he couldn¡¯t even stand to kiss me on the lips. He never had.

    Touching my lips, I couldn¡¯t believe how I felt.

    I hated him, but I¡¯d wanted him to kiss me.

    What the hell was wrong with me?

    Clearly, the pain and years of being neglected had gotten to me.

    How could I even want to be kissed by that kind of monster? Getting to my feet, I left the bedroom. With these thoughts running around my head, thest ce I wanted to be was anywhere near when he¡¯d finished in the bathroom.

    I hid in the spare bedroom and stayed there. He didn¡¯te to find me. For the rest of the night, I stayed in my special chair, wishing for a life that I knew would nevere to me.

 8

    vik

    I stood in the dance hall with my wife on my arm, and I stared around the room, checking for any possible attackers. Our enemies would be close. I wouldn¡¯t put it past them to try to take Ivan out even while we were in a room full of civilians. Parties like these were unnecessary in my opinion. I saw no reason to mingle with the world who pretended the horrors taking ce behind closed doors and in the cover of darkness didn¡¯t ur.

    Ivan needed his top six men all in one ce. This was a political ploy as Roger Hampton, an up-anding public figure, was trying to gain poprity by threatening people like Ivan. He promised the public he¡¯d drive out the threat and stop the flow of illegal activities. How men and women would be able to walk the streets without fear.

    The truth was it would never happen. Anyone who offered that kind of freedom was a fucking idiot who didn¡¯t know what they were dealing with.

    Aurora was tense on my arm, but I didn¡¯t let her go.

    A passing waiter offered us some champagne, but I sent him off before she could reach for one.

    Ever since our confrontation about my possible mistress, it had been even more tense between us, which pissed me off. I had a feeling I knew who was responsible for filling her head with lies. The moment I caught him, Sergei would learn to keep his mouth shut. The very fact he¡¯d tried to turn my wife against me made me want to kill him.

    My thirst for blood and violence was always close to the surface. All it took was a small switch to make it happen.

    ¡°It¡¯s a busy night,¡± Aurora said.

    We were in the watchful eye now. With the game constantly being yed and the power at work, I had to make sure people saw only strength, no weakness. I was a man in control of his wife, the daughter of a Capo.

    Leaning down, I whispered against her ear. ¡°Tonight is about business. It¡¯s a show of force but also a little reminder to our good friends in charge.¡±

    Aurora gasped and tilted her head to look at me. Her long hair had been curled once again. Some of the strands were pulled back and tied at the base of her neck. I wanted to touch it, to run my fingers through the long locks. More than anything, I wanted to hold her hair as I fucked her hard, to finally show her what it truly meant to be my wife.

    I pushed all these thoughts down and instead focused on my surroundings. I¡¯d already spotted Ivan, surrounded by his men, charming the fucking asses off of everyone here.

    Kissing her cheek, I kept my lips close to her ear. ¡°Mr. Hampton seems to think it is okay to take money from us to help him win his political career, but when ites to keeping his end of the deal, he seems to have forgotten.¡±

    ¡°What was his end of the deal?¡±

    ¡°To look the other fucking way,¡± I said.

    We never asked for much from people like Roger, but what we did expect was for them to honor it.

    ¡°Now, we¡¯re going to dance and y the part of a doting couple.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Aurora said, her hand on my arm. ¡°Why are we here? I mean, you¡¯re ¡­ you know, and I¡¯m well, no one.¡±

    ¡°Sweetheart, didn¡¯t you know you married a very powerful entrepreneur? My expertise is expansion. I have casinos, real estate, and an entire investment portfolio.¡± I winked at her.

    ¡°Of course you do.¡±

    We covered our tracks well. I was known as a member of the Volkov Bratva, but no one would have any evidence. It was what made us so powerful and also untouchable. We were businessmen, nothing more.

    Taking Aurora¡¯s hand, I led her onto the dance floor. After cing a hand at the base of her back, I pulled her in close. The feel of her soft body against mine was close to driving me insane.

    Years of control kept me sharp and my dick soft in my pants.

    I checked around the room, noticing the additional guards on the doors. Roger also had a man by his side constantly.

    Looking back over at Ivan, I saw he kept his distance. This was always the case with parties like these.

    ¡°What do you need to do?¡± Aurora asked.

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re here to talk to him, right?¡± She nced behind her. ¡°I guess you can¡¯t get too close to him, can you? He knows who you are. What you¡¯re capable of.¡±

    ¡°Most people do.¡±

    She licked her lips and dropped her hands. ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    I frowned as I watched her leave. She¡¯d abandoned me on the dance floor. Running my hands down my jacket, I checked out her ass. The gown she wore covered her body and yet left nothing to the imagination.

    I didn¡¯t know how it happened, but each time I looked at her, she got sexier. The curves of her ass and hips called to me. I wanted them in my hands as I took her. Maybe it was time for me to get a woman on the side because right now, all I could think about was sex and fucking my woman.

    She moved through the throngs of people, and I finally got my feet moving, following behind her. She broke through the group surrounding Roger Hampton, and I was close enough to hear her speak.

    ¡°Mr. Hampton, it is an honor to finally get to meet you in person,¡± Aurora said. ¡°I watched thest talk you did, and it was inspiring. In fact, I was wondering if it would be at all possible to have a quiet word with you. I¡¯d like to consider investing myself in your future.¡±

    The smile she gave him was ¡­ breathtaking.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ivan closing in.

    ¡°Well, thank you,¡± Roger said, excusing himself from the guests. He put a hand on the base of Aurora¡¯s back, and I wanted to snap it off. No one touched my wife. ¡°It is always a pleasure doing business with beautiful women, Miss¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s Mrs. Ivanov, and you know, my husband would love to have a word with you as well.¡± She grabbed Roger¡¯s arm and held her other out to me. ¡°Hello, darling. I told Mr. Hampton you wanted to speak to him about investment. If you will excuse me, I see someone I must talk to.¡±

    Like that, Aurora left just as Ivan joined us, along with Andrei, Ive, Victor, Peter, and Oleg. The six main district brigadiers, all present and all joined forces with Ivan Volkov.

    The look on Roger¡¯s face was priceless.

    He turned to run, but Ivan had him, and together, we marched him out of the room, heading toward a private office where no one was around.

    I checked the room, Ive and Victor covered the door, and Peter and Oleg took the windows while Ivan and Andrei dragged a struggling Roger into the room.

    We wouldn¡¯t hurt him too bad.

    He hadn¡¯t won yet, so all the power he had was nothing.

    With my hand on my gun, I stood waiting.

    ¡°Mr. Volkov, I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you,¡± he said.

    ¡°Really, because for the past two weeks, you¡¯ve been able to avoid my calls and every single chance to talk to me.¡± Ivan shoved him into a chair. With the doors closed, there wasn¡¯t much we could do.

    ¡°Well, if you phone my secretary, we can arrange a meeting, and I know I¡¯m fully scheduled.¡±

    Ivan clucked his tongue. ¡°Actually, I think right here and now. You see, the speeches you¡¯re giving, they¡¯re a little trying on my nerves. I wonder how the general public would feel to know the very man they¡¯re putting all their faith in has a ¡­ gambling problem. The people that feed you, you want to rub into the dirt.¡±

    I was bored as Ivan pulled out a de. The security in this ce was easily bought. It was how we got our guns through. Everyone here was on our payroll, which was why no security footage was being recorded.

    After the standard five minutes of my presence, I made my excuses and headed in the direction of the security office.

    As per my instructions, the guard on the door had taken a stroll.

    I sat, ncing over the footage as Ivan made his threat. Within ten minutes, Ivan was leading Roger out of the room as if he¡¯d not just threatened him. I extracted the data, wiped the system, and was heading back to the dance floor when I noticed my wife walking into the bathroom.

    Following her inside, I stopped her from locking me out of a stall. The door closed, and I pressed up against her.

    ¡°This is the woman¡¯s bathroom.¡±

    ¡°Do I look like a man who follows the rules?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No. I guess you¡¯re a man who does exactly what he wants.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got that right.¡±

    She nibbled on her lip. ¡°Is there something you wanted to say to me?¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    ¡°Whatever for?¡±

    ¡°You know what for.¡±

    ¡°Is this hard for you?¡± she asked.

    This made me smile. Saying thank you didn¡¯te easy. ¡°Why did you help?¡±

    She shrugged her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m your wife. By marrying you, I pledged my loyalty to you, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m not longer a Fredo. I¡¯m an Ivanov.¡± She didn¡¯t look into my eyes.

    What was going on here?

    The door to the bathroom opened and Aurora tensed up.

    For some reason, I didn¡¯t want to embarrass her. I stepped back and allowed her to leave the stall. She stepped out of the stall, and I heard the women giggle and say hi to her.

    I didn¡¯t know what the hell had just happened or why I was still stuck in a bathroom stall. I could have easily followed her out. I didn¡¯t care what people thought of me. Aurora continued to mess with my head. My wife shouldn¡¯t be a problem to me and yet, she¡¯d proven to be more of a challenge than I realized, and it pissed me off.

    ¡°Oh, my God, do you know who that was?¡± one of the women asked.

    ¡°No. She looks familiar.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s Aurora Ivanov! Oh, my God, I saw the pictures of her wedding. You know there is a rumor that said her husband is part of the Russian mafia, right? There¡¯s this whole thing going on across the country. I don¡¯t know the general working. It¡¯s like the worst-kept secret.¡±

    I frowned as I listened. I had no time for female gossip. Personally, I wanted to correct her that I was Bratva, not fucking mafia.

    ¡°I heard vik, the hot guy, he had to put a bag over her head to fuck her.¡± A round of giggles.

    ¡°Please, he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to kiss her. You had to have seen the pictures. He brushed his lips across her cheek. I¡¯m betting he can¡¯t stand to touch her.¡±

    The insults went on, and they angered me.

    I had this desire to draw my weapon and kill them all there and then. Or better yet, to pull them out of the bathroom and force them to apologize to her.

    This wasn¡¯t the time or ce.

    Rage rushed through my body. I shoved it down.

    All I wanted to do was kill. I held swift control even as I did want to kill. Who did they think they were? My wife was a fucking queen. Had Aurora dealt with this her whole life? I didn¡¯t get a chance to confront them.

    They left the bathroom after throwing more insults at my wife.

    I walked out of the stall, then the bathroom, entering the dining room. I saw my wife standing with Ivan.

    My boss talked to her, and I saw her smile.

    Was my kiss to her cheek an insult?

    She¡¯d looked terrified, and I hadn¡¯t wanted to cause her to panic on our wedding day. I¡¯d also never kissed her.

    Ignoring the strange looks, I advanced across the room. Everything seemed to fade all around me, and the only focus I had was on the woman.

    I didn¡¯t care who saw.

    Ivan pointed toward me, and Aurora turned.

    She frowned as I reached out. I cupped her face, drew her close to me, and mmed my lips down on hers. The electric current that rushed through me shocked me to the core. Never had I kissed a woman and felt so fucking whole andplete.

 9

    Aurora

    Getting the meeting with Roger Hampton had been the right thing to do. There wasn¡¯t a lot I could do properly but any way I could help, I¡¯d be willing to do it.

    Women were supposed to stay out of men¡¯s business, but there was an opening, and I took full advantage of it. I doubted it would ever happen again. Now that Roger knew who I was married to, the chances of it ever happening again would be slim.

    When Ivan approached me on the sidelines of the dance floor, it had been a wee distraction. This guy still scared the crap out of me, but it was manageable. I knew why I was afraid of him, and what I should do to keep myself calm in his presence.

    I wanted something to do with my hands. I kept opening and clenching them, trying to figure out what I was supposed to do.

    This party was starting to get to me.

    ¡°Your husband is here,¡± Ivan said.

    I turned to see vik advancing toward me. The frown on his face startled me. Why did he look so mad? I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.

    All of a sudden, I felt the need to run. To get the hell out of his way. He looked ready to kill.

    I stayed grounded, fear racing down my spine.

    The moment his hands touched my face, the room seemed to freeze, and then, much to my surprise, my very first kiss. vik¡¯s lips mmed down on mine. At first, I stilled, unsure what to make of his lips on mine.

    This was a kiss.

    Our mouths melded together.

    Almost like one, but it was so much more than that. The hands on my cheek moved. One sank into my hair, and the other went to my hip, drawing me in.

    The world faded away, and my hands went to the front of his body, running up to curve around his neck, pulling him close to me.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    I moaned as his tongue traced, and I opened up my lips for him to explore. My eyes closed as I basked in this feeling. It was so consuming.

    The books and movies hadn¡¯t been wrong.

    The moment the right man kissed you, the rest of the world didn¡¯t matter.

    I felt connected to vik.

    I didn¡¯t want it to end.

    Of course, being part of the Volkov Bratva came with problems.

    I jerked back as screams and the sounds of bullets rained down in the room.

    vik pushed me to the floor at the same time as Ivan.

    ss shattered. The bullets wouldn¡¯t stop.

    I reached to cover my ears.

    vik yelled for me to stay down.

    I closed my eyes, trying to stop the panic.

    My very first kiss and it ended in gunfire. This was so not fair, and I wanted to scream at whoever was ruining it. I stayed perfectly still even as vik¡¯s weight eased off me. Even as I told myself to keep my eyes closed, to stay down, I couldn¡¯t. Curiosity got the better of me.

    I opened my eyes and nced around. Men and women were on the ground. One of the waiters had fallen close to me. His eyes were wide open, and I screamed, jerking back as I saw half of the back of his head had blown off.

    Sickness swirled within my gut, and I scrambled to my feet. Just as I did, more bullets came tumbling down. I covered my head, whirling around, looking for a weapon.

    All of a sudden, arge body mmed into me, and I was taken to the ground,nding on the broken ss, which impaled my skin.

    I whimpered, struggling against the man who was on top of me. Fear worked its way down my spine. Whoever it was mmed their fist against my face.

    Everything went numb for a second as I struggled to gain focus. Pain exploded at the back of my eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re a traitorous bitch,¡± he said.

    The gun was cocked.

    I was going to die. I always knew I¡¯d have a short life.

    Five months into my marriage and here was my death.

    The blow came, but I was still alive.

    The man fell onto me. A bullet hole in the center of his head. I scrambled out from underneath him, screaming.

    Arms wrapped around me, and I started to il against him, fighting him off.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got you. I¡¯ve got you.¡±

    vik¡¯s voice calmed me. Another surprise of the day. He shouldn¡¯t be the one to calm me.

    What the hell was wrong with me?

    My heart raced. I felt sick.

    We¡¯d been attacked at a party full of civilians, including politicians and wealthy businessmen. What was even scarier was I knew the man who had attacked me. He worked for my father. This attack came from my old family, and as I looked up into vik¡¯s eyes, he knew as well.

    The sound of police sirens filled the air.

    Neither of us spoke.

    vik handed me over to Sergei. ¡°Take her home. A doctor will be by to look at her.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have any wounds, just cuts fromnding on the ss. I followed Sergei without argument. vik didn¡¯t follow. Within seconds, I was in the back of our car and Sergei drove us back to his penthouse suite. There was no time to waste.

    As he got out of the car, he drew his weapon, helping me from the vehicle. We got into the elevator and still, Sergei held his gun.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth holding your gun out. If we pass any children, they¡¯ll be terrified.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to risk it. Your safety is more important.¡±

    I chose not to argue.

    Tonight had been ¡­ crazy.

    I touched my lips. My fingers were dirty and some of them were cut. I had a throbbing behind one eye, and it was bing a struggle to see, but my lips still tingled.

    Did this seem to matter more because it was my first kiss?

    The elevator doors opened, and Sergei went inside the apartment first, only allowing me to follow once he was sure the house was secure.

    I kicked off my heels, happy to feel the ground once again.

    I went immediately to the freezer, taking out a bag of peas and pressing it up against my burning eye.

    ¡°We¡¯re all clear.¡±

    ¡°They attacked the party. I doubt they¡¯d follow us.¡±

    ¡°We have many enemies.¡±

    ¡°All of which are not after me.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but think of the vile words the man had said to me. I wasn¡¯t a traitorous bitch. I¡¯d been given to vik by my family. If there was a peace treaty, why were my father¡¯s men attacking the party? Were they nning to incite war? What was the point of this marriage if that was the end game?

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sergei asked.

    ¡°No.¡± I winced. ¡°I mean, yes, I¡¯m fine. I just, ouch.¡± I lifted the bag of peas for him to look.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± he said.

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You¡¯re trained in all elements of torture and hurting people and you call this ouch. I¡¯m a wimp.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but pout. I¡¯d screamed and been terrified. I¡¯d even stood up as if it was safe to do so. I was a fucking idiot. I hated my reactions and it pissed me off.

    ¡°You¡¯re a woman. It was a scary situation.¡±

    ¡°I could have helped.¡±

    ¡°Really? Do what?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Shoot a gun.¡± I hated that vik had to go and I had to stay. What if he¡¯d gotten hurt? Why did I fucking care?

    Ugh! I hated all these questions. I hated my husband.

    There was a knock at the door, but it didn¡¯t exactly ease my troubled thoughts. Sergei left me, but I didn¡¯t like how his touch seemed to linger. I had to be going crazy if I thought Sergei was being ¡­ inappropriate.

    vik would kill him if he even doubted for a second my feelings for Sergei. He was a friend. Not even that. We werepanions. Even that didn¡¯t sound right.

    An old man with a head full of white hair and wrinkled eyes around the corners stepped in to the room.

    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Ivanov. I¡¯m Doctor Smith,¡± he said.

    There was no way Smith was his real name.

    ¡°Hi,¡± I said, releasing the bag of peas.

    We ended up in the dining room. Sergei stood guard as the doctor assessed the damage. I had several fragments of ss embedded underneath my flesh. It wasn¡¯t too bad. With the dress I wore, I had no choice but to ce a bath towel in front of me as he released the back of the dress. There was support built into the bodice which meant I could forgo a bra.

    I winced each time he released a piece of ss. I felt even more ashamed that I couldn¡¯t take the pain.

    After years of being hit or whipped by my father, I figured I¡¯d be used to it.

    When he removed a piece of ss, his fingers paused on a spot at my back. ¡°This is an old scar,¡± he said.

    I stayed perfectly still.

    Whenever my father beat me, he¡¯d rarely take me to the hospital. One day, he¡¯d been so angry about something. I¡¯d been skipping down the hall. He¡¯d told me I was making too much noise and girls, especially ugly ones, needed to know when to stay quiet. He¡¯d torn my dress, removed his belt, and whipped me until there had been blood.

    It was the first time he¡¯d used his belt.

    The doctor had no choice but to use stitches to help heal the wound. The scar had remained. For several months, he never came near me. I did get more toys after that.

    The memory of it was so strange and sudden. Along with many others, I¡¯d pushed it to the back of my mind so I didn¡¯t think about it.

    Life got easier that way.

    I said nothing.

    The sound of the door opening had Sergei tensing.

    The doctor cleared his throat as vik came into the room.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± he asked.

    I saw his shirt was covered in blood. There was some bruising on his face, and I saw a cut on his side that already had a white bandage covering it. Life was so unfair. Why did he have to look so good while I got to look like this?

    ¡°She had some superficial wounds. The ss wasn¡¯t too deep. She has a couple of cuts, but in a few days, they¡¯ll heal. I see no reason to apply stitches.¡±

    ¡°Are you done?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Leave,¡± vik said.

    With the way he looked at me, fear raced down my spine. I don¡¯t know what was happening right now, but the doctor quickly packed away his stuff.

    Sergei hesitated, but vik repeated the order.

    Alone. I stared at my husband.

    ¡°You knew that man tonight,¡± vik said.

    ¡°Not personally, but I recognized him. He worked for my father.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea why he¡¯d attack that party?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s an idiot?¡±

    ¡°This is not a joke.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out why they would attack the party. None of it makes any sense to me.¡± I told the truth. I had nothing to hide.

 10

    vik

    The attack hade from the Italian mafia. They were Fredo¡¯s men, but I also noticed they were not his close, most trusted men. They were a small group of soldiers, and several men had been outsourced with clear training. I already had myputer guy run a check on all of the men we¡¯d killed. Their IDs had to be fakes.

    I¡¯d expected an attack at the party, but not from Fredo.

    We had enemies far and wide. Some from within the Bratva.

    Ivan had taken the brotherhood into a new era, and some preferred the old ways of dealing dirty and hiding in the shadow. However, Ivan had an idea that expanded across all areas. It was why we were all wealthy and had several businesses across all industries. It gave us ties across the entire world and not just in one city.

    Where the old generation was happy to be on the streets, taking on the weak, Ivan went after the strong to make his force even stronger. We all worked together.

    Staring down at my wife, I had to ask the questions now. Ivan wanted her for questioning. With how she looked, she wouldn¡¯t survive it. She¡¯d been petrified. ¡°What is going to happen?¡±

    ¡°Volkov wants to talk to you.¡±

    Her lip wobbled. ¡°Of course he does.¡± She nibbled on her lip. ¡°I had nothing to do this with. I swear. I saw an opportunity with Roger Hampton, it¡¯s not a ploy.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    She gasped. ¡°You do?¡±

    ¡°I saw the way the man attacked you. I was getting to you. If you¡¯d been part of this, you¡¯d have seen iting.¡± I had no doubt she was innocent of this attack, but now, I was curious. Her father sent in those men, knowing we¡¯d turn to her.

    I rounded the table and looked down at her back. There were several cuts, and the doctor had put some Band-Aids on the worst ones. The others already had dried blood on them.

    ¡°Change quickly. Ivan doesn¡¯t like to be kept waiting.¡±

    She stood up, holding the towel to her chest. ¡°If ¡­ if I have to die tonight, will you be the one asked to kill me?¡±

    I gritted my teeth. She knew our world so well. From the look in her eyes, she seemed devastated. I¡¯d never taken the time to read people for these kinds of emotions. I wasn¡¯t sure if I liked what I saw in her eyes.

    ¡°Get dressed,¡± I said. Without another word, I turned my back and left the bedroom.

    I folded my arms and waited. Sergei stood, ready and waiting. Over the past few weeks, I¡¯d started to notice the way he looked at my wife. I didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°Sergei, you know your job is to protect my wife,¡± I said.

    ¡°Of course, sir.¡± He bowed his head, performing all the necessary respectful moves, but I didn¡¯t see it, and he knew it.

    ¡°Keep your eyes off my woman or I¡¯m going to have to remove you from this position and find someone else who can follow my rules.¡±

    Sergei didn¡¯t get a chance to respond as Aurora chose that moment to appear in a pair of jeans and a crisp white shirt. Not exactly the choice of clothing I¡¯d have rmended.

    I took the lead, notining, grabbing Aurora¡¯s hand and leading her out of our apartment.

    The elevator ride was awkward. I kept my gaze on the doors, which allowed me to look at my wife.

    She was nervous.

    Who wouldn¡¯t be? They were about to see the leader of the Volkov Bratva. It was an honor and also a death sentence.

    Sergei stood in the corner, and it gave me the perfect opportunity to watch him. I¡¯d picked him because of how loyal he was, but now I was starting to realize my mistake, and I didn¡¯t like it.

    His gaze was on my wife¡¯s ass. Did he not realize I could see him? I had a feeling I was going to have to drill in some more respect.

    The doors opened, and reaching out, I rested my hand at the base of Aurora¡¯s back, leading her toward the car. I couldn¡¯t resist the tips of my fingers grazing her ass, allowing the man behind me to see that he was looking at my woman, and I would kill him for it.

    Aurora tensed up in my arms, but I didn¡¯t care.

    Our marriage had survived five months, it wouldst longer. I was sure of it. I helped her into the car, and Sergei took the wheel. To drive home who Aurora was, I made sure to take my ce by her side, resting my palm on her knee.

    She shook a little.

    I stroked her inner thigh, trying to calm her.

    Ivan didn¡¯t like scenes of any kind. If Aurora broke down and started to blubber, it would reflect badly on me.

    ¡°Why does Mr. Volkov want to see me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You know why.¡±

    ¡°I had nothing to do with that.¡±

    ¡°Either way, he¡¯s going to want to talk to you.¡±

    She nibbled on her lip, and I had the urge to reach over and suck it out before plunging her mouth with my tongue. She tugged her knee away from me and turned her entire body toward the window.

    Herck of respect didn¡¯t amuse me.

    She wanted to y this way, then fine, we could y.

    I grabbed her body, and even though we were seated at the back of the car, I pulled her against me, securing her against my body.

    She didn¡¯t fight me, even as her body tensed up. Nor did she argue. Sergei was in the car, and she knew the rules.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she whispered the words so low I could only just hear them.

    Tilting her head back, I stared into her eyes. Her plump lips called to me. Of all the women I¡¯d been with, I¡¯d never felt this overwhelming need to kiss one before. In fact, I often made it my mission not to put my lips on any of the women. All I cared about was getting my dick sucked.

    Aurora was my wife.

    A few hours ago, I¡¯d kissed her.

    I wanted to do it again.

    Cupping her face, I traced my thumb across the plumpness of her lip. It looked slightly sore from where she¡¯d been nibbling it, but I wanted to taste her again. Enemy or not, I felt like I was drowning in the very essence of who she was, and I couldn¡¯t stop.

    Before I got a chance to worship her mouth, the car came to an abrupt stop.

    We were here.

    I hadn¡¯t even noticed we¡¯d arrived at Ivan¡¯s secure location. He liked to live outside of the city. He moved around a lot. It was one part of keeping himself alive and confusing his enemies. He was never in the same ce long enough, which meant if there was ever an attack, they never had time to prepare and were always so fucking sloppy with it.

    I opened my door as Sergei did the same. I offered a hand and I watched as Sergei struggled with opening Aurora¡¯s door.

    She took my hand, sliding out of my side of the car.

    I was going to have to have a talk with my wife. For a woman who didn¡¯t have many prospects, she seemed to be taking one of my most loyal men and turning him into her little pet.

    The very thought of Sergei touching my wife. Loving her. It awakened the beast within me that needed toy his im. To show the world who Aurora belonged to.

    Holding her hand, I walked up the steps, nodding to the guards. No one stopped us as we passed.

    Aurora kept up with my pace, and when I entered the dining hall, I saw Ivan was waiting.

    It was rare for him to want to talk to someone like my wife. I imagined it was down to the peace treaty that he broke protocol. Then again, Ivan never followed the traditional brotherhood of the Bratva. He paved his own way. Fulfilled his own path.

    With my wife before him, he stood, and I had no choice but to press Aurora into the chair that had been left in the center of the room.

    ¡°Leave us,¡± Ivan said.

    The soldiers each left, one by one, filtering out. Sergei had followed us in, and I made him aware he was to leave too.

    His gazended on Aurora onest time, but he didn¡¯t save her.

    Instead, he left.

    ¡°Aurora, you¡¯re looking good.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Her hands rested on her thighs. I saw the slight shake in her body.

    I couldn¡¯t resist reaching out to her. I ced my hand on her shoulder, not that it gave her anyfort. If anything, it appeared to make her more nervous, which only served to piss me off.

    ¡°I had nothing to do with this, I swear.¡±

    ¡°The man you saw, he was in employment with your father, correct?¡± Ivan asked.

    He dragged a chair over, and I felt Aurora try to jerk back.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said.

    ¡°Aurora, when you married vik Ivanov, you swore your loyalty to him, and in doing so, you gave your life to me.¡±

    She nodded her head. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Anything you know, anything you believe your father has done, you will have to tell me.¡±

    ¡°And I would,¡± she said. ¡°I only recognize him. I don¡¯t know if my father removed him, or if ¡­ I don¡¯t know. I swear.¡±

    I believed her.

    ¡°But your loyalty, it is to me and your husband?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s time you graced the mark,¡± Ivan said, standing.

    He snapped his fingers, and that was where I saw Mark, the tattoo artist. There were times Ivan would punch his brand into the flesh of his subjects with a hot branded iron. This was far more subtle.

    ¡°Hold out your arm.¡±

    Aurora cradled her arm against her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t like needles.¡±

    ¡°It will hurt, but this will guarantee your safety. You¡¯re pledging your life to mine.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re removing me from my family,¡± she said.

    Ivan sighed. ¡°Aurora, we both know they¡¯re not your family. I¡¯m very much aware of what your father thinks of me and my organization. He¡¯s willing to put your life on the line. Now, if what you say is true, if you bind yourself to me, to us, to your husband, you will never have to be questioned after an attack like that, again.¡±

    He was talking total bullshit and yet, I had a feeling he meant what he said.

    ¡°Now, I can either make this as painless as possible for you or you¡¯re going to hurt for several days, if not weeks.¡± He moved over to the small firepit he had burning and held up the branding iron. In response, my wife held her arm up as if offering to the gods.

    I stifled a smile.

    I had no choice but to stand perfectly still as Mark touched my wife. The design was wrapped around her wrist. The wives were always given the ink around their wrist. It was an easy part of the body that was seen. People would know who they belonged to.

    The world would now see that Aurora Fredo, now Aurora Ivanov, was my property, but also the subject of Ivan Volkov. Even as he marked her flesh for loyalty, in doing so, he¡¯d also sworn to protect her.

    This I found interesting.

    I didn¡¯t know why he was doing this.

    Mark kept on working, and Aurora winced. He¡¯d stop, and she¡¯d signal him to continue.

    I left her side and walked toward Ivan.

    ¡°You wanted to question her,¡± I said. ¡°Why the branding? You could have done this on our wedding night, but you chose not to. Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to answer to you.¡±

    ¡°As one of your brigadiers, I have no choice but to ask why. You can keep the information from me, but to protect you, I need to know the truth.¡±

    Ivan smiled at me.

    ¡°Did her father send those men?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Ivan said. ¡°Before you got here, I ran the information. The men had been let go before the wedding with Aurora. It would appear your wife had a little ¡­ following.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°The moment her father gave her to you, it set a ripple running through his soldiers. First, they were suddenly going to have to follow the peace treaty, but it would also seem your wife has a reputation for being ¡­ liked and respected.¡±

    I nced back at Aurora.

    She was different from the women in our world.

    All I¡¯d seen were people who couldn¡¯t seem to stand her.

    ¡°We all know her father gave me her because he didn¡¯t want to waste his beloved daughter on a piece of shit like me.¡±

    Ivan smiled. ¡°Yes, I know. We got the waste of space. The insult. It would seem to a lot of people, she is second best. She¡¯s not as beautiful or as charming. But those who clearly got to know her, they be ¡­ besotted.¡±

    I thought of Sergei.

    ¡°I can see that,¡± I said.

    A whimper escaped Aurora.

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s behind the attack?¡± If my wife had done this, then why did she put herself in the line of fire? ¡°Wait a minute.¡± I turned to Ivan. ¡°Your sources are wrong.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Aurora was not ¡­ she was attacked tonight. They called her a traitorous bitch. Aurora doesn¡¯t have her own following.¡±

    The only sign that Ivan had heard my words was the clenching of his jaw. He looked ready tomit murder.

    Mark finished up the ink, and as he did, Aurora whimpered. I took a step toward her. Mark applied a Band-Aid to keep it covered. The tattoo was in an easily infected area. He gave her the rundown of care.

    The moment he finished, she stood up, and I went to her side, tucking her against me.

    ¡°Aurora, can I ask you a question?¡± Ivan asked.

    She nodded her head.

    ¡°Were you liked at home?¡±

    She jerked within my gaze, and I saw the tears in her eyes. ¡°Why? Is this to punish me for what my father did?¡±

    ¡°Were you respected? Loved? Liked?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Volkov, people didn¡¯t even know I existed, and if they did, they made me very much aware of just how unimportant I was.¡±

 11

    Aurora

    My wrist hurt.

    My head hurt.

    My back hurt.

    Everything fucking hurt. Yet, nothing seemed to be quite as painful as the knowledge that my family and everyone around them didn¡¯t like me.

    ¡°Were you respected? Loved? Liked?¡±

    Ivan¡¯s questions yed in my head on a mocking repeat. No one liked me. No one even cared about me.

    I was given to vik and the Volkov Bratva because my father didn¡¯t want to give away the daughter he actually loved.

    Tears filled my eyes, and I hated how I felt, the way I was reacting. Tilting my head back, I stared up at the pool room. Sergei had cleared the pool so I could use it. Every other time, I always felt a little embarrassed at the power he used for myfort. Today, a week after getting the tattoo that aligned me with the Bratva, I needed to do something other than sit in the apartment. Even reading wouldn¡¯t rid my mind of these thoughts. I tried so hard not to let them consume me, but it was next to impossible.

    Rubbing at my temple, I took a deep breath, aware of Sergei watching me. He¡¯d been really sweet and kind to me. I didn¡¯t know if that was part of his job description, but I didn¡¯t know how to handle it.

    I wasn¡¯t one for a pity party. At least not every single day.

    Today, a week after the attack and the questioning from Ivan Volkov himself, the pain of my past just wouldn¡¯t go away. All the memories surrounded me, refusing to leave me be. The way people ignored me, even as a child. When I wanted to y. I was never good enough. Often left to read as the other kids couldn¡¯t stand me.

    My mother would tell me to leave the kids alone. If they didn¡¯t want to y with me, then maybe there was something wrong with me.

    No matter how kind I was, I wasn¡¯t liked. At parties, I was ignored. No one asked me to dance. I spent most of my time standing in the corner, watching all the fun happening, knowing I was never going to be part of it. The shopping trips. I watched Isabe so often get invited.

    I¡¯d be close by, but no one would extend the invitation in my direction. If I asked if I coulde, some excuse would be made.

    In the end, I stopped trying to be involved.

    No one wanted me. No one liked me.

    I¡¯d spend hours, staring out of a window, trying to figure out what people hated about me. Why I was so disliked, and even now, I couldn¡¯t figure out a reason.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sergei asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I wasn¡¯t swimming. The pool wasn¡¯t helping to alleviate my troubles. I¡¯d stopped trying to figure out long ago why people couldn¡¯t stand me and yet here I was, still attempting to find a reason.

    I climbed out of the pool, wrapped a towel around my waist, and walked toward the doors.

    Sergei was there, and no one else waited to enter the room.

    I took a deep breath as we headed toward the elevators, but today, I didn¡¯t want to stand with the doors showing my reflection.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take the stairs.¡±

    ¡°Aurora,¡± he said.

    I stopped at the door and turned toward him.

    ¡°You know you can trust me, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know you, Sergei.¡±

    ¡°I know you.¡±

    This made meugh. ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You know what you¡¯re told to know.¡±

    ¡°You can trust me.¡±

    Staring at him, I truly believed he thought that. ¡°I have to go.¡±

    My hand was bound up so no water got to the ink that now stayed on my skin. Removing the stic cover, I released my hand and took the stairs, heading toward the penthouse suite.

    I couldn¡¯t stand heights.

    Sergei stayed at my back and knowing he was right behind me didn¡¯t fill me withfort. I¡¯d noticed the lingering looks he¡¯d been giving me over the past few weeks. They weren¡¯t good. He was a bodyguard.

    If vik saw him and jumped to the wrong conclusions, we¡¯d both be dead. I didn¡¯t want to be the one responsible for getting a man killed, and Sergei seemed nice.

    Entering the apartment, I was stopped as Sergei reached out and grabbed my arm. I froze. He tugged me close and he further surprised me as he pulled me into his arms.

    ¡°Sergei, stop,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I can see that you¡¯re hurting, and I can¡¯t stand to see you in pain, Aurora. Please, let me be your rock.¡±

    He stroked my hair.

    This was so wrong.

    He shouldn¡¯t be touching me. I needed to get him to stop, but as he held me, at that moment, a wave of emotion struck me hard. Against my better judgment, I held on to him and sobbed.

    I didn¡¯t find Sergei attractive.

    He was a very good-looking man, but he was a guard. I never made it a habit to fall for a man I could never have. Sergei worked for my husband. This put me in a ce I didn¡¯t want to be in.

    There was no way I could allow my husband to think anything was going on between us. Sergei was ¡­ a friend? I didn¡¯t even know if I could call him that. I never had friends. People didn¡¯t like me.

    Was this a ploy to get rid of me? Had vik put him up to this so he¡¯d have a reason to kill me?

    Fear raced down my spine, and I jerked back. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that. vik, if he ever finds out-¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Sergei said.

    ¡°He¡¯s your boss. You can¡¯t hug me or treat me as anything other than work.¡± I was dressed in a bathing suit and a towel. ¡°You¡¯re a guard.¡±

    ¡°And you think I don¡¯t notice you? You think I haven¡¯t guarded other women and I don¡¯t see the difference?¡±

    My throat felt like it was on fire. ¡°Has ¡­ vik used you to protect his other ¡­ women?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to say it,¡± he said.

    ¡°Let me guess, they had more of a social life. If you¡¯re bored, I can talk to him. Ask him to arrange for someone else to keep an eye on me.¡±

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, no, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m getting at. What I¡¯m saying, Aurora, is I can see you. I know you¡¯re hurting. You¡¯re right, you¡¯re not like other women. I¡¯m offering to be your friend. The shoulder you cry on.¡±

    ¡°If vik heard you, he¡¯d get rid of you. I don¡¯t need friends.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you need?¡± he asked. ¡°The way I see it, you¡¯re fucking lonely. You have no friends, and your husbandes around to what? To fuck you so you can have his child.¡±

    I physically flinched. ¡°Stay away from me.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±

    I¡¯d turned on my heel, intent on putting some distance between us, and now, I whirled around. ¡°You didn¡¯t mean it like that? Then how did you mean it? You were spot on, remember? I have no friends. vik is probably out there now with other women, enjoying himself. I¡¯m nothing. I¡¯m no one, but tell me this, Sergei, if you¡¯re such a good friend and you want to be there for me. Tell me what the fuck is wrong with me.¡±

    I didn¡¯t like to curse.

    I was normally in control of my emotions, but today, I was all over the ce. The ink around my wrist, the attack, the urate words thrown my way, it was all too much, and there was only so much I could take.

    This time, rather than create more distance between us, I advanced toward him. ¡°Tell me, Sergei. Tell me all the great advice about why all my life, people hated me. How I¡¯ve never matched up. How I¡¯ve always been second best in everything. Tell me.¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re beautiful,¡± he said.

    Now this made meugh.

    ¡°Wrong.¡±

    With that, I spun on my heel and I left him alone.

    A friend would be so fucking wee, but Sergei wasn¡¯t my friend.

    I went straight to the bathroom, stripping naked, and stepped beneath the spray of the water.

    Men in our world had mistresses all the time. I had no doubt some of the women enjoyed a lover or two.

    I didn¡¯t know where I stood with vik.

    In the week since the attack, he hadn¡¯t been around. I didn¡¯t know where he was. Some nights he didn¡¯t evene home.

    I turned off the shower, wrapping a towel around me, I stepped out of the bathroom, into the bedroom, and gasped.

    vik stood in the bedroom.

    ¡°Wear this. We¡¯re going out to dinner.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You scared me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have all day. Reservations are in thirty minutes.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know we were going out,¡± I said.

    ¡°Now you do.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even heard hime home. For several seconds, I just stood there in the bedroom, dressed in a towel. Thest ce I wanted to go was with him or out in the world. The cuts on my back had mostly healed. Some of therger wounds had scabbed over, and the pain was no more. I didn¡¯t want to go out, but there was no room for argument.

    Drying my body, then my hair, I set about styling it, adding in a few curls, allowing it to fall naturally.

    The dress was beautiful, modest. ck with a low front bodice, which would show off my chest, and it fell to the floor, but had slits up either side, giving a hint of thigh.

    The arms were also exposed.

    I was surprised by how snug the dress fit. I left the bedroom and found vik waiting. He held a pair of heels in one hand as he typed on his phone with his other. He didn¡¯t even look up. Not that I should expect him to.

    Sergei took the heels and knelt at my feet. After the conversation we¡¯d had, this felt so wrong.

    I kept ncing at vik, expecting him to explode and kill us both. Sergei wasn¡¯t attracted to me, but I didn¡¯t even know if I was allowed friends. With the heels on, I was ready to face whatever I had to.

    vik put his cell phone away and stared at me.

    Nopliments.

    He held out his hand, which I had no choice but to take. After Sergei¡¯s confrontation, I felt acutely aware of everything I did with vik. This was ¡­ wrong. I had no interest in Sergei. He was my guard. A friend would have been nice. Seeing as I spent all day with him, I started to wonder if it would be at all possible to see him as a friend. To enjoy lunches together. To go out shopping.

    It was ame idea.

    Neither me nor vik talked as we rode the elevator down to the underground parking.

    He sat beside me in the car, and Sergei drove us to whatever restaurant we were scheduled to appear. Normally, I could go through these motions, but today, everything felt too tender, too tight. I felt the spiraling sickness in my gut.

    Did vik know?

    ¡°How are you?¡± vik asked, causing me to jump.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You?¡± Did I answer too quickly?

    ¡°Good.¡±

    The tension in the car mounted.

    I wanted to ask about the attack, but I knew it wasn¡¯t my ce. A woman¡¯s ce in this world was to be seen when he wanted you to be seen. Or in my ce, to stay hidden for as long as possible.

    I felt ¡­ sick.

    ¡°Er, how was your day?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Productive.¡±

    This time, I chanced a nce at him. His gaze was on me, and I quickly averted mine. This man was my husband, and the truth was he was a stranger to me.

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I said.

    ¡°You?¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ went to the pool.¡± I didn¡¯t dare look toward Sergei.

    Nothing happened. I had to get that through my thick skull. All Sergei did was offer me friendship. There was no crime in that, even if it did feel wrong. Why did it make me nervous? Was I so used to not having friends, I pushed people away?

    The car came to a stop outside a very nice-looking restaurant. I didn¡¯t recognize the name. vik opened the door, giving Sergei instructions.

    I followed my husband out, taking the hand that was offered, but he let me go, wrapping an arm around my waist. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure if I wanted him to hold me like this. Like the good woman I¡¯d been trained to be, I didn¡¯t pull away, even though I was tempted with every fiber of my being.

    We entered the restaurant and after one look at my husband, the maitre d¡¯ escorted us to our table.

    vik held out my chair and I sat down.

    A quick nce around the room and I saw people were looking our way. vik had a way about him thatmanded attention the instant he entered a room.

    With my hands in myp, tightly clenched together, I waited for him to order the wine, and he did. Then he asked for the menus to be brought to us at once.

    All this time, I didn¡¯t say a word. These dates, if they could even be called that, were always trying. The truth was I had no idea what to say to him.

    We were so different. In age. In our likes. He was a stone-cold killer and I had no ce.

    Silence fell between us.

    vik like always, held his cell phone, typing away.

    Other couples were looking at each other, swooning. Or at the very least with lust. What did I get? Sat at a table, pretty much ignored. vik refused to give me the time for strained conversation.

    Time ticked by, and along with it, my patience.

    All my life, I¡¯d been told to be quiet, to not make waves. I was nearly killed a week ago, and I¡¯d followed all the rules. Not once had it helped me.

    Sitting up, I put my arms on the table and looked at my husband. ¡°Did you talk to my father?¡± I asked.

    I must have taken vik by surprise because he finally looked up.

    Silence.

    I would not look away. This time, in a restaurant, we would at the very least pretend to want to be around each other.

    Not that I should care. I was already a mockery wherever I went. For some reason, I felt rebellious tonight. Like I wanted him to notice me. Sergei had terrified me, to be frank. The only person offering to be my friend was the one person who could get killed for being so.

    ¡°I don¡¯t talk business,¡± he said.

    ¡°Then what would you like to talk about?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°You drag me out of your home. Dress me up. Sit me here, for appearances¡¯ sake. Am I right?¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Then we sit here and you make me apleteughing stock because you cannot even give your wife the time of day. You¡¯re always attached to your phone. Are you, like, addicted to social media? You do the endless scrolling?¡± I needed to shut up. Clearly when I was attacked, something went wrong inside my brain because my lips kept on working when they should stay shut.

    ¡°Are you on social media?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t allowed an ount. My sister had been until she did the stupid thing of taking a selfie at a private party. Guess who got the punishment for that, little old me. Daddy didn¡¯t like to punish his sweet girl. ¡°Just because I don¡¯t have an ount doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t understand it. I don¡¯t know you or what you do, but I can guess. If you don¡¯t want to talk shop, fine. Just don¡¯t ignore me. I¡¯d rather eat at home if that¡¯s what you want. I¡¯m sure you have a lot more to do other than this.¡±

    ¡°Women like being taken out to dinner.¡±

    ¡°This woman likes to be acknowledged as actually existing. You¡¯ve ignored me all week.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy.¡±

    ¡°With work you won¡¯t talk about.¡± I shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re running around in circles right now.¡±

    The waiter came, and I stopped, taking a deep breath. What the hell was wrong with me?

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    I got to my feet, ignoring my husband, and walked to thedies¡¯ room. Entering, I saw there was no one there. I had no need for the toilet, so I went straight to the sink.

    ¡°What the hell is wrong with me?¡± I kept my head down. Thest thing I wanted to do was look in a mirror. What I¡¯d see looking back at me scared me.

    I was going to get myself killed if I kept this up.

    My face felt incredibly hot, but with the small amount of makeup I¡¯d put on, there was no way I could ssh my face.

    After running my wrists beneath the cold tap, I reached out for a towel when my arm was grabbed and I spun around. vik was in thedies¡¯ room. He pressed me up against the bathroom counter.

    I nibbled on my lip and tried to get as far as I could with the counter stopping me. There was nowhere for me to go.

    ¡°What is your problem?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have one. I don¡¯t see a point in being here wasting our time if we¡¯re not even going to have a civil conversation.¡± Why would I even want to have vik talking to me? The man was scary.

    He made grown men afraid.

    Here I was offering up a conversation with a man whose expertise was death.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never seemed to mind before.¡±

    ¡°I always minded. Once or twice was fine, but we¡¯ve been doing this same dance for far too long and I¡¯m bored of it.¡±

    In the back of my mind, I literally screamed for myself to shut the fuck up. Whatever I was doing, or thought I was doing, was going to get me killed.

    ¡°You¡¯re bored.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me you¡¯re excited about eating dinner with me when you¡¯re checking your cell phone every two minutes.¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything.

    His body pressed against mine, and not for the first time, I became very aware of him as a man.

 12

    vik

    I caught the sh.

    Aurora didn¡¯t understand it, but I did.

    My wife felt a spark of attraction. The way she moved her body, like she wanted to get away from me, but only made me aware of her as a woman.

    In fact, I¡¯d been made aware of it several times.

    I¡¯d never allowed myself to get attached to anyone. Not even Ivan or Cara. I cared for them, and they were like a family, but the truth was I had no real emotion when it came to them. It was business. We¡¯d survived by banding together and creating the world we now lived in where we were on top.

    Aurora was different. I¡¯d sensed it the first time I met her.

    Now, she proved it. Even as she was afraid, her mouth couldn¡¯t seem to stop, and I, for one, fucking loved it.

    Don¡¯t get me wrong, the women in my life had all known the score. I was good for a quick fuck, nothing else. I never got close. Always kept them at arm¡¯s length. They always knew I was there for a release and I didn¡¯t always care if they felt it too. In fact, I¡¯d even used lubrication when I hadn¡¯t been in the mood to make them wet enough to take me.

    Aurora shouldn¡¯t have been any different.

    I didn¡¯t love her. I didn¡¯t have a crush on her. She wasn¡¯t strikingly beautiful, and yet for me, I picked her out of a crowd with ease.

    Staring at her now, with her soft body so close, I hated that we were in the restaurant. Along with the spark of attraction, she also held fear.

    Even with her emotions all over the ce, I liked her mouth. The way she talked back. Some men would have backhanded her. Not me. I didn¡¯t want a puppet or a submissive that couldn¡¯t think for herself.

    This was the most refreshing moment of our marriage so far.

    Tilting my head to the side, I looked at her, really looked at her. She possessed brown eyes. At first, I had thought they were dull, but they were anything but. They sparkled. There was a lot going on inside Aurora¡¯s head, and I didn¡¯t have the first clue what half of it was about. I had no doubt she was afraid I¡¯d kill her. Tonight, she was safe.

    She¡¯d curled her long brown hair, and it fell around her like a frame. I happened to love the length. How long it looked, and there were times I wanted to run my fingers down it. I hadn¡¯t taken nearly enough time to appreciate my wife.

    She had a small nose, full lips, and nice cheekbones. Nothing was too sharp. She had curves on her as well.

    Some people might think she needed to drop a few pounds, not me. The few times I¡¯d fucked her, I¡¯d loved there was more than a handful. I wasn¡¯t afraid of pounding inside her. She wouldn¡¯t break beneath me and could take all of me. That alone held an attraction.

    Her tits. The dress I¡¯d given her entuated the size of her breasts, and again, I wanted them naked beneath me, swinging above me.

    There were moments like these where I wanted the time to explore Aurora. Where our marriage, the treaty, the Bratva, or her mafia family didn¡¯t get in the way.

    Years of training were hard to let go. We both had our past.

    ¡°You want to sit and talk while we eat dinner?¡± This was new to me.

    In the past, women had been more than happy for me to ignore them, just so long as I paid the bill. The same went with all areas. If I paid, they were happy to give me what I wanted.

    Again, Aurora was different. She¡¯d yet to use my money on anything. The clothes she¡¯d gotten were the ones I brought for her.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, cutting through my thoughts.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go and talk.¡±

    She nodded her head, but I hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°You need to step back.¡±

    ¡°I will, but it¡¯s going to cost you,¡± I said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Kiss me.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°You heard me,¡± I said. I could have taken the kiss. Aurora wouldn¡¯t fight me. The training her family had thrust into her was hard for her to ignore. She¡¯d let me do anything to her. This was our world. Women, unfortunately, were nothing more than amodity. A price someone was willing to pay. For Aurora, the Bratva paid in peace as did her family.

    ¡°You want me to kiss you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes. Like you mean it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how.¡±

    ¡°Simple. Kiss me like your life depends on it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a good reason to have a kiss.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the only reason you need. We¡¯re not leaving until you kiss me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d keep the restaurant open all night just so I¡¯d kiss you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re bluffing.¡±

    ¡°I own the restaurant. They¡¯d do as they¡¯re told.¡±

    She licked her lips, and I saw her struggling, but I¡¯d won. She just needed to realize I had and there was no point in fighting it.

    I wanted that tongue on mine.

    For a few seconds, nothing happened. She stayed perfectly still, and I kept her trapped. I had no problem holding her here. This worked for me because I had her close to my body. The soft curves of her breasts calling to me.

    Slowly, almost too slowly for me to appreciate, she put her hands on my chest. Her touch light, soft. She slid her hands up to cup my face. Aurora touched my face and let me go.

    I saw the fight in her gaze and I stayed perfectly still, giving her the time to make all the moves.

    She cupped my face and waited.

    Did she think I¡¯d kill her for touching me?

    I¡¯d done so in the past, but this was different. I¡¯d asked her to kiss me. I wanted her touch, but she was treating me like a bomb about to go off.

    Even with the heels I¡¯d given her, I was still much taller than her. She had no choice but to go on her tiptoes, which brought her body flush against mine, and fuck me if that didn¡¯t feel good.

    The soft press of her tits.

    I wanted to grab her.

    Instead, I held myself perfectly still as her lips brushed across mine. The touch was fleeting, and she pulled back.

    ¡°Not good enough.¡±

    ¡°It was a kiss.¡±

    I was done ying games. Grabbing her ass, I sank my fingers into her hair and tugged her close. I mmed my lips down on hers and ravished her mouth, taking control, giving her the kiss I truly wanted.

    She released a moan, her fingers sinking against my shoulders as she held on to me. It wasn¡¯t enough. I traced the fullness of her lip, and she opened up, deepening the kiss. Then I lifted her up on the counter, spreading her thighs so my cock was close to her.

    As much as I wanted to continue, fucking her in the bathroom of a restaurant wasn¡¯t what I had in mind for today.

    I jerked away.

    The dress had ridden up. The slits were open, exposing her thighs. She touched her lips and shook her head, getting to her feet.

    She nearly fell to the floor, but I captured her, not letting her go until I was sure she was bnced.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°I ordered dinner for you. Let¡¯s go and eat.¡± I held my hand out. She took it.

    Sergei was outside of the bathroom. Again, I hated the way he looked at my wife. I made a note to look into a recement bodyguard for my wife. I wouldn¡¯t kill Sergei for having a little crush, if that was even what he had. I wasn¡¯t a fool. I was very much aware of the bonds that formed between wives and bodyguards. They were always around each other. They became friends and for some, it turned into a rtionship.

    Not all husbands liked their women fucking the help, though. For me, it wasn¡¯t Sergei¡¯s social standing that was the problem. I simply didn¡¯t want him or any man touching my wife.

    She belonged to me.

    I¡¯d taken her virginity. All of her firsts, and every encounter after that all belonged to me.

    I wasn¡¯t going to give her up.

    Back at our table, I nodded for the waiter to bring out our dinner. Staring at Aurora now, her lips swollen, her hair a little disheveled, she looked everywhere but at me. The fire no longer in her eyes, but now, I wanted to talk.

    ¡°Your father had nothing to do with the attack. He didn¡¯t send those men.¡±

    Her gazended back on me, exactly where I wanted them. ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It would seem the men who attacked the party had formed what they felt was an elite group of soldiers.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Her frown was cute.

    ¡°To put it simply, the soldiers that worked for your father, and the other Capos, decided they didn¡¯t like taking orders. They formed their own group, considering themselves the best of the soldiers. They weren¡¯t, which is why they were let go with ease. We don¡¯t make it a habit of driving out our best soldiers.¡±

    ¡°Why attack the party?¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t like the Bratva connection. They attacked the party as it contained the two of us.¡±

    ¡°They were intentionally going to kill us?¡± she asked. ¡°They attacked and hurt people. Killed people because of us.¡±

    ¡°Our marriage is a peace treaty. It is what stops the streets from running red with blood. They hoped to kill us to void the peace treaty, or to make us believe they¡¯d attacked, voiding the treaty and starting up a street war.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling me all this?¡±

    ¡°You wanted conversation. You asked what I¡¯d been doing this week. This is what I¡¯d been doing.¡±

    I¡¯d never talked work with anyone outside of who I dealt with.

    Aurora sat back. ¡°Does that mean there are more soldiers out there? No one would attack and leave themselves vulnerable, would they?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. They recruited more soldiers who were not happy with the alliance, as well as people, mostly ex-military men, who are not good at taking orders. They created a small army within a matter of weeks, if not months.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re in danger right now as we¡¯re having our meal?¡±

    I nodded. The truth was, even without the small army, I was in danger every single second of my life. She didn¡¯t need to know that. So far, the dinner was going well.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can be so calm.¡±

    ¡°Easy. They¡¯re not the first people who¡¯ve wanted to kill me and I have no doubt they won¡¯t be thest.¡± I sipped at my wine.

    Our dinner arrived.

    The waiter left.

    ¡°You¡¯re ¡­ amazing,¡± she said.

    I smiled. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m freaking out and I don¡¯t have the first clue what is going on or even why, and yet, this just seems all a little surreal. You¡¯re a strong man, vik.¡±

    I didn¡¯t pay attention to thepliment.

    All my life, I¡¯d lived with the threat of being killed. It was not new to me and fighting to survive was second nature.

    ¡°How was your week?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Boring. I didn¡¯t do anything quite as exciting as you. I used the pool. Cooked myself some food. Read. That¡¯s about it.¡±

    Just as I was about to say something, a couple stopped by our table.

    I recognized Andrei Belov. He controlled section two of cities under Ivan¡¯s control. He was a brigadier like me and answered to the Volkov Bratva. With the attack, Ivan had organized a meeting with all of us to take ce in my territory, seeing as this was where we were attacked.

    The woman on Andrei¡¯s arms was his intended. Her name escaped me.

    ¡°I thought it was you, and you were not wrong. This ce is amazing,¡± he said.

    ¡°I only have the best.¡±

    ¡°Bethany, I¡¯d like you to meet vik Ivanov and his wife, Aurora.¡±

    ¡°It is so nice to meet you both.¡± Bethany shook my hand and turned to Aurora. ¡°We need to organize a lunch or a shopping trip. I would love to do both.¡± She put her hand on Andrei¡¯s chest. ¡°I know we¡¯re going to be leaving soon, and it¡¯s so hard to make friends here. What do you say?¡±

    Aurora smiled but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°My wife is avable tomorrow. I¡¯ll make the arrangements with you, Andrei.¡±

    ¡°Call it a date.¡±

    Andrei shook my hand and they made their excuses to leave.

    I wasn¡¯t like Andrei. To look and to listen to him, men believed his position of power was unfounded. What they didn¡¯t know was he had a mean streak and in fact, I wouldn¡¯t wish my worst enemy to be alone with him when he was on the warpath.

    Ivan Volkov did not pick soft men to run his cities. It was why he¡¯d gotten six of the best, divided up his cities into sections, and we ruled them all.

    ¡°Do I have to go to lunch?¡± Aurora asked.

    ¡°Yes. It would be rude not to and he¡¯s a friend. You¡¯ll be safe.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say.¡±

    ¡°What is the problem?¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t really want to have lunch with me.¡±

    ¡°Did I see her talking to someone else?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s fine.¡± She waved her hand in the air, dismissing me. Whatever had happened in the bathroom was gone, and I was pissed off Andrei had interrupted my dinner.

 13

    Aurora

    Maybe I had prejudged Bethany because I actually had an enjoyable lunch with her. She was a nice woman. Came from a media background. Her parents were more than thrilled with her marrying Andrei Belov. The arrangements had already been made and the wedding set for December. Not too far away, and she was excited.

    During all of her talk of her wedding, not once did she invite me, but I figured it had something to do with vik and the whole Bratva thing.

    We had lunch several times a week. I invited her to dinner. We talked about everything and nothing. In fact, I¡¯d been that heavily involved with Bethany, I had nearly forgotten about the ufortable conversation with Sergei.

    He was there all the time, watching and waiting.

    Each day, I had a new date with Bethany.

    She¡¯d be returning with Andrei to wherever he lived. I couldn¡¯t recall where, but it was in one of the cities. I was never good with locations.

    ¡°You and Bethany seem to be hitting it off,¡± Sergei said.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    ¡°vik wanted me to be nice and have dinner. She¡¯s only here for a couple more days and then she¡¯s leaving.¡±

    Sergei nodded.

    What also yed on my mind was the kiss I¡¯d shared with vik in the bathroom. There was no one to talk to about it. I wanted to know what a kiss like that meant. Was it normal to share one so intense? Every time I thought about it, my lips tingled, and like now, I touched them.

    Would it be so wrong to give in to him?

    We hadn¡¯t had sex.

    My period had started a few days ago, so that meant no baby. To have a baby you did have to do it regrly, right?

    Talking to my mother was useless. She never came to the phone. Isabe was always talking about a party she¡¯d been to and what fun she had. Me, I¡¯d been left with vik, confused.

    The only ce to go would be the inte, and trying to figure out the truth was way tooplicated. Also, my searching had sent me to a porn site. If vik had a way of checking through what I looked at, there would be questions.

    Even our sex didn¡¯t match up to the porn videos.

    Sergei parked the car outside a cute Italian ce. I¡¯d read the reviews, and they were amazing. I called Bethany up immediately.

    I arrived at the table and took a seat. Bethany was ten minuteste, but she arrived. She wore a low-cut dress that stopped above the knee. She was so beautiful.

    I got to my feet, kissing her cheek as we¡¯d started to do. This was the first time I¡¯d ever had a girlfriend, and it was glorious.

    ¡°Sorry I waste, Andrei, well, he didn¡¯t want me to leave.¡±

    ¡°Oh, are you living with Andrei?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    This was another part of how different we both were. Her family was happy with her traveling with her husband. The engagement ring was on her finger, and to the rest of the world, they were going to be married. Bethany had confided in me that Andrei wasn¡¯t her first boyfriend. She¡¯d gone to an all-girls school and had met a guy there. She wasn¡¯t a virgin.

    A lot of details to take in, but I hadn¡¯t shared a single secret with anyone. Part of me was scared for her.

    My virginity for my wedding to vik had been a necessity.

    I didn¡¯t know if she loved Andrei, not that love yed a part in my own marriage. Once again, vik kept his distance. He came home and slept beside me, but the only reason I knew that was the dent on his pillow the next morning.

    Thinking about my marriage, I felt cold.

    There was no love, nor was there any passion. Little by little, I felt like I was dying inside.

    Bethany distracted me, telling me about a movie she¡¯d watched. I liked how she talked a lot. It filled the silence. Our meal came, and I noticed she always pushed her sd around the te.

    Her cell phone went off, and she nced down at the screen and groaned. ¡°I¡¯ve just got to take this. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    Again, I was used to her taking calls through our lunches.

    I wasn¡¯t hungry.

    The waiter came to the table, and I saw Sergei watching me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡± I needed to use the bathroom and with Sergei close, he¡¯d watch the table to make sure none of our stuff was stolen.

    I went to the bathroom, washed my hands, and when I chanced a look in the mirror, I saw ¡­ sadness.

    After pinching my cheeks to add a little pink to myplexion, I left the bathroom,ing to a stop when I saw Bethany just down the hall near the kitchen.

    I approached.

    ¡°No, please keep talking to me. Anything to stop this from dragging.¡±

    I stopped.

    What was dragging?

    ¡°Andrei made me ask her to go to lunch, and thest few weeks, that is all we¡¯ve done. She eats all the time, and I¡¯ve never known anyone so dull in all my life. Honestly, I can¡¯t wait to get home. We can go and have some fun. Aurora wouldn¡¯t know fun if it bit her in the ass, and let me tell you, she¡¯s so ugly. vik is hot. He¡¯s dangerously hot, he deserves someone so much better than Aurora.¡±

    Biting my lip, I stepped away, leaving her as she continued talking about me.

    I headed back to the table, feeling kind of numb. The waiter came and asked about dessert. I told him no and asked for the check.

    Looking over at Sergei, I wanted to burst into tears. I¡¯d been so desperate for a friend I hadn¡¯t read the signs.

    I was empty. I¡¯d eaten lunch and yet my stomach cramped.

    My throat started to burn.

    Bethany arrived, and as I looked at her now, I realized the signs I¡¯d been ignoring over the past few weeks. She always arrivedte. There was no invitation to her wedding.

    ¡°What did I miss?¡± she asked.

    She smiled at me, and part of me thought about ying along, but the truth was, I was so tired of this dance.

    The waiter arrived.

    I saw the cost and paid it with the cash in my wallet. ¡°I¡¯ve had a call. I¡¯ve got to go. Sorry to cut this short.¡±

    She looked shocked, but I got to my feet, already leaving. She wasn¡¯t used to me being the one to end our time together. Always the damn same.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call you,¡± she said.

    I didn¡¯t say anything.

    Sergei took the lead, heading out of the restaurant ahead of me. The car was already waiting, so I guessed he¡¯d called ahead. He opened the backseat passenger door, and I climbed in. Sitting back, I took a breath, wiping at my cheeks to make sure the tears wouldn¡¯t fall.

    ¡°Take me home,¡± I said.

    I rarely thought of vik¡¯s apartment as home.

    He didn¡¯t question me.

    I stared out the window.

    Boring. Ugly. These were words I was used to. They shouldn¡¯t hurt me anymore, and yet, I thought Bethany had started to be a friend.

    There was no friendship there. At least I heard the truth before I got too attached.

    No friends.

    This was how I was just going to have to live my life. People didn¡¯t like me. Simple as that. No matter what I did.

    Fine. I wouldn¡¯t make friends.

    The drive was a blur.

    When he parked the car, I shot out of it, going straight to the elevator. I didn¡¯t give Sergei a chance to catch up. The doors closed and the elevator took me up. No one stopped the elevator in its tracks, and for that, I was relieved.

    I had a key to the door and I let myself in, tempted to lock the door, but I refused to cause more of a scene.

    Gently, I put my bag down and went straight to the kitchen. I opened the fridge and saw the bottle of water.

    I¡¯d been starving myself these past few weeks. Working out at the gym. The gym.

    I rushed to the bedroom, changed out of the skirt, sandals, and crop top into a pair of gym shorts and a shirt. When I was changed and ready, Sergei came into the apartment. He was panting.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t wait for the elevator?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m to keep you protected at all times.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, this is not one of those times.¡±

    I made to go around him. He stepped in my way. He was out of air, but he still thought he could take me on.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to work out. I need to go to the gym.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked.

    ¡°None of your business. Your job is to take care of me. Consider your job well done.¡± I reached out, patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Congrattions. I¡¯m still alive.¡±

    ¡°Aurora, you¡¯re hurting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯mpletely fine. I¡¯ve got no reason to be upset or hurt. I¡¯m alive. I¡¯ve told you that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to cry.¡±

    Tears had already flooded my eyes. ¡°Get out of my way.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°This is not doing your job.¡±

    ¡°Like you said. You¡¯re alive. You¡¯re safe.¡± He reached out and touched my face.

    I jerked back. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Aurora,e on, I know you feel it too.¡±

    I frowned. This was so very different. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    I continued to take a step back, and he followed. I kept on walking until the wall stopped me from moving. I tensed up as his hands came out and were ced on either side of my head.

    ¡°You think I don¡¯t see the way you look at me? vik doesn¡¯t deserve you. No one does. I see it. I notice your pain.¡±

    ¡°Sergei, you¡¯ve got to stop.¡± I didn¡¯t have any feelings for him. He was my guard and it mattered to me that my actions didn¡¯t get him hurt or killed, but that was all.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I need to stop. I see how they all treat you. They all ignore you. I can¡¯t stand that.¡± He pressed his body against mine and the hurt I¡¯d been feeling morphed into something else. Fear.

    Before I knew what was happening, Sergei had grabbed my face and started to kiss me. His tongue traced across my mouth, and I instantly tried to push him away. This was not a kiss I wanted.

    I¡¯d only ever kissed vik, and right now, this made me feel like I betrayed him. I didn¡¯t ask for Sergei¡¯s kiss, but because I hadn¡¯t reported his inappropriate behavior to vik, did he think this gave him a right to me?

    I tried to cry out, but Sergei was strong. I was no match for him.

    I kept trying to hit him, to force him to get away.

    All of a sudden, he was off me, and I panted for breath until I saw what was going on. vik hade home and now he pounded his fist against Sergei¡¯s face.

    Within the few seconds it had taken me to gain myposure, the sheer violence vik disyed shocked me.

    Over and over, he mmed his fist against his face.

    Blood spilled, sttering on the floor and the wall.

    ¡°vik, stop it.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t get through. Over and over, the pounding went. I reacted, grabbing vik¡¯s arms, trying to get him to stop, but he shoved me away and I fell hard, my ass hitting the floor.

    There was nothing else for me to do.

    Right there, in front of me, vik drew his gun and shot Sergei in the head.

    My mouth fell open. No sounds came out.

    Sergei, my bodyguard, was dead.

    vik spat on him and got to his feet. His hands were covered in blood, Sergei¡¯s blood.

    He turned toward me, and as he advanced, with all the blood, I scrambled away. I was no match for vik either. He grabbed my arm and dragged me up, mming my back against the wall.

    I cried out. Tears ran down my cheeks as he pressed the gun against my temple. I whimpered as the heat seemed to burn right through my head.

    ¡°How long?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°How long have you been fucking him?¡±

    ¡°I would never do that. Never.¡±

    ¡°You expect me to believe that after what I just saw?¡±

    ¡°If you saw correctly, you¡¯d have seen that I was fighting him off.¡± My entire body shook.

    I¡¯d seen people killed before. Dead bodies were not new to me, but right now, I was in shock. I had to be.

    The sheer violence, that was new to me.

    He didn¡¯t stop to ask Sergei any questions. He just killed him. Now he had the same gun pointed at me and thought I would betray him. Seconds passed as vik looked into my eyes.

    ¡°I saw,¡± he said. ¡°Now tell me what the fuck happened.¡±

    I nodded my head. The action felt jerky to me, but I stood there and told him everything. Abouting home and Sergei pressing me against the wall. The kiss. I even told him about him wanting to be friends and getting close. I didn¡¯t have any secrets.

    All the while, vik looked at me.

    What did he see?

    Was he debating how to get rid of me?

    ¡°Go to your room,¡± he said. ¡°Stay there until Ie to you.¡±

    ¡°vik?¡±

    ¡°Now!¡± He yelled the word, and I didn¡¯t stick around. I ran as fast as I could, tripping over my feet. Once inside the bedroom, I flicked the lock closed and ran toward the bathroom. Staring at my reflection, I saw the blood. Sergei¡¯s blood.

    This was all my fault. I tore my clothes off my body, scrambling to get myself clean.

    I stepped beneath the water and cried out as the cold hit my skin. I didn¡¯t move for a short time, trying to process everything that had happened. Grabbing the soap, I started to scrub my hands and my body.

    Sergei had died because of me.

    I should have told him no. Told vik.

    I felt sick.

    Getting someone killed had never been my intention.

    I felt so cold. So alone. This wasn¡¯t fair.

    Tilting my head up to the shower, I couldn¡¯t believe what had happened today. I¡¯d lost a friend, and another who had wanted to be mine had been killed. What the hell was wrong with me?

 14

    vik

    The cleaning crew knew not to ask any questions.

    Sergei¡¯s body would be removed. His apartment was already being cleared out along with any personal effects. There was no family for me to call. No one to shame with his behavior.

    I waited as they cleaned my apartment. All that was left was my blood-soaked clothing. I stripped out of it, handing them the clothes, and they left my apartment. Everything had a price, even covering your tracks.

    Seeing Sergei on my wife, I¡¯d snapped. I¡¯d never been possessive about any woman in my life and yet, seeing him kissing her was more than I could stand.

    Deep down, I knew she¡¯d been trying to fight him. Aurora hadn¡¯t asked for the kiss, and still, I¡¯d been hyped up on rage and the need to kill.

    Sergei got an easy death, and for me, that didn¡¯t sit well. I hated it.

    With my hands on my hips, I stared around my now pristine apartment. Thest five, no, nearly six months, Aurora had lived in my ce and still, she hadn¡¯t done a single thing to make her mark.

    There was nothing here that stood out.

    No trinket to tell anyone who visited-not that anyone did-that she lived here. This apartment wasn¡¯t even mine in the true sense. I owned the building and I¡¯d taken residence here, but there weren¡¯t any personal effects of mine either.

    Laying down roots was hard for me to do. It wasn¡¯t something I could just do with the snap of my fingers.

    ¡°What the fuck am I doing?¡± I ran a hand down my face and headed toward the bedroom. The door was locked. I tried the handle, realizing she¡¯d tried to keep me out. Not happening.

    Aurora needed to learn there was no easy way to keep me away. With a simple snap of the handle and my body weight shoved against it, the door came open.

    I expected to see her on the bed.

    At least hear a scream.

    Nothing.

    The bathroom door was also closed.

    Like the main bedroom door, this one was also locked.

    ¡°Aurora, open the fucking door,¡± I said.

    My patience was at an all-time low. If I had any sanity left, I¡¯d try to talk to her, but right now, I needed a shower.

    ¡°Go away,¡± she said.

    Gritting my teeth, I clenched my hands into tight fists. ¡°You think this door is going to keep me out?¡±

    ¡°No, but you need to calm down. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡±

    ¡°You just killed Sergei.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll kill any fucking man who thinks they can put their hands on you and get away with it. You¡¯re mine, Aurora.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m what you had to have. I¡¯m not yours.¡±

    I mmed my fist against the door. Her anger actually aroused me. She wasn¡¯t simpering in a corner. I liked the fact she talked back to me.

    This felt good. Really good.

    ¡°Stop banging!¡± She screamed thest part, and I put my palm against the door, gritting my teeth once again.

    I had two choices. Wait for her to open the door, or break it down.

    I chose thetter.

    The moment I broke the lock and entered the room, Aurora let out a little cry.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    She stood with a towel wrapped around her, and I smelled bleach. I saw her clothes were in the sink and she¡¯d poured bleach all over them.

    Her hair was still damp from the shower.

    My hands were covered in dried blood.

    Aurora nibbled on her lip. ¡°I ¡­ I didn¡¯t know what to do with these.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± I said. I turned on the shower, waiting for the water to warm up.

    I stepped into the stall, and Aurora tried to make her escape, only I wouldn¡¯t let her. I grabbed her arm and dragged her into the stall right along with me. Pinning her up against the wall, I flicked the towel, allowing it to fall on the floor, and I simply looked my fill.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re angry.¡±

    I grabbed the soap and rinsed my hands. The blood fell away down the drain as if nothing happened. ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to kill him.¡±

    ¡°You think he was only going to be satisfied with kissing you? He didn¡¯t even have the sense to listen to you tell him no. Sergei would have raped you to get what he wanted.¡±

    She released a gasp. ¡°You believe me.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I saw it.¡±

    ¡°But why did you me me?¡±

    ¡°I was angry, Aurora. No man wants toe home to find his wife kissing another man. At first, it didn¡¯t register that you were fighting against him. Sergei¡¯s dead now and I¡¯ve handled everything.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Will his death cause you trouble?¡±

    ¡°No. Sergei was alone in this world. No one will care that he¡¯s dead.¡±

    I watched her swallow a lump in her throat. ¡°You care?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. He ¡­ for the past few months, he¡¯d been really nice to me.¡±

    ¡°He wanted to fuck you. Any man would be nice to you.¡±

    She snorted. ¡°Yeah, right. Can I go now?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I handed her the soap. ¡°Wash me.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I took hold of her wrist and forced her to touch my chest. Staring at her, I waited. What Aurora didn¡¯t seem to know was how patient I¡¯d been with her. It never happened for a man in my position to give their wife time to adapt. I hadn¡¯t forced my will onto her. Demanded she spread her legs for me so I can put a baby inside her. I¡¯d given her time.

    What was my reward? To find another man kissing her and have blue balls for the pleasure of it-not happening.

    Staring at her now, I noticed her movements were kind of jerky, but I wasn¡¯t going to give her an out she clearly sought.

    The soap ran over my skin, but that wasn¡¯t the touch I wanted.

    ¡°Lather your hands up.¡±

    She followed the instruction, and I took the soap from her. ¡°Now, clean me.¡±

    She shook a little as her hands went from my neck down to my chest. I was sure she hesitated at my neck as she¡¯d been tempted to throttle me. I smiled. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time a woman wanted to kill me.

    Aurora was a good woman, though. She¡¯d been trained well and so she worked her hands down, being careful not to touch my cock, which had swelled the moment she started to touch me.

    When Ivan first told me I¡¯d be marrying the Fredo daughter, there had been no attraction. No desire to marry this woman. I¡¯d known her family had tried to insult us by giving us what he considered his second best, but something was happening to me.

    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what.

    I craved her touch on me, but more than that, I wanted Aurora to want me, to beg for my touch. Our wedding night had been a disaster.

    The whole tradition of bloody sheets had fucking infuriated me. The way the men looked at the evidence of her broken virginity, that was mine. All mine. I should have put a stop to it, but I yed along, as was the rules.

    I was a powerful man.

    I¡¯d been with a lot of women in my time. Fucked them and forgot them. I¡¯d never known what it was like to have a virgin. Not just any virgin, my wife. Untouched by all other men. No one else would know how tight her cunt was, how sweet her mouth tasted, and how soft her body was next to mine. So very addictive. I couldn¡¯t wait to feel her once again.

    She continued to ignore my arousal until I finally snapped and ced her fingers around my dick. She froze, and I paused, staring into her eyes.

    ¡°You know what I want.¡±

    Aurora shook her head.

    With my hand covering hers, I made her work up and down my length. She nibbled on her lip as if this was the strangest thing she¡¯d ever encountered but she didn¡¯t stop and I liked that. I liked that she kept on going. The tip already leaked pre-cum, and I groaned. I closed my eyes for a split second, basking in the pleasure she evoked within me.

    My balls were so fucking tight.

    Letting go of her hand, I pressed mine against the wall, caging her in.

    ¡°Faster,¡± I said.

    I was so close.

    She worked my dick faster, and I stared into her eyes.

    Her brown ones stared back at me with wonder as well as hunger. That¡¯s right, baby. This is what you¡¯re doing to me.

    I couldn¡¯t hold back my release, and as she continued to stroke me, my release spilled out, coating her stomach.

    Even before my orgasm ebbed away, I gripped the back of her neck, mming my lips down on hers as I finished my orgasm.

    I wanted to be inside her, but this was second best.

    Any anger I had slowly fell away.

    I wouldn¡¯t hurt Aurora.

    She was my wife, and regardless of what she thought, I was going to protect her.

 15

    Aurora

    In a matter of days, I¡¯d gone from spending my time being bored, reading one book after another, to being escorted around by vik.

    He¡¯d killed my guard, and rather than hire another one, he kept me to himself.

    I had no choice in the matter.

    He had so many businesses. When we arrived at some, he kept me in the car. The doors locked. He even kept the windows down when it was really warm as if I was some kind of dog.

    Each day, the anger kept on simmering inside me, waiting to explode.

    The work never stopped. He was everywhere and nowhere. We ended up taking a private jet to travel to different cities. All of them under his rule. He kept watch over it all. He worked during the day and at night; there was no space.

    After three weeks, taking our marriage over the seven-month mark, I stood in one of his nightclubs. This time, he¡¯d allowed me to change. The first time I came to this nightclub, which was simply called The Club, so very cute, I¡¯d been in sweatpants and a shirt. This time, I wore a tight dress.

    It was the only one he¡¯d allow me to wear. It was tight against my body, and I couldn¡¯t stop wriggling in it. I was worried I looked fat and frumpy.

    The women on the dance floor were goddesses.

    Each one looked so happy and free. Like they held all the power within their lives and I had nothing. My husband controlled me. I wasn¡¯t given a single reprieve.

    Even when some men, business associates, dared toment on my presence, vik told them to mind their own business or they¡¯d see his very bad side.

    How many other men like vik escorted their wives around to everything?

    With my palm on the private window overlooking the dance floor, envy flooded me. It was an emotion I didn¡¯t like.

    The music vibrated the room, but I couldn¡¯t hear it.

    vik spoke on the phone. He spoke in Russian, which was so hard to think about as his ent rarely came through.

    I kept on ncing back at him, and each time I did, I found his gaze was already on me.

    We hadn¡¯t done anything else since he made me work his penis in the shower. Who am I kidding? I knew it was a cock. Thinking about it, I got aroused. He¡¯d been so hard and as I yed with him, I¡¯d worked him into a fever where he had no choice but toe. I¡¯d never felt that kind of power over a man, and the truth was I wanted it again.

    vik put the phone down. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go and handle something downstairs. Stay here.¡±

    I wanted to argue with him, but he was already out the door.

    We were back to him treating me like I didn¡¯t exist. Actually, scrap that, he treated me like a dog. I was surprised he hadn¡¯t put a little bed in the corner and didn¡¯t have treats in his pocket.

    I hated him.

    Folding my arms beneath my breasts, I spun back to the window and red out at the dance floor. Anger rushed through me with no ce to go.

    I¡¯d seen how violent he¡¯d gotten with Sergei.

    I pushed some hair back from my face, breathing in and out, hoping to calm my nerves, but nothing seemed to want to stick.

    I felt angry at him.

    Thinking back to that day, I recalled Bethany¡¯s words. She¡¯d tried to call, to set up another dinner date, but I declined. vik even tried to arrange for me to go and see her, but I refused.

    There was no way I was going to force mypany on others.

    With my arms wrapped around myself, I stared onto the dance floor, finding vik.

    He spoke to a couple of men who nodded and fanned out.

    vik headed toward the bar, and I hated that he was so handsome. He wasn¡¯t the boy next door. He was far more dangerous and with it, potent.

    Women turned to look at him. Yearning swirled within their gaze. He showed no sign of noticing them as he talked to the man working behind the bar.

    I smiled at how he acted. I knew he saw their gazes. Did he know I watched?

    Licking my lips, the happiness died instantly as a cute redheadunched herself at him. She wore a shorter dress than the one I wore and as I stood in his office, I watched this other woman rub herself all over vik.

    He didn¡¯t push her away.

    Anger, pain, and hurt, it all melded in my gut.

    I spun on my heel and stormed out of the office. No guards to keep me locked up in this room. Wow. I wasn¡¯t even worth the extra security. He clearly was used to me being the good girl who didn¡¯t do anything wrong.

    I¡¯d fucking show him.

    With each step I took, the two sides of my personality conflicted. I kept telling myself to show him I was not to be ignored. Another side told me I was being aplete and total bitch. I needed to go back to the room.

    The rebel inside me kept on walking.

    Being the good girl had gotten me trapped in a loveless marriage, where I spent most of my days attached to his side.

    He still had all the women in the world around him. For all I knew, he had a dozen mistresses. He may take me everywhere, but that didn¡¯t stop him from being with anyone.

    Stepping into the nightclub, I pressed my back against the nearest wall.

    The rebellious side of me was suddenly a little afraid.

    I¡¯d never been to a nightclub as a customer, or participated in the dancing. The air was hot. The energy in the room pulsed around me, startling me.

    The music was loud. There were no songs, just a constant thumping noise. The people in the nightclub were going a little crazy. The drinks flowed.

    I stayed by the door, knowing I needed to escape.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw vik. He held the woman¡¯s shoulders, and I didn¡¯t give myself time to analyze what I was doing. Rather than go onto the dance floor and make a fool of myself, which would have been a lot of fun.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    No, I decided, in these murderous heels, to cross my path all the way to the bar where vik stood.

    I made sure I was at his side so he saw it was me as I ran my hands up his body. ¡°Hey, baby, I was getting so lost without you. There are so many men here who want me to dance, but I told them my card is full.¡± What the fuck was I saying? I hated the words spilling from my lips, but they were the first ones that came to me.

    He¡¯s going to kill you. This is a mistake. You should just turn away and leave.

    This was all good advice, but I didn¡¯t take any of it.

    ¡°Who is this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s leaving.¡±

    With that, I stepped forward, gripping the back of his neck, pulling him down toward my lips. I expected him to fight me. To make me look like an idiot, but his lips brushed against mine and I couldn¡¯t help but moan.

    One of his hands went to the curves of my ass, and I gasped as he pulled me close. His cock was still soft, but the moment he had my body flush against his, I felt him start to harden.

    Breaking the kiss, I had to keep in control. I was so bored. Holding his hand, I led him out to the dance floor, ignoring the redheadpletely as I asked him to dance with me.

    Here was the problem. I couldn¡¯t dance.

    I noticed the crowd parted for him.

    No one got in his way. Did the world around him know who he was, or were the rumors enough to keep him safe?

    With the music causing a heavy beat in the air, I paused on the dance floor, but I shouldn¡¯t have panicked.

    vik wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close.

    I released a gasp as he kept one hand on my ass, and the othery loose at his side, but I knew better. vik was ready for any kind of attack.

    Neither of us spoke.

    The music filled the silence as he took control. We danced together, and it was more like I humped him, but he didn¡¯t let me go, and I liked being in his arms.

    I wanted to know who the woman was. Why she felt she could touch my husband. I was pissed off. Slightly humiliated.

    Had hee down to speak to one of his whores? Had I kept him from getting his release?

    ¡°Who was she?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No one.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t look like no one.¡±

    We were having to scream.

    He grabbed my hand, and even as I fought him, he won. Of course, he did.

    We moved toward the door I came out of. He didn¡¯t take me to his office, instead, he pressed me up against the wall.

    ¡°I told you to stay upstairs in your office.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Or did I interrupt your forey with your whore?¡± I asked.

    Jealousy was an ugly word. One I couldn¡¯t stand.

    I stared at him and he tutted.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t interrupt anything.¡±

    ¡°Then who was she?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t owe you anything.¡±

    ¡°No, of course not. I¡¯m the wife you¡¯ve been saddled with. Let¡¯s face it, you don¡¯t want me. You¡¯ve never wanted me. You¡¯re probably getting your fix with all of the other women, right?¡± I needed to keep better control of my temper, but once I started, I couldn¡¯t seem to stop. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to live with you having a lover, a mistress, but the one guy who showed any interest in me at all, he had to die!¡±

    vik mmed his palm over my mouth, silencing me. ¡°Be careful what you speak of.¡±

    He pulled out his cell phone, and within a matter of seconds, I was bundled into the back of a car, and the driver was ordered to take me to the penthouse suite.

    I¡¯d guess our argument was over.

    I was never going to think of his apartment as home again.

 16

    vik

    I should have known she wouldn¡¯t just go to sleep and be the nice, sweet wife I once had.

    Aurora stood in her pajamas, pacing the hallway when I entered. I¡¯d instructed the driver to remain outside, stopping her from trying to escape. Before he left, he told me she didn¡¯t try to leave.

    I¡¯d hoped she¡¯d be asleep.

    I couldn¡¯t be done with dramatics.

    They were tiring, but as I looked at my wife, it would seem thest three hours I¡¯d left her alone, she¡¯d been more than prepared.

    Damn.

    She stormed toward me and as her hand came up to p me, I captured it, not allowing her to even connect with my face. She growled at me and tried to jerk away, but I grabbed both of her arms and pressed her up against the wall, stopping her from going anywhere else.

    ¡°Let me go.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an asshole.¡±

    ¡°Look at you, using all these big words. I didn¡¯t even know your father let you know the insults you could throw at a man. You¡¯re supposed to be trained to be obedient.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you.¡±

    This woman was making me hard. I liked that she fought back.

    I wouldn¡¯t hurt her.

    There was no desire to cause her pain, but she had started to piss me off by trying to hit me. I¡¯d killed more men for less of an insult.

    She wriggled against me, and I made her aware of how aroused I was. She stopped.

    ¡°Did you sleep with her?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    She growled. ¡°Did you have sex with her?¡±

    ¡°Not tonight,¡± I said.

    She jerked within my hands. ¡°So you have ¡­ slept with her.¡±

    ¡°There was no sleeping involved with us. Dawn is a woman who likes to fuck. She was easy, and I don¡¯t like it to be too difficult. She was an easy woman to pay off.¡±

    ¡°Let go of me.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    ¡°Can I take a lover?¡± she asked, startling me.

    ¡°No!¡± I growled the word out.

    She snorted. ¡°So you can have all the women in the world but I have to what? Deal with you? Other women have lovers. I can be discreet.¡±

    I liked my wife being only mine and the fact she stood there willing to be with another man, well, now that really pissed me off.

    ring at her, I wrapped my fingers around her throat. I didn¡¯t squeeze, I merely held her. ¡°If you ever look or allow another man to touch you, their death will be your fault.¡±

    Tears filled her eyes. ¡°I hate you.¡±

    ¡°Join the club.¡±

    ¡°You get to have your fun. To enjoy other women, and I¡¯ve got to stay here and what? Wait for you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± What my wife failed to see was that I hadn¡¯t slept with another woman since I¡¯d made her my wife.

    I let go of her neck. ¡°This conversation is over.¡±

    ¡°Why? Because you said so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Do as you¡¯re told!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± She shoved me in the chest. ¡°I¡¯m tired of being told what to do. I won¡¯t allow it anymore. I will find a man and when I do, I will sleep with him.¡±

    I snapped.

    Grabbing the back of her neck, I walked her into the sitting room and bent her over the sofa.

    She cried out.

    I pressed my cock against her ass.

    ¡°Let me go.¡±

    ¡°You want to know what it¡¯s like to take a man? Do you think you¡¯re going to have any control over them? They want one thing.¡± With my other hand, I cupped her pussy. She cried, trying to get away from me.

    I rubbed her through the soft fabric of her pajamas, but I knew she wasn¡¯t aroused. I was scaring my wife.

    ¡°The only cock you will ever know will be mine.¡± I spun her around, and I saw the tears glistening in her eyes, the fear. Any arousal I had faded.

    I pulled her up against me, mmed my lips down on hers, and kissed her hard. There was no gentleness. This was rough, hard, and I had to have it.

    She didn¡¯t fight me, and at the end, I thrust her away from me, storming toward the bathroom.

    I mmed the door closed-it had been fixed, along with the bedroom door.

    I removed my jacket and shirt, pressing my palms t to the counter, and I stared at my reflection.

    Why did I care if she took a lover?

    Aurora was all mine and I liked it that way. The thought of another man touching her¡­ I couldn¡¯t; a cold rage seeped into my core. The need to mark her, to make sure every single man stayed the fuck away from her was strong.

    I¡¯d never known this rage. This was new.

    I¡¯d dealt with my anger so many times in the past, but this was unlike anything I¡¯d ever experienced. This was a whole new level of anger, and I didn¡¯t like it.

    My reflection didn¡¯t help.

    I removed thest of my clothes and stepped beneath the spray of the cold shower. I stayed under the water for a good thirty minutes. When I closed my eyes, all I saw were the tears and the fear.

    Aurora shouldn¡¯t look at me like that.

    I was aware a lot of men got off on hurting women in our world. How their tears turned them on and the harder they fought, the easier it was for them to take. Rape never appealed to me. Forcing a woman sickened me. There was no power there.

    I turned the shower off, wrapped a towel around my waist, and nced over to see the bed was empty.

    Leaving the bedroom, I found her curled up on the sofa, crying.

    ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said.

    She looked so fucking fragile. My wife was not supposed to be doing this to me.

    Annoyed with myself, I pulled the coffee table closer. ¡°I¡¯m not fucking any other woman. I haven¡¯t been with anyone else since you.¡±

    ¡°How can I believe you?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t lied.¡±

    She sniffled.

    There was more I wanted to say, but the words didn¡¯te. Instead, I picked her up in my arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m too heavy.¡±

    I ignored her. She was heavy, but I liked the weight of her in my arms, and I carried her to our room. The covers were already pulled back, and I slid her beneath.

    I tossed the towel into theundry basket and climbed into bed beside her. Rather than wait for her to go to sleep, I pulled her against me. She snuggled in close, wrapping her arm around me.

    It wasn¡¯t much, but it was a start.

 17

    Aurora

    Two more weeks, and I had enough of being trapped in a car, or in an office, waiting for him.

    vik still refused to provide a bodyguard for me, so I went wherever he went. I couldn¡¯t do anything. He didn¡¯t even allow me to bring a book.

    Boredom had be my new best friend.

    Until one morning, I had enough. Rather than wait for him to drag me out, I¡¯d made my escape. There hadn¡¯t been a guard on the door, and I¡¯d noticed this a few times when vik marched me out of his apartment.

    Rather than take the elevator, I took the stairs, making my way out of a fire escape.

    Alone in the big city, I¡¯d had a taste of freedom.

    It was wonderful.

    No guards.

    No vik.

    Nomitments.

    I had his credit card, and so I did something I never did, I went shopping.

    It was early, so a lot of the shops weren¡¯t open, but I walked around, watching people while I waited for stores to open.

    The moment they did, I went in and shopped.

    Maybe what I did was so childish, but I didn¡¯t care. The moment some of the women who were helping me enjoy my husband¡¯s money saw the name on the card, they had a mini freak-out.

    Of course, by the time they made the necessary calls, I was out of the shop. The clothes and shoes were all being sent back to the apartment.

    Still not calling it home.

    Childish or not, that ce was not my home.

    I didn¡¯t know what had gotten into me. vik still hadn¡¯t touched me since that night where I¡¯d pushed him too far. When he¡¯d pushed me over the sofa and cupped me between the thighs, I truly thought he was going to rape me.

    He hadn¡¯t.

    The way he held me in bed that night, though. I loved that so much. Since then, he hadn¡¯t touched me.

    The space on the bed mocked me.

    One night of feeling afraid one second, and thenforted the next. I wanted it again. Not the fear, but certainly thefort. I liked it when he held me. The simple things, especially when he held my hand. Damn it. I sounded like a sulky teenager. I was going to be twenty soon. I shouldn¡¯t be having these feelings, wanting my husband to hold my hand.

    I left the tenth shop I¡¯d spent a fortune in and came to a stop.

    vik stood, sunsses on, arms at his sides.

    I folded my arms. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Are you done?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No. You told me I could shop any time.¡±

    ¡°Get the car,¡± he said to his driver.

    I stayed perfectly still, refusing to make a scene out in public. People kept looking toward us. Where I blended in, vik stood out like a sore thumb. A very handsome and dangerous sore thumb, but still sore.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how many of my enemies would have loved to have captured you?¡± he asked.

    He gripped the back of my neck, pulling me in close. His lips brushed across my forehead. To any onlooker, we were enjoying an intimate moment. They didn¡¯t know the threat he was warning me about.

    This morning, I didn¡¯t go out thinking about his enemies. I just wanted freedom and the harsh reality was that, for me, there would never be any freedom.

    I was vik Ivanov¡¯s wife. I would be worth so much to his enemies.

    ¡°vik?¡±

    ¡°They would¡¯ve raped you, torn you apart, and delivered me each piece of you. I¡¯d have failed you, Aurora.¡± He pressed a kiss to my forehead.

    ¡°I only went shopping.¡±

    ¡°And you were a fucking fool to not have a guard with you.¡±

    ¡°Nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°Today.¡±

    ¡°Next time, I won¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°There won¡¯t be a next time.¡± He grabbed my hand, ending our conversation.

    He led me to the car, and like that, my rebellious shopping trip was over. I hadn¡¯t even made it to lunch. He must have run a trace on his credit card. I didn¡¯t know how he could have found me so fast. It wasn¡¯t like I held a neon sign.

    Sitting back, I stared out the window.

    We came to a stop at a fast-food ce. He handed me a brown paper bag and ordered me to eat. I hated how he treated me like a child. Still, I ate my food without a singleint. The milkshake was nice. I wasn¡¯t a big fan of the chocte as I preferred strawberry, but I didn¡¯t tell him that.

    He didn¡¯t eat.

    With the food finished, he took the bag, and the next thing I knew, we were entering a private gate, driving down toward a private residence.

    The house was huge. Reminded me of my parents¡¯ house. They had a huge country estate and often had many soldiers patrolling the grounds.

    vik got out of the car and held out his hand.

    I took it, again being the good girl I was, withoutint.

    We walked into the house, and I knew it wasn¡¯t any ordinary house.

    This was ¡­ different.

    No words were spoken as vik put me at the bar. ¡°Sit and stay.¡±

    With my hands pressed to the counter, I had the childish urge to get up, but I stayed seated.

    He left me alone.

    There wasn¡¯t a guard left to wait with me.

    I just sat here.

    Bored.

    Again.

    He would rather kill me with boredom than hire another bodyguard. What the hell was wrong with that?

    I quickly came to the conclusion I didn¡¯t like to be told to wait. Sitting at the bar in this ¡­ I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what this ce was, but I was annoyed. vik had interrupted my shopping spree, which I¡¯d taken out of anger and desperate need to get away from him. Now he¡¯d brought me along for his business again, and this time, rather than leave me in the car, he¡¯d dumped me at the bar.

    This wasn¡¯t fair.

    I knew many would argue life wasn¡¯t fair, well, so what. I¡¯d yed the part of a doting wife. I¡¯d done everything he asked of me, and it still wasn¡¯t enough. Today, I¡¯d attempted for the day to all be about me, and instead, it ended up with vik invading my time. I didn¡¯t even get to have lunch by myself.

    The man infuriated me.

    Why couldn¡¯t he just leave me alone to deal with these feelings I had about him? I still didn¡¯t like him.

    He was so bossy, and it was proven today with the way he dragged me off the street. Not that I¡¯d had a whole lot of fun. Maybe I had when it came to handing over his credit card, but the clothes were pointless, as were the lingerie and the shoes. I wasn¡¯t the kind of woman to need a new outfit every day. Today was a waste of my time. There were going to be many packages to send back.

    I needed to find something to do.

    Now I sat in this house, I think it was a house, waiting for him toe back to me.

    The scent of cigar smoke and alcohol was heady in the air.

    No one was around.

    No guard to keep an eye on me.

    I¡¯d been ying the good girl role for too long now. Look where it had gotten me. A loveless marriage and a boring life. Still with no friends, but that wasn¡¯t a surprise. No matter what I did, no one seemed to like me.

    I spun around on the chair and nced at the furniture. It was all expensive and ssy. Getting to my feet, I moved toward the door and opened it. Rebel in the house. There was no guard on the door, and I smiled. vik clearly expected me to be good, or he simply didn¡¯t care to have another guard wanting to kiss me.

    I had no idea where I was.

    Nibbling on my lip, I explored, checking out a couple of the rooms, but they were all vacant. Soft music yed through the walls. Seductive. Somewhat alluring. I liked it. Still, no one stopped me.

    vik wasn¡¯t there to yell at me.

    I set about my newfound freedom and rebellion with relish. Putting my hand on the staircase, I made my way up. Each step gave me a thrill that I was finally fighting back against the chains of my life.

    Death had always been a threat.

    Life always seemed like a gift and a curse.

    Tucking my hair behind my ear, I walked past a couple of doors. I heard moaning. The kind that I imagined couples made. I paused. On instinct, I spun away as if to hide. This was a world I wasn¡¯t allowed to be a part of. My only sense was that of duty. I had no other role to y.

    I got to the top of the stairs and paused. No. I refused to run and hide. I wanted to know what those noises meant.

    Quickly, I made my way back. The doors were all shut until I got to the end of the hall. It was open wide enough for me to see.

    The feminine sound echoed around the room, and I felt an answering pulse between my thighs. I couldn¡¯t help but press them together. This was arousal. Licking my suddenly dry lips, I focused on the upants in the room. I saw a woman. With long red hair, she waspletely naked, and between her thighs, she was bare. She wasn¡¯t alone. A man stood behind her. His hand in her hair. He was naked, like her. I saw his naked body. Not a single mark of ink, but he had chest hair.

    I didn¡¯t recognize the man or the woman.

    ¡°Yes, fuck, just like that, baby,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yeah, I can feel how tight you are.¡± He growled and sped up.

    All of a sudden, she tugged out of his hold, and she sank down beside him. I saw everything.

    His cock was huge, and it was covered in a condom that she pulled off. Then she covered him with her mouth.

    He groaned. His hands went into her hair and used it as leverage, forcing her to take his cock.

    I heard his moan and hers.

    When he pulled her in close and he rocked his hips fast, she gagged on his length but didn¡¯t stop. The woman on the floor grabbed his ass as if she wanted him to go deeper. Tears fell down her eyes, and the man groaned. I watched his neck tense up and then he released her.

    The woman sat back, opening her mouth, and then I watched her swallow.

    I¡¯d read enough books to know what she¡¯d done. The man looked hypnotized, but he wasn¡¯t done yet. He grabbed her, pulling her back up to the bed. Within seconds, his mouth was between her thighs, and the woman in question cried out, begging for more, and then arched up, looking like she was in a state of bliss.

    I couldn¡¯t move.

    The man, once he was done, dropped a kiss to the woman¡¯s lips, stood, and gathered his clothes.

    ¡°Next week?¡±

    ¡°Yes, next week, and I can¡¯t wait.¡±

    ¡°Love you, Cara.¡±

    I stepped back, but the man stopped when he saw me.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Drake. I¡¯ll deal with it.¡±

    The woman, Cara, came to the door with a smile on her face. I didn¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯d been caught watching them.

    My cheeks felt hot to the touch. I was aroused. I¡¯d watched this couple have sex, and I was so wet, it was crazy.

    ¡°Hello, Aurora,¡± Cara said. ¡°Come in.¡±

    ¡°You know my name?¡±

    ¡°I think I should. I was at your wedding.¡±

    ¡°You were?¡±

    Caraughed. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not every single day I get to see vik married. I had to be there.¡±

    ¡°You know vik?¡±

    ¡°I do. We go way back.¡± Cara began to strip the bed. ¡°Damn, fucking is so much fun, but it does sure get messy.¡±

    I looked at the bed. Cara seemed happy.

    I was being rebellious today, so I might as well go all in.

    ¡°You enjoy ¡­ what he did to you?¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Cara turned to me with a smile. ¡°Fucking? Hell, yeah. There is no better feeling in the world than having a man rock-hard inside you.¡± She groaned. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve always been in touch with my inner sex goddess.¡±

    I frowned, looking at the bed then at Cara. I¡¯d read about a lot of sex. The times I¡¯d done it with vik, well, it wasn¡¯t like I was lining up for a repeat performance.

    ¡°You have no idea what I¡¯m talking about, do you?¡±

    I wanted to bluff but at the same time, what I¡¯d just seen, was it wrong to want that?

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you are vik¡¯s wife, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Cara snorted. ¡°Wow, leave it to him to leave his woman hanging.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Look, sex can be horrible. I¡¯m not going to lie. With the wrong guy or girl, it can be crap. There¡¯s no other word for it, but with the right person, it can be, well, you saw. I personally love it when Drake visits me. He knows what I like, and he¡¯s not afraid to give it to me.¡±

    I felt like she was talking in riddles.

    Her gaze looked me up and down. ¡°The life you¡¯ve lived, I doubt many men have given you the time of day, have they? You were a virgin, if my memory serves me right.¡±

    ¡°Er, yes, I was.¡±

    Cara sighed. ¡°I will never understand why women don¡¯t help each other out.¡± She tutted. ¡°You know you can take care of yourself, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Cara smiled. ¡°vik brought this on himself. When you¡¯re alone, and you have these same feelings you¡¯re experiencing now, touch yourself. We know what we like. Put your hands on your pussy, and stroke, explore. See if you like it hard or soft. You¡¯re the only person who is going to give you that kind of pleasure.¡± She moved toward a drawer and retrieved a card. ¡°If you have any kind of questions. Call me.¡±

    I took the card she offered. It had a couple of phone numbers.

    I went to open my mouth to ask her more questions, but suddenly, my name was being yelled, and I tensed.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m guessing someone is learning to be naughty. I like it.¡± She winked at me.

    I spun on my heel, about to find vik, seeing as he seemed intent on waking everyone to find me.

    He was at the doorway. His gazended on me then on Cara. She¡¯d put a robe on, but she still looked like she¡¯d been having lots of sex.

    ¡°vik,¡± she said. ¡°Did you take care of your problem?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He grabbed my arm, and without another word, he pulled me out of the room.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± I tried to tug away from him, but he wouldn¡¯t let me. In the end, he pulled me over his shoulder and I was being marched out of the house.

    My curiosity hadn¡¯t been sated though. I wanted to know more about what I¡¯d just seen. Cara had all the answers to my questions.

    It was like I¡¯d been awakened, and now I couldn¡¯t just ept living a half-life.

    ¡°I want to go and talk to Cara.¡±

    ¡°Not happening,¡± he said, growling.

    I mmed my fist against his ass. I only got the one shot in as he dumped me into the back of his car.

 18

    vik

    My wife would be the death of me. I needed to hire a guard for her and stop bringing her on these trips. One day, they were going to get violent and she¡¯d end up hurt. The truth was ¡­ I liked herpany.

    We didn¡¯t talk and I bossed her around, but seeing the way she acted, it was refreshing. The more I annoyed her, the easier it was to read her. She started to let her guard down, and as she did, I liked to y with the woman before me.

    I shouldn¡¯t be enjoying my woman, but the truth was I did.

    This marriage had been a trap. I hadn¡¯t wanted to be part of it, but it happened. As the months ticked by, I found myself more enamored by her.

    Right now, she was at the bar while I handled the final details of Cara¡¯s in-house money trouble.

    Ivan had found a pattern, and along with it, the culprit. Brandy-fake name-hade to work for Cara as she had a drug problem. The addiction had been hidden, but the issue came to a tipping point when her dealer wanted more money. We weren¡¯t paying her enough, and she¡¯d started to work her way into the system to take the necessary money, stealing from all the men and women working here to pay for her addiction.

    It was sad, and she¡¯d been dealt with ordingly.

    A knock on the door had me looking up to find Cara scantily dressed as she often was here. She made the additional effort when we arranged business meetings outside of her exclusive club.

    ¡°I heard what happened,¡± Cara said. ¡°I had no idea about Brandy.¡±

    I looked at Cara. I hadn¡¯t told her who the culprit was. I was assuming Ivan told her, but that didn¡¯t make much sense since he never came to this establishment.

    Being the boss, the leader of us all, he had to hold a certain distance. I often spoke to Ivan on behalf of Cara.

    ¡°Prior to hiring any more employees, a full screening will be needed. Drugs, alcohol, anything that raises a g, they will not be permitted to work here.¡±

    ¡°And what if they¡¯re hooked on the coke Ivan sells?¡± Cara asked. ¡°We let them go?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Cara asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to talk inner house politics with you. You know the rules. He doesn¡¯t want addicts working for him, and to be frank, neither do I. You shouldn¡¯t either.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Cara sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m normally a good judge of character. Brandy¡¯s threw me.¡±

    ¡°Was she a nice girl?¡±

    ¡°The best,¡± Cara said. ¡°She was ¡­ a strong person. She had a kid at home, I think.¡± I sat back and watched Cara swipe at her nose and sigh. ¡°Oh, well, you can¡¯t help them all, no matter how hard we try.¡±

    I raised my brow and sheughed.

    ¡°Tell me, Vik, how long have we known each other? Twenty-five years? Nearly thirty?¡±

    ¡°Your point?¡± I hadn¡¯t counted how long I knew this woman. I¡¯d known Ivan longer. Cara hade into our life a littleter.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I guess I always imagined that you¡¯d be the kind of guy who would know how to satisfy their woman.¡±

    I tensed up. ¡°What¡¯s your fucking point?¡±

    Cara closed the door, flicking the lock into ce, then came toward me. She leaned over the desk, grabbing a single remote.

    A television screen in the far corner flickered on.

    It was a recording.

    I recognized my wife instantly.

    Next, the volume went up.

    ¡°Did you touch your pussy?¡± Cara asked.

    ¡°Er, I don¡¯t feelfortable with this.¡± Aurora nced around the room.

    I turned to look at Cara. ¡°When was this?¡±

    ¡°About twenty minutes ago. Keep watching.¡±

    On the screen, Cara approached my wife. She was a good foot taller, but she always preferred to wear heels while Aurora wore pumps.

    ¡°I know you touched yourself, and I know you didn¡¯t allow yourself toe.¡± Cara touched Aurora¡¯s arms, and she tensed up. ¡°Rx. Have you ever thought about going to Vik, asking him to touch you?¡±

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t want to.¡±

    Cara tutted. ¡°You¡¯re so very wrong about that.¡±

    She lifted the remote and hit pause. ¡°You¡¯ve been married nearly ten months now, right?¡±

    ¡°Eight.¡±

    ¡°Either way, that girl hasn¡¯t had an orgasm by you. Not a single one. Are you like brain dead? Do you want to be in a loveless marriage? The whole peace-treaty thing is real. No war. No shit going on in the streets and yet, you¡¯re not giving the woman who will one day have your children an orgasm?¡±

    Before I argued with her, she pressed y.

    Pissed off, I turned to the screen. If Cara had been anyone else, I¡¯d have already killed her.

    ¡°vik can¡¯t stand me. I think he¡¯s trying to figure out a way to kill me.¡±

    Cara paused, and her gaze actually focused on the camera. ¡°Come with me.¡±

    I watched as Cara led Aurora to the bed. She slipped off her pumps and sat down. She¡¯d been wearing a wraparound skirt, and as she sat, the skirt fell open.

    Cara moved on the bed. ¡°Close your eyes.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°Trust me.¡±

    Aurora hesitated and slowly closed her eyes.

    Cara cupped Aurora between the thighs, and my wife jolted in her touch.

    ¡°I know this is going to seem a little strange. I¡¯m only trying to help you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about this.¡±

    Cara flicked her tongue across Aurora¡¯s neck, nibbling on the delicate flesh.

    ¡°Trust me. I want to know if you¡¯re ¡­ healthy. Make sure there is nothing wrong with you.¡±

    ¡°Do you think there could be something wrong with me?¡±

    Anger ran up through my body. There was nothing wrong with my wife, and as I sat there, I watched as Cara moved the skirt out of the way, sliding her panties to one side, and began to finger my wife¡¯s pussy. All the while, she whispered words to her. Words I didn¡¯t hear because I was infuriated.

    She¡¯d touched my beautiful wife, and I had no choice but to watch as she brought Aurora to orgasm.

    The sight alone was enough to turn me on. My cock pulsed to life. She let gopletely, rubbing herself against Cara¡¯s fingers.

    ¡°vik will kill me,¡± Aurora said,ing down from the high.

    ¡°No, he won¡¯t.¡±

    Cara turned off the television. ¡°I¡¯m all for taking a woman¡¯s cherry, but I took your wife¡¯s first orgasm. A job you should be doing. Are you trying to make this harder than it is?¡±

    ¡°Cara, I suggest you shut the fuck up because right now, I really want to fucking kill you.¡±

    ¡°For making your wife see that she can have an orgasm. I saw her the other week when you were here, and she watched me, you know. Watched me get fucked, and I¡¯d never seen a woman with so much yearning. What the fuck are you doing? Just bending her over and taking your pleasure?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t about to tell her I¡¯d been taking care of my own needs in the shower.

    Women were around me all the time, every single day. None of them appealed. Nor did forcing my wife to fuck.

    I stood up. ¡°She¡¯s not like us.¡±

    ¡°No, she¡¯s not, but that doesn¡¯t mean she doesn¡¯t want to feel passion. There¡¯s something about Aurora. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because she wears her heart on her sleeve, or if she¡¯s been hurt. But she¡¯s different. I get that, and if you actually gave it a chance with her, I truly believe you could love her. Really love her.¡±

    I get to my feet, mming the ledger closed. ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡±

    ¡°You know there¡¯s no shame in finding her attractive or wanting her,¡± Cara said. ¡°She¡¯s not the enemy. I see the ink on her wrist. She is bound to the Ivan Volkov Bratva. She is yours. Why don¡¯t you enjoy it while itsts? One day when she realizes the monster you are, you won¡¯t get a second chance.¡±

    What Cara didn¡¯t know was that Aurora already knew the monster I was. She¡¯d seen it. I hadn¡¯t tried to hide it from her either.

    I found Aurora downstairs. She sat at the bar as I¡¯d hoped she would be the first time we came here.

    The moment I cleared my voice, she stood, and I saw the pinkness in her cheeks. She quickly averted her gaze. Rather than put her at ease, I took her hand, leading her out to the car. The driver was already waiting.

    I told him to take us home, and I sat back. I still held her hand.

    ¡°vik, I need to tell you something.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°No. Not until we get home.¡±

    I pulled out my cell phone, ending the conversation. I sent an email to Ivan with an update, checked through my mail to make sure I hadn¡¯t missed anything, and pocketed my cell.

    The city was busy today, and the journey to our apartment took longer than I expected.

    By the time we stood in the elevator, Aurora shook.

    I held her hand still, refusing to let her go.

    Once on our floor, I told the guard to leave. I didn¡¯t want him hanging around while I talked to my wife.

    I closed the door, finally releasing Aurora¡¯s hand, and she spun toward me.

    ¡°vik, I need to tell you something. I don¡¯t want you to be angry.¡±

    ¡°I want you to go to our bedroom, strippletely naked, lie down on the bed, and spread your legs.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t make a habit of repeating myself. Do it.¡±

    Aurora paled, but she turned on her heel and left.

    I removed my jacket, hanging it up on the peg. I kicked off my shoes.

    Walking into my bedroom, I ced the gun and the holster on the chair. I had weapons all over the apartment in the event of a break-in. In the past forty years, I¡¯d only been caught once without a weapon, and I held the scars to prove it.

    I kept my back to Aurora, opening the button at my cuff, rolling each sleeve up, and then I turned.

    The first thing I noticed was her hands. They were clenched into fists.

    ¡°I know Cara touched you. She touched what belonged to me. She showed me the video.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Aurora said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°I know what I saw, and Cara has a way of making people do what she wants.¡± I moved toward the bed. ¡°However, she had a very valid point.¡± I reached out and grabbed her ankles, dragging her down the bed until she was close to the edge.

    I saw the sh of fear in her eyes, but she didn¡¯t beg me to stop.

    I stared at her, seeing the nerves and knowing I¡¯d caused this.

    With my fingers on her ankles, I kept my gaze on hers, not rushing.

    Her body was a dream. Large tits, full thighs and hips. She made me ache. I hadn¡¯t been with anyone else but her, and we hadn¡¯t been having sex regrly, and the truth was, my balls were blue. I wanted to fuck her more than anything else in the world.

    ¡°vik?¡±

    ¡°Watching you with Cara, I realized I hadn¡¯t been giving you the attention you deserved.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to.¡± I stroked from her ankle up to her knee and back down again. Sinking to my knees, I pulled her so she spread open, and her pussy was so close to my mouth.

    Running my hands up her thighs, I squeezed the flesh.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like this, ask me to stop.¡±

    I ced my hands near her pussy and spread the lips open. On our wedding night, she¡¯d been bare, but as the days had gone, some hair had returned. I didn¡¯t mind.

    Her cunt looked dry.

    Fear captured her at this time.

    This was all my fault, but I¡¯d rectify that.

    Holding her open, I slid my tongue across her clit. The first touch had her jolting upright.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    I looked up at her and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going to lick this pussy until youe all over my face.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.¡±

    ¡°I want to. Lie back.¡±

    ¡°vik?¡±

    ¡°Have a little trust. I haven¡¯t hurt you, have I?¡±

    I knew she reyed that night when I could have taken her against her will, but I didn¡¯t.

    Slowly, she leaned back on the bed, and this time, I slid my tongue across and I didn¡¯t pull back. I worked back and forth, circling her clit before taking her into my mouth. She cried out, but it wasn¡¯t in pain.

    I kept my touches light.

    She¡¯d never felt this touch from a man, and I did everything I could to make it as easy on her as possible.

    Her moans echoed around the room, and my cock tightened to an unbearable length. I hadn¡¯t sucked a woman¡¯s cunt in a really long time. I¡¯d avoided it because I didn¡¯t know where else they¡¯d been, and to be honest, no woman interested me enough to even want to do it.

    Sliding my tongue all over her pussy, I teased back and forth, going down to her entrance and plunging inside.

    I¡¯d been the only cock in her pussy.

    My cum.

    All me.

    And that sent a fucking thrill of possession rushing through me. I couldn¡¯t get enough, and I tasted her sweetness. Moaning as she flooded my mouth.

    Her cream building.

    Finally, my wife was fucking aroused. Not only that, but she¡¯d stopped lying still and her pelvis thrust against me. Offering up her pretty pussy as I licked her.

    Grabbing her ass, I pressed my face against her and licked and sucked at her cunt, driving my tongue in deep, fucking her, drawing up to tongue her clit, then back down again.

    I felt how close she was by the pulsing of her pussy.

    Focusing back on her nub, I tongued her clit, and with each stroke, her body rocked against me.

    The moment she came, I held her down even as her screams of release filled the air. I tongued her pussy until she shuddered and pleaded for me to stop.

    I pressed a kiss to her swollen clit and sat back.

    My face was covered in her cream.

    ¡°From now on, there is no more hiding.¡±

 19

    Aurora

    ¡°From now on, there is no more hiding.¡±

    vik¡¯s words echoed in my head as I stared down at him.

    Two orgasms in one day, but this one with vik had been ¡­ the best. Cara¡¯s touch had made me nervous.

    She was a nice woman and very attractive, but I¡¯d felt strange with her touch. vik was right.

    It wasn¡¯t because she was a woman. It was because she wasn¡¯t mine.

    ¡°You¡¯re not angry?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Why would I be angry?¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ you said¡­¡± I truly didn¡¯t know how to finish my sentence.

    One moment I¡¯d been talking to Cara, the next I was on the bed, her hand between my thighs, showing me. Telling me how to please myself and how every woman had the right to know the key to her own pleasure.

    I¡¯d been so overwhelmed. I hadn¡¯t been sure if this was cheating.

    ¡°Cara is not allowed to touch you. I¡¯ll let today slide, but no more. She touches you again, I won¡¯t be held responsible for my actions.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to do right now,¡± Aurora said. She nibbled on her lip. ¡°I¡¯ve read all about ¡­ everything. But what about you?¡±

    vik and I were married, but our rtionship wasn¡¯t anything like in the books I read.

    He stroked my thighs and I had to wonder if they werergepared to the other women he was with. Did he hate my size?

    Why did I even care?

    I hadn¡¯t stopped my mission to lose weight. Being out with vik every day had really put a wrench in my ns of weight loss.

    He stood up, and I looked at him, a little unsure as he tugged his shirt off, disying therge expanse of his heavily inked chest. I couldn¡¯t resist licking my lips, and I felt an answering pull between my thighs. I was soaking wet. I¡¯d never felt like this. Some of the books I read aroused me, but never like this. This was all new to me.

    He grabbed his belt, loosening the buckle. The sound of clinking metal, followed by the zipper, turned me on.

    His pants hit the floor, along with his boxers, and he stood before me naked. The hard length of his cock jutted out, long and thick.

    I wanted to touch him. I kept my hands to myself.

    He wrapped his fingers around his dick and began to work from the base up to the tip, then back down again.

    ¡°Lie back down,¡± he said.

    Iy on the bed and spread my legs. This was what I did on our wedding night.

    The bed dipped down, and I couldn¡¯t help but tense up.

    ¡°On our wedding night, I was an asshole. I didn¡¯t like that I had to give them the sheets after I had you.¡± He kissed my thigh and I jolted.

    Opening my eyes-I hadn¡¯t even realized I¡¯d closed them-I stared up at him, waiting.

    He moved between my thighs, and I held myself perfectly still.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get you to enjoy it and that¡¯s my fault. The next time, you werepletely dry and I used lubrication.¡± He reached down between us and I felt the hard tip of his cock as it brushed between my slit.

    He nudged my clit, and I couldn¡¯t contain my gasp as he touched just the right spot, causing me to arch up.

    ¡°Today, there is going to be no need for lube. No dirty bastards waiting to see the evidence of your virginity.¡± He ced the tip at my entrance, and I paused. ¡°And no pain either.¡±

    He mmed to the hilt inside me. I¡¯d been expecting the pain, but nothing came.

    No tear.

    No hurt.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    Just the hard tip of him sliding inside me, and it felt amazing.

    vik smiled down at me. ¡°And this is how it¡¯s going to be.¡±

    He pulled out of me until only the tip of him remained before plunging back inside, fucking me hard and fast. After a few thrusts, he stopped, holding himself deep within me.

    Neither of us said a word. I couldn¡¯t look away from him nor did I want to. This was so different from anything else I¡¯d ever experienced. vik surrounded me and filled me in ways I didn¡¯t think were possible.

    Consumed.

    Delighted.

    I felt his hands on my hips, holding me still as he pulled out of me. ¡°Watch me.¡±

    There was nothing dirty within those words and yet, I felt hot all over.

    I stared down at where he held himself deep within me. The length of him was naked, covered with my arousal.

    Biting my lip, I try to contain my pleasured cries as he pounded within me.

    One. Two. Three. Four. He fucked me hard. The bed hitting the wall with the force of the thrusts.

    He put his hands on my shoulders, pinning me to the bed.

    ¡°Wrap your legs around me.¡±

    I circled his waist and the depth took my breath away. He was big, but I hadn¡¯t realized how much. Each time we¡¯d had sex, I wished it would end. Not today.

    The way he rode my body, driving in deep, I couldn¡¯t think.

    ¡°Fuck, baby. That¡¯s it.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what he expected from me, but I couldn¡¯t look away. The way he stared at me. The sheer power of his body as he drove inside me. He plunged inside one final time, and I felt each pulse as he came inside me.

    This time, he stayed within me. His touch lightened and he stayed over me. He opened his eyes. There was no desire to look away. No hatred.

    This was sex.

    I ¡­ had no idea it could be this way.

    We were both panting.

    He leaned to the side, but his cock was still deep within me. ¡°You want to be fucked?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the most romantic way to end a sexual encounter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to leave?¡± I frowned.

    ¡°No.¡±

    His cock had gotten soft, but evenid, I felt him. This was ¡­ strange.

    ¡°I, I don¡¯t know what I want.¡±

    ¡°You wanted sex. I saw the way you were with Cara. You¡¯re not afraid.¡±

    ¡°She was a woman, and to be honest, I didn¡¯t know what she was doing until afterward. I enjoyed it too much to make it stop.¡± I covered my face with my hands. Was this a normal conversation to be had?

    ¡°I thought you were afraid and didn¡¯t want sex.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Our wedding night and the time after.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been married for eight months. You didn¡¯t think to, I don¡¯t know, tell me it could be better between us? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve got some kind of roadmap for this. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. Everything I know is from the books I read and the sses I took at school.¡± Even then there hadn¡¯t been a whole lot of information. My mom had always been vague about what went on between a man and woman.

    The books made me yearn for something more. Not an abusive rtionship. I witnessed that between my parents. I wished for something better.

    vik cupped my cheek, turning me to face him. ¡°Talk to me.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Use your words.¡±

    I burst outughing. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what they say to kids?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re behaving like one.¡±

    ¡°We just had sex. You don¡¯t want to be thinking of me as a kid,¡± I said. This was bizarre. Was this a normal conversation between a man and wife?

    ¡°What are you thinking about right now?¡±

    ¡°My thoughts are private.¡±

    ¡°Not from me.¡± His thumb grazing across my cheek.

    ¡°You¡¯re not mad at me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Cara did say you were best friends. Have you ever been ¡­ together?¡±

    ¡°God, no. Ugh. So fucking disgusting. I get that she loves sex and she runs one of the best damn brothels in the city, but no. She¡¯s a friend and a colleague. Nothing more.¡±

    ¡°Wait? A brothel?¡±

    Heughed. ¡°You didn¡¯t figure that out.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I drew out the o. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°There are men and women, and if you¡¯ve got the right price, you can have anything you want within reason. People are addicted to what they can¡¯t have and others find a way of putting a price on what they want. Sex is one of those products. Kind of like drugs. You get a taste and you can¡¯t stop.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I was in a brothel. Does that mean I owe her money?¡±

    ¡°It was free of charge.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not funny.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re me, it¡¯s hrious.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re funny at all.¡±

    He winked at me and I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°This is nice,¡± I said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Talking. Not being afraid to say the wrong thing.¡±

    ¡°I scare you that much?¡±

    ¡°No. I think this life scares me that much.¡± I shrugged. ¡°People die. Men, women, children, it¡¯s all part of this world. There are times I sit and wonder what it would be like to be a normal person. How they can go out and live their lives. Be free.¡±

    ¡°You are free.¡±

    I averted my gaze.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you feel free?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t even go on a shopping trip. You¡¯re always around,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re waiting to find me a guard.¡± I blew out a breath. ¡°College was a big no as well.¡±

    ¡°You wanted to go to college?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°My dad said no.¡±

    ¡°What would you have studied?¡±

    ¡°Business, I think. I like numbers. English as well. I love to read.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot of reading while you¡¯ve been here.¡±

    ¡°True, but then I haven¡¯t done anything else.¡±

    He stroked a curl back from my face. vik didn¡¯t look as dangerous or as scary as he stroked my cheek. I started to feel his cock swell inside me.

    As she touched me, Cara had told me to be honest with vik. He needed to know what I wanted in order for him to be able to give it to me.

    Staring at him now, he no longer seemed scary.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hate this marriage,¡± I said. ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t want you to hateing home or to regret marrying me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t regret it.¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s the peace treaty, but I know I¡¯m not your first choice. Do you think it would be possible to make this work?¡±

    He stayed silent.

    Had I made a mistake?

    Had Cara given me really bad advice?

    I felt sick.

    Panic flooded me.

    ¡°Touch me,¡± he said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like to repeat myself.¡±

    I rolled my eyes and put my hand t on his chest. I felt the scars beneath the ink and I waited.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hate this marriage either,¡± he said. ¡°How do you suggest we change this path that we¡¯re on?¡±

    ¡°We ¡­ on our dates, you don¡¯t look at your cell phone. You talk to me. Wemunicate through words.¡±

    ¡°I can do that.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I held up my wrist. ¡°I¡¯m loyal to you. To Volkov. Is there any way you can trust me?¡±

    vik stared at my wrist and said nothing.

    I knew it was a long shot.

    Why would he trust the woman he married? I wasn¡¯t a choice for him. He didn¡¯t care about me. I was just another job to him. One he needed to keep alive because his boss told him to.

    This was never going to work, and I was a fool for believing it would.

    He took my hand and pressed a kiss to my inner wrist. ¡°Trust is earned.¡±

    ¡°You expect me to trust you? You haven¡¯t earned it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I never once hurt you. Sex does not count. I could have hurt you, but I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You took me to your boss in order to torture me at the attack on the benefit,¡± I said.

    ¡°You were there to be questioned, not tortured.¡±

    ¡°I have to earn everything with you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t fair.¡±

    He shrugged.

    Silence rang between us.

    The orgasm he¡¯d given me, the sex, it all seemed empty, hollow. ¡°You want to have a crap marriage?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°You didn¡¯t marry a fool, Aurora. I don¡¯t give an inch for anyone. You want my trust, you earn it. You want me to believe a single word you say, don¡¯t lie to me. I¡¯m willing to work to make this marriage between us bearable, but don¡¯t for a second think you will get a submissive man. It will never happen.¡±

    With that, he pulled out of me.

    I felt his release leak out of me as I watched him walk away.

    Tears spilled from my eyes and I hated myself for caring. Cara had been wrong.

    vik and I couldn¡¯t make this work. Neither of us had anything inmon. He¡¯d gotten what he wanted, and now, I was back to being the irritating wife.

 20

    vik

    I stared around at the carnage before me, pissed off. While I¡¯d been fucking my wife, one of my most prestigious nightclubs, Shiver, had been attacked. There were three dead bodies, several injured, and now I was enraged.

    Shiver was a civilian club to the outside world. No link to us, dealt with through apany of apany until you got to me, the owner.

    This was where we handled some of the coke we distributed, but it was never within the walls of the club. We kept out illegal businesses running side by side and within the restrictions of thew.

    No one thought to attack this ce. This was private business. Only those closest to me knew about this, unless someone had talked and gotten sloppy.

    With my hands on my hips, I knew the cop on my payroll wanted to talk to me. I nodded my head toward the back of my office. Daniel was a good guy. His kid got diagnosed with cancer five years ago. I saw an opportunity and took it. His sry didn¡¯t pay for the extensive treatment his son needed, and well, we came to an arrangement.

    Arms folded, I waited as he closed the door.

    ¡°What do we have?¡±

    ¡°All the witness reports are unclear. Several men enter the establishment at approximately ten o¡¯clock, and they start firing. Your barman is the first victim.¡±

    I made a mental note to deal with the family.

    Ricky was a good guy. A family man and loyal. He¡¯d been manning this bar ever since it opened ten years ago. He¡¯d always been the first one to call when anything fishy was happening, which told me this attack was designed to look random but with the missing coke, it wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°The next two victims?¡±

    ¡°Women in their early twenties. They were out looking for a good time. Neither of them are rted to your work.¡±

    I rubbed at my chin. ¡°So we¡¯ve got three dead people, many injured, and a busted-up nightclub.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else you need to report?¡± Daniel asked.

    ¡°Nothing you need to know.¡±

    ¡°Look, Mr. Ivanov, this is pretty serious. I know you have your ¡­pany problems, but this might bepletely random. This ce isn¡¯t even associated with you.¡±

    He chuckled, but I felt no humor. ¡°You know when you¡¯re a kid growing up and there¡¯s something you want? A cookie, a video game, some shit like that.¡±

    ¡°Your point?¡±

    ¡°When you try to get mommy¡¯s and daddy¡¯s attention to buy you that, you talk about anything but that, right. Until they finally turn around and say, what do you want, sweetie?¡± I kept my voice low.

    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±

    I folded my arms. ¡°I want the security footage for outside on the street.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Ivanov, you know I don¡¯t have that authority.¡±

    ¡°Then find someone who does, but I want a copy. I need to see what I¡¯m dealing with here.¡±

    Daniel didn¡¯t look happy about it, and the truth was, neither did I. The little elitist group of soldiers hadn¡¯t attacked in a while, but why here, why now? None of it made any sense.

    ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s nothing I can do for you now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No.¡± I needed those security tapes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this, Mr. Ivanov.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t pay you to like it. How is your son?¡± It was the fastest way to get him to leave. Daniel left the room to join the rest of his men working through my nightclub.

    My cell phone rang, and I pulled it out to see Cara was calling me. I stared at the call for several seconds before finally picking it up.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I said.

    ¡°Hey, you. I wanted to check in. See how you were,¡± Cara said.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m a curious woman, you know.¡±

    ¡°Cara, you haven¡¯t called to check up on me in nearly fifteen years. Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°No, no problem. I wanted to see how my best friend was doing.¡±

    I looked around my office, suspicion rising up inside me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you touching my woman ever again, do you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Ah, we¡¯re back to that. Did you at least heed my advice? Did you make her yours? Showed her what a real man could do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m busy right now, Cara.¡± I hung up my cell phone and sent a quick email off to the private alerts for Ivan Volkov and the rest of the brigadiers to alert them of a possible impending attack.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    With nothing in my office to keep my attention, I made my way out to the main floor where most of the damage seemed to have taken ce.

    I moved to the bar and looked around. Moving up and down the length, I checked out the entrance point, but from the bar, there was no direct shot of everyoneing in or out.

    Then I realized the mening in to attack didn¡¯t get through the front. My men were on the doors, and I hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to talk to them yet as the cops were taking their sweet time asking all the questions.

    On the way past a forensic person, I stole a glove, sliding it on my hand. No one bothered me. I was merely the owner walking around. I checked the door and ran my hand across the lock.

    The door had been pried open, and when I nced down, I saw the crowbar. The people who attacked my club were sloppy. Why attack and not take their weapon of choice? Rather than give it to the police, I ced the crowbar out of sight with the intention of giving it to my own personal analyst.

    I had more faith in the men I paid for than the cops assigned to help me out.

    The room they came into was the storage room.

    I followed the path and came to another door, which was even more interesting. This one wasn¡¯t pried open. This one appeared to have been opened with a single flick of the wrist, which I did, and stepped out.

    The scent of cigarette smoke assailed my senses. I never smoked, and as I looked at the shaking woman who immediately stood, my nerves went to an all-time high.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be out here. The cops are going to want to interview you.¡±

    ¡°Have they talked to you?¡±

    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t see anything. I was dealing with inventory, you know.¡±

    I stepped a little closer, and this time, the woman whose name badgebeled her as Casey, tried to run. She dropped her cigarette as I wrapped my fingers around her throat and pressed her up against the wall.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me. I don¡¯t want to die. Please. Please.¡±

    Her sobbing filled the air, irritating me. She wasn¡¯t sorry for what she¡¯d done.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what is going on right now?¡± I asked. I was calm.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. I swear, I don¡¯t.¡±

    I shoved her up against the wall, squeezing her throat tightly. She tried to w at my wrists, but her nails had been so chewed down, she couldn¡¯t even leave a scratch. It would be so easy to watch her die. I didn¡¯t need her. She was the cause of three deaths.

    But I needed information.

    Releasing her neck long enough to let her breathe, I continued to stare at her as she whimpered and moaned.

    ¡°Please. Please,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you start talking? Give me enough information, you¡¯ll live. You don¡¯t, well, we know what is going to happen to you.¡±

    She whimpered. ¡°I ¡­ they didn¡¯t say what they were going to do. All I was supposed to do was open the door, that was all. I opened the door and I got my daughter back. I¡¯m trying to be clean, but it was so easy.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so easy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°All I have to do is fuck who they say and I get the money and the coke, and I ¡­ I did really well, I promise. I said no. I wanted my daughter back but, but, they found me, and they fed me and I remembered how good it was.¡± She covered her face with her hands.

    This woman was an addict and someone had gotten her hooked back on the dope.

    ¡°Is it mine?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The kid?¡±

    I frowned. I¡¯d never sleep with a woman like this. So helpless, mainly useless. ¡°No, the dope.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just know it¡¯s so good and after I¡¯ve done what I¡¯ve done, it makes everything so easy.¡± She smiled as if she was in some fairytalend. ¡°My kid is better off without me. She doesn¡¯t need me. I¡¯m a failure. I want my own life. I never wanted to get pregnant. You can hurt me all you want, but I only have a couple of text messages that told me what to do. I didn¡¯t break anyw.¡± Her sobbing turned into aggression.

    ¡°Give me your cell phone,¡± I said.

    She scrambled on her person, handing me the phone. With my hand over her mouth and nose, I didn¡¯t hesitate or stop. I cut off her air and watched this woman slowly die, feeling nothing.

    She crumpled to the ground, and I pulled out my cell phone, making a call. With the cops so close, I should have waited, but I wasn¡¯t a patient man when it came to getting rid of a problem, and this woman was a problem.

    With her cell phone in my pocket, I checked the time and saw it was now a little after midnight.

    My thoughts drifted to Aurora. When I got the call toe down to Shiver, we hadn¡¯t spoken since I told her I wouldn¡¯t be a submissive man. There was no way I was going to trust her so easily.

    ¡°You expect me to trust you? You haven¡¯t earned it.¡±

    How have I not earned her trust? She wasn¡¯t dead, and it pissed me off for her to even think to doubt me. I¡¯d been good to her, more than good.

    Anger flooded me.

    This was why I didn¡¯t want to get close to the woman. She got under my skin and pissed me off. This wasn¡¯t the time and ce to be analyzing the shit we¡¯d said to each other, and yet, here I was, thinking about it.

    By the time my guy arrived, he was on his own, in the smallest van we owned. I helped him to pick up the body, throwing it into the back.

    ¡°Run dental records, or whatever shit you need. She mentioned something about a kid. I want to know everything about this woman as soon as you can.¡±

    The man nodded and left the scene.

    With that, rather than go through the storage room, I made my way out of the back alley, onto the street. My car was parked around the other side. Standing on the pavement near my bar, I looked around.

    There were so many avenues the men could havee from. I knew for certain they hadn¡¯te through the front.

    Who would take this much time to find the right opportunity to attack this club? The woman I¡¯d just killed had been purposefully chosen because of her working here, preyed upon, and hooked back on the drugs.

    It never took long to get an addict back on what they considered a lifeline.

    The question was why?

    Why go to so much effort?

    I understood it, but if you wanted to attack a nightclub, why not go from the front? This was personal, and I just didn¡¯t see the connection.

 21

    Aurora

    Two dayster

    I was in the library of the apartment building when I heard the front door open and close. I held a book I¡¯d been trying to read for a few months, but each time I did, the words blurred together.

    I put the book down on the small table that held my empty coffee cup, and got to my feet.

    vik hadn¡¯t been back home ever since he got that call. We¡¯d shared one incredible night together, and it felt like he¡¯d been avoiding me. I knew he wasn¡¯t. There was no reason for him to.

    I grabbed the cup, heading out to find vik hanging up the cell phone. He was covered in blood, and I saw a lot of iting from his side.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.

    He looked at me. ¡°Most of it isn¡¯t mine.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it right.¡±

    I rushed to the kitchen, looking through the cupboards, trying to find the emergency first-aid kit.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked, stood in the doorway.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for the first-aid kit. Where is it? Surely you keep one around.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s in the bathroom.¡±

    I grabbed his arm as I brushed past him, not allowing him to leave my sight until I got him clean.

    If I had to, I¡¯d call a doctor. Not that I knew a good one. Since I¡¯d been his wife, he hadn¡¯t given me the chance to have all the necessary contact details I needed. Who to call in the event of an emergency and where to go.

    ¡°Sit.¡± I pushed him onto the toilet seat and looked through the cupboards, finding what I needed. ¡°Remove your shirt.¡±

    ¡°If you wanted me naked, Aurora, all you¡¯ve got to do is ask. This show of caring is sweet.¡±

    ¡°You think this is a show?¡±

    ¡°What else could it be?¡±

    The urge to p him was strong, but I felt I should be getting some extra good points for not hurting him. He¡¯d deserve it.

    With his jacket off, he worked at the buttons, and I quickly pped his hands out of the way. Even though he was the one shot, my hands shook as I released each button. The moment I started, vik didn¡¯t stop me.

    He was calm. I was not.

    There was so much blood.

    ¡°Let me guess, I should see the other guy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A joke, funny,¡± he said.

    ¡°You didn¡¯tugh. It couldn¡¯t be that funny.¡±

    ¡°The other guy isn¡¯tughing. The other five men are notughing.¡±

    ¡°Five? You were attacked by five men?¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°Please tell me no one else was hurt.¡±

    ¡°You care more about people you don¡¯t know than your husband, Aurora?¡±

    ¡°I care ¡­ about you.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why. It wasn¡¯t like we¡¯d talked or anything.

    He had given me one night, and in the past few days, I¡¯d thought nonstop about it. About him. About us.

    Sex wasn¡¯t everything, and it had somehow dragged me into its mystical web of need. This shouldn¡¯t even bother me.

    ¡°You do?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, you know I do.¡± I filled the sink with warm water, grabbing a cloth to wipe away the dried blood. ¡°You got shot.¡±

    ¡°How far does this caring go? I¡¯m curious.¡±

    I nced into his eyes to find him watching me. ¡°It¡¯s nothing too serious. A lot of people care about each other. It¡¯s not important.¡±

    ¡°I have a feeling you caring about me, Aurora, is important.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my husband. I¡¯m supposed to care about you.¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. We both know your father gave you to me because he didn¡¯t care what happened to you.¡±

    I flinched. I couldn¡¯t help it.

    I was very much aware of what my father had done. ¡°What does that make you?¡± I asked. ¡°Willing to take a daughter who is only second best? He didn¡¯t think you were good enough for his favorite daughter?¡±

    vik reached up and touched the scar above my right eyebrow. It was a faint line and had happened so long ago.

    ¡°Your family strives on perfection. What happened to cause this little scar on a perfect face?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not perfect.¡±

    ¡°Your face is wless, Aurora. Smooth. Soft. You¡¯re a beautiful woman.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about the scar.¡±

    I¡¯d never told anyone about my scar. No one had cared.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your husband.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re demanding to know the truth?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I sighed. The excess blood had been cleaned off his body, and now I had to deal with the wound caused by the bullet. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go to the hospital?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a graze. I¡¯ve got everything here I need.¡±

    I pped his hand away and started to rummage through the first aid kit, finding the sterile wipes.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± he said.

    I got to work on cleaning his wound. The sight of it alone made me feel sick. If it was me, I¡¯d be screaming and crying out in agony. Even as I cleaned it with the sterile wipe, vik didn¡¯t seem to notice the pain.

    It was kind of scary how he was able to take so much.

    With the area clean, I looked through the kit and he took over, pulling out a packet with a needle, as well as something that looked like thread.

    ¡°You need to sew it together. I¡¯ll instruct you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a doctor or a nurse.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need either. I¡¯ll tell you how to do it.¡±

    He took the needle and thread, which it wasn¡¯t, but I had no idea what the medical term was for it. For all I knew, it was needle and thread.

    When he went to insert it into his flesh, I cried out. ¡°Don¡¯t you need to take anything?¡±

    ¡°I can handle it. I¡¯m just getting you started.¡±

    I winced as he pierced his flesh. He released a grunt and once he finished securing the first stitch, he waited for me.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to hurt me.¡±

    I highly doubted that.

    On my knees between his spread thighs, I worked slowly, trying not to hurt him, but each time I touched the skin, I wanted to vomit. I¡¯d put on a pair of gloves to try to keep the wound clean. He should have called a doctor.

    ¡°It hurts, Aurora. Tell me how you got the scar.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that to manipte me.¡±

    ¡°Is it working?¡±

    ¡°I got the scar when I was six or seven. I¡¯m not sure exactly what age. Isabe had been out ying in the yard. She liked to y outside. I think she had a thing for the guards watching her. I¡¯m not sure. She was always around them.¡± I shrugged.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Where were you?¡±

    ¡°In the library. My father has a giant room. He never reads them. Just seeks out the most expensive titles so no one else can have them. He stores them and I spent most of my childhood reading them.¡±

    ¡°If you weren¡¯t ying, how did you get the scar?¡±

    ¡°Isabelle decided to start throwing stones at the house. I don¡¯t know why. I think she was angry because she¡¯d been told no. One of the stones went through my father¡¯s window. He got me and Isabe into the same room and because he didn¡¯t want to punish his precious daughter, he mmed me around the back of the head, hard. I fell and I hit the corner of a cupboard. That¡¯s how I got the scar.¡± I remember the pain from the blow. He¡¯d always hit me. My father believed in physical punishments. I¡¯d been belted, pped, even kicked during my time at home.

    vik¡¯s hands clenched.

    ¡°Is it hurting?¡±

    ¡°Did Isabe get you punished a lot?¡±

    ¡°Not always. She struggled to be ¡­ good. She had a wild side, and each time he hit me or took it out on me, she¡¯de and sit with me after, read. Marrying you is the first time she hasn¡¯te to console me.¡± I offered him a smile.

    ¡°Being married to me shouldn¡¯t be a punishment,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± There was freedom with being with him. Not a whole lot but at least I didn¡¯t have to worry about my sister¡¯s punishments anymore.

    ¡°You¡¯ll never get hit here,¡± he said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it. You asked and I told you.¡±

    ¡°And now I want to go and beat the shit out of your father.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°For hurting you and treating you like shit.¡±

    A chuckle escaped my lips. ¡°I¡¯ve been treated like shit my whole life. There¡¯s nothing you can do about it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten so used to it, you¡¯re expecting it?¡± he asked.

    I shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯ve gotten used to certain treatment. How do I finish this off?¡±

    vik told me as I still reeled from our very normal conversation. I think it was the first time we spoke to each other without sex or anger being involved.

    After finishing off the stitching, I covered his wound with arge bandage, using some tape to secure it in ce. Pleased with my handiwork, I stood, gathering the used pieces of equipment.

    vik grabbed his shirt.

    ¡°Do you want me to cook you something?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t even know why I did. Every other meal I¡¯d cooked for him had gone uneaten or in the trash. The day after, I¡¯d seen the te full of food in a pile as if it had just been slid right in without a single taste.

    It had cut me.

    ¡°You can cook?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve ¡­ I left you food out before. I gave you a note or something.¡±

    ¡°I never saw it,¡± vik said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I never saw any meal waiting for me. It¡¯s why I started eating out or I made myself a sandwich.¡±

    ¡°But all the food was dumped into the trash. I¡¯d make myself and Sergei food, and I¡¯d leave your te in the oven. There was always a note.¡± I paused and then looked away.

    ¡°Sergei,¡± vik said. ¡°He dumped my food in the trash. I had no idea you¡¯d cooked for me, Aurora. I didn¡¯t even know you could cook.¡±

    ¡°I can. I mean, I do cook. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m any good.¡± I offered him a smile. He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had no idea Sergei would do that.¡±

    ¡°Sergei would do anything to win your heart. I can see that.¡±

    My mind reyed the moment he killed him. It was odd as I¡¯d always felt sad about that moment. Knowing Sergei had done that, I was so annoyed. My marriage had been difficult from the start, and each time I attempted to make it easier, someone else came in and made it even harder.

    Anger filled me as I turned to walk out of the bathroom.

    vik grabbed my arm and tugged me close to him. I didn¡¯t have time to question what he was doing as his lips brushed across mine. I knew he was in pain and didn¡¯t touch his side as I kissed him back.

    I liked his lips on mine, slowly growing addicted to his kisses. They always started out slow, tender, only to build to an inferno that consumed me. As he traced his tongue across my lips, everything faded into the background. There was no care in the world other than his lips on mine. I needed him, and I pressed my body against his, trying to get as close to him as possible.

    Fire flooded my body.

    Need pulsed between my thighs.

    Everything was heightened.

    I was hungry for more.

    Desperate.

    Just as suddenly as it all started, he pulled away, leaving me empty.

    It was time to go and make food. Without a word, I left the bathroom, needing the space. I touched my swollen lips as I entered the kitchen.

    It was just a kiss. To me, it felt like so much more, and I knew I wasn¡¯t going to be able to stop thinking about it.

 22

    vik

    I cleaned up without getting the bandage wet.

    Aurora¡¯s stitching had fucking hurt. I¡¯d forgotten how painful it could be, but there was no reason to phone the fucking doctor or go to the hospital. They were a persona and ce I tried to avoid. Besides, I had a very high pain threshold. It took a lot to get to me.

    I left the bathroom, drying my body and changing into a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. I followed the scentsing from the kitchen, and I didn¡¯t alert Aurora to my presence as she worked. She chopped onions and garlic, putting them in a pan, sprinkling in some herbs and spices as she did.

    Mesmerized by the way she moved in the kitchen, I thought about what she said earlier, about feeding me. When I¡¯d asked Sergei what she had to eat, he told me she cooked for herself, but no one else.

    My anger at the asshole I¡¯d killed was renewed. I wished he was alive so I could have killed him again. Not only that, I¡¯d have made him see who Aurora belonged to. She was mine. No one else¡¯s, and I was frustrated to know he died without me driving that point home.

    I¡¯d never considered myself a possessive person, not when it came to a woman. My turf I defended violently, keeping it belonging to me and in turn, part of Volkov¡¯s terrain. Women came and went. As a young man, I¡¯d fucked my way through so much pussy. None of them had any faces. It had all been about getting myself off, and for them, it was about taking on the Volkov¡¯s meanest fucking brigadier. I was a badge to them, a title.

    When Ivan told me I needed to get married for an alliance, I¡¯d been happy to do it. I¡¯d never intended to be faithful to my wife, or think about her.

    Aurora hade as a huge surprise to me in so many ways. First, my desire for other women had faded. Even while we hadn¡¯t been having sex but had been married, I hadn¡¯t looked at anyone else. I hadn¡¯t cared to. Women had tried to capture my attention, but I¡¯d ignored them. Each time they did, Aurora¡¯s face would sh in my head, and any desire for anyone or anything else faded.

    It meant nothing to me.

    Aurora opened a can of tomatoes, adding them to the pan, stirring, followed by some water from the kettle. She went to the cupboard, and I liked seeing her at home in the kitchen. The way she turned and worked. This was her home.

    She had another pot boiling and I saw the packet of pasta on the counter.

    I entered the room, alerting her to my presence, and she spun around with a smile. ¡°You know I was just thinking, I don¡¯t have a clue what you like or don¡¯t like. I¡¯m assuming you love pasta. I love it.¡±

    ¡°I like pasta,¡± I said, taking a seat, being careful not to pull the stitches. Tonight would hurt like a motherfucker, but tomorrow, I¡¯d have no choice but to go back out there.

    Aurora winced as she watched me. ¡°Do you need to talk about it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, Cara called a couple of hours ago,¡± she said.

    I tensed up. ¡°She did?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she wanted to go out to lunch. At first, she said you wouldn¡¯t mind, but then I recalled what you said about me going out or being alone with her again.¡± Aurora turned toward me. ¡°Lunch would be safe, right?¡±

    ¡°Why do you want to go to lunch with her?¡±

    She shrugged but her face went bright red. That was not the sign of a woman who didn¡¯t know why she didn¡¯t want to go.

    ¡°I just, I like her, and I think she¡¯s nice.¡±

    ¡°Cara¡¯s not nice,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t want my wife going to lunch with Cara.

    ¡°Oh, fine.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t it work out with that other woman?¡± I clicked my fingers, trying to figure out who she was.

    ¡°Bethany?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s her. I can talk to her. Andrei is visiting. I¡¯m sure Bethany would love to have lunch with you.¡±

    ¡°No thank you.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    The smile on her lips faded. ¡°Why not? Weren¡¯t you constantly going out with each other? Having dinner dates?¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t work out, and I don¡¯t want to talk about it. I¡¯ll let Cara know I can¡¯t go.¡±

    I didn¡¯t like how she instantly closed off from me. There was something going on and I wasn¡¯t sure what.

    ring at her back, I locked my fingers together and waited.

    She drained the pasta and served me some food before finally showing me attention.

    ¡°Where do you want to eat?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Dinner table, and you will join me.¡±

    I got to my feet, spun on my heel, and went to the table, taking my seat at the head.

    Aurora put my food in front of me and I ordered her to sit.

    ¡°Is there anything you want? Wine? Beer? Vodka?¡±

    She¡¯d never offered me vodka, and it made me smile.

    ¡°Sit.¡±

    She lowered her ass into the seat and her gaze was averted from mine.

    I picked up my fork, speared a piece of pasta, and put it in my mouth. An explosion of vor hit my tongue. There was tomato and a hint of spice that made my mouth water for more. I took a couple more mouthfuls. ¡°This is really good.¡±

    She rxed a little.

    ¡°What happened between you and Bethany?¡± I didn¡¯t care. I kept on telling myself I didn¡¯t care about the petty squabbles of women, but something gnawed at me. Something I was clearly missing about what went down, and I didn¡¯t like not knowing.

    ¡°I¡¯m really happy for Bethany and Andrei. I hope they have a happy marriage.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d, because we have to attend the ceremony in two weeks.¡±

    ¡°Wait? Two weeks?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°How did that happen? She told me it was going to be a December wedding.¡±

    ¡°I got the call from Andrei. It has been moved up for speed. I don¡¯t question why. So tell me why you¡¯re not interested in being around Bethany.¡±

    Aurora ran her fingers through her hair as she sat back. ¡°She ¡­ and I ¡­ she didn¡¯t like me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what I heard her say. She didn¡¯t like me. I¡¯m not going to force mypany on someone who hates me.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not what I heard. You cut your lunch date short.¡±

    ¡°I did after I heard her talking to someone on the phone.¡± She shrugged. ¡°She hated me and found me boring.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Whoever she spoke to said you could do so much better than me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Aurora told me in great detail what Bethany said. I knew for a fact she didn¡¯t lie. There was no reason for her to, but hearing her say this shit, I wanted to hurt this Bethany.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not after pity or anything. I¡¯m kind of used to it.¡±

    ¡°Used to what?¡±

    ¡°People not liking me. I don¡¯t know what it is about me. I guess Ie on too strong for a friend. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m ¡­ when someone seems to want to be a friend, I¡¯m happy. I want to be the kind of friend you can rely on. I just, everyone, I¡¯m, I don¡¯t know. I guess I¡¯m a bad friend.¡±

    ¡°I find that hard to believe.¡±

    She chuckled.

    ¡°I think you¡¯d be surprised.¡±

    She shrugged.

    ¡°How long has this been happening?¡±

    ¡°All my life. Back at my parents¡¯ ce, we weren¡¯t allowed a lot of freedom, but my sister often went out on shopping dates. Trips to the movies. Stuff like that. I was never invited.¡± She held her hands up in surrender. ¡°After a while, you get used to it.¡±

    She may have gotten used to being ignored but that didn¡¯t make the pain go away.

    Auroraughed. ¡°I was only ever good enough when Isabe was ill or they needed someone to make up the numbers. Bethany was never on time. She always had a reason to be elsewhere and after hearing what she said about me, I didn¡¯t want to sit through the remainder of lunch with a person who can¡¯t stand me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Andrei.¡±

    ¡°No, please don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°He needs to know the kind of woman he¡¯s aligning himself with.¡±

    She groaned. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Honestly.¡±

    ¡°Bethany is lying to him.¡±

    ¡°Of course she is. Why would she tell him the truth that she can¡¯t stand to be around vik¡¯s wife because she finds her boring?¡±

    ¡°As his wife, she should be telling him the truth. No questions asked.¡±

    Aurora groaned. ¡°Now that you put it like that, it makes so much sense. You¡¯re going to cause trouble. I don¡¯t want trouble.¡±

    I got up from the table, cupped her face, and tilted her head back to look at me. ¡°Aurora, you¡¯re my wife. I will not stand by while someone makes your life miserable. You¡¯re worth causing trouble over.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. You¡¯re going to make waves, and you can¡¯t even stand to be around me.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    She tried to pull away, but I wouldn¡¯t let her.

    ¡°vik, please.¡±

    ¡°Tell me.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have the first clue what was going on in this woman¡¯s head. She was all over the ce.

    ¡°We have sex and you haven¡¯t been around for a couple of days. I don¡¯t know what that means, but to me, I guess I was awful.¡± She winced and visibly recoiled.

    I took a seat.

    I¡¯d already finished my food, and I pushed my te to the side. ¡°Come here,¡± I said.

    This time, she frowned. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself.¡±

    She rolled her eyes but got to her feet and stepped in front of me. I lifted her up on the table. At the same time, I grabbed the waistband of her sweatpants and pulled them down her thighs, throwing them to the floor.

    I didn¡¯t have my de on me, so I tugged at the flimsy material of her panties and they tore easily. With her naked, I spread her legs wide open.

    ¡°You think you were a bad fuck?¡±

    ¡°vik?¡±

    ¡°Yes or no.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I cupped her pussy and she gasped.

    She was already slightly wet.

    I slid a finger between her slit, stroking over her nub. As I stared at Aurora, she closed her eyes. Her legs quivered from my touch, but I slowed my movements, taking my time, making her feel every caress as I yed with her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had a busy couple of days. As you saw from the way I came in, we¡¯ve been attacked in a couple of our nightclubs. It started at one ce and has extended to five nightclubs all across the city. Three of them were owned by me. Tonight, I shut down a ce, but my men were present to make it look like it was still open. The attack happened and I was able to capture one of the men, however, before I could question him, he impaled himself on a piece of metal, killing himself instantly.¡±

    I¡¯d never seen a man so frightened, and I¡¯d seen a lot of men who were on the verge of facing death. I¡¯d been the one to take them to their maker. ¡°All the while, I¡¯ve been frustrated because I didn¡¯t want to be in a nightclub or talking to the police, handling business. No, for the first time in my life, I wanted toe home to explore the woman in my bed. At the time, her pussy was just a memory, and I craved it. No woman has ever made me lose focus like this. What are you doing to me, Aurora?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tease me. It¡¯s not fair.¡±

    ¡°I have no intention of teasing you, baby.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t lie to me.¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯m lying to you about what I wanted tonight? How I¡¯ve been trying to get home to you?¡±

    I slid two fingers inside her slick heat, watching here apart, and it was so beautiful. I couldn¡¯t look away and the truth was I didn¡¯t want to. She was a fucking dream.

    There was nothing false about her reaction. How slick her cunt was, that was real. No lube to keep her wet. I slid my fingers across her pussy, driving her arousal even higher. She moaned my name, and touching her wasn¡¯t enough.

    Recing my fingers with my mouth, I licked across her slit, circling her nub. She tasted just as good as I remembered, if not even better. I sucked her clit into my mouth, hearing her pleasured cries fill the air as I teased her. So incredibly tasty.

    Gliding down to her entrance, I fucked her as if it was my cock, hearing her gasps and moans, begging for more and telling me to not stop. I loved to hear those words.

    She thrust up against me, riding my face, trying to take her pleasure with each thrust and moan.

    So beautiful.

    Fucking stunning.

    I craved more.

    Aurora made me ache, and I wasn¡¯t used to this feeling. Not only did she make me ache, but I needed her. This wasn¡¯t an easy emotion for me to ept. For months, I¡¯d tried to ignore her. Seeing Sergei kiss her then Cara y with her, I¡¯d been pushed to my limit.

    The only person I wanted for her was myself.

    ¡°Please,¡± she said.

    ¡°Come for me.¡±

    She cried out, her orgasm instant as I stroked over her clit. I pushed two fingers inside her, driving in and out of her cunt. Then I turned my fingers to stroke over her G-spot, and she rewarded me. Her release flooded my fingers, soaking them.

    I watched her, unable to look away. Her entire body shook with the force of her release. Such a heady sight. One I knew I wasn¡¯t going to want to stop.

    I withdrew my fingers as thest aftershocks of her release ebbed away. Sitting back, I stared at her as I licked my fingers one by one, sucking them into my mouth. She tasted so fucking good.

    I loosened the cord of my pants and eased out my cock for her to see. ¡°Do you think this is lying to you?¡±

    She licked her lips. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°To put your pretty pussy right over it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re hurt.¡±

    ¡°The only pain I feel is in my balls. I need them empty, and I want my cum inside of you.¡±

    Her cheeks were a beautiful pink.

    She slid off the table and I sat back. The chair didn¡¯t have any sides, so as she stood with her legs spread, there was nothing to stop her. She ced her hands on my shoulders. I held my cock, and she lowered down. I gripped her ass with my free hand, guiding her to my dick.

    Aurora sank down, gasping as I filled her. She was so wet, but I was big. I held on to her hips when she¡¯d taken enough of me inside her so I wouldn¡¯t escape. I pulled her right down onto my dick, keeping her in ce, not letting her move an inch.

    ¡°This is what I¡¯ve been wanting,¡± I said. ¡°This is what I need.¡±

    I lifted her up and pulled her back down. Together, we fucked, and she took my cock so perfectly. We fit. There was no other word for it. The rest of the world could overlook this woman, but what Aurora didn¡¯t seem to get was that I saw her. I noticed her, and I liked what I saw.

    Over and over, she rocked on my length, and I relished her tight cunt taking me in deep. I wasn¡¯t going tost.

    The months without being inside her had caught up with me, and with a final tug, I mmed her down on my length. My cum flooded her pussy, making her mine once again.

 23

    Aurora

    ¡°Do you enjoy going to those events?¡± I asked.

    The dress vik picked out was a little tight. My breasts were thrust up, almost as an offering, and the slit at the side was a little too indecent.

    I wasn¡¯t used to dressing like this, and for a banquet, it seemed out of ce.

    vik looked up from his cell phone. He¡¯d offered to take me shopping. I¡¯d sent back the clothes I purchased on myst and only rebellion. In the cold light of day, I didn¡¯t like a single item I picked, which sucked.

    He looked at me, and I held my hands out and gave a turn.

    I hated shopping for clothes. It was pointless. Having a body on the frumpy sidepared to the slender women that surrounded me, I always felt like I didn¡¯t belong. My mom and my sister would always tell me my ws. My chest was too big or too small. My fat arms were on disy. They were an ordeal.

    vik didn¡¯t look at me like I didn¡¯t measure up. There was a hunger in his gaze. One I wasn¡¯t used to experiencing.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I want you to get that one but you¡¯re not wearing it to the banquet.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°No other man is going to see my woman. Do I make myself clear?¡±

    ¡°Crystal. If I¡¯m not going to wear it, why do I still need to buy it?¡±

    ¡°So I can tear it off your body and fuck you with what remains.¡±

    My mouth opened, but no sounds came out. vik never sugar-coated anything. He got up from his seat and walked toward me.

    The assistant was right outside, but he slid his hand through the slit and cupped my pussy. ¡°See, this is tempting for you to wear, but if I can do this, I don¡¯t want every man to be thinking the same thing.¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°They will be.¡±

    I wanted to argue with him, but I kept my mouth shut. Eyes closed, pleasure rushing through my body.

    ¡°You know what I¡¯m starting to think?¡± he asked. His lips brushed against the sensitive column of my neck, and I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re a very dirty woman, Aurora Ivanov. So dirty you¡¯ve kept it hidden from me, but I better warn you, I will discover all of your secrets.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t hide anything,¡± I said.

    He plunged two fingers inside me. ¡°Yeah, you did. A virgin you may be, in more ways than you realize, but your needs are far from innocent. I think it would be only fair for us to explore them.¡± He pinched my clit, causing me to cry out, then finally withdrawing his hand.

    I watched him lick my cream off his finger and move to sit back down. ¡°Try on the next one.¡±

    He¡¯d gotten me all hot and bothered and was on his cell phone as if nothing happened. I didn¡¯t get this man.

    In thest twenty-four hours, he¡¯d touched me more than in the first seven months of marriage. Not that I wasining. Even as I believed I hated the man, I still couldn¡¯t stop myself from watching him, desperate for his touch.

    I still wasn¡¯t sure how to initiate sex. I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind and instead focused on what appeared to be important to him. Picking out the perfect dress for this banquet.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t like going to these events. I find them pointless and unnecessary.¡± He didn¡¯t look up from his cell.

    ¡°Why do you go then?¡±

    ¡°Image. To drive a point across.¡±

    I pulled on a pale-blue dress with a scooped neck that showcased my cleavage by pushing my tits together. Blowing out a breath, I spun toward him. The dress fell to my ankles. Very modest with a hint of reveal.

    ¡°This one?¡±

    He looked up. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Will you need my help with anything this time?¡± I asked. I hated going to the banquets and special events. They were ces I always felt the odd one out.

    I licked my lips as my mouth had gone dry.

    After changing out of the dress he¡¯d picked and back into my jeans and a shirt, I held the two dresses he¡¯d liked, and was ready to leave.

    He looked up from his cell phone. ¡°You¡¯re not going to try any others on?¡±

    I wrinkled my nose. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°And here I thought you liked shopping.¡±

    ¡°Your credit card should show a full refund. I hate shopping.¡±

    He tilted his head to the side. ¡°Why go shopping then?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t about the clothes or shoes. I just ¡­ I needed to get out. That¡¯s all. Call me childish. I¡¯d been trapped after what happened with Sergei. It wasn¡¯t my fault and still, I was punished.¡±

    vik grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me in close. His lips so close to mine, but he didn¡¯t kiss me. ¡°I know it wasn¡¯t your fault, but you could have told me the very instant he made any kind of hint he wanted more from you. Sergei shouldn¡¯t have gotten anything from you. His job was to protect you.¡±

    ¡°Is that how you see me, as a job?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. You¡¯re my wife. It¡¯s my duty to protect you.¡±

    I tried to pull away. I shouldn¡¯t feel anger or resentment and yet, that was exactly what I felt and I was so annoyed with the feeling. I put my hands on his chest. ¡°I¡¯m not your duty.¡±

    ¡°But you are my wife.¡±

    ¡°And ¡­ ugh, let me go.¡±

    ¡°No. Tell me why you¡¯re upset.¡±

    I red at him. ¡°Tell me how you¡¯d feel if I had to ¡­ have sex with you out of duty? Out of it being a job.¡±

    His lips brushed my ear. ¡°You do have a duty to fuck me.¡±

    I jerked back and shoved him hard.

    He didn¡¯t move.

    This man was like a damn rock, and just knowing I couldn¡¯t get him to move upset me.

    ¡°No part of me being with you has been a duty. I don¡¯t sleep with you or fuck you because I have to. I¡¯ve done it because I wanted to.¡±

    ¡°You think I believe our wedding night and the time after was for fun?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess up my words. That was duty, but the times since, I liked it, and I didn¡¯t do it out of obligation. I happen to enjoy your hands on my body, but right now, I want you to let me go.¡±

    I tried to shove him away. He held me closer. His lips brushed against the curve of my neck, and I hated how weak I felt toward this man.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a duty to me, Aurora.¡±

    ¡°After what you just said, you expect me to believe you?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever considered the fact I say things to find out what you think?¡± he asked.

    I looked up at him. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You heard me.¡±

    He wouldn¡¯t repeat himself. It was why whenever he talked, I forced myself to listen to every single word.

    There was a knock on the door before it opened. The woman who¡¯d been assisting us stepped in.

    vik released my neck but ced his hand on my hip.

    I gritted my teeth. He never seemed to want to let me go and it both thrilled and annoyed me. vik had my emotions all over the ce.

    ¡°I want those dresses wrapped up and ready to go.¡± He took the dresses from my hand, gave them to the assistant, and within a matter of seconds, we were out of the shop.

    His men surrounded him.

    ¡°How are we going to pay?¡±

    ¡°Everything has been taken care of.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, feeling like an idiot for asking.

    We walked through the city center. People avoided us, some crossing the street to get as far away from us as possible.

    vik kept his head held high. He¡¯d donned a pair of sunsses, and I couldn¡¯t see his eyes.

    I walked by his side. His hand on my hip. A brand of ownership.

    We made our way to a restaurant. Two of his men entered and we followed. The maitre d¡¯ was there to offer us a table, and we sat down.

    Wine was poured into our sses. vik spoke Russian to the waiter, and then we were left alone.

    I stared across the table. Rather than drink the wine, I went with water.

    ¡°Why are we here?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to enjoy a meal.¡±

    ¡°We have the banquet tonight,¡± I said.

    ¡°Not for another six hours, and I¡¯m not going to go that long without food. This is one of my favorite ces to eat, and the Stroganoff is delicious.¡±

    I nodded.

    The restaurant was bustling with activity. I sipped at my water. I expected vik to go back to his cell phone.

    He¡¯d put it away. His gaze was on me.

    I locked my fingers together.

    ¡°Do you know how to make small talk?¡± he asked.

    I shook my head. ¡°No. We¡¯re in an open ce.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fine. My men are on guard.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that scare you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. What will happen, will happen. Nothing I can do to change that. I have to react. You know what it¡¯s like. I seem to recall reading three years ago there was a shooting right outside the school you and your sister attended, correct?¡±

    ¡°How did you know about that?¡±

    vik smiled. ¡°Who do you think arranged it?¡±

    My mouth fell open. This couldn¡¯t be happening. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that I¡¯m married to a man who tried to kill me?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Your father had attacked one of my ports, killed six of my men. The ports were supposed to be safe territory. We hadn¡¯t attacked his, or anyone else¡¯s. I had to find a way to hit back. His wife and children were very easy targets as they were ¡­ never guarded quite as well.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think about that.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°You can be pissed off with me or ept it is in the past. Neither your sister nor you were hurt in the end. If memory serves, no one was.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you disappointed?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. The end result wasn¡¯t to actually kill you.¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    ¡°It was to begin the talks that led us to this day.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I looked down at my hands, which were clenched together. ¡°Is that why you wanted marriage? You saw my sister.¡±

    vik sighed. ¡°They really are in your head, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you do, and I find it sad that they can so easily get under your skin.¡±

    I hated how easily he read me. All my life, I¡¯d been told I didn¡¯tpare to my much prettier older sister.

    ¡°Everyone wants Isabe.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. She is a pretty girl, but that is where the attraction stops. You think when your father offered up you in ce of Isabe I didn¡¯t do my research?¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to ask, but I found myself doing so. ¡°What kind of research?¡±

    ¡°To see how you and Isabepared. Even in your secluded world, there were enough people who knew you. Everyone talked about how Isabe was a beauty. She¡¯d make a fine wife and a trophy. Any man would be pleased to have her. No one said anything about her mean side. How she got good, loyal men killed because they wouldn¡¯t do her bidding.¡±

    I had no idea anyone knew about that.

    Isabe was a flirt. She liked to drive men wild. I caught her once trying to feel up one of the soldiers. He called her an ugly soul, and that night, I heard themotion and witnessed the death of said soldier. Isabe had told my father lies, and he¡¯d believed her. That was the first time I realized my sister was not a nice person. Up until then, she had always been perfect. Everyone said so, so she must be.

    ¡°What did people say about me?¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    ¡°That was the mystery,¡± vik said. ¡°No one said anything. They had no idea what to say, other than she was the ugly sister.¡±

    Tears filled my eyes as I looked down at my hands.

    ¡°I¡¯d seen you, Aurora. I knew there was more to you and they were wrong.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not ugly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not pretty,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes, you are, and that is the saddest part about all of this. You are so pretty, and you don¡¯t see it. Everyone around you has gotten you to see this person that, to me, doesn¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°If you found this out, why did you marry me? Why did you wait all this time?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Duty was one. I¡¯m loyal to the Volkov Bratva. He told me to marry you, I did my duty. I also wanted the time to get to know who you are.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie, vik. We barely know each other.¡±

    ¡°And yet we sit here, talking. There is plenty of time for us to get to know each other.¡±

    ¡°If Mr. Volkov told you to, would you kill me? If the treaty became voided for whatever reason, you¡¯d kill me dead. Even if I was the mother of your children?¡± I didn¡¯t know where the question came from.

    My parents said my curiosity would get me killed, and it would seem today was going to be that day.

    ¡°I will kill you, if I have to. Be loyal to us and our cause, and you live in peace at my side.¡±

    As a response, it wasn¡¯t very reassuring.

 24

    vik

    I hated banquets.

    Being surrounded by the rich, the powerful, all under the guise of helping those less fortunate. Even as I stood with my wife by my side, I looked at the sickening falseness surrounding me.

    I was used to dealing with dirty people. The dregs of society, some would call it. I never stuck to the protocol of only dealing with my immediate Bratok. For my men and people who worked for me, I was everywhere. They never knew where I would turn up. Right now, as men and women donated money to several well-meaning charities to help the less fortunate from children to poverty-stricken families, I spotted one woman who owned a ve through human trafficking. This woman she beat on a regr basis. I had the footage of her beating this woman. She used anything from sticks to whips, to even clubs. Her anger was always taken out on this woman. She held a ce in a senior role within the courthouse. The evidence I had was a good bargaining tool.

    Most of the people here were under Ivan¡¯s thumb in one way or another. My presence, as well as two other brigadiers, helped to drive the point of our power.

    No one could touch us.

    ¡°You¡¯re hurting me,¡± Aurora said.

    I loosened my hold on her hip with an apology.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind. You don¡¯t like these ces. Whye?¡±

    ¡°Business.¡±

    ¡°Do you ever donate to the causes?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The money donated did go to several foundations. I made sure of it.

    ¡°Excellent. Would you like me to go and make a donation?¡± she asked.

    I pulled out my checkbook and gave her one I¡¯d already written. I tore off a second for her to fill in. ¡°Go crazy.¡±

    She chuckled and left my side. I nodded at one of my men to follow her. She was in a fish tank full of sharks. The people here would dly try to take her from me, and the very knowledge of that pissed me off.

    Andrei chose that moment toe my way. We shook hands and turned to look at the crowd.

    ¡°I can¡¯t stand half of the people here,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s what business is all about. Our likes do note into it.¡±

    ¡°Will you be attending my wedding?¡± Andrei asked. ¡°Bethany informed me no response had been sent.¡±

    I nced at Bethany. She stood in the center of six businessmen. I hadn¡¯t liked the woman the instant I met her. Something seemed off about her.

    ¡°You know she¡¯s a whore?¡± I asked, turning to Andrei.

    ¡°Do you think it takes a rocket scientist to work that out? I¡¯m aware she¡¯s not a princess. She uses her snatch to get what she wants. It pisses her off I have no use for it.¡±

    ¡°Why marry her?¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°Business, and I need a wife to have a kid with. A slut she may be, but not all of us can have cute virgins to bed.¡±

    My gaze went to Aurora. She stood at the booths that disyed all the charities being showcased tonight. My man was close and made sure no one approached her.

    ¡°How is it to bed a virgin?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you about my wife,¡± I said.

    ¡°I have to say I¡¯m impressed. Everyone thought you¡¯d have killed her by now. Aurora must have a special pussy.¡±

    I reacted before anyone saw. mming the side of my hand against his throat, I immediately choked him.

    His ss dropped to the floor, and I grabbed his shoulders, feigning concern to the onlooking crowd.

    I made sure they were far away before I dragged Andrei away, mming him against the wall, out of earshot and eyesight.

    ¡°Now you listen to me, my wife is not up for questioning. You talk about her, you insult me. You should tell your fiancee that the next time she thinks to insult my wife again, I will slit her fucking throat.¡±

    Andrei cleared his throat, taking a few minutes to get himself together. ¡°What?¡±

    I told Andrei all the details Aurora had given me. There wasn¡¯t a lot there, but enough to get his attention.

    ¡°I will deal with her.¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem here?¡± Ivan asked,ing out of the main room to talk to us.

    ¡°No, no problem. A simple misunderstanding, but that is all,¡± I said.

    Andrei agreed and made his way into the room.

    ¡°Your wife is lonely,¡± Ivan said.

    I nodded and went to go into the room.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°Andrei believed he could talk about my wife disrespectfully, and I told him he couldn¡¯t. It was a misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°Your wife¡¯s not pregnant yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡±

    ¡°Knock her up. I don¡¯t want this treaty to blow up in our faces,¡± Ivan said.

    Movement from behind him had me cursing.

    I saw Aurora¡¯s hair. ¡°Duty calls,¡± I said.

    I walked into the dance floor and saw Aurora had moved as far away from the doorway as possible. She caught sight of me and went to the first man.

    He clearly turned down a dance as she withdrew into herself and tried to shrink away from people being able to see her. I closed the distance between us, stepping into her space. I grabbed her arm.

    ¡°Dance with me,¡± I said.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to dance with you.¡± She didn¡¯t make a scene, but she was no match for me either. I easily led her onto the dance floor.

    With my hand at the base of her back and the other holding her hand, there was nowhere for her to go. I held her captive.

    ¡°You¡¯re not ying fair,¡± she said.

    ¡°I never y fair.¡± I nced around the room, keeping an eye on any potential attackers. Andrei had a scared-looking Bethany in his arms. That bitch was going to know not to mess with my woman. ¡°You asked that man to dance,¡± I said.

    She scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t know why. He told me no.¡±

    ¡°That would be my fault.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°My presence scares the shit out of people. They all know you¡¯re my wife. No one will dance with you. Unless you¡¯re Ivan, of course.¡±

    ¡°Great. You scare everyone. I should have known.¡±

    ¡°Men would love to dance with you. I don¡¯t want anyone else to dance with you but me.¡±

    ¡°Do you intend to control my life?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re my wife. So yes.¡±

    Her cheeks clenched. ¡°What about ¡­ getting me pregnant?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to talk about that or pretend you didn¡¯t hear?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only sleeping with me to get me pregnant?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m fucking you because I want to. Pregnant is a by-product of fucking you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still doing it because your boss is telling you to.¡± She stopped dancing. Her eyes filled with tears, and she stared at me, almost using me.

    I took a deep breath, grabbed her hand, and led her off the dance floor.

    There was enoughmotion going on that no one would miss us.

    I opened the first door I came to and saw we¡¯d entered a conference room. Pressing her up against the door, I pulled her skirt up and cupped her pussy.

    ¡°Stop it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re soaking wet.¡±

    ¡°And I don¡¯t want you to touch me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a liar, Aurora. This pussy is dripping.¡± I teased beneath the band of her panty and fingered her pussy. Sliding in and out of her tight heat. She tensed in my arms, but there was no mistaking the heat of her need. She whimpered and I pressed my face against her neck, nibbling on her flesh.

    She gasped. ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to stop?¡±

    She groaned and rocked against my hand. I knew how to make her melt. Drawing my fingers up to her clit, I rubbed her, and she rubbed herself against me.

    ¡°Take my cock out,¡± I said.

    She fumbled with my trousers, sliding down the zipper and reaching inside to cup my dick. I lifted her up in my arms. She wasn¡¯t light, but I didn¡¯t fucking care. I needed to be inside her wet cunt.

    ¡°Put my dick inside you,¡± I said.

    Aurora reached between my thighs, holding my cock. I moved in closer, staring into her eyes as she put my cock to her entrance, and I sank her down on my length. Her tight pussy squeezed me, begging for my cum.

    She wrapped her arms around my neck, her legs around my waist, and I rocked inside her, going deep.

    ¡°The table,¡± she said.

    ¡°If you want someone toe in and see me fucking you, I can take the table.¡±

    ¡°No. No. I ¡­ I¡¯m too heavy.¡±

    I thrust against her, using the door as leverage to drive inside her, taking her as I wanted to.

    ¡°I want to knock you up, Aurora. I¡¯m not fucking you out of duty. Feel my cock. Feel how hard I am for you. This is not duty. This is pure fucking need. I have to have you. This pussy, it¡¯s mine. You¡¯re all mine.¡±

    Screwing Aurora was a pleasure, and as I felt here on my cock, I followed her over the edge, filling her with my cum.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can go back out there,¡± she said as I eased out of her pussy.

    I helped put her panties back into ce as I slid my cock into my pants, being careful not to get our releases on my clothes.

    ¡°You will. This is our duty. To be seen together.¡± I held her hand, and hers shook a little as she ced it within my own.

    I had to get her pregnant. Ivan had ordered me to. Any im Aurora had over her family would go through to her children and as the firstborn son, it would belong to him.

    The truth was I liked fucking my wife.

    I also enjoyed spending time with her, and that was something I had to make sure no one else ever found out.

 25

    Aurora

    ¡°When are you going to find a new guard for me?¡± I asked.

    It was three days since the banquet, and rather than be at home bored out of my mind, I sat in his office, staring out therge window overlooking the city. So many people were milling about, none of them realizing how lucky they had it. Three days vik kept me by his side, and it wasn¡¯t a problem being around him. I liked it, and that was the issue for me. I started to enjoy hispany.

    This morning, I woke up to him still in bed. Rather than try to escape, I watched him sleep. I was turning into a weird kind of stalker and that was what scared me. vik was my husband. A man I¡¯d spent an equal time hating and fantasizing about.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t looked into another guard yet. There have been other things on my mind.¡±

    Spinning around from the window, I moved toward his desk. ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°You think this world you live ines for free?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No. I know ites from the blood of the innocent.¡±

    ¡°Does it bother you?¡±

    I stared at him and nodded. ¡°Yes. It always does, but other than being a good person, I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±

    ¡°And writing exceedinglyrge checks?¡±

    I move away from his desk. At the banquet, I put a lot of money in a children¡¯s charity. ¡°You saw that,¡± I said.

    ¡°I got an alert from the bank when they tried to cash it.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I said. ¡°Did you allow it to go through?¡±

    ¡°It was arge amount and would be useful for a tax break. I didn¡¯t see the problem. It went through.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°The real question, Aurora, is what you are going to do for that check.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    He reached out, sping my wrist, and I followed his direction as he tugged me toward him. I stood between his chair and the desk. His thumb stroked my inner wrist. ¡°You look pretty today.¡±

    I wore a pair of designer jeans and a crop top with one of his shirts over the top. Not a big deal. I¡¯d seen his shirt in the closet and I hadn¡¯t expected it to fit. I didn¡¯t have the first clue why I even decided to reach for his clothing as it wasn¡¯t like I needed him to surround me. I¡¯d started to realize vik wasn¡¯t an awful man, at least not all the time. He was downright dangerous and anyone who made an enemy out of him, I¡¯d advise them to run for the hills, but in everything else, there was no danger, at least I couldn¡¯t see one. The rules were pretty simple. Stay on his good side or risk being killed. I opted to stay on his good side.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    It was a nicepliment. One I rarely got and rather than believe he lied, I smiled.

    ¡°You¡¯re not looking too bad yourself.¡±

    He let go of my wrist and began to finger the base of my shirt. ¡°You took this.¡±

    ¡°Borrowed. I¡¯ll get it washed and return it.¡±

    ¡°I like it.¡± He started to unbutton the shirt.

    After overhearing the conversation with Ivan, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he did this out of desire or duty. Thest thing I wanted to be was a duty.

    The shirt fell to the floor as he stood, pushing it off my shoulders. He took the straps of the crop top and slid them down my arms until they were underneath my bra. The catch was around the back, and vik had to be an expert as with the flick of his fingers, the bra was on the floor.

    My mouth went dry.

    He cupped my tits, pressing them together as both his thumbs teased across my nipples. Each strike had an answering pulse between my thighs.

    He closed the distance between us, taking one nipple into his mouth. I moaned, reaching back to grasp the edge of the desk as he used his teeth. I pressed my thighs together in an attempt to stop the pleasure, but it was no good.

    vik let go and cupped me between the thighs. Even though I wore jeans, he knew the right moves to touch me, and I couldn¡¯t hold back my moan of pleasure.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    He worked at the button and zipper of my jeans, the sounds filling the room as he pushed them down my thighs until they got to my knees. He stopped sucking at my tits to peel them off my body, and other than the shirt around my waist, I stood naked.

    In quick easy moves, he had me sitting on the desk, legs wide, and his fingers teased my pussy. His expert fingers stroked from my entrance up to my clit.

    ¡°So wet. Exactly how I like you.¡±

    His words shouldn¡¯t affect me, but they did. In the back of my mind, all I could think about was pleasing him. I¡¯d be a sucker, but I didn¡¯t care. I closed my eyes, enjoying his touch. Each stroke across my nub got me closer to that delicious peak.

    ¡°Look at me,¡± he said, his voice gruff. The demand easy to detect.

    I opened my eyes, staring at him as he brought me closer to orgasm.

    vik was the one in control. He wasn¡¯t in any rush. My release began to build, but he slowed the pace down, giving me chance to enjoy it. Each time I tried to close my eyes, he¡¯d stop touching me.

    He drove me crazy until I finally gave him all the attention he needed.

    ¡°Now, look between your legs,¡± he said.

    I wanted to disobey him, but I also didn¡¯t want him to stop what he was doing. I loved it. The pleasure was out of this world, amazing. He knew how to rile me up and get me so close.

    This was what had been missing out of our marriage. I knew there was so much more we could experience together, but right now, all I could imagine was being with him in this way. This wasn¡¯t emotional, but physical.

    Please,¡± I said.

    ¡°You want toe?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Ask me.¡±

    ¡°Please, let mee.¡±

    ¡°Say my name.¡±

    ¡°vik.¡±

    ¡°Now ask me.¡±

    ¡°vik, please, let mee.¡± I didn¡¯t deny him. I was so close, and as my reward, he pushed me over the peak. I cried out, riding the wave of release as he gave it to me.

    So good.

    I expected that to be the end, but it wasn¡¯t. vik moved me off the desk and spun me around so my back was to him. I heard his zipper, and then I felt the hard press of his cock as he slid between my thighs.

    He found my entrance, and I tensed up, crying out as he mmed balls deep within me. He didn¡¯t give me chance to calm down or get ustomed to the length of his cock. He fucked me hard and fast. His hands a tight grip on my hips as he pounded inside me.

    I wondered if I should hate this, but the truth was I loved it.

    I didn¡¯t want him to stop.

    The way he held me. The feel of his rock-hard cock deep inside me.

    It all ¡­ made me hungry and desperate for more.

    ¡°I love how tight your pussy is. How you fucking feel. That¡¯s it, take my cock.¡±

    For several minutes, I stayed perfectly still, allowing him to take the lead, to take what he wanted. I didn¡¯t know what came over me. If this was a duty to him, then I wanted it to be hard for him to think of it that way.

    I no longer wanted to be anyone¡¯s duty or burden.

    As I pushed back against him, I started to ride his cock as he took me. For a few seconds, he paused, seeming to be a little shocked that I actually pushed back against him. Then, like his need took over, he started to take me deeper, fucking me harder, working my body, and what was more, I gave as good as I got.

    I wanted this.

    This wasn¡¯t a duty to me. The end result, pregnancy, might be the duty for me, but in getting to that point, I was determined for it to be nonstop pleasure.

    vik mmed inside me one final time, and he was so long and thick, I felt each pulse of his arousal as it flooded me. Moments passed. Seconds turned into minutes before he reached over and picked up some tissues. He pulled out of me and I felt some of his cum spill down. The tissue helped to capture some of it. He cleaned me up even as my face grew hot from the attention. There was no stopping him. He helped me back into my panties, jeans, bra, crop top, and his shirt.

    I had no idea what to do, so I stepped away from him, and he didn¡¯t stop me.

    Not once had he kissed me.

    My lips felt that loss.

    The few times he¡¯d taken the time to kiss me, I¡¯d relished every single second. I enjoyed the sex, which was a huge relief as I knew many women in our world didn¡¯t. The sex I¡¯d heard had often been violent and scary. Of course none of the women had known I¡¯d been listening in on their conversations, slowly growing more terrified at the prospect of having my own husband.

    The books became a source offort. While thedies in our circles told scary sex tales, the books gave me hope that they simply didn¡¯t enjoy it.

    ¡°Cara called again,¡± vik said, breaking through the silence.

    Was he ufortable?

    I turned from the window to look at him.

    ¡°She asked me permission to take you to lunch next week.¡±

    ¡°And did you tell her no?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I said you could go,¡± he said.

    So far, any attempt at friendship Cara had made, he¡¯d squashed. They were supposed to be friends, and it hurt he didn¡¯t want me to be friends with his.

    ¡°You did?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already arranged a guard to be with you. It¡¯s important he stays with you at all times. You leave or don¡¯t follow my rules, you¡¯ll not be allowed to go anywhere else again.¡±

    I nodded. I was happy.

    Cara seemed like a nice woman. She held a high position within the Volkov Bratva. She was the first woman I knew who didn¡¯t allow a man to talk to her like she was crap, or allow them to treat her like a piece of property.

    My father had always been firm in the belief we belonged to him. We were nothing but pawns to meet his end goals. As much as I didn¡¯t have value, I became quite a useful cog in the peace treaty between our families.

    vik checked the time. ¡°We need to get going,¡± he said. ¡°I need you to change.¡±

    The sun had started to set, and I frowned. ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°To a private event. Exclusive.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have any more details?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you¡¯re going to like it,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

 26

    vik

    Noise greeted us the moment we entered the underground facility. The entire setup changed and moved between my cities, the invites going out via text or email. The location nothing more than a set of coordinates. The fights had been going for nearly five years now. In all that time, only two fights had been removed and the location changed because someone decided to cave and give the details to the police.

    From my men on my payroll, they¡¯d sent me the alert of the impending invasion, and I¡¯d gotten plenty of time to move myself and the fight to another location. The police had found nothing more than empty space, even with some paperwork about the potential renovations for business purposes.

    I was always one step ahead.

    The very people who¡¯d ratted the fight no longer had a veryfortable life. One of them was dead, the other lived on the streets, having lost their fortune. The warning was simple, don¡¯t rat us out, and we won¡¯te after you.

    These fights earned a great deal of money. Blood money. They weren¡¯t the standard, organized fist-mming shown on television. This was a death match.

    Many people liked to pay good money to see men fight for survival. The rich loved to be able to wave their cash to get anything they desired, even if they didn¡¯t know exactly what it was they wanted.

    The more depraved, the more money.

    Aurora¡¯s hand on my arm got even tighter as she saw the ring down below.

    The basement of this fight was set out as if we were in a great opera. The space was decent, the crowd going wild.

    Everything was safe. No risk of the building caving in on us.

    ¡°This is ¡­ oh, my God, gross,¡± Aurora said. She released my arm to grip the railing. The man beside her looked at her, pissed as if she¡¯d ruined it for him. I red at him. Everyone knew who I was, and Aurora would be protected. ¡°This is all real?¡± She nced around the room, and as she took it all in, the frown across her brow deepened.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, God.¡± She nced back at the dance floor.

    Some of the women were screaming for the kill. The fights always brought out the lust in some. I didn¡¯t need to look at anyone to see women getting off as the men fought. The blood covered the ground. The men looked exhausted, but no one called the fight to the end.

    One final blow, and I heard the crack of knuckles. The man fell to the ground. This fight happened once a month. I never allowed it to go again. Once it yed and people paid their money, I gave enough time and space to make them crave the fights. Their thirst for blood driving their need higher.

    All of this was business.

    The fighters all knew the risks entering the ring. They had to fight to the death. No exceptions unless someone screamed out for mercy for them. The crowd knew they could shout to save them.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    The man was now on the floor, his body being dragged out, and no one had cared to give him the mercy shot.

    Aurora didn¡¯t know the rules.

    ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t attended thest two, and I always made sure to attend at least half of the fights. Men died. For all I knew, good men died for the pleasure of money. The least I could do was show up to some to bear witness.

    I pulled Aurora in front of me. Her hair was held back with a small clip. The dress she wore drove me wild. The plunging neckline had me wondering how she kept her tits in ce. The dress didn¡¯t cover half her body, and I knew because I¡¯d picked it.

    I pressed my lips against her neck. My hands grabbed the railing at either side of her, locking her against my body. No escape.

    ¡°No one saved him,¡± I said.

    This made her jerk. ¡°Can they?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. I couldn¡¯t resist a lick across her pulse. I heard her gasp. It wasn¡¯t loud but subtle, and I heard it.

    ¡°They had a chance to save that guy and they chose to let him die?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And they all know they can save him?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you now.¡± I kissed her neck, and she moaned. ¡°They would rather pay to see a man die than allow him to live.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not like that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± I asked.

    Another fighter was already making their way out. The previous winner looked exhausted. He had one chance. Double his chances of winning, or bow out, winning more than any job would give him.

    I watched him, seeing the man who came out. Both were hard, muscr men. The oneing toward the ring had a certain walk to him. His confidence spoke volumes. The man in the ring held an air of desperation. He was here out of need to make quick cash, whereas the man who now entered the ring was in no rush, had no fear, no panic. It had been a long time since I saw such a man so calm.

    This was going to be brutal.

    I ced my hand on Aurora¡¯s stomach. Her entire body shook as the first punchnded, and my assessment was clear.

    The crowd started out silent, not sure which way to vote, or who to want to win. The previous winner had them all up his ass just moments ago, but now, they saw a different winner. Their cheering for the other ceased, the brutal neer earning their praise.

    I was right, like always.

    The new guy attacked, but he didn¡¯t do it for the crowd. The moment the first punch came, they unlocked a beast.

    Seconds passed, and the other guy bled from his nose, lip, eye, and some from his ear.

    ¡°Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.¡±

    The chants came thick and fast.

    Aurora continued to shake.

    The new one shoved the guy down onto the ground and punched him in the head. He didn¡¯t get up, but he was still alive, still breathing.

    I watched as the one now looking like the victor stared around the room, building up the courage.

    They all screamed for blood and death.

    Aurora tensed up. ¡°Mercy!¡±

    Her shout was loud, clear, and the entire basement fell silent.

    No one ever screamed for mercy.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if Aurora would.

    She was different, I knew that, and this was a test to see just how much she was.

    ¡°Mercy! Do not kill him. He was a champion. He doesn¡¯t deserve death.¡±

    By the rules of the game, the fight should end, and he would be champion. Disappointment rang out around the room, and I watched as he disobeyed the rules of my fucking game.

    He stomped on the man¡¯s head, three times, and I heard the break, and the twitch, rendering him dead.

    Anger rushed through me. I grabbed Aurora¡¯s hands as cheers rang out.

    ¡°You said they couldn¡¯t do that?¡± I heard the tears in her voice.

    She¡¯d seen death before, but this time, she¡¯d tried to save the man.

    The crowd parted for me as the men who worked for me cleaned up the mess of the man on the floor.

    The brutal one held his fists up in the air as I stepped into the ring.

    ¡°vik!¡± Aurora cried out, and my two guards were on either side of her. I felt the hostility of the crowd as they looked at her.

    I removed my jacket, throwing it out to my men, and the one who¡¯d just vited my rules turned to me.

    ¡°Sorry, mate, no rich pricks in the ring.¡±

    This man clearly didn¡¯t know my name or who I was. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it to you? You need to teach your wife not toe to grown-up games. They¡¯re only going to get her hurt.¡±

    ¡°I will not repeat myself.¡±

    The man scoffed and looked toward the men I allowed to run this event. The room had gone silent. Those who knew me were aware of what had just happened here. I had one simple rule. Once mercy was shouted by one person, the fight ended. No blood, no death, and they still had to pay up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t answer to any cunts like you. Get him and his ugly-as-fuck wife out of my ring. This is mine. No one can beat me.¡±

    ¡°Ben,¡± I said. ¡°What is his name?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s George, Mr. Ivanov.¡±

    The fighter, George, paled. ¡°Ivanov?¡±

    ¡°vik Ivanov. You disrespected my rules. Insulted my wife. You had your chance to make a lot of money. Mercy allows you to have the payment of the kill without making it.¡± I tutted. ¡°You won¡¯t be leaving here tonight.¡±

    I saw the fear and panic in his eyes, and I felt no sympathy.

    My reputation was well-known. Within the ring, I was a monster. I¡¯d killed hundreds of men for the sport, drawing in the wealth we needed.

    I hadn¡¯t fought in this ring in a long time, but I made sure I was always ready. This man would know pain.

    I struck first, and George tried to defend himself, but he¡¯d said bad shit about my wife and that, I couldn¡¯t allow to slide. Anger rushed through me, and I allowed it to feed my attack.

    Silence rang out in the room.

    By breaking my rules, no one could shout mercy. One of my guards would tell Aurora that. I was amazed she¡¯d done what she did.

    In a room full of bloodthirsty people, she¡¯d tried to help save another. I hadn¡¯t expected it. It was rare for people to surprise me, even more so for a woman. My wife was nothing like I thought she¡¯d be. She was kind, sweet, even when the world had shit on her. In our world, all her merits were nothing but weaknesses. To me, they were a strength. Even knowing what her father had done to her. What her sister caused, she still tried to help. I couldn¡¯t hate that.

    I didn¡¯t hate my wife. There was nothing about her to hate. She was sweet, kind, caring, loving, terrified. She brought out the instinct in me to protect. I wanted to take care of her, to love her, to be everything she needed and more.

    George tried. He got in a couple of blows, but they were not strong enough. No one was able to defeat me.

    I took him down and staring into his eyes, I grabbed him just right. With the correct strength and the right angle, I snapped his neck, ending the fight.

    Cheers erupted.

    I ignored them. Without another word, I stepped off the floor, toward my wife, taking her hand. I led her away from the fight, out back to where the victory fighters could rest for a few moments when given the option.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked as I took a seat.

    I nodded at my men to leave us alone. They¡¯d guard the entrance into the room.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± I¡¯d killed many men, but snapping a neck sent adrenaline running through my body.

    Tears filled her eyes and fell down her cheeks. ¡°They told me I couldn¡¯t help him.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t need your help.¡±

    ¡°This game is brutal. Does it happen every week?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Once a month.¡±

    ¡°And how many people die?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t keep count.¡±

    ¡°Was I the first one willing to save someone?¡±

    I nodded.

    She sighed and swiped at her tears. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can deal with that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about dealing, Aurora. The men who fight here don¡¯t have to.¡±

    Sheughed. ¡°Do you think they have a choice?¡±

    ¡°Some do, yeah. The ones that don¡¯t, I have no power to stop them.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he did that.¡±

    ¡°Clearly, he thought this was his castle.¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°You don¡¯t care that you killed him?¡±

    ¡°Aurora, I¡¯m not a saint. I¡¯ve killed more men than that, believe me.¡±

    Silence.

    I grabbed her hand and pulled her close. The slits in the dress made it easy to drag her onto myp. Her knees on either side of me. I grasped her hips, drawing her down to my erection. I wasn¡¯t hard until I looked at her.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± she said. ¡°Even after what you just did? You want to?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t get enough of you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding,¡± she said. Her fingers hovered over my eyebrow.

    I tore a piece of her dress and handed it to her. ¡°Wipe it for me?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hurting?¡± she asked.

    I thrust my aching cock against her. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re crazy.¡± She dabbed the cut above my eye, wincing. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you do it. I¡¯d be crying.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pain.¡±

    ¡°And pain hurts, vik. Do you think you need to go to a doctor?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    She wiped my cut. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look so bad now that I cleaned it with a really expensive piece of fabric from this dress. There¡¯s no repairing it, you know.¡±

    ¡°As if you¡¯d wear it again. I don¡¯t even think you¡¯d have the guts to donate a dress you wore that witnessed a death.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not like you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not like a lot of people.¡±

    ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I was done talking though. I held the base of her back as I pushed the dress out of my way and stroked her pussy. She was dry. The fight hadn¡¯t done anything for her, but I needed this.

    ¡°Look at me, Aurora. I need you.¡± I stroked her through the panties, staring into her eyes, making her see only me.

    She sank her teeth into her bottom lip.

    I didn¡¯t touch her naked pussy.

    ¡°Get your tits out,¡± I said. ¡°I want to suck them.¡±

    She peeled the plunging neck open, exposing her tits, and I saw the tape that had kept the pieces of fabric secure over those delicious mounds. Her nipples were big, and in the cool air they pointed at me, begging to be sucked, and I was more than happy to oblige. After sliding my tongue across each peak, I sucked the hard bud into my mouth. At the same time, I stroked her pussy, working her body into a frenzy.

    I took my time, aware of the fights urring in the other room. Once I¡¯d taken my wife, I¡¯d leave, and do the same again on our bed.

    Aurora whimpered, pressing her chest against my mouth. Her fingers sank into my hair, and I worked the zipper of my pants down, easing my hardened cock out.

    I tested her pussy to find her wet. She wasn¡¯t as soaked as I¡¯d have liked her, but enough to make me find her entrance, and to sit her onto my dick.

    She cried out, the sound echoing around the room.

    Up and down, I moved her, getting her to work my dick. With my thumb, I stroked over her clit, feeling her pulse around my cock.

    She didn¡¯t close her eyes.

    Her gaze focused on me, and I was fucking hypnotized. There was nowhere else I wanted to be. I just wanted to hold her, to feel her wrapped around me.

    My name spilled from her lips as she came. It wasn¡¯t strong, but I knew I¡¯d have her begging for my cock by the time we got home. I grabbed her hips and thrust up to meet her, holding her in ce as I took my pleasure.

    She moaned and I growled, spilling my seed into her cunt.

    Ivan Volkov may think I was doing this out of duty.

    My wife might have also thought I was doing this out of duty.

    I, vik Ivanov, knew I did this out of downright desire for my wife.

 27

    Aurora

    ¡°I was surprised vik allowed you to have lunch with me,¡± Cara said.

    I smiled across the table. ¡°Me too. It came out of the blue.¡± I looked over at the beautiful redhead. Shemanded attention. I¡¯d been seated alone, my brand-new guard from vik¡¯s trusted men sat three tables down, watching us. Before I¡¯de, vik had given me strict instructions on what I could talk about. Anything rting to work was not allowed. I also had to agree to tell him everything I discussed, which was slightly moreplicated.

    I wasn¡¯t sure why he¡¯d given me these boundaries.

    Cara was supposed to be his friend. A colleague.

    ¡°Wow, what did you do to make him happy?¡±

    I thought about it and the truth was, I had no idea. I shrugged. vik and I seemedplicated in my mind.

    Cara ced her hand on top of mine. ¡°Please tell me he¡¯s treating you good?¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Yes. We¡¯re getting along now.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°That makes me so happy. vik can be a bit of a hardass. He has to be. Many are handed a position like his. He earned his.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°No. I couldn¡¯t tell you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t say anything if that is what you¡¯re worried about.¡± The lie was hard for me to say, but I got through it.

    vik had demanded I don¡¯t lie to him. That there were no secrets between us. It seemed reasonable. Deep down, I wanted to make this marriage work.

    ¡°Good. I want us to be the best of friends. The moment I saw you, I knew you were different.¡±

    The waiter came over and Cara ordered us both a ss of wine. ¡°Unless you can¡¯t have any?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I offered her a smile.

    vik and I had been sleeping together often. Last night, he¡¯d surprised me by climbing into bed only to wake me up to take what he wanted. He¡¯d never done that before. The sexst night had led into this morning where we¡¯d made love. I wasn¡¯t even sure if I could call it making love.

    We had sex.

    I couldn¡¯t think of vik on emotional terms. We were husband and wife through a peace treaty. To some, I was nothing more than his possession. We weren¡¯t a love match.

    The waiter came back with our wine and Cara shooed him away.

    ¡°It has been a busy couple of weeks. Business is booming. Anyway, back to vik, I¡¯m so pleased he¡¯s been able to find a good wife. For the longest time, I figured he¡¯d spend it jumping from one woman to the next.¡± She winced. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I hope I haven¡¯t upset you.¡±

    I forced a smile. ¡°You haven¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Good. We all know men are dogs. They see a woman and just jump on them for the fun.¡± She sighed. ¡°Anyway, vik was ¡­ he wasn¡¯t the king you see now. The ruler of states and his section. Ivan and vik are bastards of men who ran the original Bratva within this area, in fact. It was many years ago, long before your time. They lived on the streets. I should know, it¡¯s where I joined them. There we were, three brats on the streets. No one wanted us. vik¡¯s father was a brigadier, like him. He knocked up a whore, and because she refused to pay for an abortion, she got killed and vik ended up on the streets. So sad. He¡¯d fought for every single meal he had. He¡¯s a natural-born fighter. Ivan was a simr story, only ¡­ he had a stutter. Of course, his father, who was the boss back then, couldn¡¯t have a son who stuttered.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡± This was all news to me. ¡°Was the Bratva as big then as it is now?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Cara said. ¡°You see, by kicking them out of the streets, their fathers thought they were so clever. Removing the problem. What they didn¡¯t realize is by doing what they did, they created enemies. Two men who wanted nothing but revenge. They took over the streets. Together, they became a unit. It started small. Fights. Taking on turf. Robbing. You name it, vik and Ivan have done it. It took many years for Ivan to get over his stutter. It was so cute at one point.¡±

    Cara smiled. ¡°Anyway, word got back to their dads. Ivan and vik had built up this reputation in theirte teens and decided to target Bratva territory. Slowly, they took it over until one day they had the meeting to end all meetings. vik and Ivan went in with their fathers, and the story goes they were the only two toe out. The others were removed in body bags. They took the Bratva and made it what it is today.¡±

    ¡°I had no idea about that.¡±

    ¡°There is so much going on around everyone. No one really knows the truth, but it¡¯s there if people are willing to see it. More often than not, they refuse.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Me? I was the one to help negotiate the meet. From a young age, I knew sex and women were the key to a man¡¯s downfall. Give them the right pussy and goals, and they¡¯re putty in your hands. They¡¯ll do whatever you want. I helped bring them both to power by using my many skills.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Cara smiled, but there was something off about it. I couldn¡¯t exactly put my finger on it, but rm bells began to ring inside my head. The smile also didn¡¯t quite reach her lips.

    ¡°You must be very proud of them,¡± I said.

    ¡°I am. It¡¯s great. They rule with an iron fist.¡±

    ¡°Howe you¡¯re not a brigadier?¡± I asked.

    Cara¡¯s fingers tightened around the ss she held. ¡°A woman is never a brigadier, Aurora. I was given the option, but the truth was no man would ever respect a whore.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I grabbed her hand, and she smiled at me.

    ¡°It is so ¡­ hard to make friends.¡±

    I agreed.

    ¡°You must have a whole lot of friends.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± I sipped at the wine, not enjoying the taste.

    Cara signaled to the waiter, and we ordered our lunch.

    ¡°I find that hard to believe,¡± Cara said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You not having any friends. There must be loads of people who adore you.¡±

    This time I forced a smile to my lips. ¡°No. I¡¯ve ¡­ for some reason, I don¡¯t know why, I¡¯m not liked.¡± I nced down into my ss, insecurities rearing their ugly head. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m always there and I am a good friend. I keep secrets and I¡¯m always on time, and I¡¯m willing and able to make it work, but, no, for some reason, I¡¯m ¡­ never liked.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re idiots,¡± Cara said. ¡°We don¡¯t need them in our life. Screw them.¡± She held up her ss. ¡°To new friends who don¡¯t suck.¡±

    I clinked my ss with hers.

    She controlled the conversation, which I didn¡¯t mind. She talked about clients and stories with vik, which I enjoyed. Whenever she spoke of her customers, sex was always mentioned, and it would often have me thinking about vik.

    Cara was the one to end our lunch. I moved my food around.

    Gus, the guard, paid for my meal and escorted me out of the restaurant. We were waiting for the car toe when the first shot was fired.

    Within seconds, I was on the ground as gunshots rained down on us.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± Gus said. ¡°Stay down.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t move. My heart pounded and fear crawled up my back.

    There was a sudden break, and Gus was on his feet, firing back. ¡°Call for backup.¡± A phone was thrown at me. I turned it on and found vik¡¯s number. I dialed the number as pain exploded in my shoulder.

    ¡°Help!¡±

    I screamed the one word, panic rushing through me.

    Gus came to me, and with his help, we ran for cover. Sirens could be heard in the distance.

    Everything seemed to fade around me, the noise bing more like static.

    My eyes felt heavy and the dull throb in my arm made it impossible for me to focus. Who would shoot at us? I never got to figure that out as the world went ck.

 28

    vik

    ¡°We ran some blood tests,¡± the doctor said.

    I didn¡¯t look away from my wife. She was still out of it. I would never forget that cry. It had to be when the bullet hit her that she screamed for help. I heard the fear in her voice, the need.

    When I got to the restaurant, Gus and Aurora had been on the ground. Gus had a stomach wound. Aurora had passed out from the bullet lodged inside her arm. They¡¯d taken her to surgery, removed the bullet, and now she was bandaged up, recovering.

    ¡°What about them?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Ivanov, your wife is pregnant.¡±

    I turned to the doctor. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Blood work doesn¡¯t lie, and I know you like to be thorough. I double-checked it myself. Your wife is pregnant.¡±

    I looked at Aurora. This was good news.

    ¡°I would like to start making appointments for your wife¡¯s care-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°You make that disappear.¡±

    ¡°You want me to perform an abortion on your wife?¡±

    ¡°No. Those documents, change them. You didn¡¯t discover my wife was pregnant.¡± I got up from my chair and walked toward him. ¡°That information is between you and me.¡±

    The doctor looked at Aurora then at me. ¡°Sir, with all due respect, pregnancies can be ¡­ difficult. We need to make sure she is healthy.¡±

    ¡°I will personally keep an eye on her. When I believe the time is right, I¡¯ll let her know she is pregnant. Until then, you will be quiet about this, or do I have to make you realize who is the one with the power here?¡±

    He bowed his head, submitting to me. Within seconds, he was gone.

    I closed the door to the private room and stared at my wife. The men who¡¯d been shooting at her were gone. All but one, who waited for me back at the warehouse. I should be there rather than here. I had men waiting to guard her. Gus was supposed to protect her. Not that I med him. He¡¯d done his best.

    I sat down. This wasn¡¯t what I was supposed to do. My wife would be taken care of.

    So, the first lunch date my wife went on, she was attacked.

    I ran fingers through my hair as I watched her.

    Pregnant. Aurora was pregnant with my child.

    I didn¡¯t know if she was ready to ept that news or if she¡¯d scream at the unfairness of it. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be bringing a child into the world.

    I tapped my fingers on my thigh, waiting. The doctor had said she¡¯d wake up soon and she¡¯d be a bit groggy. I shouldn¡¯t care about how she woke up, but I did.

    Her handy by her side.

    t.

    Lifeless.

    I never felt anything but anger in all my life. My rage had helped me to fuel my need to win, to fight. To be the best I could be. To be the monster who took lives and made others afraid.

    Arriving at the restaurant and seeing Aurora passed out cold on the ground, I¡¯d known real fear. My wife was bing a problem because I refused to have feelings. They were a weakness, but my wife, she made me feel so many fucking things, and it wasn¡¯t good.

    She was only a piece of property. My wife to cement Ivan¡¯s ce. He wanted the treaty in the hope of one day taking over the Italian mafia. Their hold on their turf was sliding. We knew it, they knew it. Binding to us gave them the added power to scare off attacks, but it also meant in time, we¡¯d own them. They would work for us.

    This was always a careful bncing act of power, and Ivan was the master of it.

    My wife wasn¡¯t supposed to mean anything to me. There was no way I should care if she was out cold or hurt, or injured, or even if someone had fucking upset her. Yet, here I was.

    Andrei had changed the woman he was going to marry. Bethany was no longer by his side. The wedding was happening, but with her sister, Adide. No one was going to hurt my wife again.

    She released a moan, and I leaned forward, taking her hand. ¡°Aurora,¡± I said.

    Her eyes opened then closed. Opened again. I waited for her to get ustomed to the light, and she gasped, sitting up and wincing.

    The doctor had given her enough painkillers to help manage whatever pain she experienced. I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of her hurting.

    Sitting on the bed, she squeezed my hand. ¡°vik,¡± she said. ¡°You came.¡±

    Even though she was hooked up to wires, she wrapped her arms around me only to gasp as pain likely shot through her system from the bullet wound.

    ¡°You were shot,¡± I said.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°Ouch.¡± She pouted. ¡°How bad is it?¡±

    ¡°Not bad. They were able to remove the bullet and it didn¡¯t do anysting damage. You¡¯ve had a few stitches, and you¡¯ll hurt for a short time. Not too long.¡±

    She looked at her arm. ¡°I remember.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea who would have shot at you?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No. Cara had to leave. She went first. Gus paid the bill and was escorting me out. We waited for the car.¡±

    ¡°Why wasn¡¯t the car there?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You¡¯d have to ask Gus. Is he okay?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s asleep. The doctors wanted to assess him for the damage.¡± Gus had been shot in the abdomen, arm, and hand. Severe blood loss had him fighting for his life, but I wasn¡¯t about to tell Aurora.

    ¡°Why would anyone shoot at us? It makes no sense.¡±

    ¡°A message.¡± I stroked her hair back from her cheek. These feelings coursing through my body, I had no idea what they meant. They wereing thick and fast. She looked so beautiful. I knew she¡¯d been pretty, regardless of what other people said. They always called her the ugly Fredo, but they clearly didn¡¯t see her, not really. Even I hadn¡¯t at the start.

    Staring at her now, I was ¡­ enthralled. Even with the threat of death, she cared more about my men than her own welfare.

    It was stupid of her, but after being around so many selfish people, this was refreshing.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for being a pain. It was only supposed to be a lunch, and now you¡¯ve got all this to deal with.¡±

    ¡°You have no reason to be sorry.¡±

    She wrinkled her nose. ¡°I doubt that.¡±

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It hurts, but it¡¯s manageable.¡± She held up her hand. ¡°Is that because of this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll feel it tomorrow when I take you home.¡± Now that she was awake, I didn¡¯t want to leave her.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to go and take care of business?¡±

    ¡°Duty calls,¡± I said.

    She nodded, and I hated seeing her physically withdraw. I had no idea what was happening. I wasn¡¯t used to having feelings.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got my men right outside the door. They¡¯re going to be here for you. Nothing will happen to you.¡±

    Nothing was meant to happen to her while she¡¯d been eating lunch and yet, it still had.

    I cupped her cheek, wishing to say more, but nothing woulde to me. I wasn¡¯t a good man. I didn¡¯t do nice things. I¡¯d never intended to take a wife. This was supposed to be all about duty and yet, I couldn¡¯t seem to turn it off.

    I stood up and left the room without saying another word. My men knew what would happen to them if they allowed her to be hurt.

    Within seconds, I was out of the hospital, in the back of my car, being driven to the warehouse where the only shooter I¡¯d allowed to live waited.

    Aurora could have died today. I didn¡¯t care about the treaty. Let the streets run red with blood. What I did care about was Aurora. The very thought of anything happening to her filled me with something I wasn¡¯t used to: despair.

    The wrong bullet today, and she could have died. I shouldn¡¯t care. I wasn¡¯t the kind of man to fall for a woman. I used them. Aurora was different, though. I knew from the start she would be. I just didn¡¯t realize how much.

    At the warehouse, my driver put the car into park, and I was out of the vehicle before he got a chance to open the door for me.

    Buttoning up my jacket, I entered the warehouse to see the man hung upside down. His personal effects had been disyed on the table for me to see.

    Six of my finest soldiers stood there, keeping guard. I also spotted the spy Ivan used to keep an eye on his brigadiers. He¡¯d been on mynd for several months, and so far, he hadn¡¯t caused me trouble, so I was more than happy for him to stay.

    The wallet had been ced open and I saw his name was Ewan Smith. ¡°Hello, Ewan,¡± I said.

    ¡°Fuck you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re very vocal for a dead man,¡± I said.

    I left the torture devices on the table. When it came to getting information out of people, I didn¡¯t go for borate or dramatic. in old kitchen and garden tools worked just fine for me. A hammer or sledgehammer to crush bones. Knives for obvious work. Pliers for the fiddlier work. in old twine used to repair fences were great and cut through flesh with enough pressure. I even enjoyed shears.

    I dragged the chair over to stare at the man.

    Spit was an issue for me, so I kept a distance.

    ¡°Fuck you, man. I¡¯m not going to talk. You can¡¯t fucking make me. You¡¯re a piece of shit.¡±

    I¡¯d turned the chair so I straddled the back. My chin rested on my hands as I watched him.

    Patience.

    When I didn¡¯t talk, he went a little crazy, trying to pull himself away from the binds. The bastard was hung upside down.

    ¡°Let me go! You¡¯re all going to be dead men. All of you.¡±

    ¡°Do you know Aurora Ivanov?¡± I asked.

    He looked like he wanted to argue but finally answered. ¡°She¡¯s your wife.¡±

    ¡°Do you know the woman you shot at today?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Who was she?¡±

    ¡°A problem,¡± he said.

    ¡°So you were aiming for the woman today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the boss, mate. I was given orders. Today, after a redhead strolls out, the next person waiting for a car, we were to shoot. No questions asked. There was no other target. Aim to kill. That was all.¡±

    This was odd. I tapped a finger on my thigh. ¡°You¡¯re a bounty hunter?¡±

    ¡°More like an assassin for hire. I was part of a team of men. You killed them all today.¡±

    ¡°Any rtion to the Fredo family?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Never heard of them.¡±

    I found this hard to believe. ¡°You are part of a bunch of assassins for hire and yet you don¡¯t even know who the Fredo family are. They are my wife¡¯s family. The woman you were asked to kill today, she is my wife.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, man, I know who you are, but I¡¯m just a fucking minion. Okay? You killed the guy with all the details. I got nothing. Let me go. I will find out what you need me to find out.¡±

    His entire outfit was unprofessional.

    I stood up and moved to the toys.

    I should be getting a medal for all the restraint I¡¯d shown today. I picked up the knife first. A in old kitchen knife.

    This man nearly took my wife from me. A woman I was convinced I didn¡¯t care about, but deep in the back of my mind, I knew that to be false.

    Aurora ¡­ did something to me. I didn¡¯t have any answers, but my anger flooded my body and I reacted, plunging the knife into his stomach. I pulled it out and repeated the action five more times all around his body.

    The blood dripped onto the cement floor. In my mind, all I saw was Aurora, heavily pregnant with my child, but with blooding from a bullet wound in her chest. She could have died.

    Dead.

    The end.

    Lifeless.

    A corpse.

    Ewan was dead long before I finished with him. His body nothing more than a mangled mess.

    I stepped back, and the cleaning crew were already on standby to deal with it.

    I was covered in blood. I stripped off my clothes and left the scene, going to the single shower which wasst on the cleanup list.

    Beneath the cold spray of water, I knew this wasn¡¯t Fredo¡¯s doing. Whoever hired these men to kill Aurora were novices. I needed to find out if they were rted to the banquet attack, and also, who had hired them to take out my woman.

    Aurora meant nothing in the Bratva world. She was under my protection as my wife. Her power came from me. Why take her out unless they were trying to get to me through my wife? And that only served to piss me off even more.

 29

    Aurora

    ¡°This is very unattractive,¡± I said. ¡°I look a mess.¡±

    ¡°Because of your bandaged arm?¡±

    ¡°Look at it.¡± I wrinkled my nose, indicating the clean bandage the doctor had applied. I¡¯d pulled out my arm stitches by being in the kitchen. When the doctor said no heavy lifting, what he actually meant was to do nothing.

    I couldn¡¯t sit around all day doing nothing.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to stick out like a sore thumb. No, sore arm. It¡¯s my arm that¡¯s the injured party. Look at it.¡±

    vikughed.

    I red at him.

    He¡¯d been so attentive thest few days. I hated how easy it was to enjoy hispany. Nothing was ever a rush for him, and he¡¯d been annoyed with me for hurting my arm. Sex hadn¡¯t happened.

    He didn¡¯t even have to go out to work. He stayed at the penthouse, on aptop and his cell phone, while I walked around him. Swimming was a no, as was working out.

    My arm put a dent in my weight-loss ns. vik also didn¡¯t help. He ordered takeout from a nice Italian ce. Their pastas were heavenly and well, I¡¯d gained a couple of pounds. My clothes weren¡¯t tight, but my arm hindered me.

    We were heading to Andrei and Adide¡¯s wedding. I hadn¡¯t seen a picture of the bride. She¡¯d taken over from Bethany without a hitch. All I knew, the woman was a few years younger than Bethany.

    Thest ce I wished to go was to a wedding. My own wedding had been enough of an ordeal to get through, but vik insisted. All the Volkov brigadiers were going, and I was going as vik¡¯s wife.

    ¡°You know, this morning I woke up feeling a little sick. I told the doctor about it when he came to repair the stitches. He said it¡¯s a little bug going around. Nothing to rm myself with. I don¡¯t think I should leave.¡±

    ¡°If he thought you were contagious, he would¡¯ve advised me to keep you home.¡±

    No matter what I seemed to say to this man, we were going to this wedding. We¡¯d already taken the ne ride. I hated nes and being in the sky. Anything with heights terrified me.

    vik offered me the window seat, which I declined. I didn¡¯t need to be reminded for an hour flight that I was above ground. Now firmly on the ground, we were traveling to our hotel. Two cars were in front, two at the back.

    We would stay at the hotel tonight, and tomorrow was the wedding. I was supposed to be a bridesmaid. This was all news to me. vik had blurted out that news to me as we got in the car. The dress waited for me to try on at the hotel room.

    Thest thing I wanted was to be a bridesmaid to a woman I didn¡¯t know. This was Bethany¡¯s sister.

    I leaned back, resting my hand on my stomach. I¡¯d thrown up this morning. The sickness had struck me hard. After some dry toast, I felt a little better. The coffee I¡¯d made for myself set it off again. I ended up drinking water.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± vik asked.

    It was on the tip of my tongue to lie. I went for the truth. ¡°No. I feel sick. My arm hurts. I refuse to take pain medication. I¡¯m going to a wedding I don¡¯t wish to attend. I¡¯m now going to be a bridesmaid for a woman I¡¯ve never met. Yeah, everything is great.¡± The sarcasm dripped from my tone, and I froze.

    I realized who I spoke to and I wished the ground would open up and swallow me.

    I chanced a nce at vik to find him smiling. ¡°It¡¯s cute to watch you panic.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hrious. You¡¯re the first woman in my life to be honest with me.¡±

    ¡°I find that hard to believe.¡±

    ¡°Most people hate me, remember?¡±

    ¡°No, they don¡¯t hate you. They fear you. It¡¯s different.¡± I¡¯d been hated most of my life, or not liked. Do not go down that morbid self-pitying hole, Aurora. I forced a smile to my lips.

    ¡°Do you fear me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sometimes.¡±

    ¡°You have no reason to fear me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my husband.¡±

    ¡°And I will protect you.¡±

    ¡°Unless you feel I¡¯m trouble for Ivan Volkov. I know my value only exists while I y nice. If I cause you or the Volkov Bratva trouble, my days are numbered.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any reason to risk your life?¡±

    ¡°No. I intend to live a long and happy prison sentence.¡± I pped my hand across my mouth.

    ¡°You find being with me a prison sentence.¡±

    I winced. ¡°No. It¡¯s ¡­ I meant my family.¡±

    ¡°Aurora, I¡¯m not an idiot.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a prison sentence, okay? I didn¡¯t mean it like that and I know it sounded like that, but I promise, it wasn¡¯t.¡±

    I¡¯d screwed up.

    ¡°You¡¯re a guy in this world. You wouldn¡¯t understand what I meant. It¡¯s different for men.¡±

    ¡°Try me. I don¡¯t see much different. You were ordered to get married to me. I was instructed to marry you. We both serve the Volkov Bratva. Our roles are different, but we¡¯re the same.¡±

    ¡°You can do what you want,¡± I said.

    ¡°borate.¡±

    My mouth went dry. ¡°If you wanted a mistress or other women, you¡¯d have them. I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. I could scream and get angry. You killed Sergei for kissing me. We weren¡¯t having an affair. You didn¡¯t see Cara as a threat. It¡¯s why she¡¯s still walking around. You get to do things. I ¡­ stay at your apartment. I have no purpose. I¡¯m not allowed to go to college, or get a job.¡±

    ¡°Do you want those things?¡± he asked.

    I shrugged. ¡°I think I¡¯d like the option.¡±

    vik continued to stare at me, and I averted my gaze. The early part of our marriage was a nightmare, no doubt about it. There was no love, not even conversation. We¡¯d cohabited the same space.

    Now, nearly ten months together, we¡¯d changed. We talked, made love, fucked, and spent time together. Not just for the cameras either, or the spies. I enjoyed hispany. He didn¡¯t scare me. I never believed he¡¯d hurt me, not really.

    The threat was obviously always there, but it had nothing to do with him.

    Our positions were thrust on us by our positions.

    I wondered if he¡¯d have tried harder with Isabe.

    Don¡¯t go there. No pity party for Aurora.

    When Isabe did visit thest time with the whole fish dinner, vik hadn¡¯t paid her the slightest bit of attention. He hadn¡¯t shown me any either.

    I didn¡¯t know what would have been worse.

    ¡°Working is not an option, however, I have no issue with you studying. I¡¯ll arrange for a multitude of courses to be presented to you. You can take your pick.¡±

    We¡¯d spoken about it before, but nothing hade from the conversation. This time, it was different. He already had his cell phone and was barking orders at someone to find the right college for me.

    My mouth fell open in surprise.

    The moment he finished the call, I hugged him, showing him my appreciation. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see if you¡¯ll be thanking me when we get back.¡±

    I didn¡¯t care. I was so happy we¡¯d arrived at our hotel room.

    It was arge building, fancy, private car parking. vik¡¯s men took the lead and were already booking us in as we were headed to the elevator.

    I ignored the stares, refusing to let it bother me today. I was so happy. I was going to pick a college course and further my education.

    I had no idea what I¡¯d pick. Again, our conversation from before rushed through me but now with my choice of any course, I wondered what would hold my attention the most.

    My smile dissipated when I saw the dress waiting for us on the sofa. Considering this was a hotel room, there was a small sitting room and even a table for us to take our meals.

    ¡°Can you cancel me being a bridesmaid?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s good for public image.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Andrei is one of us. You¡¯re my wife. It shows a unity of power.¡± vik picked up the dress. It was a pastel pink. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll help you get it on.¡±

    We went into the bedroom as the guards brought up our stuff. Thest thing I wanted to do was wear the bridesmaid¡¯s dress.

    vik helped me out of my current dress, sliding the zipper down. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the bride want someone she knows to be at her wedding?¡±

    ¡°Aurora, shut up. You¡¯re not going to get out of this.¡±

    I rolled my eyes, stepping out of the dress and turning to vik. His gaze was on my ass and slowly traveled up my body. I was very much aware at that moment of how not perfect I was.

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± vik said.

    ¡°Would you please stop saying stuff like that?¡±

    ¡°You want me to stop paying you apliment?¡±

    ¡°When it¡¯s not true, yes.¡±

    ¡°And who says it¡¯s not true?¡± he asked.

    I sighed. ¡°Come on. You and I both know the truth. You don¡¯t have to pretend with me.¡± I¡¯d been told all my life how ugly I was. How I didn¡¯t measure up to my sister.

    vik dropped the dress, and within seconds, I was trapped on the bed. My arms pinned above my head, his body flush against mine. In the process, my legs had spread open and hey pressed against me.

    Pleasure rushed through me. Instantaneous. A burning need only he could put out.

    ¡°I find you beautiful,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m your husband. Your keeper. Your protector. My word, in your world, is fuckingw. I¡¯m getting tired of having topete with all the bullshit going on inside your head. It doesn¡¯t have a right to fucking live there, Aurora. I don¡¯t say shit I don¡¯t mean. When I tell you I think you¡¯re beautiful, I mean it. Do you understand me?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Are you beautiful?¡± he asked.

    I started to shake my head. He red down at me.

    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Wrong answer.¡± He mmed his lips down on mine.

    I kept my eyes open as he kissed me. vik didn¡¯t close his as he thrust his body against me. I gasped as he touched just the right spot. With most of my clothes off, I only had the lingerie to protect me. He knew this and used it to his advantage.

    I gasped as he held my hands above my head, and with a single finger, he traced down my arm, going to the puckered bead of my nipple.

    This man aroused me. vik was doing stuff to me that I wasn¡¯t sure I liked. I wanted to hate him, but the truth was he shattered my defenses. He took me by surprise and the guard I had up came down so easily around him.

    He stroked my nipple gently through the fabric of my bra. I tried to keep my arousal in check. My body, the traitorous bitch that it was, had other ideas. She didn¡¯t want to y nice with me. No, she liked vik. The more he stroked, the hotter I got, my pussy heating with each touch. He pushed the cup of the bra back, and I nearly jolted off the bed as his mouth covered the hard peak.

    He flicked his tongue back and forth and made no move to leave me alone. Then he slid his body to the other side, making sure not to hurt me. The pain in my shoulder was a dull ache. The pleasure far outweighed the hurt.

    I didn¡¯t want him to stop. I liked the way he held me down as he yed with me.

    He did the same to my other nipple and released it with a plop, which seemed to echo in therge room.

    ¡°I fucking love your tits. They were designed for a man¡¯s pleasure.¡± He cupped them both together and nibbled the edge of one. ¡°You are beautiful to me, Aurora, and I¡¯m the only one who should matter to you.¡±

    He thrust his cock against me, and I couldn¡¯t help but gasp. He was hard as rock for me. I sank my teeth into my lip in an attempt to get control of myself, but nothing worked.

    vik let go of my tit to cup my face. His thumb held my chin, and he pulled down, releasing me. ¡°I want to hear every single sound you make.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to fuck you?¡±

    ¡°Can you?¡±

    His gaze flickered to my arm and he smiled. ¡°I can make it so it doesn¡¯t even hurt.¡±

    Was that a promise?

    The moment he touched me, everything stopped hurting.

    ¡°Show me,¡± I said.

    vik eased off my body and reached for his pants. The sound of the zipper echoed in the air. I never knew this sound could be so erotic, but he worked it so damn well. He pressed the tip of his cock against my wet pussy. He slid up and down my slit, getting his cock nice and slick before lining it up with my entrance.

    Slowly, inch by inch, he sank inside me so I felt it all.

    It was amazing. So hard. I no longer cared about the pain in my arm. My only focus was the man inside me.

    He cupped my hips and gave me a few firm strokes, each seeming deeper than the one before. The angle made me desperate for more.

    Suddenly, he stopped. One of his hands released me but not for long as his fingers began to stroke over my clit while he was still inside me.

    ¡°I want to feel youe all over my cock, Aurora,¡± he said. ¡°Give it to me.¡±

    His fingers were magical. I had no idea I could feel this way beneath his touch. vik set me on fire, hungry and desperate for more. There was no control.

    He held on to it.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Nurtured it.

    Captured it all to himself.

    I cried out, begging for more but not really sure what I was asking for. vik knew. Of course, he did. This man knew everything when it came to sex and pleasure.

    He was the master.

    I, his student.

    I came hard, screaming his name. vik rewarded me by pounding into my pussy, not letting go, and damn it, he was right, there was no pain. I only focused on my need for him. On the hardness as he plunged inside me. Each thrust driving me higher and higher into need unlike anything else.

    He showed me what I could take. Never holding back, and when he came, I followed him into another mini-orgasm as he stroked just the right points inside me. Each flow of his cum made me feel whole. This was what scared me.

    My husband, vik Ivanov, had started to make me fall for him, and I had no clue how to stop it.

 30

    vik

    The dresses were normally monstrosities for the bridesmaids, but the one Aurora wore suited her. A beautiful pastel pink, and it was like the dress was designed exactly for her as the arms fell away from the shoulders, covering the upper arms and hiding her bandage. The very sight always angered me, but I¡¯d been able to keep it in check.

    I sat in one of the seats as Aurora took her ce at the head altar. She didn¡¯t look into the crowd as the bride began to make her way down.

    The moment we¡¯d arrived, there had been some kind ofmotion. Aurora had been requested to go to the bride¡¯s quarters immediately.

    I didn¡¯t get a chance to ask her what the hell was going on, but I could imagine. The younger sister didn¡¯t want to marry Andrei. Not that I med any woman being forced into a marriage like this. I stood with everyone and watched as the bride made her way down the aisle. The dress looked a little on the tight side. Even with the veil across her face, I noticed her huge, bulging tits that were no doubt going to pop out if she wasn¡¯t careful. The bouquet quivered slightly.

    The man beside her looked angry.

    Kind of reminded me of Aurora¡¯s dad. The march was slow, and I didn¡¯t know if that was the father or the bride.

    Adide looked ready to flee.

    One look at Ivan, and I saw our boss was a very happy man.

    Adide stopped at the altar and her father lifted the veil then kissed her cheek, which looked more like a press of lips rather than an actual pucker. The fucker couldn¡¯t even be bothered to kiss his daughter goodbye. Andrei took the hand given to him, and I watched the ceremony, not listening to a word as I watched my wife.

    Aurora held some roses within her hands. She¡¯d woken this morning feeling sick. It was only going to be a matter of time before she found out about the pregnancy. So far, there was no sign of it. No swollen stomach. No tenderness of her breasts. She¡¯d experienced some sickness in the mornings, but I helped to convince her it rted to her bullet wound.

    I was aplete and total bastard.

    After the way she reacted to Ivan¡¯s confession, I didn¡¯t want her to jump to conclusions about why I wanted to sleep with her. I should just let her believe the worst of me. Most people did, and I was a horrible person. The truth was I would do what Ivan asked me to do for the good of the Bratva. If it meant fucking her until I knocked her up, I would. There was just a blurred line on exactly how I¡¯d go about it.

    I liked Aurora. I truly believed it was more than liking her.

    In the most inconvenient times, I found myself thinking about her, curious what she was doing and wanting to be with her. I enjoyed her smile. Theughter she¡¯d often allow to spill from her lips when she found something so funny. I liked how sweet she was. Even at the fight, surrounded by people not from our world, and yet she¡¯d been the only person to scream for mercy.

    Everything about her called to me, and I had no fucking clue how to turn this off. It couldn¡¯t be love. I was incapable of loving anyone, but Aurora, damn it. She made this hard for me.

    The ceremony came to an end with a kiss.

    Andrei didn¡¯t seem to mind his bride had changed at thest minute. In the way he held Adide and kissed her. I hadn¡¯t given Aurora the kiss.

    She¡¯d been aughing stock at her wedding and at the time, I hadn¡¯t cared.

    Like everyone else, I stood and pped.

    My woman finally looked at me, and there was a smile. Not one that lit up her face, but a sadness.

    When people started to move, Aurora came to me. There, surrounded by people, I cupped her face and kissed her, how I should have done the day of our wedding.

    I finished the kiss off with a quick peck to the lips, and when I pulled back, Aurora¡¯s eyes were closed.

    Slowly, they opened, and I saw the flush working its way up her body. ¡°What was that for?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because I wanted to, and I didn¡¯t want to go another second without kissing those lips.¡± I stroked my thumb across it.

    ¡°What a way to take the spotlight away from the scared little bride,¡± Ivan said.

    I looked around to see we were the only ones standing in the church.

    ¡°They¡¯re gone,¡± Ivan said. He put his hand on Aurora¡¯s shoulder with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re not dead.¡±

    I wanted to tear his fucking arm off for touching what was mine.

    Aurora smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Ivan walked off. Conversation terminated.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, right? He¡¯s pleased I¡¯m not dead? I should worry if he wanted me dead?¡±

    Iughed and kissed the top of her head. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

    I¡¯d hoped to steal my wife away to have some alone time. No such luck. The bride rushed over to us and took Aurora¡¯s hand. She didn¡¯t look my way, and my wife went, holding on to my hand in a final attempt to keep me.

    The bride wrapped her arms around Aurora for some of the pictures. The bride looked to be falling apart, and my wifeforted her.

    I nced at the bridesmaids and spotted Bethany away from the small group, looking spitefully at her sister.

    I didn¡¯t care as I returned my gaze to my woman.

    ¡°What do you know?¡± Ivan asked,ing to join me again.

    ¡°It was sloppy,¡± I said, immediately talking about my wife¡¯s attack. We hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to talk as Aurora¡¯s father had been furious to learn she¡¯d been shot. Not enough toe and visit her. He¡¯d made his displeasure known to Ivan. There had even been talk of Aurora going home so they could protect her. The family couldn¡¯t even stand her and treated her like shit, but the insult was there. They¡¯d still protect family better than us we could. There was no way I¡¯d let my wife go back to her family.

    She belonged to me. No one else. I would never allow her to go.

    ¡°How sloppy?¡±

    ¡°Whoever hired them was not used to doing so, or they wanted it to appear so.¡±

    ¡°Any hunches?¡±

    ¡°One and you¡¯re not going to like it.¡±

    I turned to Ivan and gave him the name, and he instantly shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡±

    ¡°Look at the facts and you tell me that I¡¯m wrong,¡± I said. ¡°Do you think I haven¡¯t tried to find an ulterior motive? Or one of our enemies? This is the only one that makes sense and you know it.¡±

    ¡°Before you act, find out more.¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯ve got physical evidence,¡± I said. My suspicions had been raised several times, but this was the first where I knew what I was talking about.

    The pictures were finished even as the bride tried to get everyone to stay. Aurora held Adide¡¯s hands and began to talk to her. I saw the bride begin to calm, and when Andrei approached, she went with him.

    ¡°Time for the real party to start,¡± Ivan said. ¡°Tell your wife I want her to save me a dance.¡±

    ¡°Not happening,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m the boss.¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯s my wife.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but she wouldn¡¯t be your wife without me. So, I get a dance.¡± Ivan pped me on the back.

    Not if I took all of her dances.

    Aurora rushed over to me, and in front of everyone, she hugged me. ¡°Please tell me Andrei is a good guy and won¡¯t beat her?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Aurora blew out a breath. ¡°When I arrived, Adide was having a panic attack. Bethany had said something to her, and with the dress, she¡¯d snapped. The dress had been altered at the shop, but someone mysteriously brought the wrong size here. I imagine that was Bethany. She¡¯s been spiteful since the moment I arrived, and I bet even before then too.¡± She blew out a breath and nced back.

    The bridesmaids were all getting into the back of the car, and I took Aurora¡¯s arm, leading her away from the nonsense. I agreed to my wife being part of the wedding party, but not leaving my side.

    After she was shot at, I vowed to do better to protect her, and not because of her family.

    ¡°I talked her out of her panic attack. Convinced her that marriage is not so bad.¡± She took my hands.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I told her that ¡­ I was petrified on my wedding night, and I got through it.¡± She smiled up at me. ¡°That I survived and I live to tell the tale. I also mentioned my husband isn¡¯t so bad either.¡±

    I kissed her knuckles. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get to that party.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Adide could have a massive freak-out, and I don¡¯t want her to get hurt.¡±

    This was just another part of my wife I fucking loved.

    I stopped.

    Hell, no.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    I didn¡¯t do love.

    I liked my wife.

    Liked.

    Not loved.

    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Aurora asked.

    I cupped her face and kissed her hard. She touched my face, kissing me back and pressing her whole body against me.

    ¡°Not that I mind you kissing me, but do you want to tell me what the asion is for?¡±

    ¡°Making up for lost time.¡±

    She giggled. ¡°I like it.¡±

    I kissed her again, sliding my tongue into her mouth and reaching down to cup her ass. Let people see. I didn¡¯t care. This was my woman.

    A car horn filled the air, and I broke the kiss to nce over Aurora¡¯s shoulder to see Ivan standing next to a car.

    ¡°Come on, I want a drink. Time to go and party,¡± he said.

    Damn. I forgot we were sharing a car with Ivan. Taking my wife¡¯s hand, I walked toward the car. Ivan had already climbed in, and I allowed Aurora to get in next. I closed the door and nced at Ivan.

    ¡°This is cozy,¡± he said.

    I didn¡¯t want him anywhere near my wife.

    The car pulled away from the curb as Aurora snuggled against me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and Ivan smiled wide.

    ¡°Good to see you two are getting along so well.¡±

    I was tempted to give him the bird, but instead, I kissed my wife¡¯s head. Ivan was still my boss. Best friends we may be, and we¡¯d defied the odds of the Bratva, but I knew if he felt he needed to, he¡¯d take me out in a heartbeat.

    My loyalty was to him, and if he thought for a second it was swayed, he¡¯d take Aurora away from me. That, I couldn¡¯t allow.

 31

    Aurora

    I hated weddings.

    I¡¯d hated my own wedding.

    When I¡¯d been the bride, I shouldn¡¯t have been alone and yet, I had been. So alone. Always alone. At this wedding with Adide, I managed to still be alone. vik had been taken by Ivan and were currently at the table, talking. They appeared to be talking business, so I stood in the corner of the room, nursing a ss of water at vik¡¯s insistence. He didn¡¯t want me to get drunk. The champagne looked tempting. I couldn¡¯t deny it, but I sipped at my water, being ignored.

    Adide kept trying toe to me. Each time she did, Andrei was by her side, holding her close. Had vik told him how she struggled with this entire wedding?

    No one had tried to calm her down, given her points to hope for. Bethany had taken a sick kind of pleasure in taunting her little sister, and it pissed me off. The dance floor had filled up, and as it did, Bethany took Andrei, giving Adide the chance to leave his side. She came to me and instantly wrapped her arms around me.

    I wasn¡¯t used to this.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Adide said. ¡°Would you stay? Live with me? We could run away together.¡±

    Iughed, rubbing my good hand on her back in an effort tofort her. ¡°You¡¯re going to be surprised. Andrei might be an amazing man.¡±

    ¡°Really? He swapped my sister for me. She was his first choice.¡± She pulled back and I saw tears in her eyes.

    An answering ache bloomed in my chest. ¡°My sister is normally the first choice, but my dad ¡­ you know what, you don¡¯t need to know the details. I was given to vik and it has been good. He¡¯s good to me.¡±

    ¡°I heard what happened,¡± Adide said. ¡°How he didn¡¯t kiss you at your wedding. Bethany ¡­ she said some pretty nasty things about you.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not true, at least I hope not.¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°I like you,¡± Adide said. ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t have any friends. Bethany tends to¡­¡± She nced at her sister. ¡°She likes to take them, you know? She¡¯s the most popr one. The person everyone likes. I¡¯m just me.¡±

    I took her hand. ¡°I can¡¯t stay here. I¡¯ve got a life with vik, but you can call me anytime.¡±

    Adide nodded and took a deep breath. ¡°Bethany said Andrei beats his women. I¡¯m ¡­ I don¡¯t like pain, and I¡¯m a virgin. I don¡¯t think I could ¡­ I feel sick.¡±

    I took Adide to the bathroom. She did indeed throw up. I pulled her hair back as she emptied out whatever was in her stomach.

    I felt for this woman. Her life as she knew it was over. I had no idea about Andrei.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, honey.¡±

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t leave.¡±

    There was no way I could let her feel this way. ¡°Trust me, okay.¡±

    ¡°Aurora.¡±

    I let her go. There was only going to be one way to solve this.

    Entering the main dance floor again, I saw Bethany all over Andrei. This wasn¡¯t my business, but I wasn¡¯t about to have another woman feel in any way like I did during a marriage.

    I walked onto the dance floor and grabbed Andrei¡¯s arm. ¡°Can I have a word?¡±

    He immediately let go of Bethany, who protested.

    Without looking her way, I took Andrei off the dance floor toward the bathroom.

    My hands were mmy now that I had him alone.

    ¡°Do you beat your women?¡± I asked.

    The smile on Andrei¡¯s face disappeared. ¡°Does vik know what you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°Your wife is currently in the bathroom throwing up. Bethany has been whispering lies or truths into her ear, and I don¡¯t know what they are. You can hate me, and to be honest, I don¡¯t care. She¡¯s petrified you¡¯re going to hurt her, and this is all Bethany¡¯s fault. All she is doing is following orders.¡±

    Andrei looked toward the bathroom. ¡°She shoulde to me.¡±

    ¡°Try being a young, virginal woman who has been swapped for her sister. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d go and tell your intended exactly how scared you are.¡± Sarcasm dripped from my tone.

    His jaw clenched. ¡°Thank you,¡± Andrei said.

    I didn¡¯t trust him.

    He brushed past me and entered the bathroom. Had I just fucked up?

    I stayed. Holding the bathroom door slightly open and listening.

    They ¡­ talked.

    Andrei asked her what Bethany had said and she answered. I heard his responses.

    When they left the bathroom, I made sure to hide in the shadows.

    Adide spotted me and gave me a smile. I followed them out, going to stand in my secluded section of the dance floor. Bethany approached me, and I tensed up, waiting for the impending fight.

    ¡°You think you¡¯re so smart, don¡¯t you?¡± Bethany asked.

    ¡°No. I think I¡¯m kind and you¡¯re cruel.¡±

    ¡°Oh, please, you saved me. Andrei is an old fossil. If you think I can¡¯t have him again, you¡¯re wrong. I can. Men are so easy. They like pretty women, Aurora.¡± She scoffed. ¡°But then, you wouldn¡¯t have the first clue about that. You¡¯re the pity fuck. The one who was given away by her own family because they couldn¡¯t stand to send their special one. No wonder you and my sister get along. She¡¯s a monstrosity.¡±

    ¡°You tried to ruin your sister¡¯s day.¡± I turned to look at Bethany. ¡°And you failed. Go away. No one wants a spiteful bitch.¡±

    Bethany smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re saying when your husband can¡¯t get enough of me.¡±

    She spun on her heel and left.

    My hands clenched into fists. Deep in my heart, I knew she was a nasty piece of work. The way she flirted with vik drove a pain deep and sharp into my heart, making me feel sick.

    Tears filled my eyes and I tried to hold them in. There was no reason to cry. So she said some horrible things. They were the truth.

    This was my life, all my life. Second best. Hated. Pushed aside. Forgotten. Unloved. I nced down at my hands, trying not to let the emotion overwhelm me.

    It was too much.

    I felt like I was drowning.

    Why did I feel this way?

    These were not new feelings but old ones.

    vik stood up, and I watched with horror as he escorted Bethany onto the dance floor.

    Sinking my teeth into my lip, I couldn¡¯t stand it. Turning on my heel, I headed off the dance floor, going straight to the gardens out back. There was a small patio area and while we¡¯d been inside, rain had started to fall thick and fast.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    My stomach recoiled. I put a hand on my stomach as my eyes swam with tears. I was going to be sick.

    Gripping the edge of the rail, overlooking the garden, the rawness of the stone bit into my fingertips.

    I closed my eyes, the first droplets of tears spilling out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said.

    I took deep breaths, but it was no good. They opened a flood of pain. This was not the time or the ce to be crying, but I couldn¡¯t stop them. I sobbed into the air, slowly sinking down to my knees, still holding on to the stone, trying not to let anything get to me, but it was no good.

    This ¡­ hurt.

    vik¡¯s arms around Bethany. vik being inside her. If what she said was true, would he fall for her charms?

    Arms surrounded me, and I gasped.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± Ivan said.

    This scared the crap out of me, and I scrambled out of his arms, keeping my back to him, trying to hide my tears.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I said. This was ¡­ a nightmare.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide from me,¡± Ivan said.

    I stayed tense, swiping left and right at my cheeks, trying to gain control. Nothing was happening, and I gritted my teeth. Anger rushed through me. This was ¡­ not right.

    ¡°Am I needed inside?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Ivan said. ¡°Andrei won¡¯t leave his wife¡¯s side. They¡¯re dancing now.¡±

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s good.¡± I had no idea what to say.

    Silence fell between us. Ivan didn¡¯t leave.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to see that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d I did. Is vik hurting you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I turned to Ivan and shook my head. ¡°Of course not.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think so, and now I can look into your face.¡±

    Shame washed over me. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. What did Bethany say to you?¡± Ivan asked, arms folded.

    ¡°It was nothing. Just silly girl talk.¡±

    ¡°Silly girl talk has you crying at weddings?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I know, right? It must be all the emotions flying around. It¡¯s fine.¡± I nodded my head.

    ¡°You know, Aurora, many people hate how I came to power. I was a no one. I was a fucked-up mess.¡± He took a step toward me. ¡°People underestimate me.¡±

    I recalled Cara¡¯s words. She¡¯d told me what happened. ¡°Cara told me. She said how you and vik and she worked from the ground up.¡±

    ¡°Did she?¡± Ivan tapped his fingers on the stone railing. ¡°Well, she¡¯s not wrong. I was the stuttering bastard of the original Bratva. An embarrassment and a disappointment.¡± He chuckled. ¡°He was far from those things when I killed him. I¡¯m not like previous men in my ce. I don¡¯t follow the rules or the setup. I¡¯m my own man.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I see the way vik looks at you.¡±

    I paused, not sure what to say or do. How did he look at me? Hopefully not like he wanted to kill me.

    I tried not to panic. ¡°He¡¯s loyal to you.¡±

    ¡°I know what he is. I also know he will do anything within his power to keep you safe. You¡¯re not alone anymore, Aurora.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say this to me.¡±

    Ivan closed the distance between us. He was a giant of a man. As tall as vik and as muscr, but there was a reason he was the boss. This man was scary as fuck. I¡¯d feel sorry for any person who captured his attention.

    Was I judging him?

    He once had a stutter. He¡¯d been cast aside.

    ¡°I know what it¡¯s like to be thrown away as if you mean nothing. This treaty was never about your sister. You were not our second choice.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying. My father made his choice.¡±

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve killed people for less of an insult.¡±

    I tensed up as he reached out to touch me. I didn¡¯t know what he nned to do, but he merely put a hand on his arm. ¡°I knew immediately who he¡¯d give to me, and I didn¡¯t want a fickle bitch in my camp. I wanted a woman who¡¯d been cast aside her whole life. Who had a reputation for being nice and kind, and loyal. I¡¯m not a stupid man, Aurora. I take care of my men, and you were perfect for him.¡±

    With that, he turned on his heel and left.

    What the hell just happened?

 32

    vik

    Bethany was a viperous bitch.

    Her ws were out.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Aurora would lie about me. I¡¯m a good woman. A much better match to Andrei than my sister. She doesn¡¯t have what it takes to please a man like him. I know how to.¡± She tried to press her body against mine. ¡°I can do things that will blow your mind, vik. There is nothing I won¡¯t do for you.¡±

    For the past five minutes, she¡¯d been offering her body up to me. ¡°You¡¯d like that, wouldn¡¯t you? To think you won. That you took Aurora¡¯s husband from her. I know who you are, Bethany, and to be honest, I don¡¯t like what I see or what I hear.¡± I red at her. I was done ying nice. ¡°If I ever hear you talk about my woman, or you hurt her like you did thest time, I will fucking kill you. Do you understand me?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. Aurora is a liar. She can¡¯t stand to have friends, and her aim is to make everyone feel sorry for her.¡±

    This time, I smiled. ¡°You¡¯re wrong, and do you know how I know this? She heard you, Bethany. At thest lunch you shared together. She heard the nasty shit you said about her. I¡¯m telling you to be d you¡¯re a guest at this wedding, and I¡¯ve promised to be on my good behavior. For insulting my wife, I¡¯d make you pay for that. I¡¯d make you scream and beg, and I wouldn¡¯t stop until I carved up your face and tore you to pieces.¡±

    With that, I released her and went out of the room to where I saw my wife disappear.

    Ivan came back through the door.

    No sign of my woman.

    ¡°Aurora¡¯s outside. You do know she¡¯s in a great deal of pain,¡± Ivan said. ¡°The shit that happened long before you ever met her. It gues her.¡±

    ¡°Stay away from my wife,¡± I said.

    ¡°Or what? You¡¯re going to keep more secrets from me?¡± Ivan asked. ¡°Like ¡­ the baby?¡±

    I nced over his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not a secret.¡±

    ¡°She has no idea she¡¯s carrying your baby.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not ready to know and you know she thinks I do everything out of duty.¡±

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°If you do everything out of duty, then follow this order. Tell your woman how you feel and end this misery between the two of you. She¡¯s yours, vik, you just have to take her.¡±

    He brushed past me, and I turned toward him. ¡°I can¡¯t kill her.¡±

    Ivan smiled. ¡°I never said you had to.¡±

    He walked away, and I left the building, finding my wife on the porch, her body pressed against the stone railing. I stepped behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. I heard her sniffle and knew she¡¯d been crying.

    ¡°Do you want me to kill him?¡± I asked, brushing my fingers against her shoulder.

    ¡°No. He didn¡¯t make me cry. How was your dance with Bethany?¡±

    ¡°I made you cry?¡±

    ¡°No, not really. I guess you did. Seeing you with her hurt.¡±

    ¡°I never want to cause you pain.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t make promises like that. I¡¯m ¡­ I¡¯ve got a lot of ¡­ issues.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°We all have a lot of issues.¡±

    ¡°All my life, all I¡¯ve ever been told was that I don¡¯t measure up. I am second best. I am not liked. I¡¯m unlovable, and seeing you with Bethany after she said that you will be with her, that you¡¯d make love to her, it hurt.¡± Aurora turned toward me, tears glistening in her eyes. ¡°I ¡­ I can¡¯t stand the thought of her or any other woman being with you. I know I¡¯m not perfect.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear another word out of that mouth of yours that makes the im you¡¯re not good enough. Screw them, Aurora. You think I don¡¯t know how you feel? I was left to rot in the dirt for years. I fought my way. That fight you witnessed, that was fucking cleanpared to the shit I¡¯ve put up with. I am loyal to Ivan, but I¡¯m also loyal to you. There isn¡¯t going to be another woman. I have no desire to screw around.¡±

    I ran my fingers through my hair. Talking like this didn¡¯te naturally to me, and seeing the pain in her eyes renewed my rage. ¡°I can¡¯t promise your life is going to be easy, but I will do everything I can to make you love this life.¡±

    ¡°Will you be happy?¡± Aurora asked.

    I was confused. ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Will you be happy with me?¡±

    ¡°Have I given you the impression I¡¯m not?¡±

    She smiled and shook her head. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m going to be happy.¡± I kissed her head. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I think so. I just, I don¡¯t know what came over me. I¡¯ve been getting so emotionaltely for no reason at all. I don¡¯t understand it.¡± She shrugged. ¡°This ¡­ wedding. I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s doing to me, but it¡¯s like I can¡¯t stop the pain, and it¡¯s morphing into anger. I¡¯ve never felt this way before.¡±

    There was no one around, and thest thing I wanted to do was join the wedding party again. Adide had stuck by my wife, pulling her away from me. I¡¯d never thought I was the jealous type until Aurora. ¡°Talk to me.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°You know most of it. My dad offering me in ce of my sister. Not even asking me what I wanted. Years and years of not measuring up. Of being second best.¡± Tears swam in her eyes, but I recognized another emotion, anger. I¡¯d rarely seen it in Aurora¡¯s eyes. ¡°Adide feels something simr. It¡¯s not exact, but it¡¯s close. The pain is like more than she can bear. She doesn¡¯t know if she¡¯s terrified of her new husband, or angry that she is just a recement for Bethany.¡±

    Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. ¡°All my life, all I¡¯ve ever been is second best to my sister to everyone around me, including my own family. I¡¯ve been gone nearly ten months and other than one dinner, no calls. No celebration. Nothing.¡± Tears fell from her eyes, and she spun away from me. ¡°Just ignore me. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong. This is all too much.¡±

    I knew what to do.

    Taking her hand, I led her out of the wedding party, away from any prying eyes. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and called Ivan.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving the party early.¡±

    ¡°Did I give you permission for it?¡± Ivan asked.

    I didn¡¯t even hesitate. I kept on walking. ¡°My woman needs me.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    I hung up my cell phone but sent a quick text to my men waiting at the hotel.

    ¡°Wait, what about Adide?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s got people. I¡¯m taking you. No questions asked.¡±

    The driver was smoking as we approached, leaning on the car, ncing down at his cell phone. Heughed before looking up, and the cigarette was gone, cell phone away, and the door was held open for us.

    I told him to take us to our hotel.

    ¡°vik, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Trust me.¡± I took her hands, kissing the knuckles.

    My cell phone went off, and I pulled it from my pocket.

    Ivan: Tell her about the baby.

    I didn¡¯t know why my boss was meddling. Ivan rarely interfered. This was the first time I¡¯d kept anything from him.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Aurora asked.

    She¡¯d been having a meltdown but asked about my well-being. This woman, she was ¡­ I had no words. Cupping her face, I tilted her head toward me and brushed my lips against hers.

    She moaned my name, kissing me back, and damn it, when did a kiss have to be so addictive? I licked across her lips, sucking the bottom one into my mouth, using my teeth to pull it from between hers.

    ¡°vik,¡± she said, moaning louder. Her handnded on my chest, right above my heart.

    Staring into her eyes, I was struck by every single part of her.

    The driver came to a stop, and I exited the car. Opening the door, I held her hand, and together, we walked to the elevator.

    I wasn¡¯t touching her enough. I tugged her close, wrapping an arm around her waist, keeping her tight to me as was physically possible. Kissing the top of her head, I watched the elevator descend rather than go up.

    ¡°vik, we¡¯re not going to our room.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°Trust me.¡±

    She rested against my side, and in the reflection of the doors, I saw her snuggle up against me. No smile teased her lips. She looked sad. I hated it and was about to wipe it from her face.

    The doors opened and I stepped out.

    As per my instructions to my men, the gym was bare. No one was around.

    ¡°vik?¡±

    I moved her past the running machines, the weights, toward the far part of the room. A punching bag hung, looking a little worse for wear, but durable.

    Mitts waited, and I picked them up, securing them to my wife¡¯s hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to fight you. I¡¯d lose.¡±

    ¡°This is not about you fighting me,¡± I said. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know a thing or two about pain? About rejection? About not measuring up?¡±

    ¡°vik-¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± I¡¯d never spoken these feelings to another living soul. ¡°I use it to help make me a better leader. I don¡¯t need people to like me or to care about me. They have to respect me. There is no shame in being who you are. They don¡¯t like you, that¡¯s on them, because, Aurora, when I look at you, I see no fault, no w. I see a woman who is worthy of my attention, and everyone else around here can go get fucked before I let them treat you like that. The Bethanys of this world, they¡¯re everywhere. I can find a hundred of them right here in this building, but I can only find one Aurora. You don¡¯t need topare yourself to them. There¡¯s nothing wrong with you. You¡¯re one of a kind, and that makes you fucking special.¡±

    I cupped her face, tilting her head back to kiss her. ¡°Now, all of that pain, the anger. Feed it. Channel it. Throw it at this, and let it leave you, knowing you¡¯re a better person than most. You don¡¯t need all of that other crap.¡±

    I mmed my fist against the bag, and it swung. ¡°Just unleash it.¡±

    I moved to stand behind the bag, holding it into ce.

    ¡°This feels silly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not. You¡¯re afraid. Don¡¯t be. I¡¯m here. I¡¯ve got you. I¡¯m the only one that can see.¡±

    She licked her lips and held her hands up.

    The first jab at the bag was pitiful. There was no real fight to her, and I got it. She¡¯d never given in.

    All these years, she had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill and look the other way. To hide it deep, deep down. She couldn¡¯t do that. If she did, it was only going to make her feel worse.

    ¡°There is no shame in this, Aurora. Trust me to help you through this. Remember, I wasn¡¯t surrounded by family. I had to earn my ce here. I was kicked out. Ignored. Rejected. I worked the streets for every single crumb. This is my life now. I will never allow another person to treat me like trash. I will crush them. You¡¯re worth everything, Aurora. One day, we¡¯re going to have children. If we have two girls, or three, would you let one or two feel like they didn¡¯t matter because of the most beautiful?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± She mmed her fist against the punching bag.

    It was harder than before. This time, she didn¡¯t need any more encouragement from me. With each hit, I watched the angere to the surface, the sheer agony of everything she¡¯d been through.

    All of it manifested as she took it out on the punching bag. Her hits got harder. The pain clearly starting to morph into something else as she finally let loose. This time, rather than use her fist, she lifted her leg and kicked the bag hard. The dress was so loose that it didn¡¯t constrict her movement.

    Perspiration dotted her brow, and after she finished, she came to me, wrapping her arms around my neck, holding me close. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. This was all on you.¡±

    I ran my hands down her back, my dick hardening as her soft body brushed against mine.

 33

    Aurora

    I floated.

    Staring up at the ceiling, the water carried me as if I was weightless. With my hands resting on my stomach, my mind started to wander.

    After attacking the punching bag, vik had taken me to our room and made love to me for the remainder of the night. It had been glorious. I smiled at the memory alone. His hands all over my body. His lips on mine. His dick filling me.

    Each time even better than thest. I hadn¡¯t wanted him to stop.

    When the morning came, we had no choice but to leave the hotel room and head back to his city.

    We¡¯d been back a week. My birthday was next week, and he¡¯d given no mention of even knowing. Did he know?Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    My birthday had never been a big deal back home with my family. There were usually some presents and a few cards. Never a party. No one wanted to celebrate my birthday.

    Taking a deep breath, I spread my arms out, allowing the feeling topletely consume me.

    This morning, I¡¯d woken up and vomited. vik had been there to rub my back. He¡¯d promised to spend the day with me, but a call had him leaving. Something big was going down at work, and I knew it caused him great concern, but he refused to talk about it. I was there for him regardless. Whatever it was, he could handle it.

    Left alone with nothing to do, with my thoughts, my attention had caught on the calendar. As my sickness started to abate, realization dawned. The morning sickness, the sensitivity to smells. It was all rted.

    Pregnant.

    I had to be. It was the only logical exnation.

    Only, I didn¡¯t know how to go about getting a pregnancy test without alerting my guard or my husband.

    I needed to know the answer.

    Would vik be happy? Would he stop being attentive? Was this new closeness with him a ploy to get into my pants more often?

    My mind was ruining everything in my head, driving me crazy with not knowing. I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of vik only using me for sex. I knew he had a duty to get me pregnant, but for now, I did feel selfish in only wanting to enjoy the two of us together.

    A baby though.

    My hands returned to my stomach. I¡¯d be able to have a child to love and to cherish it in every single way my parents had failed me. I¡¯d never fail my child. If it was a boy, would vik allow me to ¡­ be there? Would he take our son away from me? My daughter?

    Tears filled my eyes, and I gritted my teeth.

    I needed to rify our position, or at the very least, my position in our child¡¯s future. This shouldn¡¯t be something I found out now. There was no way I wasn¡¯t pregnant. The sickness had to be exined that way.

    Releasing my arms, I stared up at the ceiling. I couldn¡¯t spend all day floating my troubles away.

    Arms wrapped around me, dragging me down into the water. I screamed, water filling my mouth.

    I iled against the arms, but they let me go the moment I started to struggle. Breaking free of the water, I turned to find vik, a smile on his face.

    Coughing out the water, I pped him on the chest. ¡°Don¡¯t do that again.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. You didn¡¯t even hear mee in, did you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I pushed my hair back, ncing around to find the guard who¡¯d recently been assigned to me gone.

    ¡°Any news on Gus?¡± I asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s recovering still.¡± Due to the extent of his wounds, a short stint in rehab had been needed. I¡¯d been unaware he¡¯d been shot in the hip, and the damage alone meant he was having to learn to walk again. The surgery had gone well in repairing him. vik usually gave me updates.

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s good. Do you think we should send him a gift basket?¡± I hated that someone was hurt because of me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of it. A man like Gus doesn¡¯t want a gift basket.¡±

    ¡°What did you get him?¡±

    vik¡¯s brow rose. ¡°Do you really need me to say it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Women.

    vik smiled, and it wasn¡¯t an I¡¯m-about-to-murder-you smile. This was an actual, genuine smile. Not scary. He wrapped his arms around me, and I didn¡¯t fight him as he pulled me close. ¡°Do you want to tell me why you¡¯re all alone in the pool?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be pissed if I took my new guy.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± He ran his hands down my back to my waist. I didn¡¯t notice a difference in my stomach. He pulled me close, and I felt the hard ridge of his cock. ¡°Do you have any idea how much I¡¯ve thought about you today?¡±

    He went to the strap of my one-piece bathing suit. My mouth went dry as he lowered it. I didn¡¯t put up a fight as he pushed it past my breasts, going down my body until it was at my waist. He guided it past my hips. Once in the water, it fell slowly to the pool bottom, and I stepped out of it. vik dipped beneath, picking it up, and threw it across the pool for it tond on the edge. ¡°You can put that back onter.¡±

    ncing in the water, I saw he was already naked.

    ¡°How did you get in?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trained to go undetected.¡± He lifted me up in the water. ¡°Put me inside you.¡±

    Even as my face heated, I reached between us, holding his cock. I ced it at my entrance like he¡¯d shown me to do recently. He sank me onto his cock, and we both groaned. The sounds echoed around the room.

    With each inch, I gripped his shoulders, holding on as he took me.

    ¡°Look at me,¡± he said with a growl.

    Opening my eyes, I gave him my full attention with a moan.

    ¡°Fuck, yes. I love the way your cunt feels around my dick. I can¡¯t get enough of you, Aurora. I¡¯m tempted to start taking you back to work with me so I can have you whenever I damn well choose.¡±

    I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pounded inside me.

    Pleasure rushed through me, and I kissed him, not wanting this to end.

    All my troubles faded as I focused on my husband. The impossible man I was falling for. No doubt about it in my mind. I was loving this man in ways I didn¡¯t think possible. He wasn¡¯t nice, nor was he easy. He infuriated me, and at times I knew I hated him, but I couldn¡¯t get enough of him.

    Up and down, he guided me over his length.

    ¡°I want to feel youe all over my cock.¡± He moved us through the waves until my back pressed up against the side of the pool. ¡°Touch your pussy. Let me feel youe all over my dick.¡±

    This always made me feel a little embarrassed. I slid my hand between us, touching my clit. I stroked the bud and gasped.

    vik¡¯s moan was deep, guttural, turning me on as his cock seemed to pulse and get bigger within me.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, baby, fuck, yeah, finger your pussy. Let me feel youe. You like my cock, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, moaning.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    As I yed with my pussy, he started to shallowly stroke within my body. Each thrust driving my arousal higher.

    I fingered my clit, staring into his eyes. Held by his gaze, not wanting to move as I worked my body, bringing myself closer and closer to that glorious peak. When I came, vik held my hips, mming deep inside me. It was like my pussy had something to hold on to and he fed it.

    Driving in deep, fucking me, taking me.

    I couldn¡¯t get enough. I didn¡¯t want him to stop. The pleasure was out of this world.

    The moment I stopped, vik turned into an animal, fucking me with all his might, driving in deep, consuming me, taking me. Each hard thrust of his cock turned me on. I had no choice but to hold on as he took me.

    I wanted this more than anything.

    He mmed inside me. His grip was so tight it would leave bruises. I felt his hardness kick as he filled me with more of his cum.

    This was why I knew I had to be pregnant. We didn¡¯t use protection. We never had.

    vik kissed my lips. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about doing that all day.¡±

    ¡°In the pool?¡±

    ¡°No. I imagined you in our bed.¡±

    My heart fluttered whenever he would talk about us. We, our. I liked it.

    ¡°We got the pool dirty.¡±

    ¡°I own the building. I can pay for them to clean it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if people are going to like us constantly closing off rooms to them.¡± The other day, vik had found me in the gym. My weight-loss goal hade back in full force since we returned. He¡¯d distracted me by taking me over the bench, on my knees. There had been a full mirror in front of us, and as he took me, he made me watch.

    ¡°Do I need to remind you not to care about what people think?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who matters in your world.¡±

    I touched his cheek. ¡°You are the only one that matters.¡±

 34

    vik

    With everything kicking off around me, I didn¡¯t have time to spend with my wife. Another attack on two of my businesses, another brothel, not as high maintenance as Cara¡¯s, as well as a casino, had my men stretched. We were doing constant patrols. There had also been another attempt on Ivan¡¯s life. The bastard hadn¡¯t managed it, but he¡¯d been paid a small fortune with promises to the Volkov Bratva if he seeded. This required me to fly out to Ivan to check on him.

    Much to Ivan¡¯s annoyance, I put him on twenty-four-seven protection. All the brigadiers had supplied men to stay with him at all times. He hated this level of fuss. The bastard who tried to kill him hadn¡¯t seeded, but it had been close. One wrong move, and Ivan would have been dead. As much as Ivan pissed me off, he was the only person in this world who was like a brother to me. I¡¯d die for him. The only other person I¡¯d die for was currently lying naked beside me, sated.

    All day, I¡¯d been making love and fucking my wife.

    This time was a luxury to me. Stolen to have what I wanted. With all the shit going down, and me putting more people into y, the less time I had for this woman. The less time I had, the more I wanted to spend with her.

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking again,¡± she said. ¡°How can you be thinking?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got lots of thoughts.¡± I ran my fingers up the curve of her back. Each time I caught sight of her naked, I found myself looking at her stomach.

    This morning, she¡¯d vomited again. I held her hair back, soothing her, trying to distract her. After her sickness abated, I¡¯d often leave to return to work. This time, I¡¯d stuck around, feeding her dry toast. I¡¯d sent my man off, and Aurora started the morning curled up against me, watching a movie.

    It had been some action movie with a very hot sex scene. We watched together, and I sensed the change in her. The way she turned toward me, almost as if begging for me to touch her, to fuck her, to take her.

    I¡¯d started by running my fingers up her thigh, slowly at first, gradually building until I cupped her between the thighs. The sweatpants she wore were gone within an instant. While the movie yed on, I fingered her to a screaming orgasm, and to reward me for my patience, I¡¯d positioned her across myp, driving her down onto my dick. Her shirt was gone, as was her bra, and there on the sofa, I¡¯d gotten my wife to fuck me. Her tits bouncing, sinking down on my dick, taking me all the way into her cunt. When I came, I¡¯d sat her back and watched my cum spilling out of her pussy. I couldn¡¯t resist pushing it back in.

    That was our first time.

    We¡¯d enjoyed a light lunch, then I finished by eating her pussy and fucking her across the table.

    A shower together, and I¡¯d driven inside her until the water had run cold.

    Now, as wey in bed, her on her stomach, the tempting globes of her ass stuck in the air, I had an idea.

    ¡°Aurora, do you trust me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    I pressed a kiss to her shoulder and climbed off the bed. When she went to move, I ced a hand on her shoulder, telling her to stay still.

    ¡°You¡¯re making me curious now.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Another kiss to the shoulder, and I went to my private drawer inside my closet, taking out the tube of lubricant.

    Returning to the bedroom, I saw my wife being the good girl that she was, not moving an inch, and this made me smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re so good, Aurora. Such a good woman.¡±

    She nced at me, her gaze falling to the tube in my hand. I climbed on the bed and reached for some of the cushions, stuffing them beneath her waist, lifting her ass to my gaze.

    I slid my fingers into her pussy. She was so wet, but then today I¡¯d been very greedy. She was already pregnant, and now my cum didn¡¯t have to just fill her pussy, I could have my fill of every single part of her body, and right now, all I wanted to do was fuck her ass.

    Leaning forward, I brushed my lips against her ear. ¡°Do you trust me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I smiled.

    Plunging two fingers inside her, I stretched her pussy. She rocked back, lifting herself onto my fingers, trying to make herselfe.

    I opened the tube of lubricant and eased my fingers out of her pussy, tracing that thin piece of flesh between her cunt and asshole, and coated my slick digits against her anus. At the same time, I squeeze some of the lube out of the tube, getting her nice and wet.

    She gasped. ¡°vik?¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°Trust me. Remember.¡±

    My virginal wife knew exactly what I was doing. I¡¯d slipped into her library in the spare bedroom. The book she¡¯d been reading had been left on the sofa, the pages spread open. I¡¯d picked it up, realizing my dirty wife had been reading an anal sex scene. I didn¡¯t mind. I had avoided her asshole for fear I¡¯d traumatize her.

    That one scene got me curious. Aurora had a system in her library. I¡¯d watched her organize, and I noticed the books I saw her reading were on one side, with those she had yet to read on another. I¡¯d picked out a couple of her books, flicked through, and saw my wife liked to read romance books with an erotic edge.

    I had no problems exploring my wife¡¯s desires.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked.

    To answer, I pressed a single finger against her asshole. Her tight ring of muscles was stubborn, keeping me out. ¡°You know what I¡¯m doing. Rx. You know how it goes.¡±

    Aurora nced over her shoulder. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I can read too.¡±

    Her eyes went wide. ¡°You¡¯ve read my books?¡±

    ¡°No. I got curious. I¡¯m a little disappointed in you, Aurora. You knew you coulde to me. There was nothing for you to hide.¡± I kept on teasing her anus, stroking her. Sliding my other hand between her thighs, I touched her clit, and this made her moan.

    ¡°Now, you get to y out whatever you fantasized about.¡± With two fingers either side of her clit, I rubbed her and stroked. I pressed the finger at her anus, teasing her tight hole. Distracting her.

    She began to rock against my hand, and this time as I pushed against her anus, I didn¡¯t let up. I made her take a single finger.

    Aurora gasped, but she didn¡¯t tell me to stop.

    My cock was so hard, and all I wanted to do was fuck her hard, but first, I wanted to prepare her, to spread her open.

    When she was close to orgasm, I stopped fingering her pussy. Spreading her left ass cheek, I began to push in a second finger, opening her up. She gasped.

    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. It ¡­ it¡¯s weird.¡± She panted out the word.

    I¡¯d applied plenty of lube to her anus. Letting go of her ass cheek, I pushed some more, working it into her anus as I got both of my fingers inside her. Holding her ass cheek, I spread her open, and she thrust back against my fingers. The action was so slight, but I felt it. My sexy wife wanted this. She wasn¡¯t saying no.

    I stretched her ass out until she drove back on the fingers, begging for me to make here. I wasn¡¯t ready to give in just yet.

    With my third finger, I slid it between the two and began to open her up even more. A whimper escaped her, and I paused, allowing her to get used to the feel of the three.

    ¡°Please,¡± she said.

    ¡°Do you want my cock?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I didn¡¯t give her my dick straight away. My cock was already slick with pre-cum, and I worked my fingers into her ass, getting her ustomed to it. She was mindless on the pleasure. Her ass was a beacon, calling to me to take it.

    I¡¯d been a gentleman up until now, by my patience would onlyst so long. I removed my fingers, grabbed the lube, soaked my cock, and then I had the tip at her tight entrance which had closed up after my fingers left it.

    She¡¯d open for me.

    I was rock-hard.

    Aurora tensed up, and I ordered her to y with her pussy. This time, as I sank inch by tight glorious inch into her ass, she could bring herself to orgasm. The moment she had more of my cock in her ass, I grabbed her ass cheeks, spreading them wide so I could watch as she took it all.

    The sight alone was enough to make me spunk, but I gained control. I sank to the hilt, my balls pping against her cunt. Her moans filled the air. I counted to ten before I began to rock. Going in and out, slow easy strokes.

    ¡°How does it feel?¡±

    A moan. ¡°Amazing, I think.¡±

    I smiled.

    Each stroke on her clit had her ass tightening around me. My balls were so heavy. I wanted toe, but I took my time, allowing her to get ustomed to my dick in her ass. This wasn¡¯t easy.

    She was fucking glorious. Tight, hot, virginal, giving. Aurora was everything.

    ¡°Please!¡±

    That one word was all I needed.

    I began to harden my strokes, going a little harder, driving inside her, fucking her, taking her.

    I heard Aurorae, and I felt it around my cock as her asshole became even tighter. My orgasm was so close, and as I filled her ass, it spilled from the tip, filling her asshole. I didn¡¯t pull out even after the pleasure faded. I stayed deep inside her. Copsing over her, but not giving her all of my weight, I kissed her neck.

    ¡°Have I ever told you how amazing you are?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No.¡± She giggled. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we just did that.¡± She pushed her hair from her face. ¡°I loved doing that.¡±

    ¡°All you¡¯ve got to do is ask.¡±

    ¡°Sure, because asking for you to give me ¡­ anal is a random conversation piece.¡±

    This time, I chuckled. ¡°I know from what I read in those dirty books this is not all that you want, is it?¡±

    Sheughed. ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t believe you read my books. Don¡¯t you have anything more interesting to do with your time?¡±

    ¡°Lots.¡± But all I¡¯d wanted was to know more about my wife, what made her tick. ¡°And now as per your books, I think it¡¯s only fair that I clean you.¡±

    She groaned, and Iughed as I pulled out of her but lifted her in my arms, carrying her through to the bedroom.

 35

    Aurora

    I watched vik across the dining room table. Today was my birthday, and after spending the week waking up to his kisses and making love, he hadn¡¯t been there. Already dressed and ready for work. I stood before him in my night shirt and shorts, which I pulled on in a hurry.

    ¡°Morning,¡± I said, sipping at my tea. Coffee still made me feel sick

    He looked up from his cell phone. ¡°Hey, baby, good morning.¡±

    I smiled. I loved it when he used sweet words like that. ¡°Busy morning?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got to head into the office early.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Still no mention.

    I wasn¡¯t about to tell him it was my birthday and see the horrible realization that he¡¯d forgotten. This was kind of like any other breakfast back at home. No one cared. They all went about their own business.

    Pressing my lips together, I took another sip of my tea. I refused to be sad on this day. I¡¯d spent a lot of birthdays alone. Today would be another one in a long list.

    Thinking about the day and how we¡¯d been the past week, I turned toward my husband and watched him. He clicked away at his cell phone, and I put my tea down. I walked toward him and leaned against the table.

    ¡°vik, there is something I always wanted to try.¡± My hands shook as nerves took over.

    He put his phone down and looked up. ¡°There is?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Do you trust me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    His response surprised me. At first, I hesitated, shocked by his word, then I did no more than sink to my knees in front of his chair. There was enough space for me to fit. Putting my hands on his knees, I slid them up until I got to his zipper.

    His hands were on the outside of his legs, and he made no move to help me as I worked the zip down.

    ¡°Tell me what you want,¡± he said.

    My heart raced. Heat pooled between my thighs. Nerves hit me hard. ¡°I want to ¡­ suck your cock.¡±

    Did that sound corny? Porn star-ish? I had no idea, but this was what I¡¯d been thinking about each time he went down on me. I loved his mouth on my pussy. The pleasure of his tongue as it danced across my clit. For a while now, I¡¯d been thinking about reciprocating the offer, only, nothing hade up.

    ¡°You want to suck my cock?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Insecurity rushed through me as I sat back. ¡°Unless you don¡¯t want me to.¡± I¡¯d assumed he would. Rejection was a hard thing to swallow, but it was my birthday, just another thing to add to my bad memories.

    vik opened his belt, then his button, before taking out his cock. He wasn¡¯tpletely hard, but as he worked from the tip down to the root and back again, I looked into his eyes. ¡°Babe, I¡¯ve got no problems with you wanting to suck on my cock. Why today? Is it a special asion?¡±

    I kept the smile on my lips even as his words cut me to the core. Rather than voice my feelings, I wrapped my fingers around his length. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to tell me what to do.¡± Every time I brought up myck of experience, it seemed to drive him crazy, and I enjoyed it.

    ¡°First, you¡¯re going to want to lick it. Use your tongue, taste me.¡±

    I moved forward, shuffling on my knees. With vik holding his cock up for me, I licked from the root down to the tip. The taste and feel of him were so strange. Hard as he was getting, so the more he held himself, and soft at the same time. A hint of salt hit my tongue as I flicked across the little slit in the top of his cock.

    Gliding down the opposite side, I licked his cock.

    ¡°Now, put your lips on the tip, and slowly sink your mouth on my dick.¡±

    With my gaze on him, I wrapped my lips around the head. He was even harder now, and I tucked my hair behind my ear, taking his cock into my mouth, feeling him go down until he hit the back of my throat. I stopped and quickly eased back,ing off his length.

    ¡°Keep doing it.¡± He held himself still, and I worked his cock with my mouth, sucking him to the back of my throat.

    After a few seconds, he released his length and I took hold of him. He wrapped his fingers in my hair and began to guide me over his length, making me take more of him. Even as I gagged, he held my head in ce and started to thrust up into my mouth.

    I moaned.

    With each thrust, the taste of him got stronger in my mouth.

    ¡°Fuck. Yes. Fuck. That feels so fucking good.¡± In and out he pumped, and I couldn¡¯t resist looking at him.

    His gaze was on me.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to stop or you¡¯re going to get a mouthful of cum.¡±

    I kept my lips on his cock, and as he came, I was shocked by the jerk of his release as it filled my mouth. On instinct, I swallowed him down, relishing the taste of him as he hit the back of my throat.

    His tight grip on my hair pulled me off his length, and I sat back, wiping at my wet lips to dry them.

    vik had closed his eyes as he came. Finally, he opened his eyes, and I smiled at him. He stroked my face, and no words were needed.

    The moment was interrupted by the shrill of his cell phone. I stayed on the floor, kneeling as he answered.

    I saw the sudden change in him.

    ¡°On my way.¡± He got to his feet.

    I shuffled out of my spot and followed him. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Worry filled me.

    ¡°It¡¯s Ivan. His home was attackedst night. He¡¯s in the hospital. They don¡¯t know if he¡¯s going to make it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to head out there,¡± vik said.

    ¡°Let mee with you.¡±

    ¡°No! You¡¯re staying here. Don¡¯t argue with me. I can¡¯t take care of you and do my job. Just stay here.¡±

    He stormed out of the penthouse suite, and I stood alone.

    No one was around. I wrapped my arms around my waist.

    The door opened, and in walked one of my bodyguards. He averted his gaze, and I nced down to see I was still dressed in my pajamas.

    I left the corridor, going to the bedroom. The bed was made as I¡¯d done it after I got up. A force of habit. Sitting on the edge, I stare at the door. My birthday. Yay.

    Tears filled my eyes, and the taste of vik was bitter on my tongue. Getting to my feet, I rushed into the bathroom. I grabbed the nearest toothbrush, dolloped on a good amount of paste, and got to work on my teeth, trying to wipe the memory from my mind. With my gaze on my reflection, I couldn¡¯t help but look at my stomach.

    I finished brushing my teeth and lifted my shirt, turning to the side. I had to be going crazy.

    There was a bump. Not a huge noticeable one, but I saw it. The bump was there.

    vik had distracted me from finding out the truth. I needed to know if I was going to be a mom, or what any of this meant.

    Dropping my hands, I changed into a pair of jeans and arge shirt. I slipped on a pair of pumps and left the bedroom.

    ¡°I need you to take me to a pharmacy,¡± I said to the guard. I couldn¡¯t remember his name, I thought it was David or something. After everything that happened with Sergei, I didn¡¯t get close to the men who guarded me. It was safer for me to just be who I was, away from it all.

    He pulled out his cell phone.

    ¡°There is no reason to call my husband. He doesn¡¯t need to know his wife requiresdy products.¡±

    The man ¡­ paled.

    What was it with men anddy products? It was as natural as breastfeeding.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to drive me to the pharmacy. I can go in and be out in a sh. No big deal.¡± I forced a smile to my lips.

    ¡°Mr. Ivanov needs to know.¡±

    ¡°I know, and you can tell him after, okay? He is busy at the moment, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware. Do you want to be known as the guard who interrupted my husband¡¯s journey with details of his wife¡¯s purchases at a pharmacy?¡±

    I talked really fast, trying to get my point across.

    This could backfire.

    I wanted to find out if I was pregnant before I even let vik know I was. If I wasn¡¯t, no big deal. If the stick read yes, then my life was about to change.

    The guard hesitated, and my patience ran thin.

    ¡°Okay.¡± The guard went to grab my arm, but I stepped forward, rushing out of the apartment. My hands shook as we waited for the elevator.

    At the ground parking, he held my door open for me, and I slid inside.

    Once outside in the open air, I took a deep breath, trying not to think about what all of this could mean.

    The first pharmacy we came to was still closed. The second one had a line outside, and at the third, my nerves were frayed.

    He parked the car and as he made to get out, I put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Keep an eye on me from the car. I promise I¡¯m just going in to buydy products. I don¡¯t need an entourage.¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Ivanov.¡±

    ¡°I will tell my husband lies if you don¡¯t do this,¡± I said. I never threatened anyone in my life. After what my sister did, I always tried to be a nice charge. Today was not the day. It was my birthday. I was all alone. My husband had taken off. I was at the end of my patience.

    Without another word, I climbed out and entered the pharmacy. I went immediately to the pregnancy tests then to thedy products, picking the brand I liked and the style.

    At the counter, I paid with what change I had and offered the man behind the counter a smile.

    ¡°I hope congrattions are in order,¡± he said.

    I smiled. ¡°Me too.¡±

    He winked at me, and I took my bag, exiting the pharmacy to get back into the car. The driver ignored me. I¡¯d angered him. Guilt rushed through me, but I didn¡¯t apologize. He took me straight to the apartment. Back inside, I ignored him and went to the bathroom.

    With still shaking hands, I read the instructions on the back of the box. Sickness coiled in my gut. It was just peeing on a stick.

    Minutester, hands washed, I stared at the stick, watching as it changed, and my life as I knew it would follow suit.

    I was pregnant. vik had done what the boss had ordered.

    My son or daughter would inherit this legacy, would one day stand in vik¡¯s ce. Actually, no, just my son. If I had a boy.

    Copsing to the floor, I put both of my hands to my stomach.

    vik and I were only just getting along, finding a life with each other. Was it all a trick for this baby?

    Closing my eyes, I leaned my head against the wall.

    My birthday. I should have known it wasn¡¯t going to be a good day.

    When the bedroom door mmed open, I jolted to my feet, throwing the test into the trash bin as the guard who now hated me pushed the bathroom door open. He held a phone.

    He didn¡¯t say a word as I took it.

    Holding the phone, I put it to my ear. ¡°Hello,¡± I said.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Aurora, it¡¯s me.¡±

    It was vik.

    I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°How are you? How is Ivan?¡±

    ¡°Ivan Volkov is dead.¡±

    Those very words rang in my ear. I dropped the phone.

    What did this mean?

    Fear rushed through my body.

    Someone had tried and seeded in taking out the Volkov Bratva leader. This had ramifications.

    Tears filled my eyes. My hands went to my stomach. I dropped the cell phone in the process, trying to understand what I¡¯d just heard. None of it made any sense.

    The guard picked up the cell phone, but I didn¡¯t hear what he said to vik. Nothing mattered to me right now. How had we gone from the happiness of what seemed like a few hours ago to the chaos of now?

    Sinking to my knees, I put my hands against my head. The dull throbbing made me feel sick.

    I was pregnant.

    My husband¡¯s boss had just been killed.

    My baby stood no chance ofing into a happy home.

    I had to tell vik we were going to have a baby.

 36

    vik never came home.

    The day passed, turning into a second, then a third. He didn¡¯t call. No messages came through from his guards. They changed. One maning, another leaving. For a week, this happened.

    My birthday had to have been the worst on record.

    I stood at the kitchen counter, a hand on my stomach. I found myself doing this more often than I should.

    Wondering. Trying to figure out about the future.

    My family hadn¡¯t called. My parents sent no condolences to me, no birthday wishes either.

    With a drink of water in hand, I walked toward the window and stared out across the city. I hated this window. The view. The heights.

    People walked around without a single care in the world. There was no pain waiting for them. They could have children and be happy to raise them in this world. They heard about the terror and violence on the news, but it rarely reached them at their front door.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Hey, little one. I ¡­ I will protect you and love you. I promise.¡± I whispered the words so the guard didn¡¯t hear.

    They had amazing hearing.

    The silence from vik made me feel sick. Ivan Volkov was dead. I had no doubt vik would take over, lead the other brigadiers through this time. What my husband inherited, I shuddered to think. If I allowed myself even a moment to consider what was at stake, I questioned my position at his side.

    Would he even want me?

    I wasn¡¯t ¡­ the kind of wife the boss would have. Ivan didn¡¯t even have a wife nor a girlfriend, or an intended.

    Sipping at my water, I wondered where I stood. Since vik had gone silent, I had to wonder if he was nning on getting rid of me. Ivan started our marriage. The peace treatysted between my family and his. I was the ordered bride. The constion prize.

    My hands shook.

    Would I be kicked out?

    My family would never take me back. People would look at me andugh.

    Stop it, Aurora. You have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.

    vik and I weren¡¯t a love match. I rubbed at my chest. The piercing pain was more than I could bear. My stomach knotted.

    Over the months, my feelings for my husband had changed. This silence between us only confirmed what I knew. I loved him and I hated it. I loved a man who might never love me back.

    Tears filled my eyes and I closed them, trying not to allow them to fall back.

    Not happening. I was not going to cry. I would stay strong. Nothing would make me weak.

    I loved my husband, and after all this time, I would learn to love him even as he hated me.

    A sudden knock at my front door made me pause. The guard turned and walked toward the door. I remained near the window, basking in self-pity. Pregnant. Alone. Miserable and in love.

    Just kill me now.

    Rubbing at my temples, I looked up to see Cara.

    ¡°Hi, darling!¡± She rushed toward me and pulled me into my arms. The action caused my water to spill over the edge. ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy with work. Utterly swamped.¡± She let out a sniffle. ¡°I came over as soon as I could. vik, he has been ¡­ this is tough for the two of us.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not with him?¡±

    ¡°No. Someone had to be here. You know how it goes.¡±

    I stared at Cara. Her face wasn¡¯t puffy or red. Her eyes glistened, but they were not bloodshot. I spent a lot of time crying, especially these past few days, and I looked a mess. My eyes were swollen, bloodshot. Even around my eyes was sore from wiping away the tears. I hadn¡¯t known Ivan Volkov for a long time, not even intimately as a friend, but I still mourned his loss. Bad man or not, he¡¯d only shown me nothing but kindness.

    ¡°You must be hurting?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am. It ¡­ it has been a struggle to get up in the mornings. If it wasn¡¯t for vik giving me work. He knows what I need to get me through this trying time.¡± She put a hand to her stomach and took a breath. ¡°I loved Ivan so very much.¡± The same hand went to her mouth and she turned away.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for your loss.¡± I felt ¡­ numb.

    ¡°I¡¯d have been here sooner. With vik off dealing with the funeral arrangements and of course bringing those responsible to justice. We will not let this stand. We will fight.¡± Cara¡¯s face turned into a frown. Her hand clenched into a fist.

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    I sipped at my water, noting the spige on the floor. Brushing past Cara, I went to the kitchen, acting on autopilot as I grabbed a cloth and returned to clean up the mess.

    ¡°Honey, are you okay?¡± Cara said.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem fine. You¡¯re acting really strange.¡±

    I rubbed the floor until it was dry. I didn¡¯t know if the few lunch dates Cara and I had been on constituted us as friends. My baby was currently my top priority. I loved my child so much already.

    Talking to Cara about my pregnancy was not high on my list. ¡°You talked to vik?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He is struggling, as I¡¯m sure you can imagine,¡± Cara said.

    I nced at Cara, and she watched me. Head tilted to the side. Her voice sounded strange to me.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t called me. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s going through.¡± I stood, taking the towel to the sink as my words sank in to my own ears.

    vik, my husband, had called Cara before he¡¯d even talked to me. Had our time together meant nothing? I knew the truth, and it hurt more than all the other rejections I ever felt.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s not a big deal. Vik is aplicated guy.¡±

    Vik. The name some of his friends called him. ¡°I guess.¡±

    ¡°You know what, we¡¯re going out to lunch. No questions asked. My treat.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it.¡±

    Cara tutted. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll talk to your guard. He can drive us. It¡¯ll be fun.¡±

    So that was how I ended up in the back seat of a car, dressed in a pair of jeans and a shirt, sitting next to a really beautiful woman, being driven across town to a quaint little cafe.

    ¡°I will say I need to make a pit stop first. It won¡¯t be long.¡± She gave directions to my guard, and I sat back, hands on my stomach. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Good. Good. We¡¯re getting so close to Christmas. It¡¯s always a busy time, the festive holidays. Men cannot stand being at home with their women and theye to see me and my girls.¡±

    Cara continued to chat incessantly. I stopped listening, staring out the window at the passing scenery.

    The car came to a stop, and I didn¡¯t notice or recognize any of the buildings. vik had taken me all over the city to his different venues and enterprises. He was a very rich man and an astute businessman.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Come on.¡± Cara climbed out of the car.

    My guard followed suit as we walked toward the old rundown factory. It wasn¡¯trge, perhaps a two-story building, but on a small scale. The sign on the side had decayed and the paint had chipped away from years of neglect.

    Cara opened the door and we entered. The scent of dust filled the air. I spotted a couple of rats up ahead, and I screamed.

    The unmistakable sound of a gunshot filled the air, and I spun around to see Cara holding a gun. My guard was dead. The wound to the head had sprayed all over the walls. My stomach instantly recoiled, and I bent forward, vomiting.

    ¡°So fucking disgusting.¡±

    I finished throwing up, and Cara grabbed me by my long hair and dragged me through the factory.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked.

    Pain rushed through my head at the grip she had on my skull. None of this made any sense.

    Why had she killed my guard?

    Had vik sent her to kill me?

    She threw me across the room, and I hit the side of a table, using my hands to take more of the impact so I didn¡¯t catch my stomach.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it was so difficult to get to you,¡± Cara said. ¡°I mean, why you?¡± She tutted.

    ncing at Cara, I saw she¡¯d led us into arge open space. Several tables looked modern, and I saw paperwork sprawled out. Boards were hung, and I caught pictures of myself, vik, and Ivan. Along with notes of locations, times, and then I saw the images of the man who had attacked me the night of the banquet.

    Cara smiled. ¡°Yes, look your fill. You really should. After all, your husband is going to find this and everyone is going to know how I stopped you. Of course it will mean an end to the treaty with the Italians, which is fine. They¡¯re easy to stop, and we¡¯ll soon be taking over their turf.¡± She clicked her fingers.

    ¡°What is all of this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°This ¡­ this is twenty-plus years of being kept on the bottom. Twenty years of being overlooked. Twenty years of allowing dicks to rule. Not anymore it¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°You did this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, darling, you did. You and your traitorous family. All along, it was a ploy and a game to infiltrate Ivan¡¯s Bratva. To weaken them from within. You, my sweet, arranged for all of the killings. All of the attacks, and you paid for them until you got the one you wanted, Ivan Volkov. Son of a bitch never saw iting.¡± Cara tutted. ¡°He should have known not to deal with me, but what can I say? They¡¯re fucking brain dead when ites to a woman in charge.¡±

    I stood up and looked at all the nning. There was so much detail. After all this time, Cara hadn¡¯t been loyal to them. She¡¯d bided her time until the right moment where she could take them out.

    ¡°You were always going to kill Ivan?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re going to be dead soon, I suppose I can tell you that I never nned to kill Ivan. Not in the beginning. He was a sweet guy, deadly, vicious, and all that, but I liked him. I don¡¯t do love. We had a business arrangement, and I have to say, for the most part, he kept to his side of the bargain.¡±

    ¡°What changed? You got the life you wanted.¡±

    ¡°What changed?¡± Cara rushed toward me. Her hand suddenly wrapped around my neck. She was so strong, and I held on to her wrist, trying to stop her from choking me to death. ¡°You changed fucking everything. My rightful ce was by Ivan¡¯s side. If not his, then vik¡¯s. That¡¯s my ce, but you, you came along and ruined everything. Then Ivan, he thinks he can marry his men off one by one and nothing woulde of it. I saved them on those fucking streets, and now, they¡¯re going to be mine. I¡¯m going to show vik what a nasty cunt you are. He¡¯ll want me, and then I¡¯ll be by his side ruling this ce as it was meant to be. The new order is not for now. I don¡¯t believe in peace. I want war.¡±

    The Cara I thought I knew was an act. She changed right before my eyes. The violence simmered within her.

    ¡°vik will never believe you.¡±

    ¡°No?¡± she asked. ¡°You think he¡¯d believe you after how long he¡¯s known me? You don¡¯t stand a chance, Aurora. I am sorry for all of this. You are a means to an end.¡±

    I stared at Cara, shocked as she raised the gun at me.

    She tensed, and I closed my eyes. No bullet came.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    I had no time to move as the sound of the door being broken in filled the air. Within a matter of seconds, vik and his men were there.

 37

    vik

    I listened to Cara¡¯s usations. My wife on her knees, tears filling her eyes as she looked at me.

    All the while, a perfect story painted for all to hear. I saw my men and Ivan¡¯s, and their anger grew with each word spoken.

    My wife.

    The woman I¡¯d fallen in love with was a traitor?

    ¡°You see, vik, we can¡¯t let her leave here. Look at the damage she has caused. I told Ivan he never should have done the treaty. You, yourself, fought against it.¡±

    I stared at Aurora. She made no sound. No defense.

    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course, I trust you,¡± Cara said. Her hands touched my shoulder. ¡°How could I not? I brought her to you. I knew you¡¯d follow me to protect me. You love me.¡±

    The buzz in my pocket alerted me to the next step, and I turned to Cara. I dropped the gun and stroked her cheek. She was a good friend, the best. Through thick and thin, she¡¯d been there for me and for Ivan.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you,¡± I said, grabbing her head and shoving her down to the ground as she screamed.

    My men tensed up.

    ¡°Do you really think bringing my wife to this factory was all it was going to take? All this information gathered together, pointing the finger of me at my woman?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. She has polluted your mind, Vik. This is not you. Please, someone, stop him. He¡¯s a traitor to Ivan. Kill him. Please, kill him.¡±

    I pointed my gun at Cara¡¯s head.

    ¡°You thought you could get away with it, but Cara, the moment you started to steal from Ivan, I knew. I knew the funds being taken, the men who started to attack. You¡¯re not the brightest woman. All you¡¯ve ever been able to sell is your cunt. Sex is all you know and you think you could take this from Ivan? From me!¡±

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of my men approach my wife, and I raised my gun. ¡°You touch her, and I will fucking kill you.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a traitor, boss.¡±

    I shot him in the leg and turned to look at all of my men. ¡°Now would be a good time for you toe out.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    ¡°I rather like the suspense and drama,¡± Ivan Volkov said, removing the hat and scarf he¡¯d used to cover himself so I could get him on a ne and back to my city.

    Cara gasped. ¡°Ivan. I knew it. I knew you were alive. Please, tell him to stop. You know I would never hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, honey. You were sloppy, darling,¡± Ivan said. He looked around at the information Cara had left.

    I¡¯d known from the start of the attacks she had something to do with it. At first, I wasn¡¯t sure why. The little crumbs she¡¯d left me to work with didn¡¯t give anything away. The money she stole was used to take Ivan out, but as she did, she got sloppy.

    Cara was never much of a thinker or a nner.

    ¡°This is all Aurora and those Italian bastards!¡±

    Ivan moved toward my wife and offered her a hand. ¡°I am so very sorry for all of this mess.¡±

    My wife continued to shake.

    I¡¯d pointed a gun at her to y along, to draw Cara away from my wife so she¡¯d be out of harm¡¯s way. I still held a firm grip on Cara¡¯s hair, but all I wanted to do was go to my woman, to pull her into my arms, to kiss her, to tell her it was going to be okay.

    Tears fell from her cheeks.

    ¡°Oh, Cara, you were doing so well. I have to say when vik told me of your involvement in this months ago, I told him he was lying. There was no way you¡¯d hurt me or the Bratva.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t. You know this. You know me.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. I know you and I told him to get the proof. Until I happened to overhear this.¡± He lifted his cell phone and yed the recording he got.

    ¡°Remember, do note back until Ivan is dead. I want him gone. Send me a picture if you have to, and I will make sure your debt is removed. You will not owe me a thing. The Bratva will be mine, Cara¡¯s.¡±

    Ivan clicked off his cell phone. ¡°I¡¯m a cautious guy. Men can be bought, as can women. Nothing is ever sacred anymore, so I designed my own security system. I know when people are in my house, Cara. Your guy was dead before he even finished the call. You finished that conversation with me.¡±

    Cara¡¯s face went pale.

    Ivan had called me. Told me exactly what to do and so I did. I left my wife and immediately went to his side. I made the final announcement of his death, and with it, we waited, making our way back to my city where Cara refused to leave. I knew something was going down today the moment I watched her enter my apartment building. Aurora¡¯s guard had called me as soon as Cara entered. His call had stayed with me until the moment he died. His family would be taken care of.

    ¡°No. No. No,¡± Cara said. ¡°You¡¯re lying. You¡¯re bluffing. It¡¯s all that whore¡¯s fault.¡± She started to cry, but the tears never made an appearance.

    Ivan crouched down to be on her level. ¡°You want to tell me what is going on?¡±

    Cara went silent. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know about her? You think I didn¡¯t know when you changed our ns?¡±

    Ivan¡¯s jaw clenched.

    ¡°You¡¯re never going to be happy with her. I won¡¯t allow it. I will hunt you down, and I will kill you,¡± Cara said. ¡°You and vik, you¡¯re both mine, and you gave him away. It was supposed to be us three against the world.¡±

    ¡°Cara, you had the job you wanted. You had everything you wanted. I offered you more power and you refused.¡±

    I¡¯d been there when Ivan had told her to take any city or cities as her own. She¡¯d told him no. All she wanted was her own brothel. To control men. To help him from the ground. We¡¯d always epted that. I put as much protection on her as Ivan did.

    We grew up together. Our lives were bound with one another, but Cara, she wasn¡¯t the same person.

    ¡°I know what you have to do,¡± Cara said. ¡°Do it. You think I won¡¯t do it again? Next time, I¡¯ll be better. Next time I¡¯ll make sure every single person you love is dead long before I put a bullet in your head. I¡¯ll make you all suffer. This ¡­ this will be a party inparison.¡±

    Ivan pulled out his gun as Cara continued to rant, pressed the muzzle against her head, and pulled the trigger. I let her go.

    Her corpsey on the ground.

    I looked at Ivan for a split second before I went to my woman. Aurora copsed against me with a sob. Her body shook in my arms, and I ran my hands all over her, trying to make sure she was okay. To find any sign that she was hurt.

    ¡°She was crazy,¡± Aurora said. ¡°You were going to kill me.¡±

    I cupped her face. ¡°No. I was never going to kill you. I¡¯ve seen how Cara is, and I knew she¡¯d hurt you. She would have killed you, Aurora. All I did was get her away from you.¡±

    I mmed my lips down on her lips, not caring about the men who surrounded us. They were already following Ivan¡¯s orders, dealing with the body and the cleanup. All the information Cara had gathered would be destroyed. Breaking the kiss, I stared into my woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°I love you.¡± I spoke the words slowly so she wouldn¡¯t have any room for doubt.

    The amazement on her face made meugh. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in love with you.¡± I could have lost her. One wrong move today and she ¡­ no, there was no way I¡¯d let it happen. I refused to even think of losing her. ¡°I will never hurt you, Aurora. Never. You are my fucking life, and not just because of the baby.¡±

    ¡°You know?¡±

    I groaned. ¡°I¡¯ve known since the attack at the restaurant. I know you heard Ivan. I didn¡¯t want you to think I knocked you up onmand. I got you pregnant because I can¡¯t take my hands off you. I¡¯m in love with you, Aurora. So much so, you drive me crazy.¡± Reaching into my back pocket, I pulled out the folded tickets I had stored there. Cara had messed with my ns. ¡°I wanted to give you this on your birthday, but Cara, she ¡­ you know how it is.¡±

    Aurora looked up with tears in her eyes. ¡°You remembered my birthday?¡±

    ¡°I never forgot it. How could I forget one of the best days? You were born on it.¡±

    ¡°Fucking gross. You¡¯re supposed to be my fucking beast, and here you are spilling your heart out.¡± Ivan made a vomiting noise.

    I kissed my wife before turning toward my best friends. He looked sad. Our men were all gone. ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°The cleaning crew is outside. I figured I¡¯d let you finish your little deration before I brought you in.¡± He turned to Aurora. ¡°It¡¯s nothing special he¡¯s gotten you. A month alone with him on a honeymoon vacation. In the meantime, I get to step in here and deal with his shit.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re babysitting,¡± I said. ¡°Nothing more.¡±

    Ivan rolled his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

    He looked pissed off. Not that I could me him. Cara, Ivan, and I went back a lifetime. We were each other¡¯s best friend. The one person in the whole world we could rely on.

    Leaving the building, I put Aurora in my car and told her to stay. I walked to Ivan, who stood watching as the building began to burn.

    ¡°I thought you said the cleaning crew was here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It is. They¡¯re doing what I told them.¡±

    I nced over at the building. The mes were engulfing it, taking up all of Cara¡¯s betrayal in smoke. ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It just goes to show you never really know anyone, right? Cara was supposed to be on our team.¡±

    ¡°Who did she mean?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It sounded to me like she thought you betrayed her. Who was the woman?¡±

    Ivan smirked. ¡°There is no woman.¡±

    The lie was easy to detect.

    ¡°Remember who we are, vik,¡± Ivan said, putting his sunsses on. ¡°And if you ever betray me, your wife will belong to me. I¡¯ll keep you alive just to make me watch you hurt her.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t ever betray you.¡±

    He looked at the house. ¡°Funny, Cara once said the same thing.¡±

    There was a difference between me and Cara. I wasn¡¯t in love with Ivan, and I didn¡¯t feel cheated.

    I watched as Ivan climbed into his car, and he snapped his fingers for his driver to start moving.

    I went back to Aurora.

    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± she asked.

    ¡°For us, yes. For Ivan, that I can¡¯t tell.¡± I cupped her cheek, drawing her in close. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get to wish you a happy birthday.¡±

    She smiled. A true, honest, full-faced smile, and I was smitten.

    ¡°I wanted to hate you,¡± I said.

    ¡°And now you love me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You always told me that you were second best, but I promise you, Aurora, you¡¯ll always be my first.¡± I took possession of her mouth, holding her tight to me. The building in mes faded behind us.

    I was never going to let this woman go. She never stood a chance.

    I loved her. There was no denying that, and I never intended to hold back. Aurora would have all of me, the parts I didn¡¯t let anyone else see.

    ¡°vik,¡± Aurora said.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I love you.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Call me Vik.¡±

 Epilogue

    Aurora

    Five yearster

    We¡¯d left the penthouse apartment after my first pregnancy, and Vik found us a country home. It was a modest seven-bedroom set back in the countryside with a nice expanse of garden. He made sure to have a pool as well as a gym installed on the grounds. There was always plenty of guards.

    Ever since Cara¡¯s betrayal, Ivan stopped allowing anyone to get close to him. He didn¡¯t ept visitors, and he¡¯d even kept Vik at arm¡¯s length. We wouldn¡¯t let him break off his friendship. Even though he terrified me, I always extended dinner invitations as well as special invites for him toe. He kept most of them.

    Christmas was the only time I saw the real man, not the boss, the man in charge. Our kids loved him.

    Our firstborn we¡¯d named vik Ivan Ivanov. When we told Ivan his name, he¡¯d burst outughing, but we¡¯d seen the joy in his face.

    Our little girl came a yearter. It would seem vik was addicted to getting me pregnant. We named our daughter Hope. Last year, I¡¯d given birth to another son, and true to my husband¡¯s nature, he¡¯d named him Ivan vik Ivanov. Yeah, I wasn¡¯t exactly sure about that one, but he wouldn¡¯t budge. Strong names for his boys.

    ncing out the garden, I saw the barbeque was already going and Ivan controlled the grill.

    We had Andrei and Adideing, and they were on their way, as well as a few other Brigadiers.

    vik came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my thickening waist.

    ¡°How are my two girls?¡± he asked, kissing my neck.

    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant again. My ankles feel huge, but the doctor has told me I¡¯m healthy.¡± I leaned back against him.

    ¡°You love having my children,¡± vik said.

    ¡°If we have another boy, you¡¯ve got to promise me you¡¯ll find another name.¡± I looked out at the garden. We had two viks and two Ivans in our presence. I chuckled to myself. Baby Ivan was too young to recognize his name.

    Our son vik kept on going to adult Ivan to see what he wanted.

    ¡°Never going to happen. We¡¯re going to have girls from now on, you will see.¡±

    I sighed. Leaning against him. ¡°And what makes you think that?¡±

    ¡°Simple, I¡¯m the boss and your body, it knows this. It will do as it¡¯s told.¡±

    This did make meugh. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± He crouched down, his mouth near my swollen stomach. ¡°You hear that, baby girl? You¡¯re going to do as you¡¯re told. Only girls can reside here.¡±

    I kept onughing, and when he pressed a kiss right on my pussy, I looked around the garden to see if anyone saw. Vik protected me from others, and he nced up at me with a wicked glint in his eye.

    ¡°And this, my pretty cunt, knows what I want.¡± He kissed me again, and this time, I couldn¡¯t help but close my eyes.

    ¡°How did I get so lucky?¡± I asked.

    He got to his feet. There was no answer as he stroked my hair back from my face and I tilted my head back to look at him.

    I always hoped for happiness.

    Never did I think I¡¯d get it.

    vik kissed me, and I knew there was no need for any reason or answer. I loved him and he loved me, and against all the odds, we¡¯d found each other and this happiness I¡¯d protect and treasure.

    ****

    vik

    I was a monster.

    A bastard.

    A brute.

    The thing nightmares feared.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    After some of the things I¡¯d done, I never deserved happiness. To feel that, you had to be a good person. I wasn¡¯t good. I was evil to the core, but with Aurora, I knew peace. I knew happiness, and above all, I knew love.

    I loved my wife more than anything.

    Holding on to her hands, I took the pain as she screamed through thebor, giving birth to our fourth child.

    I hated hearing her screams. My instinct was always to protect her, to stop the bad things from happening. I held on to her as the doctor told her to push. As per my instructions, the doctor was a woman. There was no way I would allow a man between my wife¡¯s thighs, even to deliver my baby.

    I was that fucking possessive of her. She was all mine. I didn¡¯t share. There were times it was a struggle to share her with our kids.

    Aurora copsed to the bed. ¡°It hurts.¡± She cried out.

    ¡°I know. I know. You¡¯ve got this, babe. You¡¯ve got this. I love you so damn much.¡± A day never went by that I didn¡¯t tell her how I felt.

    After all the shit with Cara, I¡¯d learned my lesson. There was no room to wait. Aurora could have been taken from me, and I made sure I never took a single moment for granted. My life was devoted to this woman.

    Aurora gripped my hands and squeezed, pushing our baby out. I heard the screams, and I kissed my wife¡¯s head, staring at her.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked.

    She sighed. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay.¡± She turned to kiss my knuckles. ¡°Are you?¡±

    She knew watching her inbor was always a struggle for me. The first time, I¡¯d nearly killed her male doctor and the tension in the room hadn¡¯t been great, which was why I requested, no, demanded, a female doctor. Also, most of the staff had to be female.

    My wife smiled at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡±

    I hated when men talked to my woman. All her life she¡¯d been passed over, treated like she was second best, but to me, I knew the truth. She was first, the best, and now, she was all mine. Others already had their chance. I wasn¡¯t giving her back.

    Our baby girl was given to us, and I looked down, falling in love all over again. Our children were a fucking joy. I¡¯d never wanted to be a dad. After only knowing pain and rejection from my own father, I¡¯d vowed never to be one myself, but Aurora gave me the strength to be a better person.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Aurora said.

    I chuckled. ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°My body does follow your orders.¡±

    I kissed the top of her head. ¡°I love you, and I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a boy or girl. I just want you both to be healthy.¡±

    It was a good thing I told her that, as within two years, she gave birth to another boy, and now, I had to figure out what to name him.

    The End of book 1

 39

    Prologue of second book

    Adide

    I always thought I¡¯d live a long, happy life. Death wasn¡¯t something I ever thought about. What was the point? It was inevitable in old age. There was no way I saw my life ending early. I wasn¡¯t someone who ever made waves or caused any problems. I always helped where I could. For want of a better description, I was the epitome of a good girl.

    Take thest few months, for example. My life changedpletely with one greedy decision. My family were heavily involved in the media. Daddy considered himself a bit of a know-it-all when it came to what sells. Money made the world go around for him. It¡¯s how hended my ex-model of a mother, where he was, to put it nicely, an asshole. They were considered to be like chalk and cheese, and to be honest, if it weren¡¯t for my father¡¯s wealth, my mom would never have looked at him.

    She was a shallow person, still is. Age hasn¡¯t changed her outlook on life-just her beauty-which hase at the cost of her ability to move much of her face. She looks youngish, if people were stic. So, money was necessary in my mother¡¯s life, and then I¡¯ve got to think about my father.

    He loved money.

    He loved power.

    They were well-suited for each other in that regard, but while they were spending all this money, they were not making it. My father¡¯s family business slowly started to decline and rather than take the warnings his financial aides insisted on, he ignored them all, and just did what he wanted to do.

    As far as he was concerned, there was no shortage of juicy gossip. But he didn¡¯t realize that people had so many other avenues to find what they wanted. My father¡¯s business went into the toilet very quickly. I¡¯m not sure exactly when the harsh reality of what he¡¯d been doing struck. It could¡¯ve been when the debt collectors came calling. The expensive cars he¡¯d never driven, but bought just to sh how wealthy he was, or not, in his case. Possibly the scene caused by my mother at one of those branded fashion boutiques because her credit card was denied.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    I¡¯ve also forgotten to mention another important piece of the puzzle: my lovely sister Bethany. She¡¯s not lovely at all. In fact, many would call her a spiteful bitch, but she¡¯s beautiful, and I¡¯ve watched many men fall over themselves to impress her. She inherited our parents¡¯ need to spend money.

    Why am I thinking about all of this? Well, as I look at my husband, his chest heaving as pain explodes in mine, I can¡¯t help but think about what led me to this moment. What drove me to this abandoned warehouse, where my husband Andrei Belov was hurting my best friend, Nathan. I don¡¯t know who sent me the details, but it came through as a text that my presence was needed in this ce.

    I am not an idiot.

    From the moment my father called me back to his mansion and told me I was going to be marrying Andrei Belov, there was no hiding just how desperate my parents had be. Their thirst for greed and power led to this moment. He was supposed to marry my sister. She was the most beautiful, the loveliest. All my life, that was what I heard.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you be more like your sister?¡±

    ¡°Why do you have to be ugly and fat?¡±

    In the beginning, it hurt. No daughter wanted to hear those nasty words from her mother. How she¡¯d pull on my hair in anger because I wasn¡¯t perfect. It¡¯s why I¡¯ve been able to escape most of the press chasing after me. While my parents were happy to pose for pictures with Bethany, they kept me home, locked me up, like I was some dirty secret they couldn¡¯t get rid of.

    Until I became their one saving grace. Bethany messed up big time. I was not exactly sure of the full details, just that her marriage to Andrei Belov was off, and well, the only remaining daughter was me, so guess what? I was the one walking down the aisle with him.

    Bethany hated me for it.

    My husband wasn¡¯t a good man. No, he was a man aligned to the Volkov Bratva. Ivan Volkov to be exact. I¡¯d heard stories of how deadly they were. Again, I don¡¯t know how my parents got close to this deadly man, but here I am, pain exploding in my chest.

    Before I fall to the ground, I gasp.

    Pain.

    Unbearable pain.

    For some reason, I think back to my wedding night. Bethany had told me how cruel Andrei was. How he¡¯d make me bleed, cut me, make me wish for death long before he¡¯d grant it. I¡¯d never been so scared.

    Pain was the one thing I couldn¡¯t stand.

    Tears filled my eyes and the image of my husband went blurry. At some point, I think he caught me.

    ¡°Fucking kill them,¡± Andrei said.

    ¡°I ¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Adide. Conserve your strength. You¡¯re not dying on me.¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯m so cold.¡±

    My hands were like blocks of ice.

    The world had already started to spin.

    Sickness swirled in my gut, and the noise that had been almost deafening seemed to fade into nothing.

    Peace.

    That was what I wanted.

    Was it so hard to ask for? To not be part of this world anymore?

    I¡¯d never longed for death. My life wasn¡¯t a great one, but there were moments of happiness, of joy, of ¡­ life. That¡¯s what I wanted. Not this marriage. Not to be connected to the Volkov Bratva.

    I wanted to be alone, and as the world started to fall away, I wondered if death would be my one salvation.

 40

    Adide

    Six Months Earlier

    It wasn¡¯t normal to fear your husband on your wedding night. Not unless it was an historical romance novel, and trust me, this wasn¡¯t. Staring around the hotel room, I noticed it was far more luxurious than my bedroomst night, which had just a single bed. Bethany had demanded to be put in better amodations, so our parents switched the rooms. Like always, I¡¯m lucky to get anything, not that I¡¯mining. It¡¯s easier to keep quiet and just let Bethany get anything she wants. If I don¡¯t, there¡¯s always a consequence where I¡¯m the one who ends up paying.

    Andrei hadn¡¯t said a word, but then, he¡¯d not said anything to me for most of the day. Apart from, ¡°I¡¯m here now, pretend to be fucking happy.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure exactly what Aurora said to him, but either way, his presence kept Bethany away from me, and for that I¡¯m grateful. My sister is a spiteful soul. Even though she was the one who fucked up in this situation, our parents still treated her like she was a princess, rather than a disappointment, which was how I got treated. Between the dress and the cake, everything about this day had gone wrong.

    Staring at the bed, I know there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to sit on that thing. I can¡¯t. With Andrei being his usual quiet self, I decide to leave him to it.

    I¡¯ll figure some way of getting out of this monstrosity of a dress. I¡¯ve never been the kind of woman to think in advance about her wedding. I never spent hours cooing over celebrity events, even the ones we were invited to. This wedding was all Bethany. The bride may have changed, but the dress, the cake, the band, the guests-they¡¯d all been her choice. This wedding had been a nightmare. The only part of it I found deeplyforting was Aurora. Another woman married to a member of the Bratva. At least she¡¯d looked happy. Could any woman married into this kind of life truly be happy? Was vik in love with her?

    Love. This world didn¡¯t believe in love. It revolved around constant greed and desire for money.

    I stepped into the bathroom and moved straight to the sink. I gripped the edge, closing my eyes, seeing spots even as I did this.

    Breathe. Just breathe.

    I counted to ten slowly, taking my time, filling my lungs with precious air, and slowly exhaled.

    The panic attack today was the first one I¡¯d ever experienced and once again, big surprise, that it was after my sister told me what a monster Andrei was in the bedroom. Tonight, we had to consummate the marriage.

    I¡¯d never kissed a man, or even hugged one.

    Now I was expected to sleep with a total stranger. Whenever Andrei had been around with Bethany, I¡¯d been out. My life didn¡¯t mesh with my family¡¯s. Their only demand on me was that I not work. For some odd reason they feared their reputation if I was to find a nice normal job. So, volunteering at the animal shelter I was allowed to do, and I loved it. Being around animals all day was heaven.

    Once, when I was ten I think, I¡¯d started to bring stray cats and dogs home. No one ever entered the basement, so that was where I offered them shelter. For several months I was able to help so many cats and dogs. Sometimes they¡¯d leave, wander off for a couple of weeks bute back, looking for a nice warm ce. My mother hated the cold-one of the few traits I inherited from her-so even the basement in our house was nice and warm, not that she ever went down there.

    Anyway, taking care of them was my safe haven. Every single day after school, I¡¯d run home to love them, to show them affection, until my sister discovered it. Within an hour, they were all taken from me. Rounded up by some animal control guy as if they were vermin or something.

    I open my eyes and stare at my reflection. The dress is far too tight. My tits are almost bulging out of the top. It looked utterly ridiculous, kind ofughable. There were a few people at the wedding I¡¯d overheardughing about this dress.

    Bethany ordered the wrong one. Ugh!

    I hated how she was able to invade my thoughts and just dominate everything. Her ce wasn¡¯t here. I refused to fall for it. My sister and I didn¡¯t have the best rtionship at all. She preferred to be the center of attention. Her hatred of me was absolute. She even hated the fact I was younger than her by a few years.

    If I had friends, she¡¯d take them, turn them against me. Hurting me seemed to be a sport to her. Ignoring her never worked. She always found some way to humiliate me.

    No. No. No. No. This was how she won. By getting inside my head even when she wasn¡¯t there. The truth was, for the past year, our paths rarely crossed, and my life had been bliss. Until the moment I was told I was marrying Andrei.

    The dress was hideous.

    I looked like a tank inside this dress. The horrible thing was two sizes too small. It made my breasts look enormous, and I looked stupid as if I were trying to fit into a dress that wasn¡¯t for me.

    Bethany loved to point out how fat I was. Considering how slender she was, everyone was fat to her. What Bethany hated most, I didn¡¯t care.

    I mean, seriously, I went to a school notorious for bullies. One of our nannies was a strong-minded person and Bethany couldn¡¯t break her. The times I spent with her were the best of my life. Miss Nicole, which is what she demanded we call her, taught me to love myself. The world was far too cruel and evil, and life was too short to spend even a moment hating life or yourself.

    So, I turned all of those cruelties around.

    My body was my temple.

    I loved my curves, myrge tits, my too-rounded stomach, as well as my thick thighs. They were all part of me.

    I miss her so much.

    Taking a random trip down memoryne was not in the cards for tonight. I needed to get this horrible dress off and get in the shower to wipe the memory away.

    Reaching around the back, I tried to find the buttons that had been squeezed closed. Turning this way and that, I couldn¡¯t find anything. Thest thing I wanted to do was go back out there to Andrei.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Lifting the endless skirts, I attempted to find myself, but nothing. There was no end to this monstrosity. By the time I gave up, my face was red. This dress was clearly indestructible.

    Stepping back into the main hotel room, Andrei sat on the edge of the bed with his phone in hand. He was sexy. There was no denying it, if women were into the big, scary, heavily tattooed giant. None were on his face, but staring at the cuffs of his jacket and the neck of his shirt, one could see them peeking out. Even his knuckles were inked.

    I had no idea what they said. They were just little pieces of what looked like ivy on his knuckles. I also noticed a distinctive V in-between the flesh of each knuckle. Again, I¡¯m not sure what it meant, and it would require me to speak to my husband, which I¡¯d decided not to do. The less I knew the better.

    He looked up as I entered. Freezing on the spot, I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what to do. He just stood there, looking all calm and collected, while I was terrified.

    What would it be like to be the worst person in the room? To fill it with fear by a mere presence. I didn¡¯t need to think of that.

    Pushing those thoughts to the back of my mind, I looked at Andrei. Of course he hadn¡¯t spoken. That would require effort.

    ¡°Er, I can¡¯t seem to¡­¡± This was so humiliating. Bethany had done this. Stop that! She doesn¡¯t get to exist right now. I¡¯m fine. We¡¯re fine. Everything is fine.

    It wasn¡¯t, but the longer I kept telling myself it was, the better chance I¡¯d eventually believe it.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get out of the dress.¡± Presenting my back to Andrei, I hoped he didn¡¯t see this as any kind ofe-on or flirting. It wasn¡¯t. ¡°Would you unbutton me, please?¡± There I was, forever the good girl with all my manners.

    Clenching my hands into fists, I hoped he didn¡¯t notice them shaking. I¡¯m not the kind of girl who is afraid of everything. Not that anyone would believe it right now.

    I heard him move. The simple sound of clothes rustling was enough to set my teeth on edge.

    At first, I didn¡¯t move. I couldn¡¯t. Even breathing was difficult. I was frozen in ce. He stepped closer, and the heat behind him seemed to increase.

    Ever since I¡¯d been told Andrei was to be my husband, we¡¯d not spent any time together. I¡¯d been called to my father, where I¡¯d been told what was going to happen. I was not sure whether others thought I had an opinion about what was going to happen in my life. That never happened. I wasn¡¯t asked.

    No, I was told by my father with Andrei present and another man who made my blood run cold. He looked so terrifying. Ivan Volkov. Head of the Volkov Bratva. My father¡¯s new boss. My new nightmare.

    I felt sick to my stomach just thinking about him. I gave nothing away to my husband who stood way too still. He didn¡¯t touch me. Other than the kiss in church and the few times he¡¯d taken my hand, he never touched me. He often avoided it.

    This was great. My husband detested me without even knowing me. This was how my life was going to end up. It probably didn¡¯t help that I might have flinched in church. He¡¯d grabbed my arms and pulled me close.

    The kiss was dull. My very first kiss hadn¡¯t made my heart sing or cause me to instantly fall in love with my husband. If anything, it made this whole marriage thing seem even more of a farce. There was no love between us. There was no anything.

    He didn¡¯t touch me, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw the knife he¡¯d pulled out. Fear raced down my spine. I didn¡¯t have time to run or move. He slid the de between the center of my back and the dress. One tug, and that was it, the dress gave way and I had no choice but to hold it against my breasts to gain any modesty.

    Tears filled my eyes and I hated them. I¡¯d never been the kind of woman who constantly gave in to crying. I am strong. Being around Andrei, I felt anything but.

    Without looking at him, I charged toward the bathroom, mming the door closed. There was no lock. Nothing to protect myself.

    I didn¡¯t have long before the door was pushed open. I stepped away from it before it could hit me in the face. Spinning around, still holding the dress in my hands, I backed away. Andrei advanced toward me.

    He looked ¡­ dangerous. Not in a good way. He still held the knife in his hand. Without even looking at it, he flicked it away.

    I kept moving back until the wall stopped my escape. Stupid wall.

    His hands went either side of me, trapping me in ce. ¡°Don¡¯t ever run from me again. You won¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to run.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡±

    He stayed like that, staring at me.

    I couldn¡¯t keep looking into his eyes. They were a deep brown, all-knowing, prating. At times, I had to wonder if they were mostly ck. He wasn¡¯t a good man.

    ¡°I won¡¯t. I promise.¡± I¡¯d do and say anything to get him the hell away from me.

    He didn¡¯t leave right away.

    Time seemed to stop for me the longer he just stood there. Did he like how he scared me?

    I waited. I wanted to tell him to leave me alone, but in the end, he was the one who left. I just had to wait and I suddenly realized this was what our marriage would be like. No matter how ufortable I was, Andrei had all the power. He would do whatever the hell he liked and to hell with the consequences.

    I didn¡¯t like this at all.

 41

    Andrei

    Most men the day after their wedding are probablyatose from all the fucking they got done. Not me. Nope. My little virgin bride was still fucking pure.

    She¡¯d been shaking like a leaf when I finally finished in the bathroomst night. The bed had shaken like it was on vibration or something.

    Raping women was not one of my skills.

    I didn¡¯t want to start my marriage off by forcing my wife to take my dick. Even though Ivan expected it.

    He was my boss, my Pakhan, the leader of the Volkov Bratva-the reason I¡¯m one of the six men he trusted to control this State. Running a hand down my face, I stare out the car window, heading right back to my ce where I had business to deal with.

    Ivan had been present at my wedding. Of course he had. He¡¯d been the one to change Bethany to Adide. There was no way I could have gone against him, even though Adide wasn¡¯t fit for this world.

    She didn¡¯t understand the life she¡¯d just entered. Likest night, Bethany would have enjoyed me fucking her. She¡¯d have relished being part of the Volkov Bratva, the most feared Russian mob ever to rule the States. Ivan had taken us all into a new era. He changed the rules, adapted them to suit himself. It made me smile just thinking about it.

    Life as a brigadier wasn¡¯t easy. Ruling over a state came with a great deal of problems, and enemies. My life was constantly in danger. It¡¯s why I had soldiers all around me. Every single one of us brigadiers had to. There were too many men and women who wanted us dead.

    A little sniffle drew my attention to my wife. Adide was pressed as far away from me as any woman could get. I¡¯d been the perfect gentleman to herst night, apart from the knife I¡¯d used to rid her body of that awful dress.

    At times during our wedding, she looked like she couldn¡¯t breathe, the poor thing. Her tits looked close to bursting out of the dress, but then our wedding had been designed with me and Bethany in mind. Not much had changed.

    It would have been like swapping the bride only, which was what happened at Ivan¡¯s request.

    Bethany had been a slut, she still was a slut. I¡¯d not been marrying her for her purity. Ivan had seen an opportunity with her parents, and, well, a union seemed to be the most ideal. They wanted money and power. Ivan had both in plenty supply. A deal was struck and the cost was a daughter, a marriage, a union that couldn¡¯t end in divorce.

    ncing over at Adide, I wondered if she realized her purity days would be over soon. Not only did I have her hand in marriage, but Ivan, the bastard, had informed me today that part of the agreement was a child within two years. She had to have a son or daughter inside her within two years to start the next generation of the Volkov Bratva.

    I didn¡¯t need to point out to him that for the line to continue, he needed to father children. There was a great deal I didn¡¯t know about Ivan.

    Unlike vik, one of the few brigadiers I knew, I¡¯d not grown up with him. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure of the history, but Ivan and vik grew up together. I¡¯m not sure where or how, seeing as both men were cast out of their families in some way. Like myself. My father couldn¡¯t stand to have me around. Ever since I was a boy, my father hated me. He would find any reason to take the belt or the boot to me. Many a night I was curled up on the floor, alone and bleeding at the mercy of the elements because he couldn¡¯t stand me.

    After a severe beating, he¡¯d toss me into the kennels where he kept the dogs. They were just as abused as I was, and so never attacked me. Sometimes he¡¯d starve them and then go after me, making me bleed, in the hope of them eating me.

    It never happened. Why? I fucking fed them, the stupid cunt. I was stupid. My father hated that about me. I figured out his n to try and get rid of me. If I died because of the dogs, he could pass it off as some freak ident, kill the dogs as if to avenge my death, and he¡¯d be fine and in the clear. Even before Ivan took over, the previous Pakhan didn¡¯t like when his brigadiers murdered children without his permission.

    With the starved dogs failing, I overheard the n he had. He was going to throw me into the dog kennels, and then one of his soldiers would take me out in the woods, force me in the dead of night to dig my own grave, and then kill me. If I disappeared, it could look like a kidnapping attempt.

    Hearing what they nned, I ran. I ran so fucking hard that my feet were all torn up. I unleashed the dogs as well, and guess what, motherfucker? I was their goddamn alpha, not my dad. We ran, and we survived. That¡¯s what we did.

    I became a man of the streets. The killer. The monster. I took that anger he¡¯d built inside me, and I allowed it to blossom. I didn¡¯t give up or give in. I used it to be the man I am today.

    When I heard of Ivan Volkov wreaking havoc, bringing down the old Bratva, I knew I had to side with him. Seeking him out had been easy. Swearing my loyalty had been a piece of cake, but earning his trust had taken a lot longer.

    Ivan was a good man. He was evil, a monster to all those that crossed him, but he was fair and just. He was everything my father wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°How long?¡± Adide asked.

    I nce over at her and notice the odd way she¡¯s pressing her thighs together. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°No reason.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ I need to use the bathroom. Please.¡±

    My driver, Leo, raised his brow at me. He knew I didn¡¯t like unnned stops. I nod my head letting him know he can find a safe location to let my wife out to go to the damn toilet.

    Her family had already been waiting for us when we made it down this morning. Adide had gone straight to the coffee, not eating a single thing, just drinking caffeine. She hadn¡¯t slept at allst night, and I should know, I¡¯d been lying in the bed beside her, watching her, waiting. The moment the sun began to rise, she was the first one out of bed.

    Two minutester, Leo brought the car to a stop outside a diner. Half of the sign was missing so it spelled IER. This was not a ce I would stop.

    ¡°I¡¯ll only be a minute,¡± Adide said. Her hand reached for the door.

    I grabbed her arm, tugging her against me. ¡°Don¡¯t ever get out of the car unless I say so. Understand?¡±

    Her eyes went wide and she jerked her head, letting me know she understood. I highly doubted it, but I didn¡¯t scold her anymore. She would have to learn on the job. She was now a Bratva wife. Going out into the world was no longer as easy as it once was.

    Leo was already out of the car, on guard, as he opened my door. Climbing out, I had one hand at the base of my back, waiting. I still held my wife, firmly, and without waiting, I marched her into the diner.

    It wasn¡¯t busy, and Leo was already at the counter, talking to the man who was wiping out a ss. The scent of greasy food was heavy in the air.

    I didn¡¯t eat in ces like this, not for a long time. Living on the streets, I¡¯d find odd jobs working in diners like this. After the first few weeks of running away, my father had sent some of his men to look for me, but I had a way of hiding in in sight. Changing my hair and dress, I¡¯d been able to blend in.

    It also helped that I¡¯d been a skinny kid. Someone people nced over, but never took the time to care about. I¡¯d used it to my advantage. Over the years, I¡¯de close to the previous Bratva men and I¡¯d been so tempted to kill for them, but it was only when I joined with Ivan that I¡¯d allowed myself the pleasure. The moment Ivan said I could, I did, and I relished it.

    Killing was in my blood. It called to my soul.

    ¡°I can go on my own,¡± Adide said.

    Ignoring her, I shoved her into the bathroom. It had a single toilet, and there was writing all over the walls from previous customers. The ce was a dump, no doubt about it.

    Her face was a pretty shade of red. I wasn¡¯t used to being around women who blushed so easily.

    ¡°Pee,¡± I said.

    ¡°No. I can¡¯t go with you watching.¡±

    ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to go.¡± I reached out to her but she stepped back, her shaking hands going to the belt of her jeans. ¡°Could you at least look away?¡±

    ¡°Do you think seeing a woman pee is gross?¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I ¡­ I know it¡¯s natural and all that, but it¡¯s not something you need to see.¡±

    I stared at her.

    ¡°Please,¡± she said.

    I wasn¡¯t turning around.

    Her jaw clenched and she lowered herself to the toilet, after she cleaned it. She squirmed. Didn¡¯t she realize I found her reaction to my presence amusing? I wasn¡¯t going to tell her.

    Adide was interesting. I¡¯d never met another woman like her. The women I knew were only after money and position. They liked my wealth and status. Bethany had asked me endless questions about what being my wife would mean. Could she get away with murder? Could she have a ve? Could she kill? The woman was an evil bitch, much like her parents. Their only desire had been for what they could get out of life. Adide asked for nothing. She didn¡¯t even beg for her own safety.

    I¡¯m aware she wasn¡¯t given a choice in being my wife, and I ept that. She wasn¡¯t here of her own free will, but she wouldn¡¯t get the option of going anywhere else. I owned her. She was my wife, and the only way out was by death.

    Adide peed and I was shocked that she was very desperate to go. The coffee had needed a way out. Her face was bright red by the time she finished. I could have fried an egg on her cheeks with how flushed she looked, even as she wiped. She wiggled back into her clothes as if she had a choice of keeping her nakedness from me.

    Two years. Two years to put my baby inside her without raping her.

    Adide couldn¡¯t even look at me. Her hands were constantly shaking. The ring decorating her finger was toorge. It was a statement ring, a brand of ownership.

    She was mine and I wasn¡¯t going to give her back.

 42

    Adide

    Andrei, of course, lived in luxury. He was a man who knew what he wanted and how to get it.

    His penthouse apartment was in the nicest part of the city. I hated heights and he thought it was fun to have floor-to-ceiling windows. Just going within a foot of them made me feel dizzy.

    I¡¯d been married to him for one week. In that time, I¡¯d seen him once. I think he came home at night. I¡¯m not sure because I¡¯ve been left in his penthouse to do nothing.

    There was no guard, unless you counted the one outside my door, who wouldn¡¯t let me leave. I¡¯d tried. Multiple times. I¡¯d explored every single inch of his penthouse suite, boycotting his office and his side of the walk-in closet. I didn¡¯t need to see or smell more of him than necessary.

    Wrapping my arms around myself, I kept my back to the windows that overlooked the city. I¡¯d tried to get closer and that had beenughable. I got to the footmark and ended up on my stomach, attempting to crawl closer to see if I could stomach looking out the window. It didn¡¯t work.

    My fear of heights was so strong I¡¯d even changed his sitting room around. The sofa was ced so when I watched television, my back was to the window. If the curtains weren¡¯t open before I got up, they stayed shut.

    All this time trapped inside the penthouse was driving me crazy. I was going out of my mind. Growing up, I¡¯d never stayed indoors and always preferred to be outside.

    I missed the animal shelter. This apartment was boring.

    Copsing on the sofa, I stared up at the ceiling and wondered if it would cave in. Would I be able to make my escape? I¡¯d even thought about baking a batch of brownies that had sleeping tablets in them, but I didn¡¯t have any tablets. Also, I¡¯m not the kind of person to feed drugs to an unsuspecting person.

    I was going to die of boredom. There was nothing to do, no one to talk to. I thought I¡¯d at least be able to talk to Aurora, the kind woman I¡¯d met at the wedding, but nope.

    No cell phone. Noptop. Nothing. Just an empty penthouse apartment. I saw the small library he had, but reading right now felt like I was giving into temptation. I loved reading, but that wasn¡¯t what I wanted to do.

    I wanted to go out and explore. Find a different animal shelter a little closer to home, and volunteer.

    This was a prison. Worse than the one my parents tried to force on me.

    At the sound of the main door opening, I jerked up, a little startled. No one hade home during the day. Fear wed its way inside me. Should I stand up? Stay seated? He didn¡¯t give me any chores toplete. Nothing that would make my life worthwhile.

    Andrei entered the main room and nced over at me. ¡°Get dressed. We¡¯re going out to dinner in an hour.¡±

    ¡°We are?¡± I asked.

    My voice sounded croaky even to myself.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Nibbling my lip, I had so many questions but the fear of being forced to stay in this apartment was too much. I needed to get out. To feel the sun on my skin, or what was left of it. I¡¯d even ept the cold bitterness of nighttime, just so long as I was out of this apartment.

    Scrambling to my feet, I rushed into our bedroom. When I arrived a week ago, I found my side of the walk-in closet had been filled with clothes that my husband found eptable. I don¡¯t know if he shopped for everything or instructed a woman to do so. Looking through the clothes, I couldn¡¯t pick the right one, so I settled on a dark-blue dress with a low neckline and a split up one side of the skirt. A little risque for my taste but the most modest one avable to me.

    I hummed to myself as I went into the bathroom, and took a quick shower. After washing my body, I blow-dried my hair to give it some bounce and body. I have long brown hair that falls to my waist. Most of the time, I pull it back in a ponytail. Just recently, I¡¯d been leaving it down.

    Entering the bedroom, I see the dress I picked had been changed. In its ce is a red one that ends at the knee. There¡¯s a slit at the side, which would reveal a lot more thigh than I wanted, and it was figure-hugging as well.

    One day I¡¯d given myself a little fashion show to see how much I loved or hated the dresses, and most of them I hated.

    This wasn¡¯t good. I didn¡¯t want to wear this dress. The lingerie I¡¯d pulled out was also gone. In its ce was a red thong.

    What should I do? Should I put the blue dress on? Or this one? I didn¡¯t choose this one, so that meant Andrei had been in the room and changed it. He wanted me to wear this.

    If I wore this, would he be in a good enough mood for me to ask for some concessions? How did this work? I was so far out of my depth, it wasn¡¯t cute or funny.

    He could kill me easily, dispose of my body without anyone finding out. His wife could end up disappearing so easily. The Bratva were capable of it. They had many people on their payroll. Lawyers, judges, cops, their reach knew no bounds.

    Sticking out my lip, I pouted. My husband¡¯s life was now my life.

    Reaching for the thong, I slid it on and up my body. I was a French knickers and briefs girl. I never wore a thong and this felt ¡­ weird. It slid between the cheeks of my ass, and I took a moment to nce in the mirror, checking out my ass. How could anyone call this lingerie? Sure, the main gusset fit nicely, bute on, it didn¡¯t keep the ass contained.

    I shook my head. There was no point in arguing. I wasn¡¯t going to win. The dress had a zipper in the back and the way it was fitted meant I couldn¡¯t zip it at the front and wriggle it into ce. I was going to need Andrei¡¯s help again.

    With it settled into ce, my back showing, I left the bedroom, and sure enough, Andrei was dressed again, looking every bit the wealthy businessman. The suit he wore fit him like a second skin. He had one hand shoved into his pocket, and the other typed away on his cell phone, without a single care in the world. His face was void of any expression.

    I stepped toward him, cleared my throat, and he finally looked up. I don¡¯t know how he did it, but every time he looked at me, I felt myself freezing up and my cheeks heating. We¡¯d not had sex. We¡¯d not done anything.

    I spun around, presenting my back to him. ¡°Could you please zip me?¡±

    Pressing my lips together, I held my breath waiting for him. Why did this have to seem like a hard request? He was my husband. I imagine wives ask their husbands this all the time. Even boyfriends or girlfriends. There was nothing wrong with needing help with a zipper. I only hoped it fit me properly.

    His fingers grazed the base of my back and I tensed up. I¡¯m not a machine like him. I hadn¡¯t spent a long time trying to school my face into doing what I told it to do. When I liked something, I smiled. When I hated it, I frowned. Something disgusting, my face scrunched up. This was who I was, and there was no changing it. Did he hate it? I had to wonder if he did.

    He eased the zipper up my back and as he did, his touch seemed to set a path of fire along with it.

    Again, I was still a virgin.

    The day after our wedding night, he told me to pretend like he¡¯d been fucking my pussy raw. I didn¡¯t know what he expected, but being awkward came naturally to me. So, I¡¯m not sure if I seeded in what he suggested but from the few sad faces on the women, I was guessing it worked. Yay.

    He finished lifting the zipper, but his touch lingered. One of his hands went to my waist and I tensed up. I wasn¡¯t used to being touched. His breath fanned across my neck and my heart raced. What was he thinking? What was he doing? I didn¡¯t know what to say or do to make this situation stop.

    ¡°There are heels in the box,¡± he said.

    I nced down and sure enough, to my left was a box. I bent down and didn¡¯t realize how close he was standing, and that my ass actually nestled against his crotch. Standing back up, I moved quickly, this time crouching down as far as the tight dress would allow. I opened the box and looked at the red, shiny shoes. I was not someone who knew fashion. They looked painful and expensive. I wasn¡¯t going to ask him for a pair of sneakers.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Walking in the small heels on my wedding day had been a challenge. Whenever I could, I¡¯d snuck away to take the shoes off. When I realized how long my dress was, I¡¯d toed them off and walked around barefoot. Until my mother realized what I was doing, and told me to stop being an animal and to wear the damn shoes.

    Sliding my feet into these heels, I knew I wasn¡¯t going to make it past the night without breaking my neck. They were way too high.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Andrei said. He moved away.

    Was I expected to follow?

    With his back turned away from me, I chanced a couple of steps in the too-big heels, and winced. They were going to hurt my feet. The shoes were a perfect fit but for a woman who¡¯d spent her life in ts, my poor feet would pay the price. I should have taken time growing up to learn how to walk in heels. They were the ultimate weapon, apparently.

    ¡°Move it,¡± Andrei said.

    Hands clenched, I rushed my steps, praying I didn¡¯t look like a penguin walking. Would it have killed him to at least be a little nice? I was trying here. At least he got to go out and explore the world. He wasn¡¯t trapped in a penthouse suite, dying a little every single day. I didn¡¯t demand this marriage, he did.

    My lips remained closed. There was no way I¡¯d have the guts to say this to his face. He¡¯d kill me andugh as he did it. All I could do was hope he¡¯d be in a good moodter on so that I could request to leave the penthouse at least once a week. That wasn¡¯t too hard, was it?

 43

    Andrei

    I didn¡¯t like when Ivan came to my city. Especially when it wasn¡¯t nned, out of the blue, and one week into my marriage. I had nothing to hide from him, apart from the fact I¡¯d not fucked her.

    Every day for the past week, I¡¯d arrived home to find her fast asleep. I¡¯din in bed and waited for sleep to im me. I¡¯d never been a hard sleeper. Years of waiting for my dad toe and take his anger and aggression out on me had done that. I always slept now with one eye open. Did she know how many weapons I had close by?

    There was always a gun beneath my pillow, as well as two underneath our bed. Another in the drawer. Our penthouse was full of weapons to grab in case of an ambush.

    Adide kept trying to pull the dress down. It had ridden up the moment she sat in the car, and that was how I liked it. Seeing that blue dress on the bed, I didn¡¯t want her to wear that, to hide from who she was. My wife had an amazing body. Curves in all the right ces. To some, she might be considered fat, but to me, I happened to like looking at her curves. The only saving grace about her wedding dress had been what it did for her tits. They should be on constant disy. My men knew to look away, and any man caught staring at my woman would feel my anger. Adide was all mine.

    Now, some men might prefer their women to cover up, to hide their bodies for their own viewing pleasure. Not me. I didn¡¯t want to see her drowned in clothing. Adide hid enough as it was.

    I¡¯m aware she¡¯s pissed off. Did she know I watched her? Did she know I had cameras in every single room of the house? That all it took was a few presses on my cell phone, and I could see what she was doing every single second of every day? I doubted it.

    She was going crazy. Staying in the penthouse all day, every single day, was starting to take its toll. Ivan was screwing with my ns. Ever since he¡¯d changed Bethany for Adide, his meddling hadn¡¯t been appreciated. A whore like Bethany knew of our world. Adide should never have been my wife. She wasn¡¯t made for this.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± she asked.

    I ignored her and stared at my cell phone, scrolling through the endless emails.

    ¡°So, we¡¯ve been married for one week,¡± Adide said.

    ¡°Shut up.¡± I wasn¡¯t interested in knowing how long we¡¯d been married. I was not stupid. I could count.

    She tensed and moved a little closer to the door. Did she really think that would help her? Putting my cell phone away, I stared at her exposed thigh. Her legs were pressed together. The tempting white flesh of her knee was too good to ignore.

    ¡°Circle the block, Leo,¡± I said.

    I closed the distance between us and ced my hand on her thigh. She gasped, her hands moving as if to push me away. Bethany had warned her. I knew her vile sister would spread her gossip. Bethany wasn¡¯t wrong. I did like to fuck. I loved having a woman¡¯s cunt on my dick. I liked it rough. Hearing a woman moan as I pounded away inside her, holding her into ce, marking her, was the best feeling in the world. What the bitch hadn¡¯t said to Adide was I¡¯d never touched her.

    I hated Bethany. Marrying her was all a business deal. I didn¡¯t want my spunk inside that nasty cunt. Nope. Ivan hadn¡¯t told me about the baby part of things. That hade after I put my ring on Adide¡¯s finger, and my name taking hers.

    ¡°Thank you for putting on the red dress,¡± I said.

    I had to wonder if she would fight me or give in. Teasing my fingers against her knee, I slid them between her thighs, or tried to, but she pressed them together tightly. That was fine. I stroked along her thigh, teasing the fabric of the dress where ity. It looked to me like she had stopped breathing.

    ¡°What was wrong with the blue?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t like it, Adide. You want to do things that please me, don¡¯t you?¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    She didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Adide? Don¡¯t you want to talk to me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t want to be ¡­ your penthouse, it¡¯s too much.¡±

    ¡°You can change any part of the penthouse you want.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    ¡°Then tell me what you mean?¡±

    Adide opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again. She had such lovely plump lips that would look so good wrapped around my dick. She was a virgin. Ivan made that perfectly clear. I don¡¯t know how he got those details out of her, but he¡¯d been more than happy to let me know.

    Stroking her thigh, I wonder if she would like fucking. I could teach her. I had the patience, especially when I¡¯d be the one to reap the rewards. Having boring sex seemed dull. We¡¯re going to be married for a long time, unless it turns out she¡¯s got a mean streak we don¡¯t know about, or she¡¯s not loyal. Ivan makes sure everyone is loyal before they¡¯re marked.

    ¡°We¡¯re here, sir,¡± Leo said.

    Fuck.

    The moment was wasted, and I couldn¡¯t keep Ivan waiting too long.

    The valet knows not to go for my doors. Thest man that tried it ended up with a broken wrist. I don¡¯t allow anyone to touch my car. Leo¡¯s already out of the car and opening my door.

    I climb out, run my hands down my jacket, not a wrinkle in sight, then round the car to my wife. The title is still foreign to me. I¡¯d vowed never to take a wife, but what Ivan decreed, I followed. Holding the door handle, I pull it open. Offering her my other hand, I wait.

    Adide nibbles on her lip, hesitant to take my hand, but before a scene could be caused, her hand slides right into mine, exactly where it¡¯s meant to be. I help her out of the car, ce my hand at her waist, and head inside.

    Ivan¡¯s already at the table waiting. The maitre d¡¯ leads us to the center of the room, where I¡¯m surprised to see vik and his wife Aurora at the table. This isn¡¯t my first visit with vik, nor will it be ourst.

    I shook hands with Ivan and then vik, before taking Aurora¡¯s hand and giving it a kiss just to piss him off, in greeting. While I¡¯m doing that, Ivan¡¯s already moving Adide close to him. Aurora¡¯s on one side, my wife on the other. He¡¯s done it on purpose, the asshole, but I can¡¯t say anything at risk of causing a scene.

    ¡°Now isn¡¯t this nice?¡± Ivan said. ¡°Two beautifuldies here to eat dinner with.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know this would be a family affair,¡± I said, looking at vik. He takes a swig of water.

    vik and I don¡¯t trust each other. We never have, but that¡¯s our personalities. Surviving in this world is knowing you don¡¯t have anyone at your back. I didn¡¯t even trust Leo. People were fickle and could be easily swayed. The only person I did trust was the one person I swore my loyalty to-Ivan.

    He¡¯d given me the greatest gift of all. The ability to wipe out every single person in my family line, from my father, all my brothers, their wives, and beyond. The only living male heir with the Belov name is me.

    ¡°Surprises are all well and good,¡± Ivan said. ¡°These two lovelydies need to know each other. They got along so well at the wedding.¡±

    I watch Adide, who offered Aurora a smile.

    ¡°Weddings do bring people together,¡± vik said.

    Adide and Aurora might be friends, but not yet, and not now. I¡¯m not sure of my wife¡¯s loyalty to Volkov. She¡¯s an outsider. She doesn¡¯t know how the Bratva work, and until she hasplete and total loyalty to me and Ivan, there will be no reaching out to others, not even Aurora.

    vik has his own area to protect, and his ce is not near mine.

    I pick up the menu and chance a nce through it to see if there¡¯s anything I want to eat. I¡¯m a steak man, have been for a long time. All those years of diving in dumpsters, I vowed that one day I¡¯d never do that again. Good food was a necessity. Adide reached for the menu, but Ivan took it from her. ¡°I know this restaurant, sweetheart. Let me order for you.¡±

    I gritted my teeth. Was he doing this on purpose? I was aware he liked to y between Aurora and vik, but that was their own business. They had a history.

    Other than changing my bride against my wishes, Ivan, as far as I knew, had nothing to do with Adide in the past. In fact, at all the family dinners, my current wife was never present. Bethany and her parents never talked about the other member of their family. She never attended celebrity events and was often kept out of the media.

    I knew why. They were ashamed of her, often referring to her as the Ugly One.

    The name alone angered me, for Adide was in fact a beautiful woman. She had the sweetest smile and the sexiestugh. I was surprised years of being put down hadn¡¯t affected her, but seeing her tonight in that dress, I¡¯d already noticed a dozen men looking at her. They wanted to bed my virgin bride, but none of them were getting within touching distance.

    I had the overwhelming urge to pull my gun out and shoot them all right in the eyes. Blood had always been a lovely sight to me, and the day I painted my old family home red had been a joyful day.

    Some would say I¡¯m a little warped, but that is a kindness I don¡¯t deserve. I know there¡¯s a darkness inside me. It¡¯s cold and part of me is dead inside. A man like me should never be near the innocence of Adide. For now, she¡¯s safe. This is all new to her. I¡¯ve not exposed her to the real me, but the moment she realizes what I am, she¡¯ll hate me.

    ¡°She¡¯ll have the steak,¡± I said.

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°Have you not gotten to know your wife?¡±

    I clench my jaw. ¡°Is there something wrong with steak?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± Adide said after a few seconds of silence. ¡°I never have.¡± She looked down at the table, avoiding my gaze.

    ¡°Then she¡¯ll have the chicken,¡± I said. I do not want Ivan ordering for my woman. Adide is mine. There were plenty of other virgins out there in the world. He wasn¡¯t having mine.

    Ivan snorted.

    Adide nibbled her lip. ¡°I¡¯m a ¡­ vegan. I don¡¯t eat any kind of meat.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why, Andrei, I chose this restaurant. They have the best marinated tofu. I cater to all tongues, including your sweet wife¡¯s.¡±

    There is a great deal I don¡¯t know about Adide, but a vegan? Why did he have me marry her? She would be eaten alive in this world. There was no room for her or for us. She was far too innocent and I knew I had no choice but to break her.

 44

    Adide

    I didn¡¯t announce my veganism to the world. What was the point? I wasn¡¯t doing it out of protest. When I was younger I stumbled onto an expose documentary of what happened in the meat industry, and considering how much I loved animals, I stopped eating them. My mother loved the idea because I was on yet another diet in her eyes. Also, my parents didn¡¯t cook.

    We had a chef, who happened to love the challenge, and so I was fed really well, much to my mother¡¯s annoyance. My weight fluctuated but I never changed my eating habits for weight loss. I like who I am. In fact, I love who I am.

    Something Miss Nicole always said to me: ¡°If you can¡¯t love yourself, who do you expect to love you?¡±

    Or it was something like that. I found her words of wisdom to bepletely wise. I missed her when she left, but her true passion had been to travel, and the moment an opportunity arose, she left. Not that I held it against her. I didn¡¯t. I remember how happy she was.

    Cutting into the slice of tofu that had lovely grill marks and a slight smokey vor was so delicious, along with all the vegetables dressed in a gorgeous seasoning. I was in Heaven. It was so good.

    I didn¡¯t pay much attention to the conversation at the table happening between Ivan, vik, and Andrei. My husband didn¡¯t look happy. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ve ever seen him happy. He¡¯d never smiled in my presence. He sipped at his wine looking rather concentrated.

    Finishing off the food, I pressed the napkin to my lips.

    Aurora dered she needed to use thedies¡¯ room, and it was the perfect opportunity for us to get away from the men.

    I wanted to get away from them. In the car, the way Andrei had touched me had sent a me shooting right through my body in a way I¡¯d never experienced before. Was I attracted to my husband? I don¡¯t know. There was a lot I didn¡¯t know. Just like he didn¡¯t know a whole lot about me.

    Getting to my feet, I followed Aurora into the bathroom. The moment the door was closed, she crouched down and looked beneath each toilet stall.

    ¡°We¡¯re alone.¡± She spun toward me. ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Are you?¡± Aurora asked, searching my gaze.

    I nod my head. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡±

    ¡°Thank God. I¡¯ve been so worried about you since the wedding. You¡¯ve not gone on your honeymoon?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± There was no mention of us going away together, and to be honest, why would we? ¡°Our marriage isn¡¯t a love match, Aurora. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be going on a honeymoon.¡±

    Aurora frowned. ¡°You know you can call me anytime.¡± She pulled out a piece of paper from her purse. ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You know, you¡¯re nothing like your sister.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°That¡¯s not exactly hard for me to do.¡±

    She giggled.

    ¡°We better go back to the table,¡± Aurora said. ¡°I just wanted to make sure you were okay.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± At the wedding, Aurora had been a lifeline, but now I¡¯m not so sure. I don¡¯t know why I suddenly feel this way, but a sense of dread is washing over me. ¡°I do need to use the bathroom. I¡¯ll join you in a minute.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure.¡± I force a smile to my lips, hoping she doesn¡¯t see the fear in my eyes.

    She wraps her arms around me, holding me close for a couple of seconds. ¡°I¡¯m so pleased we¡¯re able to see each other again.¡±

    I wished I believed her. Paranoia was a horrible thing.

    Aurora left me in the bathroom. I don¡¯t need to use the toilet, but I do need a few minutes away from the table. It was just too much. In and out, I take several deep breaths. There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle.

    Dinner with Bratva men-piece of cake. ns with Aurora-easy-peasy. The moment I allow myself to think of what my life has be-a fucking nightmare.

    ¡°You¡¯re taking too long.¡±

    Jerking up, I see Andrei has entered the bathroom. It¡¯s easier for me to want to shout at him and tell him what a horrible husband he¡¯s being when he¡¯s not in the room. He looks too scary right now.

    ¡°I just needed a minute.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked, pointing to the slip of paper Aurora gave me.

    ¡°It¡¯s her phone number.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s worried I¡¯m hurting you?¡±

    ¡°No, not like that. She¡¯s just worried because I ¡­ the wedding and stuff.¡± I¡¯m rambling.

    Since the car, I¡¯m not sure I want to be alone with him. I¡¯m not used to my body reacting that way. He took a step toward me. On instinct, I stepped back. I didn¡¯t mean to do it, but I felt I needed distance from this man.

    It didn¡¯t stop Andrei, he kepting until he¡¯d trapped me between the wall and his body.

    I should feel fear, but I don¡¯t.

    This man is used to getting what he wants. I¡¯m not what he wants. Bethany is. Would he kill me to get to my sister?Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°You know, if you want something, all you have to do is ask,¡± he said.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I want.¡±

    He smirked as if he knew a secret I didn¡¯t.

    ¡°You¡¯re enjoying life in the penthouse suite,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ fine.¡± I was bored and he knew it. I¡¯m not sure how he knew, but the way he looked at me, there was an understanding in his eyes. As if he knew he was doing it on purpose and that alone was enough to piss me off. ¡°What would I need to ask for?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s up to you to tell me.¡±

    The tips of his fingers traced across the skin of my cheek. ¡°So smooth.¡± This was my chance. I wore this revealing dress, which I happened to like, but that was beside the point. I did what he wanted me to do. I didn¡¯t want to spend another day sitting around that stupid penthouse suite.

    ¡°What if I wanted to go out?¡± I asked.

    ¡°To shop?¡±

    Shopping was boring. ¡°Perhaps.¡± It was a start at least.

    ¡°Then all it would take from you, Adide, is a kiss.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°What?¡±

    He cupped my cheek and the flesh of his thumb rubbed across my lips. ¡°A kiss from those lips. Not a peck either.¡±

    ¡°You want me to kiss you?¡± she asked.

    This wasn¡¯t fair.

    ¡°It¡¯s all the payment I¡¯d need, and I would grant you a single wish. Anything but divorce.¡± He leaned in close, and I felt his breath fan across my face. He was so close. ¡°Think about it.¡±

    He pulled away, and the moment was lost.

    ¡°Ivan¡¯s waiting for us.¡± He went to the door and my alone time was over. This was his order.

    Squaring my shoulders, I stepped out of the bathroom. I didn¡¯t get too far before his hand was on my hip, guiding me back to the table where dessert was already waiting for me.

    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Andrei said. ¡°I have to wonder, where is your date tonight?¡±

    Ivanughed. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for dates when I can enjoy the pleasure of your lovely wives.¡±

    Andrei¡¯s hand gripped me a little tighter. He let me go so I could take a seat.

    A chocte mousse waited for me.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, Adide, the vegan mousse here is simply to die for.¡±

    On the outside Ivan may seem like a good guy, however, I got this sense that he was anything but. He was the head of the Volkov Bratva, the man my husband swore loyalty to, and took his orders from. It was because of him that I was now married. He wouldn¡¯t listen to my father¡¯s concerns that I wasn¡¯t the kind of woman destined to be a brigadier¡¯s wife.

    Anyone else should have felt shame because of their family¡¯s constant put-downs, but not me. I was used to it, and I¡¯d been able to build a very strong wall around myself. Their nastyments no longer bothered me.

    ¡°Have a taste.¡±

    I swept my spoon through the dark mixture and took a bite. The moment the mousse hit my tongue, my mouth watered. There was no denying it was a delicious mix.

    ¡°Yum,¡± I said.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Andrei shake his head. Have I embarrassed him? I don¡¯t know the proper protocol for a brigadier¡¯s wife. I¡¯m surrounded by men who do bad things, but no one is telling me what the rules are.

    Aurora seemed content to be silent and allow whatever was happening to go on. I¡¯m not like that. Without knowing the rules, I fuck up. It¡¯s inevitable. All my father told me to do was follow my husband¡¯s orders, to not make waves, and under no circumstances was I to ever go to the police.

    My family were not pirs of themunity. They were not good people. I¡¯d seen a great deal of crap at their parties-drugs, orgies-I was very much aware of it. I¡¯m a virgin in body but not in mind.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you approve.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to eat the mousse. The dress felt too tight all of a sudden and my throat felt like it was on fire. My time alone was way too short. Panic filled my lungs and threatened to burst.

    ¡°Just breathe. Whenever it feels like it¡¯s getting too much and you have no way out, practice your breathing. Slowly take it all in, and then hold it, and then release, slowly, with control. No one controls your breath, Adide, only you do.¡± Miss Nicole¡¯s words were a security nket to me.

    At a time like this, I was the one in control. My father had taken my future, as had Ivan and Andrei. I was at the Bratva¡¯s mercy, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t have control over my body or the way I reacted.

    Andrei may be embarrassed over me now, but I¡¯d learn. I would find a way to fit into this way of life. There was no way Bethany would be right about this. I wouldn¡¯t die at my husband¡¯s hands. I could live through this.

    We finished dessert, had some coffee, and then Ivan made his excuses. He was the first to leave, and I noticed the four men that followed him out. I hadn¡¯t even noticed them waiting for the boss. They blended into the scenery so easily.

    vik was next to go with Aurora. There was politeness, but nothing else. There was no warm wee between the two.

    Finally, Andrei and I left. He put his hand at the base of my back, leading me out to where Leo waited with the doors open. Andrei waited for me to enter before he climbed in beside me.

    Trapped, alone in the car, I had to wonder if Andrei was telling the truth. Would he let me leave the penthouse if I kissed him? Why would he want a kiss from me? None of this made any sense.

    The dinner had been far too stressful. The food had tasted delicious. I¡¯d enjoyed it, but everything else had been a challenge. I wasn¡¯t used to Bratva politics.

    I don¡¯t fit in. And I had a horrible feeling I never would.

 45

    Andrei

    Screams filled the air and it was such a pleasing sound to me. Pulling out the fingernails of the piece of shit rat that squealed was satisfying to me. He¡¯d worked in the finance department at one of my casinos. It was one of the ces I used to help work the cash through to get it clean.

    It made the most sense, seeing as a whole lot of cash could be won, and there weren¡¯t a whole lot of eyes on it. It was one of the many areas we worked. I¡¯m a businessman, with a lot of businesses under my belt, some of them not even associated with the Bratva name, which was how Ivan liked it. Last night I got a call from one of my informants withinw enforcement, and he gave me details of a meeting between this little rat and one of the cops determined to bring the Bratva down. It was not going to happen. The truth was, I was in the mood for torture, especially after the dinner I had the other night with Ivan.

    He clearly has something he wants to say to me, or point out, but I don¡¯t know what. I¡¯m married to the bride he fucking chose. Bethany was more than a suitable candidate, and sure, I hated the bitch, but at least she knew what she was getting into. She liked it as well.

    There were times during our dates she¡¯d ask me just how far I went, how much blood I¡¯d spilled. She even knew of my deadly reputation and rather than terrify her, it excited her. Again, I didn¡¯t give a fuck. Bethany was a slut. When Ivan found out she was horrid to Aurora, I didn¡¯t expect him to change her position. He went so far as to lure her into bed with other men and film the sessions, then threw it in her parents¡¯ faces. Within a matter of minutes Bethany was out of favor, and suddenly, my intended was the sister. The young, virginal, sweet sister. The one who stayed as far away from me and Ivan as humanly possible without insulting anyone.

    My annoyance wasn¡¯t being sated with torturing this asshole. Under different circumstances, the sound of screams and the dark spige of blood helped to cool my mind. Not today. I¡¯d already gotten all the information I needed, but I wasn¡¯t a man who was known for doing things lightly. If you crossed me and Ivan, then it was a guaranteed death sentence. Nothing more. Nothing less. There was no way out of it once youmitted a sin like that. You were well and truly fucked.

    Staring at the rat now, dripping with blood, stinking of piss and shit, I was done. Drawing out my de, I slid it right across his neck, ending his misery way too soon.

    Without a word, I left the warehouse, grabbed my jacket that Leo held, and made my way toward the car. No one said a word to me. They knew not to disturb me during a time like this. Once inside the car, I pulled out my cell phone, typed in the password, and found the security camera app with a view of my penthouse suite.

    She still hadn¡¯t kissed me.

    I found her within seconds, lying down, her legs dangling across the arms of the sofa, kicking them out. Her hands were pointing up, swaying back and forth, and she was looking so fucking bored. That¡¯s what I wanted-her desperate and hungry. Begging. Adide would look so cute on her knees, begging me.

    I didn¡¯t turn up the sound but from the way her lips were moving, I could tell she was singing. The temptation to turn the volume up was strong, but I refrained from doing so. Listening to my wife sing would be far too much of a distraction, and I had more business to attend to.

    I logged out of the app and ordered Leo to take me to the casino. I needed to make my presence known there first, and to also ount for all the log books, while keeping an eye on any potential new faces.

    The Feds had a way of appearing randomly. Some of them came to the casino dressed in civilian clothes, but I knew they were there to case the ce. To see for themselves if I was prepared at a moment¡¯s notice for a possible invasion. It pissed me off, but again, it was all part of the fun and games.

    Leo arrived at the private underground parking. Climbing out of the car, I buttoned up my jacket, which hid the bloodstains. My hands were also tinted with it.

    This was a risk, but I always got a thrill out of the prospect of showing who I really was. Getting caught didn¡¯t scare me. There was no way they¡¯d be able to hold my ass for long.

    We moved toward the elevator doors together. Typing in my code, I didn¡¯t have to wait for them to open. I stepped inside and pressed down to the basement.

    ¡°Terrance sent me a message. Adide tried to leave again today. She said you had agreed to it.¡±

    ¡°Did he allow her to leave?¡± Andrei asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    I knew Leo didn¡¯t approve of my method of dealing with Adide. Other brigadiers would have chosen men they trusted to spend time with their wives, to keep them safe, and to keep other men away.

    Not me. There was no man I trusted with Adide. No one I wanted to leave next to her, day in and day out. She was my wife. No one else would get the pleasure of herpany. Not that I spent a whole lot of time with her. I hadn¡¯t granted myself the luxury.

    ¡°Sir, can I speak freely?¡± Leo asked.

    ¡°Not about my wife. No.¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I¡¯m handling her the best way I know how. If you don¡¯t like it, then you can leave.¡± Which was a death sentence. Once part of the Bratva, there was no escaping it.

    The doors opened and I stepped off. My presence made the room immediately freeze. Men and women, counting piles of cash, doing their job. ncing over the people, I noted there were no new faces. Everyone here had been working for me for quite some time. They all knew not to fuck with me. Still, it didn¡¯t hurt every now and then to appear, to let them see me.

    They had all seen me kill a man. Admittedly, it had been to save them, seeing as he¡¯d brought a gun to this ce in the hope of killing me and ending the Bratva, which was so fucking cute. There was no end to Volkov. No way of outing the best man that had evere to this ce.

    I¡¯d not been kind to the man who threatened to kill my staff. I¡¯d been a mean motherfucker and they all saw it, and in doing so, they had sworn their loyalty to Ivan. Once I was satisfied nothing was amiss, I left the basement and went to my main office. Leo left me alone long enough to change. I stuffed my clothes into a bag, which I handed to Leo to dispose of.

    Rather than leave the casino, I decided to check the basic running of the ce. Sitting behind the desk, I logged into theputer, drawing up the emails, and reading through them. There was enough to keep me upied.

    Working my way through each one, the temptation to reach for my cell phone and to see Adide was strong, which didn¡¯t bode well for me. Women were a weakness.

    Adide meant nothing to me. I had no reason to be so ¡­ intent on seeing her. I reached for my cell phone, but stopped myself from logging in to see what she was doing. She was just a woman.

    My wife.

    My still virginal wife.

    Gritting my teeth, I tossed the cell phone into my drawer and continued with my work.

    As I was about to reach for my cell for the fifth fucking time, my office door opened. I was about to yell at whoever dared enter my office, but I kept my mouth shut as I watched Ivan Volkov enter the room.

    After years of being his brigadier, I knew he didn¡¯t want any special greeting. Even though he was the Pakhan, the boss, he never wanted to be treated as such, unless he requested it.

    ¡°Hello, Andrei,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°Volkov.¡±

    ¡°Howe you¡¯ve not booked a honeymoon?¡±

    I frowned. ¡°A honeymoon?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what new couples enjoy after getting married.¡± Ivan grabbed my hand and pointed to the band wrapped around my ring finger. I¡¯d picked the ring out. It was silver, in, and could have been mistaken for anything. ¡°In case you didn¡¯t know, you¡¯re married.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°So, what about the honeymoon?¡±

    Ivan let go of my hand and I sat back, looking at him. ¡°You¡¯vee all this way to berate me for dealing with work? I dealt with a rat this morning, who was quite happy to snitch.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, but you see, you¡¯ve got a very lovely wife at home.¡±

    ¡°I know what I¡¯ve got at home.¡± Aplication.

    ¡°I¡¯d have expected this behavior if you¡¯d married Bethany.¡±

    ¡°Adide shouldn¡¯t be my wife.¡±

    ¡°Not only is she your wife, but she will be the mother of your child, but then, you¡¯d actually have to fuck her to do that,¡± Ivan said.

    I gritted my teeth to keep from talking. He knew I hadn¡¯t taken her on our wedding night.

    Ivan smiled. ¡°I like that you don¡¯t lie to me, Andrei. I do like that about you. It¡¯s one of your few rare qualities.¡±

    ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got some business to attend to in vik¡¯s territory. No matter what you hear, you are not to respond to it, am I understood?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I follow.¡±

    ¡°Simple. You¡¯re not to move from your territory. I will call you with an update, do you understand?¡±

    I didn¡¯t like this. vik and Ivan were nning something. I hated being kept out of the loop, but this was my job.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Ivan tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about Yahontov.¡±

    Yahontov was Ivan Yahontov, but we called him Ive so as not to confuse him with Ivan. Not that you could mistake the two.

    Ive was a monster to the core. I heard his territory was dark and his men were cruel. One of the rules as brigadiers is that we never got involved with other territories. We ran our ces the way we saw fit.

    Ive was cruel. He was evil. But with a past like his, I could totally understand that. The fact he was able to attend certain functions without drawing attention to his oddness was a miracle. Ivan liked to have strange men running things.

    I was an odd choice-the unwanted son of the previous Bratva, who was in fact a soldier¡¯s son. Yes, I discovered through torturing my father that I wasn¡¯t his son after all. My mother had an affair with a soldier, but they didn¡¯t kill me.

    My father was ordered to raise me as his own, which of course he never did. He made sure I paid every single day for my mother¡¯s betrayal. That was her punishment to see my life ruined day after day, because she had fallen in love. It was just another reason why Adide would never have a soldier near her.

    ¡°What about him?¡±

    ¡°You and vik are married. I think it¡¯s time Ive has a woman of his own.¡± Ivan sat back, running a finger across his lip.

    ¡°I thought you had women picked out already?¡± I asked.

    Ivan smiled. ¡°No. I like to make sure the women I choose for my men are tasteful. Those women would not make it in this world.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even have a fucking clue why he picked Adide for me, but poor Ive. If Ivan was going to marry him off, I didn¡¯t know who I felt sorry for more.

 46

    Adide

    I was fucking bored. I was so bored that I had even given boring a new name.

    The curtains were open, and that meant a perimeter was nicely built around the penthouse suite. I¡¯d already tried to ask my guard for one day out of the penthouse without Andrei knowing. Was I given that luxury? Nope.

    Moving into the kitchen, I opened and closed the doors to the fridge, then the drawers. I nced at the notice board and saw a marker. Without thinking, I grabbed said marker, made my way toward the edge of the penthouse, as far as I could go, and got to my knees.

    I drew a line, and then I carried on, until I had gotten across the room to the far wall. The moment I had done it, I realized I had drawn on a very expensive-looking wooden floor, and my heart started to race. Andrei hadn¡¯t given me permission to change anything.

    I didn¡¯t have a cell phone. Even the phone in the bedroom didn¡¯t work. I couldn¡¯t find aptop. The outside world was cut off from me, unless you counted the guard at the front door, who wouldn¡¯t even tell me his name.

    This sucked.

    I hated it.

    Rushing to the kitchen, I grabbed a cloth, wet it, and got back to the line I¡¯d just drawn across the floor.

    ¡°Stupid fucking thing,¡± I said, rubbing the cloth back and forth across the line. Of course, it was permanent.

    Great. Now I was going to look like a child and any hope I had of getting out of this apartment was fading, and fast. Sitting back on my heels, I pouted, and I had a sudden overwhelming need to cry.

    We¡¯d been married nearly three weeks. He¡¯d propositioned me a few weeks ago. A single kiss. Could I kiss him? I¡¯d never been kissed before my wedding.

    Covering my face, I cried out. Did he want me to go insane? Was this part of his n? To drive me crazy so he could divorce me, because all he needed to do was ask. I was happy to end this farce. This was not love. This was not a good marriage. It was a fucking nightmare for me.

    The sound of the front door opening and closing made me panic. Getting to my feet, I spun around, quickly shoving the cloth behind the pillow on the sofa to hide it.

    I expected to see Andrei home. He rarely came home early, but it had been known to happen.

    It wasn¡¯t Andrei. It was Ivan Volkov.

    ¡°Hello, Adide.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Volkov,¡± I said, bowing my head. Did I look like a moron? I don¡¯t know Bratva rules. I don¡¯t know anything. Did this have to do with my father¡¯s business? Get one of his men married to the daughter, drive her crazy, kill the family in some freak ident, and take im of thepany? My paranoia needed to be put in check.

    ¡°Ivan, please,¡± he said, moving toward me.

    He grabbed my hands, lifting them to his lips. His gazended on the floor and he tilted his head up to look at me. ¡°Decorating?¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ no. I don¡¯t suppose you know how to get marker out of the floor?¡±

    ¡°Why would you draw a line?¡±

    I take a deep breath. ¡°I have a fear of heights. It¡¯s crazy and stupid, but I¡¯ve had it since I was a little kid.¡± I pull my hands from Ivan¡¯s. He might seem like a nice guy, but every single sense was going off in my head to be careful. ¡°Would you like something to drink?¡± I stopped and spun toward him. ¡°Am I allowed to give you something to drink?¡±

    ¡°Do you n to poison me?¡±

    ¡°What? No, of course not.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how many people close to me would love to see me dead,¡± he said. There was a sadness in his eyes. It was only there for a fleeting second, and if I¡¯d not been looking at him, I¡¯d have missed it. I saw it.

    He was sad.

    I had an overwhelming need to hug him. To offer himfort, so against my better judgement, I did. I stepped up to this man, who put fear into me, and I wrapped my arms around him. ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ it¡¯s going to be okay,¡± I said. I had no idea what I was saying.

    ¡°You¡¯re a sweet girl,¡± Ivan said.

    He patted my back. I didn¡¯t want to be known as a sweet girl.

    I took that as my cue to step back, giving him the space he needed. I shoved my hands into my jeans pockets, and hoped I hadn¡¯t broken any rules. This was awkward and so far out of my depth.

    ¡°Drink. You want a drink.¡± I turned my back on him and rushed to the kitchen, needing to put some distance between us.

    My hands shook a little as I filled the kettle.

    Andrei had offered to have food sent to me, but I was happy to cook for myself. It was nice not having my mother or a chef breathing down my neck. There were small freedoms here, but not a lot. I wished I could go outside. There was so much I missed, mainly volunteering at the animal shelter.

    I didn¡¯t get a reprieve from Ivan¡¯spany for long as he entered the kitchen.

    ¡°This is nice,¡± he said.

    ¡°Andrei does have good taste.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure he¡¯s aware of just how good his taste is.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant by that, but I didn¡¯tment. My life depended on me being able to bite my tongue and not say a word.

    Ivan stayed silent as the kettle came to a boil on the stovetop.

    ¡°Do you like tea or coffee?¡± I asked, presenting a box and a jar of each.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you decide.¡±

    Again, was it wrong of me to choose for him? I settled on coffee. With Ivan Volkov here, I felt I needed to have every single part of my senses and my wits about me. This man was dangerous.

    With the kettle boiled, I poured our coffee and we moved toward the sitting room. I sat on the corner of one of the sofas, sipping at the scalding liquid. I¡¯d used nt milk for both of our drinks and I watched Ivan take a sip.

    ¡°Not too bad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t have creamer or whatever it is you use.¡± I cringed. Was that disrespectful?

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°This is just fine. So, tell me, Adide, how is married life treating you?¡±

    It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him how bored I was, and how Andrei and I weren¡¯t a good match. My life would be over if I even suggested a divorce. Not that I¡¯d seen anything. Other than the one dinner, Andrei came home when I was asleep. Our paths rarely crossed. Sometimes I¡¯d wake up in the middle of the night to find his arms wrapped around me. It was always so dark, I wasn¡¯t sure if I felt it or not.

    Pushing those thoughts to the back of my mind, I instead focused on the man in front of me, sipping his coffee.

    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±

    He tutted. ¡°I don¡¯t like being lied to. Even I can see that you¡¯re at your wits end.¡± He pointed toward the markings on the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Honestly.¡±

    ¡°You know, Andrei¡¯s not a hard man to understand.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked. ¡°Then tell me why he seems intent on boring me to death.¡± I gasped and stood. ¡°Crap, I am so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to ¡­ oh, my God.¡± I put a hand to my chest, trying to tell myself not to panic, not to worry. I had just snapped at Ivan Volkov. ¡°I¡¯m so, so, so sorry.¡±

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°You are so charming. I can see what he sees in you.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what that means.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t going to kill me.

    Sitting down so that I was perched on the edge of the sofa, I held my cup between my hands and waited, trying to find the right words. Ivan wasn¡¯t a good person. I knew that, but he seemed reasonable. I was a fool for even thinking it.

    ¡°I ¡­ Andrei can¡¯t stand me,¡± I said. ¡°I think you chose the wrong sister. I know Bethany did something wrong, and I¡¯m sure she regrets whatever it is she did.¡± I¡¯m not sure if they told me what Bethany did, or if I¡¯ve been so consumed with my own life that I¡¯ve forgotten. ¡°I think ¡­ don¡¯t you think it would be better if he married someone else?¡±

    Ivan sipped his coffee but his gaze stayed on me.

    There was the fear rushing down my spine. As well as the sick feeling that I had fucked up big time. This wasn¡¯t good. This was scary.

    ¡°You want a divorce?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°Andrei hates me. I think this is ¡­ we¡¯re not a good match.¡±

    ¡°A man who hates you doesn¡¯t keep a guard at the door all the time. My men are not known for being fools, Adide. Most of them would always have a guard by your side, and yet, Andrei keeps you home ¡­ alone.¡±

    I didn¡¯t like the way he said thest part, as if I wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I follow.¡±

    ¡°Aurora has a guard with her at all times. If vik isn¡¯t around, she has someone to protect her. Andrei won¡¯t allow another man toe near you. That is not a man who hates you, Adide. I am going to give you a piece of advice. He has probably already told you what he needs in order for you to have more freedom. Andrei doesn¡¯t trust easily. He¡¯s a hard man. Life hasn¡¯t been kind to him, but it is his story to tell, not mine. The man you married isplicated and cruel, but believe me when I say you are the best match for him.¡±

    He sipped his coffee, and I drank mine.

    It wasn¡¯t exactly aforting speech. No part of it made any sense. Nibbling my lip, I stared straight ahead.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time that you talked to your husband.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s never home.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s home every single night. It¡¯s time for you to stay up.¡±

    I frowned and turned toward him.

    ¡°I have my ways of finding out what I need to.¡± Ivan smiled.

    That wasn¡¯t a good look on him. Averting his gaze, I sipped my coffee and wondered how I had gotten to be part of this life. What had I done to end up like this? Tears filled my eyes, and I hated it. I¡¯d never been much of a crier, and I wasn¡¯t going to start now.

    Andrei had given me a chance to get out of this apartment. A kiss. Was that all he wanted?

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see little Andreis and Adides running around,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You and Andrei, having kids. I¡¯m sure he will have a nice country house waiting for you.¡± He winked at me.

    Again, he shouldn¡¯t try to be the teasing sort.

 47

    Andrei

    Ivan was in my home. Leo informed me and I brought up the penthouse suite on my cell phone. I was at the casino across the city, nearly an hour away without traffic from my wife. I left the casino immediately.

    There was traffic, and it was a nightmare. Running a hand down my face, I kept ncing over at my wife. I couldn¡¯t stand her to be alone with him. I shut down the app and tried Ivan¡¯s cell phone, which went straight to voice mail.

    Anger rushed through me. I couldn¡¯t kill Ivan for being near my wife. I continued to dial his cell phone, but he never picked up. In the end, I had no choice but to watch my wife and my Pakhan as they had coffee. I wanted to know what they were saying but with Leo in the car, I wasn¡¯t interested in turning up the volume. Trust only went so far.

    We were still ten minutes away when Ivan got up, and I watched him leave. Before I had chance to sign out of the app, my cell phone started to ring, and of course it was Ivan.

    ¡°Are you nearly here?¡± Ivan asked.

    I¡¯m not a fool. I know Ivan has spies in every territory. He is a man known for being one step ahead of the game. No one could take a shit without him knowing about it.

    ¡°Yes. What are you doing at my house?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You saw quite clearly that your wife is still in one piece. You¡¯re wee. Adide is spending a lot of time alone. Is your intention to drive her crazy?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°She hasn¡¯t earned the right to leave,¡± I said.

    ¡°She has a right to a cell phone, aptop, and a guard. You won¡¯t even let the poor woman shop. Are you aware she¡¯s afraid of heights as well?¡±

    No, I wasn¡¯t, but I wasn¡¯t going to tell him that.

    Ivanughed, as he always did, which meant he already knew the truth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t punish her too badly,¡± Ivan said. ¡°I really like her. She¡¯s got a whole lot of fire inside her, and if you were to train her well, she¡¯d be a good wife to you.¡±

    I didn¡¯t need him to tell me what Adide would or wouldn¡¯t be. She was my wife. I was the one who would take care of her. Instead, I kept my thoughts to myself because he was still my boss.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk soon.¡±

    Ivan hung up, and the desire to crush my cell phone was strong, but I didn¡¯t. Changing cell phones pissed me off. I preferred to keep the same one that I knew how to work.

    Arriving at my penthouse building, I didn¡¯t wait for Leo to park the car. I climbed out even before he¡¯d finished, and was near the elevator. Pressing the button to my penthouse, I waited. The ride was taking too damn long.

    The guard outside my door looked afraid, but I couldn¡¯t kill him for letting Ivan in. He outranked me, but the thought of another man being near my woman angered me.

    ¡°Leave,¡± I said.

    Terrance knew not to fuck with me and left. It was why he¡¯d been given the guard duty. He was a good man, loyal, and wasn¡¯t easily swayed by sweet eyes.

    Entering my apartment, I stormed toward my wife and found her on her knees, scrubbing away at a hideous ck line.

    ¡°What the hell did you do?¡± I asked.

    She stood up, pushing her long brown hair out of the way. I loved her hair. She never had it cut. The length was glorious, and I couldn¡¯t wait to have it wrapped around my fist.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I ¡­ I need to get out of this apartment.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not leaving this ce.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to kill me, is that it? You hate me so much that you want me to do the deed myself or something?¡± Her hands were clenched into fists.

    This I wasn¡¯t expecting.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to die.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m dying already? Do you have any idea what it¡¯s like to spend every single day here, doing nothing?¡± She yelled each word at me. ¡°Before you I had a life. To many, it would have been boring, but I had a life. I enjoyed leaving and being free, but I can¡¯t even have that anymore. Your boss, or whatever the fuck he is, was here, and you know what, I was scared, because I don¡¯t know this way of life. I know you¡¯re part of the Bratva, but I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m supposed to say that. I didn¡¯t grow up in this life. Ugh, what is the point? You should have married my sister. I¡¯m pretty sure you would have been far happier with her.¡±

    ¡°Are you done?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Why? Bored of being in this ce already. Trust me. I know I am.¡± She threw the cloth at me. ¡°And I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re pissed off that I damaged your precious wood. What kind of an asshole lives this high up?¡±

    I¡¯m stunned by hernguage, by her aggression, and most of all by just how aroused I am. I take a step toward her, then another. With her fear in ce of the heights, she doesn¡¯t move, the line keeping her in ce.

    Sinking my fingers into her hair, I tug her close, not to hurt, but to guide. She gasped. Her hands went to my wrist. Her touch shouldn¡¯t do anything for me. I shouldn¡¯t enjoy it. There should be no happiness at having her hands on me.

    When ites to the opposite sex, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s always in control. They do my bidding. They are not permitted to touch me. But Adide is my wife. She is not like other women.

    ¡°If you want to y the victim, carry on, but I¡¯ve told you exactly what you need to do in order to earn rewards.¡±

    ¡°Are you being serious right now? You expect me to kiss you to get out of this ce? To have a cell phone? To even go shopping?¡± she asked.

    I smiled. It wasn¡¯t a nice one, and she flinched away from me as I did so, but with the hold I had on her hair, there was nowhere for her to go. She was stuck with me.

    Holding her close against me, I relished the feel of her curves. They were so soft and so close. She smelled good as well, like strawberries and cream. My mouth watered for a taste.

    ¡°Do you think kissing me is so distasteful? Do you have any idea what I could have ordered you to do?¡± I asked. ¡°I could make you go on your knees, take my dick between those fuckable lips, and choke on it. Force you to swallow every single drop of my spunk. Or I could have pounded your virgin pussy. Forced you to bleed over my dick for your first time. What about your asshole?¡± I grabbed her ass, pulling her toward me. ¡°If your pussy and mouth haven¡¯t seen a cock, then I bet your ass hasn¡¯t either. Forcing you to take me there, just so you could breathe fresh air. So, the next time you think I¡¯m a monster, why don¡¯t youpare my request to the other things I could have forced you to do?¡±

    ¡°I hate you.¡±

    ¡°Get in line. There¡¯s a long list of women who hate me.¡±

    This time, she fought against me. I could make her ept me. Kiss her. Make her give me my due. My dick hadn¡¯t seen a pussy in a long time, and I was well past due emptying my balls. With Adide, I didn¡¯t even need to use a condom. She was supposed to be getting pregnant with my kid, but that wasn¡¯t going to happen until I fucked her.

    I let her leave and run away toward our bedroom. I¡¯d give her a few minutes to gain her bearings, and then I¡¯d seek her out. Annoying the fuck out of her was part of my n. Hurting and raping her was not. Nor was terrifying her.

    Some men couldn¡¯t handle facing off with me. Adide was just a woman. I should have gone easier on her.

    I moved toward my office, removed my jacket, and threw it across the chair. The scotch called to me. I made my way over to the drink, poured myself a generous shot, and drank it straight down, enjoying the burn.

    A memory of my father shed through my mind. I couldn¡¯t have been much older than six or seven. My mother had asked me to go and grab the photograph album she¡¯d left in his office. I had been a klutz back then, and as I lifted the heavy book, I knocked his bottle of vodka off the table. The ss had smashed. He¡¯d entered as I tried to clean it up, and as punishment, he¡¯d grabbed the ss and shed me right across the arm, three times. I was bleeding, he¡¯d punched me in the gut, and tossed me out into the cold. Three dayster, the doctor hade to fix me up. I¡¯d nearly died of infection.

    Pushing the memory to the back of my mind, I put the ss down and made my way toward the bedroom.

    Adide wasn¡¯t there. I heard the sound of the shower running, and I walked toward the door. Her clothes were on the floor, and I saw the outline of her body in the frosted ss. My dick hardened. She was my wife. Mine.

    After removing my clothes, I eased them onto the floor and stepped toward the shower. Opening the door to the stall, I stepped inside and heard her gasp.

    She wrapped her arms around her body and turned her back to me, but I was a man who liked a woman¡¯s ass, and the one she presented me with was sheer fucking perfection. Rounded, juicy, almost a little too big, but a generous handful.

    I closed the door, moved in closer, and she stepped forward to try and keep some distance from me. There was nowhere for her to go. Reaching past her so that our bodies touched, I grabbed the soap.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Taking a shower.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t even have one of those alone anymore?¡±

    I smiled,thering up my hands with soap. ¡°Tell me, Adide, do you want to live?¡±

    ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A real one.¡±

    ¡°Of course I want to live. Who wouldn¡¯t?¡±

    Putting my hands on her hips, I pulled her back against me. She was so damn tense. ¡°Then I will start to teach you tomorrow morning,¡± I said. There wasn¡¯t much to teach, not really. Ivan liked to consider this new era of Bratva to be modern, thinking outside of the box, and making sure our enemies didn¡¯t have a fucking clue what to do.

    Adide was too adorable to show disrespect, and I could imagine Ivan would find her cute as well. He wasn¡¯t a stickler for tradition unless he faced someone he hated, and then he made sure tradition was served.

    I slid my hands around to her stomach, feeling the roundness of her flesh. I¡¯d never been a man who liked a skinny woman. When I was younger, I¡¯d been with a couple, and they¡¯d always whimpered andined about how I touched them. They couldn¡¯t handle a man like me. Adide was built to take me. To be mine.

    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it would be like to finally father a child. To have my baby growing inside her. Adide would make a wonderful mother. She was a kind soul, which marveled me from the household she grew up in.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°As for the rest, Adide, all you¡¯ve got to do is kiss me, and what you desire will be yours.¡±

 48

    Adide

    A kiss.

    That was all he asked. A single kiss. Not a peck on the lips, but a proper kiss. I remembered his terms and it was so easy to think that a kiss would be just a simple brushing of lips, nothing too hard or strenuous. But it wasn¡¯t that simple.

    To most people with experience, it meant nothing. I had never kissed anyone, other than Andrei at our wedding, and did that really count? It was part of the binding. Husband and wife, that kind of thing.

    This was ¡­ horrible.

    The penthouse apartment was driving me crazy. It was a beautiful ce to stay but I hated it. I needed fresh air. Freedom. I¡¯d never been trapped for so long.

    Andrei wasn¡¯t wrong about teaching me. At least, if he called what he did most mornings a teaching. There was no lesson. He told me that Ivan was a Pakhan, the boss, and I had to show him respect. That was lesson one. Great, as if I didn¡¯t know that. Lesson two, I got to know the main brigadiers. I knew him and vik. Then there was Ivan-but we referred to him as Ive-Yahontov, Victor Abdulov, Peter Orlov, and Oleg Pavlov. I couldn¡¯t remember meeting them.

    Each lesson was pointless. They didn¡¯t give me the rules and he was doing it on purpose.

    Ivan¡¯s words came back to haunt me: ¡°That is not a man who hates you, Adide. I am going to give you a piece of advice. He has probably already told you what he needs for you to have more freedom. Andrei doesn¡¯t trust easily.¡±

    I shouldn¡¯t care about him.

    Andrei could handle himself, but even as I thought it, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the man I¡¯d married. What had made him this way? Why didn¡¯t he trust easily? Who had hurt him in the past? Why did it bother me? It¡¯s not like he was a good person. This was the man he wanted to be. Who he chose to be.

    But that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t wonder about him.

    He always got inte. Thest couple of nights, I heard him arrive home, but I chickened out of kissing him, pretending to be asleep, until I finally drifted off before he even made it to bed.

    Tonight, I¡¯d drunk coffee-a lot of it. I enjoyed coffee but usually I gave myself a cut-off time so that I wasn¡¯t wired all the time.

    He didn¡¯te to the bedroom. For a good twenty minutes Iy in bed listening, waiting for him to arrive, but nothing.

    Pushing the nkets off, I slid my feet into my slippers and went to find him. I wore a pair of pajama shorts and a tank, quite modestpared to the negligees neatly folded in the drawers. Stepping out of the bedroom, I waited a moment, unable to hear him. He wasn¡¯t in the kitchen or the living room. The dining room was clear, which left the small library, study, his office, or the spare bedroom.

    I decided to check his office, and sure enough, that¡¯s where I found him, standing at the floor-to-ceiling window, enjoying a ss of liquor, staring out across the city.

    The moment I entered, he pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at me. I froze into ce. This was the first time a gun had been pointed at me. I held my hands out in front of me.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be sneaking around,¡± he said.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Why are you awake?¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    ¡°I ¡­ er ¡­ I heard youe in.¡± This wasn¡¯t going ording to n. I had hoped he¡¯de into the bedroom, get ready for bed, and I could kiss him quickly and swiftly in the hope of getting out of the penthouse tomorrow.

    This was confrontation. This required me to look at him.

    ¡°Do you know what today is?¡±

    ¡°No?¡± I asked. He didn¡¯t need me to be smart with him and tell him the date, month, and year.

    ¡°This is the anniversary of my father¡¯s death,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    He burst outughing. ¡°Oh, sweetheart, you don¡¯t have to be sorry for that. I was the one who killed him.¡±

    I¡¯d never been privy to his past. I¡¯d never heard of him doing anything wrong, at least not before tonight. There was always the hint in the news, across the media, and amongst the circles my parents were part of. This was ¡­ I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°The bastard had iting,¡± Andrei said.

    How the fuck should I respond to that?

    ¡°You do know the Bratva isn¡¯t some childish gang where we share secrets with one another. It¡¯s a blood loyalty.¡± He put his ss on the edge of the desk and moved toward me. I stayed perfectly still, watching, waiting.

    Button by button, he started to open his shirt, revealing his muscr and heavily inked chest. The only time I¡¯d seen him up close was out of the corner of my eye in the shower, but I¡¯d not faced him. Not as he washed himself. I¡¯d kept my back to him, trying to keep my body covered, from my husband. It wasn¡¯t how I imagined a marriage to be.

    The shirt fell to the floor.

    ¡°You can¡¯t see it, but you can still feel.¡± He reached for my hand, pulled me close, and put my hand on his arm. ¡°This is where he shed me for breaking his fucking vodka bottle. I nearly died because of it.¡± Next, my hand went to his stomach. ¡°He beat me so hard, I was pissing blood. Here is where the buckle of his belt shed me.¡±

    He ran my hands over his body, which was covered in scars, most of them from his father. Tears filled my eyes as I imagined Andrei as a scared little boy.

    ¡°So, when the opportunity came to kill him, I took it.¡± He held his arms open wide. ¡°I am the only surviving Belov, Adide. The only one of my line and I¡¯m loyal to Ivan Volkov. The bastard son of the previous Pakhan. You want the rules to survive. You¡¯re loyal to him. You swear your life to him, and to me. You don¡¯t see or hear anything. You see me covered in blood, you help wash it off. You bear my children. You belong to me, and in return, you will have a life you only ever dreamed of.¡± He dropped his hands. ¡°That is what your father wanted. To have our wealth and power, and to do it, he gave us you. Betray us, and you will long for death before I grant it.¡±

    I¡¯d never seen him like this. ¡°Is this to scare me?¡±

    ¡°Not to scare, to make you aware. I¡¯ve got many enemies. Ivan has many enemies. There are plenty of people in this world who will want us dead, and they would have no qualms about using you to get what they want.¡±

    This was the reality. He was giving me exactly what I wanted to know and yet right at that moment, I wasn¡¯t sure if I could handle it. My husband was warning me. Telling me that if I didn¡¯t learn to ept this life, then I was dead. There was no way out. I was to stay by his side, be loyal to him and to Ivan, until I either died or was killed. There were no cops to save me.

    Andrei would kill me if I betrayed them.

    My parents had done this because they couldn¡¯t stand to be penniless. They handed me over without a bat of the eye. None of them thought I could handle this. Anger filled me.

    ¡°Do you keep your word?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°When you make deals or promises, do you keep them?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± There was no hesitation.

    ¡°Then I promise you, Andrei Belov, that I will never turn my back on you. I will never seek out anyone to hurt you or to hurt Ivan Volkov.¡± I take a step toward him, knowing that my words don¡¯t matter, not really. Andrei doesn¡¯t trust. Loyalty to him must be shown and earned.

    Even as every single sense within my body repelled and told me to run, to get as far away from this man and this life as physically possible, a part of me, a small, tiny sliver, didn¡¯t want to.

    Andrei intrigued me.

    He terrified me in equal measure, but there was no doubt in my mind that I also liked him. This was stupid of me to even think that. He¡¯d shown no inclination to like me or care for me. I was not the woman for him.

    And yet, sleeping beside him, night after night, feeling his arms wrapped around me, wasforting. Even down to the fact he locked me up in this penthouse suite to protect me, I wasn¡¯t sure. There was a lot I didn¡¯t know or understand.

    I was within touching distance now. All I had to do was reach up, put my hands on his chest, and feel him, but I didn¡¯t do that. I simply held myselfpletely still.

    His naked chest was so tempting. Why did I hold myself back?

    I lifted my hands and moved to touch him, but he grabbed my wrists and stopped me.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.

    To tell him I was going to kiss him seemed a littleme to me, and totally out of ce. Nibbling my lip, I nce over his shoulder, trying to think of the right thing to say. Instead, I step toward him so he has no choice but to move our hands, or have them against his skin. Did he hate me touching him, or just touch in general?

    ¡°I¡¯m here to give you payment,¡± I said.

    We were going to be in a constant vicious cycle if one of us didn¡¯t give in, and I was not ashamed to need my space. Kissing Andrei would mean something to him, but I imagined he¡¯d been with plenty of women whose kisses didn¡¯t matter. Just a physical action to him he¡¯d done thousands of times, if not more. I had to learn to keep my emotions in check. This kiss wouldn¡¯t mean a thing. I hoped.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a whore,¡± he said.

    I flinched. I couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°You were the one who said I had to kiss you to get out of this damn apartment. I don¡¯t have to be insulted by you. I¡¯m not a whore. How dare you!¡± If he didn¡¯t hold my wrists, I¡¯d have pped him right across his smug, arrogant face. As it was, he had my wrists and as I tried to tug them free, it was pointless. He was the one who held all the power.

    Growling, I was about to raise my knee when suddenly my hands were released, but I didn¡¯t have time to react because within the next seconds, his lips were on mine. The kiss started out soft, a simple brush of our lips, and I expected it to be over. It certainly would have been a lot easier if it had, but Andrei had other ideas.

    His hands sank into my hair, holding me close, gripping me tightly as his tongue traced across my bottom lip. A whimper escaped me and that was all he needed to gain entry. He plunged inside, making me moan as he deepened the kiss.

    This was a real kiss.

    Not sweet or gentle, but an all-consuming passion that stole my breath and made me hate and crave him just a little bit more.

    Who was this man, this husband of mine? I had no idea, but with kisses like that, I knew I would happily follow him into hell.

 49

    Andrei

    Cinnamon buns, purchased at a fucking vegan deli, no less. Strong coffee with nt milk, at the same ce, and before mey Adide¡¯s cell phone,ptop, and the credit card I¡¯d acquired with my name.

    All I waited for was Adide to make an appearance.

    I¡¯d already told Leo that he wasn¡¯t needed today. Terrance was on guard duty, where he needed to be. There would always be guards nearby waiting to protect.

    I sat enjoying my coffee, and sure enough, I didn¡¯t have to wait long before Adide stumbled out of our bedroom, still dressed in shorts and a tank top. Her long brown hair was a mess. She looked like she¡¯d been fucked long and hard into the night. All I¡¯d done was kiss her and send her to bed. By the time I joined her, she¡¯d been fast asleep.

    Keeping Adide in the dark wasn¡¯t bright. I knew that. Last night, the anniversary of my father¡¯s death, I always went to dark ces. There was no controlling it. That day was the best of my life-where I could finally release the chains he had on me and be my own man.

    I was a man who prided myself that I feared nothing, and yet, when it came to my father, my biggest fear of all was that I¡¯d turn out to be exactly like him. It¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t in a rush to father children. Like always, I¡¯d make sure to do my duty for Ivan, but that didn¡¯t mean I was in a rush.

    I had two years. Two years of having Adide all to myself. I was a selfish man, and if that was all I had, I would enjoy every single moment.

    ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Sit,¡± I said. ¡°A vegan cinnamon bun and a coffee.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re amazing.¡± She pulled out her chair, took a chunk of the bun, and shoved it in her mouth. She chewed for a few seconds before she moaned. The sound was deep and went straight to my cock. Next she had a sip of her coffee.

    ¡°I¡¯ve gone to Heaven.¡±

    Good for her, because I was in Hell.

    She licked her lips, lifted the cinnamon bun to her mouth, and then her gaze was back on me. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±

    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯ve got your cell phone, yourptop, and your credit card in front of me.¡±

    ¡°You had these with you the whole time?¡± Adide asked.

    ¡°Today you¡¯ve earned the chance to leave this penthouse. I will take you wherever you want to go.¡±

    ¡°Wait? You¡¯reing with me?¡± she asked.

    I nod.

    ¡°How can that be freedom?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nonnegotiable.¡± It was either me or one of my men and I didn¡¯t appreciate anyone else being near my wife.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    She put the bun down. ¡°You knew this even before the kiss. You changed the rules.¡±

    ¡°I was the one who kissed youst night. I¡¯m being nice to you. The least you can do is not be a brat.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my ¡­ you think I¡¯m being a brat.¡±

    ¡°You will not be leaving this penthouse alone. I¡¯ll be by your side.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, you know what? Fine.¡± She mmed her coffee down on the table and marched away, only she didn¡¯t go far. I watched her ass that was far too covered in the shorts she wore. She stopped and turned back toward me, and this time her hands went to my face. I grabbed her wrists, but she mmed her lips down on mine, and I held her there, enjoying the soft feel of her mouth on mine.

    To test how far she was willing to go, I stick my tongue out and trace across her lip, waiting for her to either tell me to leave her alone, or jerk back. She did neither, and kissed me a little harder. Running my thumb across the pulse at her inner palm, I waited to see what she was going to do, but it wasn¡¯t long before she jerked back. ¡°I earned that!¡± She went for the cell phone, but I picked it up before she could. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get this when I find out why you want it so bad.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my cell phone. I had a whole life before I was married to you. I had friends,¡± she said.

    ¡°Get rid of them.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    I pocketed her cell phone. ¡°I suggest you go and get dressed before my good mood disappears.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an asshole.¡±

    I smiled to which she red. Her hand turned into a fist, and I expected her to hit me, but instead she rounded on her heel and marched away. Her ass was a temptation. I couldn¡¯t wait to get my hands on it, to explore her beautiful body. I¡¯d have Adidee apart within seconds if she gave me the chance.

    My dick ached. I wanted her so badly. So, so bad.

    I craved her.

    Hungered for her.

    Was desperate for her.

    But, I controlled myself, and waited. Adide wasn¡¯t ready for me.

    I expected her to take a long time, but she surprised me again by being ready within a matter of ten minutes. Her long brown locks were pinned atop her head in a messy bun. She wore a shirt that had seen better days, looked heavily washed, and torn jeans.

    This made Adide different from other women. No one else would have allowed me to see her looking anything but perfect. Adide had no makeup and no jewelry other than the garish wedding ring that was a statement to the world and to her family. She wore clothes that didn¡¯t even have a designerbel. She looked perfect to me-theplete opposite of the women I normally went for.

    ¡°Ready?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure you want to go out like that?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I wondered if she would take me shopping and force me to sit through hours of her trying on new clothes. She had an entire closet I¡¯d chosen for her. This had to be one of her old outfits that she¡¯d brought along with her. Her parents had gotten rid of most of her stuff, but it would seem Adide knew what to do.

    We left my penthouse. I nodded at Terrance. He¡¯d be following behind us in the second car. So that Adide didn¡¯t feel so aware of her position, I was driving us wherever she wanted to go. I still had her cell phone in my pocket. I¡¯d not switched it on, but I knew her whole life was there. She wasn¡¯t on social media of any kind. Her cell phone was just used for calls, texts, and very rarely for emails. She kept to herself mostly.

    ¡°Where would you like to go?¡± I asked, expecting her to tell me the name of a mall.

    She tells me the location but not the name. I¡¯ve never heard of it before and have no choice but to type it into the navigator to be pointed in the general direction.

    ¡°I could have told you where to go,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t all guys against getting directions?¡±

    ¡°This is not getting directions. I¡¯ve never had to talk to anyone to get what I want.¡±

    She chuckled and I chanced a nce at her.

    ¡°Is this some exclusive boutique?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Please, I hate shopping.¡±

    ¡°I find that hard to believe¡­¡±

    ¡°Why? Because that was all my sister told you to do?¡± She snorted. ¡°Bethany and I are nothing alike. If you wanted a wife who liked to shop, then you should have married her.¡±

    I gripped the steering wheel, annoyed with her.

    Bethany bored me. She always tried too hard. I know she made everyone believe we were fucking, and we weren¡¯t. She never aroused me. Her voice always had that edge of whining to it. I hated hearing her talk. To be honest, the only reason I took her with me on business trips, apart from the fact she was supposed to be with me, was the distraction she provided. I knew she slept with everything that had a dick. She tried to get a rise out of me, but I just didn¡¯t care. Her pussy was already well-used before I came along.

    ¡°You owe me my cell phone.¡±

    Afterst night, I expected her to be scared, or at the very least worried about being in the same room as me. This woman made no sense. Rather than act scared, she seemed to be talking back. When had Adide grown a spine? The shaken, panic-stricken woman of our wedding was long gone. In her ce sat a very beautiful and determined female.

    She reached for the window and pressed the button, letting in the fresh air. Adide tilted her head toward it. This was the first time during the day she¡¯d been outside. The only other time I¡¯d taken her out was during our dinner with Ivan and vik.

    ¡°I don¡¯t owe you anything.¡±

    ¡°That means you¡¯re not a man of your word, and you lied.¡±

    Irritated, I reached into my pants pocket and handed her the cell phone she was so anxious about.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a man of my word. That means I tell you the truth, and I expect the same in return.¡±

    ¡°I have no reason to lie to you.¡±

    ¡°There is always a reason to lie.¡±

    Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her press the power button. ¡°It¡¯s dead.¡±

    It would be. I didn¡¯t waste time charging it. That was the other reason I hadn¡¯t given her the cell phone. She would need time to charge it, even when we made it home. She pulled down the glove box, shoved her phone inside, and closed it. I expected her to be angry.

    She stared out the window. Her hand was cruising out of the window, sliding up and down.

    ¡°We¡¯re nearly there,¡± she said, suddenly sitting forward.

    I slowed down as she started to point to where she wanted to go. When we arrived at an animal shelter, I couldn¡¯t have been more shocked. When she lived with her parents, she¡¯d volunteered at a shelter, but I figured that was to look good to the press.

    She pped her hands, looking excited. I had no choice but to follow her as she¡¯d climbed out of the car and rushed toward the main reception. I wasn¡¯t dressed to be at a shelter.

    I watched as my wife talked to an elderly woman behind the counter. The two shook hands, and then Adide saw I¡¯d arrived.

    ¡°Er, this is my husband, Andrei. Would you mind if I showed him around?¡± Adide asked.

    ¡°No, of course not, dear. You go right ahead.¡±

    Adide turned toward me, her hands sped together. ¡°Would you like a tour?¡±

    I noticed she didn¡¯t introduce me to the woman on the counter, whom she clearly knew.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, surprising her.

    ¡°Right, let¡¯s go then.¡± Adide took a step toward a set of double doors, leading toward the back of the shelter.

    I grabbed her hand, locking our fingers together. I wasn¡¯t going to let her out of my sight. This was a surprise. I guess Adide hadn¡¯t been using the experience to look good to the press, and I was now even more intrigued.

 50

    Adide

    I love all animals-dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, cows, horses, the list goes on and on. I adore them. I had always wanted one, but growing up, Bethany couldn¡¯t stand them. None of the animals liked her and I used to think it was because they were known for sensing evil. Lame, I know, but I had to get my kicks out of it somehow.

    So, no pets. Even my parents hated them.

    After the basement episode where I tried to build my own shelter, my mother decided it was best for me to invest my time elsewhere. That¡¯s when she got me to volunteer at the local animal shelter. She thought it was a phase I was going through. Much like my veganism. When she realized I wasn¡¯t going to change my mind, she didn¡¯t bother to try and change it for me. She let me run with it.

    I wasn¡¯t allowed pets, but at the shelter, I took care of and loved them all. There were no limits. It was the first time my mother had done anything selfless. At the time I didn¡¯t realize it also made her look good to the press. I should have known she wasn¡¯t doing it to help her daughter, it was all for herself.

    As I walked with Andrei by my side and saw the animals that had been rescued or given to the shelter, I felt like I finally had a purpose.

    During my tour, I¡¯m surprised to see Andrei from time to time going toward the cages and putting his hand inside, stroking the dogs. I thought they would attack him. Some of the shelter dogs have only known abuse, as well as the cats, but none of them attacked. They sniff his hand and he greets them, petting them gently. I¡¯m shocked. There¡¯s no other word for it. I¡¯d never expected him to be so ¡­ kind.

    He¡¯d admitted to me he killed his own father, and I wasn¡¯t a fool. I knew that meant he took lives on a daily basis. That was who he was-the Bratva man. But right now, as I watched him pet a German shepherd, I had to wonder about him, about the boy he¡¯d told me about.

    Andrei wasn¡¯t a bad man. He¡¯d been made into who he was by the people around him. He couldn¡¯t trust anyone. Was that why Ivan had warned me that Andrei didn¡¯t trust easily? The people who should have loved him, taken care of him, nurtured him, had abused him. It didn¡¯t take a genius to understand the kind of pain he experienced as a boy left a mark.

    There was so much about Andrei I didn¡¯t know.

    Until this moment, I¡¯d not been too interested in finding out, but looking at him now and seeing the dogs react, I had to wonder. They were good at sensing evil, after all, and they didn¡¯t react to Andrei the same way they did to my parents or to Bethany.

    The tour came to an end when he got a phone call. From the look on his face, I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what had happened, but his face was a mask-a dark one.

    He made his excuses and didn¡¯t allow me to say goodbye to thedy at the desk. I¡¯d not gotten her name. I¡¯d known of this shelter because I¡¯d taken the time before marrying Andrei, to learn about my location. My father had told me I¡¯d be living with Andrei, and I hated going to new ces without learning every single detail, so I¡¯d spent hours studying this ce.

    This was the biggest animal shelter near the city. When I¡¯d been thinking of volunteering here, I had not considered my husband locking me up in his penthouse suite. I was just thankful I¡¯d not made any arrangements ahead of time, as I¡¯d have looked like a fool.

    Andrei didn¡¯t let go of my hand until we were at the car, where he helped me into the passenger seat. He surprised me even more, leaning in and fastening my seat belt. I could do it, but with how close his face was to mine, I got a little distracted. The sight of his lips so close. The two kisses I¡¯d now shared with him hadpletely ruined me. I wanted to hate him, to put him in a neatly organized box of a monster. He wasn¡¯t that.

    But a few kisses didn¡¯t make him a good person. He was messing with my head, but I had a feeling he wasn¡¯t doing it on purpose.

    He mmed the door closed and rounded the vehicle, climbed behind the wheel, turned over the ignition, and pulled out of the shelter.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked.

    He didn¡¯t say a word. His focus was on the main road. I noticed his guards had followed us to the animal shelter. Another hit of harsh reality-that we couldn¡¯t go for a simple visit without someone there to guard us.

    Was his life in danger every single moment of every single day? I¡¯d read about the fictional side of the Bratva life in books, but I figured they were overdramatized versions. With how fast he drove, I had to wonder just how true they were.

    Gripping the edge of my seat, I was sure he was going to crash into something. I closed my eyes at certain points, not wanting to see the danger ahead. I¡¯d already considered the best way to die, and as far as I could tell, it was to not be conscious for it. Lame, I know, but I hated pain. Physical pain. I¡¯d do anything to avoid it.

    ¡°Andrei, what¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.

    He still didn¡¯t talk to me.

    I hated this.

    Squeezing my eyes closed, I hoped a cop was close by just so he¡¯d stop us or do anything that would slow him down. I didn¡¯t want him arrested. The cop thought was a bad one. Andrei or his men would probably kill him. A cop wasn¡¯t a good idea. It was a very bad one. No cops. Just get us home in time.

    The odd thought made me pause. Home. I¡¯d never considered the penthouse suite a home before. It wasn¡¯t my home. It was Andrei¡¯s, but I felt like I was going home. Was this all part of the Stockholm syndrome thing? I wasn¡¯t sure what qualified Andrei as a captor. I nearly burst outughing when I thought of Andrei as my kidnapper. He was my husband, but he might as well have been the viin in my story.

    We arrived back at the penthouse suite¡¯s underground parking lot, alive, in one piece. When I climbed out of the car, I nearly sank to my knees and kissed the cold cement floor, but s, I didn¡¯t have that luxury.

    Andrei acted like a crazy person. He grabbed my arms, snapped his fingers at his men, and marched me toward the elevator doors. His grip was bruising, but he didn¡¯t let me go.

    What had I done wrong? What had happened? I¡¯d been a good girl my whole life. All I did was take him to the animal shelter. One by one, I tried to find the reason for his sudden change of behavior, and nothing came to mind. I drew aplete nk.

    Did he hate the dogs? Was that his issue?

    I hated this.

    His guards travelled in the elevator with us. This was a first as far as I knew. He¡¯d kept a lot of the guards away from me. Just the guy on the door, who was a pain in the ass. We got to Andrei¡¯s penthouse suite, and it had be his, seeing as he was now hurting me.

    ¡°Andrei, what¡¯s going on? Please talk to me,¡± I said.

    ¡°Shut up and go to your room.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    He spoke to me like I was a child. What happened to the man who wanted me to kiss him in order to earn rewards?

    ¡°Why won¡¯t you talk to me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your childish behavior, get the fuck to your room, now.¡±

    There was something in his eyes and the fact his men were so close, that I knew if I disobeyed him, he¡¯d hurt me. I was not entirely sure if that was urate, but holding the cell phone I was able to grab from his glove box before he became ¡­ this, I walked away and did not give him a second look.

    I closed the door quietly and rushed toward the closet where I¡¯d seen several chargers in a drawer. Rifling through them, I tried to find the perfect fit for the phone I had. It took me three attempts to find the right charger. Sliding the cable into the wall, I fired up my cell phone. I was amazed it still worked.

    Tears blurred my vision and I batted them away. I wasn¡¯t going to cry. It had gone from a perfectly good day to a shitty one. Story of my life, but I wasn¡¯t going to let it get me down. I¡¯d look at the positives instead. I got to go out, see a bunch of animals I already loved, and I had my cell phone.

    I stayed in the closet, and even when one of the guards came to the room to drop off some food, I didn¡¯t leave the sanctuary of this room.

    With my cell phone charging, when it had enough battery life, I began to go through my texts, missed calls, and emails. My main contact was Nathan, the only guy who¡¯d not been wowed by Bethany. He¡¯d seen right through her and had not been impressed.

    I looked at all the texts from him.

    Nathan: What the hell is happening?

    Seriously, you¡¯re giving me the silent treatment.

    Adide, I don¡¯t like this silence.

    Come on, girl, you know I want to talk.

    I go away for three months and the next thing I know, you¡¯re living in a different city, married to the guy who was supposed to be seeing your sister.

    Adide, please talk to me.

    I had to stop looking at them. They were constantly asking me to text back. The emails were from him as well. Each one sounded even more sad than thest. There were missed calls from him and from Bethany, but I ignored them all. There was no point in listening to the voice messages, so I deleted them.

    Next, I hovered over Nathan¡¯s name. Should I call him? Andrei had said I wasn¡¯t to have any contact with my previous life, but he didn¡¯t get to tell me what to do when he was yelling at me like that. I clicked on the button and made the decision. Some might think it was a stupid one. Putting the cell to my ear, I had no choice but to move onto the floor on my stomach as the cable wasn¡¯t long enough for me to sit.

    I waited.

    ¡°Adide?¡± Nathan asked.

    ¡°Hey, Nathan,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh, fuck me, thank God you¡¯re okay. I had no idea what the hell was going on, and I was freaking out. I even had to go and talk to Bethany, and you know I can¡¯t stand that fucking viper. What is going on? Is what Bethany said true?¡±

    I smiled. It was nice to hear from a voice I knew cared about me, and he did. He cared about me a whole lot.

    Taking a deep breath, I tried not to let the tears spill over, but I knew it wasn¡¯t from hearing Nathan. No, it was the sudden realization that my husband didn¡¯t love me. I mean, it wasn¡¯t stupid of me to finally realize it. I knew it. Our marriage wasn¡¯t some crazy whirlwind love match. We were business, nothing more, nothing less. But I also realized he didn¡¯t care about me at all.

    I was probably nothing more than a game to him.

    That was what hurt.

    ¡°Er, I can¡¯t talk about it now, but how about we make ns to meet up? Would that work?¡± I asked.

    I had no way of knowing if I would ever get the chance to meet up with Nathan again. Trying to get my cell phone and some freedom was hard enough, but having dinner with an old friend ¡­ I¡¯d try.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like that.¡±

    We made arrangements to meet in two weeks. Nathan was going to be here anyway, for some kind of contract that I wasn¡¯t sure of. His work was a bit hazy, he rarely talked about it, and often changed the subject.

    I swiped at my cheeks as the tears fell. They were wasted andpletely useless. This was my life.

    ¡°Are you going to stay in the closet forever?¡± Andrei asked.

    I tensed up, not saying a word.

    ¡°You¡¯re angry with me.¡±

    Pulling my knees up to my chest, I wrapped my arms around my legs, tried to make a shield, or anything that would ward him off.

    Andrei had hurt me and what was more, he had no idea how or why. He didn¡¯t make promises he couldn¡¯t keep. There had been no conversation about how to make this marriage work.

    ¡°Adide?¡±

    My name sounded so good on his lips.

    Getting to my feet, I clench my hands into fists, and move toward the door, looking into the bedroom. He¡¯s sitting on the edge of the bed, looking defeated. It¡¯s not a good look for him.

    I instantly want to go to him, but I hold myself back, not wanting him to see my feelings as a weakness. I have no feelings for this man.

    Neither of us talk.

    His gaze is on me and I wait.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have spoken to you like that.¡±

    If that was the apology I was going to get, then I wanted to sink right on back to the closet.

    ¡°Something has happened, and I-¡±

    ¡°In two weeks¡¯ time I want to go out to dinner,¡± I said. ¡°With an old friend.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not happening.¡±

    ¡°I will find a way out, Andrei. If I have to kiss you, fine. If you want sex, fine, I¡¯ll do that, but I will be going out with my friend.¡± My heart is racing. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m making these demands. I¡¯m in no position to do so.

    He gets up off the bed and I stand firm. I¡¯m not afraid of him. I¡¯m not going to back down. His hand goes to my cheek, his thumb grazing the bottom of my chin, and tilting my head back so I had no choice but to look into his eyes.

    ¡°You think you can make demands on me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been a good wife to you, Andrei. You¡¯ve been a shitty husband to me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you for anything other than a day where I can go and meet my friend.¡±

    He stared into my eyes, and I had to wonder what was going on in his mind.

    ¡°No,¡± he said, and without another word, he walked right out of the room.

    I would find a way to see Nathan.

 51

    Andrei

    The news of Ivan¡¯s death startled me.

    The man who was the head of the Volkov Bratva was a pain in the ass, but he was worth fighting for. He was worth being loyal to, and to hear he was dead angered me.

    There was a pain inside my chest, and it didn¡¯t ease, not for a long time. All that kept me going were Ivan¡¯s words to me. He told me something was going to happen, and he needed me to keep fighting.

    The news of his death had spread like wildfire, and it shouldn¡¯t have, however, it brought repercussions. When Ivan originally took over from the Bratva, he forged deals, pushed other yers out. My city was once owned by part of the Italian mafia, but he¡¯d pushed them back until they had a small state to call their own, as well as Evil Savages MC. For the longest time, I¡¯d been dealing with them, and now I had news of them entering one of my nightclubs and burning it to the ground.

    That was where I stood right now, on the outskirts of one of my best nightclubs. The firefighters had been toote to the ze, and I knew it was because of the Evil Savages Prez, Demon.

    ¡°Sir?¡± Leo asked.

    I had already handled the police. They had wanted a report of my whereabouts. The fire marshal had also given him an assessment. To rebuild was going to cost me a small fortune.

    ¡°Round up the men,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re going hunting.¡±

    This was an outright attack. I also had my men piling up, and it was time I ended this.

    Ivan Volkov might be dead, but my city wasn¡¯t going to burn without a fucking fight. I turn away from the smoking embers, pulling out my cell phone to see Ive Yahontov calling me.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked, not in the mood to make small talk.

    ¡°The Cartel have taken the product,¡± Ive said.

    I cursed.

    Ive¡¯s territory held a port that was once known for smuggling drugs and women into the country. With Ivan¡¯s death, the Cartel were now attempting to take their turf back.

    ¡°This is a war. You have no choice but to y fire with fire. Destroy them. Do not take any prisoners. They think the Volkov Bratva has fallen, you make them aware that it will never fall.¡± I hang up my cell phone.

    So far, the only one who had been able to keep order within his state was Oleg, which I didn¡¯t like. It meant something wasn¡¯t quite right. He¡¯d also handled the news of Ivan¡¯s death, easily. I would have to talk to vik and arrange a visit to Oleg¡¯s territory.

    My cell phone rang and I saw it was from an unknown number. It wasn¡¯t unusual for me to get calls from people I didn¡¯t know. I hovered over the red symbol to end the noise. Instead, I pressed the button to ept.

    ¡°Hello, Belov.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t a fool. It was the MC Prez, Demon.

    ¡°Do you like your present?¡±

    I don¡¯t respond, keeping my thoughts and opinions to myself. He¡¯s known for wanting to rile people up. He wants me angry so I¡¯ll do something stupid and attack him without thought. He doesn¡¯t have the first clue who he¡¯s dealing with.

    Laughter rang down the line. ¡°This is only the beginning, Belov. I¡¯m going to burn your city down to a fucking crisp and bask in the bloodshed.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    His threats bored me.

    I hung up my cell phone and walked toward my car. Leo was already waiting for me. As I climbed in, I told him to head to my penthouse. I¡¯d not taken Adide out since that day. I¡¯d also not left unless it was to attend to important business like today.

    She hated my presence. I sensed her anger and disappointment. Her day at the shelter had gone so well. I¡¯d surprised her with how much I loved dogs. It had been too long since I had a dog of my own. In fact, after my father¡¯s dogs had died of old age, one by one, I hadn¡¯t reced them. Their passing had been the worst kind of feeling I¡¯d ever experienced in my life. I missed them so much, but as with all passing, time had helped. I¡¯d not gotten another dog.

    Love and emotion were weakness. I didn¡¯t have time for weakness.

    My cell phone rings again. ncing down, I see it¡¯s an unknown number. Gritting my teeth, I end the call. This happens, two, three, four, and five more times, until I finally ept the call.

    ¡°What the fuck do you want?¡± I asked.

    ¡°To say surprise.¡±

    I tensed up.

    ¡°Ivan?¡±

    ¡°The one and only, back from the dead.¡±

    ¡°But ¡­ you¡¯re supposed to be dead.¡± I sound so fucking stupid.

    ¡°I know, and hopefully, you¡¯re very happy to hear from me.¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ yes, of course.¡± I was happy. Fuck me, I was.

    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on.¡±

    I exin everything. How my territory has the MC back, trying to fight for turf as well as the mafia. My section of mafia is not the same as vik¡¯s. Aurora was the daughter of one of their head guys. The whole arrangement had been organized by Ivan. As it happened, the guys from my territory were enemies of vik¡¯s guys. They fought amongst themselves rather than band together. That¡¯s how Ivan had brought about his power. He¡¯d made sure to bind us, to make us stronger.

    I told him about Ive¡¯s Cartel issue. How Victor had an uprising amongst the soldiers, Peter¡¯s issue with thew, and then Oleg¡¯s perfectly organized territory.

    ¡°I fucking knew it,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°Are you going to tell me what is going on?¡±

    ¡°One day, but for now, my sudden rise from the dead will be a secret. What are your ns for Demon?¡±

    ¡°He has a daughter,¡± I said. ¡°I think it¡¯s only fair that we take from him what he considers the most precious.¡±

    Ivanughed. ¡°I like this. Make the arrangements. I¡¯ll call you soon.¡±

    I hung up my cell phone and smiled. I have no idea what is going on, but Ivan would tell me what I needed. This was his job as the boss. I could only imagine he was sniffing out a snake. Was Oleg his target? I had no idea.

    Leo followed me up to my penthouse suite when we arrived in the building. Opening my front door, I paused at the sound of music ying way too loud. This was new. Adide rarely made any sound.

    Reaching for my gun, I saw Leo do the same, out of the corner of my eye. We close the door quietly, and move through the penthouse, and Ie to a stop when I catch sight of Adide. She¡¯s not under attack from anything other than liquor.

    She¡¯d never been in my office before, but it would seem since I left, she had decided to go and sneak inside. There was nothing there for her to find.

    The music sted too loud, and she held the whiskey bottle in her fist. Her eyes were closed as she swung her head, left to right, jumping up and down like a crazy person.

    Looking back at Leo, I nod for him to leave.

    Adide still hadn¡¯t seen me so I reach for the remote, and press ¡°pause¡± on the music, sending the whole room into silence.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Adide asked.

    She whirled around to look at me, and she was a little unsteady on her feet.

    ¡°Liquor does that.¡± I nodded at the bottle.

    ¡°Oh, please, this is the best feeling I¡¯ve ever had. The taste is so damn nasty. I don¡¯t know why anyone drinks it but then I got to thinking, maybe that¡¯s what can keep me locked up in here. Drinking and partying.¡± She stumbled toward me and reached for the remote. I hold it out of her reach. ¡°Stop being a stupid party pooper. It¡¯s not like you care about what I¡¯m doing, or who with.¡± She giggled like a little schoolgirl. ¡°That is so funny to think of you even caring. No, you leave that to Bethany. She got to have whatever she wanted. I bet she didn¡¯t have to kiss you for it.¡± She tilted her head to the side. ¡°Nah, she probably did a whole lot more than that, and was even good to you in bed.¡± She wrinkled her nose. ¡°Gross. I have to have sex with a man who put his dick in my sister first.¡±

    I had no idea Adide could be so free with speech. The drink was having the effect. She¡¯d spent a great deal of time ignoring me. Rather than find her outburst annoying, I thought it rather refreshing and cute. She swayed to whatever music yed inside her head.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to have sex. We didn¡¯t on our wedding night. We¡¯re not having a honeymoon. You have toe up with someme excuse to force yourself to kiss me.¡± Sheughed a little more. ¡°This is so ridiculous.¡± She covered her mouth with her hand, as if she understood the joke. ¡°I¡¯m married to one of the scariest men alive and I¡¯ve got to have sex with you. I bet you don¡¯t want to have sex with me at all.¡± She put her hand on her waist. ¡°I¡¯ve been told enough times I¡¯m not as good as Bethany.¡± She dropped the bottle to the floor and I watched as it smashed. Adide bent forwardughing.

    Anyone else, I¡¯d have found this outburst annoying, but watching her, listening to her, I found her utterly enchanting. She snatched at the toorge shirt, ripping it over her head.

    The only issue I had was the broken ss and her tender feet.

    ¡°Adide,¡± I said.

    ¡°No, no, no, you don¡¯t get toe near me unless it¡¯s to grant me a divorce.¡± She threw her shirt to the floor. I watched as she stumbled, stepping on broken ss. Adide cried out each time she did, and I went toward her, but she would only move away. As we did this dance, she removed her clothes until she stood before me in a pair of sexy white lingerie. All silk andce, and so fucking sexy against her pale skin.

    If I wasn¡¯t so worried about her hurting herself, I¡¯d give into the pleasure of being aroused, but watching those tender feet of hers, I felt fear. Her feet were already bleeding and I had to wonder about the amount of alcohol she¡¯d consumed. She giggled again.

    ¡°You see, I¡¯m nothing like Bethany. I am everything she hates. I don¡¯t mind. I love my body,¡± she said. ¡°But this is not what you want.¡±

    She had no idea what she was talking about.

    ¡°Divorce me,¡± she said.

    ¡°Not going to happen.¡±

    ¡°You hate me! You can¡¯t stand me. This is what you want, isn¡¯t it? To find a reason to get rid of me so you don¡¯t have to be near me. It¡¯s why we haven¡¯t consummated this marriage.¡± She lifted her hands into the air to give air quotes.

    She stumbled, and this time I couldn¡¯t stand to see her fall. Capturing her in my arms, I cradle her head against my chest, wanting to hold onto her. I breathed in her strawberry cream scent that was soon reced as she bent forward and vomited all over my trousers and shoes. I should have expected that. Adide wasn¡¯t a drinker.

    Lifting her up into my arms, I realized she was a lot bigger than Bethany, but I didn¡¯t care. I loved the feel of her in my arms. This, to me, felt right. She was perfect. She attempted to wriggle in my grasp, but I refused to let her go.

    I went straight to the shower, where I dumped her on the floor and turned the shower on. I let the cold jets hit my back, covering her body so she wasn¡¯t cold. Kicking off my sodden shoes and tearing my clothes away, I stood before her in a pair of boxers.

    I lifted Adide up into my arms. ¡°What do I have to do to get you to like me?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer. Silence was the best.

    The drink was making her weak, so I started washing her, taking my time, soaping her body, and then her hair. When she was clean, I held her in my arms. She still had on the bra and panties, and I wasn¡¯t ready to take them off. She looked so good in them.

    With a towel wrapped around her, thest of her energy was zapped away. I quickly dried her, and then took her through to our bedroom where I settled her into bed.

    ¡°My feet hurt,¡± she said.

    Her eyes were already drooping. This is why I loved whiskey. The good stuff had a way of numbing any kind of pain. When I was sure she was out cold, the soft snoresing from her lips made me smile.

    Returning to the bathroom, I cleaned up the blood from her feet, grabbed the first aid kit, and got to work at removing the shards of broken ss. Piece by piece. I didn¡¯t need a doctor to look at my handiwork. Adide had been lucky as she¡¯d only stepped on a couple of pieces. Her feet would sting, but there would be nosting damage. Gripping her ankle, Iy a kiss to each one of her feet, and wondered if she would one day know theplete truth.

 52

    Adide

    I had a very bad headache. Jerking up in bed, I covered my face with my hands as the pain exploded.

    ¡°There are painkillers by the water,¡± Andrei said.

    His voice sounded way too smug.

    Dropping my hands, I looked into the smirking face of my husband. I didn¡¯t care. ncing to my left, I saw the tall ss of water and the white pills. They looked like the kind for migraines and for now, I was willing to take them. Would Andrei kill his wife after having a party?

    His liquor had been so gross but once I started, it was like the monster just wouldn¡¯t stop. One sip had been two, then three, then four, then five, and well, half the bottle had gone. I wasn¡¯t a drinker. I hated wine and beer. At dinners I drank it, and by drank, I meant sipped, and often asked the waiter to change it for water.

    I don¡¯t know what happened yesterday. One moment I¡¯d been lonely, trying to figure out how to meet up with Nathan. I missed my best friend and wanted to see him so desperately, but Andrei had been colder and more aloof than ever before. Something was going on in his life. I got it, and to a point, I understood it. He was an important person in the Volkov Bratva. He had a lot of important things to deal with. I wasn¡¯t important. I¡¯m the wife, the annoying person he didn¡¯t want in his life.

    I swigged back the painkillers, one after the other. I hated taking pills. For some reason I felt like they were three timesrger than they were. I knew I swallowed more in a mouthful of pasta than I did in a single pill, but that was beside the point. After the pills went down, I finished the ss of water, needing something to take the taste away.

    I winced and looked at Andrei. ¡°Did I vomit?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you did, and even though I took care of your feet, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d appreciate me attempting to brush your teeth.¡±

    I pulled the nket off, hoping to go and clean my mouth, but I was in a pair of panties and bra. Gasping, I grab the nket, trying to hide my nakedness, but that didn¡¯t help.

    He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it all yesterday.¡±

    Vague, hazy memories filtered through, and I knew I¡¯d made a fool of myself. Odd conversational pieces of where Ipare myself to Bethanye to mind.

    I drop my head into my hands. ¡°Oh, God, I was ¡­ did Ie on to you?¡±

    ¡°Unless you count demanding a divorce as ae-on?¡± Andrei asked.

    This made me lift my head. ¡°I ¡­ asked for a divorce?¡±

    Andrei moved from the chair to the bed, toward the edge.

    I moved my legs out of the way to make room for him. Licking my dry lips and hating the taste in my mouth.

    ¡°Adide, you¡¯re not getting a divorce. The only way out of this marriage is by death, or old age.¡±

    I nod, pressing my lips together. ¡°I know you wanted Bethany. You were supposed to marry her.¡±

    ¡°Bethany was a piece of shit and a slut. I didn¡¯t want her. I was doing what Ivan wanted me to.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to call my sister a slut.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a piece of shit and that¡¯s eptable?¡± he asked.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t live a celibate life. You don¡¯t get to call her anything.¡±

    ¡°Your issue here is the double standard?¡± He tilted his head to one side.

    I frowned, running fingers through my hair, and groaned. ¡°It¡¯s a lot of things. Just ignore me. Bethany and my feelings about her areplicated. She is still my sister.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and she hates your guts, Adide. You don¡¯t have to pretend for me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°She was the one who made sure your dress was too small at the wedding,¡± Andrei said. ¡°On the night before the wedding, she took your room away from you when she realized I was the one who arranged for you to be waited on.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Andrei pursed his lips. This was news to me.

    ¡°Bethany and your parents knew what they were getting themselves into. You did not. Binding you to me, I can imagine would be difficult for any woman, and I figured if you had ¡­ the night before you were due to marry me, I¡¯d arranged an all-spa treatment for you, to help you to rx. Bethany found out, and she took it.¡±

    ¡°I had no idea.¡± I nibble my lip. That was kind of sweet, and now I¡¯m pissed off that once again, Bethany was there to take something that didn¡¯t belong to her, as usual. Taking a deep breath, I exhaled slowly.

    ¡°I was hoping to avoid the panic attack you inevitably had at the wedding.¡±

    ¡°That was ¡­ I was able to marry you but it was what Bethany said afterward.¡± I looked down at the nket.

    ¡°What did she say?¡±

    When he asked me this on our wedding day, I¡¯d avoided talking about it. Pushing some of my hair, which had to look a mess right now, out of my face, I looked over his shoulder. My stomach was not happy right now.

    ¡°She told me that you liked ¡­ that you ¡­ this is ¡­ you enjoy pain. You enjoy making a woman bleed, and you relish hitting women. It was a whole big exnation about how in order for you to get off, you beat a woman to death, and that was what you would do to me. That my virgin status would only make you more thirsty for my blood.¡±

    With Bethany, she¡¯d used more descriptive words and vulgarnguage.

    ¡°She was trying to scare you, Adide.¡±

    ¡°I know. If you were so awful, you wouldn¡¯t have left me alone on our wedding night, and other nights since we¡¯ve been married.¡± I shrugged. I didn¡¯t know for sure if I was happy that he left me alone. Was it a good thing? ¡°I guess, looking at it like that, we could get an annulment. No need for death or divorce.¡±

    ¡°Not happening.¡±

    ¡°Andrei, you can¡¯t be happy.¡±

    ¡°Happy or not, Adide, you¡¯re my wife and you¡¯re staying that way.¡±

    It was like talking to a brick wall.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be miserable,¡± I said, feeling the tears fill my eyes. He went blurry as I tried to fight them, but I couldn¡¯t. ¡°I don¡¯t want to live like this anymore, Andrei. The way you talked to me, treating me like a child.¡± I nced around the penthouse suite. ¡°I¡¯m not used to this. I need my freedom.¡± Running a hand down my face, I didn¡¯t want to give up. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to have a marriage you can ¡­ enjoy?¡±

    He looked at me.

    Silent.

    Pressing my lips together, I was ready to give up. There was no point in trying to find an amicable solution, but then, I couldn¡¯t do it.

    Weeks, months, and years of living like this-the very thought made me miserable. I didn¡¯t even want to imagine the time spent actually living it.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we be friends?¡± I asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you want that at least? I ¡­ you didn¡¯t want to be married to me, but don¡¯t you want to at least find some peace where you¡¯re happy toe home, or to see me?¡±

    ¡°Is that what you want?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I want it for both of us.¡± I reached for his hand, and was surprised he didn¡¯t fight me. ¡°I know a lot of women as girls nned their marriage. They even thought about what their husband would be like. I never did. Not for a single second did I waste time looking through magazines, admiring dresses. I¡¯ve always been a ¡­ I guess a loner, really. I like my ownpany, but if I were going to marry, I¡¯d hoped it would be for love and with a man who could love me. I don¡¯t expect you to love me, Andrei. I know you can¡¯t, but I want to care about you, and I hope you can one day care about me.¡±

    Was I talking trash? I don¡¯t know.

    Andrei looked at our hands and he gave my hand a squeeze. ¡°What do you suggest?¡±

    ¡°You ¡­ you mean that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m listening, Adide, but you only have this one time to sell it,¡± he said.

    Iughed and couldn¡¯t help but cup his face and kiss his lips quickly. ¡°You¡¯ve got to let me go out on my own, maybe even volunteer at the shelter.¡±

    ¡°No to both.¡±

    My smile fell.

    ¡°I willpromise. You cannot volunteer, but you can donate and visit the shelter to walk the dogs or whatever it is you do, so long as you have a man of my choosing by your side.¡±

    That didn¡¯t sound like the greatest idea, but it was better than nothing at all. Apromise. ¡°Deal.¡±

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°I want to be able to have use of my cell phone andptop whenever I want,¡± I said.

    He tutted.

    ¡°I swear I will not do anything you regret.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re to make this ce your home,¡± he said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If you have yourptop and cell phone, you¡¯re to put your mark on this penthouse suite.¡±

    ¡°You mean that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t say anything I don¡¯t mean.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Okay, and how about you try to make it home so we can enjoy dinner together?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going vegan,¡± he said.

    This did make meugh. ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask you to.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    I felt so much happier than before. This was new. This was hope that we could finally make it work.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry aboutst night.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be, even though you did ruin a perfectly good scotch and an amazing decanter.¡±

    I groaned at the guilt.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    He waved his hand in the air.

    I was about to say something else, but the sound of our doorbell rang through the penthouse.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± he said.

    The moment he left the bedroom, I rushed to the bathroom, used the toilet, washed my hands, and then quickly brushed my teeth.

    Staring at my reflection, I winced. My hair was a mess. At least I didn¡¯t have puffy eyes or anything like that. I¡¯d not cried myself to sleep. I grabbed a brush and ran it through my hair a few times, trying to bring some order to the wayward color.

    I gave up. Each time the brush touched it, it seemed to go even more unruly.

    At least my mouth was a lot fresher. Returning to the bedroom, I found Andrei waiting. He¡¯d gotten a tray with coffee and a cinnamon bun on the te.

    ¡°Breakfast?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I know you like them.¡±

    Cinnamon buns were my favorite. I couldn¡¯t get enough of them.

    I still wore the white lingerie that was far too revealing. For a few seconds I hesitated, feeling the need to hide my nakedness, but Andrei didn¡¯t seem to notice.

    Sliding back into the bed, I pulled the covers up to my chin and took a sip of coffee. I didn¡¯t care that I still had the full taste of peppermint from my toothpaste. The coffee was exactly what I needed. After a few scalding sips, I reached for the bun and marveled at how warm it still felt. One bite and I was lost. Cinnamon was one of my favorite spices. I loved anything that contained it. I even enjoyed cinnamon-scented candles.

    Every now and then, I looked toward Andrei, but he finished off his own cinnamon bun and coffee.

    ¡°I need to leave for work soon. Get dressed, I have your guard outside and I want to introduce you.¡±

    ¡°So soon?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I swallowed thest of my coffee, and Andrei took the empty cup from my hand.

    He turned away and left the room.

    Climbing out of bed, I rush to the closet, and rather than pick one of the outfits I¡¯d managed to steal away from my parents before they threw them out, I look through the clothes Andrei had chosen. I settled on a ck pencil skirt and white cowl-neck blouse. Wrapping my hair into a bun, I nced in the mirror, happy with how I looked.

    My feet were hurting but the pain was bearable. If I showed any signs of pain, he might not let me leave.

    Checking my cell phone, I see Nathan is in the city, and he wanted to meet up early. Typing a response, I promise to meet him at lunch. He sends me a link to a restaurant I¡¯d never heard of, and I agree to meet him. I don¡¯t want to keep Andrei waiting another moment, and rush out to see him.

    When he catches sight of me, he doesn¡¯t look pleased. I had dressed for him, in the hope of making him happy. It¡¯s all part of thepromise. This was the first day our marriage had seemed hopeful. How could he not be happy with the clothes he¡¯d chosen for me to wear?

    ¡°Adide, this is Leo,¡± he said. ¡°He will be your guard, escorting you wherever you need to go.¡±

    I recognized Leo as his driver. Was he the only guy he trusted? Who was going to take care of him? I didn¡¯tin. Forcing a smile to my lips, I held out my hand but Andrei took it.

    ¡°Er, it¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± I said.

    Leo nodded, but he didn¡¯t smile.

    This didn¡¯t seem at all like it was going to be a good fit.

 53

    Andrei

    The only man in my employ I trusted with Adide¡¯s life was Leo. The man was married with three children. He worked hard to keep his life away from his family. I helped to a point, but there was only so much I could do. There was no way he¡¯d fall for my wife, nor would he put her in danger.

    Running a hand down my face, I nced over the endless list of files that had mounted on my desk. I¡¯d gone back to the casino, which was my main base for work. I had plenty of offices around the city and across my territory, but this was the ce I settled into most. This was where I had ess to everything I needed.

    My thoughts kept returning to Adide. To the hug she¡¯d given me that very morning. Women hugged me all the time. She was right, I didn¡¯t have a celibate life. I¡¯d enjoyed plenty of women but none of them had been my wife.

    Adide was different. She¡¯d dressed this morning, and wore the clothes I¡¯d picked for her, but I did not like it. They were not her at all.

    I know I just need to getid. Since the wedding and the shit with Ivan, I haven¡¯t had the chance to take care of my own needs. There¡¯s no other woman that appeals to me. No one I want, other than to feel Adide¡¯s virgin cunt sliding down my dick. That¡¯s what I wanted, but I wasn¡¯t going to get it.

    I had to focus. To get my thoughts away from my fucking wife and to think about the business at hand.

    My spies at the Evil Savages MCpound had told me exactly what Demon was going to do. He nned to attack six of my warehouses. Three of them contained cocaine, two had guns, and the other two were empty. The n was to transfer all the drugs to one location ready to distribute. The guns could go. We didn¡¯t need them, and they were excess storage. I nned to catch them off guard and strike as they raid our base.

    The target was his oldest daughter, considered the princess of the club. I nced at the picture of Cassie. She was a stunner, no doubt about it. Endless lengths of blonde hair, shocking blue eyes, with a face that made men take notice. She had an attitude. The picture alone showcased that. From the details I¡¯d been given, she had a temper as well. She wasn¡¯t a nice woman. Spoiled since birth with an entire club at her beck and call, all because of her father. She would be in for a rude awakening by the time I got done with her. I smiled, thinking about it.

    I closed the file, opened my bottom drawer, used the key to ess the spare panel, and slid the file inside.

    Patience was a gift, and when the time was right, I¡¯d take care of my enemies. I¡¯d not heard from Ivan yet, but I had heard the rumors of his reappearance. The man always wanted to make an entrance.

    The door to my office opened.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go in there.¡±

    I looked up to see Bethany striding across the room toward me, with a wicked glint shining in her eye as if she had some kind of special secret she couldn¡¯t wait to tell me about. ncing at the guard, I dismissed him with a nod of my head. I¡¯d deal with himter. For now, I had to handle this fucking bitch. I hadn¡¯t seen her since the wedding.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Is that any way to greet an old fiancee?¡± she asked, flicking her hair over her shoulder. The blonde wasn¡¯t her natural hair color. There wasn¡¯t a whole lot of Bethany that was real.

    Fake tits, cheeks, ass, and lips. All of it came from a stic surgeon. Her mother was the same way. Both women were addicted to surgery.

    Locking my fingers together, I waited.

    She giggled. The same fake sound she used on men when she tried to get what she wanted. Bethany had never liked me. Her feelings never mattered to me, because I couldn¡¯t stand her either. I yed the part, pretended the whole role, even allowed her to make up lies about it. It was all easy. The marriage was the final goal and Ivan always got what he wanted.

    I don¡¯t know the exact details of what Bethany did to piss him off, but either way, her ass had been kicked out, and Adide¡¯s was next. I had an inkling it had to do with the way she treated vik¡¯s woman, Aurora. I¡¯d scolded her at the time, cut off her funds, but Ivan went to the next level.

    Aurora clearly had a way about her. I think I might have referred to her pussy being golden or something along those lines. vik was certainly smitten. I¡¯d never known him to be so pissed off with me talking about a woman like I had.

    I chuckled and Bethany stopped. ¡°I find it funny you would call yourself old, but that is very true. You didn¡¯t have what it took to be my wife.¡±

    Bethany pouted. ¡°You say such cruel things.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a bitch and a whore, Bethany. You and I both know you¡¯ve got a problem. It¡¯s one of the reasons your parents worked so fucking hard to keep the money flowing. How does it feel to need your little sister to help pay the bills?¡±

    Her hands clenched at her sides and the lips she tried so hard to keep plump had gone into a weird shape, I was guessing a sneer. What was the draw? Bethany was beautiful. No doubt about it. She could snap her fingers and people woulde running, but I wasn¡¯t just anyone.

    There was a whole world full of Bethanys-spiteful, nasty pieces of work. They were not ashamed or afraid to use others to get what they wanted.

    I know it¡¯s absurd to be offended by her, but I was the one who used people, not her. I wanted her out of my office. Instead, Bethany moved further in,ing toward me, perching on the end of my desk, crossing her legs. The skirt she wore was small and I could tell she didn¡¯t have any panties on.

    ¡°You know, I can make every single fantasye true,¡± she said, spreading her thighs wide. ¡°I can rock your world, Andrei. I know you need a real woman to handle your needs.¡± She spread her thighs again. ¡°I can take it all. You can have whatever you want. My pussy, my ass, my mouth. One after the other. You can flood me with your spunk, and I¡¯d lick it right up off the floor.¡±

    She reached toward me and I grabbed her wrist, stopping her. Her lips did that weird thing again.

    ¡°You want money.¡±

    ¡°Adide doesn¡¯t want you. She¡¯s too good. Too squeaky clean to want you near her. I¡¯m dirty, Andrei. I can give you it all. Ride my cunt, fuck me raw, baby. I know you want to.¡±

    I¡¯d never touched this woman. I twisted her hand and she cried out and grabbed the back of her neck. I mmed her across my desk and tugged hard on her hair until she was pressed flush against my desk as I dug into her back.

    ¡°If you ever speak about my wife like that again, I will cut your disgusting throat. I never wanted your nasty cunt, Bethany. I had no ns to be with you at all. Now, I suggest you get the fuck out of my office before I change my mind. I¡¯m in the mood to see this neck dripping with blood.¡±

    I move from behind the desk, tossing her away from me, where she crumbles to the floor.

    ¡°Please, I need money, Andrei. He told me he would kill me if I don¡¯t get him the money first.¡±

    I shake my head knowing it¡¯s not my problem.

    ¡°Where?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Where did you find him?¡±

    She told me the location and that pissed me off even more. If Bethany hadn¡¯t been in my territory, I could send her right back to her parents without a care in the world. She purchased drugs from one of my clubs, by a guy who didn¡¯t work for me, and someone I¡¯d never heard of before. It pissed me off.

    ¡°Get the fuck out,¡± I said.

    ¡°Please, Andrei, I¡¯ll do anything you want.¡±

    ¡°Then get the hell out of my sight before I kill you myself. Tell me where you¡¯re staying. I¡¯ll deal with your problem, then you get the hell out of my city.¡±

    Ivan didn¡¯t want me to kill Bethany yet. When he did, I was more than happy to deal with it.

    Once Bethany was out of my office, I was done. I needed to get her stench off me.

    I left the building, found my car, and slid behind the driver¡¯s seat. With Leo taking care of Adide, I hadn¡¯t chosen another driver. There was Terrance who I could give a shot to, but I didn¡¯t trust easily.

    The drive through the city toward my penthouse didn¡¯t rx me. Bethany¡¯s appearance pissed me off. I knew she was up to something, and with the Evil Savages MC causing me trouble as well as the mafia, I didn¡¯t have time for her to be a problem. She hated her sister. With her begging for money and help, that had to mean something.

    I parked my car and headed to my elevator. I had to use a special code to get inside, which I typed in. This was added protection for myself and my wife. As I stood in the elevator, I checked my cell phone to see several texts from Leo. Opening them up, I froze as I saw my wife eating lunch with a man I didn¡¯t recognize. The images were clear. She hugged this man, kissed his cheek, and they sat, sharing looks with one another.

    Jealousy wasn¡¯t an emotion I was used to. Adide was my wife. Her smiles and kisses were all mine, and I didn¡¯t know who this man was.

    My elevator doors opened, and Terrance was standing guard. I dismissed him as I entered. Leo stood near the living room and I nodded at him to leave as well. Adide was on the floor, legs crossed, with several pictures in front of her.

    ¡°Andrei,¡± she said, getting to her feet.

    The skirt and blouse she wore this morning were gone, reced with a pair of sweatpants and an oversized shirt. Her hair was still in the bun but several strands had escaped.

    ¡°Who was the man you had lunch with?¡± I asked.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    The smile dropped from her face. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You heard me.¡±

    She nced down at the pictures she¡¯d been holding. ¡°He¡¯s a friend. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°And I told you not to have anything to do with someone from your former life.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the only friend I¡¯ve got.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m not allowing my wife to have lunch with another man.¡±

    ¡°Andrei, you¡¯re blowing thispletely out of proportion.¡±

    I took a step toward her, staring down at her beautiful, plump mouth. I had missed her all fucking day and she went and had lunch with another man. I didn¡¯t ept it.

    Sinking my fingers into her hair, I tug her close, and kiss her hard, almost bruising. I needed to wipe the memory of the man she¡¯d been with from her mind.

 54

    Adide

    Nathan had been worried about me.

    How could he not? I all but vanished while he was away. There was no time to exin to him I was getting married to a man he¡¯d never met before. If our roles were reversed, I¡¯d be worried too.

    He¡¯d wanted to know every single detail about Andrei-how we met, how I ended up marrying my sister¡¯s fiance. There was a whole list of questions and I hadn¡¯t been able to answer all of them. He wanted to know if I was in love with him, and that had been a hard one to get past. Nathan knew I avoided most of the questions and I hated lying to him so much.

    As Andrei¡¯s lips possessed mine, all anger fled my body. I dropped the picture I¡¯d been holding, and against my own will, I wrapped my arm around his neck, pressing my body flush against his. I enjoyed Andrei¡¯s kisses.

    While I¡¯d been looking through our wedding photos, I¡¯d thought of his lips against mine. Seeing him back home, I¡¯d wanted to kiss him, but his stony face had stopped me. Was this our destiny?

    Leo had to have told on me. The moment we got to the restaurant he¡¯d been against me seeing my friend, but I¡¯d insisted. I wanted to see Nathan. To finally be around someone who cared about me.

    I broke away from the kiss, gasping as Andrei lifted me up and carried me across the penthouse toward his bedroom. I noticed he avoided being close to any windows and for that I was grateful.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked.

    My heart pounded inside my chest, threatening to explode as he lowered me to the bed. I cupped his face, kissed his lips one final time, but Andrei took my hands and removed them. He didn¡¯t like when I touched him. Gripping the edge of the bed, I watched fascinated as he pushed me back.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I said.

    Sex was going to happen between us. I knew that. Was I ready? Did it matter if I was? Would Andrei take what he wanted without a care to what I wanted? So many questions.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should talk first?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to fuck you, Adide,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re not.¡±

    He smirked. ¡°Not today, but I am going to do something else, if you¡¯d let me.¡±

    This came out of the blue. Did I want to know what he was doing? Was it going to be good or painful? Nibbling my lip, I threw caution to the wind. We werepromising and I had to learn to trust Andrei, which wasn¡¯t easy. I¡¯d deal with the Nathan problem once he finished doing whatever it was he wanted to.

    He sank to his knees before me. His hands went to my waist, and he grabbed the waistband of my leggings. They were not skintight butfortable.

    ¡°Lift your ass.¡±

    I pressed down on my hands, lifting my body up long enough for him to pull the leggings right off my thighs. This was ¡­ new. I still wore my panties. I enjoyedrge,fortable clothes, but when it came to my lingerie, it had to be sexy andcy. It was what I liked.

    Staring at Andrei, I didn¡¯t know why he was doing this. What had changed during the kiss? Our rtionship wasn¡¯t normal. There was fire and ice, and it shocked me how readily my body responded to him.

    His hands went to my knees, and he opened them, slowly. ¡°How much have you done with a man?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Should I lie and tell him I¡¯d done something? There were no boys. No men. The moment I met someone, my sister had been there to stake her im. I¡¯d immersed myself into my studies and volunteering. Finding a life away from them.

    He groaned. ¡°You have no idea how much that pleases me. Lie down.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Will it hurt?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Why do you assume everything I do is going to hurt you?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t about to point out to him that he was a Bratva man with a reputation for killing things and causing pain. That would spoil the moment, right?

    ¡°Trust me.¡±

    I hesitated for a split second and then Iy back. Compromise. That¡¯s what we¡¯d agreed to. Or at least I¡¯d agreed to it, but I¡¯m not sure what Andrei¡¯spromise was. So far, other than cing Leo as my guard, he¡¯d not sacrificed anything. He wanted to keep me apart from my friend. To cut off my life. Nathan was a good guy. If he gave him the time of day, he¡¯d see that, but as usual, nope, not him, not my husband.

    All thought left as the tips of his fingers traced up across my thighs, moving closer toward my pussy. Sinking my teeth into my lip, I held onto the nket beneath me, trying to find focus, and struggling as I did. I¡¯d never been touched like this, or kissed. This was nice.

    He paused, the tips of his fingers so close to the edge of my panties at the front. What would it feel like to have his hand flush against my core? To stroke me? I was not a stranger to arousal. There had been no men in my life, but I had touched myself, finding my own pleasure.

    He groaned. ¡°I love these panties, but they have to go.¡± He gripped them in his hand and tore them in half.

    With the panties gone, there was nothing to protect me from his gaze. I stared up at the ceiling, feeling a little unsure. What should I do?

    He moved his hands down, going to my feet, which still ached from the ss cuts. The anticipation of what was going to happen next stopped all care of the pain. His hands on my body were better than any shot of liquor.

    Andrei lifted my feet, resting them on the edge of the bed, and as he did this, he moved to my inner thighs, opening them.

    I was exposed. The lips of my sex opened just a little. There was no hiding. Not from him and certainly not from this.

    ¡°So pretty.¡± His hands slid up my thighs, moving toward my pussy. The tips of his fingers grazed across my lips, and then tugged them open. He wasn¡¯t rough. This was gentle. An exploration. Allowing me to get used to the feel of him between my thighs.

    I wanted so much more, but he wouldn¡¯t give it to me. His touch was almost feather-light as he stroked and caressed, never quite touching me the way I wanted. Sinking my teeth into my lip, I tried to contain my moans, but when he finally did slide his thumb through my slit, the instant hit of pleasure was like a lightening bolt that went off.

    My cries filled the room, echoing off the walls. I tightened my grip on the nket beneath me, hoping for anything to hold onto, in order to contain my sanity, but there was nothing.

    Andrei leaned in close, his breath brushing across my heated flesh. Was he going to? Anticipation rolled down my back as I waited to see exactly what he would do next. The tip of his tongue danced across my clit, heightening my senses, flooding me with need, making me scream for more, not wanting him to stop.

    At first, he just rocked his tongue back and forth across my sensitive nerves, but then he began to move, going down to my entrance, circling my pussy, before making his way back up, making me hungry for more.

    He growled against my flesh. ¡°You taste so fucking good.¡±

    I had no idea what I tasted like but his hands moved from my sex, going to my ass, where he gripped me tighter than ever before, and then his mouth ravished me. He sucked my clit into his mouth.

    I moaned his name, not wanting him to stop, thrusting against his mouth, craving my orgasm. With how good it felt to have his mouth on me, I couldn¡¯t think of a single reason why we¡¯d stop doing this with each other.

    This wasn¡¯t sex. This was different. Forey?

    I don¡¯t know what hase over Andrei, all I know is that I don¡¯t want it to stop. His mouth moves back to my clit, and then he¡¯s drawing circles, focusing on that tight little bundle of nerves, and I feel my orgasm start to build. Slowly and then quickly turning into a fever pitch of need as I explode, calling out his name.

    He captured my hands, pushing them to the bed, keeping me in ce as my orgasm took over, sending me to the rooftops and higher still. Andrei stopped when I was a shuddering mess, begging him to because I couldn¡¯t take another moment.

    I¡¯m not sure what I expected to happen after he¡¯d licked my pussy, but I watched, mesmerized, as he stood, his hands going to his pants. I hadn¡¯t even realized he was stillpletely dressed, whereas I was nearly naked. All that remained was a bra, but it didn¡¯t offer me anything in the way of protection.

    Andrei shoved his pants and boxer briefs down, and I saw his hardness for the very first time. His cock was long and thick. He wrapped his fingers around the length, starting from the tip, working down to the base, and back again.

    I wanted to touch him. He looked hard and soft at the same time. I¡¯d already moved to sit up, and I reached out, wanting to give him the same kind of pleasure he¡¯d given me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking touch me,¡± he said.

    I jerked my hand away as if I¡¯d been scalded. Why couldn¡¯t I touch him? I¡¯d noticed Andrei avoided my touch. He kept this distance from us. He could touch me any time he wanted, I had no choice in the matter.

    ¡°Take your bra off,¡± he said.

    I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself, but I think I was working on autopilot as I reached behind my back and flicked the catch of my bra, removing it, so he could get his fill.

    He groaned, worked his cock, and when he found his orgasm, he spilled his cum right across my breasts. I didn¡¯t want to look at him. Not after how he¡¯d made me feel. The orgasm had been great, but I wasn¡¯t even given the chance to make hime.

    Once he finished, he put his dick away and left to the bathroom. He came back secondster with a cloth, intent on cleaning me up, but I took it from him.

    ¡°Adide,¡± he said.

    Ignoring him. I got off the bed, and with as much dignity as I could muster, I left him standing in his bedroom, without another word.

    He didn¡¯t want my touch. He wouldn¡¯t get my words either.

 55

    Andrei

    ¡°This is rather small,¡± Ivan said.

    This was his first visit to me since his supposed death and rebirth. He¡¯d already briefed me on what caused the charade. I had only met Cara briefly. The woman had been one of vik¡¯s brothel women, or something like that. She hadn¡¯t seemed important to me.

    I¡¯m aware there was some kind of history between the three, but again, all of that was just rumors, and I¡¯d never paid much attention to it.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem to mind it when you visited my wifest,¡± I said.

    Adide was out, again.

    Since our episode, she¡¯d been distant with me. Not that I could me her. I expected her to cave soon, but she¡¯d already tested me this past week. Other than dinner, which was a silent affair, she didn¡¯t talk to me. Breakfasts were silent, as were the nights I made it home.

    There was a distance now that hadn¡¯t existed before.

    ¡°I know, but with you here, it does look small.¡± Ivan pursed his lips. ¡°Do you think this is a good ce to raise a family?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is with my men. You always seem to go for the penthouse option. Kind of boring.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t going to point out that he lived in a penthouse suite as well.

    ¡°Speaking of family, is Adide pregnant yet?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    I got to my feet. ¡°Can I interest you in a drink?¡±

    ¡°You can, but you do know I¡¯m not an idiot, don¡¯t you?¡± Ivan asked.

    I paused on my way to our drinks and turned toward him.

    Ivan smiled. ¡°Get me that drink.¡± He winked at me, and I poured us both a generous helping of whiskey. Adide had reced the decanter on one of her many journeys out of the house. Ever since Leo had been given as her bodyguard, and I¡¯d allowed her to leave, she was never home. I didn¡¯t agree with thispromising bullshit. Adide was nowhere to be found.

    Handing Ivan a ss, I took a seat, sipping at the dark amber liquid. It was the strong stuff, burning as it went down.

    ¡°Do you hate Adide?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°No. She¡¯s my wife.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but you see, to have a true wife, you need to fuck her. Not drive her crazy until she¡¯s happy with pathetic visits out. We both know you¡¯ve not given her much of a life. At least vik did his duty.¡±

    He¡¯d neverpared us before.

    ¡°Are you questioning my loyalty?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m simply stating a fact. He got the job done. Aurora is very much pregnant, and you¡¯ve not even taken your wife. Your marriage could be annulled like that.¡± He clicked his fingers. ¡°Speaking of the charming woman, where is she?¡±

    ¡°Out,¡± I snapped the word, taking arge drink of my whiskey.

    He chuckled. ¡°I thought you were supposed to be good with women.¡±

    I was amazing with women. The kind that wanted money for a good time. They were easy to handle.

    Ivan sighed. ¡°You know, I¡¯m thinking that you and Adide might not be quite the good fit.¡±

    ¡°I will get her pregnant soon,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m more than happy to take her off your hands. She¡¯s more than a handful. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll keep me entertained for plenty of months toe.¡±

    My grip on the ss got too tight and it smashed within my hand. A couple of shards slid into my flesh, but I didn¡¯t mind. The weing bite of pain doused me in a harsh reality check. I couldn¡¯t kill Ivan. He was my boss. I was loyal to him.

    Ivan smiled as if he knew what I was thinking.

    ¡°Those feelings rushing through you right now, I don¡¯t know if you know this, Andrei, but theye in handy with women. It helps to bring them closer.¡±

    ¡°I know how to handle my woman.¡±

    ¡°Do you? Because from where I¡¯m sitting, you seem to have a state of blue balls.¡±

    My mind went back to the other night. Adide, naked, her eyes looking crushed as she watched me. I didn¡¯t want her to look at me with anything other than pure heat. Spilling my release onto her chest had been a fucking waste, but I didn¡¯t want to hurt her. She deserved more than that from me.

    ¡°You came here to talk about business,¡± I said, hoping to change the subject.

    When it came to Adide, I kept fucking up, and I didn¡¯t know how to stop it. Nothing I did was ever right.

    ¡°Ah, yes, I did. I want an update on everything.¡±

    So I gave him a brief on everything that had happened. Since Ivan¡¯s reappearance, my mafia problem had settled down. They had even handed me over three of their soldiers who they imed had started the revolt against Ivan Volkov. It was all bullshit. I knew that and they knew that. They had yed their true cards, and now I had to be on guard. It wasn¡¯t like I ever dropped it. I was always cautious, always waiting for someone to strike.

    Now, when it came to the Evil Savages MC, they were another problem. They had gone quiet immediately after Ivan¡¯s rebirth, but they still plotted to take out my warehouses. My informant was more than happy to give me the details, but I had to be cautious.

    My guy on the inside had never been so free with information. Demon would never allow it, and now as I sat with Ivan, I gave him every detail.

    He sat back, running a finger across his lip, his gaze straight ahead. ¡°Interesting.¡±

    There is a long silence and rather than interrupt his thoughts, I finish my drink, get to my feet, and pour myself another one.

    It was good having Ivan back. He pissed me off constantly, but he was a good man, a good boss. He took care of all of us, and he helped bring us peace, even if for a short time.

    ¡°Do you have any update on Oleg?¡± I asked.

    ¡°He ims to have known about the situation, which is highly doubtful,¡± Ivan said. ¡°To make this work, I had to keep everyone in the dark. Cara needed to be assured of my death, and the only way to do that was for people to believe it.¡±

    ¡°I would have been by your side,¡± I said.

    He waved his hand in the air.

    ¡°When I give an order, I expect people to follow it.¡±

    The only person who¡¯d been allowed to go was vik. I don¡¯t know what the other brigadiers¡¯ instructions were, but mine were clear. With the mafia and MC problem near my borders, I had to remain in ce. Without my presence, they would have the ability to take over.

    It would take them some time, but I knew those fuckers would do it, especially now that they had tried, and that was still with me here. This was one of the many things that made Ivan stronger. He was always one step ahead of the game, while the rest of us constantly yed catch-up.

    ¡°How could he have known?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the point, he couldn¡¯t have.¡± Ivan frowned. ¡°There¡¯s something not right about that. A few of my men have gone missing from his territory. It¡¯s what alerted me to the possibility of Oleg¡¯s deception.¡±

    ¡°We need someone on the inside,¡± I said. ¡°Someone he doesn¡¯t know is working for us.¡±

    ¡°I know, but Oleg is smart, he¡¯s aware of people on our payroll.¡±

    I sat back, trying to think of someone who¡¯d be able to get inside without any trouble, and no one came to mind.

    I looked at Ivan as my front door opened and closed. The sound of Adide¡¯s heels could be heard through my office door, which I¡¯d kept open.

    ¡°Ah, we¡¯ve had way too much business. I think it¡¯s time to move on to other pressing matters.¡±

    I wanted to stop him. He looked way too happy with himself getting close to my wife, and I didn¡¯t want to share her. Leaving my ss on the coffee table, I followed him out to see Adide removing her shoes, wincing.

    She¡¯d started to wear the clothes I had picked out for her. They made her look too serious. Her long, beautiful hair had been pulled back into a tight bun. She¡¯d not seen us yet, and I watched as she tugged out the pins, allowing the long length to flow freely. It had a natural curl to it. I imagined those locks wrapped around my fist as I took her hard and fast.

    After the way I treated her the other night, I doubted she would have any time for me, and I couldn¡¯t help but be a little pissed off about that fact. I didn¡¯t say anything, though, admiring her instead.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a charming sight?¡± Ivan said.

    Adide spun toward us, shock on her face.

    Leo nodded at me.

    She¡¯d gone to see this Nathan person again. I didn¡¯t like him. I had tried to look for details on him, but his entire life read like a fucking saint, and I just didn¡¯t believe it. There was something off about him. I wanted to kill him, but doing that wouldn¡¯t win me any points with Adide. Not that I needed any.

    Leo shared with me pictures of her with Nathan. This was the third time she¡¯d seen him this week, and I didn¡¯t like how close they were getting. She was my wife. She should be close to me, no one else.

    ¡°Ivan,¡± she said. The smile on her lips was forced. ¡°It is so good to see you.¡±

    I¡¯d not told her the news of Ivan¡¯s supposed death. She didn¡¯t need to know every single detail. I clenched my hands into fists as the two shared a quick embrace.

    ¡°And you, as always. You¡¯re looking so beautiful.¡± He pouted. ¡°But I had hoped to hear some good baby news.¡±

    Adide¡¯s cheeks went bright red. ¡°Will you be staying for dinner?¡±

    ¡°Only if I get the pleasure of yourpany?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± She kept smiling even as her face was flushed. ¡°Please excuse me, I have to change.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll order dinner,¡± I said.

    She didn¡¯t look at me. Gritting my teeth, I waited for her to leave before excusing myself, and going to Adide. She was at the doorway of our closet, looking in.

    I grabbed her waist, spun her around, and pressed her up against the wall. ¡°Your little silent game ends tonight,¡± I said.

    She red at me.

    ¡°Oh, I understand. You want me to y the doting wife, right? The one that can¡¯t touch her husband.¡± She suddenly shoved her hands up above her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t give the game away that there¡¯s no chance of us ever having kids, since that would require you to actually want my touch, but we know that¡¯s not what you want. All you want to do is get your rocks off.¡±

    She took a deep breath, and I hated to admit it, her fire turned me on.

    We¡¯d not broken Adide yet. This life wasn¡¯t for weak women. It destroyed weak women, but as I stared at Adide, I wondered if I¡¯d misjudged her.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be out to entertain our guest soon.¡±

    Her lips looked too good to deny myself, and so I didn¡¯t. I mmed my lips down on hers, capturing her wrists, which were still above her head, and takingplete advantage of the situation, kissing her hard. At first, she protested, wriggling against me as if to ward me off, but it didn¡¯t take long for her to give in and start kissing me back.

    I broke the kiss first, stepping back, giving us some space.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bete.¡±

    I was being a dick, and I didn¡¯t care. When it came to Adide, I¡¯d take whatever I got.

 56

    Adide

    ¡°You¡¯re quiet today,¡± Nathan said.

    Leo stood a few feet away looking every part the disapproving guard. He wouldn¡¯t allow me to be alone with Nathan, even though I knew he was a good guy. My one and only best friend.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve got a lot of things on my mind.¡±

    ¡°You can share them, you know.¡± Nathan nced back at Leo and frowned. ¡°Does he have toe to every single one of our meet-ups?¡±

    ¡°My husband is a little bit paranoid. This makes him feel safer.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised he¡¯d allow you toe and see me.¡±

    I pressed my lips together.

    ¡°Ah, I take it he doesn¡¯t like it?¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t have to do everything he wants.¡±

    Nathanughed. It was a deep, throatyugh as he sat back.

    I felt a little cold. The summer was ending fast and fall was approaching. I normally loved this time of year, heading into winter. I loved the seasons-Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year. There was so much to enjoy and celebrate during this incredibly dark period, and yet, nothing felt right. My marriage was aplete disaster.

    Andrei and I were simply existing together. In the past few weeks, he¡¯d been so busy with work. He rarely came home for dinner, and when we were in the same room for longer than five minutes, we ended up yelling at each other.

    Some people would think I was a fool to anger my husband in such a way. He was Bratva, but I just couldn¡¯t help it. He drove me crazy. I was so angry at him, but also, he made me feel so alone.

    Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried to ward off the cold.

    Nathan tutted. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re trying to please with these outfits you wear, but it¡¯s not me. You¡¯re going to catch your death in this.¡±

    I smiled as he removed his jacket and ced it over my shoulders. ¡°What about you?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°I run hot. I¡¯m not cold at all.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t take your coat.¡±

    ¡°You can, Adide. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡±

    I sighed. He always seemed to be taking care of me. ¡°So, how long will you be staying?¡± Nathan had only meant to be here for a couple of weeks, but his ns had changed, and he¡¯d been staying at some hotel. I couldn¡¯t remember the name of it.

    ¡°A couple more weeks. Business is going great. Also, I can¡¯t just leave, not yet.¡± He nudged my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve got my bestie most days. You know how selfish I can be.¡±

    Iughed and rolled my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not selfish at all.¡±

    ¡°When am I going to meet this husband of yours?¡± he asked. ¡°You won¡¯t even allow me toe and visit you at your ce. You do know how secretive you¡¯re being?¡±

    ¡°My husband is not for everyone.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Trust me, you¡¯re not missing a whole lot.¡±

    Nathan was interrupted by the ring of his cell phone. ¡°I¡¯ve got to take this.¡± He stepped away from me and I leaned forward, staring down at the ground. His jacket was nice and warm, but the chill I suffered was from the inside and there was no getting away from that.

    My life had taken a dramatic turn. I don¡¯t know what was worse-my current stalemate with Andrei now, or when I was bored out of my brains.

    Nathan returned secondster. ¡°I hate to do this, but I¡¯ve got to head off. I¡¯ve got a meeting to attend. Can we do this another time?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah, of course. Sure. Work is far more important. Here,¡± I said, removing the jacket, ¡°take it back.¡±

    ¡°No, you keep that on. I don¡¯t want you to catch a cold.¡± Nathan wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with you, babe, but please, you have to learn to trust me. I can make it all better for you.¡±

    I wanted to tell him that I felt better already, but I just embraced the hug. He felt good, warm, andfortable.

    Pulling away, he dropped a kiss onto my forehead. ¡°See you soon.¡±

    I waved at him, watched him leave, and then turned toward an ever-disapproving Leo.

    ¡°Andrei wouldn¡¯t like this,¡± he said.

    ¡°You sent him pictures. If he had any issue, he¡¯d be here, rather than allowing you to guard me.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea what this is potentially doing to his reputation?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re visiting a man often. Word of this gets out, Andrei bes aughingstock.¡±

    This made meugh. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±

    He raised a brow. I didn¡¯t know how he was able to look so disapproving with one nce. I didn¡¯t like it, but rather than tell him, I just offered him a re. ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything ¡­ he¡¯s a friend, okay? The only person I know and trust.¡±

    My cell phone rang, and I answered it without looking at who called.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I said.

    ¡°Hello, dear sister, long time no chat.¡±

    ¡°Bethany?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have any other sisters hiding. It¡¯s just me.¡±

    I felt myself tense. ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked.

    Leo looked at me intently. To him, I was just one giant fuck-up. Nathan was no threat to me, to Andrei, to anyone. He was my best friend.

    ¡°I was thinking, it¡¯s time for us to have a talk, don¡¯t you agree? As sisters.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± We¡¯d never been close. Growing up, Bethany had despised me, and there was no love lost between us.

    ¡°Come on, darling, we¡¯re sisters. There doesn¡¯t have to be any bad blood between us. I¡¯m insulted that you seem to think so.¡±

    I didn¡¯t think so. I knew so.

    ¡°There is much we can talk about. Come on, Adide. You always wanted a big sister, didn¡¯t you?¡± she asked. ¡°This is our chance to finally be close.¡±

    I had no idea what she was up to, but I also didn¡¯t want to head back home. ¡°Where?¡± I asked.

    She told me the restaurant. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there in twenty minutes,¡± I said and hung up the phone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Leo said.

    ¡°Then call Andrei and tell him to go meet her and deal with this. It¡¯s my sister, Leo.¡±

    Even though I said those words, I knew it was a lie. My sister was a viper. Her only course of action was to attack. That was what she did. She hated me for what had happened, but that was all on her. I hadn¡¯t done anything to take her husband away.

    Leo held the door of the car open, and I thanked him.

    Sitting in the car didn¡¯t help to make me feel better. In fact, all I felt was a whole lot worse about everything. This wasn¡¯t what I wanted. Covering my face with my hands, I leaned back and took several deep breaths, attempting to find some peace and calm, but nothing helped.

    ¡°Andrei cares about you,¡± Leo said.

    Dropping my hands, I look at my guard. ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°I have been driving him around for years, Adide. I¡¯ve built up his trust, and yet, to help you, he put me in charge of your protection. He told me nothing could ever happen to you, and I will protect you with my life.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want that, Leo,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do that.¡±

    He snorted. ¡°I will dly do it.¡±

    Tears filled my eyes as I thought of Andrei. ¡°He¡¯s difficult to get to know.¡± I had promised myself I wouldn¡¯t get too close to Leo. He was doing a job and I wouldn¡¯t pretend he was my friend.

    ¡°Andrei cares in his own way. Having his own territory is not easy and he¡¯s under a lot of stress right now.¡±

    ¡°What kind of stress?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You will have to ask your husband.¡± He slowed the car down to park and I nced over at the restaurant.

    ¡°Will youe in with me?¡± I asked. The thought of seeing Bethany without any kind of backup scared me.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Leo pulled the car away, going toward the parking lot. I climbed out of the car, and Leo moved toward my side, one hand at my back, the other at the base of his, and I knew he held his gun.

    This was my new reality. Gone were the days of walking around nonchntly.

    We headed into the restaurant and I saw Bethany was already seated. She looked even more slender than usual. Leo let me go toward my sister, who stood when I got close, and air-kissed each of my cheeks.

    ¡°You look stunning, sweetheart,¡± Bethany said.

    ¡°You do as well.¡± She looked ¡­ ill, but I wasn¡¯t going to tell her that. I could also tell with the way her lips were pursed, she¡¯d gotten more work done.

    There were times I felt like it was apetition between Bethany and our mother, about who could get the most work done. I hated hospitals, needles, anything like that, and so I was happy to keep my face and my body as it came to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m so pleased you decided to see me. I was worried you wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    I frowned but didn¡¯t get a chance to question her as the waiter came with a bottle of wine, pouring us bothrge sses. He promised to return with the menus.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I want to see you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of history with us.¡± Bethany nced down at the ring. ¡°I guess Andrei decided that I could grace his bed, but I wasn¡¯t the woman he wanted to mother his children.¡±

    I froze. ¡°You¡¯ve not seen Andrei yet?¡±

    Bethany pouted. ¡°Do you still believe in monogamous rtionships?¡± She tutted. ¡°Honey, you of all people should know by now, that men don¡¯t want that.¡± She held her hand out and pointed at her. ¡°I¡¯ve had to tell you this again and again. They want people like me, and I¡¯m sure you can tell Andrei is getting his needs met. He leaves me very satisfied.¡±

    These had to be lies. Andrei was moody. He wasn¡¯t a happy man. Was that because he had toe home to her? Did he want to be with Bethany?

    ¡°Man, his tongue, it can do wonders on your pussy, can¡¯t it?¡±

    I hated this and felt sick to my stomach.

    ¡°This is why you wanted to meet with me?¡± I asked. ¡°To tell me you¡¯re having an affair with my husband?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and I felt so bad about it. I was thinking we coulde to some arrangement with him.¡±

    The waiter returned to offer us the menus, but Bethany smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be needing these.¡± She handed over her card. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have wasted your time.¡±

    I shouldn¡¯t havee here. I was an idiot to have thought for even a moment that Bethany wanted to have any kind of rtionship. Staring at her now, I never thought I could hate a human being as much as I hated this woman. My sister-the woman I should be more than happy to die for, but I couldn¡¯t stand. She had a cruel edge about her that knew no bounds. This woman was vile.

    My marriage ¡­ there was no marriage, and knowing Andrei was having an affair, well, there was no way it was going to work. Not now. Not ever.

    ¡°Are you going to cry?¡± Bethany asked.

    ¡°I have no reason to cry.¡±

    Bethany chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be big and brave for me.¡±

    I shook my head and smiled. ¡°You see, Bethany, you think this matters to me. Do you think I care what you and Andrei are up to? You¡¯re a perfect match for each other, but me, I was the one good enough to be married to.¡±

    The waiter came back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss, but your card has been declined.¡±

    I snorted. ¡°That¡¯s okay, Leo will pay the bill. After all, you may have Andrei¡¯s dick, but at least I¡¯ve got his money.¡±

    I didn¡¯t care about his money or his position, but I knew it would piss Bethany off, and I had to get out of there with my head held high. Even though all I wanted to do was copse into a ball and sob.

    ****

    Andrei

    Leo had given me the update. He¡¯d told me about the meeting with Nathan, and then the lunch Adide had with her sister. I should have known Bethany would be on some kind of warpath and Adide would be her target.

    Standing in the penthouse suite, I waited for her to return. Rubbing my thumb and fingers together, I didn¡¯t know what I expected, but as Leo and Adide entered, she looked calm and collected. Her eyes gave her away, though. They were full of so much emotion. The moment she caught sight of me, I knew she felt pain. Bethany had hurt her.

    ¡°Leave us,¡± I said.

    Leo didn¡¯t say a word, just opened the door and left.

    Adide looked at the closed door before turning her gaze back on me.

    ¡°I should have known you¡¯d be here. Was this to get a kick out of seeing what she¡¯s done?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I have no idea what Bethany has done, but I can guarantee I don¡¯t find any of this amusing.¡±

    ¡°I want a divorce,¡± Adide said.

    ¡°Not happening.¡±

    Once you were part of the Bratva, you were there for life. There was no easy escape. Signing a piece of paper didn¡¯t beak away from the Volkov Bratva. Only Ivan could grant such a motion and as far as I knew, he¡¯d never allowed a divorce to go through. No one had gotten away. Unless it was six feet under.

    ¡°Fine. Then we¡¯ll go for an annulment. How about that?¡± she asked. ¡°We don¡¯t have to get a divorce. Sex has to have happened between two people for there to be a need for divorce. I know!¡± She screamed at me and I watched her eyes fill with tears, and I hated them.

    ¡°What do you know?¡±

    ¡°About you and Bethany. I know you¡¯re sleeping with her. I know it¡¯s why you don¡¯t need to be with me. Is that it, huh?¡± she asked. ¡°Is that why you don¡¯t want me to touch you because you can¡¯t stand the thought of these hands on your body? You¡¯ve got Bethany, and I don¡¯tpare?¡±

    So that was what Bethany was trying to do. To drive a wedge between us. I was still having to deal with her drug dealer, but I had my men on the bastard¡¯s tail. Now that Bethany had meddled like this, I wasn¡¯t going to help her. That nasty fucking bitch was going to get what came to her.

    ¡°You know what, I don¡¯t need to hear you say it. Do you think I don¡¯t know that I¡¯m nothing like Bethany? I¡¯ve been told that all my life. She has taken everything from me. Anytime I had friends, she stole them away, turning them against me. I had no boyfriends because Bethany made sure to always be around. The only person I ever had was Nathan, and you keep trying to take him away from me too. What is your game? Is it to make me miserable?¡±

    ¡°I have never touched Bethany,¡± I said.

    She shook her head. ¡°Liar.¡±

    I moved toward her, and Adide shocked me as she took a step toward me too.

    ¡°You don¡¯t scare me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±

    ¡°I want out of your life. I want to be as far away from you and this fucked-up life as possible. I hate it here and I hate you, and I want out.¡±

    She went to hit me, but I captured her hands, holding them behind her back, causing her to be flush against me. She wriggled within my grasp, and this close, her body felt so good against mine. I didn¡¯t want to let her go.

    ¡°Listen to me,¡± I said. ¡°I have never been near Bethany. Even when we were engaged, I never fucked her. My dick has never been near her. I don¡¯t like her. I can¡¯t stand her. She¡¯s a nasty fucking bitch.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±

    ¡°I know. The only woman I¡¯ve been with in a long time is you. Just you. No one else.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not with me.¡±

    ¡°What we shared the other night, that¡¯s what I have had. Not Bethany.¡±

    Tears spilled down her cheeks. ¡°I still want a divorce. I can¡¯t live like this. I don¡¯t want to live like this.¡±

    I let go of her hands and wrap them around her instead, trying to offer herfort, even though I¡¯m thest man she wants any of this from. She was not getting a divorce or an annulment. Cupping her face, I tilted her head back so she had no choice but to look at me. I swiped the tears off her face. She was too beautiful to cry.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Kissing each eyelid, I took possession of her mouth and started to move her through the penthouse suite, toward our bedroom. I would deal with Bethany very soon, but for now, I had my wife to handle.

    Once inside our bedroom, I didn¡¯t bother to close the door. I tugged my wife¡¯s hair out of the bun, watching it fall freely. Next, I tore the clothes I had so carefully picked out for her, but hated. They were not her. I loved seeing her in sweatpants and shirts, jeans, the clothes that made her, her.

    Running my hands over her body, I flicked the catch of her bra, and those luscious tits spilled out, and I cupped them in my hand.

    ¡°No,¡± Adide said.

    ¡°You want me to stop?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t ¡­ Bethany¡­¡±

    ¡°Is nothing. She¡¯s trying to get inside your head to ruin this, Adide. You¡¯re my wife, and I have not been with another woman. I will never be with another woman.¡± I took her hand andid her palm against my heart, letting her feel it beating. ¡°I don¡¯t trust easily. I¡¯ve been hurt way too many times.¡±

    No woman was allowed to touch me. Adide didn¡¯t seem to understand that she was the only woman I craved. The only woman I had ever wanted to fucking touch me.

    Ivan, the son of a bitch, knew this. He knew how hard I fought against this pull that Adide had over me. That bastard probably found it amusing. I didn¡¯t.

    Women were weakness. They made men fucking stupid, and many years ago, I had vowed to never allow one to make me weak, but Adide was different from the start. She didn¡¯t even remember our first meeting all those years ago, but I remembered, and that was all that mattered.

    Adide¡¯s touch was light at first. I let go of her wrist to stroke down her body, following the indent of her waist, to spread out to the curve of her hip. She wasn¡¯t leaving this bedroom a virgin. I wanted her virgin cunt on my dick. There was no way she was getting away from me.

    Grabbing my shirt, I tore it open, not caring as the buttons flung left and right. I allowed her to ce her palm directly over my heart, to feel it beating. This is what I wanted.

    Adide stared at her hand.

    My body was covered in ink, to hide the scars from my body. For me to know that I had been the one to win. Not my father. Not anyone.

    I was strong. Others were weak.

    I gripped the back of her neck, tilting her head back, and stared into her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t ever let Bethanye between us. She is not you. She will never be you.¡± And before she had a chance to respond, I took possession of her lips, drawing her close until her breasts touched my chest. Her hand was between us, but I ravished her mouth.

    Letting go of her neck, I slid my hand down her back, gripping the cheek of her ass, giving the plump flesh a soft little tap. She had such a ripe ass. Using both hands, I kneaded the flesh, and it made my dick so hard.

    Moving her toward the bed, Iid her down.

    ¡°Wait?¡± She held her palm up. ¡°I want to see you.¡±

    She could have anything she wanted. All she had to do was say the word. I removed my clothes easily.

    Ink decorated my legs and parts of my thighs. I¡¯d gotten them when I was younger. Crawling onto the bed, I moved Adide until she was against the pillows. Dropping a kiss to her lips, I trailed my mouth down, sucking each of her hard nipples into my mouth. She arched up. My name spilled from her lips as I used my teeth to arouse her.

    Her grip on the nket tightened, and I kissed down her body, going toward her pussy. Spreading open her thighs, I stared down at her pretty virgin cunt. No other man had been inside her before. She was all mine, and I fucking loved that. No other man was ever going to know how tight she got, how wet.

    To take her tonight, I was going to have to make her dripping. She was going to feel pain. Woman always did on their first time. She¡¯d be my first and only virgin.

    I sucked her clit into my mouth, sliding my tongue back and forth across the sensitive bud. I loved hearing my name echoing off the walls. I was doing everything right. The urge to fuck her with my tongue was strong, but I held off. The only way I was breaking that hymen was with my stiff cock. Focusing all my attention on the swollen bud, I stroked her clit, bringing her closer to orgasm.

    One day soon, she was going toe with my dick deep inside her, so I could feel her milking every single drop.

    I didn¡¯t have to wear a condom, and Adide came, screaming my name. Her body was ovee by the pleasure, and I didn¡¯t draw out the pain.

    Moving between her thighs, I stopped stroking her pussy, grabbed my cock, aligned the tip to her entrance, and mmed balls-deep inside her, tearing through the thin piece of flesh that made her a virgin. In doing so, I consummated our marriage, finally, stopped any chance of annulment, and made Adide mine in every single way that counted.

    She screamed, and her body tensed. I captured her hands, holding them against the bed so she wouldn¡¯t hurt me. Not that her fists could fight me off. She was no match for me.

    Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Her cunt was so tight. I knew it would be. There was no easy way to im a virgin. I waited, being patient, allowing her to be ustomed to my sheer size before I started to thrust within her. Going deep, making her take all of me.

    I hated that I hurt her, but now, there was no chance Bethany woulde between us again. I was going to fill my wife with my cum, and have herpletely dripping with it. She would be pregnant in no time.

 57

    Adide

    I was no longer a virgin.

    Laying in the bath as my sore muscles attempted to rx, I knew it was part of Andrei¡¯s n. Now I couldn¡¯t get an annulment. Is that why he had sex with me now? The tears wouldn¡¯t stop. They kept falling from my eyes, even as I batted them away.

    He said there was nothing going on between Bethany and him, but there was this ¡­ doubt. Why wouldn¡¯t he want to be with her? They had been engaged before.

    I was a fool to have let this happen. Having sex with Andrei didn¡¯t prove anything to me. We weren¡¯t a love match. This was business.

    I covered my face, gritted my teeth, and prayed the tears would stop. I didn¡¯t want to be one of those women who sobbed all the time.

    If Andrei spoke the truth-and I saw no reason why he didn¡¯t-then what did Bethany get out of it? What game did she y? Was it just to torment me? I wouldn¡¯t put it past her. She lived for making me miserable, or at least whenever she thought I was happy, she went out of her way to make me the opposite.

    Could she lure Andrei away? Did I want her to? Would it be easier if he cheated on me?

    Our marriage was a farce. Nothing more than a business negotiation between my parents and Ivan. I wasn¡¯t an important piece to any puzzle. I was the stand-in. The second choice.

    Dipping my hands beneath the water, I lifted them up and pressed them against my face. Thest thing I wanted Andrei to see was my tears. I¡¯d always imagined my first time being with someone who loved me and whom I loved. Did I love Andrei? The simple answer was no. I didn¡¯t know him.

    I sshed more water onto my face, hoping to wipe the evidence of my tears away before he came back. This was not a time to be emotional, even though I¡¯d lost my virginity. It had been painful.

    Andrei¡¯s eyes had stared into mine, and for a brief time, I thought we had a connection, but that couldn¡¯t be the case. I was going crazy right now.

    ¡°I¡¯ve cleaned the bed,¡± Andrei said, entering the bathroom.

    ncing over my shoulder, I¡¯m aware of his nakedness even more now. I couldn¡¯t help but see the evidence of my virginity against his ¡­ dick.

    I turned away to stare back in the water, expecting him to leave me alone. He surprised me by moving past me and climbing right into the tub. Everything Andrei owned was of the best quality and high luxury, including his bathtub, which could have easily held an orgy.

    ¡°Talk to me, Adide.¡± His voice was deep, demanding.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡±

    ¡°This was your first time. You don¡¯t have any girlfriends to talk to.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but flinch at his assessment. He wasn¡¯t wrong.

    Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried to sink beneath the water and the bubbles. He¡¯d put in some bath salts, I assumed to help with the aches and pains.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hide.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not hiding.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not fucking your sister.¡±

    I lifted my gaze to his and he cursed, closing the distance between us and pulling me into his arms. I started to fight him, wriggling against him, hoping to get free, but he was much stronger than me, and water kept sloshing over the sides, which annoyed me. I didn¡¯t want to make a mess, but I also didn¡¯t want him to hold me.

    ¡°Let me go.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this with you,¡± he said. ¡°Bethany is fucking toxic. She¡¯s only interested in ruining lives. She hates that you¡¯re my wife. That you get all the luxury, not her. Why can¡¯t you see that?¡±

    He moved us so that I was beneath him, and all it would take was for him to dunk me under the water and hold me in ce. Would he do it? Drown me? Had my lifee to this?

    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me,¡± I said. My voice broke with every word I spoke and I hated how desperate I sounded.

    Andrei tightened. His hands still held me in ce and the water covered most of my body from the neck down. I¡¯d surprised him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but be doubtful. This was a man whose life was devoted to killing-I thought.

    ¡°Adide, you will always be safe.¡±

    ¡°Then why do I need a bodyguard?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll never kill you.¡±

    ¡°Unless I betray Ivan Volkov?¡±

    I saw his jaw clench.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to do that.¡±

    ¡°What if I want to?¡± I asked. ¡°What if I want to put an end to this life, and just be done with it? To be at peace. I never asked for this. I never asked for any of this.¡± He pressed one of his hands against my mouth, silencing me.

    ¡°Do not ever fucking threaten that. You don¡¯t want to die, Adide. You¡¯re trying to cope with the shit your sister is trying to fill your head with. I¡¯ll get to the bottom of what Bethany wants, but until then, do not throw out useless threats. You don¡¯t deserve to die, and I won¡¯t allow you to sign our death warrants.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Ours?¡±

    Andrei smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? You go down, I go with you.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head, denying it. That couldn¡¯t be.

    ¡°You¡¯d never do anything to harm him. You¡¯re his ¡­ man.¡±

    ¡°And do you think Ivan would trust me if my wife so tantly betrayed him? It would kill him.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in charge.¡±

    ¡°Only for as long as I can be trusted.¡±

    This had to be a trick. The thought of Andrei dead twisted my stomach. He couldn¡¯t die because of me. My threats were idle. I¡¯d never betray Ivan, even if I hated being married.

    Today had reminded me of what Ivan and Andrei had gotten me away from, and that was my family. My parents and sister were horrible. Being near them could poison the best of people.

    ¡°I won¡¯t do it,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±

    Andrei searched my gaze and nodded his head. ¡°I know.¡±

    He lifted up, and helped me to sit up as well. Andrei moved in behind me. The warmth of his body surrounded me. I watched as he reached past my shoulder, grabbing a bar of soap andthering up his hands.

    No words were spoken.

    His hands went to my body, and I held my breath as he started to wash me. I expected pain. After the way I¡¯d just spoken and treated him, I should have gotten it. Other men would have beaten me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve spoken with vik,¡± Andrei said. ¡°We¡¯re going to visit them soon. You can spend some time with Aurora.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve not seen much of each other, but you seemed to hit it off at the wedding.¡±

    Anyone would have been a wee relief at our wedding, other than Bethany and my mother. Aurora had been a breath of fresh air. She looked so out of ce next to her husband. Sweet and innocent. I felt like she didn¡¯t deserve to be part of this Bratva world.

    ¡°Do you like vik?¡± I asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s got good business sense.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked.¡±

    ¡°I never like anyone, Adide.¡±

    He used his hands soaked in water to rinse my body. Andrei reached for the soap and I didn¡¯t deny him as he washed my hair, taking care as he used shampoo then conditioner.

    I wanted to do the same for him, but I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. He wouldn¡¯t want me touching him, and I understood why. After my outburst, why would he want me to touch him?

    Andrei got out of the bath first and wrapped a towel around his waist. I couldn¡¯t help but admire the tattoos covering his body. I¡¯d not gotten the chance to properly look, but they were sexy. Heat filled my cheeks.

    Andrei helped me out of the bath, wrapping me in a towel. We walked into the bedroom together and I looked toward the bed, to see clean, crisp sheets were already on. I wanted to know what happened to the other sheets, but to speak of what happened made me a little ufortable. There had been blood and his releasebined. When I¡¯d walked into the bathroom, I¡¯d felt it spilling down my leg with each step I took. I was grateful none ended up on the carpet. There was only so much embarrassment I could deal with.

    Andrei wasn¡¯t finished with his caring routine. He had a second towel within his grip, and he used it across my shoulders. He gave me the towel to dry my hair, but he wasn¡¯t finished drying the rest of my body. I was about to head into the closet after he took the towels back to the bathroom, but he grabbed my arm and moved me toward the bed.

    It was warm in the room.

    Both of us stillpletely naked. He moved me so I sat in front of him.

    I waited.

    He slowly ran the brush through my hair, and the kind gesture surprised me. I wasn¡¯t expecting it. Andrei was a cold man, why was he being so nice to me? It made no sense.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    I didn¡¯t say a word as he continued brushing my hair. Whenever he got to a knot, he held my hair and worked it out so that it didn¡¯t hurt. Was he treating me like a child? I felt not. This was something new, intimate. I pressed my lips together not wishing to spoil the moment as I enjoyed his hands on me. They were so tender.

    Once he finished, he helped me into bed, and Iy down. At first, I faced away from him, sensing him at my back. It waste and I¡¯d not eaten anything all day. Rolling back over, I looked at him. Andrei stared at me. Neither of us spoke.

    I didn¡¯t want to break this ¡­ whatever the hell this was. He kept looking at me. What did he see? What did he feel? I had so many questions I wanted to ask him, but I stayed silent.

    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he reached out, putting his hand against my cheek, leaning in close, and kissing my head. I waited with bated breath as his arms surrounded me, and then his warmth flooded my body. I wrapped my arms around him, afraid I would make a wrong move orpletely mess this up.

    He kissed my head again and hummed against me. This was nice. I liked how he smelled and I loved howfortable I felt in his arms. I never wanted this to end. I smiled against his chest and closed my eyes.

    Of course, my body had other ideas. Theck of food made itself known as my stomach chose that moment to growl. I didn¡¯t know what embarrassed me more-the evidence of my virginity, my jealous outburst, or my crazy hungry stomach.

    Andrei chuckled. ¡°I knew we¡¯d forgotten to do something.¡± He kissed her head. ¡°I¡¯ll feed you.¡±

    The moment was lost, all because my stomach couldn¡¯t stay quiet. Stupid hunger.

 58

    Andrei

    I don¡¯t know what Bethany¡¯s agenda is, and I don¡¯t like it.

    Adide was staying by my side so I got Leo following Bethany around. If she hoped upsetting her sister would have me reacting, she was very much mistaken. I didn¡¯t y the games of that woman. Adide was my number one priority, and now that she was my wifepletely, there was no going back. Divorce and annulment were off the table.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay in because of me,¡± Adide said. She came toward the dining room table where I¡¯d just read the text from my informant in the Evil Savages MC, that the ns had changed.

    I was still waiting for more details on this Nathan person who¡¯d made a sudden appearance in her life. Adide was an amazing person, far too trusting for her own good. A man like Nathan, who¡¯d appeared out of the blue some time ago, and just befriended her ¡­ I didn¡¯t believe it and I was going to get to the bottom of it. Especially because I couldn¡¯t find any details about the man. No records. It was like he didn¡¯t exist. That raised rm bells, which was why I¡¯d also traded ces with Leo. There was no way my wife would go to see this Nathan without me.

    Closing my phone, I looked up. Adide wouldn¡¯t meet my gaze. Was she still sore? It had been two days since I¡¯d taken her virginity and I wasn¡¯t going to wait too long. Seeing her virgin blood on my dick had given me deep pleasure. No other man would ever know just how fucking perfect she was.

    ¡°Work can wait.¡± I pointed out the cinnamon bun and coffee I¡¯d had Terrance get for her.

    Her eyes went wide. ¡°Why do I feel you buy me these to shut me up?¡±

    ¡°I buy them because you love them.¡± I happened to enjoy the sweet treat as well.

    I watched her take a bite, relishing the pleasure that crossed her face. There was going to be a lot more pleasure. For too long now, I¡¯d denied myself the pleasure of my wife, and that was going to change. I figured a couple of days was more than enough time for her to recover from her first time.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had a sweet tooth,¡± she said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t, but there¡¯s something about a cinnamon bun that just tempts me.¡±

    Adide¡¯s mouth closed and some of the dark sugar coated her lips.

    I got to my feet and her eyes opened. Leaning against the table, I reached out, putting my thumb against her lip, and swiping it off. Showing her my bounty, I pressed it to my lips and sucked it into my mouth with a moan.

    She gasped and her mouth fell open.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I have no idea.¡±

    I chuckle and stroke the curve of her neck. ¡°I¡¯m attempting to seduce my wife.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    I pull her chair out and move between her spread thighs. Running a finger across her chin, I force her to look at me.

    ¡°Because I loved the feel of her pussy wrapped around my cock, and you made a point the other day.¡±

    ¡°I did?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this marriage is forever. We¡¯re not getting away from each other, so why don¡¯t we just enjoy one another?¡± I stroke her breast, fingering the edge of her shirt.

    She wasn¡¯t wearing the clothes I¡¯d picked out for her, and now I found her even more attractive. I¡¯d have to take her shopping for the clothes she wanted. My wife didn¡¯t need to fit any kind of model. I didn¡¯t give two fucks what people thought of me, and anyone who said anything about my wife would answer to me. I¡¯d relish the bloodshed.

    ¡°This is what you want?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Do you want to enjoy us?¡± I asked.

    She nibbled her lip, her gaze looking past mine. I wanted to know what was going on in that head of hers, to find out how she ticked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Her answer was so soft I had to wonder if I heard it.

    I grabbed her arms, lifting her up, shoving the coffee and cinnamon bun out of the way. I pressed her against the table, and she let out a gasp.

    ¡°Andrei?¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You can say no at any time,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll stop.¡± I¡¯m hoping she won¡¯t.

    Kissing the spot right over her pulse, I heard her gasp. I knew where to touch her. Adide was a body of beauty, and I loved feeling her against me. She wasn¡¯t trained in deception. Running my hands down to her ass, I push them into the waistband of her sweatpants and grip the supple flesh.

    Our moans fill the air, and I nudge her back against the table. Moving my hands to the front of her pants, I give them a tug, pulling them off her body. My wife was wearing panties, and it¡¯s another pair I had shredded in no time. They were a hindrance and getting in my way. Cupping her naked pussy, I slid a finger between her slit, stroking across her clit, before gliding down to feel how soft she was. I no longer had to wait to break this pussy. She was all mine.

    I rocked my finger in and out of her. Adide held onto the dining room table, eyes closed, and I took the time to simply admire her. I saw her face flooded with pleasure. Moving a second finger inside her, I saw it was a tight fit as she winced, but I pushed my thumb against her clit, ying with her, taking away the bite of pain by tormenting her. She tilted her head back, filling the air with the sweet sound of her moan.

    I wanted it.

    Kissing her hard, I swallowed her cries, keeping them all to myself. Rocking my palm against her cunt, I filled her pussy, wanting it to be my cock. With each stroke, she grew wetter, and that was what I needed. I didn¡¯t intend to hurt her. All I wanted was for her to be mindless from pleasure.

    ¡°Andrei,¡± she said.

    ¡°Do you like what I¡¯m doing to you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Do you wish it was my cock?¡±

    A whimper.

    Pulling my fingers from her pussy, I ran my hands up to her stomach. Within seconds, I removed the rest of her clothing, wanting her bare. There was no room for hiding when she was with me.

    I marveled at her body. There was not a single w about her as far as I could tell. I craved her. My dick was so fucking hard it hurt. One taste wasn¡¯t enough. Adide had to be mine to be able to quench this desire I had for her.

    I saw her heart racing, but she didn¡¯t attempt to cover herself up. Sitting down in the chair before her, I moved it close and put my hands on her knees.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Taking my time.¡±

    I lifted her feet onto my knees, and then I spread her legs wide, so she was open to me. ¡°This pussy is mine, Adide,¡± I said.

    I didn¡¯t expect her to say yes to my cock. She is so new to her own body, and I can¡¯t wait to explore every inch of her. To awaken her desire. My hope is one day shees to me when her body needs loving.

    Reaching between her thighs, I move my fingers toward the lips of her pussy and spread them open, staring at her hole. Was she pregnant already? I had to wonder if my baby was already growing inside of her. I take two fingers and ease them into her pussy, watching her take them. With my thumb, I press it against her clit and stroke back and forth. Each time I do this, she releases a little whimper and I see her body shake a little under the onught. My dick is so hard.

    I want to just fuck her. First, I¡¯m going to taste her. Pulling my hands from her cunt, I move my chair forward, grasp her hips, and then press my face against her pussy, licking her sweet clit. Sliding my tongue back and forth across her nub, I glide down to circle her hole before pushing forward, fucking into her.

    Adide¡¯s moans fill the air, and it is the sweetest fucking sound I¡¯ve ever head. I¡¯m heady with excitement. My cock is so hard, it¡¯s nearly punched through the fabric of my pants. Letting go of Adide¡¯s hips, I don¡¯t stop loving her pussy, as I ease down the zipper that contains my raging erection. Wrapping my fingers around the length, I work them up and down, making myself ache with need for her. She is all I want.

    Pre-cum leaked out of the tip, and I smear it all over my dick. With some of it still on my fingers, I press it inside her, wanting every single reason for her to get pregnant. There was no time to hold back.

    Drawing my tongue back up to her clit, I focus on that tiny nub, sliding my hands beneath her ass and licking her, tasting her, sucking her, bringing her closer to the peak, and when I feel her orgasm starting to build, I stop, because I¡¯m a selfish bastard and I want to feel her release wrapped around my dick.

    Adide whimpered.

    I guide the tip of my dick to her entrance, and then staring into her sweet brown eyes, I slowly, inch by inch, feel her surround me. She¡¯s so fucking tight. So hot. All mine.

    I¡¯d never been a man to care about any woman¡¯s previous lovers, but there¡¯s something primal about knowing I¡¯m the only man Adide will ever have. Just the thought of it has me grabbing her hips and mming all the way to the hilt inside her.

    Her pussy is so soft, and she¡¯s so close. Tiny little ripples wrap around my dick, sucking at me.

    I let go of her hips and stroke across her nub, and I watch, feeling her body as she gets closer to that peak once again, and this time, as she¡¯s close, she hurtles toward it, on fire, need pulsing through her. I held her, wanting to pound inside her, to mark her, to im her.

    She¡¯s all mine. All fucking mine.

    I don¡¯t give her chance toe down from that peak. Grabbing her hips once again, I pound inside her.

    The table is more than a hindrance as it moves with the power of my thrusts. I have no choice but to pick her up and carry her through to the bedroom. I drop her onto the bed, and this time she has nowhere to go. Holding her down and in ce, I ke my desire, fucking her harder than I ever have before, shoving my cock as deep as I can. I¡¯m not myself. I need toe inside her, to flood that pretty pussy with my cum, and to see it filling her.

    I growl her name, feeling how close I am, and as my orgasm starts to build, I grab her hands, locking our fingers together. When my releasees, I stare into her eyes, not wanting to let her go, feeling the aftershocks of her own climax, as I¡¯m close to mine, and as I fill her, I wonder if this will be the one to get her pregnant. I went from not being in a rush to get her pregnant, to wanting it so damn much.

    Every single pulse fills her cunt, and only when it¡¯s over do I pull out, my cock dripping with my spunk, and I open her thighs, watching her pussy. Some of my creamy cum drizzles out, and I use my fingers, trying to push it back inside her, wanting it to take.

    What the fuck has happened to me?

 59

    Adide

    ¡°How does it feel to be pregnant?¡± I asked, looking over at Aurora.

    She looks so happy and it¡¯s a surprise to me. The man she¡¯s married to doesn¡¯t strike me as a kind man, or one that would be easy to love. He¡¯s cold and cruel, and Aurora is theplete opposite.

    ¡°It¡¯s surreal at times,¡± Aurora said, smiling at me. ¡°Do you think you will be pregnant?¡±

    I put a hand on my stomach and wonder. We were not using any kind of protection. My parents took away my birth control pills when Bethany was removed as Andrei¡¯s fiancee. They said I couldn¡¯t take anything that would stop me from having a baby.

    The pills helped to control my menstrual cycle, nothing else. I¡¯d never had a boyfriend or anyone I could have gotten pregnant by.

    ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± I said.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time we¡¯d visited Aurora. Andrei and I were celebrating six months of marriage.

    Six very long months. I was in a bit of a shock myself. We¡¯d not been on a honeymoon and Andrei spent a great deal of time at work.

    Ivan hade to visit usst week and told us both that we needed a vacation. Wrapping my arms around myself, I hadn¡¯t seen my husband much during this trip. Ivan was also present, and at least one other brigadier as well. They called him Ive, even though his name was Ivan. Andrei had told me it was so there was no confusion. I didn¡¯t tell him that I was already confused about the things they did. It wasn¡¯t my ce to tell them how to run things.

    ¡°Adide, are you okay?¡± Aurora asked, reaching out toward me.

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not happy.¡±

    ¡°I am. I am ¡­ happy.¡± I press my lips together. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you.¡±

    Aurora shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant and you know it.¡±

    Pressing my lips together, I reach into my jeans pocket and pull out my cell phone. Andrei hadn¡¯t taken it off me, even as we were on the ne heading here.

    ¡°Bethany sent me this,¡± I said.

    My sister hadn¡¯t stopped trying to drive a wedge between me and Andrei. I believed him, at least I think I did, that he wasn¡¯t having an affair, but now I see this. It¡¯s a picture of them, and I don¡¯t know when it was taken, it looks like they¡¯re in a nightclub of some kind. Either way, they are looking way too cozy.

    Andrei hasn¡¯t taken me to any clubs, and certainly no fancy restaurants. We don¡¯t ¡­ date. I can leave his penthouse apartment and go to the shelter. He won¡¯t allow me to see Nathan. That he has banned, and then of course, there are the few times I can have dinner with Aurora. There¡¯s no real life for me, though. I¡¯m constantly going through the motions until Andrei arrives home. That¡¯s it.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    That is the extent of my life-reading books, cooking, and just waiting. I¡¯m bored, I¡¯m lonely, and I had thought things would change, but Andrei is cold. He¡¯s not mine.

    ¡°Bethany is a spiteful woman,¡± Aurora said. ¡°I know she¡¯s your sister and I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Bethany has always been this way. Trust me, I¡¯m used to it.¡± I reach for the coffee mug, and bring it to my lips.

    ¡°Adide, talk to me.¡±

    ¡°Andrei told me he is not having an affair.¡± I don¡¯t tell her that was weeks ago. ¡°I trust him.¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°Even if he¡¯s not having an affair, and this was taken some time ago, it means that he was at least happy with her. Didn¡¯t you see that?¡±

    Is that what bothers me more? Andrei being happier with my sister? I¡¯m the second choice. That¡¯s who I am. It¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever been.

    Aurora shook her head. ¡°Stop it. No, I don¡¯t believe that for a second.¡±

    ¡°Pictures don¡¯t lie,¡± I said.

    My words have Auroraughing so hard. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Adide, I know you¡¯re young.¡±

    I¡¯m twenty-one years old. Bethany is nearly thirty. My mother was quite surprised when she had me. I¡¯ve always been a lot older than my years, though.

    ¡°What does my age have to do with anything?¡±

    ¡°Some photos are designed to be deceptive. You have no idea when this was taken or why it was taken. It looks like a professional shot. It could have done the rounds for all those media papers and stuff. Trust me when I say this, Andrei never looked as happy as he does with you.¡±

    ¡°You saw them together as a couple?¡±

    Aurora nodded.

    ¡°Did Andrei smile?¡±

    ¡°From time to time.¡±

    ¡°Did he listen to Bethany?¡±

    ¡°Adide, you¡¯ve got to stop.¡±

    I put my coffee down and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I need some air.¡± I smiled at her. It was forced and I felt my eyes fill with tears, but I bat them down, refusing to allow them to leave. I¡¯m not going to cry over him or this situation again.

    Bethany was doing exactly what she set out to do and I knew that. She wanted to drive a wedge between me and Andrei. The sex was good. I enjoyed being with him, but I always felt like he was bored ¡­ I duck my head as I ignore one of the soldiers. I don¡¯t know how Aurora lives with guns constantly on disy. They still terrify me.

    I find a door leading onto the back porch that overlooks the garden, and as I step outside, I take a deep breath. Leaning against the door, I suck in more oxygen, even as I feel my chest tighten. Anxiety threatens to w its way up my body, but I fight it, using my breathing to ground me, to keep me from going over the edge that can suck me down too hard.

    Opening my eyes, I look out over the garden. Aurora and vik¡¯s home is beautiful. They have a special connection. What I¡¯ve noticed in visiting them is that they don¡¯t show it. Not in public, but I¡¯ve seen them when they don¡¯t realize anyone is watching, and I¡¯ve heard them. vik ispletely in love with Aurora. He would die for her. They are a love match. Even if they didn¡¯t start that way, it¡¯s what their marriage has be.

    Andrei and I are not a love match. We¡¯re a business contract. That¡¯s why I know Andrei doesn¡¯t really want me. The sex is good because he¡¯s obligated to have sex with me. I overheard Ivan talking to Andrei one night a few weeks ago. He asked if I was pregnant yet, and Andrei said he expected it would happen soon.

    What kind of man does that? He doesn¡¯t want me. His touch isn¡¯t filled with passion for me. I¡¯m a duty.

    Wrapping my arms around my body, I step toward the grass. Aurora and vik¡¯s home is so big, anyone could get lost. Removing my sneakers, I take a step onto the cold, wet ground.

    There had been a stormst night. I¡¯din awake in Andrei¡¯s arms, listening to the ferocious sound. As a child I¡¯d always hated storms, and that hadn¡¯t changed as I aged. I always feared that the wind would be so strong it would tear the roof right off whatever ce I was at. I¡¯d lie awake for hours, listening, terrified of what could happen. Oftentimes I¡¯d fall asleep, and the next morning I¡¯d see the devastation.

    It was like Mother Nature was too afraid to befall the Volkov Bratva¡¯s wrath, as there was no damage to his property. Even the trees didn¡¯t dare shed any branches.

    ¡°Hello, Adide.¡±

    I¡¯ve already stepped into the wet grass when I look up to see Ivan approaching. His gaze seems entertained when he sees me standing on the cold wet ground. I¡¯m freezing, but I¡¯d rather feel the chill than the icy knowledge my husband doesn¡¯t want me. It was easier to live with him when he ignored me. I¡¯d rather be invisible than go through this.

    I thought I could handle it, but seeing Aurora and vik hurt more than ever. Bethany¡¯s constant taunts and pictures were eating away at me.

    ¡°Mr. Volkov,¡± I said, bowing my head and showing respect.

    Ivan pped his hands together. ¡°Adide, you are forever a delight.¡±

    I doubted that.

    ¡°Did you conclude your business?¡± I asked. Andrei never talked to me about what he and the others did. I wasn¡¯t expected to know, and for the most part, I kept my nose out.

    Understanding his business wasn¡¯t part of my job description, at least that¡¯s what I¡¯m always told. My job is to have babies. To shut up. To not make waves.

    In that moment, I think about my parents. Not once did they make an effort to see me. When I¡¯m alone, I¡¯ll turn the television on and go check out their channel, but other than seeing all the boring shows every single day, nothing has changed for them. I sometimes checked them on the Inte as well. Random pictures would appear-my mother shopping, my parents out together or with Bethany. No news about the daughter they were happy to give up for that pleasure.

    ¡°In a sense.¡± Ivan stared at me. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    It was a perfect and easy mantra to keep saying. No one wanted the truth. They were happy with careful lies.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±

    I tilt my head back and look up at the sky. It¡¯s dull. Not a single speck of brightness to be had, which was how I felt. Rubbing my hands up and down my arms, I know I need to escape this.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± I said, making my excuses.

    ¡°You know you can talk to him, don¡¯t you?¡± Ivan asked.

    I nce at Ivan who is still staring. I wonder at times what is going on in his head. He¡¯s always plotting. Always keeping one step ahead of the game.

    Talking to Andrei was out of the question. It has always been out of the question. He has his own life.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at dinner,¡± I said.

    Ivan doesn¡¯t stop me from leaving. I pass so many guards as I make my way to Andrei¡¯s and my sleeping quarters. He¡¯s not here and I¡¯m d about that.

    Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I rest my palms t on my knees and take a deep breath, then another, and then another. I¡¯m still taking them, trying to calm my nerves, when my cell phone beeps. Pulling it out of my pocket, I¡¯m almost hesitant to look. Thest thing I want to see is another picture from Bethany. I promised myself I wouldn¡¯t let anything she said bother me, but how could I be so foolish to think I would get over it? This is my sister we¡¯re talking about. She takes great pleasure in hurting me.

    It¡¯s not from Bethany.

    Nathan has texted me. I¡¯ve not seen him in quite some time, and I miss my friend with his easy smile and heartwarming words.

    Nathan: I need to see you.

    Andrei asked me not to have any contact with him. So I haven¡¯t. Leo didn¡¯t approve of me seeing Nathan. I don¡¯t have feelings for my friend. I¡¯m not attracted to him in any way.

    Nathan: I have to tell you something. I know what is going on, Adide. I can help you.

    I doubt very much he can help me. Can he stop me from feeling this way? Can he stop my sister from hurting me?

    Adide: I can¡¯t talk right now. I¡¯m away with friends. I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m back.

    I¡¯ll meet him one final time to let him know that I can¡¯t see him. Pushing Andrei¡¯s buttons is not sensible. He might not kill me, but I bet he wouldn¡¯t have any qualms about killing Nathan.

 60

    AndreiContentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    I¡¯d never known such a big fuck-up in my entire life as I stared down at the bruised woman that was not Demon¡¯s daughter, Cassie. The n was simple. While Demon thought he was hurting me and taking out some of the Volkov main warehouses, my men had gone on a mission to extract his precious daughter, Cassie-the Evil Savages MC princess.

    What did I get? Lottie, the bastard daughter, the one known to be his, but he never fucking imed. The one who was constantly left out in the cold because her mother had been a club whore who¡¯d be a rat, so Lottie became known as the Rat¡¯s daughter. She was all but useless to me. Ivan was on his way to me as I watched this young woman. Eighteen fucking years old.

    I¡¯d already killed the men responsible for getting me the wrong woman. Lottie looked nothing like her sister Cassie.

    Running fingers through my hair, I nce at Terrance who¡¯s been quiet since I killed the two men who were lying in a puddle of their own blood. My thirst to kill was strong. Rage consumed me.

    I had no choice but to wait for Ivan, and I don¡¯t even know why he was in town without my knowledge. Ivan always did whatever the fuck he wanted. The usual rules of the Bratva structure didn¡¯t apply to him. He always had a n in motion, and there was always a reason why he did what he did.

    Hands on my hips, I waited. My cell phone beeps, and I see my other little problem is also being taken care of as we speak. I¡¯d deal with that problem after I handle this one.

    Of course, Ivan arrives within twenty fucking minutes. I have no idea how he¡¯s able to get to and from wherever he is within such a short amount of time, but he arrives looking collected and calm. I bring him up-to-date.

    Lottie is still outpletely cold. The tranquilizer we gave her would see her dead to the world until tonight.

    ¡°Now this is an interesting turn of events,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°Do you want me to kill her and dispose of the body?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Why would we do that when we have a far more interesting yer?¡± Ivan moved toward Lottie and crouched down. ¡°Now, my sweet, I didn¡¯t think of you, but this is going to go very nicely indeed.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°She¡¯s not Cassie.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, and that bitch would be difficult to handle. This one ¡­ this one is perfect, and don¡¯t you think she will look interesting on Ive¡¯s arm?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°Move her to secure location. I¡¯ll handle the rest, and I don¡¯t want to see her harmed in any other way, do you understand me?¡±

    There was no point in arguing with him. What Ivan wants, he will get and I¡¯m more than happy to grant it. I nod my head, and he smiles. It¡¯s not nice at all.

    Ivan¡¯s the first to leave after I¡¯ve made the necessary arrangements to transport Lottie. I¡¯m not sure she will suit Ive, but I¡¯m not going to criticize that decision. Ivan¡¯s in charge of who we marry. There¡¯s no chance of us making that choice. I¡¯d tried to deal with Bethany, to ept my future with her, and then he handed me Adide, and well, I was learning to ept this life with her.

    I tell Terrance where to take me, and I sit back, pulling out my cell phone and seeing a text from Leo, telling me that Adide is fine. She decided to stay in the apartment. I opened the app and nced through the cameras, but I don¡¯t find her. I spot Leo in the sitting room, and I don¡¯t have time to question it, as Terrance pulls into the warehouse.

    Three men are stationed outside the door, and I climb out of the car, making my way inside to the man currently tied to a chair, bleeding. It¡¯s the best look that son of a bitch has had. He was quite a hard man to track down.

    Dragging a chair toward him, I take a seat and stare at him. His face is swollen, but one of his eyes is open.

    ¡°I see my men have kept you busy,¡± I said.

    ¡°Fuck you.¡±

    ¡°Let us both save all of our troubles and tell me what a fucking hit man is doing ying friends with my wife?¡±

    Nathan is not his real name. The life he imed to be living is not real. The man is good, there¡¯s no doubt about that. He knows how to blend into a crowd and manipte those around him, but I¡¯m not most people. From the moment I saw his picture, I knew there was something off about him, and not just because he was near my wife. There was something about him that I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on, and then it had all fallen into ce.

    He¡¯s a hit man with many aliases.

    Over forty years old, multiple passports, and so many kills under his belt. I¡¯d met him once, nearly twenty years ago on the streets. He¡¯d been a cold dead killer then, and staring at him now, he hadn¡¯t changed. Age marked his face, but I recognized him.

    Nathan burst outughing. ¡°Do you think I pose a threat to Adide?¡±

    I wrap my fingers around his throat, cutting off his air. ¡°You don¡¯t get to say her fucking name.¡±

    It¡¯s pointless. This man has been trained to withstand all kinds of torture.

    ¡°If you had questions about my friendship with her, why didn¡¯t you just ask?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    Nathan coughed, spitting up blood. I¡¯d told my men that he didn¡¯t need to arrive at the warehouse in one piece. He just had to be alive. That was my only requirement.

    Now I¡¯m wondering if he had to be alive. I¡¯d dly have him dead.

    Adide hadn¡¯t seen him in a while. They¡¯d texted but not met. It would be so easy to cut him out of her life, and that¡¯s what I wanted to do. First, I wanted to know what brought him to Adide.

    ¡°Have you been hired?¡± I asked.

    Nathan sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not here to kill her.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Why are you friends with her?¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯s so sweet, don¡¯t you think?¡± Nathan asked. I wanted to kill him, but he spit out some more blood, and it looked like a tooth hade loose as well, as that was mixed with the blood. ¡°Bethany is the person I was hired to kill. She pissed off the wrong people several years ago. Adide was unexpected. She was selling some nasty-ass lemonade, helping some kids. Bethany was supposed to be volunteering, but as always, she put Adide to the task. That¡¯s where I met her, and that¡¯s where Nathan was born.¡±

    ¡°The charming gay friend with a job she doesn¡¯t understand.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not here to kill her?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to protect her,¡± Nathan said.

    This made me pause. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Do you really think her sister is going to allow her to y ¡®happy family¡¯ at your side? Bethany got out of the contract on her head. I don¡¯t know how, but I got paid and she¡¯s still breathing. I follow the money, but Adide always needed someone in her corner. Do you think Ivan Volkov is the only person Bethany pissed off?¡±

    This made me pause.

    Just as I was about to answer more questions, I heard themotion outside, and then my men stepped forward as Adide entered the warehouse. Without Leo. On her own. Her gaze went to Nathan and then to me. What the fuck was she doing here?

    I see the red dot on her chest and I know it¡¯s not from my men. Someone lured her here. Someone who knew I would be here, and before I can stop it. I watch Adide¡¯s body jerk as someone shoots her. One to the chest and the other to her stomach.

    I charge forward as she starts to fall. ¡°Fucking kill them!¡± I scream, pulling Adide into my arms.

    Blood has soaked through her white shirt. Two gunshot wounds.

    ¡°I ¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Adide. Conserve your strength. You¡¯re not dying on me.¡± Her face has already gone pale.

    ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯m so cold.¡±

    My hands are covered in blood as I cup her face. ¡°Look at me.¡±

    I don¡¯t know how Nathan got loose, but in themotion, he¡¯s on the other side of her.

    ¡°Adide!¡± I scream her name, shaking her.

    Fuck.

    No.

    Fuck.

    This is not supposed to happen. Adide was meant to be at home. Safe. Away from danger.

    ¡°We need to get her to the hospital,¡± Nathan said, reaching for her.

    I punch him hard, staining his cheek with Adide¡¯s blood, but I don¡¯t care. ¡°You stay the fuck away from her.¡±

    I don¡¯t have time to tie him up, and while my men deal with whoever fired at my wife, I pick Adide up.

    Terrance is there, but I ignore him, climb into the car, and hold my wife close to me as I pull out of the warehouse and head to the first hospital. I¡¯m not thinking straight but I don¡¯t give a fuck. This is my wife. Adide-the nicest person I¡¯ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, who didn¡¯t deserve me as a husband, and who should have nevere near me. Who I stayed away from even though I craved her, and she became mine. Ivan knew what he was doing the moment he reced Bethany.

    Adide was mine. She is mine.

    I pulled up outside of the hospital. I don¡¯t park the car, I abandon it and carry my bleeding wife into the hospital. Doctors and nurses surround me. They keep bombarding me with questions and in the end, I warn them. I tell them who I am, and that I will end all the fucking lot of them if they don¡¯t fix my wife.

    One of the doctorses forward, and he takes charge. Adide is put on a gurney and carried away from me. A nurse puts her hands on my chest and tells me that I can¡¯t follow.

    I need to know Adide is alive. She has to live. I cannot ept any other oue.

    With my hands clenched into fists, I stay in that one spot, staring at the door. I don¡¯t know when my men arrive, but Terrance is the first.

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    He keeps repeating my title, and I finally turn toward him. ¡°This is Adide¡¯s phone. There¡¯s a text. It tells her that if she wants to see you, she has to go to this location. It¡¯s sent from an anonymous number.¡±

    I don¡¯t care.

    Nathan has arrived with my men. His face is still bruised, but he¡¯s cleaned away some of the blood.

    ¡°He helped to detain the men responsible,¡± Terrance said.

    We¡¯re in a public ce. I can¡¯t kill him right now. I don¡¯t have to worry because over his shoulder I see Ivan appear, and I know he¡¯se to deal with the shit that just went down, because for the first time in my life, all I can feel is grief.

 61

    Andrei

    They didn¡¯t know if Adide was going to make it. The bullet missed her heart, but there was too much blood.

    She had also lost our baby. I had no idea she was pregnant and I guessed she didn¡¯t either. The doctor told me there was no way to save the baby. That shouldn¡¯t hurt. I was not like this. I had no bastard feelings, but I was struggling to hold it together. Ivan, my Pakhan, my boss, the one I served, handled everything, donating arge sum of money, and apologizing on my behalf as he made sure my wife was given the utmost care.

    I was standing at the foot of my wife¡¯s hospital bed, looking at her attached to tubes and wires as machines monitor her.

    They told me to have hope. Seeing my wife fighting for her life, I had no choice but to feel hope.

    ****

    Adide. My precious, sweet Adide, who didn¡¯t even remember we had met before. It was some time ago, she had only been about eighteen, and for some reason, she ended up volunteering along with a few nurses. I think she must have been doing some basic medical training, but again, I¡¯m not sure.

    A deal had gone bad, I¡¯d managed to get Ivan out of the ce without a single scratch on him, but I¡¯d ended up cut up really bad. You should have seen the other guy, he was unrecognizable. He¡¯d been one of my men, and he¡¯d turned on me, and that was what had caused the fuck-up in the first ce.

    Which is why I don¡¯t trust anyone.

    Anyway, Adide had been in the alleyway where I¡¯d taken a moment to rest. A bunch of nurses and do-gooders were helping the homeless, trying to make a difference and all that crap, when Adide stumbled upon me.

    I¡¯d been cut bad. A sh right across the stomach. It wouldn¡¯t kill me, but it sure did sting like a son of a bitch. The Volkov Bratva had been in full power at the time, and after killing the men who¡¯d turned on me, I¡¯d been alone and stumbled through my city, which is why I¡¯d ended up in the alleyway.

    Adide hadn¡¯t questioned me about the cut. She¡¯d tended to my wounds. Even when I yelled at her. Even when nurses recognized my brand and were terrified toe near me, Adide had treated me herself. What my precious wife didn¡¯t know at that time was that she did something to me. I¡¯m not exactly sure what it was, but I kept a close eye on her ever since.

    It wasn¡¯t like she¡¯d done anything special. I figured she didn¡¯t understand the ink decorating my knuckles, but then I realized, even if she did know what it all meant, she would have still cared for me. My wife has a kind heart. She is a kind soul, and inparison, I¡¯m a monster.

    She doesn¡¯t know when to leave well enough alone.

    ****

    The door to Adide¡¯s room opens, and I turn to see Ivan, carrying a cup of coffee. ¡°I figured you needed something to drink.¡±

    ¡°Ivan, you shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± I said. There was not enough protection for him, and I¡¯m not going to lie, I¡¯m not exactly in a state of mind right now to protect him. My focus is my wife.

    ¡°I¡¯m where I need to be.¡± Ivan held out the coffee and I took it, taking a sip, thinking, oddly, about cinnamon rolls.

    The coffee was rank, some of the worst I¡¯d ever tasted, but I wished Adide was awake. She¡¯d wrinkle her nose in that cute way she did and still drink it, because she was nice.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have married her,¡± I said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t start,¡± Ivan said.

    I turned toward the man who I once thought I would give my life to, the only person I¡¯d die for, but Adide had proven that wasn¡¯t the case. I would give anything to be in that bed rather than her.

    ¡°Bethany was the one cut out for this life.¡±

    ¡°And you think I was going to allow that little whore to be wife to one of my men?¡± Ivan asked. He tutted. ¡°You should know me better than that.¡±

    ¡°Adide is too good for this world.¡±

    ¡°Adide can handle this. She¡¯s not some delicate flower, Andrei. You¡¯re just too stubborn to see it.¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve to be in that bed. Fighting for her life. She should have a husband who is not going to get her killed.¡±

    Ivan looked away from Adide. His gaze focused on me. ¡°And you think you¡¯d have been able to handle that? You think I don¡¯t know the hours you spent, keeping an eye on her. Giving yourself little rewards just to make sure she was safe, happy?¡±

    No one should have known about that. No one. I¡¯d been so fucking careful. Always lurking in the shadows when it came to Adide¡¯s life, and I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that Ivan knew. The man knew everything.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Sipping at the coffee, I grimace. It really is bad.

    I take a seat beside Adide. The tubes are hideous and distracting.

    ¡°She is going to wake up,¡± Ivan said.

    I stay quiet.

    ¡°The man responsible is waiting for you to deal with him.¡±

    I nod. I have every intention of dealing with that fucker.

    ¡°I can stay here,¡± Ivan said.

    This made me turn my head to look at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to deal with him first?¡±

    ¡°This is for you, and I imagine with Adide like this, there¡¯s no one else you could trust with her safety.¡± Ivan released a yawn. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of her.¡±

    I highly doubted it, but I got to my feet.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also given permission for Nathan to be taken care of as well, and no, I don¡¯t mean killed. The nurses are fixing him up. Did you have to break the face of one of the best hitmen?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°He lied.¡±

    ¡°For good reason. You don¡¯t want everyone to find out you¡¯re a hit man. It would be bad for your reputation.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t in the mood for jokes. I stepped toward the bed and stared down at my wife¡¯s current unconscious body, and I begged for her to live. She couldn¡¯t die. Life was unfair and cruel, but it didn¡¯t have to be-not with her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I said.

    I don¡¯t know if she can hear me. I hope so. Touching her cheek, I feel a slight warmth, but there¡¯s no animation there. Just stillness, and it¡¯s breaking my fucking heart.

    I vowed to protect her, to keep her safe. What did I do? I all but killed her.

    Gritting my teeth, I stand up, turn to Ivan, nod in his direction, and then leave the room. With Ivan offering to take care of my wife, I don¡¯t have a choice. This means he wants me to handle business first, and I¡¯m a good soldier.

    Terrance and Leo are waiting for me.

    I¡¯m angry at Leo, but I also knew what happened. Adide drugged him with some sleeping pills she found in our penthouse. I don¡¯t recall ever having them, and I know for a fact Adide never had, but they were there. She¡¯d used them to spike Leo¡¯s drink so she could leave without being questioned.

    He looked down. I saw the shame on his face, and this was why I couldn¡¯t punish him. Neither of us expected my wife to do something like that. She¡¯d been desperate. All her life, she¡¯d been alone. There had been a guard from time to time, but she¡¯d been able to wander freely.

    I want to kill Leo. I do. He shouldn¡¯t have drunk the coffee, but then, I¡¯d have asked him to do anything to make my wife happy. Those were my instructions today. She¡¯d been miserable for some odd reason.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said.

    Leo looked up.

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    I held my hand up. ¡°I get what happened and I understand why, but don¡¯t try to test my patience. Take me to the shooter, now.¡±

    My voice is firm as I say that final word.

    Terrance had gotten him into a secure ce, organized my soldiers to keep guard, and thene to the hospital. Leo had done the same. The two men are my constant. I still don¡¯t trust them, but they were the best of the best. They had so far proven their loyalty to me and to Volkov.

    Leaving the hospital was fucking hard. One look up at the building, and I want to go back to see Adide. To kiss her lips, touch her face, beg her not to leave me.

    I can¡¯t stand the stillness.

    ¡°How is Adide?¡± Leo asked.

    That was too much.

    mming my fist into his stomach, he immediately bent forward. I grab a fistful of his hair and lift him up. ¡°Let¡¯s be clear right now, you are only alive right now because I know she will be upset if she thought for a second her actions got you killed. You should have known better, and my patience has already been tested today. Do not test it again. I¡¯m not in the mood.¡± This is an understatement.

    I let Leo go, and he has no choice but to pull himself together.

    Terrance and Leo get in the car, knowing not to question me as I climb behind the wheel.

    My hands are no longer covered in Adide¡¯s blood, but as I put them on the ignition, I remember the sight of it. I¡¯d stood in the bathroom while Ivan supervised as I scrubbed at my hands. The pristine white sink, soaking red as I cleaned the mess off my hands.

    ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯m so cold.¡± The fear on her face. She¡¯d gripped my shirt, as if she was begging me to warm her up.

    Pulling out of the hospital, I get on the road, navigating the traffic. Nothing distracts me. All I see is Adide jerking. The scene ys over and over in my head, on rey. The red dot. The indication that she¡¯s a marked target. The speed with which everything happened. Feeling her in my arms, shaking, in pain, so cold.

    When I arrive at the abandoned warehouse where the shooter is kept, my anger has reached a whole other level. I want one thing, and that is for my hands to be soaked in his blood. Without waiting for Leo or Terrance, I ignore the men waiting at the door, keeping guard.

    The moment I step inside, I see him. The weapon he used isying on a table, along with several other implements of torture. Rage consumes me. I don¡¯t think straight.

    The moment he looks at me, I see Adide, her smiling face shing through my mind, mixing with the stillness of her body. The doctor¡¯s voice telling me the baby we¡¯d made together didn¡¯t make it.

    I step toward him, and the smug look on his face is too much. I mmed my fist against his face, hit him five times, and I think I took him by surprise.

    At one point, he gasps as I step away. My knuckles have cracked, but I don¡¯t care. I force myself to step away.

    ¡°Who do you work for?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I ¡­ I¡­¡±

    He¡¯s taking too long, so I do no more than grab the nearest weapon, which happens to be a screwdriver, and m it into his leg. His screams fill the warehouse. I¡¯m not done. Pulling it out, I plunge it into the second leg.

    My patience is not the best, especially as I have Adide¡¯s voice going around my head like a constant record on repeat.

    ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯m so cold.¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯m so cold.¡±

    I can¡¯t stand it. Those cannot be thest words I hear from her.

    I pull the screwdriver out, even as he¡¯s cursing and screaming. This is not my first torture. I¡¯d perfected the art many years ago. I had taken training from a corrupt doctor, in order to find the best way to keep men and woman alive, while I brought them as much pain as humanly possible.

    My years on this earth had taught me many things, but the most important was to never be shocked by the utter cruelty of humankind. I should know. I¡¯m taking great pleasure in his screams as I plunge the screwdriver in his shoulder.

    ¡°Hurts, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯m so cold.¡±

    Pulling the screwdriver out of his chest, I drop it to the floor and reach for his gun. ¡°Who sent you?¡± I asked, seeing the safety off and the gun loaded for more rounds.

    I press for the red dot to appear, and it¡¯s there, right on his chest.

    Adide¡¯s chest flitters through my mind. Her smile. I see her naked beneath me, taking my cock, and then the fear in her eyes, along with the pain. So much fucking pain.

    Dropping the red dot to his crotch, I fire, and take out his dick. One shot, and he¡¯s screaming in pain. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s ever going to use it again. He won¡¯t be leaving this warehouse alive. All I want is a name.

    I¡¯m expecting Demon, or Oleg. That fucker might know we¡¯re onto him. The mafia has been quiet. Could it be them? Who would go after my wife?

    The hit man is good, I¡¯ll give him that, but he¡¯s not as good as me, and I¡¯m just getting started. Pliers are next, and Leo, being the suck-up he currently is, holds my hit man in ce while I manage to remove three teeth, pretty solid as well, but that must be the final straw for this man, because he gives me a name I wasn¡¯t expecting.

    ¡°Bethany. My contact is Bethany.¡± He pants. ¡°My target is Adide Belov. The wife of Andrei Belov. I was to kill her today.¡±

    I drop the pliers.

    Pulling out the knife I always have on my person, I slide it across his neck, watching as the life slowly leaves his eyes, and I step back.

    I¡¯d made a mess. If Adide hadn¡¯te when she had, I had every intention of doing that to Nathan, killing him.

    Bethany had sent a man to kill my wife, and it wasn¡¯t Nathan.

    Anger consumed me.

    I stepped back.

    The warehouse was silent.

    I¡¯m covered in blood.

    I reach for the cleanest part of the man¡¯s clothing and wipe my de before moving away.

    ¡°Sir?¡± Terrance asked.

    ¡°Get his body disposed of. I¡¯m going to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°You need to change,¡± Leo said.

    I look down at my shirt, covered in more blood, and I¡¯m ashamed of it mingling with my wife¡¯s. This piece of shit didn¡¯t even deserve to be in the same room as her, but now his blood was mixed with hers, and I hated it. I removed my shirt and threw it on top of him, to be disposed of. Leo, like so many times before, removed his shirt.

    My hands were covered with blood, and there was a small bucket on the floor, as there always is because my men know what is required. I wash the blood off my hands, and even as it turns the bucket red, it doesn¡¯t bother me. Notpared to Adide¡¯s blood on my hands. With clean hands, I take Leo¡¯s shirt and slide it on over my body. Without another word, I turn away and head back to the car.

    Leo follows me, shirtless. Neither of us talk as I climb behind the wheel. Words arepletely unnecessary.

    All I want to do is kill. Bethany is responsible for the hit taken out on my wife. I¡¯m a little disappointed in the hit man. He¡¯d cut my fun early. When it came to Bethany, though, I had no choice but to go to Ivan.

    Gripping the steering wheel tightly, I drive through the streets heading straight back to the hospital. Leo remains silent, which is exactly how he should fucking be. My thirst isn¡¯t quenched yet.

    Arriving at the hospital, I leave the parking to Leo, then I head inside and go straight to Adide¡¯s room.

    I¡¯m aware of the nurses and doctors, all stepping out of my way, clearly afraid to do something that would make them a target. I couldn¡¯t give a fuck what they¡¯re afraid of. To survive, they better stay away from my wife, and to keep this hospital running smoothly, my wife better not die.

    Ivan¡¯s sitting in the chair I had been in when I arrive back at the room. There was no change in Adide. I step toward the bed, hoping to see some sign of life. Anything. There¡¯s nothing.

    The machines are making their sterile noises and it pisses me off. All of this pisses me off. Adide is hooked up to a machine, and Bethany is¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s Bethany,¡± I said, cutting through the silence that was starting to make me angry.

    Ivan¡¯s brows go up. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s her. I¡¯m clear. After what I put him through, I believe it¡¯s her.¡±

    ¡°You were gone for an hour and a half.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t waste any time.¡±

    I touch Adide¡¯s hand. There¡¯s no response.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°There is nothing interesting about it.¡±

    ¡°Not to you, but I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on her. She doesn¡¯t have the means to hire a hit man, or even know how to contact one.¡± Ivan runs a finger over his lips.

    ¡°Do you think someone is ying her?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t care either way. I was going to kill her.

    ¡°We could pretend Adide is dead,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°No. You did the whole dead thing and rising up, and look what shit that gave us. Not happening.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t going to allow Adide to die. She would wake up soon, and I wasn¡¯t going to live with her being somewhere else. Not happening. I would fight Ivan on this.

    He chuckled. ¡°And you were pissed at me for making her marry you. Please, you should be thanking me.¡±

    ¡°She could have died,¡± I said, losing myself. ¡°Fuck, shit, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Ivan held his hand up. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I always find it refreshing being spoken back to. Kind of a turn-on.¡±

    I roll my eyes, knowing he¡¯s doing it to get yet another rise out of me. This is what Ivan did. He was a master at maniption.

    ¡°I expected him to name Demon or Oleg,¡± I said. ¡°It was Bethany.¡±

    ¡°She has the jealousy, Andrei, just not the means, and certainly not the funds to pay for someone.¡±

    ¡°I can find out.¡±

    I tense and look toward the door to see Nathan. One of his eyes is swollen shut, and his mouth looks too big for his face, but he¡¯s standing there as if I¡¯d not put him through the fucking ringer.

    Reaching for my gun, I keep my hand wrapped around it, ready to kill him. I want to kill him. This man had gotten way too many smiles andughs from my wife. He¡¯d gotten to see her happy and rxed.

    ¡°Ah, our true hit man,¡± Ivan said. ¡°You do intrigue me.¡±

    This isn¡¯t good. I want to kill Nathan. If Ivan likes him and sees a use for him, then his death wasn¡¯t going to happen.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Bethany has no means or power to gain ess to a hit man. Someone had to have helped her, and I can find out who that is for you,¡± he said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you,¡± I said.

    ¡°You have every reason not to trust me. I¡¯m friends with your wife and you¡¯re jealous of that. I care about Adide. She¡¯s a special person. Sweet, kind, it¡¯s why I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on her all these years. A sister like Bethany brings nothing but death to those around her.¡±

    I want to kill him.

    ¡°Word on the street is there¡¯s a potential hit out on you,¡± Nathan said, looking at Ivan.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t news to me. I¡¯ve always got a hit on my head. It¡¯s the fun part of being the boss.¡±

    ¡°From one of your own men,¡± Nathan said. ¡°The biggest problem right now is finding anyone stupid enough to take you on.¡±

    Ivan winked and I didn¡¯t have time for jokes.

    ¡°It¡¯s him,¡± I said.

    I¡¯m not sure how much Nathan had heard, but I wasn¡¯t going to say the fucker¡¯s name. I wanted tounch a full-scale attack on Oleg. To bring him in and strip him of his title. That piece of shit wasn¡¯t going tost, not when I got my hands on him.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to need to get the information out of Bethany,¡± Nathan said.

    ¡°Consider it done,¡± I said, happy to end the little slut¡¯s life.

    Nathan sighed. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to kill her. You have an MC issue, correct?¡±

    I don¡¯t like how much this son of a bitch knows.

    ¡°What are you suggesting?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°Diversion. If they believe you¡¯re onto them, they¡¯ll cover their tracks. You want to know without a shadow of a doubt what¡¯s going on, right? Well, use me. Send me into Oleg¡¯s territory. I can win his trust, bring him down from within.¡±

    ¡°You lied to my wife. I don¡¯t trust you.¡±

    ¡°I lied to protect her. Do you think she¡¯d have remained friends with me if I told her I killed people for a living? I did it for her.¡±

    Regardless of his reasoning. I still didn¡¯t trust him.

    ¡°Are you gay?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ivan looked from me to Nathan. ¡°Now I¡¯m curious. Your biggest concern is him finding your wife attractive?¡±

    ¡°She is attractive,¡± Nathan said. ¡°Just not my type.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± I turn to Ivan, and from the look on his face, I just knew he was considering this. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re not thinking about this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It makesplete sense. Oleg would expect an attack by now. We go to Bethany, she names them, and he will run. If we don¡¯t act, they can assume we killed the hit man without finding out who sent him. Nathan can gather the information we need, and eventually we can exact justice. It¡¯s long and futile. Do you think you can garner his trust? Get close?¡±

    ¡°I can, but even if I can¡¯t, I have the means to make sure I get the answers.¡±

    I don¡¯t believe this. It sounded so fucking logical.

    I¡¯m pissed off.

    I look to Adide, stare at her, and then I see it-her hand moved. It was subtle, just the tips of her fingers, but they fucking moved. Looking at Ivan and Nathan, I don¡¯t want Nathan here when Adide finally opens her eyes.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. You don¡¯t know if you can trust him.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been in your territory for months and hasn¡¯t killed you or Adide. If we couldn¡¯t trust him, then your wife would already be dead, and you wouldn¡¯t have been able to find him. His identity was secure long enough for him to get in and out. This is a good n, and I suggest you get onboard, Andrei. Your wife is waking up.¡±

    I had no choice. There was more to consider than just killing Bethany. We had to find out the truth about Oleg, but we also needed to find out how deep his betrayal went. I didn¡¯t like it, but I had no choice.

    Killing Bethany wouldn¡¯t help matters right now, but when the time came, I was going to make sure she longed for death, and I wasn¡¯t going to show her any fucking mercy.

 62

    Adide

    Waking up in the hospital was strange.

    Staring up at the white ceiling, hearing voices was also new to me. I struggled toprehend what they were saying, but the image was suddenly Andrei. I remembered marrying him and the months of marriage to him, but getting to the hospital was all a blur.

    The doctors came in to help with the feeding tube, which was an experience I never wanted to repeat. They told me what had happened, asked if I had any memory, and the truth was, I didn¡¯t.

    I¡¯d been shot once in the chest, but it had missed all major organs and blood vessels. I¡¯d been lucky. The second shot had been to my stomach. They didn¡¯t say anything about the stomach shot.

    The morphine, or whatever drugs they had me on, helped to numb the pain. I felt ¡­ okay. Like I¡¯d been run over by a truck, repeatedly, but I was alive. I was breathing.

    Every now and then, I¡¯d see shes of Andrei, his arms wrapped around me, yelling. None of it made sense.

    Rubbing at my temple, I realized that the doctors left the room, and I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what had happened or been said. Focusing on words seemed so hard right now.

    Ivan and Andrei remained in the room.

    ¡°Am I in trouble?¡± I asked. I licked my dry lips and Andrei reached for the water, holding the straw toward me.

    My stomach hadn¡¯t actually been hit, just my abdomen, but the doctor hadn¡¯t said anything more, other than I was on the mend.

    ¡°Why would you be in trouble?¡± Andrei asked.

    ¡°I got shot.¡±

    ¡°And you naturally assume you did something wrong?¡±

    I look from Andrei and Ivan. They¡¯re Bratva. They make people pay for their wrongdoings.

    ¡°I ¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell me exactly what you remember?¡± Andrei asked, putting the cup down again.

    I frowned. ¡°I remember ¡­st night? How long have I been in the hospital?¡±

    ¡°Two days,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°Oh, then I guess I remember the night before I got shot. I think. Everything else is fuzzy.¡± I felt the start of a headache.

    Andrei took my hand and sat beside me on the bed. ¡°Then don¡¯t overthink it. There¡¯s no need to.¡±

    ¡°I got shot. Twice.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re in the hospital.¡±

    Ivan put a hand on my other hand. ¡°And you¡¯re going to make a full recovery. You will be fine. I will leave you two alone for now. I¡¯ll be back to check on you tomorrow. See me out.¡±

    Andrei gave my hand a squeeze and I watched as my husband walked his boss out. I was trying to understand what was going on. They know something I don¡¯t.

    ncing around the room, I try to find clues. Anything that would tell me what happened the other day. Why did I get shot? Where was I? None of this made sense to me.

    ¡°Stop overthinking everything,¡± Andrei said, returning to the room.

    Ivan was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°You try being in a hospital bed with two wounds that you don¡¯t have any recollection of getting. Then you tell me not to be confused.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take care of you, Adide. You¡¯re not going to get¡­¡±

    ¡°Shot anymore?¡±

    He nods.

    Sitting back, I release a sigh. ¡°How are you?¡± I asked.

    His brows go up. ¡°You¡¯re the one in the hospital but you¡¯re asking me how I am.¡±

    I can¡¯t help but smile at that. The pain medication is making me feel lightheaded.

    ¡°Can I tell you a secret?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You can tell me anything.¡±

    I doubted that. ¡°I hate hospitals. I always have.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    I nod. ¡°People die here.¡±

    ¡°And people get saved here.¡±

    ¡°I know about the saving, and don¡¯t get me wrong, I have a whole lot of respect for doctors and nurses and all that. Trust me, I do, but I just ¡­ I don¡¯t know. I think they scare me.¡± I hate feeling alone.

    The visiting times always bothered me.

    ¡°Have you called my parents?¡± I asked.

    Andrei shook his head. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to?¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no point, right?¡±

    ¡°Adide, if you want them here, just say the word.¡±

    Did I want them? Would I want my mother here in this room, bored out of her mind, ming me for yet more wrinkles? She wouldn¡¯t be loving or caring. I was a burden to her. A child she ended up having but didn¡¯t want.

    I ruined her figure.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want them.¡±

    My dad hadn¡¯t called me in the past six months. The only person to have any contact with me was Bethany and that was to be spiteful.

    Tears filled my eyes, and I quickly averted my gaze, not wanting him to see.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±

    Toote. They fell down my cheeks and I hated them. I try to rub them away, but clearly my emotions from getting shot are all over the ce.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry.¡±

    Andrei takes my hand and presses a kiss to the knuckles. ¡°Stop. You can cry.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m crying.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter why you¡¯re crying. Sometimes you just need to cry.¡±

    This makes me snort, but the pain in my stomach is a little too great, so it sounds like more of a pain grunt.

    ¡°Have you ever cried?¡± I asked.

    ¡°When I was little, I cried a lot.¡±

    ¡°I highly doubt that.¡±

    ¡°My father would beat me to within an inch of my life, Adide. He would find any means to hurt me. Even my tears offended him. Trust me, a little boy with no true understanding of hiding his emotions will cry.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Andrei,¡± I said, once again feeling for the little boy he¡¯d been.

    He shrugged.

    ¡°Why did your father hate you?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t his real son.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°My mother had an affair with one of the soldiers and the Pakhan decided my father needed an heir, and his decision was for him to raise me as his. He didn¡¯t like it. So, he made sure to hurt me and attempted to kill me at every possible term.¡±

    This didn¡¯t stop my tears. It made me cry even harder.

    ¡°Do you want to be a father?¡± I asked.

    Andrei froze and looked toward me. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°I just ¡­ we never discussed a family. I know¡­¡± I lick my lips, and he reached for the cup, presenting it to me, and I thank him. I¡¯m so thirsty. I feel like I could drink for days. ¡°I heard you and Ivan talking. About us needing to start a family.¡±

    ¡°You heard that?¡±

    I¡¯m not at allfortable with this conversation but I know it¡¯s one that I do need to have with him.

    ¡°I figured that¡¯s why you¡¯ve not been using condoms. I was a virgin with you, Andrei, but I took sex ed. I know how making babies works. My parents took away my birth control when I was ¡­ you know ¡­ picked for you.¡± ncing down at the bed, I force myself to look up. ¡°Do you think I should get myself tested?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been six months and we¡¯re still not pregnant.¡±

    ¡°Give it time, Adide.¡±

    ¡°What happens after two years?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nothing happens. Ivan would like us to have a baby within two years. Don¡¯t worry yourself. We¡¯ll get pregnant on our own time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to recover from ¡­ this.¡± I point at my stomach as best I can. Too many movements hurt the wound near my chest.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    I still couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d been shot. I imagine thates down to the morphine.

    ¡°We never had a honeymoon,¡± Andrei said.

    This surprises me.

    ¡°Our marriage didn¡¯t need one,¡± I said.

    ¡°Our marriage is the same as every other one, Adide. As soon as you¡¯re healed, that is exactly what we¡¯re doing. We¡¯re going on our honeymoon.¡±

    I smiled. I couldn¡¯t help it and when I looked at Andrei, I saw him smile at me. What was going on? He rarely showed me any happiness, and it did make me a little nervous.

    ¡°You should smile a lot more,¡± I said. ¡°You look very handsome.¡±

    The morphine must be making me a little loopy.

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one I get to smile for.¡± He winked at me, and my heart nearly exploded.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re not like this with me. You do know I¡¯m not Bethany, right?¡± I feel tired.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say her name.¡±

    My eyes feel so heavy.

    ¡°Everyone loves her, you know. Everyone. They love her beauty and her smile. I¡¯m always considered the ugly one. Theme one. I¡¯m boring.¡±

    ¡°Adide?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you married me. You must have been so disappointed in me.¡±

    I opened my eyes and smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to sleep, okay?¡±

    ¡°Where would you like to go on our honeymoon?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to take me away. I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t need any special treats.¡± I closed my eyes and weed the darkness swirling up to get me. I¡¯m way too tired, and all I want to do is sleep.

    Sleep would make everything better.

 63

    Andrei

    Lottie made a lot of noise. She banged against the doors, cursing everyone out, and I have to say, I didn¡¯t know the woman at all, but it even sounded like she wasn¡¯t used to using those big words.

    Ive shook his head. ¡°You want me to take her?¡±

    Ivan nodded. ¡°Yes. It will keep things interesting.¡±

    Ive looked ready to throw up. No one would believe he¡¯d kept people prisoner before, torturing them.

    All of Ivan¡¯s brigadiers had a reputation. Ive was a deadly son of a bitch. I¡¯m not sure where Ivan found him. There were always so many rumors surrounding our lives. There was rarely ever truth about us.

    One of the rumors about my initiation was that Ivan found me on the street, bleeding, nearly at death, and I begged him to save me, to do anything to end my miserable existence. Then of course was the rumor that I went hunting for Ivan and turned on my father, to finally take over the family. All of it was bullshit. We all had our own stories to tell.

    Ivan saw my potential as a brigadier, and I saw his as a Pakhan. The rest is history. There were a few more details, but they were pointless.

    ¡°What is it with you and keeping things interesting?¡± Ive asked. ¡°You do know she¡¯s the bastard daughter?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°And you want me to what? Kill her?¡±

    ¡°Not kill her. Keep herpany until I give you other instructions.¡± Ivan smiled. ¡°Trust me, you¡¯re going to want her.¡±

    Ivan was up to something and I had a feeling I would be d I was already married.

    The steel cage contained Lottie. The small window that had bars across it helped us to hear her, but the cell she was in was way too big. It was narrow but tall.

    Ivan nodded at his men to open the door, and this time, Ive stepped forward. The food we had sent her the past couple of days had gone uneaten.

    With the door pulled open, Lottie tried to make her escape, charging out of the room, but we all saw thating, so Ive captured her in his arms. She struggled against him, but he easily had her arms pinned behind her, with a fistful of her hair, as he shoved her back into the room. He threw her onto the bed and she spun around, ring at us.

    ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, my dear, I have to say, we want you,¡± Ivan said.

    She looked at all of us, and I noticed how her breathing deepened. ¡°I don¡¯t know what this is about, and I swear whatever is going on here, I can¡¯t help you. If it has anything to do with my dad, then you¡¯re looking at the wrong person. He will never help me.¡±

    Fear sparked in her eyes, and it looked good on her. Her lip quivered. With every second that passed, she seemed to withdraw into herself, terrified.

    Scaring young women did nothing for me. I had always been the kind of guy who went after men bigger than me. That was where the real pleasure came in.

    Ivan took a step toward her and I watched as she visibly flinched, but I also noticed something else as well. She seemed to freeze. Her chest stopped moving. Her gaze was on Ivan, and her body looked rock solid, as if she was nothing more than a statue.

    ¡°Ivan?¡±

    ¡°Lottie?¡± He reached out and she merely closed her eyes, tensing up, as if expecting pain.

    I didn¡¯t like this.

    Ivan pulled back and stared at her.

    ¡°Do you have anyone?¡± Ivan asked. ¡°Anyone at your clubhouse we can call?¡±

    ¡°Please, just let me go.¡±

    ¡°Not happening, Princess.¡±

    I looked toward Ive who merely shook his head. He¡¯d not wanted to make the journey as he was still dealing with the Cartel issue. Ivan was well and truly alive, but there had been a ripple effect everywhere. We were still dealing with the repercussions. Just like I was handling the Evil Savages MC. It was a long process, but I was the one who held the power, and it wouldn¡¯t be long until they fell in line. They wouldn¡¯t have a choice.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a princess,¡± she said, opening her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m nothing more than a piece of trash.¡±

    ¡°A piece of trash who is taken care of,¡± Ivan said. ¡°Name of who I can call. It might save your life.¡±

    Seconds passed.

    ¡°Rage.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    I didn¡¯t see the syringe until he plunged it into her leg. She tried to fight him off, but it was no good. She was out before she had the chance to fight back.

    ¡°Fuck me,¡± Ive said. ¡°What the fuck was that?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re moving her to your territory,¡± Ivan said.

    He turned his gaze toward me.

    ¡°Do you know Rage?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the current VP,¡± I said. ¡°I haven¡¯t talked to him but my informant told me he¡¯s reasonable. He¡¯s the only one that didn¡¯t agree to strike out against you.¡±

    ¡°I like this,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°That girl has already been through a lot,¡± I said.

    ¡°I know, which means she will be more than adequate to deal with what I have nned.¡±

    There were times I thought Ivan was soft. Maybe a little too soft for being a Pakhan, but watching him now, I knew he was up to something, and he wasn¡¯t going to allow Lottie¡¯s reaction to hinder his ns.

    I look toward Ive. He didn¡¯t care either. If it hadn¡¯t been for Adide, I doubted I would have cared. She was back at the penthouse with Terrance on the door, and Leo, well, he was by my side. I¡¯d hired one of the women from the casino to take care of Adide. It was a fucked-up decision to do, but she had been a nurse at one point. She liked the money she got working for us. After her husband had left her with three kids to feed, she turned out to be more loyal than her husband. Anna was a sweet woman. The moment I approached her, she had been more than happy to help with Adide.

    ¡°Arrange a meeting with Rage,¡± Ivan said.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Transport her tonight to your territory. No hups. I don¡¯t want her dead, and you make sure she¡¯s taken care of,¡± Ivan said, looking toward Ive.

    ¡°Consider it done.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Ivan snapped his fingers, bringing an end to the conversation, and then he walked away.

    Ive looked back into the cell and I moved closer to him.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s going to be a handful.¡± He ran a hand over his face. ¡°How is married life treating you?¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    Ive looked at me with a raised brow. ¡°Just fine?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just fine.¡± It wasn¡¯t just fine but I¡¯m not the kind of guy who talks about his feelings with every person I meet. ¡°Good luck.¡±

    I have my suspicions about Ivan¡¯s ns. I think he¡¯s going to make Ive and Lottie marry. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to kill her, but then this is Ivan, he could change his mind at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Leaving the cell, I make my way outside where Leo is standing by the car. He hasn¡¯t fucked up at all. I know he feels ashamed for being manipted by my wife. Ignoring him, I climb into the back of the car and pull out my cell phone.

    Clicking on the security app, I check in on my wife and find her sitting on the sofa, arms folded, looking a little pissed off. She didn¡¯t like me hiring someone to take care of her. She also didn¡¯t like that Leo wasn¡¯t ying guard to her either. The moment the doctors had said she could go home, I¡¯d made the necessary arrangements, but she didn¡¯t understand why I wouldn¡¯t allow Leo to take care of her.

    I type a message to her.

    Me: Cheer up.

    I wait to hear back from her and I don¡¯t have to wait long.

    Adide: I¡¯m bored. There¡¯s a big surprise.

    I can¡¯t help but smile.

    Me: I¡¯m on my way home. What do you want for dinner?

    Adide: Nothing.

    Me: Attempting to starve yourself?

    Adide: I just don¡¯t feel very hungry.

    Taking a deep breath, I don¡¯t know what to say to that, so I pull up the image on the app and watch her.

    Anna moved toward Adide, taking a seat on the coffee table. I didn¡¯t turn up the volume, but I see my wife¡¯s stiffness. Anna¡¯s smiling, her usual sweet self. That¡¯s why men kept returning to the tables. Not just to gamble away their money, but to be near her. I had to wonder if Anna would have made better money in one of my many brothels, but she had a knack for distracting customers and was damn good at math. I know she could have easily been married off multiple times, but she refused each offer, not wanting to be tied down to a man. Her husband had sure done a number on her.

    I closed the app, sat back, and watched the city go by.

    Bethany was still out there, not suffering. She hadn¡¯t reached out yet, but this is all part of the n. Nathan is already in Oleg¡¯s territory, working the fighting circuit, gaining a reputation. He sent me regr updates of his progress. I still didn¡¯t like him but Ivan was convinced we could use him. No good woulde from him, I could guarantee it.

    I tell Leo to head straight for the penthouse suite. I¡¯m looking at houses to move Adide into. When she is fully recovered, I have every intention of getting her pregnant again. I¡¯d not considered myself father material before, but thinking of having a child with her filled me with something close to yearning.

    Rubbing at my eyes, I try to clear my mind, but the truth is, I need to kill. Taking out the shooter hadn¡¯t quenched my thirst, and every day I¡¯m with Adide makes me want to murder her sister even more. Whenever she asks about her parents, I get this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that won¡¯t go away, and it pisses me off more than anything.

    All I want to do is protect her. With our enemies constantly looking for a weakness, the risk to her life is ever increasing.

    Leo arrived at the parking lot, and I climb out of the car and head toward the private elevator. We still don¡¯t speak as we ride up to my floor. Terrance is there, holding himself firm. I nod in his direction, relieving him. Leo would take over now.

    I hear Anna¡¯sughter as I enter the apartment. This is why she¡¯s so popr within the casino. She is pure seduction. She has this way about her that puts everyone at ease.

    Entering the main sitting room, I can see Adide is not at ease. This is a surprise to me. My wife is so nice, she is so calm and collected, and yet here she was, showing no signs of easing up on Anna, who was just trying to be a friend to her.

    ¡°Mr. Belov,¡± Anna said. ¡°Are you here to stay?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I will get going then. Same time tomorrow, Adide.¡±

    In response, she simply smiles, but it¡¯s not an actual smile. Just a small widening of her lips.

    I leave Adide and head toward the door to let Anna out. She¡¯s pulling on a jacket.

    ¡°How is she?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Sad, mostly. She¡¯s having a hard time, I think.¡±

    ¡°She will warm up to you.¡±

    Anna put her hand on my arm. ¡°She might not. Some wives don¡¯t like it when men bring in other women to care for them. There¡¯s apetition and jealousy, even when there¡¯s no need to be.¡±

    I stare at Anna and wonder if that¡¯s how she sees herself, aspetition. Her mask is in ce, and I have to wonder if she still enjoys her job.

    ¡°Anna, do you have a problem?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡± She gives me a smile and I watch her leave.

    Heading back into the main sitting room, Adide is sitting with her back to the main windows, and this is another reason I¡¯m searching for a house. She hates heights.

    ¡°You¡¯re being very rude to Anna,¡± I said. I came into the room and sat down beside her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a babysitter.¡±

    ¡°I need someone to take care of you so I know you¡¯re not overdoing it.¡±

    ¡°So, you pick someone from your casino, or is it really a brothel? Yeah, I know who she is.¡± She shook her head and shoved the nket off herp. ¡°I can take care of myself.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re more than capable of taking care of yourself. I like having someone here when I¡¯m not, and I can assure you, Anna doesn¡¯t work in any of our brothels. She does work in the casino, and saves us quite a bit of money, I might add.¡±

    ¡°Then what about Leo?¡±

    ¡°No, not happening.¡±

    ¡°Why? What did he do?¡±

    Her memory of the day still hadn¡¯t returned, and for that, I was d.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    ¡°Anna will continue to take care of you.¡±

    ¡°Are you fucking her?¡±

    This made me pause. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re determined to have her take care of me. You¡¯re both clearly close and I see the way she smiles at you. With her working in one of your casinos, I guess she¡¯s close to you all the time. Knows what you like ¡­ intimately, huh?¡±

    Her face was red and I saw the tears glinting in her eyes. I don¡¯t know what caused this, but I had no attraction to Anna.

    ¡°I¡¯m not having sex with Anna.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you are or aren¡¯t. It¡¯s none of my business.¡± She stood up and I noticed the small action made her wince.

    The doctor had said her recovery would be based on her ability to rest and, well, Adide was proving to be a very difficult patient.

    ¡°You¡¯re jealous,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous at all.¡±

    She tried to brush past me, but I capture her arms and stop her. I have no idea why I¡¯m so happy, but I have a feeling it¡¯s because Adide is feeling jealous, and that makes me very fucking d.

    ¡°I need to use the bathroom.¡±

    There¡¯s more to be said, but for now, I simply drop a kiss onto her nose. There would be timeter.

 64

    Adide

    Anna is a very beautiful woman. She is very sweet, kind, chatty. She¡¯s the kind of woman I would have loved to have a conversation with, a rapport, but I can¡¯t help but wonder if she¡¯s sleeping with my husband.

    Andrei is distant, not that it¡¯s any surprise. He won¡¯t touch me because of my wounds, which are healing nicely, or so the doctor says. I¡¯m trying to y the perfect patient, because the truth is I hate being in hospitals. I hate not being able to do anything. It¡¯s awful.

    I like moving around. I love being active. Sitting on the sofa for most of the day with a nket, only leaving for bathroom breaks, is so freaking boring. I hate it.

    What I also don¡¯t like is how vague Andrei is being. I can¡¯t remember that day. I¡¯ll sit for hours thinking about it, trying to understand where I was, why I got shot. Andrei won¡¯t allow me to see Leo, and if hees to the penthouse, Andrei makes sure he¡¯s not close. The constant questions I had were driving me crazy.

    ¡°Here we go, a coffee and a cinnamon bun. Please be gentle, I baked thesest night. My son, Luke, absolutely adores them. I had to sneak these two past him.¡±

    This is news to me. ¡°You have a son?¡±

    ¡°Yep, two sons and a daughter. Luke is my youngest. I also have Ricky and Patricia.¡±

    Anna has her phone in front of me and starts to show me pictures of her kids. I see one picture of them as young children, and then the other as they were older.

    ¡°Beautiful,¡± I said.

    ¡°Tell me about it. Little terrors the lot of them, but they bring me so much joy.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Do they know you work for Andrei?¡±

    Anna had told me she worked in one of the casinos when she arrived on the first day. I did think she was a whore in one of his brothels, and they hade up with an borate lie to im she wasn¡¯t. I had to wonder if she was doing this to get into Andrei¡¯s pants. Everyone wanted him. I understood it. The man was a catch, and I had felt jealous. I don¡¯t know if it was getting shot, the crap with Bethany seemed to have died down, or what. My emotions were all over the ce. I felt like crying one moment,ughing the next.

    I was so tired as well. The doctor had said it would pass with time. All I had to do was heal.

    When it came to Andrei, my feelings were all over the ce. I felt so many different things, and not all of them were good. I hated the control he seemed to have over my life. It was so unfair, and the moment I thought like that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel childish at the same time.

    ¡°Yes, of course. They all know I had to do whatever it took to take care of them.¡± Anna clicked on her phone and then showed me a picture. ¡°That there, is my husband. Fucking asshole he is.¡± She closed her cell phone and threw it onto the coffee table, making me flinch at the sudden loud noise. ¡°He was addicted to gambling. Did I know this? Hell, no. I was at home raising our babies, thinking he was doing everything to bring home the bacon, and what do I find? He¡¯s gambling away our money, our everything, until he skips town, leaving me with all his debts. It¡¯s why I went to Andrei Belov. I needed money and fast, and other than selling my body, I showed him that I would be a damn fine investment in his casino.¡± She shrugged. ¡°The debts are nearly paid off. Mr. Belov dealt with the loan sharks who wanted to pimp me out on the street, and I was able to provide for my family. That is the most important. Family.¡±

    ¡°You sound like a wonderful mom,¡± I said. She did. My mother wouldn¡¯t do anything to help me. She was more than happy to use me to get what she wanted.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± I groaned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You must think I¡¯m a real bitch.¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m used to people acting like this. Even before I worked for Andrei, when I worked at the hospital, I had nurses who thought I was getting special treatment. I seem to create a lot of anger by just being myself. It can get very ugly at times.¡±

    ¡°Have you had encounters with other wives?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t fuck married men. There are plenty of single men who enjoy mypany, or at least like to be distracted by me when they¡¯re losing money.¡±

    ¡°What happened to your husband?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m still married to the little weasel, but not for much longer. I¡¯m working to get a divorce. I will never tie myself down to a man again. Never.¡± Anna smiled. ¡°Not that there¡¯s a problem being married.¡±

    This made meugh. The big ring on my finger, and the fact I was Adide Belov, dered my married state. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to take offense.¡±

    ¡°In all honestly, Mrs. Belov, you have an amazing husband. He is nice.¡±

    This surprised me. ¡°No one calls him nice.¡±

    ¡°I know. I mean, he is nice so long as you don¡¯t end up on his bad side.¡± Annaughed. ¡°I guess I have a soft spot for the man. He was nice to me and he didn¡¯t turn me away. He helped me get back on my feet.¡±

    There were not many people in the world who¡¯d call Andrei nice.

    ¡°He is a man full of surprises.¡±

    ¡°He loves you,¡± Anna said.

    Now I had heard enough.

    Pushing off the nket, I shake my head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. You don¡¯t need to lie.¡±

    I was getting tired again, but I had to do something.

    Anna put her hand on my arm. ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt yourself.¡±

    ¡°I need to use the bathroom,¡± I said.

    ¡°Okay, but I¡¯ll be here waiting.¡±

    I had no doubt about it.

    Andrei didn¡¯t love me. No one loved me.

    I kept a wide berth away from the windows, going to our bedroom, and then into the bathroom. Even though I didn¡¯t expect her to follow me, I still made the effort to lock the door and leaned my back against it.

    Reaching my hands up, I rub at my temples and feel a sickness swirling in my gut. I hadn¡¯t tried the cinnamon bun, and I hated to be rude, but the thought of food didn¡¯t appeal right now. I stepped away from the door and went to the sink. Gripping the edge, I look at my reflection. I was paler than normal.

    I¡¯d thrown on a pair of sweatpants and shirt. Lifting the shirt, I see the bandage covering my left shoulder, just over my heart. The doctor had told me that it had missed by a few inches. So close to death. The doctor came every other day to clean the wound and to check on it. With the shirt pulled up, I look down and see the one covering my stomach. This was healing quite quickly.

    I was healing fast, but my mind was where I was having the real problem. My memories felt like they were destroying me. Well, they weren¡¯t real memories, just passing silhouettes that gave a hint of what might have happened.

    For some reason I see Nathan. I had gotten a text from him on that day saying he was going away for some business and wouldn¡¯t be back, but he¡¯d keep in contact. He never called. All I got were random texts asking how I was. It was strange.

    Nathan didn¡¯t know I had been shot, but the way he asked, I felt like he did know. Was he there? What was I missing? Then Leo. Why wasn¡¯t Leo able to take care of me anymore?

    What about Andrei? He was far more attentive, but I had to wonder if that was down to guilt. Did he shoot me? Did Leo put my life in danger?

    What was I missing?

    The doctor also was vague as well. People were keeping secrets from me and I found that harder than ever before.

    I drop my shirt, ssh some water on my face, and head back toward the main living room, but I stop when I hear Anna on the phone.

    ¡°You know you¡¯re not supposed to call me like this,¡± she said. There¡¯s a chuckle. ¡°You pay for that privilege.¡± Another pause. ¡°Am I looking forward to your big cock?¡± Anna looked toward me, but I¡¯m hidden, so she doesn¡¯t notice me. ¡°Well, Eric, I can tell you that I am.¡± She let out a moan. ¡°Yeah, I am, I want you so badly right now. Would you make me suck it?¡±

    I¡¯d heard enough. Stepping out from behind the wall, Anna spotted me, her face bright red as I walk into the kitchen.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go.¡±

    Grabbing a ss from the cab, I fill it with water. I hear hering into the kitchen.

    ¡°You heard that.¡±

    ¡°Kind of hard not to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Belov.¡±

    I spun around to face Anna. ¡°Have you ever fucked Andrei?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What? No. Of course not.¡±

    ¡°Do you know if he ¡­ has any other woman or women visit him while you¡¯re at the casino? Someone from one of his brothels?¡±

    ¡°No. No. He doesn¡¯t. When hees to the casino, it¡¯s to work. Nothing else.¡±

    I press my lips together. ¡°Then we don¡¯t have a problem.¡± I nod at her.

    Anna smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t usually ept calls but one night Luke had an ident and I was working, and well, Eric was ¡­ there. It just sort of happened that he got my private number.¡±

    ¡°But you enjoy talking with him?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. I do, a lot. I¡¯m not looking for a rtionship. It¡¯s just ¡­ sometimes, it¡¯s hard to keep the line straight, you know. Eric¡¯s a good man, but he¡¯s a workaholic. Rich, and he doesn¡¯t like having to work to screw a woman. I¡¯m probably one of a dozen women. Not that we¡¯ve had sex or anything.¡± She frowned. ¡°I know what you heard, but ¡­ we¡¯ve ¡­ I¡¯ve not ¡­ it¡¯s all been in banter, you know. It¡¯s kind of fun.¡±

    The happiness dims from her eyes, and I hate myself. Going to Anna, I put my arms around her and pull her close, holding her tightly. I don¡¯t know if this Eric is a good guy or not. He is trying to get her to have sex, so for all I know, he isn¡¯t a straiced guy. He might be trying to string her along. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t have all the answers, but what I refuse to do now is to add to her heartache.

    Anna, like me, is trying to navigate this world we¡¯d both been plunged into. Me with marriage to a Bratva brigadier, and her because of her husband¡¯s gambling. We were involved now, and even if we were both totally different, she was the first person who seemed to offer me friendship.

    Bethany wasn¡¯t here to destroy it.

    Rather than push her away, I hold her a little tighter. She might not be my friend for any other reason than Andrei paying her, but for now, I can fool myself into thinking it was something more.

 65

    Andrei

    I stare across the room, hearing the sounds of pleasured moans. Leo is on my right, Terrance, my left. All my men are stationed around the room, and the women were providing enough distractions to the customers.

    Ivan was no longer in my territory, but I still had a job to do, and as I nce down at my watch, I see he iste. I don¡¯t like when people arete.

    Sipping at my whiskey, I hold my cell phone within my grasp. The temptation to look at Adide is strong. The doctor told me she had made a full recovery. With her listening to his advice and resting, the wounds had healed nicely.

    The doctor had told me there were somesting effects from the pregnancy, but they would go away in time, once her body realized she was no longer pregnant. I¡¯d not allowed him to tell her she¡¯d been pregnant. There was a lot she didn¡¯t know, and for now I wanted to keep her in the dark.

    I was aware of the texts Nathan had sent her, which I didn¡¯t like, but there was nothing I could do to stop them. They had been friends some time now. She had no idea he was a hired hit man.

    I was starting to feel that Adide was a fucking ma to problems. It was turning into a task just to keep her alive.

    The man I¡¯d been waiting for, entered. He wasn¡¯t wearing his leather cut, as he told me he wouldn¡¯t. Evil Savages MC wouldn¡¯t be seen here. Not in a Bratva brothel.

    Rage, the VP, was the man I needed to see, toe to some arrangement. Ive had already taken Lottie into his territory, and I had a feeling Ivan was preparing his ns for her. The man looked positively vicious. I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s not the prez of the Evil Savages MC. My men had done their workup on him, and he wasn¡¯t one to be messed with. Rage wasn¡¯t his name out of coincidence. It was said he was a man with a very short temper, and the moment you set him off, even the Devil himself quivered in fear.

    He wasrge. Scary-looking motherfucker.

    But then, so was I.

    Rage sat down at the table, and I already knew he¡¯d assessed the room and figured exactly how to escape if this went south.

    Neither of us spoke. Each of us were watching each other, trying to decipher what the other was up to. I knew what I wanted, but as for Rage, I needed to know his agenda, and fast. Was he going to be a team yer, or would he be another problem?

    I snap my fingers at Leo and my guard leaves and heads toward the bar.

    ¡°Drink?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t have all day to sit around and chat.

    ¡°Whiskey,¡± Rage said.

    His voice was gruff.

    Leo came back with two drinks, cing them both on the table. Rage didn¡¯t reach for his and neither did I. The whiskey here wasn¡¯t as good as the stuff I had back at home. I didn¡¯t want to think of home as that took my thoughts to Adide.

    ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the fucking chase rather than measuring our dicks,¡± Rage said. ¡°You want something from me. What?¡±

    ¡°I want Demon¡¯s head.¡±

    ¡°Not going to happen. Try again.¡±

    ¡°Do you think what he¡¯s doing with the club will allow you all to live?¡± I asked.

    Rageughed. ¡°I¡¯m in your territory right now and I¡¯m still breathing.¡±

    ¡°For now, you¡¯re alive because I will it, but at any moment with the snap of my fingers, your life would be mine.¡± I hold my fingers up and snap them.

    ¡°You think I¡¯m afraid of you, pretty boy?¡± Rage asked.

    ¡°I think you should be.¡± I point at my body. ¡°All of this, it¡¯s fucking fake, and that¡¯s why you¡¯re showing me respect right now. It¡¯s why you¡¯re not wearing your colors, and why you agreed to meet with me. Some of my men believe you would rather work with me than against me.¡±

    ¡°I should have known there were rats in the club.¡±

    ¡°Do rats make sure your club survives?¡± I asked. ¡°Because from where I¡¯m sitting, Evil Savages MC¡¯s days are numbered.¡±

    Rage sits back, stares at me for a few moments, and then reaches for his drink. ¡°I¡¯d heard about you, you know. Before you got all big and powerful.¡±

    There¡¯s no need to ask about what. I¡¯m quite aware of my reputation. I¡¯d lived it so I know exactly what is said about me.

    ¡°You ran from your father.¡±

    This did make me smile.

    ¡°They say you weren¡¯t his kid, that he beat you within an inch of your life. That you can take a great deal of beatings. People think you can¡¯t be killed,¡± Rage said.

    ¡°Do you believe the stories they make up to scare little kids?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I know what I see, and you¡¯re a man who is one scary motherfucker. I have to wonder why you decided to talk to me rather than Demon. He¡¯s my prez. I follow him.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t agree with him. When the rumor of Ivan Volkov¡¯s death got to your club, you didn¡¯t agree with attacking my territory. Trust me, Rage, I can wipe your club out without a care in the world, but that¡¯s bad business. I have no interest in a war between us. I¡¯m aware of how big your club is, how far it¡¯s spread.¡± I could kill them all, and it would certainly provide me some good sport for a while, but I wasn¡¯t interested in that.

    Killing the club off wouldn¡¯t work. Not for me. I had a feeling I would need them down the road. Cutting off good men and potential alliances wasn¡¯t good. Ivan knew that, and so did I. Even when my father beat me, I watched him work. He was a shrewd businessman and refused to take revenge if it would affect the Bratva.

    The same goes here. Demon was one poisonous cog, but Rage would make a better prez. I just needed to remove the rusty cog.

    ¡°So, you know you wouldn¡¯t win,¡± Rage said.

    This made me smile. ¡°They did say you were a dreamer. I would win. As you say, I can¡¯t be killed.¡±

    ¡°Those are the scary stories people tell their kids to be afraid of you. I¡¯m not afraid of you, Andrei. You¡¯re a man just like me, and I have no interest in hearing your bullshit.¡±

    He stands up, just as I knew he would, and I wait as he takes two steps. Picking up my whiskey, I mutter over the ss, ¡°We have Lottie.¡±

    I make sure to use the nickname he¡¯s always used for her. The tension in his back rises. He¡¯s pissed off. Good. So am I.

    Rage turned and stormed back to me. His hand swiped the ss off the table. Cheap whiskey spilled to the floor.

    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t Demon told you we¡¯ve taken her? That¡¯s a surprise because he does know she¡¯s missing.¡±

    Rage¡¯s jaw clenched.

    ¡°I guess he sees her as coteral damage.¡± I tut. ¡°I thought you liked her.¡± Not romantically. Rage cared about Lottie as if she was his own daughter.

    ¡°She is no part of the club. You have no right to take her.¡±

    I drain the cheap-ass whiskey, swigging it back, hating the bitter taste as it slides down my throat. I¡¯m not the kind of man who likes cheap things.

    Standing up, I put my hands t to the table, and re right in his face. Both of us are hanging on by a thread, wanting to reach for our guns to take the other out, but we¡¯re also prepared to see what happens next.

    ¡°We have taken her, and if you want to see her alive, then I suggest youe to a decision and fast. Demon doesn¡¯t give a flying fuck about her. We¡¯ve already reached out. Showed him what we know.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Demon wouldn¡¯t allow that.¡±

    Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the single photo we¡¯d taken of Lottie, tied up, crying. We¡¯d forced her to scream for this picture. Her face is scrunched up, and she looks very afraid. I almost feel sick about what we¡¯d done, but it doesn¡¯tst. This is part of the job. Lottie is another cog, one that will have a very good life, if this goes our way.

    Throwing the picture on the table, I stand up. ¡°When you realize what¡¯s at stake, give me a call.¡±

    This time I leave, but I don¡¯t look back. Going straight to my car, I climb into the back and wait as Leo and Terrance climb into the main seats. My cell phone goes off and I see Ivan is calling me.

    ¡°How did it go?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s got the picture. He¡¯s loyal at the moment to Demon but he didn¡¯t like that we have Lottie. He¡¯ll call.¡±

    ¡°Good. So, now onto our next topic of business.¡±

    ¡°Nathan is getting close to Oleg. The fighting rings are proving to be his only way of building a reputation.¡± Which is already a vition of what Ivan wanted. The fighting rings had to go. Ivan hadn¡¯t allowed them as they served as punishment, not as a way of earning money, at least not in Oleg¡¯s territory.

    Ivan had put in different rules for all his brigadiers. Some of us could have fighting rings, others could not. It was to stop certainpetition between his men. Ivan had once said that he watched how other Bratvas fell. Men were pitted against each other, rather than rising as one.

    ¡°That is not what I was talking about. You and Adide need a honeymoon,¡± Ivan said.

    This made me pause.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time to take a honeymoon.¡±

    ¡°Every woman deserves to have one.¡±

    ¡°Now is not a good time.¡±

    Ivanughed. It sounded forced to me. ¡°There is never any time, anywhere, to take a vacation, let alone a honeymoon. Don¡¯t you realize our lives are all limited, Andrei? You need to learn to live a little.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I cannot leave. Not with Oleg or Ive, and especially not with Rage.¡±

    ¡°You can and you will. Rage made a quick decision and we¡¯re going to make him pay for it. We will not be jumping through any Evil Savages MC hoops. Lottie is with Ive. At the moment she¡¯s safe, but if they attack, her life will be over.¡±

    This is news.

    ¡°They will attack my city,¡± I said.

    ¡°I will be taking over your city while you¡¯re gone. I¡¯ve already made the arrangements, and have all the necessary foods and details on my private ind. You and Adide will have each other. The staff know not to be seen or heard, unless you want them. Trust me, you and Adide need this.¡±

    Running a hand down my face, I want to argue with him, but this wasn¡¯t a suggestion. Ivan was giving me an order. This was the first time he¡¯d done it to me in a long time.

    ¡°There will be plenty of time, Ivan,¡± I said.

    ¡°And I¡¯ve said you are to take a honeymoon. Your ne leaves tonight. I hear the forecast is for hot weather, so go and enjoy the sunshine for a little bit. Show me that it¡¯s possible to be happy.¡±

    This makes me even more tense. The life within the Bratva was not fun, but Ivan always seemed to find the positives. He was a ruthless son of a bitch, but I did hear a rumor that there might be someone in his life. Again, it was a rumor. There were always whispers and gossip that followed him. I doubted any of it was true.

    If Ivan wanted me to go on a honeymoon, then I didn¡¯t see a reason to put it off. Ivan controlling my territory was a scary fucking thought. I had nothing to hide. My loyalty was to him and him alone, and I would never betray him.

    He¡¯d given me the chance to exact my revenge, and I had taken it, dly. Seeing my father fighting for hisst breath was in fact a memory I treasured.

    Hanging up the call, I smiled. It was a sick treasure to have, because right beside it was taking my wife¡¯s virginity, and knowing no other man was ever going to touch her.

    I was a sick fucking bastard.

 66

    Andrei

    The first week of our honeymoon didn¡¯t exactly go as nned. There was business at home to take care of, and I had no choice but to be avable for it, at a moment¡¯s notice. Ivan was handling everything, and I think his presence was scaring the fuck out of everyone. He did have a way about him that terrified most people.

    Rage had been reaching out, and as per Ivan¡¯s instructions, I hadn¡¯t responded, ignoring the calls, and then focusing on my wife.

    Adide had cried that first day, for our baby. Seeing those tears had broken my fucking heart. The desire to kill Bethany was strong, but seeing the pain on my wife¡¯s face helped me focus. What I needed was to wait for Nathan to get close to Oleg. My suspicions were that Bethany had reached out to him, or possibly Demon, and in doing so, she had put Adide in danger.

    I stare down at my sleeping wife. Today had been a good day. We¡¯d spent it together, ying some chess, which she was bad at. She had no strategy for winning. She loved moving the pieces around the board, and making up names for them. I loved this woman. She had no idea how fucking much, but I had a feeling Ivan did. It¡¯s why he meddled, why he changed Bethany to Adide.

    I hadn¡¯t slept with Bethany, not once. She had tried so many times. She knew a baby would have cemented her ce as my wife, but I¡¯d not been able to do it. I fucking hated the slut.

    When Ivan first told me of the arrangements, I¡¯d been fucking terrified of seeing Adide again. The first time I saw her after she¡¯d helped me, I thought she would remember, but she hadn¡¯t noticed me. Not that I me her. That day on the streets, I¡¯d been dirty, looked homeless, and I¡¯d been cut up. She had helped me, no questions asked, and it was the first time in my entire life anyone had ever given a shit about me.

    It was so fuckingme, I know. I¡¯m a forty-year-old man, but this young woman cared. She loved, she ¡­ called to me. Reaching out, I stroke her hair back from her face. She is the only woman I have ever craved and not taken. I¡¯ve watched her from afar, keeping an eye on her, while having a parade of women by my side.

    Ivan had known all along, I know he had, and he¡¯d made sure I finally got the woman of my dreams. He would act like it didn¡¯t matter, like it was all one giant coincidence, but I knew differently. Ivan wasn¡¯t stupid. He had his spies everywhere. At all times he needed to make sure his men were loyal to him, which is how his suspicions about Oleg came about.

    Adide releases a sigh and turns toward me. The negligee she wore was way too loose for her. Since being hurt, she had lost a little weight, and I didn¡¯t like it. I loved Adide¡¯s curves. I had never been a man who liked skinny women. They were way too breakable, and it also reminded me of a time in my life I would rather forget. I¡¯d been starved myself. Denying myself the simple pleasures of life was never going to happen.

    The top of her negligee had fallen open, showing off her full, ripe tits. Seeing them, so beautiful and on disy, made my dick ache. It had been too long since I had felt the pleasure of her pussy wrapped around me. Sliding my finger from her face, I stroke down the curve of her neck, down her chest, and stroke across the mound.

    Another moan escapes her lips, and I smile. Gliding across the bud, I stroke the soft flesh and it immediately hardens beneath my touch. Adide¡¯s body knows who¡¯s the boss, but she doesn¡¯t know it yet. This body is mine.

    I stare at her face and wait, touching her, wanting her to wake up and not be afraid. Her breathing has changed so I know she¡¯s awake, and as her eyes open, they stare right at me. There¡¯s no fear there.

    She licks her lips and I slowly lower, taking the bud into my mouth, sucking it. Adide gasped and arched up. Moving my hand across her chest, I hold her in ce, flicking my tongue even as my teeth hold her in ce. Another moan, this time guttural and deep. Letting go of her nipple, I glide my tongue across, taking her other tit into my mouth, tasting her. Stroking my hand down her body, I grab the edge of the nket and pull it off, exposing her to my gaze. She¡¯s not wearing any panties and the negligee has rolled up her thighs.

    Moving between her legs, I take the edge of the fabric and lift it up. Adide helps me by sitting up, holding her hands above her head, and then I toss the negligee to one side, letting it fall on the floor.

    Her hands fall behind her, holding herself up, and I capture her face then take possession of her lips. I try to tell her with my body rather than words what I feel for her. But I don¡¯t know if she understands. Adide is such a stubborn woman, and she¡¯s been hurt so much by those closest to her.

    Breaking from the kiss, I trail my lips down to her neck, sucking on the tender flesh, hearing her slight intake of breath. So sexy. Nipping at her pulse, I move down, going to her breasts, drawing them together, and licking at each nipple in turn. She had such juicy tits. Pressing my face against them, I kiss each mound before working down, kissing her stomach, even the scar she now has.

    I grab her legs, spreading them open as I move between them, staring at her pretty pussy. I ease open the lips of her sex and stare at her clit. The opening of her pussy is so tempting, but I don¡¯t touch her there. My primary focus is her clit.

    Using my tongue, I start to tease her, working between her legs, stroking, watching her reaction as I work her pussy. My name spills from her lips, and I can¡¯t resist her anymore. Going down her slit, I stroke her entrance.

    All mine. No other man had tasted her. Touched her. Adide was mine, all fucking mine. Plunging inside her pussy with my tongue, I work my fingers across her clit, feeling her pulse around my tongue. I want her to be dripping wet, but I also want to feel here on my dick, that tight cunt squeezing me for every single drop of my cum.

    I¡¯m like a man possessed. I can¡¯t help what I want. I just know I want it, and I want her.

    Bringing Adide to the edge of orgasm, I hold her on the brink, but not allowing her to spill over, I lift up, getting into position between her spread thighs, and then working my dick between her wet slit, I nudge her clit with the tip before going to her entrance. Staring into her eyes, I don¡¯t look away, as inch by inch I sink my cock inside her slick cunt.

    ¡°You feel so fucking good,¡± I said. ¡°Do you like that? Do you like my dick inside you?¡±

    In answer, she nods her head, and I can¡¯t help but smile. This woman is so fucking perfect. I don¡¯t know what I did to deserve her, but I¡¯m not letting her go. She is mine. All mine.

    With my dick to the hilt, I take her hands within mine, locking our fingers together, and hold myself in deep, relishing the feel of her tight warmth surrounding me. So good.

    There is nowhere else I want to be than with this woman.

    ¡°Andrei?¡± She wriggled against me, and I know exactly what she wanted.

    Letting go of her hands, I sit up, but with my dick still inside her. Caressing from her neck, down her body, going between her legs, I start to stroke her clit. Tiny movements at first, and I grit my teeth because the pleasure is so fucking intense. She¡¯s so tight.

    With each touch to her clit, I feel her excitement start to build and I have no way of knowing if I willst through her orgasm.

    Adide lets go, and her cunt is so incredibly tight as she milks me. I watch her, mesmerized as she finally loses control, giving herself up to the pleasure. She is so stunning.

    I wait for the aftershocks to subside, releasing her pussy, and then I hold her hands in ce. Starting off slow, I take my time, pulling out so only the tip of my dick is within her tight walls, and then I start to thrust, building up my pace, fucking her harder, driving in deeper.

    Adide¡¯s moans fill the air, and I don¡¯t hold back. There¡¯s no need to be in control anymore. I give myself over to the heat, to the pleasure, and fuck my wife the way I want to. I make love, and pound, and have it all. Even as I plunge in deep, filling her womb with my spunk, I know it¡¯s not enough. I need to have her again.

    My dick needs a moment, though, and I copse over her. When I realize she has all my weight I go to lift off her, but Adide surprises me by wrapping her arms around me, keeping me close. With my face against her neck, she doesn¡¯t see my smile, but I fucking love it.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    Adide could have the world with me.

    Lifting up, I stare down into her eyes. There are no tears. She gives me her sweet smile, and I know I¡¯d dly take it. Whatever this woman offers, I would take.

    ¡°I will never let anyone hurt you again,¡± I said.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    There¡¯s something in her gaze and I¡¯m not sure exactly what, but I don¡¯t like it. Does she not trust me? Does she not believe me?

    ¡°Adide?¡±

    She kisses me instead and rather than question her about her response, I take the kiss, feeling my cock start to thicken once again. I want her. When do I not want her?

    Not fucking her on our wedding night had been a nightmare. The only reason I hadn¡¯t was because she had looked terrified. Bethany had scared her once again. That little bitch was getting in my way, and the only way to remove her was to kill her. I was going to do it.

    I¡¯d take great pleasure in ending her miserable existence. Then Adide would be free.

 67

    Adide

    I think we¡¯re watching a porn film.

    Curled up on the sofa, I¡¯m acutely aware of my husband, especially as the couple on screen are ¡­ well, there¡¯s no doubt about it, the guy is fucking her, or at least it looks like he is. They had been having sex all throughout the movie, and the truth is, I wanted Andrei. I pressed my thighs together, hoping to stop the ache that had started to build between them.

    Our honeymoon was nearly over, and the past week had been a dream. Waking up to Andrei, making love into the morning, then of course we¡¯d made love throughout the day. I always got the sense that he was holding back.

    The couple on the screen was not holding back. ncing down at his crotch, I saw that he was aroused. I enjoyed making love. I loved it when Andrei touched me. My body came alive under his touch.

    Pressing my legs together, I tried not to think about my own needs, and instead watched the movie, but there was no actual storyline. A couple just having sex, arguing, fighting, making up, and then when I saw his hand dive between her legs, I just couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Even as every part of my mind was screaming at me not to do this, I found myself straddling my husband.

    My hands on his shoulders, Andrei held my ass and smiled up at me. This man had a sexy smile. I¡¯d not seen it before, but on the ind, he¡¯d let me see another side to him, and the truth was I liked this man. I didn¡¯t mind the Andrei back on drynd, but this one was different. He was more yful. I knew it was because no one was around to see him. He was safe here. We were both safe. No one knew where we were other than Ivan.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Adide?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Do you miss fucking random women?¡±

    This made him frown.

    ¡°Not what I was expecting,¡± he said.

    ¡°Have you been with other women since we¡¯ve been married?¡± I¡¯m not sure if I want to know the answer to that question but since I already asked, I don¡¯t see a point in backing down now. What if he says yes? I¡¯m almost terrified of what he¡¯s going to say, but I wait, expecting the worst.

    ¡°What is this about?¡± he asked.

    Was that a yes? Did he not want to tell me the truth?

    ¡°You make love to me and you¡¯re kind and gentle. Bethany said-¡±

    ¡°Enough with fucking Bethany,¡± he said, growling out the word. His grip on my ass tightens. ¡°I was never with her. I never put my dick inside her. Bethany doesn¡¯t know what I like in the bastard bedroom, and she never will. I¡¯ve also not been with any other woman since we¡¯ve been married, Adide.¡±

    He¡¯s angry but even as he snarls the words at me, I can¡¯t help but be a little bit happy.

    ¡°You¡¯ve not been with any other woman?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Do you want me to repeat it in Russian?¡± he asked.

    I shake my head. There¡¯s no point. I didn¡¯t understand any othernguage. ¡°My mom warned me that you might take on other women. That I might not be good enough for you, and that I should consider that a blessing.¡±

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake. What is it with your parents? Your mother doesn¡¯t know me. She will never fucking know me.¡± He lets go of my ass but this time he seems to be massaging the cheeks. I like it.

    ¡°So¡­¡± I press my pussy against his length. ¡°You don¡¯t want it rough?¡±

    ¡°Adide, are you wanting to be taken, to be fucked, to feel my cock pounding inside you?¡±

    I sink my teeth into my lip, not sure if I could speak those words. Could I? Did I? I was so confused. Instead of saying a single word, I nod my head. I¡¯m aroused. I enjoy making love, but I know there¡¯s more to be had.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t want you to go to anyone else,¡± I said.

    This creates another frown.

    Dropping my hands from his shoulders, I feel like a fool. I shouldn¡¯t have done this, but since being on our honeymoon I¡¯de to realize a couple of things. I liked Andrei. Not because he was attractive, but when he wasn¡¯t having to be a brigadier, he was a lot of fun to be around. I loved swimming with him, ying chess, even cooking with him. He hates tofu, but is more than happy to cook it with me. He doesn¡¯t mind taking long walks down the beach with me, holding my hand, basking in the moonlight. He¡¯s actually a nice guy. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I know he¡¯s not just a nice guy. The ink on his body told its story.

    The never-ending list of scars that I saw looking past the ink. Even if I stroke his body, the ink can¡¯t hide the ridges and scars. There is one that does make me curious, but there was no way he could be that homeless man from the time I volunteered at the hospital. I¡¯d taken a small first aid course as I was trying to figure out what to do with my life. My father, fed up with my nagging, arranged for me to have a work experience week with them.

    I discovered I loved helping people, but all that blood and death was too much. I¡¯d not pursued medicine. Shaking off the memory, I brought my focus back to Andrei.

    ¡°Adide, I¡¯m not a mind reader. Tell me what you want.¡±

    Would it be that simple?

    He¡¯dugh in my face. Men could do whatever the hell they wanted. He was Bratva. No one, not even his wife, got the choice. What did I have to lose? I was his wife. He could beat me but Andrei hadn¡¯t raised a hand to me. I wasn¡¯t afraid of him, at least not anymore.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to sleep with any other woman.¡± I already knew about the brothels the Bratva owned. The women who were bought and sold. There was always going to be parts of his life that I didn¡¯t agree with. I couldn¡¯t change them. Taking his hand, I ce it against my breast, not sure if this is the right way to go about what I want. ¡°I only want you to have me,¡± I said.

    Even as I speak the words, I sound selfish. Is it wrong to want my husband to myself? To not share him with another woman? What if he had a mistress? A woman he was already in love with.

    Andrei let go of my breast and I honestly thought he had someone, that this conversation was useless, but he gripped the back of my neck and pulled me down so that our gazes were on equal level.

    ¡°Adide Belov, there is no other woman. There is no one else I want.¡± His lips brush against mine. ¡°You are the only woman I want, and the only one I will ever have.¡±

    His words shock me.

    Kissing him back, I cup his face. ¡°Then take me however you want me. I don¡¯t want you to be afraid. I¡¯m not going to be scared, Andrei.¡± The time for being afraid has long since passed. There is no reason to fear this man. We¡¯ve been married over seven months now, and other than a few cruel words and being ignored, he¡¯s not hurt me.

    ¡°Oh, Adide, you have no idea what your words could do to a man.¡± His hands glide down my back and he tenses, tearing the negligee from my body with such ease. I never wear any panties for bed and as his hands go to my ass, I sigh. His touch always feels so good.

    It¡¯s shocking to me that at one point, I actually felt afraid of him. Bethany¡¯s power over me is over. I won¡¯t be afraid of anyone else, especially not her.

    ¡°But, I am going to be the only man that ever knows this.¡± His fingers wrap around my neck and he tightens his hold, not enough to cut off air, but firm enough that I know he¡¯s the one in charge.

    He pulls me close, smashing our lips together. So powerful as our teeth sh. My hands go to his shoulders and he breaks the kiss, tutting.

    ¡°No, arms above your head.¡±

    I frown but do as he said, lifting my hands above my head.

    Andrei leaned back, his gaze still on my breasts, and when his hands graze across my flesh, I gasp. He withdraws. ¡°I want your eyes on me.¡±

    I open them up as he touches me. It¡¯s so good. I can¡¯t stop myself from wriggling against his hard cock. I¡¯m so wet already.

    Andrei lets go of my tits, sliding his hands around my body going to my ass. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I love more. Your tits or your ass. Both are more than a handful. Your pussy goes without question, Adide. So tight and wet. Are you wet for me right now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± There¡¯s no point in lying.

    I¡¯m aroused and I want his touch. I¡¯ve never felt like this before.

    ¡°Good, show me.¡± I¡¯m about to ask him how when he instructs me. ¡°I want you to lie down on the coffee table, spread those pretty legs open wide, and then hold your pussy open so I can see you.¡±

    My face is so hot. His words should humiliate me, but they don¡¯t. I like this side of him.

    Hearing Anna speak to Eric the other week had gotten me thinking about my and Andrei¡¯s sex life. I didn¡¯t want it to be boring.

    Nibbling my lip, I look at the wooden coffee table. I¡¯m not sure Ivan would appreciate me breaking it.

    ¡°Do you think it would hold me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have asked if I didn¡¯t think it.¡±

    His voice is deep, with an edge to it, almost as if he is close to losing control. Is that because of me? I sit down on the table and stare at him, waiting. Slowly, I lean back, gettingfortable, lifting my feet onto the table, spreading my legs. I¡¯m nervous but aroused, and I¡¯m more curious to see what Andrei is going to do.

    ¡°Very nice,¡± he said, standing up.

    He¡¯s wearing sweatpants, and I hate to say it, but he even makes the baggy clothes look sexy. Who could have thought sweatpants would be sexy? I sure didn¡¯t.

    Andrei pulls his shirt up over his head, throwing it onto the floor, and then shoves his pants down. He¡¯s not wearing any boxers and so his cock springs out. He¡¯s long and thick.

    I can¡¯t look away as he grips himself, tight and firm. He slides his hand up and down the length, and I wonder what he¡¯d taste like in my mouth.

    Licking my lips, I return his gaze. ¡°I¡¯d like to suck you,¡± I said.

    He growled, stepping forward. His hand is going to the back of my neck and moving close, within touching distance. His other hand is wrapped around the base of his dick, and he¡¯s holding it for me.

    ¡°Then have a taste,¡± he said.

    I press my tongue to the head and withdraw. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing everything right.¡±

    Wrapping my lips around the head of his dick, I suck him into my mouth and draw him in.

    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡±

    I stopped. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Your mouth shouldn¡¯t feel so good.¡±

    I can¡¯t help but smile, putting my mouth back on his cock and sucking him in, tasting him.

    Humming around his length, I start to bob my head, loving how he fills my mouth, but suddenly he pulls out and his lips consume mine. His tongue plunges inside and I meet him, tasting him, wanting to deepen the kiss.

    Andrei pulls away again, and this time he kisses down my body until he gets to my pussy, and then his tongue dances across my clit. I gasp, saying his name, repeating it, as he strokes over the pleasured bundle of nerves. It¡¯s so intense, I can¡¯t think straight, not that I want to. He feels amazing.

    He goes down to my entrance and plunges inside, repeatedly, but it¡¯s not enough. Andrei knows what my body wants and needs, and he brings me to orgasm, sharply, quickly, but he¡¯s not done with me.

    Andrei moves me so that I¡¯m on my knees. He grabs my ass, spreading the cheeks wide, and he lets out a groan. I gasp as he gives my ass a p, and then he¡¯s balls-deep inside my pussy. From this angle he feels harder than ever before, hitting right to the hilt where it¡¯s almost too painful, but so damn good.

    His hands go to my hips, holding me in ce, keeping me there as he starts to pound harder and faster.

    I know I¡¯m close to orgasm again, and he pulls out, and then we¡¯re back to where we started, where I¡¯m straddling his waist. Only this time, he¡¯s inside me and I¡¯m gripping his shoulders as he tells me exactly what to do. I¡¯m riding him, fucking his cock, enjoying every single second of pleasure, and I don¡¯t want it to end.

    Andrei licks his fingers, moves them between my thighs, and starts to y with my pussy.

    I¡¯m so close that all it takes is a few strokes and I¡¯ming, screaming his name. He follows me, his hands digging into my hips as he floods my pussy. I feel every single pulse as hees, and I wonder if we are going to make another child together.

 68

    Andrei

    ¡°What is this, Andrei?¡±

    I smiled as I moved toward my wife. The ind had been a dream and I had to say, I hated being back in the city. I¡¯d been looking for a house, somewhere away from all the distractions of life, far from the penthouse. I¡¯d found this beauty, in the middle of nowhere, enoughnd for us to build whatever we wanted, and this beautiful seven-bedroom house,plete with an en suite.

    Ivan sent me the details for it. It was going for a great price. I¡¯d already purchased it, but after a brief look at the details, I just knew Adide would love it. There was a great deal of security, and I was already making the necessary choices for the men who¡¯d be guarding my wife.

    ¡°It¡¯s a house,¡± I said.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s a house, silly, but I was wondering why you¡¯ve brought me here.¡± She spun in my arms and tilted her head to the side, eyes wide. I don¡¯t know how she got prettier every day, but she did.

    Kissing those tempting lips, I smirked. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Are you nning on buying this ce?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s ours, if you want it.¡±

    ¡°What about the penthouse?¡± She frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯ve still got the penthouse, but we need a real ce. Not one that has marks on the floor showing where you can move. I¡¯ve watched you. You can handle heights to a certain point. I did look at a bungalow, but I¡¯ve got to have me some views, baby.¡± I kissed her nose.

    ¡°Your work is more important. Don¡¯t you have to be present at all times?¡±

    ¡°I am present at all times. It doesn¡¯t matter where I live. This means we can invite Aurora and vik over.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget their little girl,¡± Adide said.

    How could I forget? Ivan had been raving about the little brat. I was happy for vik. Delighted for him, in fact. The next generation was starting, and it was good news. The Volkov Bratva was not going to die out. Ivan¡¯s ways would remain and I was hoping it would grow.

    But, vik having a little girl got me thinking about the child we¡¯d lost-the baby Bethany had taken from me. Adide hadn¡¯t been far enough along and I didn¡¯t ask the doctor to find out the sex or any of that shit. I don¡¯t even know if it was at the stage when the sex was determined. Didn¡¯t they all start out as girls? I didn¡¯t know fucking biology that well. Just enough to keep people alive long enough to cause them the most pain. I knew a lot, but not enough about babies and shit. Anyway, I couldn¡¯t help but be a little jealous. vik had a girl. I had nothing. And Bethany was still alive.

    I had my spies on her. She was a fucking whore who was blowing through the funds her parents had given her. As for her parents, theirpany was still struggling to hold itself together. They were draining funds and losing viewers faster than anything.

    ¡°Yes, their little girl,¡± I said.

    ¡°Andrei? What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing is wrong. I just ¡­ it¡¯s good news for them.¡±

    ¡°Are you disappointed I¡¯m not pregnant?¡± Adide asked.

    She had started her menstrual period that very morning, and I knew there was no chance of another baby right now. I wasn¡¯t disappointed, not really. I saw that she was in pain. Running fingers through my hair, I saw the sadness in her gaze, and I couldn¡¯t live with it. I went to her, cupping her face. ¡°Look at me. I am fine and I don¡¯t care if we¡¯re pregnant or not.¡±

    ¡°What if ¡­ what if I can¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°You can.¡±

    ¡°I heard what Ivan said, within two years.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    ¡°You might get a new wife.¡±

    ¡°Not going to happen.¡± I kissed her hard.

    I wanted to say more, but as I started, my fucking cell phone rang, pissing me off. Annoyed, I tried to ignore it, but Adide pulled away.

    ¡°You need to answer that.¡±

    What I needed to do was be there for my wife, not constantly be at the beck and call of everyone else around me. It was Ivan, though, so she wasn¡¯t wrong. I did need to take the call.

    ¡°Andrei,¡± I said.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s you. Why say that?¡±

    I rolled my eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I need you to arrange the meeting with Rage. Have hime to your penthouse suite.¡±

    ¡°Not fucking happening,¡± I said, stepping away from Adide.

    ¡°Pardon me?¡±

    I close my eyes, realizing what I just said. ¡°I¡¯m not having hime anywhere near my wife.¡±

    ¡°She loves the house, doesn¡¯t she?¡±

    I nce back at Adide who¡¯d gone to sit on the bed, giving it a little bounce. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Ivan tutted. ¡°You clearly didn¡¯t sell it well enough.¡±

    There were moments like now, where I would have dly throttled Ivan Volkov. The man could be so fucking annoying and I knew he did it on purpose. He was a meddling fucker. He¡¯d not gotten to where he was in life by not meddling. I was so fucked off with it.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking with her.¡±

    ¡°Tell her how nice it would be raising a family. How she can have Aurorae to visit. Their kids could be friends and all of that.¡±

    I step out of the bedroom so she doesn¡¯t hear. ¡°Ivan, that¡¯s not the best course of action. I¡¯ll deal with it, but we can¡¯t meet at the penthouse suite.¡±

    ¡°Rage needs to know we mean business. He also has to think we trust him.¡±

    ¡°Which we don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I trust him more than I do Demon. Now, if hees to your penthouse suite, that is a sign of respect and trust.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a sign of stupidity.¡±

    ¡°So, get Adide loving the house and we¡¯ll see how everything else ys.¡±

    He hung up, of course. That was what Ivan did-gave instructions, and left me to deal with everything else. The guy was exhausting at times.

    I dropped my head, taking several deep breaths. Adide had been attempting meditation. Since the attack, she asionally had panic attacks. She didn¡¯t know what they were driven by, but I¡¯d heard the methods and started to use them myself.

    Anything that stopped me from killing my boss was a fucking bonus.

    I enter the bedroom again but Adide is nowhere to be seen.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Seeing as I already paid for the house, I had the keys and there was no need for a realtor. Leo and Terrance were out front. No one else should be in the house, but fear raced down my spine. I called out her name, but she didn¡¯t respond.

    Rushing downstairs, calling her name again, expecting the worst, I heard her calling out that she was in the kitchen. Breathing a sigh of relief, I made my way into the kitchen and found her with her hands spread out on the counter.

    ¡°This is a nice space,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s big. You could host family dinners. Invite some friends over. Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡±

    ¡°Fucking you on every single counter?¡±

    She giggled. ¡°No, we¡¯re not thinking the same thing. I¡¯m thinking Thanksgiving and Christmas. How about Halloween? We could decorate this ce for when or if we have children.¡± I close the distance between us and wrap my arms around her.

    ¡°When, Adide. When we have kids.¡± I¡¯d not been one for special asions. I¡¯d never celebrated a single Christmas or Halloween, or Thanksgiving. None of them had been important to me. Survival had. Kissing the top of her head, I breathe her in.

    ¡°I love the ce, Andrei.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°But you need to go, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± I don¡¯t want to let her go.

    This is crazy. I¡¯m not the kind of man to act this way, but the thought of leaving my wife fills me with regret.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll be here,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t go back to the penthouse, can I?¡±

    ¡°Not today.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°You already bought this ce, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°The closet, you¡¯ve already started to fill it with your suits.¡± She put her hands on my hips. ¡°When will I get to see casual Andrei? Will hee back?¡±

    ¡°He will. He¡¯s already here.¡± I kissed her temple, not wanting to leave her alone, but also knowing there was no choice.

    Ivan expected a meeting and I had to contact Rage. Assuming he wasn¡¯t pissed off from being ignored. While I¡¯d been on my honeymoon, Ivan had been sure to send pictures to Rage of Lottie¡¯s progress. Ive had eventually allowed her to shower and change, but even those images had been used to help our cause. The young woman was clearly special to Rage, and that wasing in handy right about now.

    ¡°Go,¡± Adide said, letting me go. ¡°I¡¯ll be here, waiting.¡±

    I kissed her again. ¡°I¡¯m leaving Leo,¡± I said.

    She had asked me not to be angry at him. It wasn¡¯t Leo¡¯s fault, and I doubted he would ept any beverage from her anytime soon.

    I have no choice but to leave. As I do, I order Leo to keep an eye on my wife. Terrance is already seated in the driver¡¯s seat as I climb in the back, cell phone in hand. I contact Rage and wait. Three rings and he picks up.

    ¡°What the fuck took you so long? If anything happens to Lottie¡­¡±

    ¡°You are not in a position to question me,¡± I said. ¡°Lottie¡¯s survival will depend on you, Rage.¡± I give him the location of the penthouse. ¡°Be there in an hour. If you don¡¯t, then I can assume you don¡¯t care what happens to her.¡±

    Hanging up my cell phone, I slide it into my jacket and sit back. There is no rxing for me.

    Having Rage in my penthouse is not the ideal situation for me. He is still a member of the Evil Savages MC, and for all I know, he could be ying me. I don¡¯t trust anyone. Never. My penthouse would be tarnished after this.

    Terrance drives us to the penthouse and I see Ivan¡¯s car is already in my slot, so Terrance parks in the closest avable space.

    Ivan is the boss. He knows what he¡¯s doing, but I have to wonder if I should question the man¡¯s sanity.

    Arriving at my penthouse suite, I walk in to find the ce tidy. There¡¯s nothing out of ce, and Ivan is sitting at the dining room table, shuffling cards.

    ¡°Did you arrange it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I made the call. He should be arriving in twenty minutes.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. Can I interest you in a whiskey?¡±

    I shake my head and take a seat opposite him.

    ¡°Did she like the house?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°Yes. You knew she would.¡±

    Ivan smiled. ¡°There¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± I asked.

    Ivan didn¡¯t speak. He flicked the cards over, one by one, and then gathered them up. ¡°I don¡¯t see the addiction to cards. The winning part, I get, but all numbers on some card never appealed to me. People waste so much of their money on the flick of one of these bad boys. Do you get it?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re talking about cards?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re talking about the addiction cards causes.¡±

    I had no words. Ivan always had the most random thoughts. Sometimes I wondered if they dropped him on his head when he was a baby. Would that give him an excuse for his weird ways? I didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Do addictions make sense?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Addictions make sense, if you think about the body¡¯s response to what¡¯s going on around it. The happiness, the endorphins that are released. It¡¯s a powerful drug.¡± He sighed. ¡°But now I¡¯m bored.¡± He put the deck of cards down on the table and stood up. ¡°Is this guy known for being early orte?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea. Do you want to talk about Oleg?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Ivan¡¯s the boss.

    ¡°How are Aurora and the baby?¡± I asked.

    Ivan and I rarely made small talk. Until Adide came into my life, it had always been business. We weren¡¯t close.

    ¡°They¡¯re healthy,¡± Ivan said, running a hand down his face. As he did so, I noticed the way he leaned slightly to one side, as if he had some kind of ailment. Like a bruise.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t talkative today. Maybe I should have let him be his usual charming self and talk about the deck of cards for no good reason.

    My thoughts drifted to Adide and I had to wonder what she was doing. I¡¯d not yet installed any cameras so there was no way for me to steal nces of her on my cell phone. Not that I would with Ivan watching me. He already knew I kept a close eye on her, and he didn¡¯t need to see my obsession in person.

    Finally, the doorbell rang and I went to open it. Rage was on the other side, looking mightily pissed. He raised his fist, but I saw iting, blocking it. Terrance knew not to get involved even as Rage kept oning.

    ¡°You take his daughter and fucking leave, you pieces of shit. You have no right. She is not part of this. She has never been part of this.¡±

    His rage was admirable. In between the blows, I struck out, mming my boot against his leg, which made him stumble, and this time I charged him, ramming him against the wall and then wrapping my fingers around his neck, cutting off his air supply. Dragging him down to the floor, I stepped over him, wrapping my entire arm around his neck, using all the force I could to keep him there. I held him tight, not letting him go.

    His hands gripped mine, but at no point did he beg. This was a club leader. A president. Not that piece of shit Demon.

    I wasn¡¯t going to kill Rage. I held him still. ¡°Lottie is alive. She¡¯s still breathing and right now I believe she¡¯s living a pretty cushy life. No harm hase to her, not a single bit. Do you understand?¡± I let go long enough for him to nod his head. ¡°I will keep fighting you if that¡¯s what you want, but then she will pay for your sins. Got it?¡± I asked.

    A single nod of the head and I let him go, stepping back.

    Ivan simply pped his hands as if it had all been part of a y. I didn¡¯t think that was necessary, but I didn¡¯t tell him that. Instead, I step back and allow Ivan to take over.

    ¡°This woman ¡­ does she belong to you?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°Lottie is a sweet girl. An innocent. She would never hurt a soul, and she has no right to pay for her father¡¯s sins.¡±

    I watched as Ivan tsked. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I know she¡¯s a sweetheart. I¡¯ve heard the rumors. Actually, I¡¯ve seen the evidence. Lottie is not loved by the club. She is loved by you, and it would seem only you.¡±

    Rage slumped. It was a small action but I caught it.

    ¡°Lottie ¡­ don¡¯t hurt her. She is still club.¡±

    ¡°But Demon told me to kill her.¡±

    I watched as Rage¡¯s hands clenched into fists.

    ¡°She is Demon¡¯s child but¡­¡± Rage dropped his head. ¡°He has never been able to love her. He sees her as a murderer. When she was born, her mother didn¡¯t make it. She died in the room in Demon¡¯s arms. Lottie never stood a chance.¡±

    ¡°But you take care of her.¡±

    ¡°Because her mother begged me to,¡± Rage said. ¡°Before she gave birth, she had this weird feeling that something bad was going to happen. I don¡¯t fucking know what it was. I figured she was on something. Demon always liked to keep his women docile. The spirit she had was dying away, and she begged me to take care of her daughter. Lottie was left. Demon wouldn¡¯t even allow the club women to take care of her. He built up the lies surrounding her mother, told her she was nothing but trash, all her life. She was starving, dirty, and I took over her care. I raised her.¡±

    ¡°So the truth is, you¡¯re her father?¡±

    Rage shrugged. ¡°I guess.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d die for her.¡±

    ¡°In a heartbeat.¡±

    ¡°How interesting.¡±

    I always hated it when Ivan said that. There was nothing interesting about any of this. This was a man who clearly had a fatherly connection to the young woman. None of it was interesting. He took care of her, and during that time he formed a bond. Nothing to think about.

    ¡°Let Lottie go.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. You see, Demon has already told me to kill her, and I know for a fact he¡¯s got a grievance with me. Do you really think he¡¯s going to ept the daughter he can¡¯t even care for, to live?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her.¡±

    Ivan snorted. ¡°Look, no offense. I get that you¡¯re an incredible human being and all that, but you must see how futile it would be. Demon would kill you. Demon would kill his daughter regardless of the cost.¡±

    ¡°What are you proposing then?¡±

    Ivan pped his hands together and smiled wide. ¡°Proposing is a funny word, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    I shake my head. He¡¯s all for the dramatics.

    ¡°You want to marry Lottie?¡± Rage asked.

    ¡°Not me personally, but I have a man who will take care of her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s eighteen,¡± Rage said.

    ¡°So, Demon has washed his hands of her, and do you think it¡¯s going to be difficult for me to get a marriage license? Hate to brag, but I am kind of the big deal in the Volkov Bratva.¡±

    I had to wonder what the previous Bratva Pakhan would think of this. Ivan didn¡¯t act or rule like any other Pakhan. I imagine it¡¯s why he¡¯ll be around for a long time. No one can truly know what he¡¯s thinking all the time.

    ¡°Lottie doesn¡¯t deserve this.¡±

    ¡°My man isn¡¯t so bad. He¡¯s a little rough around the edges but no harm wille to her as his wife. He¡¯s my brigadier. Trust me, her life will be saved.¡±

    Rage didn¡¯t like it. I couldn¡¯t me him. Thinking of a daughter, I couldn¡¯t help but imagine a little baby girl with Adide¡¯s sweet features running around the house. It made me smile, just a little, and then Iposed myself. Now was not the time to be getting fucking sentimental, or hoping for a future that might not happen.

    ¡°What do you need from me?¡± Rage asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple, you need to find out where loyalties lie in the club, and when Demon dies, you kill those who follow him.¡±

    Rage cursed.

    ¡°You need to be prez of the club,¡± Ivan said. ¡°If you don¡¯t, then I¡¯m going to kill you all, and I¡¯ll throw Lottie into the mix for good measure.¡±

    The calm negotiating man was gone. In his ce was the cold monster rarely seen. It had been a long time since I saw the real Ivan unleashed. There were times I had to wonder if I imagined seeing the cruelty within him. He would do it, even if it wasn¡¯t his n. If Rage didn¡¯t agree, Evil Savages MC would die.

    ¡°If I agree with this,¡± Rage said, after a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be your fucking toy. I¡¯m not going to be at your beck and call.¡±

    ¡°Precisely. We will have an agreement and you could say we¡¯ll be a family, of sorts.¡±

    Rage sighed. ¡°I want to see Lottie first.¡±

    ¡°Not until the day of the wedding,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°I need to know she¡¯s safe.¡±

    Ivan clicked his tongue and then pulled out his cell phone, typing on the screen.

    ¡°Lottie,¡± he said.

    There was a pause and I waited. Rage stepped a little closer, and I reached for my gun but Ivan shook his head at me. Seconds passed, minutes, and then he clicked on his cell phone and held it up.

    ¡°H-hello?¡±

    ¡°Lottie, sweetheart?¡±

    ¡°Rage?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, honey, it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Are youing to get me? Please, Rage, please.¡±

    Ivan tutted. ¡°Now Lottie, tell the kind man, are you hurting?¡±

    ¡°N-no.¡±

    ¡°Good. Are you being fed?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes.¡±

    ¡°Good. That will be all.¡±

    Ivan ended the call and Rage charged at Ivan, who with a quick jab of his hand had choked Rage, who fell to the floor.

    ¡°Lottie is safe and well. Do we have a deal?¡±

    Rage had his hands against his throat.

    Ivan tutted. ¡°Come on, I didn¡¯t hurt you that badly.¡±

    It took Rage a few minutes but he got to his feet and agreed. Ivan held his hand out and Rage looked at the greeting. I waited. Rage shook his hand and stepped back.

    ¡°There is one thing,¡± I said. ¡°I want to know when Bethany came to you.¡±

    Rage frowned. ¡°Who the fuck is Bethany?¡±

 69

    Adide

    I love the house. It¡¯s spacious and warm. There isn¡¯t a lot of furniture but Andrei had already told me to go shopping for some, which is why I was dragging him from store to store, forcing him to help me choose. With my hand in his, we walked into the third one and I knew Andrei was getting fed up. I had the color palette in my hands, and we started to look at the sofas.

    ¡°You know I can pay someone to do this,¡± Andrei said.

    I stare down at the cream sofa, and sink into the seat. It¡¯s not quite fluffy enough. I know it¡¯s weird but the best way to choose a sofa is to test it out with your ass, by actually sitting in it.

    ¡°I know. You can pay anyone to do anything. You¡¯ve told me enough times, but I don¡¯t want to ask someone to pick out my furniture, Andrei.¡± Patting the seat beside me, I wait. ¡°I want us both to choose stuff for our ce. Is that too much to ask?¡±

    Andrei grumbled but sat down beside me, taking my hand in his, locking our fingers together. I can¡¯t help but look at the Volkov ink on his hands.

    On one of the visits with Aurora, I noticed she had a band around her wrist. I¡¯d asked her about it, but she had mmed up, saying it wasn¡¯t important.

    ¡°I like this one,¡± he said.

    I wriggle my ass from side to side and tut. ¡°No, it¡¯s notfortable enough. My ass will ache from sitting in it for too long.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone¡¯s ass ache from sitting too long?¡±

    I wave my hand as if to ignore his statement. ¡°You know what I mean.¡±

    ¡°No, if I did, we¡¯d have bought the sofa we saw an hour ago.¡±

    ¡°Ew, that was green, and wouldn¡¯t have gone with the room.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t care about that.¡±

    I chuckled and walked up to him, putting a hand on his chest. ¡°And what if Ivan thinks about it? What if he cares how a ce looks?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t. Trust me.¡±

    ¡°Are you so sure?¡±

    He looked ready to talk, but then he stopped and I smiled, going up on my tiptoes and kissing him.

    ¡°See, just enjoy this.¡± I take a few steps and realize I¡¯m being unreasonable. ¡°Actually, if you don¡¯t want to pick out furniture together, then Ipletely understand. I know you¡¯re very busy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing that thing again.¡±

    ¡°What thing?¡±

    ¡°That thing that makes me feel guilty.¡±

    I raise my brows. ¡°I didn¡¯t think a brigadier could feel guilty.¡± I make sure my voice is quiet so no one heard what I called him.

    In response, Andreiughed, pulled me into his arms, and kissed the top of my head.

    ¡°If this is what¡¯s going to make you happy, then consider me happy.¡±

    Wrapping my arm around him, we walked around the store, trying out new sofas. At one point, we were all alone, and Andrei reached for me, forcing me to straddle his waist, right there.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked,ughing.

    ¡°Simple. We need to test this sofa out for all eventualities, and I can promise you, all sofas are going to see my dick inside your cunt.¡± He ran his hands down my ass and drew me close. I felt the hard ridge of his cock pressing against my pussy, and it made me gasp. I¡¯m so taken aback by the pleasure.

    Andrei sinks this fingers into my hair, which I have left down, and he kisses me, hard. I love his kisses. Cupping his face, I¡¯m lost in the sweetness of his lips, but at the sound of a throat clearing, I jerk back and couldn¡¯t believe we¡¯d been caught. Andrei had no such problems.

    ¡°Sorry you had to see that,¡± he said, with a wink. ¡°But I think we found the sofa.¡± He patted the chair. ¡°This is the bad boy we¡¯ve been looking for.¡±

    ¡°Excellent, sir. Would you be interested in the whole set?¡±

    And that¡¯s how we left the store. Buying two sets of the sofa and chairs, one for the main living room, and another for the penthouse.

    We weren¡¯t done. We picked out beds for the three bedrooms. I insisted because those would be the guest bedrooms for Ivan and then one for vik and Aurora.

    While Andrei dealt with the payment, I did wander around one of the stores and came to an ideal example of a nursery. Yellow walls, a neutral color. A crib, a rocking chair, a small white cab with diapers, and creams peeking out.

    I tense up as arms wrap around my waist, and I know from the scent of his cologne, it¡¯s Andrei.

    ¡°Hey.¡± He pressed a kiss to my neck.

    ¡°Hey. It¡¯s beautiful.¡±

    ¡°It is. We can buy it if you want.¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s bad luck. I¡¯m not even pregnant.¡±

    He nipped at my neck. ¡°But you might be.¡±

    That we could. I was too nervous to take a test. Myst menstrual cycle hadn¡¯tsted long and it had been so light. I didn¡¯t want to know.

    ¡°Would you want a boy or girl?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t care, just so long as it¡¯s healthy. We¡¯re going to have to find names and do all that boring stuff.¡±

    I can¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You don¡¯t like names?¡±

    ¡°What do I name our kid that won¡¯t make it hate us?¡±

    This I found adorable. He was worried about what our child would think of us based on his or her name.

    Leaning back into his embrace, I thought about it. ¡°You could give him your name.¡±

    ¡°Andrei Junior, no thanks. Trust me.¡±

    ¡°Is there a name you¡¯d like?¡± I asked, tilting my head back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way but I haven¡¯t thought about it.¡±

    ¡°I know. I haven¡¯t thought about names either. I¡¯ve thought about having a baby in my arms, but names are so ¡­ final.¡±

    Andrei rubbed my arms. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and get something to eat. My treat.¡±

    As if it would be anyone else¡¯s.

    Leo and Terrance were with us today but neither opened my door as Andrei was there, helping me inside.

    I sat down, and thought of a name. ¡°Billie?¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°A boy or girl.¡±

    ¡°Not happening.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t like the name Billie?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±

    I rolled my eyes. ¡°How about ¡­ Raymond.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not being very helpful.¡±

    ¡°I like the name Lucifer.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not being fair now.¡± I nudge his shoulder, but I can¡¯t stopughing.

    ¡°What about Bell?¡±

    ¡°To ring?¡± Andrei asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re not being very helpful,¡± I said, taking a deep breath.

    ¡°I am being very helpful.¡± He took my hand and locked our fingers together. ¡°I¡¯m telling you all the names that are not going to work. How about Lucille?¡±

    ¡°I like that name, but no.¡± I sighed. ¡°We¡¯re not even pregnant and we¡¯re arguing about names.¡±

    ¡°You being pregnant ispletely inevitable,¡± he said.

    I smiled and he cupped my cheek and kissed me. Staring into his eyes, I had this overwhelming feeling to tell him that I loved him. It camepletely out of nowhere. I didn¡¯t say the words but I dide close.

    Sinking my teeth into my lip, I held the words back. Did I love this man? Could it even be possible? He didn¡¯t love me. I was a job to him. He¡¯d married me on boss¡¯s orders.

    Andrei moved his thumb to my lip and tugged. ¡°Don¡¯t bite that,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because it makes me want to do a whole lot of wicked things to you.¡± He kissed me. It started out gentle, and then he pressed harder against me, trailing his tongue across my lips, and when I opened, he plunged inside. I moaned his name, wrapping my arm around his neck, holding onto him, not wanting to let go.

    His hand moved down my body, gripping my hip.

    Cupping his face, I kiss him back, not wanting it to stop. He¡¯s not touching my pussy, but I desperately want him. All too soon, he broke the kiss, lifting up and away from me, and I miss his touch the moment it¡¯s gone, but it¡¯s a good thing he did so. We¡¯re at the restaurant.

    He kisses the tip of my nose before climbing out of the car, rounding the vehicle to open my door. My face is all hot. I don¡¯t question Leo and Terrance. I never saw the two men eat, but I knew they did. Andrei takes my hand and leads me into the restaurant. The maitre d¡¯ stumbles when he catches sight of Andrei.

    Within minutes, we¡¯re at a table, a waiter taking our drink order, and menus being given to us. I hold my menu and stare at Andrei, a little shocked.

    ¡°What is going on in that crazy head of yours?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see the way people react around you?¡± I tried to discreetly look around the restaurant. It was rather busy.

    The customers didn¡¯t care who we were, but I saw the waitstaff, and some of them pointedly looked our way.

    ¡°I own this restaurant,¡± Andrei said.

    ¡°You do?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I own a lot of businesses. It was all part of Ivan¡¯s n. We have a lot ofpanies to our name.¡± He winked at me. ¡°Does that surprise you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and you know how to run them?¡±

    He tutted. ¡°Of course. Ivan Volkov would only ever have the best men on his team.¡±

    I liked this side of Andrei. He was yful, sweet, kind, charming. He was easier to understand and so approachable.

    Looking at the menu, there was a lot of yummy food on offer. I noticed the vegan selection, and I didn¡¯t know what to have. The pizza sounded so good but then the lentil Bolognese sounded delicious as well. My mouth watered. In the end, I settled on pizza while Andrei had the steak with roasted vegetables.

    ¡°This is nice,¡± I said.

    Andrei reached across the table, taking my hand. ¡°If you ever want toe here, let me know.¡±

    ¡°Do you have the best chefs as well?¡±

    ¡°Only the best works for me.¡±

    ¡°Did you always have a vegan menu?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Andrei said. ¡°I came to the restaurant the day after I found out you were one, and I got all of my restaurants to include a vegan menu.¡±

    ¡°You did?¡±

    He nodded, lifting his water and taking a sip.

    I¡¯d declined the wine that was going to be poured for me, and had a soda instead. They still poured the drink in a winess, and I raised my ss with his.

    ¡°It was good for business. People go through fads all the time. It would seem vegan is the new thing to be right now.¡±

    I smiled. Some people went through fads, others did it because they wanted to. I was the former.

    ¡°Tell me about yourself,¡± I said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Did you always want to be ¡­ you know?¡± I asked.

    Andrei didn¡¯t let go of my hand but I saw the scowl slowly settle into ce. He wasn¡¯t happy. There was anger in his eyes.

    ¡°Adide, there is no choice in this life. Once you¡¯re born into it, there¡¯s no getting out. My father was born into it, so was I. There was no choice for me. This was going to be my life, regardless of whether my father wanted me or not.¡±

    ¡°Do you miss your father?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    It was so final. Not a single hesitation.

    ¡°Do you miss your family?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Mine are not dead.¡±

    ¡°True, but you don¡¯t ask to see them.¡±

    I stare at our hands and think about what he said. ¡°There¡¯s no love lost between me and my family. They don¡¯t care about me. They never really did.¡± After what Bethany had done, I¡¯d not given them a thought. They didn¡¯t evene to see me in the hospital, so thinking about them, I didn¡¯t care. ¡°Was it easier?¡± I asked. ¡°With him being gone?¡±

    ¡°Yes, in a way, but you have to understand that he had to die in order for me to be here today.¡±

    I squeeze his hand, and we pull apart as the waiter brings our food. It smells delicious. My mouth waters. The pizza is quiterge, and I know I¡¯m hungry enough to demolish it all. Picking up a slice, I take arge bite and close my eyes as the vors hit my tongue. Ripe tomatoes, garlic, onion, and lots of herbs. It¡¯s what I love and I can¡¯t resist taking another slice, another moan leaving my lips as I do.

    ¡°This is so good,¡± I said, opening my eyes to find Andrei staring at me. ¡°Here, take a bite. Trust me, it won¡¯t hurt you. It¡¯s just real good pizza.¡±

    He looked highly doubtful but I waited and he took a bite. I saw the small hint of surprise as he licked his lips. My husband liked my vegan pizza, who would have thought it?Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Just as I was about to offer him another slice of pizza, the sound of gunfire rang out, bullets flew through the room, and I screamed. Andrei grabs me, pushing me to the floor, his body covering mine. His hands go to my ears, but I press my hands to my own, hoping he will protect himself. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening. It¡¯s frightening. Deafening.

 70

    Andrei

    An attack was imminent. I shouldn¡¯t have let my guard down.

    My only concern was getting Adide to safety. The attack took less than five minutes. I got the manager to ount for everyone in the restaurant. There were no casualties, just a couple of wounds.

    Adide and I were the main targets. The focus was on us, which told me someone within the restaurant had been asked to give our location. I got Adide to her feet and walked her out of the back of the restaurant where Leo and Terrance were already waiting.

    Before I put Adide in the car, I force her to look at me.

    ¡°Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine. What about you?¡± Her hands go to my arms, holding me.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s nothing wrong.¡±

    I quickly nce over her body and see no cuts, no bruises, nothing. She was fine. I got her to safety. Leo and Terrance had been waiting around the back, per my instructions, in case we need to leave privately, but of course, doing this meant they weren¡¯t there to see who attacked.

    ¡°Take her home,¡± I said, looking at Leo.

    ¡°No, no, no, I¡¯m not leaving you,¡± Adide said.

    ¡°Baby, you cannot be here for this, okay?¡±

    ¡°But, what about the cops?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with them.¡±

    ¡°Andrei?¡±

    I cup her face and pull her into my arms. She¡¯s scared. I get that. Shaking. I don¡¯t care that my men are seeing me like this. If it had been anyone else, I¡¯d have told them to get their fucking shit together, but everyone else, are not my wife.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go and see what the fuck happened. They coulde back.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°Thene with me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to do this.¡±

    Tears filled her eyes. ¡°Please.¡±

    I m my lips down on hers, kissing her. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. This will be easier for me if you go home. Please.¡±

    I hate seeing her cry, and I wipe the tears away from her face, not wanting to be the cause, but knowing I am. Whoever attacked me today was going to pay severely. I was having a good, quiet day with my wife and they hade and fucked with it.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Adide holds onto my hand and I have no choice but to help her into the car. My heart, for the first time, is pounding. Is this what I thought it was? Did Adide care about me? Was she worried I might die?

    I wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but I kissed her and then looked to Leo. ¡°Nothing happens to her, understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    I step away from the car and watch it drive away. Terrance is by my side. ¡°This was an inside job,¡± I said.

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°I was the only target. Whoever did this knew I ate at this restaurant.¡± I didn¡¯t believe Adide was the target. This time, I was.

    I was annoyed that she had to experience that. Someone was going to pay for instilling fear into my wife.

    Entering the restaurant, I take a few steps in and the manager Clifford is there. ¡°Sir, follow me,¡± he said.

    The cops would be arriving soon. Hopefully it would be someone on my payroll, and if not, they would soon arrive to deal with this mess. Heading into the back of the restaurant, Clifford takes me to the security rooms, where we have multiple cameras set up. I¡¯m a stickler for security.

    Watching the screens, Clifford leans forward and brings up the moment I enter the restaurant. Adide is with me and I¡¯m not paying attention to anyone but my wife. This is a first for me. I never allow pleasure toe before business. The maitre d¡¯ on the front desk changes, his stance bes tense. He takes us to our table and leaves us alone.

    I follow his movements, tracking him. The moment he¡¯s back at the desk and out of earshot, he pulls out a cell phone and looks back, talking to someone. After a few seconds, he ends the call. Time passes, and then, the moment the gunshots hit, he takes off, running out of the restaurant.

    ¡°I want his name and details now,¡± I said.

    I¡¯m full of rage. This could be anyone-the drug dealer I took care of for Bethany, the Evil Savages MC. I wouldn¡¯t put it past Rage to double-cross us. People were always after their own agenda, and right now I was so fucking pissed. I¡¯d kill them all. I would have the streets dripping with blood if I had to. They nearly hurt my woman. There was no way anyone would get away with this.

    I wanted to kill.

    I wanted to hurt.

    My thirst for blood was so fucking strong I could taste it. I was hungry for it.

    Clifford arrived with the man¡¯s details and I opened them up. It gave his address, which I had to wonder if it was real. Marcus Knight. I didn¡¯t recognize the name, and ncing at his picture, none of his details rang a bell. I had nothing to do with this man, and he shouldn¡¯t be trying to kill me, yet that was exactly what he was doing, and now I was pissed off. So fucking pissed.

    The police arrived and it was someone on my payroll. I gave him a few tips, and then left, leaving him to clean up the mess. This is what I paid people for.

    There was already another car waiting. One of the soldiers had brought it at Terrance¡¯s request. I sat in the passenger seat as he drove, and I looked through the file. Pulling out my cell phone, I took a snapshot and sent it to my mainputer guy, Edmund. He worked at the casino. He could crack any code and find all the dirt that was needed. He had a thing with numbers as well. I made sure he was protected. He was a good guy.

    He used to be part of the Italian mafia, but because of his slender frame and the fact he faints at the sight of blood, they tried to kill him. I found him, killed the men who were about to take the final shot, rescued him, and he¡¯d been loyal to me ever since.

    Within minutes, my cell phone rang.

    ¡°What do you have?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Okay, so this guy makes next to nothing as a maitre d¡¯ at one of your restaurants. However, an hour ago, fifty thousand dors has just been wired into his ount, but this is where it gets interesting. The wirees from Oleg Pavlov¡¯s territory, Mr. Belov. Someone in his territory paid for him to do something.¡±

    I know exactly what he paid for.

    ¡°I want you to run a check.¡± I give him Bethany¡¯s name and Edmund hangs up after he says, ¡°On it.¡±

    I press my cell phone against my lips. I need to call Ivan but I don¡¯t have all the facts yet.

    Terrance pulls up at an apartment building that had seen many fucking better days. It¡¯s crumbling. Men and women are on street corners. The scent of poverty is heavy in the air. I¡¯d lived in part of this world long ago.

    Climbing out of the car, the men notice me, recognize me, and scatter. This is what the Volkov do. They instill fear. It didn¡¯t matter the gang, they knew we had more power. Usually, it was only men with little dicks who wanted to prove a point or thought they could overthrow our power. None of them were here today.

    Stepping up to the building, I tilt my head back. Marcus had made a very bad decision. Entering the building, I notice the elevator isn¡¯t working. Not that I¡¯m surprised. In ces like this, elevators were always the first things to go. Diapers, used condoms, needles, dollies, and teddy bears decorated the stairs. The stench of piss and shit were heavy in the air. It was a smell I¡¯d not encountered for some time, and it made me sick to my stomach, but I kept moving.

    Marcus Knight lived on the fifth floor, and I had to wonder if Adide would still mark the area she could or couldn¡¯t move to. I hadn¡¯t gotten the floors cleaned in my penthouse. I rather liked the line she had given me.

    We got to the fifth floor and there was no one around. Arriving at Marcus¡¯s door, I see it¡¯s partially open and someone is inside. I smiled. I couldn¡¯t help it. Pressing the door open, I see Marcus scrambling around his apartment. He doesn¡¯t notice me and I watch him. This man helped to nearly kill my wife. I stare at his body and all I want to do is hear him scream. In a ce like this, no one would report it.

    ¡°Now, is that any way to pack a suitcase?¡± I said, alerting him to my presence.

    Marcus spins around, catches sight of me, and literally pisses himself. He drops to the floor, hands over his head.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me. Please. Please.¡±

    The apartment is a shithole. Mold is growing on the walls, and there appear to be old stains from a water leak. One of the windows has been smashed. This is not a ce to be lived in. However, it does give me an idea for a business venture.

    Going inside the apartment, Terrance grabs Marcus and ms him into one of the wooden chairs, but it was old and not designed to hold too much pressure, and it copsed. Eventually, Terrance pushes him into a threadbare chair and holds him down.

    I stare at Marcus. He¡¯s weak, and he¡¯s pissed himself again. The scenting off him suggests that he might have also shit himself, which is so fucking nasty. I¡¯m used to this reaction, though. He¡¯s guilty. He knows what he¡¯s done.

    My cell phone rings and I see it¡¯s from the casino.

    ¡°Any news?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Bethany took a flight over two weeks ago, and other thannding in Pavlov territory, no one else has seen her.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    So there is a connection. What I don¡¯t know for sure is who reached out to who. The Evil Savages didn¡¯t help put a hit on my wife. That was all Bethany. She would have met Oleg because of me.

    All the brigadiers were at a function. Adide hadn¡¯t met them all yet because Ivan had changed my wife after Bethany had been introduced to them.

    Now I¡¯m pissed off. I should have killed Bethany. This is what we needed, though. Oleg was no longer loyal to Ivan. That piece of shit was going to die.

    I needed to contact Ivan. This is where it got a little trickier. Ivan wasn¡¯t always easy to get ahold of. He might have heard about the attack on the restaurant. He had spies everywhere. I called his number. Nothing.

    Marcus had started to beg for forgiveness and even prayed to whatever would help him. In the end, I had no choice but to call vik.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I need Ivan.¡± I didn¡¯t tell him about Oleg or give any details. Ivan hadn¡¯t given me the green light to alert other brigadiers to what we had discovered.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± vik said.

    I heard movement and then minutester vik hung up. I didn¡¯t have to wait long before Ivan rang my cell. He was in vik¡¯s territory. I could only guess he was besotted with the little girl they¡¯d had not long ago.

    When Adide eventually gives birth to our child, I don¡¯t want Ivan to start dropping by for more random visits. Not that I had anything to hide from him. I never did.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked.

    I give him a rundown of everything that happened, from the attack to Bethany¡¯sst known whereabouts, to the man in front of me.

    ¡°Put me on speakerphone and question him. I¡¯ll remain silent,¡± Ivan said.

    This is fucking news to me. Ivan can never be silent. He¡¯s the kind of man who always has to get involved. I put him on speaker and hand my cell phone to Terrance.

    ¡°Now, Marcus, you want to live, right? To get to use that fifty grand.¡±

    ¡°Please, please, please, I don¡¯t ¡­ I don¡¯t ¡­ I was told that if you ever came into the restaurant I was to call this number and tell them exactly where you were.¡± Marcus started to sob. ¡°She told me it would change my life.¡±

    ¡°A woman told you?¡± I asked.

    Marcus nodded. ¡°She said it was important. I had no idea they were going to kill you. I swear. I swear.¡±

    ¡°What number?¡± I asked.

    Marcus¡¯s hands shook so much and he did piss himself again. I didn¡¯t even know anyone could hold that much fucking urine without drinking in-between. He handed me his cell phone and I didn¡¯t want to touch it, but I had no choice. I¡¯d be bleaching my hands by the time I was done here.

    ¡°Thest number I dialed.¡±

    I didn¡¯t recognize the number.

    ¡°Anything else, Ivan?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Clean up. I¡¯m on my way.¡± His voice was clear.

    I pocket Marcus¡¯s cell phone, and then pull out my gun. Terrance holds him down and I put a single bullet through his skull.

    ¡°Burn it,¡± I said, leaving the room, and pressing the fire rm as Terrance starts a fire.

    Screams fill the air, and before Terrance and I even make it out, the mes have already engulfed the entire floor. The people who live in the building are all outside, staring up. No one pays us any attention, all caught up in the chaos and drama of their homes being set up in mes. Once it was burned to the ground, I¡¯d build it right back up. Another business opportunitying my way.

 71

    Adide

    I¡¯m pacing the floor waiting for Andrei to either call or to walk right in the front door. My hands shook as I held my cell phone. I hadn¡¯t called him, even though I wanted to. I want to make sure he¡¯s okay.

    Leo won¡¯t leave. I¡¯ve told him not to worry and to do something else, but he won¡¯t listen. He continued to stand guard.

    ¡°Is he okay?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I would have gotten a call if he wasn¡¯t,¡± Leo said.

    ¡°That¡¯s notforting.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down?¡±

    I shake my head. ¡°No. I can¡¯t sit down. Someone shot at us.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Belov knows how to deal with this, Adide. He is perfectly capable.¡±

    ¡°But someone wants him dead.¡± I look at my cell phone, stop, and turn to Leo.

    ¡°Someone always wants him dead.¡±

    Tears fill my eyes. ¡°That isn¡¯t good.¡±

    ¡°I know. This is the life he leads. This is not the first, nor will it be thest attack on his life. This is what happens.¡±

    I move toward the stairs. My legs had started to ache and I dropped down onto the second step. ¡°That¡¯s awful.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s used to it.¡±

    ¡°I highly doubt that. I don¡¯t think anyone in their right mind could get used to having their life constantly in danger.¡± I put my hands on my face and attempt to wipe my eyes, to clear my thoughts, but nothing is happening. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can be so calm.¡±

    ¡°I have no choice,¡± Leo said.

    Alone with him, I feel the guilt at what I did to him. ¡°I never said sorry.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Leo. I betrayed your trust and I am sorry. You must hate me.¡±

    I know I hate myself for doing it. I¡¯d found the sleeping pills days before I had given them to Leo. At first, I¡¯d thrown them in the trash, but then I had the feeling I was going to need them, and I did.

    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡±

    ¡°I hate myself. Drugging you like that was awful. I didn¡¯t even think of Andrei being angry at you.¡±

    ¡°He should have killed me,¡± Leo said.

    ¡°But he didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Because of you,¡± Leo said. ¡°So we¡¯re even.¡±

    This made me want to cry even harder. ¡°Have you ever thought it might be because you¡¯re a good man and soldier to him? Saving you might not have had anything to do with me.¡±

    Leo shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not how this works. Andrei spared my life to help you.¡±

    I still didn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Have you heard anything?¡±

    ¡°Are you not curious as to why?¡±

    I looked at Leo and pursed my lips. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I know why.¡±

    ¡°He loves you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Andrei doesn¡¯t have feelings for me. I¡¯m his wife, and he was forced to marry me.¡±

    Leoughed. ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized yet that Andrei doesn¡¯t do anything he doesn¡¯t want to do?¡±

    ¡°But Ivan is the one in charge.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is, but Andrei didn¡¯t fight him on this, and everything he¡¯s done shows he loves you. He is in love with you.¡±

    I rub at my temple, a little ufortable. ¡°I think you¡¯re wrong.¡±

    ¡°Do you love him?¡± Leo asked.

    ¡°That is none of your business.¡±

    ¡°Funny, I would say you are in love with him because you didn¡¯t want him to leave you.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I was being selfish and I figured if he was with me, he¡¯d be an easier target.¡± It was all lies.

    ¡°No, I believe you love Andrei, and you were terrified of anything happening to him, which is why you begged him not to go back. You are in love with him.¡±

    But that didn¡¯t mean he loved me. I wasn¡¯t one to dwell on old emotions, but years of being second best, constantly made to feel like I didn¡¯t measure up to Bethany¡¯s standards, hit me so fucking hard.

    These feelings were not fair. I didn¡¯t want them. I hated them.

    Bethany wasn¡¯t better than me and I certainly stoppedparing myself. My parents hadn¡¯t loved me. Friends had easily abandoned me for the more fun-loving sister. They never gave me a chance.

    Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried to hold on for dear life because the truth is, I was in love with Andrei. I don¡¯t know if it happened on our honeymoon, or when, but it was there, ringly obvious, and I was unable to deny it.

    He¡¯d somehow gotten under my skin, worked his way into my heart, and now I couldn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee he¡¯ll make it home tonight,¡± Leo said.

    I didn¡¯t like that. He had to.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait right here until he does.¡± I fold my arms determined to wait for my husband.

    Even as I stare at the door, desperate for him to walk through it, I can¡¯t help but be reminded of that moment the gun went off. I¡¯d been so happy. Andrei had wanted to spend the day with me. He¡¯d woken me up this morning, stroking my body, arousing me, getting me ready to take him. He¡¯d made love to me. It had started slow and gentle, but it was like he couldn¡¯t get enough of me, and he¡¯d gotten rough,manding, and I loved every second of it. Even now, I¡¯m sure I can still feel him on me, inside me.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Resting my hands on my thighs, I keep my gaze on the door. After making love, we¡¯d taken a long shower. He¡¯d washed every single inch of my body, taking care of me, before we¡¯d gone down to breakfast. It was while eating my way through a selection of fruit he¡¯d told me I had him for the day. Our house didn¡¯t feel like it, and I knew it was because we had to put our mark on the ce, with furniture. No home wasplete until you made it your own, and that was what I¡¯d been determined to do.

    Even as he griped, I made a note of anything that gained his interest. I¡¯d been able to order a couple ofmps, and he rather liked this globe-shaped liquor cab. I thought it was ugly, but Andrei liked it. I¡¯d hoped he¡¯d put it in his office, but I wouldn¡¯t mind if he asked for it in the sitting room. This was our space.

    Some people would call me crazy. I¡¯d started to set up this life with a guy in the Bratva. I was a normal girl, well, as close to normal having a model mother and a father within media could be.

    He had toe through that door.

    Pressing my lips together, I felt so tired.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch, Adide. Go to bed. Get some sleep.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Adide?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m staying right here.¡±

    Leo stands by the stairs, not moving. Every now and then, he asks me to leave, but I can¡¯t do it. I have to wait. Andrei had to walk through the door.

    I only look away to nce down at my cell phone to see if I¡¯d missed a call. Nothing.

    Waiting is torture. I don¡¯t know how anyone could live like this. The hours ticked on. Leo tried to get me to eat and drink, but I refused. I can¡¯t even stomach food right now.

    The sun sets and the hours continue to tick by. At the sound of a car approaching, I stand up and wait. It could be anyone. The guards changing for the night shift. Andrei. Terrance. Was it Ivan to bring me bad news that he¡¯d not made it?

    Steps sounded through the door and then it opened. I threw myself at Andre, wrapping my arms around him, breathing him in. Holding him, convincing myself that he is in fact real and I¡¯m not imagining it. His arms are so strong as they wrap around me.

    Leo and Terrance disappear as Andrei picked me up and carried me across the room toward his office. Pressing my face against his neck, I smile, just so damn happy he¡¯s here. He¡¯s with me. He¡¯s not going away.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Adide, talk to me.¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ I was scared.¡± He dropped me onto the edge of his desk and I lifted my head to look into his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you.¡± Running my hands down his chest, I rest my palm over his heart.

    ¡°Nothing will happen to me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not invincible, Andrei. Look what happened today.¡±

    ¡°That is business, babe. It¡¯s like that. People want me dead.¡±

    ¡°How can you live like this?¡±

    ¡°I was born living like this. I told you my own father, well, the man who imed to be my father, wanted me dead before I was even born.¡± He cupped my face. ¡°I¡¯m used to this and I know how to survive.¡±

    I press a kiss against his palm. His thumb reached out, stroking across my bottom lip. Opening my lips, I suck his thumb into my mouth, staring into his eyes. He groaned. Sliding my hands down his body, I grab the belt buckle and tug it.

    Andrei doesn¡¯t do anything. He¡¯s leaving me in charge and I take it. Opening the button, then the fly, I shove his trousers down his body and touch him through his boxer briefs. Andrei had been teaching me how to touch him to drive him wild. I knew what his body liked.

    Pushing my hand beneath the boxers, I gave his length a squeeze, and he released a hiss. Slowly, I start to run my hand up and down his length, and now Andrei, not satisfied, grabs my shirt and tugs it open.

    Buttons flew all over the ce and his hands go to my breasts, cupping the mounds. ¡°Fuck me, you¡¯re beautiful.¡±

    His mouth goes to my tits, kissing each curve, before he reached around the back and flicked the catch of my bra. Thece was gone, reced by his hands, cupping my flesh. I don¡¯t stop working his cock, but he pushes my hand out of the way to go for my trousers.

    I have no choice but to push my hands down and lift my ass up so he can get them off, and once again he shreds my panties as if they are nothing. It won¡¯t be long until I no longer have any panties left.

    The moment his palm touches me, I feel my arousal start to peak. He pressed two fingers against my clit, stroking back and forth, making me gasp and moan. This feels so good. I don¡¯t want him to stop. But he does, to push his fingers down to my entrance, and he ms both fingers inside my pussy.

    ¡°So fucking tight.¡± In and out, he pushes inside, working my body to a fever.

    I rock against his hand, and then he kneels down, and his mouth is right on my clit, sucking at it. His teeth are biting down, causing me some pain, but not enough to stop the pleasure. I feel my orgasm start to build. I scream his name, and then his hands are on my waist, pulling me to the edge of the desk.

    ¡°Watch me, beautiful,¡± he said.

    I stare between my legs. He grabbed his hard cock, rubbing the tip against my pussy, sliding up and down my slit, grazing across my clit, which was still so sensitive. I almost can¡¯t take it and then I see him go to my entrance and watch as he disappears inside my body. Inch by inch, I see and feel him. He¡¯s rock hard and so wide.

    When there is nearly half of him inside me, his hands go to my waist, holding me in ce as he ms thest inches inside me, and he goes in deep. I feel him almost at my stomach, he¡¯s thatrge, but it feels good.

    ¡°Lean back. I want to see those tits bounce. Every time I¡¯m working at this desk, I¡¯m going to remember what you look like naked, open, begging for my cock.¡±

    I moan as he pulls out and then ms in deep, taking me by surprise by the sheer depth of his cock. I don¡¯t think I can take much more, but staring into his eyes, I know I can take anything. He starts to pound inside me, fucking me harder, the depth of the thrusts making my tits bounce with each hard push. I loved it.

    ¡°Wrap those legs around me. That¡¯s it, take all of me, Adide,¡± he said.

    I love hearing my name on his lips. I give myself to him, not wanting to be anywhere else but with him. I¡¯m all Andrei¡¯s. He is who I want. Just him, no one else. I don¡¯t know how it happened, and I¡¯m a little afraid at how easy I fell, but there¡¯s no escaping it. I was in love with him.

    I was in love with a monster, but I didn¡¯t care. My only concern now was how to tell him. A new wave of fear hit me. Not of my love for Andrei, but what had happened to me in the past. No one from my past was near me. Not my parents, certainly not my sister. No friends. No Nathan. Nothing. No one. I was all alone. Was it me? Was I unlovable? And that was what held me back. If I told Andrei what I felt, would it push him away?

    No one else mattered to me in the past. They hadn¡¯t touched my heart. I was in love with Andrei Belov, and to even think of him walking away shattered my heart into pieces.

 72

    Andrei

    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t need hard evidence to prove who¡¯s responsible for providing the hit man,¡± Ivan said.

    Edmund was not a guy to do his work by halves. After I got off the phone with him about Bethany, he¡¯d gone and done some digging, had gone as far back as a year ago. When Bethany was engaged to me. Oleg and my ex-fiancee had been meeting up right under my nose. I didn¡¯t care about the betrayal, not of Bethany fucking another man. What I didn¡¯t like was the deception against Ivan.

    All the information was right in front of me this whole time, but I¡¯d been too focused on other details. Ivan¡¯s death, the attacks. At the time when I was engaged to Bethany, I had to deal with her parents, as well as a fallout with the mafia. I¡¯d been in vik¡¯s territory, and that was when Oleg and Bethany had struck.

    I had a feeling their n was to kill me. Bethany was the malicious type. I¡¯d figured she would have poisoned me, and with Oleg¡¯s help, they¡¯d have gained my territory. Framing the mafia in the process.

    ¡°Any word on Nathan?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°Not a word in two days,¡± I said, and even as I hated the son of a bitch for the close rtionship he had with my wife, I also felt responsible for him being missing. The man was a trained, hardened hit man. Edmund had gone hunting for information on him, and even with him being in Oleg¡¯s territory, he¡¯d been able to find out that Nathan had been taken from one of the fighting rings.

    Right now, I was on edge. If Oleg had Nathan, he suspected something, and I put this down to Bethany. She would have been the only one who¡¯d know who Nathan was. Did she know he was a hit man, or was that just a bad coincidence?

    ¡°We¡¯ve got to get Nathan out,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes. Adide would be pissed right about now, but I can safely say she wouldn¡¯t forgive us for getting Nathan killed.¡± Ivan stood, hands on his hips.

    ¡°Us? You care what my wife thinks?¡±

    ¡°Adide is a good woman, Andrei. Why do you think I chose her?¡±

    This made meugh. ¡°You always intended for me to have Bethany. She was far more suited.¡±

    ¡°Really? Is that what you think?¡± Ivanughed. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be this brilliant mind, but there are times I think you¡¯re as thick as a fucking nk.¡±

    I red at him.

    ¡°You think I didn¡¯t know about the little woman you were keeping an eye on? Why you would sneak away in a piece of shit car to blend in with everyone, just so you could have the pleasure of watching her.¡± Ivan rolled his eyes. ¡°Please, you wore your heart on your fucking sleeve. I intended for Adide to be yours from the start. Who do you think put pressure on her father? I don¡¯t need that man or hispany, but it makes it easier to have friends in certain areas. You never know when you might need them, and I wasn¡¯t going to burn bridges. Picking Adide would have been too obvious. Bethany, with all her crap and bullshit, and her addictions, was the obvious call. I just had to wait for her to fuck up, which she did. Her greed was her downfall. What I didn¡¯t anticipate was her hatred of her sister.¡± Ivan sighed. ¡°She probably realizes that Adide was the one most adored. Let¡¯s face it, the only reason her friends abandoned her was because Bethany threatened and ckmailed them. Adide has a natural way about her that draws people to her. Poor woman doesn¡¯t even realize it. Her family fucked her up bad.¡±

    ¡°Have you noticed you¡¯re helping broke and damaged girls?¡± I asked.

    Ivan red at me.

    ¡°First, there¡¯s Aurora. She was considered second best, right? Not worth anyone¡¯s time. Ugly and all that. You gave her to vik. Then Adide, again, ignored, unloved. Pushed to one side as if she didn¡¯t exist. Now we move onto Lottie. Not wanted by her MC president father. Beaten regrly, from what I could tell.¡± I¡¯d seen the scars on Lottie¡¯s body. I had to wonder if Rage knew about them. If he did, my time doing business with him would be numbered. ¡°The three women you originally chose-Irina, Amanda, and Sofia-they¡¯re not even around anymore. They¡¯re socialites, with no real pain or problems.¡±

    ¡°Your point being?¡± Ivan asked.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have a point. I just find it curious is all.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to business. I don¡¯t have time for this.¡± Ivan stared down at the images Edmund had gotten for us. He¡¯d also drawn a whiteboard of time stamps to rify everything. ¡°Oleg has nothing to do with Evil Savages MC, so we can use them. I¡¯ve already set up a meeting with Demon. It goes down tomorrow night. Rage is aware of the details.¡±

    As am I. We¡¯re meeting at the docks, as per Ivan¡¯s instructions. I¡¯d already made the necessary arrangements. Rage heard of Demon¡¯s n to attempt to overthrow me and take back the city, but what his men didn¡¯t know was the suicide mission. He nned to take a group of his men, kill them, make it look like Volkov was responsible, and that would bring his other chapters there toe and fight. Fucking coward.

    I don¡¯t mind taking responsibility for men I¡¯ve killed. They¡¯d probably do a sloppy job of it as well.

    Rage was pissed off, because Demon intended for Lottie to die as well. He wanted to try and frame his daughter so it looked like she was a rat, and that way, when we gave her back, she¡¯d answer to the club. All rats ended up dead. I didn¡¯t like Demon. Never had. We were enemies from the start, and now I was going to take great pleasure in killing the bastard.

    It was a shame he wasn¡¯t going to get to see his club be our allies. I didn¡¯t know how long that wouldst, but I was open to it.

    ¡°With Demon and his followers gone, we need to use the MC to get into Oleg¡¯s territory. It¡¯s the only way to sneak in.¡± Ivan looked at the paperwork.

    ¡°What do you think Oleg wants?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Power. He wants my seat. He didn¡¯t like being a brigadier, and he didn¡¯t like being picked sixth.¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°I had my doubts about him, but he showed loyalty to me. Greed, that nasty fucking bastard, got the better of him. Now he¡¯s going to know real pain.¡±

    ¡°You know he saw the same thirst in Bethany. She has to die.¡±

    ¡°She will. They all will die. All of those that follow Oleg will fucking die.¡± Ivan mmed his palm down on the table. His body was physically shaking with the rage consuming him.

    I stay still, not that I¡¯m afraid, but I know he¡¯s angry. I heard about the redheaded whore who¡¯d turned on him. There were a lot of rumors surrounding Ivan¡¯s fake death, but the only logical exnation was that someone close to him turned on him. Since then, I¡¯d noticed Ivan had withdrawn a great deal. He no longer stopped by for personal visits. He kept to himself. I had to wonder if he still visited vik. I know he went to see Aurora and the baby, but staring at him now, I know something is different. He has changed.

    Ivan lifted up. His hands were clenched into fists and his jaw so tight I thought he was going to snap his teeth.

    ¡°Tell me, Andrei, why are you loyal to me?¡± he asked.

    His words took me by surprise. I didn¡¯t know how to answer them. I stare at Ivan, not exactly sure what he wants to hear.

    ¡°Volkov, what is this about?¡±

    ¡°First Cara, now Oleg, I have to wonder why my men follow me. Is this the start of the end? Is this where people start to turn on me?¡± Ivan asked.

    There was no emotion to his voice, or to his words. He was simply stating a fact. There was ¡­ nothing.

    ¡°I follow you because you¡¯re the right man for the job,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m loyal because unlike other Pakhan, you earned it. You showed me who you are, and you rewarded that loyalty by allowing me to kill the very man that tried to take everything from me. I have no interest in taking your seat, Ivan. I¡¯m happy to keep you in it, and anyone who tries to remove you is my enemy.¡±

    They were not pretty words. They were the truth.

    ¡°Even though I dragged Adide into this world? If it wasn¡¯t for me, she wouldn¡¯t have gotten shot, or lost the baby.¡±

    ¡°Without you, she wouldn¡¯t be in my life. I couldn¡¯t stand Bethany. You knew that, but you had to make it work. Adide is my gift. I see that, Ivan. I will treasure her, always.¡±

    ¡°She has to earn her ce and her ink.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    She hadn¡¯t proven her loyalty yet, but I knew Ivan liked her. Adide hadn¡¯t run scared. She was a fighter, I knew that.

    ¡°I suggest you go to her. There¡¯s nothing more that can be done. We¡¯ve got everything in motion.¡± Ivan pped my shoulder and within half an hour, I¡¯m back in the car, heading home.

    Not to the penthouse. To our country home, with the bedrooms I wanted to fill.

    All I want to do is look at Adide, but I can¡¯t do that, because I¡¯ve not been able to get the security cameras installed. My n was to take her out on a date for an entire day, allow it to be her choice on what we do, and while that was happening, the house would be fully installed, so no matter where I was, I could look at her.

    I missed her.

    Pulling out my cell phone, I go to my images and pull one up of Adide sleeping beside me. She didn¡¯t know I¡¯d taken this. There are a lot of pictures she doesn¡¯t know I¡¯ve taken. Each one near and dear to my heart. I fucking love her so much.

    ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯m so cold.¡±

    I can¡¯t help but remember the moment she copsed in my arms, capturing her the second after she¡¯d been shot. My world felt like it hade crashing down. From the moment I first saw Adide in that alleyway, helping people, she had gotten under my skin. She was the one weakness I had in my life, the one secret I had sessfully kept to myself. Only I hadn¡¯t. Ivan had known. There was no way anyone else had known.

    I¡¯d yed my part well with Bethany. Behind closed doors the truth hade out. Bethany knew I didn¡¯t want her, but she had no idea that I wanted her sister from the start.

    Running a hand down my face, the moment I see my front gates, anticipation rushes through me.

    I want to see my woman, right fucking now.

 73

    Adide

    I didn¡¯t want to love the house, but I do. It¡¯s not too high that I can¡¯t enjoy parts of it. I¡¯ve not gotten a marker to ruin the floor, giving myself a no-go area. It¡¯s childish to still be afraid of heights, but it¡¯s a feeling that has never faded.

    Walking around our house-and it does feel that way-is so freeing. I finally feel like I belong. I don¡¯t care about the guards anymore. At first, seeing them with their weapons on hand was absolutely terrifying. It was a constant reminder every single day of the life I lived. Being a brigadier¡¯s wife, part of the Bratva. There was no getting away from it. This was my life and to be near Andrei, I knew I had no choice but to remain here.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    Whenever I thought of a marriage or a husband, Andrei wasn¡¯t the man that came to mind, but my feelings for him could not be pushed to the side. Even though he had been cold to me in the beginning. I knew I had fallen in love with the attentive, sweet man he had shown me in recent weeks.

    Leo had once told me that Andrei couldn¡¯t afford to be kind. That there were people always looking to hurt, to kill, to take him from me. I couldn¡¯t allow that to happen. It was rare for me to get the opportunity because he always had his guard up, but one lone night, I¡¯d watched him sleep. Seeing him like that, I¡¯d been ovee with a need to protect him, to take care of him. So, regardless of him not loving me, I knew I was going to love him enough for the both of us, and I was happy with that. Content.

    Walking downstairs, I smiled just thinking about him. What was wrong with me? My feelings made no sense at all. I couldn¡¯t wipe the smile from my lips, because it felt so good to finally be able to ept that I was in love with Andrei Belov.

    The front door opened and as if my thoughts conjured him right out of thin air, he moved toward me. There was a look in his eye I¡¯d never seen before, and I didn¡¯t know if I should be afraid of him or not. He stepped up to me, and I didn¡¯t flinch as he raised a hand, and then gripped the back of my neck, tugging me close, and mming his lips down on mine. I gasped, putting my hands on his stomach, and slowly reaching up, wrapping them around his neck.

    He lifted me up as if I weighed nothing and then proceeded to carry me up the stairs toward our bedroom. He kicked the door closed and then let me go on the edge of the bed. Staring up at him, he stepped back, removing his jacket. I stood, and followed his direction, stripping my clothes from my body in time with him. We were both naked, and then our bodies crashed together, the heat radiating between us.

    Andrei¡¯s arms surround me, pulling me close. One gripped my neck, and the other moved down, going toward my ass, which he gripped tightly, making me moan. The hard ridge of his cock pressed against my stomach. I felt the pre-cum as he was so slick. He moved me back, so I had no choice but to fall to the bed, and he pressed me down, breaking the kiss as he trailed his lips down my neck. He didn¡¯t waste time, going from my pulse down toward my breasts.

    He pressed them together and I loved it when he didn¡¯t seem to be able to get enough of me. It was a heady experience. He sucked at each of my nipples in turn,vishing each one with attention, making me crave him even more. I was hungry for more of him. I didn¡¯t want it to stop, but Andrei had other ideas. He kissed down my body, going toward my pussy. Even before he got there, my legs were open to amodate his body, and he groaned. His hands went to my knees and hovered just above my sex. ¡°Fuck, I love your pussy,¡± he said.

    I smiled and then cried out as his lips went straight to my clit, sucking at the swollen bud. It felt so good.

    He moved down, going to my cunt, plunging his tongue inside, once, twice, three times, before moving up, going to my clit. Each touch brought me closer to orgasm. With his tongue on my nub, he used his fingers to plunge inside, stretching me out, making me moan and beg for more. I couldn¡¯t control it.

    There was no holding back as he hurtled me toward an orgasm that shook me right to my core. Even before my release was over, he moved up between my thighs, and I felt him as he mmed inside me.

    This wasn¡¯t gentle. This was consuming.

    He took me so hard and so strong. Grabbing my hands and pressing them either side of my head, holding me down as he fucked me hard. I wrapped my legs around his waist and whimpered his name, wanting him, craving him. I was drunk on my need for him.

    Andrei fucked me harder, mming into me, going as deep as possible, his gaze on me as he took me. Something shone within his gaze. I didn¡¯t know what it was, but he didn¡¯t look away. I was his sole focus and I loved it.

    ¡°You¡¯re so fucking beautiful.¡± He growled out thest. His face pressed against my neck as he found release. It was over so quick, it took me by surprise. We¡¯re both panting and his weight is on me, but I love the feel of him. He still held my hands down and I licked my lips. ¡°I¡¯m not done with you yet,¡± he said.

    I loved the sound of that.

    He lifted his head to look at me. He released one of my hands to capture my cheek. Did he want to say something? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on but then he brushes his lips against mine, and everything fades away.

    Andrei doesn¡¯t pull out of me and I moan as he presses deep within me again. I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s possible, but he is still hard.

    Time passes. Neither of us speak.

    He kissed me again, slowly this time. There was no rush in his movements and I¡¯m addicted to the feel of it. I don¡¯t want him to stop. I want to be with him sopletely. I wonder if there was a way for us to freeze in time in this moment, where there is nothing bad about to happen. We don¡¯t need any more heartache. We¡¯re together and it is calm and peaceful. We have each other and nothing could ever go wrong.

    ¡°I ¡­ I¡­¡± I don¡¯t know if I can say the words. Would heugh and mock me? ¡°I enjoy living here, Andrei. Thank you for buying this house.¡±

    It¡¯s not what I truly wished to say, and he looked at me with such disappointment. Was he hoping I¡¯d tell him I loved him? That I wanted to stay with him?

    I¡¯m so confused.

 74

    Twenty-four Hours Later

    I don¡¯t know what happened. One moment Leo and I were driving back home after going to the shelter, and the next moment, our car was being forced off the road. Tears flood my eyes as I recalled what happened next.

    Leo had gotten out of the wreck first, and then helped me. The seat belt had been stuck, and I¡¯d been upside down. He¡¯d warned me that the moment he cut the belt, I was going to fall and I had to break it somehow, which I did. Again, it was all a bit fuzzy. He¡¯d pulled me from the wreck, but the danger hadn¡¯t ceased. We¡¯d been forced off the road for a reason. They¡¯d shot Leo, four times. His body jerked with each bullet and I¡¯d screamed. He¡¯d tried to protect, ordered me to run, which I had done without question.

    I had so much guilt when it came to him, that to disobey him just didn¡¯t sit well with me. So I ran, until someone shoved me to the earth, pulling my arms behind my back, and then forcing my head down. His hand had covered my mouth, preventing my screams. I couldn¡¯t recall a time I¡¯d been so afraid before. Even my wedding night hadn¡¯t left me like this.

    Bound up, stuffed in the back of a truck, I scented the oil and gas that surrounded me. No one was in the back with me. I was alone. They¡¯d put a gag in my mouth, and a horrible bag that smelled like rotten fish on my head. My heart raced and the urge to vomit came over me multiple times. I couldn¡¯t believe this was happening.

    Justst night I thought about how peaceful it was. How much I wanted to stay within our tight little bubble where nothing would go wrong, and now I¡¯m with an enemy of Andrei¡¯s. Or was it Andrei?

    I didn¡¯t know anymore.

    I curled up into a tighter ball, trying to control my fear. I wasn¡¯t just a random woman off the streets. My life, my name, I¡¯m connected to the most feared Bratva in the country, and I wouldn¡¯t let my husband down by showing fear.

    Letting the tears dry, I attempted to calm myself by deep breathing, by trying to convince myself that everything was going to be okay. Andrei woulde and find me, but why would he? If I was with his enemy, he¡¯d be able to get rid of me.

    Ignoring the horrible thoughts running through my head, I attempted to focus on the now. On listening to the van as it moved.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be fine. I¡¯m going to be fine.¡±

    I didn¡¯t believe a word I was saying. How could I? We¡¯d been traveling for a long time. I wasn¡¯t a fool. The longer we traveled, the further from home I got.

    What about Leo? Was he alive or dead? He fought so hard for me, ordering me to leave so that I could be safe. Did they mean to harm him, or was I the target? I had so many questions. No answers. Andrei had warned me that I¡¯d be the enemy, and people would want to hurt me just because I was associated with him. I had believed him, but I figured it wasn¡¯t important. It was now.

    Why hadn¡¯t I thought about defending myself? Why did I have to be weak? I hated myself in that moment. I was so damn tired of being like this. If I made it out alive, I¡¯d make sure I found the means to protect myself.

    Closing my eyes, I waited for the journey to end, hoping I¡¯d understand what was going on and why I was taken. Part of me hoped Andrei was doing this as a test, to show me that I could be hurt at a moment¡¯s notice. If so, I was going to be pissed with him.

    The van came to a slow stop. The small jerk of the vehicle let me know the hand brake had been applied. Fear raced down my spine and threatened to cause me a panic attack. I couldn¡¯t allow that to happen. I needed to be calm. I felt anything but calm.

    I heard voices and then the door to the van slid open, and I was pulled out of it. Their grip was so tight, there would be bruises. I was pushed to the floor and then the hood that bound my head was removed. Keeping my gaze on the floor, I clenched my hands into fists. No one within the Bratva showed weakness or fear. I wasn¡¯t going to let Andrei down now, and slowly I lifted my head.

    I became aware of three things. One, my very best friend Nathan was hung from a chain. Two cuffs were wrapped around his wrists, another his neck, and he was bleeding. There were marks all over his body and I didn¡¯t know what could have caused it. The second, my sister, looking like a queen. She had this smug smile on her face that usually meant there was going to be trouble. Three, a man I vaguely remember being at my wedding. I think he was one of the brigadiers, but I didn¡¯t know which one. There was a simr tattoo that Andrei had across his knuckles, but this man had it around his neck.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, sis? Shocked?¡±

    Ignoring Bethany, I focused on the man by her side.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°So this is the woman that will bring Andrei in line?¡± he said,ing a bit closer. I didn¡¯t like the way he looked at me, almost assessing in his gaze, as if he saw something he didn¡¯t like.

    The closer he got, the stronger the impulse to hurt him became. If my sister was involved, this couldn¡¯t be good.

    ¡°You¡¯ve not had any work done,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oleg, enough, please, she¡¯s not worth your time, other than to get Andrei here. Trust me, she is the key.¡±

    Oleg Pavlov, one of Ivan¡¯s brigadiers. I don¡¯t know his story or why my sister is working for or with him, but either way I knew this was bad. So fucking bad.

    ¡°What lies has my sister told you?¡± I asked.

    Heughed. ¡°So she does speak.¡±

    ¡°Whatever she has told you, trust me, it won¡¯t end well for you.¡±

    ¡°Shut your fucking mouth,¡± Bethany said, advancing toward me.

    ¡°What is it you want now?¡± I asked. ¡°Money? Drugs? A ce as a brigadier¡¯s wife? You threw all of that away in a goddamn orgy.¡±

    Bethany went to attack me but Oleg stopped her, shoving her back. ¡°Enough.¡±

    My sister obeyed, which was a shock to me. She never did anything for anyone. He¡¯d denied her the pleasure of hurting me, which told me something even more terrifying was in store.

    ¡°Be strong, Adide,¡± Nathan said.

    My gaze jerked to his and I cried out as someone struck a whip right across his body.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like that, do you?¡± Bethany said. ¡°The same is going to happen to you.¡±

    ¡°Let him go,¡± I said, ignoring Bethany, pleading with Oleg. ¡°I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s here. Why are you doing this?¡±

    Oleg tutted and came closer. ¡°No, I don¡¯t suppose you do know anything about this. Thrown into this world because your sister couldn¡¯t keep her legs shut.¡± He held his hand up as Bethany attempted to yell at him. ¡°You¡¯re a slut and don¡¯t even pretend to be anything but.¡± He turned to re and snap at her, before bringing his attention back to me. ¡°But you, now you have been a bit of a mystery. Andrei has never shown a single moment of weakness, until you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nothing,¡± I said.

    Heughed again.

    ¡°If you think you can use me to get Andrei to bow down to you, or give you what you want, you¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯m nothing to him. He was forced to marry me.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, it took some convincing, but I have known Andrei Belov for many years. The moment you walked into a room, his gaze was on you. At your wedding, you were never out of his sight, and then of course was the rumor that he wouldn¡¯t even allow a guard to get close to you. I can see why.¡± His gaze roamed down my body.

    ¡°She¡¯s a fat fucking bitch. Don¡¯t you look at her like that!¡±

    Oleg stood and backhanded my sister. ¡°Do not ever disrespect me again. Your ce is to be silent, or I will send you to sleep with my dogs, understood?¡±

    Blood seeped at the corner of Bethany¡¯s mouth, and I kept my gaze on Oleg. I didn¡¯t know what the hell was going to happen. Leo was hurt badly. Nathan, I don¡¯t even know why he was here, but he was also bleeding. This was a trap. Andrei wasn¡¯t going toe and save me. He had his whole territory to think about.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for us to send a message to Andrei,¡± he said.

    He clicked his fingers to a soldier and ordered him toe closer.

    I didn¡¯t like this.

    Nathan started to thrash in his binds and I watched as they covered his mouth,nding blows to his body. This couldn¡¯t be good. My hands were still tied. I couldn¡¯t fight back.

    Oleg moved behind me and pulled me to my feet by my hair. A scream left my lips, and then he hit me hard, sending me to the floor, dazed. He wasn¡¯t done with me as he pulled me to my feet once again. I couldn¡¯t stop the yelp as he pulled at my hair again.

    ¡°Andrei, I¡¯ve got your pretty little wife. I suggest youe and get her, because she¡¯s just too tempting to ignore.¡± His hand ran down the front of my body, and this time I did scream. I didn¡¯t stop, trying to fight against him, begging him to stop.

    I hated myself, especially when he threw me to the floor, and then he was on top of me. Keeping my legs together, I looked at him with fear. His hands went to my neck and he started to choke me. I struggled against him, fighting with all my might, desperate for him to let me go, and when he did, I sucked oxygen into my mouth. Deep and hard, and desperate.

    ¡°He¡¯s not going toe,¡± I said between pants. ¡°Andrei will nevere for me. He won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°We will see.¡±

 75

    Andrei

    Oleg had taken up residence on the border between our territories.

    I wasn¡¯t there to stop the attack. Rage had gotten word to us that Demon had changed the n, brought it forward by a day. While my wife had been hunted down, I¡¯d been with Ivan, watching as Demon and the rest of his men took theirst breath. The deal was done. Rage, while I watched, was voted by his club to take over as President of the Evil Savages MC. To start peace once again between the club and Ivan, there was going to be a wedding. Lottie would be marrying Ivan¡¯s brigadier of choice, and as they were shaking hands, I got the call.

    Leo had told me what happened. Told me his exact location where they¡¯d been pushed off the road, but Leo hadn¡¯t stopped. He¡¯d followed them, giving me the ce where Oleg had taken Adide. My wife. The love of my life.

    Ivan was with me, as was Terrance and even vik. They were there as I watched the video Oleg sent to me. I was already near him and my grip tightened on the cell phone. My hands were still covered in blood. Ivan and vik said nothing to me.

    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± I said, finally speaking up. ¡°I don¡¯t care what I have to do to make amends, I will kill him. He will die tonight.¡± He hurt Adide.

    Ivan nodded his head. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know vik and I are with you. We will have to be careful about this.¡±

    I shake my head. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You want Adide toe out of this alive?¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°He wants my territory. Mine is the border between the MC, the mafia, and the Cartel. That¡¯s what he wants. He¡¯s probably in talks with them to broker some kind of deal.¡± I¡¯d already figured out what Oleg wanted-power and money.

    Attempting to remove Ivan gave him a shot at the crown, at the title of Pakhan. By taking mynd, it would connect him to Ive¡¯s, which would bind three territories to him, and a whole host of power. vik¡¯s would be the hardest to take over as his was the most obscure. I guess he didn¡¯t see Victor or Peter as any real threat.

    My hands shook with anger. Adide had once again been hurt. I would kill everyone involved with her death, including Bethany.

    It didn¡¯t take a genius to work out that she was the one who pointed at Nathan, told of his true identity. I wonder if she even knew he was a hit man. Either way, she would have figured out he was working for us, and that would have put him in danger as well as Adide. Bethany was going to die today. It would seem today was a day for spilling blood. My enemy¡¯s blood.

    ¡°I go in first and alone,¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s suicide,¡± vik said. ¡°We can storm the whole building.¡±

    ¡°No. That would put Adide at risk.¡±

    ¡°Our main objective is to take out Oleg.¡±

    ¡°If Aurora was in there, would you storm the fucking building?¡± I snarl.

    vik reached for his knife but I was ready and prepared.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Ivan yelled. ¡°No one is dying today, apart from Oleg and those who follow him. I will not risk Adide. Andrei is right, he doesn¡¯t know you and I are here. He will want to gloat, to bring Andrei to his knees, and you will let him.¡±

    I look at Ivan.

    ¡°He needs to believe you came alone. That you are desperate for Adide.¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± I said, through gritted teeth. ¡°She cannot¡­¡± I have never begged for anything in my life. I¡¯ve always been in control, but this wasn¡¯t about me, this was about Adide. ¡°Please don¡¯t let anything happen to her. She is ¡­ let her live in peace if I don¡¯t make it out today.¡± I lifted my head and stared at Ivan. ¡°I beg you.¡±

    Ivan looked at me. ¡°You really do love her.¡±

    ¡°She is mine.¡± That was all I could say. Adide was mine. Mine to love. Mine to cherish. Mine to honor. Mine to obey. All fucking mine. No one else¡¯s. I was hers in every single way possible.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go and get your woman.¡±

    We found Leo in a ditch, far enough away from the abandoned farm where Oleg had taken her. There was an outbuilding that had beenpletely rebuilt, and looked like it had been changed to have storage.

    Leo was pale, bleeding badly, and I knew he wasn¡¯t going to make it.

    ¡°I failed you.¡±

    I took his hand within mine. His grip was weak.

    ¡°It has been an honor to serve you, Andrei,¡± he said.

    He died right in front of me. I would take care of his family. Even though Adide had been taken from him, he had died serving me, and that couldn¡¯t be ignored. If he¡¯d gone to the hospital, there would have been a chance for him, but instead, he¡¯d followed my wife.

    Nodding at vik and Ivan, I expected them to do their part. I stepped away from the ditch, brushed the dirt from my body, and covered in dried blood, I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt.

    I was Andrei Belov, brigadier to Ivan Volkov and husband to Adide. My enemies would know real pain tonight.

    Approaching the building, I see three of his men tense up and point their guns at me. Linking my fingers together, I raise them behind my head and look at them dead on. They were going to die.

    They approached me and started to search my body, looking for weapons. They wouldn¡¯t find any, and they¡¯d have to chop off my hands because my fists were all that I needed.

    One of the men moved behind me, nudging at my back with his gun, forcing me inside. Entering the building, I saw that I was right. It still had the original features of a barn, but it had been converted to a storage room. There were concrete floors, high beams, and the windows were quite high as well.

    I saw Adide on the floor and Oleg had a gun pointed at her head. I saw the bruise on her face but what surprised me was the shock in her eyes.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you so soon,¡± Oleg said.

    ¡°My man called me the moment you left,¡± I said. I tutted. ¡°I always knew you were sloppy, Oleg, but leaving my man alive, that was your mistake.¡±

    I tensed up as he grabbed a fistful of Adide¡¯s hair and pulled her to her feet. His arm went across her neck, holding her against him. I should have known he¡¯d make a move like that. The fucker was a coward. He¡¯d pay for each bruise.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a pretty wife, Andrei. How about I fuck her right in front of you?¡±

    This time, I went to charge forward but one of his men shoved the butt of his gun into my stomach, forcing me to my knees.

    Olegughed. ¡°Did you know your wife didn¡¯t think you¡¯de? She doesn¡¯t realize that you¡¯re in love with her. That you would die for her. That you would give up your entire territory for her.¡±

    I lifted my head but I didn¡¯t look at Oleg, I stared at Adide.

    ¡°Andrei, please?¡±

    ¡°I am in love with you, Adide. I have been for a long time,¡± I said.

    She gasped.

    ¡°The moment Ivan gave you to me was the happiest fucking day of my life.¡± I turned to Bethany and snorted. ¡°Still enjoying my sloppy seconds, I see. Trust me, the only thing she can do is suck dick.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you, you piece of shit. You didn¡¯t even want a piece of this.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, you weren¡¯t worth using,¡± I said, but I had also just gotten Bethany to admit in front of her sister that I had never slept with her, nor would I ever.

    Turning to Oleg, I wait. ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I want you to kill yourself.¡±

    ¡°Too much of a fucking coward to do it yourself?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, no, I want Adide to know how much you love her, what you¡¯re willing to do for her. How low you¡¯re willing to go. Take off your shirt.¡±

    ¡°Andrei, please don¡¯t.¡±

    I unbuttoned my shirt and a knife was tossed in my direction. Picking up the knife, I looked at Adide. I hold the knife to the flesh of my arm, and slice down. There¡¯s pain, but I don¡¯t show any.

    ¡°We met before,¡± I said. ¡°A few years before you became my wife. I had been in a fight, I was cut, and hurt. You were with some nurses, helping the homeless, and I had stopped to rest. You came to me, Adide. You helped me when no one else did, and I fell in love with you then. You wanted me to go to the hospital. You feared what would happen to the wound if I didn¡¯t.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°That was you?¡± she asked.

    I nodded. ¡°I love you, Adide,pletely.¡±

    ¡°Then stab yourself,¡± Oleg said. ¡°Show how pathetic Ivan Volkov¡¯s men are. Let me see how weak you are.¡±

    I lifted the knife, ready to plunge it into my body. I knew where to hit so it wouldn¡¯t damage any organs or risk my life, but I didn¡¯t need to.

    vik and Ivan stormed into the building and I chose themotion to charge forward, taking Oleg down. Adide fell and even as I wanted to go to her, I couldn¡¯t. Punching Oleg, Inded blow after blow. He didn¡¯t get a single chance to hit me back.

    Suddenly, a scream erupted in the air, stopping me. Oleg shoved me back. He was too weak for me to care about, but I saw that Bethany had grabbed my wife by her hair and pointed a very shaking gun at her head.

    ¡°She will die if you don¡¯t do as I say,¡± Bethany said.

    Her pupils were dted. She was high on drugs and her hand shook so damn badly.

    Adide¡¯s gaze was on me. Every now and then, she had no choice but to close her eyes because of the grip Bethany had.

    I was trying to figure out how to save Adide, when I noticed her arm. Her hands were still tied together, but she shoved her elbow, jarring her sister in the ribs, causing Bethany to stumble. There wasn¡¯t much time. The gun dropped to the floor, and Adide was able to overpower Bethany.

    I grabbed the gun, shot Oleg between the eyes, and then pointed the gun at Bethany. I knew if I didn¡¯t kill her sister right then and there, she would keeping after Adide. I made the decision.

    Adide could hate me, but enough pain and heartache hade to her life. With a single shot, I ended Bethany, right between the brows.

    Adide, covered in blood, gasped and quickly jerked away from her sister. She got to her feet and turned to look at me. Her eyes were wide, but she rushed and stumbled against me. She copsed in my arms, tried to hold onto me, but the rope around her wrists stopped her. Ivan handed me a knife, and I sliced through the rope. She wrapped her arms around me, and I held her tightly.

    ¡°I love you,¡± she said. ¡°I love you so much but I was so afraid to tell you.¡± She started to sob.

    ¡°I had to kill her,¡± I said. ¡°She was going to keeping after you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care.¡± She pulled away and held up my arms. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do this.¡±

    I cupped her face, tilting her head back. ¡°Don¡¯t you realize it yet?¡± I asked. ¡°I love you. I will do anything for you. No matter what.¡±

    ¡°Well, that was rather ¡­ fucking boring,¡± Ivan said. He tutted and then looked to Nathan. ¡°I better deal with him.¡±

    ¡°Why is Nathan here?¡± Adide asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s a long fucking story.¡±

    ¡°I have all day until we get home.¡±

    Home sounded so good right now.

 76

    Adide

    Nathan was a hit man who now worked for Ivan Volkov. Andrei had been right. Nathan had nearly be Oleg¡¯s trusted ally when Bethany ruined it, telling Oleg exactly who he was.

    Nathan had been tortured but had refused to give any information away. He was supposed to die with me in that converted barn.

    My parents mourned Bethany¡¯s passing. I did have a lunch with my mother where she proceeded to tell me in detail what a huge disappointment I was. How ugly I was. How she wished she¡¯d never given birth to me. That was thest day I had seen her, and I¡¯d asked Andrei never to help my parents again. It may seem bitter, but they didn¡¯t deserve it.

    Andrei left them for Ivan to deal with.

    As for the sixth territory, Ivan had yet to pick a recement and was currently dealing with all of Oleg¡¯s fuck-ups-Andrei¡¯s words, not mine.

    Me? Well, I stared down at the ink I¡¯d gotten. I don¡¯t know what I had done for Ivan to decide that I was now under theplete protection of the Volkov Bratva, but I had the same ink around my wrist as Aurora, the same ink that was on Andrei¡¯s knuckles-ivy surrounding a V. I liked it. Every now and then, it caught my eye and made me smile.

    ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± Andrei asked,ing back to the beach.

    Ivan had allowed us the use of his ind once again. He knew about the news I wanted to tell Andrei, and had insisted we use his ind.

    Tucking my hair behind my ear, I smile up at him. ¡°Can¡¯t I just be happy?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re surrounded by the ocean. We¡¯ve had peace and quiet all day. I¡¯ve made love to you every single chance I¡¯ve had.¡±

    He moved in close to me and I press my hand against his chest, crawling on hisp, straddling his waist. I feel the hard ridge of his cock as he pressed between my thighs. I kiss his lips and trail them back toward his ear.

    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant,¡± I said.

    Andrei cups my head, pulling my face back enough to look into my eyes. ¡°Pregnant?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He releases my face and puts his hands on top of my stomach. ¡°Our baby?¡±

    I nod. My throat feels tight as I watch him.

    ¡°I love you, Adide,¡± he said.

    I would never get tired of hearing that. ¡°And I love you too.¡±

    Epilogue

    Adide

    Five Years Later

    I never knew being married could be so amazing. Being Andrei Belov¡¯s wife didn¡¯te without its problems. He was the brigadier to Ivan Volkov. His life was constantly in danger.

    ¡°Daddy!¡±

    Spinning around toward the back of the house, I smile as soon as I see Andrei. His son, Phillip, immediately charges toward him.

    Seeing father and son always made me melt on the spot. Andrei had been so terrified of being a bad father. He¡¯d told me about his past. About what his father, who wasn¡¯t his father, had done to him. The price he had to pay for his mother¡¯s mistake.

    I yearned for the small boy, wanting to take care of him myself, so I helped the man. I helped Andrei to realize that he wasn¡¯t going to be like his father. He was a better man. A kinder man.

    When I gave birth to Phillip, he¡¯d been so afraid to hold him. He feared dropping him, but once I showed him that he would give the world to Phillip, there was no stopping him. He helped with feedings, being there, giving me time to rest. The only job he tried to get out of was changing diapers, but I wouldn¡¯t allow that.

    He was involved in every single step of raising Phillip, and he had not once raised his fist to our son.

    Phillip was a good boy. Resting my hand on my swollen stomach, I wondered if Andrei would be the same with our little girl.

    He didn¡¯t want me to get pregnant again. Giving birth had been a bit of a nightmare for him. He threatened all the doctors and nurses, who were only doing their jobs. As for me, I¡¯d been in pain, but that had faded the moment Phillip was in my arms.

    Andrei didn¡¯t forget.

    He lifted Phillip, putting a kiss on his cheek before letting him down. Our son knew not toe between me and his father. It was the only time Andrei had scolded our son. No one, not even our children, woulde between us.

    Andrei wrapped his arms around me and kissed me. Even though his soldiers were near, he didn¡¯t care. He loved me.

    When he pulled away, I opened my eyes.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Better.¡± I smiled up at him.

    ¡°I missed you,¡± he said.

    ¡°You only went to get Anna and the kids,¡± I said.

    Anna had be my friend. I was not sure if Andrei was happy about that. He had promised me it was only because he was jealous and didn¡¯t want to share me. Not that I minded. There were times I loved having Anna over, because when she went home, he would be so possessive. Making love to me, marking me, telling me how much he loved me, and making me his all over again.

    Only this time, Anna wasn¡¯t alone. vik and Aurora hade for a rare visit, and so had Ivan. We had more guests arriving as well.

    This was our family. We were not rted by blood, but we were here by choice, and I chose Andrei Belov.

    ****

    Andrei

    I hated having people at the house.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    Adide wasn¡¯t mine when we had guests. She was the perfect hostess. I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off her.

    Pregnancy suited her well, and for that, I was relieved. I had been a good boy these past five years. After Phillip¡¯s birth, I had sworn to never get her pregnant again. Standing behind her, holding her hands, hearing her screams, the pain in her voice. It would stay with me forever, and what made it worse, I¡¯d been the one to cause that. I hated myself with a passion.

    Making love to her, wearing a condom, wasn¡¯t easy. I loved feeling her wrapped around me. It was only a matter of time before she caught again, and she had done so, and now we were expecting a little girl.

    I didn¡¯t know if I could handle another pregnancy. Watching Adide in pain nearly destroyed me, and that was putting it mildly. I couldn¡¯t handle it, even though after she held Phillip, she seemed to be so fucking happy, like a moment before she¡¯d not felt torn in two.

    ¡°You¡¯re quiet,¡± Adide said as I made my way into the bedroom that night.

    I stay quiet until I get to her and climb in the bed, resting my hand on her swollen stomach.

    ¡°What about caesarean? I asked.

    ¡°Andrei, I can do this. I can have this baby.¡±

    Lifting my hand to her cheek, I stared into her pretty eyes, stroking my thumb across her lips. ¡°I know, I just ¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can stand it.¡±

    She covered my hand with her own and smiled at me. ¡°You can handle this, and you will.¡± She pressed her lips to mine and I breathed her in.

    When we¡¯re in the confines of our bedroom, away from prying eyes, I allow Adide to see, to feel, to have absolutely no doubt how I feel about her. Too many people knew too much already. I couldn¡¯t risk her or our son, and now our daughter.

    ¡°I love you, My Adide.¡±

    ¡°I am yours, only ever yours.¡± She leaned in close and when I kiss her lips, I know I¡¯m the happiest man in the world.

    The woman I¡¯d been searching for was finally mine.

    The End of second  book.

 77 (Prologue of book three )

    Prologue

    Lottie

    There are many rumors surrounding my conception. It¡¯s rather strange to think about, especially as I stood between Rage and my husband, and their enemies. My life hung in the bnce. I shouldn¡¯t have been taken, I know that. I¡¯d been in the wrong ce at the wrong time. The story of my life. The mistake.

    One of the rumors: I was the daughter of a rat, a woman who intended to spill the Evil Savages MC club secrets. My father, Demon, who is now deceased, killed her and took me in, which is why he hated me so much. The other tale was that my father had fallen in love with a woman. I¡¯m not quite sure if she was a club whore or someone who had nothing to do with the club. She died giving birth to me, and as she passed in Demon¡¯s arms, his hatred for me was cemented.

    My father is dead. His legacy of hatred for me lived inside myself.

    Staring across the dirt, I looked at Ive, my husband. His real name is Ivan, but he never used that name since his boss, Ivan Volkov, had the same first name. He changed his to make life easier, or so he said.

    Each side had guns. Rage and Ive on one side.

    Their enemies, I¡¯m notexactly sure of their names, are who I have to thank for the blurry vision, broken ankle, and broken wrist, which I hold against my chest.

    It¡¯s strange. I¡¯d not been beaten by my father for some time, and yet, when the pain had started once again by my captives, I¡¯d retreated back to that special ce.

    Ive never missed. He told me that.

    From the moment I understood who I was, what I was, Iknew I¡¯d die young. Demon¡¯s temper made sure I knew that. I couldn¡¯t help but feel sad and angry at the same time. I expected to die young. I was nothing. I was trash. Why had I been allowed to be happy? This wasn¡¯t fair. I didn¡¯t want to know what I was missing out on.

    Ive was not a nice man. He was cruel and had a temper, but he was the kindest person I¡¯d ever met, which said a lot. Before him, Rage and Cassie were the only two people who were nice to me.

    ¡°Lottie!¡±

    As if my thoughts had conjured her, Isaw a car pull up, and there was my beautiful sister. I heard the panic in her voice, and I knew why. I was standing between two sides at war, with guns raised. The moment they started to shoot or if I moved, I was going to die. My heart raced and I felt sick to my stomach.

    ¡°You¡¯re Volkov now, Charlotte. That means nothing will ever happen to you again.¡±

    I¡¯d believed him.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    Looking away from my sister, I turned to Ive. We couldn¡¯t stand here forever. For one, my feet were getting tired. I couldn¡¯t stand on one foot forever. Two, I couldn¡¯t be selfish.

    The moment I put pressure on my broken ankle, I wouldn¡¯t make it. I couldn¡¯t run to him, I couldn¡¯t do anything. They knew it. When they did the damage to my body, they hadughed, knowing it was going to be the end for me.

    Atleast I had memories. Christmases. Valentine¡¯s Day. Halloween. Thanksgiving. Even a couple of summers of being happy. I could live with that. It was better than nothing.

    The one thing I know from my shortexistence: life is real fucking cruel.

    I took that forward step, but my ankle couldn¡¯t take the weight. I screamed, but the sound was drowned out by gunshots.

    Chapter One

    Ive

    Three Years Earlier

    I didn¡¯t want to get married.

    Not that I had anything against women, I just ¡­ didn¡¯t want to marry one. I loved having my freedom. There were plenty of women avable and I¡¯d never considered myself a monogamous man. I loved variety. Also, if I saw a lot of women, none of them ever had any delusions that they were anything more than willing flesh.

    Yet, here I stood, on my wedding day, staring down the aisle, trying to control my anger.

    Ivan Volkov had my loyalty. I would die for him. I would do anything for him. If he told me to takea bullet, I wouldn¡¯t even hesitate. My life waspletely indebted to him. When he told me I¡¯d be marrying the unwanted daughter of a previous Evil Savages MC club President, I had hoped it was a joke. I knew he¡¯d gotten vik married, as well as Andrei, but not me. I¡¯d been next.

    Running a hand down myface, I check to make sure there are no visible threats. A wedding was supposed to be a joyful event, but with Ivan in my territory, and being the man he was, he had a lot of enemies. Myself included. Some people were stupid and there had been incidences of attacks at events like this.

    I didn¡¯t care if my wedding didn¡¯t go quite as nned. I had a feeling if I allowed my wife-to-be, Charlotte-or Lottie, as she insisted on being called-to die, Ivan would be pissed.

    Ivan always had his own agenda. Sometimes he shared it with people, most of the time, he didn¡¯t. We were all pawns in his game, and I didn¡¯t mind that.

    Ivan had taken back the Bratva, destroyed everything his previous father and members had believed, and made it his own. He¡¯d adapted.

    He¡¯d proven himself time and time again, that he was a force to be reckoned with. It¡¯s why I¡¯d protect him with my life. Ivan was cruel, malicious, and at times evil to the core, but only to those that deserved it. When the rumor of his death had run through my territory and word had gotten to me, I¡¯d been lost. That was the truth. I¡¯d been fucking lost. He was our leader, our boss, and without him, I knew it would only be a matter of time before the Volkov Bratva fell. My only concern at the time was to try and keep everything Ivan had built, secure.

    Hearing his voice over the phone shouldn¡¯t have been a joy to me, but it had been. I never considered myself capable of love. I couldn¡¯t love, I didn¡¯t know how. It wasn¡¯t something I was built to do. If I did know what it felt like, at that moment, it was the closest I¡¯d evere to it. No doubt about it.

    ¡°You look nervous.¡±

    I turned to see vik approach. It was rare for vik Ivanov to be in my territory but here he was. The first brigadier to be married off. From what my sources tell me, he¡¯s a very happily married man. Of course there are always mixed rumors. Considering Aurora was still alive, and they had recently had a child together, I would say the happily married man rumors were more urate.

    One of thefew things I prided myself on was my power of observation, and I knew vik was happy with his wife. Powerful men had to be subtle while out in public. The way whenever Aurora was near, vik would touch her. A small caress to the wrist, the gentle touch to her back, even the way he would graze her knee with his own. Of course, the smile Aurora often gave to vik. His serious expression never wavered, but it was in his eyes. Always in his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing to be nervous about,¡± I said. There wasnothing for me to worry about. Charlotte was who I had to marry. This was my job. Ivan wanted to create peace with the Evil Savages MC, more specifically Rage, who was now President of the club, and I had no doubt wasn¡¯t going to make life easy for us.

    The Evil Savages MC had always been a thorn in my side, and would continue to be. They were not the first MC and I doubt would be thest to attempt to take more territory or to invade our turf without an invite. There was going to be a war between us-the more important question was when.

    I was growing bored with waiting for my intended bride. Charlotte would be easy to train. If shestepped out of line, she¡¯d be thrown into one of my dungeons or caves. I possessed quite a few of them. Over the year I¡¯de to see the power of istion, especially as a tool.

    Most people didn¡¯t realize how crazy they could get by being forced alone, especially when I exposed them to the elements, or better yet, utter darkness and rodents. It was something I¡¯d learned to embrace.

    Some might say I have a screw loose in the head, but really, I¡¯m a natural born survivor. It¡¯s what Ivan had said to me often. No one fucked with me and if they even dared to, they often ended up begging a lot sooner than I anticipated. I liked to have fun.

    ¡°Nothing to be nervous about. You¡¯re about to be married. Bringing two warring families together, and you¡¯re not worried.¡±

    Looking at vik, I don¡¯t smile. There¡¯s no way for me to smile. I¡¯m not happy, nor am I sad.

    ¡°This is the job, Ivanov. You know this.¡±

    vik forced a smile to his lips and gently bowed, before stepping back. He was pissed off, but I didn¡¯t care. There was no reason for us to have a polite conversation.

    Staring across the church, I notice the MC are getting antsy. I totally understand. I¡¯m tempted to nce down at the time, but I don¡¯t do that either. I refuse to show any kind of weakness.

    Where the fuck was Charlotte? I refuse to call her Lottie. It¡¯s not her name. It sounded childish to me, like someone couldn¡¯t be bothered to say her actual name. I also notice Ivan Volkov is nowhere to be found. There was only one other ce for him to be and that meant he was with my soon-to-be bride. Why? Charlotte was not an important person. She¡¯d been handed to us and even encouraged by her father to be killed. He wanted her dead. Ivan, like always, had other ns. In the beginning, she had put up a fight, being quite violent as she attempted to make a break for it. Her body was no match for the bars of my cages.

    Unlike some ofmy other prisoners, I had fed Charlotte. At first, she refused to eat. My staff also couldn¡¯t go into her prison or any room I ced her, as she often found ways of escaping, so it had been left to me.

    Of course, on my country property, where I¡¯d taken her, there had been no ce for her to run. My grounds were secured tight. I had cameras everywhere, with ess to them, twenty-four seven. It had been easy to find her. Every single time.

    When I¡¯d started to take her food, she hadn¡¯t beenable to escape. Her tricks didn¡¯t work on me. Each time she attempted to faint, I¡¯d closed the door, locked it, and ced the food on the table. She¡¯d refuse to eat, and I was okay with that. I sat and waited until she ate the food. Between the two of us, she got incredibly bored fast. Not me. I found her behavior interesting.

    She didn¡¯t go crazy being alone or locked up. I had a feeling I knew why, but I never approached the subject. Charlotte was not there to make friends. Ivan Volkov suddenly enteredthe main church and walked down the aisle. His jacket was buttoned up and his strides were purposeful. He nodded at some people, before approaching me and vik.

    ¡°Has she run?¡± I asked. I hoped she had. She wouldn¡¯t get far, but for a tiny hour or so, I might get my freedom back.

    ¡°No, she is ready. Rage is bringing her down. Cassie, her sister, will be entering the main aisle soon.¡±

    I stared at Ivan. Something was off about him. Different. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what it was, but he didn¡¯t seem like himself. I wanted to ask him if everything was okay, but now was not the time.

    The church went silent and Ivan moved into position as did vik. Victor Abdulov and Peter Orlov, along with Andrei Belov, were also present at my wedding. All of Ivan¡¯s remaining brigadiers. Oleg Pavlov was gone. Not that I ever liked that manipting son of a bitch. He was the one brigadier Ivan ced, that I couldn¡¯t stand.

    If I was being truthful, I didn¡¯t like any ofthem, but Oleg had been the one I couldn¡¯t stand. Part of me had known he¡¯d be a traitor, and I¡¯d been proven right. He¡¯d been the one I would have taken the war to if Ivan had died. As it was, Ivan wasn¡¯t dead, Oleg was, and until Ivan picked a sixth brigadier, he and the remaining five of us had been dealing with Oleg¡¯s business deals and assets. Everything he had been or hoped to be was neatly wrapped up for us to im for the Volkov Bratva.

    Cassie entered the main church, followed quicklyby Aurora and Adide. Thest two were vik and Andrei¡¯s wives. They were dressed as bridesmaids. Other than Cassie, Charlotte didn¡¯t have anyone else to be a bridesmaid. She had no friends, nothing.

    Ivan had asked Aurora and Adide, and the two women had agreed. They hadn¡¯t even met Charlotte. No one had. She¡¯d been in my country home the entire time Ivan organized this wedding. I could only imagine he used a wedding nner, otherwise, he did this all himself.

    With the bridesmaids across from me, it was time to bring my bride.

    I spotted Rage. He sported his leather cut. Ivan had insisted on it being a tuxedo affair, but like all the Evil Savages MC, they hadn¡¯t listened to Ivan. That was their first mistake. Rage was in charge of the club, but there would be consequences for not following Ivan¡¯s orders.

    Charlotte¡¯s face washidden behind a veil. She held onto Rage¡¯s arm. I did notice the tightness of her grip. The dress she wore was beautiful. The veil came to below her chin, but the dress had no straps. The bodice was molded to her like a corset, wrapping around her tits, gliding down her waist, and ending at her hips. It gave the illusion of a tiny waist.

    Charlotte was not a small woman. Trust me, I knew. The few times I¡¯d caught up with her, she¡¯d gone limp in my arms, attempting to drag me down and stop me from taking her back to my home. She was not light.

    She possessed curves, and when she wasn¡¯t trying to starve herself, she also had quite a bit of an appetite. I¡¯m not going to lie, I enjoyed watching her eat. It was a pleasure I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d enjoy but I did.

    Rage got her close and I took the few steps down, waiting for him to ce her hand within mine. Ivan insisted we follow tradition. Rage was not Charlotte¡¯s father, but with how he¡¯d fought for her and turned against his original MC President, he was the closest thing she had to a father. I didn¡¯t trust him.

    He lifted her veil and I saw the tears in her eyes. Rage hesitated. He held her hands and I tensed up, waiting.

    No one should have guns at the church, but everyone had a way of sneaking them inside. I had one strapped to my leg. I also had three knives inside my trousers. I never went anywhere without being prepared.

    Rage ced her handin mine, but I knew he didn¡¯t want to. As for Charlotte, she shook. I expected her to put up a fight, but she surprised me. I moved her up the steps and she followed. It was then I noticed her feet were bare. She didn¡¯t wear any heels. I wanted to ask her why, but now was not the time.

    The music came to a stop and a priest started his sermon. I drowned out the noise because I wasn¡¯t interested. There was a time I did have faith and believed in a higher power. It had taken years for that belief to be stripped from me, but it had, and now, I ignored the words. They meant nothing. They were nothing.

    Neither of us had written vows and when the time came to recite them, Ivan stepped in and whispered against the priest¡¯s ear, and the priest¡¯s face went bright red. I didn¡¯t know what Ivan said, but it was enough to make the priest blush. I had to stifle augh.

    He asked the question about anyone objecting to the marriage and part of me wanted Rage to scream out, to tell them that he did, that he didn¡¯t want us to get married. My wedding would end in a bloodbath, and I so wanted to kill someone.

    Nothing. No one said a word.

    ¡°You may kiss the bride.¡±

    Now there was a whimper. The sound was subtle but I heard it. Charlotte looked terrified.

    Tough. She had to kiss me.

 78

    Lottie

    ¡°You may now kiss the bride.¡±

    This is so not fair.

    I¡¯m eighteen years old and forced into a marriageI don¡¯t want. My husband, Ive Yahontov, looked pissed off. I was not surprised. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that he didn¡¯t want to get married. Neither did I. Why did he have to re at me?

    I wish I¡¯d worn the heels. I¡¯m ashort person. I¡¯ve been small all my life so a lot of people tower over me. The shoes had hurt my feet. I¡¯d only worn them for a few minutes, but I wasn¡¯t used to wearing heels. I liked my sneakers. They made running a lot easier. I wish I had sneakers. I wish my life had been different. No, that wasn¡¯t true, I wish I had never been fucking born. If I¡¯d died on that day instead of my mother, there would have been no life to worry about. No panicking when my dad had one of his anger issues to deal with.

    Even though panic had started to build up inside me, I¡¯d spent years perfecting my mask. When at the club, hearing the insults my father threw my way, or beer bottles, or anything he wanted to vent his anger out on, I didn¡¯t show any emotion. I wasn¡¯t allowed to. The more I showed, the more acute his anger got.

    Unlike Cassie, I wasn¡¯t loved. My father had even weed my death. He¡¯d told Ivan Volkov to kill me. He didn¡¯t care about his daughter being in the hands of his enemy. If it had been Cassie taken, he¡¯d have taken the whole club and ughtered everyone.

    Me? Nothing. No one. Instead, Rage, the only person who¡¯d been kind to me, hadto turn on his very own in order to save me. It¡¯s why I was here. It¡¯s why he didn¡¯t point a gun at my head and take me out of the equation. I didn¡¯t know what the consequences would be for him, and I didn¡¯t want him to suffer.

    Ive leaned in close and his lips brushed against mine. Therewere no feelings. He kissed me.

    The church was still silent and then a round of apuse, followed by themusic. Ive pulled away from me but kept a firm grip on my hand. He knew I was tempted to run, even without my sneakers. Back at his home, I¡¯d run. I¡¯d done anything I could to get as far away from him as possible. He wasn¡¯t quite so easily tricked as his staff or servants or ves, whatever he wanted to call them. Other men approached. A couple of them I recognized. They shook Ive¡¯s hand and then kissed my cheek. Again, years of practicing not to react came in handy. Aurora, Adide, and Cassie came over, embracing me. I didn¡¯t feel anything. There was nothing to feel. Nothing to acknowledge.

    Cassie held me tighter but it didn¡¯tst. Ive hadn¡¯t let go of my hand and I turned to see Ivan Volkov.

    ¡°You¡¯re one of our own now,¡± Ivan said.

    He was a strangeman. There were times he¡¯de into mypany and neither of us had talked. Like today, he¡¯d stared at me and told me I looked beautiful. I didn¡¯t believe him. Trash never looked pretty.

    ¡°Get your fucking ugly face out of here.¡±

    ¡°I should shoot you in the face, it would make you look more interesting.¡±

    ¡°No man is ever going to want you.¡±¡±Put a bag over your face.¡±

    Because my father didn¡¯t want to see my face, one day to humiliate me, he¡¯d cut holes in a paper bag and forced me to wear it for an entire week. The only time I didn¡¯t have to, was to go to school. Once I got home, the paper bag went back on my head. For the whole week, he didn¡¯t hurt me. I¡¯d been so relieved that I¡¯d been tempted to wear it permanently, but he¡¯d needed someone to vent his anger, and even with the paper bag, he¡¯d needed to hurt me, so he had.

    The paper bag had been useless to me.

    Pushing those memories aside, I had no choice but to follow Ive¡¯s lead. I was starting to see the error of my ways with not wearing shoes. It was not my brightest idea.

    It would seem people didn¡¯t alwayse empty-handed and there were crumbs on the floor, dirty, used pens, and other items. I¡¯m pretty sure I saw an earring, and I was able to step over it without it piercing my foot. How did someone lose an earring? It wasn¡¯t a small stud either, but arge diamond, the kind that dangled from a woman¡¯s ear and looked beautiful, often toorge for the woman¡¯s ear as it seemed to stretch down. Why the fuck was I thinking about how women¡¯s earrings looked? This was my wedding.

    We went outside and it was hot. Summer wasing to an end. I hated summer, but loved winter. I didn¡¯t mind fall and spring but I hated summer. The heat, the sunlight, the happiness everyone seemed to have at wearing less clothes. Like my dress. I hated my dress. It showed way too much skin. At least it hadn¡¯t exposed my back, but then, no one could show my back. Years of taking Father¡¯s belt hadn¡¯t done my back justice. There were a lot of scars. Not just on my back, but on my front and my thighs.

    When my father had sumbed to his rage, he had liked to hit every part of me butmy face. He did like to p me, and he¡¯d even given me a ck eye once, but I had a feeling he didn¡¯t like the way some of his men looked at him when they saw me. It was rare for me to get a ck eye or a split lip. If I got one, he¡¯d seriously lost control.

    The sun red down, giving me no choice but to squint through my eyes. It was way too bright.

    There were several people with cameras. Ivan hadn¡¯t been joking. This was a real marriage, with real people. But this wasn¡¯t a real marriage, not like normal people have. I didn¡¯t know why Ivan chose me.

    For what felt like an eternity, I was told to smile, look lovingly at my husband, then toward the camera as we were photographed. There were not many pictures of me growing up. My father refused to have any memories of me. At the clubhouse, there were loads of Cassie. She¡¯d been the true princess, the daughter he loved. I was nothing. Trash. No one took pictures of trash. No one hugged trash. No one told trash that everything was going to be all right. What they did to trash was ignore it. That is what I was used to.

    Being touched is strange to me. Even when Rage hugged me, it was hard for me to truly understand and even allow myself to feel anything from that simple embrace.

    Thiswas a death sentence. I knew that. The Volkov Bratva was not a good ¡­ anything. They were dangerous, deadly, and my life had a ticking clock attached to it. Tick tock. It wouldn¡¯t be long until I took myst breath.

    Pictures were taken with my bridesmaids, my sister, Ivan, my husband, and with the brigadiers, or the only surviving ones. One of them was dead. Like my father.

    And just like that, the photographs hade to anend, and now it was time to ¡­ what? I didn¡¯t know. Ive walked us toward a limousine, held the door open for me. I slid inside, getting as close to the other door as possible. On instinct, I tried the door handle, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. There was no way to open it. I tried mming my whole body against it. Nothing.¡±Do you think I would allow you to run on our wedding day?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Whynot? It¡¯s not like you want to be married to me.¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    His words don¡¯t hurt me. It takes a lot to hurt, insult, and offend me. At least my father gave me a thick skin. I think I could take a beating without ratting out anyone. Staring out the window, I watch the passing scenery, not quite taking it in.

    When was I going to die? sping my hands together, I sink my nails into my flesh and try not to lose it. I can be quite patient. Do I really want to know the end date of my life?

    Our drivewas silent, of course. Ive never talked to me. He didn¡¯t speak a word. Even when I¡¯d attempted to run from him, he merely carried me back, like it was nothing.

    The limousine slowed down, and I nced out the window to see a beautiful house. It¡¯s not Ive¡¯s, I remember what his home looked like. On one of the few asions I had run from his home, I¡¯d explored the grounds and found myself at the front of his home.

    He lived in a beautiful country home. A ce that to me screamed of hope and family, and a future. All of which I was not going to have.

    Ive opened his door and slid out. The ground was gravel and I still didn¡¯t have anykind of shoes. Once again, I had no choice but to question what the fuck I was thinking in not wearing shoes. The heels had hurt. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to walk in them, but I¡¯d rather have the heels than step over stones barefoot. Sliding over, I hesitated.

    Ive slid his foot close. ¡°Put your foot on my shoe.¡±

    I wanted topull back and ask to go for a drive, but that would be weak. I put my foot on his shoe. He took hold of my hand and lifted me up and out of the car. One of his arms went to my butt, sliding down toward my knees, and the other rested at my back. The moment he picked me up, I let out a startled cry. He lifted me up with ease, and then kicked the door closed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said.

    ¡°You should have worn the shoes.¡±

    He carried me throughthe main doors of the house. At first I thought it might be a hotel, but it wasn¡¯t. People were already there, and a round of apuse erupted.¡±I see you¡¯ve already carried the bride across the threshold, how traditional,¡± Ivan said. ¡°You, my sweet, look stunning.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Ive had ced me on the ground and now Ivan took my hands and smiled at me. He had a scary smile, like he was always plotting something. Was he waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill me? I had no way of knowing what he was thinking or feeling. All I knew was how scary he was.

    ¡°Do you mind?¡± Ivan asked, turning toward my husband.

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    I had no idea what Ive was supposed tonot mind, but then Ivan ced a hand at my back and we walked into the main reception. Ah, Cassie told me there would be a party after the wedding.

    Staring into the room, I see MC and Bratva all in one ce. Maybe my death was going toe faster than I thought.

 79

    Ive

    The Evil Savages MC and the Volkov Bratva didn¡¯t mix well when they were sober. At a wedding, it was a recipe for disaster. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was Ivan¡¯s n all along, if he wanted a reason to cause a fight. We could certainly deal with having most of the Bratva in one ce as well as the Evil Savages MC. I don¡¯t understand why he would go through this borate ruse just to kill all of them.

    ¡°I expect you to take care of her.¡±

    Ragewas standing right in front of me.

    ¡°She¡¯s my wife. She will be protected.¡±Not that I answered to this shithead. I didn¡¯t answer to anyone.

    His very presence pissed me off. I wanted to take my gun out and shoot him in the face, but I kept in constant control. Now was not the time to start a war, not yet anyway.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay until I¡¯m sure Lottie is safe andhappy. Then I¡¯ll take my club and we¡¯ll leave.¡± Rage held his hand out. ¡°I know she¡¯s not who you would have married, but she¡¯s a good person. Kind. Loving.¡±

    I hadto wonder who Rage was talking about. Charlotte hadn¡¯t shown any kind of love or kindness. Admittedly, I¡¯d not given her the chance to either.

    ¡°You can leave now,¡± I said.¡±You don¡¯t have to worry about Charlotte¡¯s safety. She is Bratva now, and let¡¯s be honest, she was never MC to begin with.¡±

    I saw the anger in Rage¡¯s eyes. He was not very good at controlling his temper.

    ¡°She is still club.¡±

    This did make meugh. ¡°Charlotte is club? Okay, well, if she was club, then why did no onee and fight for her?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one. Her sister didn¡¯t. None of the club did, and yet you expect me to believe if we were to fight, you¡¯d try and save her.¡± I took a step closer to Rage. ¡°We both know Charlotte means nothing to any of you. Your only interest in her is because Ivan Volkov is interested in her. Don¡¯t y the caring game with me.¡±

    None of them had taken careof her. I¡¯dtaken care of her.

    Stepping around Rage, Iwalk toward a garish sign hung over a chair announcing me as the groom. There was one for the bride as well. My bride was with Ivan. Dropping onto my seat, I stared across the dance floor. There were a couple of kids dancing to some of the music. The divide between Bratva and MC was clear to see. This had to be one of the biggest fuckups of a marriage ever.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to mingle with the inws?¡± Andrei asked,ing to sit down in the bride¡¯s chair.

    ¡°That seat is taken.¡±

    ¡°Ivan is a little fondof your bride,¡± Andrei said. ¡°I¡¯m sure she doesn¡¯t mind me taking a seat.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a wife to entertain?¡±

    Andrei smirked. ¡°I do, but I wanted to see how youwere doing.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    I red at Andrei. He came to gloat.

    I noticed Peter and Victor were keepingtheir distance. vik was married, as was Andrei, and now me. It was only a matter of time before Ivan found a wife for the two of them. Ivan¡¯s desire to y matchmaker was a little disconcerting.

    Staring across the dance floor, I can¡¯t help but look at my bride. Her feet peeked out from beneath her dress. Something told me she wasn¡¯t a fan of wearing heels. She was a small person, and against Ivan, she looked even smaller. Eighteen. Fucking eighteen years old and married.

    I didn¡¯t know the kind of life she had, but from what I¡¯d seen of her reactions to men and violence, it hadn¡¯t been good. I didn¡¯t know the kindness and love Rage spoke of. Most of the time, her eyes looked dead, like she wore a mask. People only wore masks when they were trying to hide or protect themselves.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t have a good life. She didn¡¯t know kindness. She tensed at affection, shied away from it even. Something told me that if I ever learned the truth about her past, I wasn¡¯t going to like it.

    I already had a dislike of the Evil Savages MC. Her father had been a real piece of work. Turning my attention to the other sister, Cassie was sitting at the table with Adide and Aurora, carrying the conversation,ughing at her own jokes. I didn¡¯t like Cassie. She was a spoiled princess. She was used to entering the room and being the center of attention. I¡¯m surprised she had allowed Charlotte any limelight today.

    ¡°I think your wife needs rescuing,¡± I said, wanting Andrei away from my table. I didn¡¯t need to talk to him.

    Andrei tsked. ¡°And here I was giving you hints and tips on how to handle your virgin bride.¡±

    I didn¡¯t need hints or tips. My wife was going to remain a virgin. I was a monster by nature, to those that deserved it. Charlotte would not be my true wife. Ivan finally found the time to bring my wife to my side. ¡°She is a true treasure,¡± Ivan said. ¡°But now I must mingle. Always a pleasure.¡±

    He left, and now I was alone with my wife. Charlotte didn¡¯t say anything. She sat perfectly still. I had to watch her closely to see if she was till breathing. Her chest rose and fell, but not with rapid inhales. I noticed she breathed in deeply and slowly exhaled, almost like yoga breaths.

    Small talk was not my forte.

    Staring out across the dance floor, I watched as people mingled and danced.

    Ivan took control, and forced out speeches from Rage, Cassie, vik, and even Andrei. There was a toast to the happy couple, and then at Ivan¡¯s insistence, I had to dance with my wife. To deny him would show weakness.

    I took her hand and felt how she shook within my grip. I ignored it and walked her out onto the dance floor. Everyone else had left the floor.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Charlotte said, tilting her head back to look at me. ¡°I¡¯ve never danced before. I can stumble or something. We don¡¯t have to do this.¡±

    I wouldn¡¯t allow her to stumble. Putting my hand at the base of her back, she tensed up. I¡¯d seen the scars that decorated her back. There were quite a few, and all of them seemed to blend to create a picture of an abused woman. At her father¡¯s hands, of that I was sure.

    ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to fall. You need to hold onto me.¡±

    She quickly put her hands on my shoulders. Her fingers seemed to sink into my flesh, but not to hurt me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to make you look like a fool,¡± she said.

    I tightened my grip around her waist. ¡°You never will.¡±

    Nothing and no one would ever make me look like a fool. I held her tightly and as the music changed, slowing down, I danced with my wife.

    Charlotte¡¯s grip kept tightening and then loosening. Her feet stumbled. I slowed down. ¡°Put your feet on my shoes,¡± Isaid.

    ¡°I¡¯m way too heavy to do that.¡±

    ¡°Do it.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to argue on the dance floor. She would do as she was told.

    She rolled her eyes, but eventually she got onto my shoes, and then I was able to walk her around the dance floor. I didn¡¯t care what people said, or if they pointed. Her dress was long enough to hide what we were doing.

    This was our wedding day.

    Charlotte nibbled her lip, and each time she tried to look down, I¡¯d scolded her and told her to keep her gaze on me.

    She winced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not used to doing anything like this.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ve got you and I¡¯m not going to let you go. Just follow my rhythm. Don¡¯t fight me.¡±

    Seconds passed and Charlotte gave herself to me. She wasn¡¯t tense and she allowedme to show her which ways to move, how to dance. She was an easy partner to work across the dance floor. I hated to admit it, but I also liked having her in my arms.

    Charlotte kept her gaze on me, and I refused to look away. There was a threat all aroundus, but in that moment I knew she needed me to look into her eyes, to not waver, for her to see me. No one else.

    The song came to an end, and when Ivancame toward us, I saw the panic in her eyes. ¡°I think it is time that we retire,¡± I said, looking into Ivan¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Of course. I was going to make the suggestion myself.¡±

    There was a chorus of apuse and I trusted the MC to keep to their usual vulgarcrap, which they did. Charlotte¡¯s face was bright red by the time we got to our honeymoon suite. We were not going on a honeymoon. There was too much work to be done. With Oleg dead and his territory at threat, my presence was needed to keep some of the vultures at bay. Not to mention I had my own problems, with a couple of rising drug lords who thought they could enter my territory.

    I had one of the workers in my dungeon, and he was being a bit of a pest when it came to giving up information. A weekend without food or sunlight might loosen his mouth.

    The honeymoon suite was way too pastel for me, and there were a lot of frills as well. The bed was huge, which was nice. My early years of sleeping on a hard floor had made me enjoy the creatureforts ofluxury when I was older.

    We were alone. Charlotte shook. She stood by the bed.

    Removing my jacket, I kicked off my shoes and shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to fuck you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°But, isn¡¯t that what they want?¡± she asked, pointing toward thedoor.

    ¡°And you give people what they want?¡±

    ¡°But, Ivan?¡±

    ¡°Ivan knows I won¡¯t fuck you.¡±Sitting on the edge of the bed, I can feel the softness of the bed. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day, and we¡¯re heading back to my home tomorrow. I¡¯ve got work to do, so go and take a shower. Don¡¯t use up all the hot water. If you try to run, I will tie you to the bed, or I¡¯ll make you sleep on the floor. Do not test my patience tonight, Charlotte.¡±

    ¡°Why do you keep calling me Charlotte? You can call me Lottie.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your name. Charlotte is your name.¡±

    ¡°Lottie is like a nickname, though.¡±

    ¡°So wasTrash. Would you like me to call you that?¡±

    She tensed. Her lips pressed together and tears filled her eyes but they didn¡¯t fall. She bowed her head and entered the ensuite.

    Copsing to the bed, I groaned. This was not going the way I had hoped.

    I hadn¡¯t known the pleasures of a woman in a long time. Work had gotten in the way of getting my dick sucked. With Ivan breathing down my neck to marry this woman, I hadn¡¯t visited any ofthe Volkov brothels. None of the women fucking appealed to me. Not a single one.

    The door to the bathroom opened. I didn¡¯t sit up, but remainedon the bed. Opening my eyes, I see the long mirror staring back at me. Great, just great. Any other time I¡¯d have loved this. To be able to see my woman taking my dick, to watch her face as I control her with mindless pleasure. Not tonight.

    ¡°Ive, could you, er, I can¡¯t seem to¡­ my dress won¡¯t open.¡±

    Taking a deep breath because my patiencewas finally being tested, I open my eyes and see Charlotte presenting me with her back. The corset was tightened. There was a knot at the top, in some kind of fancy bow. I reached out and the moment my skin touched hers, she seemed to tense. I wasn¡¯t truly touching her, just the front of my fingers as I attempted to get the stupid corset off. Why do people tie these things so tight?

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to use my knife,¡± I said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    She jerked back.

    ¡°I can¡¯t undo it.¡±

    Her eyes were wide.

    Lifting the leg of my pants, I pull out one of my knives, and show it to her. ¡°I¡¯m only going to cut the corset.¡±

    She nodded her head and presented me with her back.

    Putting my fingers either side of the corset, I moved it away from the flesh of her back, and ran the knife down. I have to be careful. I don¡¯t keep blunt knives and if this was to touch her skin, it would pierce it. The corset opened.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    She didn¡¯t turn to look at me, but moved back toward the bathroom.

    Fuck me, that woman was strange.

 80

    Lottie

    I hate knives of all kinds.

    On one of the nights when my father was in a drunken rage, he had me stand in front of his knife. He forced me to put the center of my neck right next to his de and as I did, I truly thought he was going to cut me. He didn¡¯t, obviously.

    There were times he would use his knife on me, but he rarely sharpened them. Most often they didn¡¯t do any damage to me. Only when he dug the de in, did it even cut my skin.

    With the knife Ive had, only the smallest of touches and the corset had given way. He took care of his weapons. I made a mental note to be cautious whenever he had his knives. Stripping out of the wedding dress, I picked it up and ced it in theundry basket. Some women keep their dresses. I had no intention of keeping my dress, or even looking at it.

    Moving toward the shower, I see the button to switch it on, and do so, cing my hand inside, waiting for the water to warm up. The moment it is, I step beneath the hot spray. I love the warmth. Tilting my head back, I enjoyed the feel of the hot water as it washed over my body.

    I¡¯m married. To a man I don¡¯t know. A killer. A murderer. A monster. I can¡¯t help but touch my chest. My heart is beating rapidly. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m afraid or not. Does Ive scare me?

    There are times I cannot tell if I¡¯m afraid or just used to those feelings of fear. My father did a number on me-again, it doesn¡¯t take a genius to realize that. I¡¯m not a stupid person. I did okay in school. I hated school, but I hated home more.

    Pushing those thoughts aside, I wash the day off my body, the makeup sliding off my face and filling the drain. I take deep breaths as I do, bringing myself to a sense of calm. After washing my body, I finish doing my hair, and then turn the water off. It¡¯s still warm so I don¡¯t have to worry about it being too cold.

    Stepping out of the shower, I grab a towel and wrap it around my body. I use another one on my hair, and ncearound the bathroom. I¡¯ve already taken care of my teeth. I¡¯d not eaten a lot today. I just couldn¡¯t stomach food. Adide and Aurora had tried to get me to eat. The two women seemed nice, but they were also Bratva wives. My gut was telling me to be careful of who I trust. The unloved daughter of the MC I may be, but I also knew how to deal with certain situations. Likewhen I was taken. At first, being quiet and not making a sound, trying to be invisible, hadn¡¯t been an option. I knew my father would find any excuse to hurt me, if he thought for even a second I¡¯d beenplicit to the Bratva. So I had fought. I had screamed. I had ordered my release. It hadn¡¯t worked. Instead of being free, I was now married into the Volkov Bratva. Rage told me it would be okay, but I didn¡¯t know how it could be.

    I was married to the enemy. I¡¯d heard my father mention the Volkov Bratvamany times, and it was never with a happy face. He hated them. He¡¯d wanted to go to war with them. Ivan¡¯s name hade up a lot. My father had wanted more territory. His n had been to start with Oleg, and slowly work his way into taking over from Ivan Volkov. He¡¯d not seen Ivan as a threat. The useless son, the waste of space.

    There were many rumors that surrounded Ivan¡¯s birth. To my father, he¡¯d been nothing. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, though, if Ivan had been nothing, why was it that he controlled the Volkov Bratva? His name instilled fear, even within the MC. I¡¯d seen it.

    People had a way of trying to hide their emotions, but I¡¯d been nothing to them. I was invisible to most of them, so they didn¡¯t care what I saw. I meant nothing. Ivan scared the MC, and I knew Rage didn¡¯t see him as weak.

    Ivan was a threat to the MC.

    Abusiness deal like this went against everything my father stood for, and I knew Rage hadn¡¯t removed my father¡¯s followers from the MC.

    There were no clothes waiting for me in the bathroom. Stepping out of the en suite, Ive was no longer on the bed. At first, I didn¡¯t see him, it was like he blended in with the furniture which was fucking impossible, but there he was, next to some drawers near the door, staring right at me. His face was nd.

    ¡°Do you know if Cassie has brought up some clothes?¡±

    He pointed toward the bed. His actions made me think of the Grim Reaper, and that wasn¡¯t a pleasant thought.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Right. The bathroom¡¯s free.¡±

    He nodded his head and then moved. I felt the threat of his body with each step he took. He stepped close to me. ¡°If you try to run, it will end badly for you. Do you understand me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to run,¡± I said.

    The house was filled with Bratva. Rage had already told me he was going to leave the moment I left the party. If anyone was going to save me, it would be him, and he¡¯d already told me he was leaving. It was just me. Yay.

    I expected Ive to threaten me with more chains, but instead, he walked into the bathroom, silent. That wasn¡¯t too bad. Ihad no intention of running. Stepping toward the bed, I saw there was a sexy negligee.

    ¡°Seriously!¡±

    This is not a sexy marriage. Ive hated me. I know he only married me because his boss told him to. This is not a love match. He doesn¡¯t even like me.

    Picking up the negligee, I shake my head. Across the bed, I spot his gun. Did he know he left it? Why would he leave his gun in in sight?

    Dropping the negligee to the bed, I re at the damn thing. It was a freaking test. Seriously? He was testing me onour wedding night? Admittedly, I had no doubt Ive was going to testme all the freaking time. I wasn¡¯t Bratva. I was MC. That is what he saw and I couldn¡¯t say I med him. In my heart, I was no one.

    What did he expect me to do? Grab the gun and shoot my way out of this house? To face Ivan and his four other brigadiers? Shaking my head, I red at the gun, but removed the towel covering my body. I was not stupid.

    Pulling on the negligee, I start to rub at my hair, drying it. I should really get the length cut, but for the past few months I¡¯d let it grow out. Apart from being kidnapped and trapped, my dad had seemed to be at a loose end, and getting my hair cut was a luxury I didn¡¯t deserve. One summer, I¡¯d pissed him off with asking, and he¡¯d grabbed my hair and a pair of scissors and hacked it off himself. If it hadn¡¯t been for Rage, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d have kept going until I didn¡¯t have any hair left.

    Whenever I wanted something, Rage was who I went to. There were times that Cassie would intervene. She wanted to go to the spa and would demand Daddy let her take me. During those days, my hair would get done. Cassie would insist on me being treated like a princess. I¡¯m not going to lie, I did love those days. They were a lot of fun. I had a feeling that was Cassie¡¯s way of giving me a little bit offort. So long as she stayed the princess of the club, she was able to use her charm to get what she wanted. Most of the time, it was to help me out. She would even insist on having a girl¡¯s day with me.

    Father hated those days, but Cassie would bat her eyes and we¡¯d go shopping. I¡¯d get new clothes and a haircut. She always had to be careful that he never knew what she was really up to.

    Earlier today, when Aurora and Adide had finally left, Cassie hae up to me and cupped my face.

    ¡°Do you need me to put a stop to this?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, there¡¯s always something I can do.¡±

    ¡°Like what? Take my ce?¡±

    Cassie had frowned but I knew if I said thatwas what I wanted, she would have done it. My sister did love me. No one knew it. Not even Rage. After some of the beatings my father had given, it had been Cassie who helped me. She had treated my wounds, and she had been so angry. She had wanted to run away several times. She even tried to call Social Services, but with how powerful he was, nothing had happened. One of the people on Dad¡¯s payroll had told him someone had called, and I paid the price. Cassie never called again, but she tried every single time to make my life better.

    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve this.¡±

    ¡°Dad always said I was destined to die. I guess this is the way I get to go.¡±

    ¡°No. You don¡¯t get to talk like that. This is so unfair.¡±

    I¡¯d smiled at Cassie. I told her I would be fine. I was a survivor and if I could take on our father, then this was nothing. I still breathed, even when he gave up on me. He¡¯d wanted to turn the whole club against me.

    Instead, he was dead, I was alive, and married to one of the most powerful men and a true enemy of our father¡¯s. What could go wrong?

    Therewas a lot that could go wrong. The gun opposite was proof of that. Ive was going to try and ruin me. If that was his n, it would take a lot more than a purposefully ced gun. I was not stupid, and had survived worse.

    I picked up the towels and thenwalked toward the bathroom. Stepping inside, I ignore the man in the shower, dump the towels on top of my wedding dress, and grab the brush I spot on the counter.

    Leaving the bathroom, I run the brush through my hair and smirk as I imagine opening the shower and swatting him on the ass with my hairbrush. I wonder what he would think of my weapon of choice. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m thinking anymore. Nothing makes any sense. I finish brushing my hair and then move toward the bed, throw back the covers, and climb in.

    This had to be one of the strangest days of my life, and this was my life, so I had a lot tpare it to. Also, in a rather strange way, it had also been one of the best days of my life. If I really allowed myself to analyze and think about it, I loved dancing with Ive. He was a good dancer, not that I had anyone topare him to. He moved gracefully and when his hands were wrapped around me, I truly felt protected.

    What the hell was wrong with me?

 81

    Ive

    I heard Charlotte enter the room. Did she realize I saw her easily through the ss? The curtain was closed at the end of the shower, but I stood in the frosted ss. What would she do if I pulled her into the shower and forced her to wash my back? I wouldn¡¯t do it.

    Charlotte put on a brave face but I knew there was a delicate and frightened woman behind all the brazen words and scream-fest she had while being locked away in my home. Her scars told a story of their own, as well as her words. She tried to hide that side of herself, but there was no hiding or running from the truth.

    This was my wedding night, and all dayI¡¯d been able to keep myself under control but right now, I sported a fucking hard-on that didn¡¯t want to go down. It had only begun to thicken when I watched Charlotte enter the bathroom.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    Icouldn¡¯t be attracted to her. She was eighteen fucking years old. A little too young for me and my tastes. But even though she was young, I saw the age in her eyes and it made me hate her father even more. I knew firsthand the kind of monsters that surrounded us. I was one of them. I¡¯d never understood the morons who¡¯d attacked their children for no good reason.

    Yes, Charlotte¡¯s mother had passed away during childbirth but she¡¯d not asked to be born. Once again, passing the me to someone else rather than ept responsibility themselves. Her father and her mother were the ones to me. They were the ones who fucked in the first ce and created a baby. Fucking assholes.

    I hated people. And my dick finally lost its erection. Great. Not that I¡¯d be able to do a whole lot with it. There was no way I¡¯d be fucking Charlotte.

    I finished washing the soap from my body and quickly did my hair, before climbing out of the shower.

    There was a towel waiting for me, so I grabbed it, wrapped it around my waist, and stepped out of the bathroom into the bedroom. Charlotte was already in bed.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what side of the bed you¡¯d take so I took this one.¡± Staring at her, she was on the right side.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I honestly didn¡¯t give a flying fuck about the bed. I was exhausted. This wedding had been a hard one. With most of the Volkov Bratva in residence as well as the Evil Savages MC, I had to be ready for whatever went down. I had no doubt someone wanted a fight to start.

    Laidout on the bed was a pair of boxer briefs for me to sleep in. I often slept naked, but I doubted Charlotte would want me naked beside her. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I run a hand across my face. This whole day was a fuck-up.

    I still didn¡¯tpletelyunderstand why Ivan wanted me to marry Charlotte. I know from him getting vik and Andrei to marry the women he did, Ivan had a soft spot for broken and damaged females. Aurora and Adide had stories of their own. I didn¡¯t know them, but I was aware they didn¡¯t have easy lives.

    Charlotte was like them. Her life hadn¡¯t been easy, but taking her had been the fuck-up of Andrei¡¯s men. They paid for it with their lives. Our original target had been Cassie. Their father hadn¡¯t wanted to save Charlotte. In fact, we had it on good resources that he intended to use her freaking kidnapping to manipte the club and insinuate she was a rat. That she ran to us to spill all the club secrets. Once again, I wished her father was alive just so I could kill him this time. Sick fuck.

    ¡°Did you have a niceshower?¡± Charlotte asked.

    I turned to look at her. She was curled toward me, her eyes wide, and she nibbled her lip. Did she even realize she looked afraid to have spoken to me? What the fuck was that all about? I wanted to tell her not to panic. I wanted to tell her I was nothing like her father and she had nothing to be afraid of. Who the fuck was I kidding? I was worse than her father.

    I grabbed the boxer briefs, and I knew Ivan had a fucking hand in these being made. They were white with pink frills. Why the frills? I didn¡¯t understand that man. Shaking my head, I slid them on and refused to believe they werefortable. No way would I agree they felt nice. Not a fucking chance.

    I picked up the used towel and took it back to the bathroom to toss into theundry basket. Walking back to the bed, I pull the nket back and then climb inside.

    ¡°Would you like me to sleep on the floor?¡± Charlotteasked.

    I didn¡¯t respond right away and settled onto bed. I turned toward her. ¡°Do youwantto sleep on the floor?¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to?¡±

    ¡°Answer my question, Charlotte, and don¡¯t give me any crap.¡± I had a feeling she¡¯d give me some kind of crap.

    ¡°No.¡± She spoke so softly. If Ihadn¡¯t been paying attention to her, I had a feeling I¡¯d have missed it.

    ¡°Then why the fuck would you suggest it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re used to sleeping in a bed on your own or with a woman.¡±

    ¡°Charlotte, you¡¯re my wife. You can sleep by my side until we get to my home. Then you¡¯ve got your own room.¡±

    ¡°My own room?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Is it the kind where you lock me inside?¡±

    When she first came to my home, I locked her away. I had no choice. She was a mouthy woman, demanding to be released. Threatening me hourly with all kinds of castration and shit. How was I to know in the beginning it was all bullshit?

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be locked up?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not going to lock you up. You¡¯re my wife, and I¡¯m going to expect you to act ordingly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been a wife before. What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°You now live as part of the Volkov Bratva. There¡¯s no getting away from it. You will follow my rules and Ivan¡¯s rules. To survive, you¡¯ll have to swear your loyalty to Ivan Volkov and to me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t evenknow what that means.¡±

    ¡°Rage, the MC, if it ever came down to it ¡­ you will protect all of those in the Volkov Bratva. No one else. Me, Ivan, and everyone connected to him.¡±

    ¡°But Rage-¡±

    ¡°Did a deal that gave you to me. That¡¯s the kind of man you¡¯re dealing with.¡±

    ¡°I know he wouldn¡¯t want todo this.¡±

    ¡°But he did. You need to realize he doesn¡¯t have your back anymore. None of the MC ever did.¡±

    ¡°What about my sister?¡±

    ¡°Cassie is dead to you. ept it, or end up living with a fate worse than death.¡±

    ¡°How can there be anything worse than death?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Praying for death, begging for it, and never getting it. Trust me, I¡¯ve seen it, and that is not the future you want.¡±

    Charlotte looked down. I don¡¯t know if she was staring at my chest, or looking at a spot and not really seeing it.

    ¡°And swearing my loyalty tothe Volkov Bratva, you¡¯ll allow me to live?¡±¡±Yes.¡±

    ¡°Will it be a ¡­ a good life?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t beat me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t lock me up?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t ¡­ hate me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Charlotte.¡±

    Tears filled her eyes. Her father really did a number on her.

    I wanted to reach out, touch her, try and convince her if she took the right path, her life would be better. She was my wife and no one would mess with her, not anymore. They would have toe through me.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know me,¡± she said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to know you.¡± I¡¯d known a lot of people in my time. Charlotte wasn¡¯t the kind of person you hated. Her scars told a unique story. One that wouldn¡¯t go away. I wanted to touch her, but I held myself back. I¡¯d done everything in my power to avoid touching her when we were alone. Dancing with her, kissing her at the altar were the only times I had.

    ¡°Go to sleep and if I find you on the floor, I¡¯ll smack your ass.¡±

 82

    Lottie

    Ive was nowhere to be found this morning, which surprised me. I¡¯mnot normally a light sleeper. Being in Ive¡¯s bedst night, I¡¯d spent a great deal of time wide awake, going over what he¡¯d told me.

    All I had to do was swear loyalty. In my luggage, therewas a phone Rage had given to mest night at the reception. He¡¯d told me to use it whenever I felt unsafe. If I had that cell phone and swore my loyalty to Ivan, I¡¯d be lying. To swearplete loyalty to Ivan, to my husband, to the Volkov Bratva, I could no longer trust or rely on the Evil Savages MC.

    Cassie had told me she¡¯d call me, that she¡¯d find a way for us to hang out. I¡¯d gotten her message this morning from one of the wait staff. I sat in a private booth, my morning breakfast in front of me, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to eat it.

    If I gave that cell phone away, I¡¯d have no choice but to trust my husband. Could I trust Ive? I didn¡¯t know him.

    ¡°You look troubled, youngdy.¡±

    ncing up, I see Ivan Volkov himself, taking a seat opposite me.

    ¡°Mr. Volkov,¡± I said, about to bow my head and thenI frowned. What the fuck was I doing?

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to bow. I¡¯m not royalty.¡±¡±In my husband¡¯s world, you are.¡±

    ¡°True. So very true. I guess you could say I am the king.¡±

    Should I look at him? What the hell did I do?

    ¡°Don¡¯t be frightened. I know you¡¯re not aware ofmy traditions and customs and if I¡¯m being honest, neither am I.¡±

    This caused me to frown and I lifted myhead.

    ¡°That¡¯s better. I wanted to have a conversation with your face, not the top of your head.¡±

    I was tempted to touch my head, but I managed to keep my hands firmly in myp. Yay me.

    ¡°You¡¯re not eating.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry.¡±

    ¡°A little advice-Ive cannot deal with petty behavior. I imagine he sees you as a child already, so skipping meals will not be ideal in winning him over.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t being petty. The breakfast looked lovely. There was so much fruit and even the toast looked mouthwatering, and I wasn¡¯t a big fan of toast at all. I often ate cereal, sometimes dry if we had spoiled milk. Cassie would often forget to go to the store, and only when I was given money did I ever get a chance to shop.

    Reaching out, I picked up a slice of peach and took a bite. It was juicy, and so incredibly tasty. I wanted to close my eyes and bask in the taste but with Ivan sitting opposite me, I didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°Good, isn¡¯t it? Do you mind?¡± he asked.

    I shook my head and he winked at me, taking a slice ofpeach.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be afraid of me.¡±

    I highly doubted that.

    Ivaughed. ¡°I can see you have your doubts.¡±

    ¡°You just said that you¡¯re the king of the Volkov Bratva. Your word isw, in everything. How can I not be afraid?¡±

    ¡°True, I can seewhy you believe that. I do have it on good authority from Adide and Aurora, that I can be quite a nice guy.¡±

    I had no idea what to say to him. This manhad taken me, and in a strange way he¡¯d kept me.

    Lifting my head, I looked him straight in the eyes. My dad had told me many times that I was a fucking idiot. I didn¡¯t know when to keep my fucking head down. Often, that came with a p or a punch or a belt.

    Even Cassie had said I didn¡¯t seem to have any self-preservation. In short, I was fucked.

    ¡°Solong as they swear loyalty to you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And allI have to do is have your back?¡±

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s a little more to it, but in essence, yes. You¡¯ll have my back, as you will Ive¡¯s.¡±

    ncing down at the table, I couldn¡¯t stop thinkingabout that damn cell phone. I didn¡¯t ask Rage to help me.

    ¡°You made a mistake, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked.

    Ivan didn¡¯t say a word.

    ¡°With me.¡±

    He was still silent.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why you¡¯d pick me. Everyone knew my father hated me. You had to getRage on your side. You were meant to get Cassie, weren¡¯t you? She¡¯d have been perfect for your ns.¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t y out how I intended, but believe this, Charlotte, I¡¯d have never allowed Cassie to marry Ive.¡±

    ¡°Why not? She¡¯s perfect for him.¡±

    Ivan clicked his tongue. ¡°She¡¯s far too entitled and a princess for him.¡±

    ¡°And what am I?¡±

    ¡°Damaged enough for him to try,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°Damaged,¡± I repeated the word.

    ¡°I saw the scars on your back.¡±

    Lifting my head once again, I stared into his eyes. Ivan was a scary man. I¡¯d looked at him a few times and been frozen in fear, but that hadn¡¯t stopped me from looking. He was handsome, but there was a coldness wrapped around him. He had the sweet smiles and almost the innocent look, but it was all fake, every single bit of it. There was nothing loving or sweet about this man. Trust me, I knew. He and my father had a lot of simrities.¡±They¡¯re just marks of a time in my life. They don¡¯t mean anything.¡±

    ¡°Because he called youTrash?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Trash doesn¡¯t get to have feelings. It doesn¡¯t have a voice. It doesn¡¯tin. It¡¯s just trash.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not trash, Charlotte.¡±

    ¡°I know, but it makes life easier, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°What does?¡±

    ¡°If you believe you are trash. An inanimate object that has no value or meaning, tossed aside because it¡¯s worthless. It makes the punches less painful. It makes everything not seem so unfair. You don¡¯t get locked in your room and forgotten if you mean nothing. You eventually stop crying, because it doesn¡¯t matter. When he looks at you, and through you, it doesn¡¯t sting. You just live, but wait for that moment when you¡¯re grabbed and thrown aside once again.¡±

    Staring into his eyes, Ivan looked right back at me, and in an odd way, I had a feeling he knew exactly what I was talking about.

    His fingers tap against his thigh. No words are spoken.

    Saying those words aloud, I think about my eighteen years of life. I never had a great birthday or Christmas. In fact, Rage was the only person to remember my birthday, and he told Cassie. I didn¡¯t know it, until they started to present me with a card or a gift. The presents had to be small. If my father ever saw them, he¡¯d destroy them.

    At home, my bedhad been taken from me. I had a used mattress from the club on the floor. Used bedsheets. Even my curtains had been destroyed. He wanted me to have nothing. His hatred for me had bled from his pores.

    I tried not to think about it. My life was easier thatway.

    Whenever he was away on club runs, those were the days and weeksI was free. I was able to clean my room, remove the mold that umted in the corners. Use that time to go grocery shopping to fill the fridge and freezer. Hang out with Cassie without fear of being interrupted by our father¡¯s wrath. Was that the life Ivan offered me? To finally live without fear?

    Tears filled my eyes and I was way too afraid to hope. Some soldier¡¯s mistake had meant my life had changed for the better.

    ¡°There¡¯s a cell phone in my luggage. I didn¡¯t ask for it. Rage gave it to me.¡± I took a deep breath. He wanted me to be able to reach him at all times.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    ¡°And you¡¯re telling me this why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want it. I don¡¯t know what you need me to do, but I will be loyal to you, Ivan Volkov. I will always put you, my husband, and the Volkov Bratva first.¡±

    Ivan nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s the first step. I will be taking your cell phone.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Ive¡¯s not a difficult man to handle, Charlotte. He understands you more than you realize, and if you give him a chance, he¡¯ll prove it time and time again.¡± Ivan got to his feet. ¡°Eat something. Being a married woman now, you¡¯re going to need your strength.¡±

    He left me alone and I stared down at the te of food. There was so much here. I¡¯d gone without food, starved because it had been my father¡¯s wish at the time. Picking up a slice of toast, I took a bite.

    That fucking bastard was not going to control me for another second. He¡¯d made me trash, but no more.

    I took another bite, thenanother.

    I¡¯m no longer trash.

    I am Charlotte Yahontov.

 83

    Ive

    One Month Later

    We didn¡¯t have a sixthbrigadier, and running Oleg¡¯s territory between the five of us was wearing thin.

    I knew Ivan was pissed. There was no one he could trust. I couldn¡¯t be in different territories, not when I had problems building within my own. I had it on good authority that a Hank Bfonte had started running drugs through my city. Not only had he begun to do that, but they had started to do the rounds in my nightclubs. I¡¯d already gotten my hands on several pieces of product, and got my nerd to analyze all theponents within the drugs. I really fucking despised what I found.

    The drugs were not designed to give a high. They were being distributed to women, and those women were turning up on the missing list. This was causing me a headache. They were not turning up at hospitals or dead. No, they were missing, which only left one option-they were being sold.

    So now I had a drug problem, and human trafficking to deal with, which pissed me off, especially since thest ce the women were seen was at one of my nightclubs. This meant the cops were knocking at my ces of business. This wasn¡¯t good.

    There were five missing women so far in the past month. That was too high a number for me. I¡¯d already paid off several of my guys within the police force to give me the necessary details to find the women. As for Hank, he was floating under the radar as well. I¡¯d already had several of his men locked up across the city in my cages, and were currently enjoying several days of starvation.

    There was also the other detail of another problem-Benjamin Court-who liked to think of himself as a supplier of everything everyone needed. The small little gangs who thought they could run the streets now had guns and knives, and there was once again direction toward me, because being the fucking king of this territory, I had to have control over it.

    I knew Ivan¡¯s fake death would cause a ripple effect throughout his territories. People would take the chance to try and rise up. His other brigadiers and I, who didn¡¯t know until Ivan wanted his fake death to be known, had to react to the news ordingly. We did, and this was the consequence of that. Our enemies were trying to rise, and it was up to us to squash it.

    ¡°Where is the passage to the ports?¡± I said, looking at therge map of our city.

    d, one of the few men I trusted, pointed at one direct road. He traced it with his finger that led out of my city and down a long road, going straight to the docks. ¡°That¡¯s the only ess point.¡±

    d had been working by my side for twenty years. He¡¯d been tossed out by the previous Bratva as he¡¯d been born a bastard to a soldier. He¡¯d been dered worthlessbecause his mother had been a whore who attempted to ckmail the soldier for money. d paid the price for his parents¡¯ actions. We¡¯d met twenty years ago, and he swore his loyalty to me and to Volkov Bratva, so he could exact his revenge. I granted him that request, and he¡¯d been loyal ever since. He was also a happily married man, and he said the key to the perfect marriage was that he listened to his wife. He talked to her. Even as I stared at the map, I couldn¡¯t help but think about Charlotte.

    We¡¯d been married a month. I¡¯d left her at our country home while I traveled to my penthouse suite in the city. I hated city life. I always tried to make it back home, but in the past month, I¡¯d dly made the excuse of work.

    Pushing Charlotte from my thoughts, I focused back on the map and d. He¡¯d been the one to alert me to the problems bubbling on the streets. We had eyes and ears everywhere.

    ¡°They can¡¯t make that distance with unconscious girls, without raising suspicion,¡± I said.

    ¡°Unless they¡¯vegot someone on their books.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an option as well. I don¡¯t like it, but it¡¯s there.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve gota better chance of them paying someone off.¡±

    I put my hands on my hips. My men were already spread quite thinly at the moment. My territory had to be onthe fucking border with Oleg¡¯s, didn¡¯t it?

    ¡°I want eyes along this line,¡± I said. It would be easier to climb into my car and drive down the long stretch of road, but that could take hours, if not days, to assess every possible avenue. ¡°I want the full details of everyone thates and goes along this stretch of road. Even if it¡¯s making a delivery to what appears to be an abandoned warehouse.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to have them react, sir?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°When we locate them, I intend to deal with them myself.¡± Stepping away from the map, I turned toward the main board I had set up at one of my underground casinos. Every little problem that affected my territory was up on the board, including images of Hank and Benjamin. In each picture, I noticed a recurring figure in each.

    ¡°Who the fuck is that?¡± I asked, pointing at the two women. There were no details of each woman, but they were present at Hank and Benjamin¡¯s side in multiple photos.

    Staring at them in closer detail, I frowned. Even though each image was of different men, I pulled both images down and looked at each one. The time stamp showed a ten-minute difference, but they were at the same restaurant.

    ¡°They¡¯re working together,¡± I said, turning back to the map.

    ¡°Sir?¡± d said.

    I tossed both images onto the map. We had the main map that didn¡¯t differentiate towns and cities. Picking the photos up, I grit my teeth as I felt anger rising inside me. Between the wedding and shit going down in Oleg¡¯s territory, I had missed these tiny details.

    I grabbed the map that had closer details of my city streets and business, and I spread it out across the table on top of the other map. Tossing the photos onto the map, I looked at the streets and business names.

    When I was handed my territory by Ivan Volkov, I made sure every single year I created a map of my city. I learned who ran what, which businesses I owned, and who by. I knew part of my power and control was knowing every little detail about everyone. I prided myself on knowing that information.

    mming my finger on the restaurant, I look at it. ¡°Salvadoors.¡±

    ¡°Sir, that¡¯s a restaurant you own.¡±

    ¡°I know, and the fucking bastards think they¡¯re funny,¡± I said. They had decided to have a business meeting in one of my own ces, in an attempt to overthrow me.

    ¡°Has Enrique been in touch?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, we¡¯ve had no contact with anyone from Salvadoors.¡±

    I smirk. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for us to go and pay Enrique a visit.¡± I don¡¯t wait around for d. Leaving the basement of my casino, I go straight to the parking lot, where my car waits.

    Several of my soldiers gather around and as I climb into the passenger side of my car, d takes the wheel. Two more cars filled with my men follow us out of my casino and we head across the city toward Salvadoors.

    I¡¯m not in the best of moods. Ivan had called me earlier today to let me know he intended to be passing through in the next few days, and he¡¯d love a chance to eat lunch or dinner with me and my new bride. He even tried to hint at me getting her pregnant to have lots of little Charlottes and Ives running around my home. That wasn¡¯t going to happen.

    I¡¯d not fucked Charlotte. As far as I was aware, she was still a virgin. Not that it bothered me if she wasn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t avoiding my wife.

    Whenever possible, I called my home and got all the detailsI needed from the head of my security. I didn¡¯t need to know every other detail of Charlotte¡¯s life. She spent nearly all her days in the house, either in the library or the kitchen. It would seem my wife liked to feed my staff. At least she was doing something and notying in bed, waiting for the time to pass, or wishing for mypany. I had shit to do. She was free, or as free as she could be. She didn¡¯t need her older husband breathing down her neck.

    I didn¡¯t likethat Rage had been in contact with me. He wanted to meet up with Charlotte. I didn¡¯t like his interference. I didn¡¯t like him at all. There was something about him that pissed me off, and well, I didn¡¯t have to like the little bastard, did I? He could make all the ims he wanted about being there for Charlotte. I knew differently.

    The scars told another story. He tried to help her, or he did, but even his help had limits when it came to the president of his club. Rage wouldn¡¯t disobey his boss. I had to wonder if he¡¯d seen her dad beating her? Did he look the other way? Did he intervene when it mattered most? It didn¡¯t matter. When it came to Rage, I didn¡¯t like him, and if it was left to me, I¡¯d have wiped out the whole of the Evil Savages MC. But it wasn¡¯t up to me. Ivan had his own reasoning, and he knew what he was doing.

    Arriving outside of Salvadoors, I notice, instantly, it wasn¡¯t busy.

    ¡°Have we shown a decrease in sales here?¡± I asked.

    Getting married had messed with my head and I didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°No, sir,¡± d said.

    There wasno one around, which wasn¡¯t right. Salvadoors was a great restaurant. The food was impable.

    It was one of the legal businesses I owned that turned a good profit, and even had a great deal oflove and reviews attached to it.

    Opening the car door, I climb out. Two of my men take the lead, and we step into the restaurant. Enrique is at the bar, counting money. The moment he noticed me, he stood up.

    ¡°Mr. Yahontov,¡± he said.

    ¡°Enrique.¡± I offer him a smile. ¡°Business slow?¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    ¡°No, sir, just ¡­ we had a rush, and I ¡­ I let my staff go for the day.¡±

    He¡¯s already sweating. Now, Enrique was a rare find indeed. A good businessman who knew how to cook and had this charm about him. I liked him from the moment I saw him, but now I see that money and power had gone to his head. He drops the wad of cash he had in his hand and I tut.

    ¡°Enrique, what have you done?¡±

    He goes to make a run for it, butmy men already knew how I liked to make these kinds of ys, and grabbed him before he even made his way through the kitchen. He tries to fight them off.

    ¡°Please, please, I didn¡¯t mean to. They came to me. I didn¡¯t want to, but they said it was for my best interest.¡± He started to whimper and cry.

    How did I not realize how weak this man was? It must have been his food creating a lovely smoke screen.

    ¡°So at least I don¡¯t have to hurt you,¡± I said. ¡°You were approached by Hank and Benjamin?¡±

    He nodded ashe visibly shook.

    ¡°They ¡­ they came to my restaurant. Threatened my shop. Told me things were going to be changing around here. The Volkov Bratva wasing to an end and if I didn¡¯t want things to get bloody, then I would have to work for them.¡±

    ¡°And what exactly did they want?¡± I asked.

    Enrique looked at me then at my men and he whimpered.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to kill me.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°This is the choice you have. Tell me everything you know, and I will make it a quick death. Fuck with me, make me work for the information I require, and it will be a long death.¡± I step up into his space. ¡°And trust me, Enrique, I¡¯ve got men who have chosen that option, and I still have them begging for death monthster.¡± I wasn¡¯t lying.

    Once you swear loyalty to me, that is it, for life. You break that loyalty, you cheat, you lie, you steal from me, and I will make you rot and keep you alive while I watch you do it.

    Enrique nodded. ¡°They needed a safe ce to meet. They said it was important for people to not know they were working together. If anyone ever asked, they were never here.¡±

    ¡°What business were they talking about?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I swear. I only did it because they said Ivan Volkov was dead and they were going to rece the Bratva. I would never have done it if I knew he wasn¡¯t dead, Mr. Yahontov.¡±

    Gripping the back of his neck, I pulled him in close for a hug. I liked Enrique. He¡¯d been a good guy. He had a good pte when it came to food and vors. I¡¯d even been tempted to bring Charlotte down here, but that wasn¡¯t going to happen.

    I tightenedmy grip. ¡°And you should havee to me the moment they left.¡±

    In my other hand, I had the knife, and I kept my word. His death was quick as I lifted his head off my shoulder, and mmed the de into his throat.

    ¡°You swore loyalty to me,¡± I tutted. ¡°You made an oath to serve the Volkov Bratva and you failed.¡±

    I pulled the deout and let his body drop to the floor.

    ¡°Collect the money. Sweep the ce and then burn it to the ground.¡±

    Stepping out of Salvadoors, I know I had blood running down my arm, but I didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°I want their clubs and all their underground businessesdestroyed, tonight.¡±I¡¯d been prepared to allow this to y out, but Hank and Benjamin had struck a fire. Now it was time for them to get burned.

 84

    Lottie

    I kept expecting the other foot to drop, or whatever the statement was.

    Nibbling my lip, I nced around the library and frowned. One month of married life and everything was ¡­ lovely. No, better than lovely. It was peaceful and fun, and I loved it.

    I didn¡¯t see my husband, ever. Since he dropped me off at home and showed me to my own room, I¡¯d not seen him again. He told me I wasn¡¯t allowed to leave the grounds, but I could do everything else. This was insane.

    The first day, I stayed in my room andhis soldiers actually delivered my food. None of them tried to force me out of my room. They brought me breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They didn¡¯t stop mete at night while I went to the kitchen to get snacks.

    The second day was the same, as was the third. By the fourth day, I wanted toexplore.

    What was a bit of a surprise was I had a guard with meat all times. It took me two more days to realize it was the same guy every day. When I asked his name, he told me it was Hubert, but didn¡¯t give me any other details. He stayed by my side and helped me to explore, never stopping me as I went from room to room in the house.

    My husband owned a mansion. I was pretty sure I could get lost in it. After the first week, I realized I was going around in circles and not really exploring, so I started to leave little sticky notes on each door as a way of me knowing which room I had explored.

    His home had three floors with at least six to eight rooms on each floor. I don¡¯t know why he felt the need to have such arge home, but when I asked Hubert, hemerely said Ive¡¯s home choices were his.

    Either way, it was arge home, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Ive wanted arge family. I¡¯d never thought of having a family. Ive and I hadn¡¯t had sex, so making a family would be very difficult. Even when I was younger, I didn¡¯t think of a different family or father, or anything. I epted what I had. Strange.

    After exploring the upstairs, including the attic, which I¡¯m not going to lie, scared the crap out of me, I took to downstairs. I found Ive¡¯s office, and I didn¡¯t explore that, as it terrified me. I swore my loyalty to his boss and my husband, checking out his office. This made me think of all kinds of spy and bad shit, so his office was off limits, and on that sticky tab, I wrote as such. Hubby¡¯s office: off limits. I found the library with so many books, which was awesome, as I happened to love to read. When I was allowed to go to the library back home, I¡¯d find myself wandering the shelves. Not just for fiction books, but I loved to learn. It had always been difficult for me to learn with everything that went on at home. I always tried though.

    My teachers told me if I applied myself, I¡¯d get the grades. It was easy for them to say so, they didn¡¯t have to go home with their father tearing up their schoolwork, or destroying their books. It was easier to try and do everything at school, which meant my work was often rushed. If I stayed too long at school, it would end in a beating. Not easy to deal with.

    After finding the library, my next exploration took me to a game room.

    Hubert had stood at the door as I staredat the games. There was a pool table and what appeared to be an air hockey table. There were also some machines. They were all turned off, but Hubert told me if I wanted to y, he knew how to turn the power on in the room.

    I was embarrassed. I had never yed before. Not one single game. The pool table looked like a lot of fun, as did the air hockey table. I¡¯d wanted to y. It was stupid and childish.

    Before I turned back toward him, I made sure topose myself, and then left the room. Late at night, I¡¯de down to the room and sit in one of the avable chairs and look. Was it strange I wanted to y but was afraid to?

    I don¡¯t think Hubert knew I came to the game room. I would have to ask him one day how to turn on the power, so I could at least try while no one was around.

    After thegame room, I found the cinema world, and I¡¯d spent several hours in the past three weeks watching movies. I discovered a love of popcorn and ice cream. I loved strawberry cheesecake ice cream, that was my favorite. Then I found a love of cooking. The chef in residence, Michael, spoke with a lovely ent, I think it was French, but I hadn¡¯t asked him if he would like to teach me to cook.

    He wasn¡¯t in the kitchen all the time, and on those days I would cook, and I¡¯d started to feed the staff at Ive¡¯s home. I don¡¯t know if the staff truly meant it when they said my food was delicious or if they were just being nice. I¡¯d asked Hubert and he smiled. I thought my food was niceand Michael said I had a gift. Again, I don¡¯t know what any of that means, but it was nice to hear. I hade to realize that I loved to bake. Cakes, cookies, tartlets, pies were a lot of fun. Tricky, but fun.

    So, the first month of wedded life was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it. Without my husband.

    It was nice to live without fear of each bang. Of course, whenever there was a bang or a noise I wasn¡¯t quite prepared for, it would startle me. Hubert was so sweet, though, he¡¯d tell me what it was or who it was. In a gun-carrying, guard-duty kind of way, I liked him.

    As for Ive, he didn¡¯t call. If he did, Ididn¡¯t know about it.

    Heading into the second month of marriage, it was one of Michael¡¯s days off and I was back in the kitchen. This time I was making biscuits as I just wanted one with some whipped cream and slices of strawberry, when Hubert came back with none other than Ivan. There had been a knock at the door, and Hubert went to answer. With my hands covered in butter, flour, and sugar, I didn¡¯t know if I was meant to bow, or what.

    ¡°Mr. Volkov.¡±

    ¡°Ivan, please,¡± he said, holding up his hand. ¡°You may leave.¡±

    Hubert looked at me and then at Ivan, but bowed and did as he was told.

    ¡°He¡¯s my guard,¡± I said.

    Ivan nodded. ¡°And now that I¡¯m here, I¡¯m your guard. What are you making?¡±

    ¡°Would you like me to call Ive?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Your husband is aware of my presence. I did tell him I nned to visit. Did he not tell you?¡±

    Should I lie?

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°You do not need to worry. I¡¯m aware your husband has not been around.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been verybusy.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Thank fuckingGod. I had no idea what Ive was doing. I could only hope he was busy and there was some crisis, and then I felt bad for even thinking that way. I shouldn¡¯t be hoping for there to be a mess happening in the Volkov Bratva. Wait, my words were true, which meant ¡­ oh, crap.

    ¡°Is Ive okay?¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Yes. ording to my sources, he will be joining us soon. So what are we making?¡± he asked, grabbing an apron, washing his hands, and rolling up his sleeves.

    His arms were covered in ink. I never noticed that before, but they werepletely decorated. Why hadn¡¯t I noticed that before?

    ¡°Charlotte?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Biscuits. I¡¯m making biscuits.¡±

    ¡°Are we talking British for cookie, or British for scone?¡±

    This made me frown. ¡°Why British?¡±

    ¡°I heardMichael has been training you.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be French?¡± I asked. ¡°He is French, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    This caused Ivan to throw his head back andugh. ¡°No, Michael is English. One of the best chefs in the world. I thought of stealing him away, but Ive¡¯s got his loyalty.¡±

    This was totally news to me. Michael had always spoken with a French ent.

    ¡°I¡¯m so confused,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh, Michael is a man of many talents. Two years ago, he spoke with aSpanish ent, and then an Italian one. He¡¯s learning thenguage and as he does, he tries to use the correct pronunciation and dialect.¡±

    ¡°So, he¡¯s learning French. That¡¯s kind of cool.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, until he gets bored and moves on.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯s cool?¡± I asked.

    ¡°All learning is wee, but when it¡¯s wasted, I don¡¯t see the point.¡±

    ¡°How is it wasted? He would be able to travel the world. Go to ces and talk to people.¡±

    Ivan stared at me. ¡°Do you have wanderlust?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I never had any desire to travel. In fact, the past month had been the best days of my life so far.

    ¡°If you wanted to, all you¡¯d have to do is ask Ive.¡±

    This made me smile. To ask my husband for anything, I¡¯d have to know a way to get in touch with him, or to see him.

    ¡°So, tell me how to make these biscuits,¡± he said.

    I was no expert, but he seemed insistent. Ididn¡¯t quite get Ivan Volkov. I knew he was a monster and he was willing to do unspeakable things. People were afraid of him. He had a reputation that even made my father hesitate. My father never hesitated, he was never afraid. He was more than willing to take on any battle, or cause a war. He had a bloodlust, but Ivan Volkov caused that man to fear. Why? How?

    I talked Ivan through making biscuits. I told him the measurements I used, including the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. The salt was important as Michael refused to buy salted butter. All the butter we had was unsalted. He liked to be able to control the amount of salt he used.

    After they were mixed, I got him to add the sugar. I didn¡¯t knowif this was right, but it seemed to be working. It did make mixing in the butter feel a little grainy, but oh well. With everything well mixed, it was time for the cold cubed butter, which he had to do himself.

    ¡°Why do they not cube it for us?¡± he asked.

    This made meugh.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t take long. Honestly. Just grab a knife. It doesn¡¯t matter about the size of the cubes, you¡¯re going to squish them between your thumbs.¡±

    ¡°This is pointless.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s necessary. Trust me. They taste really good.¡±

    Ivan puthis hands in and began to crumble the butter into the flour. He seemed to be pretty good at it, so I had to wonder if he even needed my help.

    ¡°Do you cook?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Are you a good cook?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re modest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being truthful. Are you a good cook?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t made anyone sick or anything.¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°How do you not know?¡±

    I told him my concerns when it came to the staff. He tutted and called Hubert back into the room.

    ¡°Tell me, boy, is she a good cook or a bad one?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a good cook.¡±

    ¡°Andwhat do the others think?¡±

    ¡°They all adore her food. They love Michael¡¯s food, but he seems to go a bit ¡­ posh, and they like good grub,¡± he said.

    This made my cheeks heat. They loved my food. This was so awesome. I felt like I was glowing. I couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Ivan looked my way. ¡°See, all you¡¯ve got to do is ask.¡± He dismissed Hubert.

    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. How do you know if he¡¯s even telling the truth? You¡¯re the boss. He might have been feeding you lies.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense. The boss I may be, but they also know I like the truth. I do not deal well with bullshit. Lying to me doesn¡¯t get the job done.¡±

    Without my telling him to do it, he added in the buttermilk. I had already cut my biscuits into triangles and ced them on a baking tray. He handed me the buttermilk, and I used some to spread on top of my biscuits, before sprinkling the sugar.

    I waited for him to be finished and it didn¡¯t take him long to have them on the tray. He took over and ced them in the oven.

    ¡°Are you a trained cook?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯mnot trained but I know how to take care of myself.¡±

    ¡°Have you had to?¡±

    Like my birth, there were a lot of rumors about Ivan Volkov. Many said he was the unwanted bastard son of the previous Bratva. They had tried to kill him, left him for dead. Others believed he was superhuman. Staring at him now, I had to wonder if the tale about him being kicked out, left for dead, and abandoned was more urate. It made the most sense to me.

    ¡°We all have to learn to take care of ourselves, don¡¯t you think?¡± he asked.

    This made me nod.

    ¡°Yeah, we do.¡±

    ¡°Who taught you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The cooking channel. School. You know, the usual.¡± I had forgotten how hard it could be. For a month I could pretend I was normal, that I didn¡¯t have a past and I could forget everything I once was. One question and it all came rushing back.

    I wanted to wrap my armsaround myself and put up a protective shield to keep the bad memories away, but what was the point? Nothing was ever going to stop them. They were part of who I was.

 85

    Ive

    I don¡¯t know why Ivan insisted oning to visit me and mywife. I¡¯d not been back to my country home in just over a month. Stepping through the front door, I didn¡¯t expect to see Hubert waiting for me. He was supposed to stay by Charlotte¡¯s side whenever I was away. He reported to me daily as to how she was settling in. So far, she didn¡¯t seem to be suffering with any kind of cabin fever and appeared to enjoy being kept at my home, without me forpany.

    I heard the softughter and it startled me. Was that Charlotte? I¡¯d never heard herugh. Fakeughing, hysterical, forcedughter, but not genuineughter. This was a beautiful sound-real, pure, sweet-and I felt myself being pulled toward it.

    I walked toward the dining room. Hubert took a step back, and I looked into the room to see Charlotte and Ivan sitting together at myrge table. My wife had a hand covering her mouth as she tried to stifle augh and even Ivan lookedpletely distracted as he told some kind of witty joke that caused him to distort his face, which sent Charlotte into another fit of hysterics.

    I also happened to notice Charlotte had changed into a beautiful red dress. The kind that tightened around her tits and waist, and red out at the hips. Even with it showing a great deal of cleavage it still had a way of appearing elegant on her.

    ¡°Ah, I see your faithful husband has returned.¡±

    His words caused theughter to stop and Charlotte tilted her head toward my direction. She quickly scrambled to her feet, and rushed toward my side.

    ¡°Ive, I didn¡¯t hear youe in,¡± she said. Her hands were sped together and one quick look over her shoulder, and I knew Ivan was expecting something. I didn¡¯t know what they¡¯d been talking about, but I¡¯d need to make sure these little visits were few and far between. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Ivan had done this on purpose. To make sure my boss and my wife were not alone, I¡¯d have to take Charlotte with me.

    She put her hands on my shoulders, went onto her tiptoes, and kissed my cheek. ¡°It¡¯s good of you toe home. Dinner won¡¯t be long now.¡± There was a smile on her lips, but this time, it didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes.

    Ivan stood and held out his hand for me to shake. I took it without hesitation. His grip was tight and I couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was warning me. I helped my wife into a chair before rounding the table and taking a seat opposite her, seeing as Ivan had taken the head of the table. This was my house, and the head of the table should be my seat. Silence descended on the table. Charlotte kept her gaze averted from mine.

    ¡°When did you arrive?¡± I asked, turning toward Ivan.

    ¡°This afternoon. Your lovely wife had taken over Michael¡¯s kitchen and was in the process of making some delicious biscuits. You¡¯re going to have to try them.¡±

    ¡°Yours are delicious, mine are¡­¡±

    ¡°Homemade, sweetheart,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to show me how you get them so uniform,¡± Charlotte said.

    ¡°You baked?¡± I turned to Charlotte but was more curious to hear that Ivan could bake as well. This was news to me. I knew he was a man of many skills and talents. He¡¯d survived a great deal in his life.

    Even though he and I went way back, I knew he also had history with vik, Andrei, Victor, and Peter. Each of us had a tale that involved Ivan Volkov. Our stories connected in all different ways. Oleg had always been the odd one out. From what I had learned, vik had been with him first, in the beginning when they were kids. I didn¡¯t meet Ivan until my early twenties.

    Pushing the past aside, I focused on my wife and my boss. Both seemed to share a secret smile. This was new. What the fuck was going on? I knew my wife hadn¡¯t cheated, and that wasn¡¯t Ivan¡¯s game, but I didn¡¯t like feeling out of the loop.

    ¡°The key, my dear, with all things, is tohave a little patience. If you have that, then everything else is a piece of cake.¡±

    Charlotte chuckled. ¡°I see what you did there and don¡¯t thinkfor a second you can leave before you show me your famous lemon cake.¡±

    Ivan winked at Charlotte. They were sharing a secret moment. I couldn¡¯t help but watch the two of them. This was the first time Charlotte hade out of her shell.

    Three women came out of the kitchen and put tes in front of each of us. Staring down at the food, I saw a huge bowl of pasta with what appeared to be spaghetti sauce and meatballs. I¡¯m not going to lie, I¡¯m not a big pasta fan. I¡¯m more of a meat-and-potatoes lover. Pasta was okay, but I hadn¡¯t eaten it in a long time.

    ¡°Eat up, Ive. Your beautiful wife made this.¡±

    ¡°You made this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s, er, it¡¯s my favorite meal. I wasn¡¯t going to cook for you but Ivan insisted that I do.¡±

    I also noticed she referred to him as Ivan. Most women were quaking in their boots around Ivan, and yet Charlotte seemedfortable. In fact, she appeared morefortable with him than she did with me. I wasn¡¯t the one who¡¯d married her off. That was all Ivan¡¯s idea.

    Picking up my fork and knife, I slice into a meatball, and it did appear to be buttery soft. I pierced it with my fork and then took a bite. vors exploded across my tongue and I couldn¡¯t help but close my eyes at the taste. They were delicious, and considering I didn¡¯t like meatballs, this was indeed a shock to me. I finished the meatball and decided to try the pasta. It was the first time I actually enjoyed the meal.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°You know, Charlotte happens tolove Italian food,¡± Ivan said.

    Turning my attention to Charlotte, I see her offering Ivan a smile. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯m surea lot of people love Italian food.¡±

    ¡°True, true. A lot of people do, but it just sohappens we have an Italian restaurant. I¡¯ll put a word in with the chef, and I¡¯d love for you to visit sometime.¡±

    ¡°That sounds lovely.¡±

    ¡°It would be nice to see you and Ive going out on a date. It¡¯s not healthy to stay in this big house all the time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind this big house. Honestly.¡± Charlotte kept avoiding my eyes.

    On my way to this dining room, I¡¯d already spotted the sticky notes on my office door. Hubert had informed me my wife explored the house and because of how big it was, she ced sticky notes letting her know which rooms she¡¯d already been in. She hadn¡¯t extended this into the gardens, but ording to her guard, she liked to go out walking, not too far from the house. She also enjoyed taking a book out to thewn, sitting down on a nket, or lying down, and reading for hours.

    Ivan kept up the conversation, drawing me and Charlotte into discussions about food, what we liked and disliked. Charlotte hated peas of all kinds. She also had an aversion to cauliflower and she hated the taste of raw onion. For me, I had no dislike of any food. There were some I enjoyed more than others, like meat and potatoes, but it didn¡¯t stop me from eating.

    After the mainmeal, Charlotte disappeared into the kitchen and came back holding a tray. There were three small tes with biscuits on each, beautifully presented.

    ¡°Charlotte, that is cheating,¡± Ivan said. ¡°Go and get your biscuits. I¡¯m sure Ive would like to try them.¡±

    She disappeared a second time.

    ¡°Not that I have aproblem with it, Ivan, but why are you here?¡±

    ¡°As you know, when the Bratva faces problems, I¡¯m always aware. I think it¡¯s time we talked about important matters.¡±

    Charlotte returned carrying a tewith three more biscuits, only these didn¡¯t look uniform or out of a box. These were different sizes and shapes, and they didn¡¯t look great. They were homemade.

    ¡°I totally understand if you don¡¯t want to try them,¡± Charlotte said.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s his loss,¡± Ivan said, taking a biscuit and immediately having a bite. ¡°Because they¡¯re delicious.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t going to have my wife liking Ivan more. Taking a biscuit, I put it on my te and sliced my knife through the center. I wasn¡¯t a big fan of pasta or meatballs, but I did happen to love a sweet treat and some cream. Charlotte had brought two small bowls with her, one with jam, the other with cream. Spreading jam onto both sides, I then added some cream so every bite had some of what I wanted. The biscuit was buttery, soft, and not too sweet. The jam fixed the sweetness for me, and I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes open as I released a tiny moan. It had been a long time since food had made me do this. Food was merely fuel to me. I liked good food, but this was different. This was delicious and mouthwatering, and I couldn¡¯t quite contain myself with the taste. It was so good.

    Within a few bites the biscuit was gone. Iplimented my wife and noticed how her cheeks turned a beautiful shade of red. It was rare to see a womanblush, or at least it was for me.

    I had every intention of sending her away so Ivan and I could depart to my office. Ivan insisted on coffee, and only after we had a nice cup did Charlotte leave, and wewent to my office.

    Other than our wedding, that was the longest time I¡¯d spent with Charlotte. Stepping into my office, I went straight to the hard liquor. ¡°Can I interest you in a drink?¡±

    ¡°You refuse to spend any time with your wife,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°Work takes priority. You know this.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I know this, but I also know the value of doing what I say. You and Charlotte are not expecting,¡± Ivan said.

    This caused me to grit my teeth. vik already had a child with rumor of a second on the way. I believe Andrei and Adide were already pregnant and she was due soon, perhaps. I wasn¡¯t sure on the finer details.

    ¡°Charlotte is not pregnant.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but you haven¡¯t consummated your marriage either.¡± Ivan took the ss of whiskey I offered.

    ¡°She¡¯s eighteen years old.¡±

    ¡°In case you¡¯ve forgotten, Charlotte will be neen in a couple of weeks. She¡¯s also legal.¡±

    ¡°She is young,¡± I said.

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°All women start out young, Ive. They are born as babies and grow into children, eventually teenagers, and then young women.¡±

    ¡°My wife is still a teenager.¡±

    ¡°True, but she is your wife, and if you stopped being anywhere else but at home, you¡¯d see there is more to Charlotte than her age.¡±

    ¡°You had business to discuss with me.¡± I wanted to get off the topic of my wife. Eighteen, neen, it made no difference to me, shewas still young.

    Ivan smiled and after a second, he started to talk. ¡°I have twocandidates with potential for taking over Oleg¡¯s territory.¡±

    ¡°Who are they?¡± I asked.

    He finished off his whiskeyand gave a yawn. ¡°You know, after all this traveling, I suddenly feel rather tired.¡±

    ¡°I have business to discuss with you,¡± I said.

    ¡°And we¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡±

    Ivan had brought our conversation to a close and I knew it was because he was pissed at me over Charlotte.

 86

    Lottie

    It waste and I couldn¡¯t sleep.

    The meal had gone better than I imagined. I also didn¡¯t mind sitting across from my husband. I¡¯d been able to steal nces at him. I¡¯d not seen him for a little over a month, and I think I¡¯d forgotten what he looked like.

    I liked his eyes. They were blue, quite a bright, beautiful, intense kind of blue. I couldn¡¯t help but be somewhat drawn to them. Were they the color of the ocean? I¡¯d never seen the ocean, so I didn¡¯t quite know what it looked like. I¡¯d seen pictures and movies, but not in real life.

    He¡¯d eaten my food and enjoyed it. I loved that. Ive wasn¡¯t one forpliments, but he¡¯d told me it was good, so I was taking it.

    Why couldn¡¯t I sleep? I¡¯d done my usual exploring in the morning, and then worked up a bit of a sweat in the kitchen. Ivanhad also arrived, which in itself was stressful, even if he didn¡¯t scare me. I knew I should be afraid. Either way, I couldn¡¯t sleep. Maybe some warm milk, or some water, or maybe even a hot chocte would do the trick.

    Climbing out of bed, I leavethe bedroom, being careful with my steps. I don¡¯t know how Ivan and Ive would react to someone sneaking around the house. Thest thing I wanted to do was get shot at while attempting to fall asleep.

    No one stops me or shoots me on my way to the kitchen, and stepping inside, I see it is spotless. I go straight to the fridge and see some milk already open. Taking out the carton, I find a cup, fill it with milk, and then ce it in the microwave. Each noise I make sounds incredibly loud and I don¡¯t mean to be. Using the microwave means less dishes. I only have to worry about my mug, no saucepan or spoon.

    I¡¯ve never been one for hot chocte, and as I rummage through the cupboards, I find a small packagebeled¡±Hot Chocte.¡± Looking over the packet, I wrinkle my nose as it looked gross. Opening the top of the lid, I take a sniff. It smelled okay, but I wasn¡¯t a big chocte lover. Putting the box away, I grabbed the vani and some sugar.

    The microwave beeped, and I dived for it, quickly opening the door. Why was it so loud?

    My milk was hot. I inserted a spoon, gave it a stir, attempting not to hit the side of the cup. Adding a couple of teaspoons of sugar and a dash of vani, I picked up my mug and left the kitchen, making sure to put everything awaybehind me.

    I don¡¯t go straight to my bedroom. Instead, I take a quick detour. My husband¡¯s office doorwaspletely closed, and there didn¡¯t appear to be any light inside. I wonder if they finished their business. I wasn¡¯t curious about their business. The less I knew, the better.

    Moving past the library and the movie theater, I instead went to the game room. Hubert had taught me how to turn the room on, and I found the main power switch, lightingit up. This was kind of a bad idea as I was sure it made a big noise. Most of the games were on mute, but there was still a start-up sound. I waited several minutes for the sound of footsteps and threats. Nothing happened.

    Taking a sip of my now warm sweet-vani milk, I look around. The games looked like a lot of fun. Reaching over, I lifted the triangle thing that contained the balls on the pool table and then touched one of the balls. They¡¯re heavy. This surprised me. I¡¯ve never yed pool before in my life. Never touched one of the balls.

    My father¡¯s gameroom back at the clubhouse was off limits to me. I wasn¡¯t allowed inside. Cassie got to go inside, not me. I wasn¡¯t allowed to have fun.

    Putting the ball downand cing the triangle thingy back in ce, I stepped around the room and looked at the different arcade games. I¡¯d never been to an arcade before. Reaching out, I hover over the start button on one game.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡±

    I turn, nearly spilling mywarm milk in the process. Ivan stood in the doorway. He wore a pair of sweatpants and arge t-shirt.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to wake you.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asleep.¡± He waved a hand in the air. ¡°What takes your fancy?¡±

    ¡°What takes my fancy?¡± I asked, repeating his words.

    ¡°What game would you like to y?¡±

    ¡°Oh, er, I, er, I¡­¡± Had no idea what to say. He looked at me expectantly. What was I supposed to do or say?

    Ivan stared at me. He did this a lot. Ever since they¡¯d kidnapped me, Ivan woulde see meand stare at me. I was pretty sure he was assessing me, trying to figure out what to do with me, but I could be wrong. I had no idea what he thought about.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to y, do you?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°I know how to y,¡± I mumbled the words so it didn¡¯t sound like aplete lie.

    ¡°Then pick a game and we¡¯llpete.¡±

    I looked around the room and nibbled my lip. ¡°I¡¯m feeling very tired. I think I should go to bed.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t allow you to y, did he? Your father, I mean. You weren¡¯t allowed to have fun and I¡¯ve got a feeling if you even showed any signs of fun, he¡¯d beat you.¡±

    I stared at Ivan. What the fuck was I supposed to say? I felt frozen. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing not knowing how to y games.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never had a real chance at being a kid,¡± Ivan said.

    Staring at Ivan, I didn¡¯t like how urate he was when he talked about my past. I was not someone to be pitied. ¡°Neither did you,¡± I said.

    ¡°Very true but the difference is, as I got older and I took back whatwas taken from me, I learned how to y.¡± He moved toward the pool table. ¡°With pool there are obviously ways of ying and doing the right moves, but while we¡¯re just getting used to this, I think it makes sense for us to simply enjoy hitting the balls.¡± He picked up one of the sticks, moved the triangle off the balls, and then took aim and shot at the balls. They went everywhere. I expected them toe flying off the table but they didn¡¯t. They hit the sides, some of them going down the holes. ¡°Ah, now that is satisfying.¡± He held out the stick to me. ¡°Would you like a chance?¡±

    I reached out but then hesitated.

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to have fun. You don¡¯t get to y. You¡¯re nothing. Trash is nothing. You¡¯re fucking nothing.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°He¡¯s dead, Charlotte. He¡¯s notgoing toe and take this from you. You can have fun. I won¡¯t allow, nor will your husband allow anyone to stop you having fun.¡±

    My hand shook as I took the stick from him. I kept expecting the pain to radiate through my body, but it didn¡¯t. There was no pain.

    Ivan took the cup from my hand and then I turned to the table.

    ¡°What do I do?¡± I asked, hating the slight quiver I heard inmy voice. This wasn¡¯t fair.

    ¡°Eye a ball, take aim, and shoot. We¡¯re not ying an actual game of pool tonight. Youcan just aim at the balls.¡±

    I stared at the balls and then leaned forward with the stick in hand, copying what I saw Ivan do, and what I¡¯dseen on television. Taking aim and hitting a ball was hard. I missed three times, and then finally hit a ball.

    Ivan took the stick from me and sunk a ball. Then it was my turn again. We worked our way around the table. Ivan sunk every single ball and I just hit them. Some I managed to do with a little more force than others. It was a lot of fun.

    I expected us to go to bed after that, but Ivan must have had trouble sleeping as I did.

    We moved onto the air hockey. Nowwith this game, my heart raced and I couldn¡¯t help butugh as Ivan shot the hockey puck across the table toward my goal. I was useless but knew I was so going to get Hubert to y with me. I preferred this game to the pool table. I did get a few pucks into goal, but not a lot.

    My drink was long finished, and we ended up ying on two of the arcade games. One was a fighting game, and another was being chased by something that ate you-I don¡¯t exactly know what they were. Then, one nce at the clock and I saw it was a little after three in the morning. Crap. With Ive home, this wasn¡¯t good. I had to be awake and alert around him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you to your bedroom,¡± Ivan said.

    Did he know me and Ive had separate bedrooms?

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ive is a heavy sleeper.¡±

    ¡°You and Ive are not sharing a bedroom, Charlotte. You do not have to lie to me. Do you enjoy being married?¡±

    ¡°I, er, yeah, it¡¯s been fun.¡±

    ¡°Because your husbandis never home. You are not truly married. Tell me, Charlotte, would you like arge family?¡±

    I open my mouththen close it. How do I answer that? Is there a right or wrong answer? I didn¡¯t know what to do or say.

    Ivan smiled. ¡°I want you to think about it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what a family is. I mean, there was always Rage and my sister.¡±

    Ivan put a hand on top of mine. ¡°But they could only do so much. They were not a true family to you.¡±

    Every time he talked about my fatherand my past at the Evil Savages MC, it was like he had firsthand knowledge. The rumors about his early start in life had to be true. He spoke with real knowledge and understanding of my own life.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what a family really means,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve watched it in movies and seen, you know, stuff, but I don¡¯t know what a mother is supposed to be like or a father. My father hit me. Is that what Ive would do if he and I ever had children?¡±

    Ivan shook his head. ¡°No, he wouldn¡¯t. Your father didn¡¯t deserve to have that title, Charlotte. Oneday soon, you¡¯re going to realize that you¡¯re free.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t free. I was Ive¡¯s wife. I¡¯d sworn my loyalty to the Volkov Bratva. One misstep and my life could be ended. I was not important. Not back at the MC and certainly not now. I was never going to start believing that I was more than what I was.

 87

    Ive

    I got the call from d. All necessary businesses werehitst night. Hank and Benjamin were going to have no choice but toe out of hiding, and I also had the location where the missing women were being held.

    As soon asI dealt with Ivan, I was either going to take him with me or leave him here. Time was of the essence. d was convinced they¡¯d be moving the women very soon.

    Ivan hadn¡¯t been interested in talking about actual businessst night. I still didn¡¯t know the candidates for taking the sixth brigadier¡¯s position. Right now, I had too many problems to deal with the sixth ce. No one could tell Ivan who should rece Oleg. He knew what he was doing, and most of the time we only knew of his n when he was good and ready.

    I made my way down to the dining room. There was no sign of Ivan or Charlotte. I heard themst night. First I heard Charlotte walking downstairs, and I did follow her, keeping to the shadows to see what she was doing. I wondered if she was going to attempt to contact Rage or the Evil Savages MC.

    They had been silent sincethe wedding and I didn¡¯t like that. ording to my spies, they hadn¡¯t left thepound, and I knew that was not like the club to miss opportunities to make money. I had to wonder if they had a hand in the missing women or were helping Hank or Benjamin. I¡¯d not found a single connection so far. If there was one, I¡¯d deal with it.

    After taking back the kidnapped women, I had several visits to make to my prisoners about other issues.

    I¡¯d hoped to get some restst night. Instead, I had watched my wife make herself a hot drink, and rather than go to bed, she¡¯d gone to the game room. I stayed outside, listening as Ivan also made an appearance. And so, while my boss and my wife yed games, and I heard that she didn¡¯t have the first fucking clue how to y, I listened, knowing I should be the one to teach her. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Ivan did this to vik and Andrei¡¯s wives, showing up unannounced, making themugh, sharing smiles and jokes, and doing shit with them.

    There wasn¡¯t even a reason forme toin. I had no right to.

    Ivan had spent more time with my wife in thest twenty-four hours than I had in the whole month of being married. I didn¡¯t like that I was fucking jealous. Charlotte was young. She didn¡¯t stand a chance in this life and by keeping my distance, I didn¡¯t get attached to her. I wasn¡¯t convinced of her loyalty, even though Ivan had told me about the cell phone Rage had tried to get her to hide to contact her. She hadn¡¯t asked for it back, even though there were a lot of messages from Rage and her sister. They were incredibly worried about her. Not that they needed to be worried. She was alive and safe, enjoying life, and they didn¡¯t have a single reason to question her well-being. She wasn¡¯t being beaten or locked away. She had the full run of my house.

    Running a hand down my face, I took a seat, this time at the head of the table. Ivan was the first to join me. I expected him to look tired, but he actually looked rxed and more refreshed.

    ¡°Morning, Ive,¡± he said.

    ¡°Morning.¡±

    He took a seat and chuckled. ¡°Charlotte¡¯s enjoying a sleep-in.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    ¡°You know you could have joined usst night,¡± Ivan said.

    This made me turn toward him and look.

    ¡°I heard you outside. It could have been fun. We all could have takenturns.¡±

    ¡°Charlotte had fun, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re going to keep fighting this?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to fight. You asked me to marry her, so I have. What good are children? She has no hold over the Evil Savages MC. They didn¡¯t want her, Ivan.¡±

    He tutted. ¡°Someone clearly didn¡¯t get enough sleepst night.¡±

    I took a deep breath, because losing my temper with the boss was not the best idea. Ivan does things on purpose. I¡¯d seen the way he worked. Watched the way he worked vik and Andrei with their marriages.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about control,¡± Ivan said. ¡°Family builds unity.¡±

    ¡°You and I both know that family means shit.¡±

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°Very true. When the wrong people are in charge and only have a thirst for their own power, it is shit. Youhave what you wanted, Ive. Now to keep our ce in our territories, we need to be stronger. Family, children, building our numbers is the priority. Charlotte has a lot to give.¡±

    ¡°Now is not the time to be having babies,¡± I said.

    ¡°Now is the perfect timeto be having babies. There is no better way to tell our enemies that we don¡¯t give a fuck, than by having a family.¡±

    I was about to ask him if he truly believed that Charlotte was ready to have a family. She didn¡¯t even have a fucking clue how to y games.

    The woman herself stepped into the dining room. She wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that seemed to highlight her body. Why the fuck did I have to notice thoserge tits and hips? She had a smaller waist. Charlotte was curvy. She was sexy. She had a way about her that felt like a fucking siren¡¯s call.

    Turning my gaze away, I nced over to the kitchen and my staff chose that moment to bring out our breakfast. I always like to have a healthy morning breakfast. I didn¡¯t like bacon and eggs first thing in the morning.

    Charlotte sat down and she looked refreshed even though I knew she didn¡¯t get to bed untilpast three o¡¯clock. After Ivan walked her to her room, I¡¯d been tempted to go in there and knock, but something held me back. Something always held me fucking back.

    ¡°Morning,¡± Charlotte said.

    We greeted her morning. I watched as she reached for the ss of orange juice.

    ¡°Charlotte, my sweet, what are your ns for the day?¡± Ivan asked.

    He was purposefully pissing me off.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any ns. I tend to just ¡­ stay home, uh, explore, you know, go to the library.¡±

    ¡°Well, I was thinking of taking you out,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking her with me,¡± I said. This was not the ideal n. I had shit to do. Not babysit my wife. I felt her gaze on me but I didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°You¡¯re taking her?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve made arrangements. She¡¯sing with me.¡±Ivan sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll have to arrange to go out some other time, sweetheart.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a problem. I¡¯m quite happy staying at home.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re married,¡± Ivansaid. ¡°You and Ive should be spending as much time together as possible. In fact, how about we meet up tonight? You and Ive spend the day together, and we can enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant of my choosing.¡±

    If I killed Ivan Volkov, I would mourn his death, but I would guarantee my and Charlotte¡¯s death as well. None of the Bratva would rest until his killers were dead. In that moment, I was tempted. I had business to deal with. Women to fucking rescue. Running a hand down my face, this left me no choice but to contact d and have him pick up the women.

    I¡¯ve already got my contacts on standby in the police force. Now dwould have to handle it. This was not a problem. I could delegate while I dealt with my wife.

    The rest of breakfastwent by without any more idiotic suggestions. Ivan and Charlotte talked about a movie they both wanted to see, and while I sat between them, they made a date to watch it in one month¡¯s time on my home cinema screen. Popcorn and pizza were mentioned.

    I had a feeling Ivan liked my wife. Why? What was so important about Charlotte? She was nothing more than a mistake. An unwanted daughter that one of Andrei¡¯s men had fucked up with. Cassie had been our target, not this woman. One man¡¯s fuck-up had turned into my problem.

    Now Charlotte was my wife, and I had to deal with her. It would be easier for me to lock her in one of my cages but I had a feeling Ivan would take offense to that.

    So, after breakfast, Ivan took his leaveand promised to see us tonight. I was alone with my wife. Great. Just fucking great.

 88

    Lottie

    I had a feeling Ive didn¡¯t like me. Maybe it was the silent treatment, or the constant re that seemed to be glued to his face. Either way, he wasn¡¯t happy, and I had a feeling it was my fault. I didn¡¯t ask to be invited along on whatever business he had to deal with. Stuck in the back of the car while Hubert drove us toward the city.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    If he thought silencewould be a problem to me, he was mistaken. I liked silence. It was fun, calm, easy. Staring out the window, we left what seemed like the countryside where there was barely anyone around, to beingpletely immersed into city life, and I hated it.

    The people were miserable. I didn¡¯t see a single person with a smile on their face. I¡¯d grown up relying on facial expressions to know people¡¯s moods. No one was happy.

    I¡¯d rather be back home where I saw the asional staff and guard. Michael was far more talkative than my husband. Even Hubert was talkative, but not Ive. No, he was pissed off because his boss told him he had to take me along for the ride.

    Turning back toward my husband I nibbled my lip. ¡°You know, I could have stayed home.¡±

    ¡°Ivan would have found out,¡± Ive said. ¡°He told me to take you, so I¡¯m taking you with me.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯ve got work to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always got work to do, Charlotte. Your presence is not going to stop me.¡±

    Okay. He was pissed off. Sitting back, I stare out the window and wee to a stop outside of a clothing store.

    ¡°You own a fashion boutique?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, but Ivan will expect you to dress appropriately and I don¡¯t recall you owning the right kind of clothes for being a Bratva¡¯s wife,¡± Ive said.

    ncing down at my old jeans and shirt, he wasn¡¯t wrong. The clothes I owned were from back home and they were the ones Cassie had gotten for me, when she convinced our father to let her take me shopping. If he ever thought there was any benefit for me, he¡¯d deny it. Cassie had a way of pretending she wanted to dress me like a doll. He epted that, so I got new clothes. If he thought I liked them, he¡¯d destroy them.

    Cassie was always carefbout what she got me. Dresses were off limits most of the time. If she showed enjoyment and I showed hatred, I was allowed to keep them. Strange.

    Hubert parked at one of the few spaces and Ive stepped out first. I was about to grab the door handle but then I saw his hand appear to take mine. I slid my hand into his and each time I touched him, I felt this zap of electricity that seemed to travel up my arm. Every time it happened, I ignored it. I liked it when Ive touched me. He was my husband so at least that was a bonus.

    There was a woman waiting at the doors and she opened them to Ive. I saw the smile on her face and the fact she¡¯d opened several buttons of her shirt.

    ¡°Ive, I was so pleasedyou could call.¡±

    ¡°My wife needs clothes befitting a woman of her status,¡± Ive said. ¡°I want you to gather everything that¡¯s appropriate and meet us at the dressing rooms.¡±

    Ive took my hand and we moved through the store. I wasn¡¯t going to getthe chance to see my own wardrobe. Another woman who clearly had the hots for my husband was going to choose clothes for me.

    ¡°Do you know her?¡± I asked as we arrived at arge changing area. There was a long sofa that looked luxurious and Ive sat down. There were several changing stations,plete with curtains for privacy. I also happened to notice there was no one else around.

    ¡°I know her,¡± he said.

    ¡°Howe no one is around?¡± Iasked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t likepany when I attempt to get my wife to look the part.¡±

    Hisjibes were not affecting me. It took a lot to get to me. I guess I had my dad to thank for that. Wrapping my arms around my waist, I looked around the store. It didn¡¯t take long for the assistant to arrive. Her arms were full of clothes.

    ¡°Get started,¡± Ive said. ¡°I need to see every outfit.¡±

    I was pushed into one of the changing rooms. The woman, who had the name¡±Sophie¡± on her name tag, lost all niceness behind the curtain. If looks could kill, I¡¯d be dead already. I didn¡¯t like getting naked in front of anyone, so I asked her to put them into outfits, and then to leave.

    I¡¯m aware of the scars that decorated my body. Belts and fists would do that, especially if you weren¡¯t allowed to clean themright away. Cassie hated when he forced me to wait and bleed. On one asion, one of the cuts from his belt had gotten infected and I¡¯d nearly died. I think he was trying to kill me. Rage had been there when I passed out, so I¡¯d been given courses of antibiotics and at Rage¡¯s insistence, round-the-clock doctor¡¯s care. My dad was pissed at that one.

    I then realized that I didn¡¯thave much of a choice. Even if I wanted to die, there were people in the club who were determined that I live, so that¡¯s exactly what I did. I survived.

    Sophie tutted at me as she left thechanging rooms, but I didn¡¯t care. Of course, the spiteful bitch had gotten clothes that were too small for me. Yes, I was arger woman. My dad had tried many times to starve me, but again, I found a way of stealing or hiding food. I squeezed my body into the clothes and stepped out.

    Ive redthe moment he saw me and called Sophie over to him. There was a moment of silence and then he snapped his fingers. I¡¯d seen Ive pissed off. When I was his captive, he¡¯d been pissed about having me in his ce. He hated that he had to take care of me and force me to eat. He didn¡¯t like me being pissed off, and told me it was in my best interests to be good. I had no idea I was going to end up being his wife. Right before my eyes, I saw part of my husband¡¯s cruelty. He yelled at her, called her a fucking bitch and a slut, useless, and he even forced her to kneel at my feet. ¡°You better beg her for forgiveness.¡±

    ¡°Ive, don¡¯t,¡± I said.

    ¡°You do not disrespect my wife. You did this on purpose, didn¡¯t you? You useless cunt. Now, I suggest you go and get Cathy, and tell her that you are to be fired immediately, and she is toe and take care of my wife.¡±

    Sophie whimpered. ¡°Please, Ive, please, don¡¯t.¡±

    He grabbed her by the back of the neck, lifted her onto her feet, andthen shoved her out of my way.

    Wrapping myarms around my waist, I felt sick to my stomach. I couldn¡¯t believe what I had just seen.

    Ive returned secondster and shook his head. ¡°Take those clothes off.¡±

    I didn¡¯t move a muscle.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to dothat,¡± I said.

    Ive stopped, put his hands on his waist, and nced up and down at me. ¡°You¡¯re my wife, Charlotte. You are Mrs. Yahontov. You are a bride of a Brigadier of the Volkov Bratva. What she did was try to disrespect you. She knows what size you need.¡± He took a step toward me, and I was frozen to the spot.

    Why wasn¡¯t I afraid of him? I¡¯d just watched him with Sophie, but he¡¯d not hurt her, not really. Yes, he¡¯d humiliated her, which had been awful to see.

    Ive didn¡¯t touch me.

    ¡°Look at me, Charlotte.¡±

    I tilted my head back and looked into those blue eyes again. There was no coldness looking back at me.

    ¡°You do not ept anything less than the best. You are my wife, you are to be respected at all times. No one is to ever harm you. Do you understand me? No one is to speak shit to you. If they so much as re at you, you tell me.¡±

    ¡°You re at me all the time,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m your husband, I¡¯m allowed to.¡± He took a step back. ¡°Now, go and remove those clothes. Cathy will deal with you.¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long for Cathy to arrive. She apologized profusely and then took the clothes back to wherever Sophie had gotten them. She returned with the appropriate sizes. Again, I did ask her to leave so I could get dressed.

    ¡°I am so sorry about my colleague,¡±she said. ¡°It will never happen again.¡±

    ¡°She had a crush on Ive,¡± I said

    Cathy opened her mouth and closed it. Staring at the woman, I frowned. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.

    I thought my curiosity into trivial matters had died many years ago.

    ¡°Sophie had hoped that Ive was bing fond of her.¡±

    ¡°Did they date?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I believe there was one date between them, that¡¯s all.¡± Cathy bowed her head and left the changing room.

    I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Ive was a good-looking man. Thick, blond hair, he had the boy next door look, but with a few scars and a lot of ink. Okay, he was thebadboy next door, but he was sexy and dangerous.

    Pushing those thoughts to the back of my mind, I changed into each different outfit and walked out, giving a twirl for Ive. He nodded his head. Shook his head. But he lookedpletely bored.

    After stepping into a summer dress, I did something I hadn¡¯t done in a very long time. I looked into the mirror, and the truth was, I didn¡¯t like what I saw. I didn¡¯t know if people would see me as ugly. I knew I was nd. I didn¡¯t have full lips or smoky eyes. I was dull, mousy maybe. I had big tits andrge hips. My waist was small, but I think in the wrong clothes, it made my hips look almost cartoonish with the size difference.

    Cassie was beautiful.

    Sophie was beautiful.

    I hated the tears that came to my eyes. I could imagine on that one date with Sophie, Ive didn¡¯t hesitate in takingher to bed. He was my husband but he didn¡¯t want to sleep with me. Wrapping my arms around myself, I had to wonder who would. I was the wrong choice. The mistake. They wanted Cassie, not me. She¡¯s the one who should be married. Why hadn¡¯t they left me to die when they had the chance? My stomach swirled with sickness. I hated this.

    Stepping out of the changing rooms, I gave a twirl and waited for the nod of the head.

    Ive gave a nod, and I continued to change, until we got to the evening gowns. I lost interest and didn¡¯t even pay attention to which one he liked. Cathy took note of each one. As for me, I wasmerely the ugly doll. Something for him to use because Ivan had forced him. The only reason he had me with him today was because Ivan had forced it.

    No one ever wanted me. I was always the burden.

    And that was why it was easier to throw me away. Like trash.

    Always freaking trash.

 89

    Ive

    I didn¡¯t consider myself aconnoisseur of women. I had no way of knowing what they were thinking or what made them tick. Some of them I understood. Money and power spoke volumes. Others wanted stuff that made them feel special. I did know there was something wrong with my wife. I didn¡¯t know if Sophie said something to her, or the whole shopping experience had upset her. But women loved to shop, that was a constant.

    I had to keep reminding myself that my wife wasn¡¯t like other women. She was different. From what I¡¯de to learn of Charlotte, she didn¡¯t have a normal childhood.

    Evenst night, she didn¡¯t know how to y fucking games. What kind of life hadshe lived?

    I didn¡¯t know how to deal with her, or what to do. She¡¯d gone quiet. There was no smile on her face, and she sat next to me in the car, not even looking out the window. When we¡¯d taken her, she¡¯d never been this withdrawn. Had I scared her?

    Sophie had pissed me off. Yes, the one date I¡¯d taken her on had been a fucking nightmare. She had flirted the whole night, and then at the end of it, she¡¯d begged to suck my cock, to give me a good time. I took her home, and knew she was trying to bag herself a man of power.

    When it came to women, I¡¯d liked them easy withoutplications. Sophie screamed all the wrong things. This was the first time I had seen her since that disastrous date. I hadn¡¯t wanted her to go anywhere near my wife. Her catty behavior had shone through, and now my wife was miserable.

    ¡°Were there any clothes you didn¡¯t like that Ichose?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what youchose.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m there to y my role, I don¡¯t care what I wear.¡±

    ¡°Charlotte, what is going on?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°I cannot fix the problemif you don¡¯t tell me. Did Cathy say something? Sophie?¡±

    ¡°Why? What are you going to do? Force them to their knees to apologize?¡±

    Was that it? Had I scared her?

    ¡°I will not allow you to be treated like that.¡±

    ¡°And you think it¡¯s okay to do that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, especially when it¡¯s against my wife.¡± I was not going to argue about this.¡±Even when it¡¯s against a woman you took on a date, who clearly had a crush on you and thought there was something more going on?¡± Charlotte asked.

    I turn my full attention to hernow.

    ¡°You were cruel for no reason. Sophie was good enough to go on a date and have sex with, but not to marry?¡±

    This made me chuckle. ¡°Are you jealous?¡± I asked.

    She shook her head and I¡¯m pretty sure I spotted a tear in her eye.¡±It¡¯s nothing. Can we just leave it alone?¡±

    Any other day I¡¯d be d to dothis, but for some stupid, fucked-up reason, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to just leave well enough alone. Running a hand down my face, I tried to ignore the woman beside me, but I don¡¯t know why I even cared.

    ¡°Why are you crying? That woman purposefully wentout of her way to humiliate you today. You¡¯re my wife. No one does that to me or to the Volkov Bratva.¡± She should be happy I hadn¡¯t killed the bitch. No one disrespected my wife and got away with it. I was going to make sure she couldn¡¯t get a fucking job. I¡¯d make it my responsibility to see that she was miserable. I smiled at the very thought. I liked that idea very much.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Can¡¯t I just cry for no reason?¡±

    I was about to respond when atext came through, and I had no choice but to return to business. It was from d. The women had been captured and were currently with the police force, more specifically the men on our payroll. This was a good thing, but I still wasn¡¯t happy. If word got out that women had been taken, or even the intention of taking from me, there would be bacsh.

    I should have known thelittle trick Ivan yed of faking his death woulde back to bite me in the ass. Not only that, Ivan¡¯s death had created a ripple of problems, the main one being Oleg¡¯s territory. All that traitor needed was one implied weakness and he¡¯d gone out of his way to exploit it. We were all forced to deal with the consequences.

    Now Ivan had ns to put a brand-new brigadier in ce. He had two people in mind. I had my suspicions of the two, but there was no way he¡¯d be able to choose between them. Not only that, I didn¡¯t believe The Butcher and The Beast could be the two people to bring Oleg¡¯s territory back into control. There was just no way that could happen. Both were not known for being ¡°clean¡± about it. They had kill rates that rivaled each other. They would turn the territory into a bloodbath.

    Now that the women had been returned and were going to be processed, there was nothing for me to do other than work. The only problem I had was Charlotte. She couldn¡¯te with me to work. The casino was no ce for her. I leaned forward and gave Hubert the details of dropping me off, and then taking Charlotte home to my penthouse suite where I¡¯d been staying during this past month.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got work to do.¡±

    ¡°And what do I need to do?¡±

    ¡°Get ready for this evening. The clothespurchased for today will be delivered in a couple of hours. Wear the red dress for this evening when we join Ivan for dinner.¡±

    Ivan¡¯s dinner invitations were always few and far between. In fact, I think I could count on one hand the number of times he¡¯d invited me to dinner. I¡¯d been aware of the dinners he had with vik and Andrei, but they had onlye since they¡¯d been married.

    Was his only interest in my wife? I had to wonder if Ivan took the women out for a test drive? No, that wasplete nonsense. Ivan wasn¡¯t the kind of man who shared. If there was a woman he wanted, he¡¯d keep her to himself. I knew enough about Ivan to know he was a selfish bastard. Hubert pulled up to the casino and without waiting for him to let me out, I did so, mmed the door closed, and pped the top of the car, letting him know he could leave. I waited against the sidewalk, aware of people staring. I was a powerful man who drew the eye.

    Once the car was back in traffic, I made my way back into the casino, and this time, I went straight toward the elevator, which would take me up to the main office. I didn¡¯t have any other business to conduct, so I needed to get to my desk. The moment I did, I sat down, and d knocked on my door. I called for him to enter.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    ¡°Everything is taken care of?¡±

    ¡°The women are currently being processed and will be returned totheir homes. I also made sure to include somepensation for their troubles.¡±

    I leaned backin my chair. ¡°And their ¡­ health?¡±

    ¡°Most of them were scared. They¡¯d been drugged but it didn¡¯t look like they¡¯d been beaten or hurt. A rather sloppy and amateur setup.¡±

    ¡°Like it wasst minute?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    I frowned.

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m wondering if our good friends Hank and Benjamin are being controlled by someone else, someone bigger?¡±

    ¡°How is that possible? They¡¯re two nobodies.¡±

    ¡°Risingthe ranks of power, and easy puppets to use as no one would suspect.¡±

    d frowned as I stared at him. It would make sense as to why they were stepping up theiroperations, but also how they¡¯d been able to set up such a sloppy trafficking gig.

    Professionals had men in ce. They had private ces not easy to locate. They moved quickly, swiftly. Drugging girls took a lot of time, a lot of movement, as they were unable to move quickly. There was a lot happening now, and I didn¡¯t want to take anything for granted.

    ¡°I can look into it,¡± d said.

    Benjamin and Hank were two rival city drug pins. They were low level, sneaky, but stupid at the same time. I¡¯d dealt with them a couple of times over the years, and they¡¯d been easy to squash.

    Tapping my fingerson the desk, I thought about how hard it was to go from drug running, to creating a new drug that inhibited women, and then stealing them away. It wasn¡¯t as simple as it sounded. Shit like that was easy to detect.¡±I want you to get the information on the clubs where these women werest known to be.¡±

    ¡°In one of our clubs.¡±

    ¡°We have more than one, d. If Hank or Benjamin had stepped foot into one of our nightclubs, I¡¯d have been alerted to it.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ve got someone else?¡± d asked.

    ¡°Theyeither have someone else working for them, or they paid off one of my men to keep quiet. Either way, I need answers, so I can deal with each part ordingly.¡±

    If my men could be easily bought off, then they had to go. I didn¡¯t ept disloyalty. I wouldn¡¯t even tolerate a bad word said about Ivan. If I ever heard of discord with the Volkov Bratva, I took care of it personally.

    ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡±

    I didn¡¯t stop d as he left my office.

    Sitting back, I brought up the security screens of my casino, and checkedto make sure everything was running smoothly. In thest twenty-four hours, I¡¯d attacked Hank and Benjamin¡¯s ces and burned them to the ground, as well as removed their potential business avenue with the girls. There would be retaliation, I just had to wait for it to happen.

    The text came through secondster to say Charlotte was at the penthouse suiteand Hubert would be taking care of her. The reminder of my wife brought with it a question of why she¡¯d been fucking crying. I don¡¯t even know why I cared so much. Women cried. It was part of their DNA.

    Putting my cell phone down, I thought over this morning. I¡¯d taken her shopping, dealtwith the rudeness directed at her. Swiftly nipping it in the bud, because it was uneptable. I didn¡¯t like any of this.

    Something didn¡¯t feel right. I understood the cheekiness of Hank and Benjamin. They wereamateurs, but even they knew their limitations, which once again told me someone else was pulling the strings, but who? Why? Where? I didn¡¯t like not having answers to my questions. I needed to find them and soon.

 90

    Lottie

    I didn¡¯t mind being bored. Boredom meant safety. It meant I could do whatever I wanted without fear ofrepercussions. Growing up, boring meant safety. If my father thought I was being driven crazy with boredom, he wouldn¡¯t bother me. So, standing in Ive¡¯s penthouse apartment wasn¡¯t too bad. The view was incredible. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever been in a ce so high up, I felt like I was close to the clouds. It was pretty amazing. Staring out across the city, I couldn¡¯t exactly make anything out, but it was just pleasing to see the world go by.

    Hubert wasn¡¯t in the mood for conversation today. I stoodstill near the main corridor, keeping an eye on the apartment. He was never one for small talk back at the country house, but this was different.

    Ive¡¯s apartment wasn¡¯t quite the adventure to explore as his home was. I liked his home with all the houses and the sticky notes I¡¯d ced on each door, reminding me I¡¯d explored there. His apartment had a main sitting room, which did lookfortable. I¡¯d already tried out the plush white sofa, and yes, I did indeed sink into it. It was so lovely. Better than anything I¡¯d ever sat on. My booty felt like it had been treated well.

    Then, of course, there was a dining room. I counted the chairs and wondered if he entertained at all. The table could sit twelve people, and it was spacious.

    He didn¡¯t have a lot of furniture or possessions, just enough to create a show home, or a show apartment. That was what this was. A showroom apartment.

    The kitchen looked modern with pristine cupboards and top-of-the-range models. Did he spend a lot of time in the kitchen, or did he hire a chef like back home?

    There were three bedrooms, as well as a small office. There was no library in his penthouse, nor a game room, nor a cinema room. So, again, not a lot to explore.

    Staring out across the city grew tiresome, so I moved over to the sofa and took a seat. I made sure I faced Hubert. ¡°You can sit down, you know?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re expecting a delivery,¡± he said.

    ¡°Ah, right, the clothes.¡± I wrapped my arms around myself. Shopping for clothes hadn¡¯t been quite the enjoyment I had expected. I don¡¯t know who had spoiled it more-me, Ive, or that dreadful woman who clearly wanted my husband.

    Dropping my handsonto myp, I couldn¡¯t help but twirl my diamond wedding ring. Ivan Volkov had insisted I wear an engagement ring as well as a wedding one, both on the same finger. They were pretty. The most expensive things I¡¯d ever owned in my life.

    But the rings weren¡¯t mine. No, they belonged to Ive, my husband, and if they killed me, they¡¯d go back to him. I merely wore them for show. Nothing more than a trophy. I wasn¡¯t a great trophy, though. The unwanted daughter, the mistaken kidnapping. This should be Cassie.

    ¡°Have you worked for Ive long?¡± I asked.

    Hubert turned his gaze toward me, and his lips seemed to tense. Back at home, I rarely asked him personal questions. I¡¯d been too busy exploring, and of course I¡¯d been a little too nervous to ask questions.

    This was the problemwith nothing to do. I was more than happy to be bored with no one forpany but Hubert was here, and he was close to my husband ¡­ at least I assumed he was close.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to answer me. Is this some kind of code you guys have, that you won¡¯t ¡­ I don¡¯t know ¡­ talk about your time with your ¡­ master?¡± I didn¡¯t know what to call Ive. Master, Boss, Monster. They all seemed befitting.

    However, the tension in his jaw did seem to change, and there was a smirk, or what I believed to be a smirk. This made me smile.¡±I¡¯ve known Ive, personally, a handful of months. That¡¯s it.¡± I tried to offer an exnation for my husband. ¡°He seems a little, I don¡¯t know, cold.¡±

    Hubert didn¡¯t move but looked straight ahead. ¡°I¡¯ve worked for Mr. Yahontov for over fifteen years. I started small and earned his respect to be able to stay close to him.¡±

    Thismade me frown. ¡°Close to him? You work at his country home.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Yahontov rarely spends time in the city. He always returns to his country home.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Okay, that stung. My husband doesn¡¯t want to bewith me. I could handle that. Easy. Fine. He didn¡¯t like me, and that was fine. Of course it was fine. No one had to like everyone.

    There was no rule. I didn¡¯t even like Ive. In fact, I think when he first captured me, I told him to suck and eat his own dick. I had no idea what I was saying or threatening. It was all a blur. Fear did that to a person. I know it did to me, quite badly as well.

    Getting to my feet, I made my excuses and walked straight to the main bedroom, through to the en suite bathroom.

    Why did it hurt so much tohear the truth out loud? I already knew Ive hated me. That was why he never returned to his house. I was there. I wasn¡¯t like the Sophies of this world.

    No one wanted me. I¡¯d been told enough times. It wasn¡¯t like this was news to me. Being married didn¡¯te with an automatic value. I meant nothing. I was still nothing.

    Staring down at the ring on myfinger, I knew nothing had changed. The only difference was I wasn¡¯t frightened of when my father would get bored and take his aggression out on me. I¡¯d gotten out of the MC and away from it, but I¡¯d been put in a different prison.

    I heard the apartment doorbell ring. I nced up into the mirror and saw tears in my eyes. I quickly swiped at them, not wanting them to fall. This was one of the benefits of not wearing makeup. I¡¯d gotten used to hiding my tears.

    Stepping out of the main bedroom, I saw the multiple packages waiting. Hubert talked, but I didn¡¯t hear what he had to say. I picked up the packages and carried them through to the main bedroom. I could sort out the clothes. One by one, I unpacked them, feeling absolutely nothing. It was a feeling I was very much used to. I checked each item and when I got to the red dress for dinner, I kept that on the bed.

    For the rest of the day, I stayed in the bedroom. Lunch came and went, and I didn¡¯t eat anything because I just didn¡¯t feel hungry. Hubert askedif he should order lunch, and I refused.

    At six, I got into the red dress and pinned my hair up the best way I knew how. I didn¡¯t bother with any makeup, there was no point. At six-thirty, Ive entered his bedroom.

    ¡°Ivan will meet us at the restaurant. Let¡¯s go.¡± He held out his arm, and that was the extent of his invitation.

    Taking his arm, we left his penthouse apartment, and I knew I didn¡¯t like it. There was no character to it. Was that why he preferred to be at his country home? The one ce that I¡¯d been left, and he never was. Ihad that sick feeling in my stomach and I ignored it.

    We traveled to the restaurant in silence. Ive was on his cell phone and he didn¡¯t look happy. He didn¡¯t take any calls, but he texted.

    Hubert drove us to the restaurant, and once outside, Ive put his cell phone away and offered a hand to me. Part of me wanted to push the hand away, but I wasn¡¯t going to be rude and expect his wrath.

    We walked into the restaurant and themaitre d¡¯ was all smiles as he escorted us to a table.

    ¡°There¡¯s been a mistake,¡± Ive said. ¡°We¡¯re meeting someone.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, Mr. Volkov wanted me to tell you that something came up and he wouldn¡¯t be able to make it. He hopes you enjoy the meal and said he¡¯d make up for it some other time.¡±

    Ivan wasn¡¯ting. This was all for nothing. I expected Ive to leave. His jaw tensed, but then he turned toward me, nudged the maitre d¡¯ out of the way, and then helped me into my chair.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°If you¡¯d like to leave, we can.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Ive said. ¡°Arrangements have been made for us to enjoy a meal, and that¡¯s exactly what¡¯s going to happen. We¡¯re going to enjoy this.¡±

    And he appeared to be gritting his teeth.

    ¡°I understand if you want to be somewhere else.¡± An image of a naked Sophie offering herself up to him entered my head and I hated the idea of him being anywhere near her.

    I shouldn¡¯t care. I know this. But I did. What the hell was wrong with me?

    ¡°No, I¡¯m happy to eat here. Hubert informed me you didn¡¯t eat this afternoon?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t hungry.¡±

    ¡°Do you need me to call a doctor?¡±

    ¡°For not eating?¡±

    Ive didn¡¯t respond but merelylooked at me. I was about to respond to him, but the waiter brought us the menus. I thanked him and opened the menu. I had no idea what to order.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong. I wasn¡¯t hungry.¡±

    Ive stared at me for several more seconds before returning his gaze to the menu. Did he care or was he going through the motions?

    I had no idea how to handle men. I¡¯d never had a boyfriend. Most boys at school hadn¡¯t been interested in me. The rumors surrounding my birth were always quite borate and no one wanted to get involved with the MC, especially not with the unwanted daughter. So I was ignored. I don¡¯t recall ever having a secret crush on a guy, especially not anyone within the club. I wasn¡¯t used to dealing with men like Ive. I didn¡¯t know what was happening.

    ¡°Whatdo you want to eat?¡± Ive asked.

    I looked up and shook my head. ¡°I have no idea.¡± Closing the menu, I offered him a smile. ¡°Will you order for me?¡±

    He nodded and signaledfor the waiter. Was it clear that I didn¡¯t have the first clue what I was doing?

 91

    Ive

    I¡¯d heard many rumors about Ivan over the years. Especially when it came to vik and Andrei¡¯s marriages. I¡¯m aware we all had spies in each of our territories, and Ivan, well, he had eyes on everyone. It was why he knew everything about each of us. Ivan interfered with their marriages as well. Of course, there are always two sides to every rumor. The truth and fiction.

    I believed the rumors ofvik and Aurora¡¯s as well as Andrei and Adide¡¯s loving rtionship. They hid their feelings well, but there was no mistaking how they felt for each other. I¡¯d seen it at my own wedding.

    Ivan was attempting to do the same thing with my wife, and I didn¡¯t like it. Charlotte was young. Way too young. Even though I saw the darkness in her eyes that suggested she was a lot older than her years, I still didn¡¯t like it.

    My father, the sperm donor, had a penchant for young girls. I remembered theming and going before I¡¯d been removed from his home. I¡¯d tried to save them, and in doing so, I¡¯d incurred his wrath. I never thought of my time with the previous Bratva. The one Ivan invaded, killed, and tookplete control of, and made his own. I¡¯d gotten a beating for helping one of my father¡¯s favorite girls escape. I hadn¡¯t been able to walk for weeks, nor sit down. He¡¯d taken a belt to me, a stick, and then he¡¯d nearly grabbed a sledgehammer.

    My father had been a disgusting pervert. Is that why Ivan had given Charlotte to me? He didn¡¯t think I fell far from the tree. I didn¡¯t like that thought. I never had anything to do with underage girls.

    Ordering us both steaks with a spicy tomato sauce and some roasted seasoned potatoes and bread, I hand the menus back to the waiter, and look across the table at my wife.

    Charlotte is beautiful. Shedoesn¡¯t see it, but she is a natural beauty. The kind that gets overlooked. Even though she had experienced a great deal of pain during her life, I saw the kindness in her gaze.

    She took a deep breath and I saw the hint of her tits as they pressed againstthe bodice of her dress. There were no straps, so it was held up by a few buttons at the back, and some tightness. The moment she came out in the dress, I¡¯d been stunned in my seat. The red really made the sparkle in her eyes shine. What the fuck was I talking about? I didn¡¯t give a flying fuck about eyes sparkling or any of that kind of shit. This is what having a wife did to you. They made you weak, and I wasn¡¯t weak.

    Picking up my ss of wine, I took arge swig and hated the taste. I wasn¡¯t a wine drinker.

    I watched as Charlotte lifted the ss to her lips, and I noticed the shaking of her wrist. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and grabbed her.

    ¡°Why are you shaking?¡±

    She tried to pull her hand away but I wouldn¡¯t let her. I wasn¡¯t going to let her go.

    ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    At first, I had to wonder what she was hiding. Charlotte nibbled her lip and I was about to go on the attack but her next words surprised me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never, er, been on a date. I know it¡¯s totallyme and this isn¡¯t adate. We¡¯re just following orders from our boss, and I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m supposed to call him your boss, but I¡¯m nervous. I know you don¡¯t want to be here. Who would want to be here with me?¡± She forced a smile to her lips. ¡°I would understand if you want to get our food to go, and go back to your apartment, or your home.¡±

    She¡¯d never been on a date before. I thought about the scars on her back and even though I didn¡¯t like it, I understood. She was young. Nearly neen. No date. Didn¡¯t girls have prom and shit? Again, I didn¡¯t know how to respond. I was her first date.¡±Have you ever had a boyfriend?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    I didn¡¯t ask this before, and I felt stupid for asking itnow. ¡°Are you a virgin?¡±

    Her cheeks went bright red. She opened her mouth, closedthem, and then nodded her head. Ivan had told me she was a virgin but I hadn¡¯t believed him. Virgins were rare.

    I wasn¡¯t old-school. I didn¡¯t believe women had to be pure on their wedding night, but I liked knowing she was a virgin, or at least imed to be one. I shouldn¡¯t like that. I know that. Nothing changed for knowing she hadn¡¯t been with a man. I wouldn¡¯t do anything about it.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to enjoy this meal in thisrestaurant. Unless you want Ivan to kick my ass for ruining his ns.¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°Do you think Ivan would really kick your ass?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±He would do so. His word wasw and I vowed to follow him and his directions. I was a loyal servant and Ivan had never done anything for me not to believe, not to follow. He was one hell of a boss and as head of the Volkov Bratva, he was fearless. He ruled with an iron fist. I knew that he¡¯d sacrificed to be where he was today. I didn¡¯t say any of this to Charlotte.

    Taking another sip of my wine, I wrinkled my nose and she giggled.

    ¡°Do you notlike the wine?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I hate it.¡±

    ¡°Then stop drinking it. Even though Ivan made these arrangements, we don¡¯t have to follow them, do we? I¡¯ve never drunk wine before. It tastes like vinegar.¡± She took a sip and I watched her nose scrunch up. ¡°It¡¯s gross.¡±

    This made me chuckle.¡±What would you like?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Just some water.¡±

    ¡°Not a soda?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually not abig sugar lover.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°What about you? Do you like sugar or carbonated drinks?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I signal the waiter and order a fine whiskey for myself and a ss of ice water for her.

    The waiter looks a little perplexed but I knowhe¡¯s new. It won¡¯t take him long to figure out who he¡¯s disrespecting. I watch him go to the bar and the barman leaned forward, whispering in his ear. One look from the waiter, and he appeared to shit himself. Good.

    Returning my attention to Charlotte, I see the smile I¡¯d ced on her lips had faded and she nced down at the table.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    ¡°Did you have a nice day today?¡± I asked. Small talk was notmy forte. I¡¯d never been interested in making conversation. Small talk was too much of a distraction and got in the way of most shit. I didn¡¯t have time for that in my life.

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°You, er, you don¡¯t spend a lot of time in your penthouse apartment, do you?¡±

    ¡°I spend as much timethere as possible.¡±

    ¡°But you prefer your country home, your estate.¡±

    I nod my head.

    ¡°And because I¡¯m there, you¡¯ve not returned to your home in a month.¡±

    The waiter returned with our drinks. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sir. Is there anything more I can do for you?¡±

    ¡°Bring our meal over without spilling iton ourps.¡±

    The waiter nodded and bumbled his way as he moved from the table. I noticed the tears in Charlotte¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Would you like me to leave?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°I couldstay in the small, erm, I think it¡¯s like beach house at the bottom of the garden if you¡¯d like?¡±

    Hubert told me she¡¯d been exploring the house and gardens. There was a small property at the bottom of my gardens where I liked to go to be alone. If she¡¯d gone there, had she seen one of my secrets?

    Away from the shit and chaos of my work, there was something I enjoyed doing. I liked to draw and paint. I hid it away and I kept it locked. No one, not even my guards knew what I did there. Whenever I went to my studio, no one was toe near me. It was one of the few ces I had in this world that took me away from all the shit and allowed me to think. No one, not Hubert, not d, and I don¡¯t think even Ivan was aware of my secret.

    ¡°You will not be moving out of our home. Work has dominated my life thest month, which is why I¡¯ve been needed here.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°So it¡¯s not because I¡¯m there.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± It wasn¡¯t a total lie. Dealing with the Ivan death fallout hade with a great cost. I know we were all feeling it. Me, Victor, Peter, vik, and Andrei. Not to mention the knock-on effect of Oleg¡¯s territory.

    Threats to our lives came with the territory of being the sixbrigadiers in Ivan Volkov¡¯s Bratva. We dealt with death every day, and those who would like to overthrow him. There were many who would like to see Ivan fall.

    The bastard son, the one that was fucking stupid and incapable, the one that was thrown away, shouldn¡¯t be able to rise up the ranks. Not only had Ivan be strong, he¡¯d taken everything from his father, imed the Bratva as his own, and changed it.

    No one really knew what Ivan was capable of.

    Some believed he was immortal. Some kind of super-being for what he did. I knew Ivan could bleed. I¡¯d seen it, but I also knew when it came to pain, he rarely felt it. The man was a machine, a monster, and he feared nothing and no one.

    The waiter brought our food over, and Charlotte gave me a smile. I likedher smile. I didn¡¯t want to like her smiles, but I did.

 92

    Lottie

    OneWeek Later

    I was still in his penthouse apartment. Ive hadn¡¯t made the decision to go back to his country home. Now, I liked boredom, I really did, but this was a little too much. I¡¯d wake up and Ive wouldn¡¯t be there. We didn¡¯t share a bedroom. Even though I had filled the closet opposite where his clothes were, he¡¯d taken the second bedroom, and I slept in this one. Even though I knew it was his bedroom. So, every morning I woke up alone.

    Hubert was always in the apartment. There was always a package from thelocal bakery with a fresh cinnamon roll and a hot coffee. They were nice, but I wasn¡¯t a big fan of cinnamon. By the end of the seventh day, I looked at the cinnamon roll and knew I was going to be sick if I ate it again.

    ¡°Do you want it?¡± I asked Hubert.

    ¡°It¡¯s your breakfast.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t like it and if you don¡¯t eat it, then I¡¯m going to throw it in the trash.¡± Which sounded like a perfectly good waste of food.

    ¡°You¡¯ve eaten it every single day.¡±

    ¡°Because the first day it was sweet of him to do so, and then the second. But I can¡¯t eat that much cinnamon. I¡¯m going to throw up.¡±

    He chuckled.

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯reughing.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Yahontov thought you liked cinnamon rolls, which is why he kept buying them for you.¡±

    ¡°Is there any food in the kitchen?¡± I handed the wrapped package to Hubert.

    ¡°What about the coffee?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll drink the coffee.¡± I took a sip of the liquid and it was so good. So, so, so good. Walking through to the kitchen, I started to open cupboards and there was nothing there. ¡°No food?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Yahontov eats out.¡±

    I groan. I¡¯m starving.

    ¡°Then I guess we¡¯re eating out.¡± I¡¯d not left the apartment without Ive since we got here. I missed Michael. Imissed his country home. I hated the city. I hated sitting all day watching television with nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs. It wasn¡¯t fun.

    Stepping past Hubert, I reached for my jacket and he suddenly stepped in front of me, a cell phone in his hand.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have permission to leave.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±Hubert put the cell phone to his ear. I couldn¡¯t believe this. ¡°Am I a prisoner here?¡±

    I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. I¡¯d been kidnapped by the Volkov Bratva and now I was pissed off. I thought the prisoner status left when I was married to one of them. I wasn¡¯t stupid. There was no way I was going to run off to the police. Even though I¡¯d been kidnapped, thrown in a cell, drugged, and well, moved to another cell, the irony was they had been nice to me. How crazy was that?

    Back home with my father and his MC club, I had allthe freedom in the world. I coulde and go as I pleased. Even after he¡¯d beaten me, no one did anything. They all feared him. Did I actually have more freedom back then? I know I¡¯m messed up. The beatings, the constant abuse, but I had locked it all in a box. A p from my father got pushed into a box. The beatings, each one got pushed into that box. It made life a lot easier to keep everything locked away. None of those memories or time with the Volkov Bratva had been ced in my protective box.

    Pushing those thoughts from my mind, I looked at Hubert as he put the cell phone to his ear. I step back and take a deep breath.

    Am Ia prisoner? Are they still nning to kill me?

    I don¡¯t listen to Hubert as he talks to who I assume is my husband. I¡¯m still in shock that I can¡¯t just leave when I want to.

    I am a prisoner.

    I thought about the cell phone Rage had tried to give to me and what Iconfessed to Ivan. Should I have kept it? Would it have been able to grant me my freedom?¡±We can go,¡± Hubert said.

    I ignore him, but follow as he takes the lead. Hubert isn¡¯t my bodyguard. He¡¯s my prison guard. We step onto the elevator, and I watch himclick the bottom button to take us to the underground parking lot. I go through the motions as he opens the car door and sits in the back. I take a seat, and put the seat belt on before he¡¯s even gotten behind the wheel. He doesn¡¯t ask where I want to go, but within seconds, we¡¯re out of the building and joining the many cars congesting the roads. Neither of us talks as he navigates the traffic.

    I¡¯m a prisoner.

    For seven days I¡¯d been locked up in the penthouse apartment, waiting for Ive to return home. Each night, he wanted me ready at seven, and we went to different restaurants each evening. My favorite so far had been the Mexican one. I loved the food, the spice, the sensuous atmosphere. Ive never showed a preference. Each night, he ordered our food. He¡¯d change the drinks from wine or beer to whiskey and water. Some nights he didn¡¯t drink the whiskey. I had to wonder if it was a bad day at the office when he did.

    Stuff had to be happening. He was part of the Volkov Bratva. You don¡¯t get ignored all your life without hearing bad stuff about a lot of people.

    Hubert brought the car to a small cafe. It looked rathersweet and quaint. Not a ce I would have thought the Volkov Bratva owned.

    He climbed out of the car and opened my door for me. I stepped out beside him, aware of his hand going toward his waist. He had a gun there. I¡¯d seen it a few times, but then I knew what I was looking for.

    Stepping into the cafe, Hubert stopped me from sitting near the window, and instead took me far from the windows, near thebathroom. Great. The one ce no one wants to sit, and that was where he put me. I wanted toin, but I just didn¡¯t have it in me.

    Picking up the menu, I saw there were mostly breakfast items. I wasn¡¯t on a diet, so I was going to order hash browns, bacon, mushrooms, and a few grilled tomatoes. It was a breakfast I couldn¡¯t wait to enjoy.

    Hubert tookmy order and approached the counter. Sitting back in my chair, he returned with a couple of cups of coffee. He ced one in front of me, and took a seat opposite. This was new. Hubert didn¡¯t do anything with me. He rarely spoke to me, even back at the country home. I think he tolerated me.

    ¡°If I walked out of this cafe, would you follow me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°If I tried to run away, would you stop me?¡±

    Hubert frowned and nodded.

    ¡°Have you been toldto kill me if I approach a police officer?¡±

    ¡°I cannot kill you.¡±

    ¡°Would that be Ive¡¯s job?¡± I asked.

    Hubert¡¯s frown deepened.

    If I wasn¡¯t so hungry, I¡¯d demand he take me back to the penthouse suite, or better yet, back to the country house where I could pretend to be free. I felt tears fill my eyes, and I quickly nced down at the table. I felt anger. No, I felt rage. The rings on my finger were nothing but a joke.

    The waitress Hubert had spoken to brought us our food. I was about to tell her to takeit back, but the scent of the hash browns and bacon was too good. I wouldn¡¯t eat it all, I promised myself. Fifteen minutester, the breakfast was finished, and I did eat bread and butter. I was that hungry. However, my rage hadn¡¯t dissipated.

    ¡°Take me to Ive,¡± I said to Hubert. ¡°Crap, how do I pay?¡± I had no money.¡±It¡¯s already paid for. This is owned by Mr. Yahontov.¡±

    ¡°Of course it is. Well, my order still stands. Take me to him.¡± That felt so stupid to say, ordering my prison guard to take me to my captor. The one I¡¯m freaking married to.

    I shouldn¡¯t bepissed off, but I am. No, not just pissed off, I¡¯m angry and upset. This time I don¡¯t wait for Hubert to open the car door, I do that all by myself, because I am capable.

    Sitting in the back seat, I watch as Hubert sits behind the wheel.

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Take me to my husband.¡± I don¡¯t care where he is, but I need to talk to him. No, that¡¯s wrong. I need to yell at him.

    My hands clenched into fists. It¡¯d been a long time since I felt this angry, but I needed that. I didn¡¯t want to be a prisoner. I thought after getting married and swearing my loyalty to Ivan Volkov, all of this would be over and I¡¯d be free. The fact I had more freedom with my father was a joke. That man had ¡­ I didn¡¯t even want to think about it.

    I didn¡¯t know how long the journey took, but we arrived at some kind of casino. My anger had subsided, but I was still annoyed, only now it was mixed with sickness.

    Hubertparked the car around the back, and before he¡¯d even put on the hand brake, I climbed out and headed toward the entrance. Hubert caught up with me and ced a hand at the base of my back.

    ¡°Mrs. Yahontov, youmust be careful.¡±

    ¡°My name¡¯s Charlotte, or Lottie. Either of those will do just fine.¡± I didn¡¯t feel like a Yahontov. I wasn¡¯t a wife. A wife didn¡¯t have to ask permission to go anywhere. They were not prisoners.

    I notice Hubert tried to shield me as we stepped into the main casino, and he moved me toward the elevator.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child. You don¡¯t have to hide the dangerous gambling from me.¡± I felt like a damn child with the way he treated me.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    I was a full-grown woman. Okay, I was eighteen, and I knew that to many that made me a child, but I had never felt like a child. I¡¯d never had childish experiences. Growing up afraid of making silly noises or attracting too much attention would do that to you, and that¡¯s exactly what happened to me.

    Again, I pushed those thoughts aside as Hubert clicked the button and the elevator moved up. I saw the lights change as we traveled toward the top floor. What was it about my husband and being at the top floor of everything? Was it a status thing? It was a good thing I wasn¡¯t afraid of heights. Steppingfrom the elevator, we passed several more guards, none of which I recognized. Then Hubert knocked on the door, and I heard Ive¡¯s request for us to enter. The moment we entered Ive¡¯s office, Hubert stepped out of my way, and I looked at my husband. He was sitting behind his desk, and he looked inplete control. He also didn¡¯t look surprised to see us. Hubert had told him I wasing.

    ¡°Leave us,¡± Ive said.

    My prison guard didn¡¯t put up much of a fight. He stepped out of the office and closed the door. Where was my anger? I wanted it back. This would have been a hell of a lot easier with it.

    ¡°You wanted to see me, Charlotte,¡± he said.

    He didn¡¯t get up from behind his desk. He sat back in his chair, and I saw the band on his finger that dered him my husband.

    ¡°Am Ia prisoner?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You heard me.¡±

    Ive smiled, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes.

    In the back of my mind, that old reliable voice that had been a waste of time against my father, tried to yell at me to stop being angry, to stop making stupid usations, and to just calm down. I never ignored the voice back then, and I followed her advice. The beatings I got, the ps, the pain-I should have totally ignored her.

    ring at Ive, I folded my arms across my chest.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go anywhere without Hubert asking you. I¡¯m locked in that apartment and if it¡¯s not at the apartment, it¡¯s your home. There is no freedom. I¡¯m your wife and I have sworn loyalty to Ivan Volkov but I¡¯m still a prisoner. Why? Why marry me? Are you going to kill me? Is this some stupid messed up y to take out Rage? To take out the Evil Savages MC? Why not just do it? Why do this?¡±

    My heart started to race, and I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to stop but there was a pesky problem. I wanted answers a whole lot more.

    Ive got up from his ce behind the desk. He seemed a lot taller than I remembered, which was crazy, seeingas I just saw himst night. I stood next to him, and evenst night, he¡¯d kissed my cheek. I¡¯d loved that, him kissing my cheek, which was so stupid.

    Pressing my lips together, I looked at him and waited.

    ¡°You think Ivan Volkov and myself have time for these borate games?¡± Ive asked. ¡°That we would arrange this marriage, pay all the unnecessary expense, to just kill you?¡±

    ¡°Why not? You¡¯re the Volkov Bratva. You can do whatever the hell you want.¡±

    ¡°That is true. Ivan can do whatever he wants, and no, Charlotte, you are not a prisoner. You are my wife. If you were my prisoner, you¡¯d be locked away in a cage, and trust me, I wouldn¡¯t be suggesting the cafe for Hubert to take you. You are the wife of a Brigadier. That makes you a very valuable asset. Your lifees with a bigger price now. Hubert is your guard. He is responsible for your life. If you die on his watch, he will die. If you are hurt in any way, he will die. You have the same freedoms as other wives, and trust me, that is not a lot. Everywhere you go will be monitored by our enemies, by anyone who¡¯s looking for a sign of weakness.¡± He took a step toward me. Each one he took brought him closer.

    I didn¡¯t step back.

    ¡°And so, if that is what you think makes you a prisoner, then so be it, that¡¯s exactly what you are. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, but if you would like to experience life as my prisoner once again, say the word, and I will show you the difference.¡±I heard the threat, but the truth was, I was kind of focused on something else he said.

    ¡°You told Hubert the cafe I should eatat?¡± I asked.

    Ive frowned. ¡°They have the best hash browns. I wanted to see what you thought of them.¡±

    And just like that, my anger evaporated. He wasn¡¯t keeping me prisoner. He was taking care of me.

    ¡°I loved the hash browns and the bacon. Also the mushrooms.¡±

    The smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes before, finally did. I liked making him smile.

 93

    Ive

    OneMonth Later

    Hank and Benjamin hadn¡¯te out ofhiding, but that was okay. I happened to locate several of their workers, and in fact, I smiled as I watched the man before me who was hanging upside down. I¡¯d captured him a month ago, on the very day my wife hade to the office at my casino and asked me if she was a prisoner.

    No, my wife wasn¡¯t a prisoner. I wouldn¡¯t treat her like this.

    The man before me, David Butters, was a known thug. He was one of the men who carried the girls out of my nightclubs. He helped to round them up, and from my information, he¡¯d been the one to purchase the grounds. Here are the sticky details: the man was broke and had no money. An amateur thug who collected money for Hank. He wasn¡¯t even that high up in the ranks. He was nothing, and yet, he suddenly had the funds to buy property. Again, I couldn¡¯t help but believe that Hank and Benjamin were working for someone else. So far, d hadn¡¯t been able to locate any information that backed up my theory, which pissed me off big time.

    ¡°Please, let me down. I¡¯m going tobe sick,¡± David said.

    He¡¯d not eaten in a week.

    ¡°Then be sick, and don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be sure to feed it to you.¡±

    In the past month, there had been a lot of mess to clean up in Oleg¡¯s territory. I had to leave my own for a week to handle it, with the rest of the brigadiers. There was a threat from the fucking Irish mafia, who felt they had a im to it.

    Ivan needed to get his shit together and put someone in ce. There was a rumor he already had someone in ce, and if so, we were all fucked because they were doing a shit job of it.

    Iwas angry. And this man in front of me wasn¡¯t helping me feel any better. All I wanted to do was slit his throat, but that kind of death would be too easy. I needed answers.

    David didn¡¯t vomit. He got his shit back in control, and then he began to scream, yell, and curse me out. Now, thatI could deal with because that was fucking easy.

    I was impressed because for ten minutes straight, I listened to allof David¡¯s threats about what he would do to us, as well as Hank and Benjamin. How they nned to take over, and that we didn¡¯t have a fucking clue what was in store for us, and we wouldn¡¯t be alive to see how they intended to take over every single part of the Volkov Bratva. All you needed was a little bit of patience and a lot of fear, and people had a tendency to talk, like now.

    David¡¯s long tirade ended in tears andbegging as he knew he¡¯d said too much. I crouched down so that I was eye level with him.

    ¡°And how are your friends going to do all of this exactly?¡± I asked. ¡°I got wordthat the girls are back home with their families and it was nothing but a game gone too far. Your friends have nothing. I took that away.¡±

    David red at me. ¡°But you don¡¯t have them, do you? That¡¯s why you¡¯ve got me.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve got you because you dared to interfere. You see, I knew who you were, David. I was quite happy for you to be this pathetic thug, thinking he was making a name for himself. It was rather charming. Weren¡¯t you trying to impress me and Mr. Volkov with how ¡­ unique your skills were?¡± His skills weren¡¯t unique. He beat the shit out of people to get what he wanted. The whole fear tactic, like the one I was using now. The only difference was David rarely killed anyone. He might have left them with a broken bone or two. They at least got to walk away. It was rare for anyone to end up like this in my care to get away with it.

    Apart from Charlotte. But then, she was a special case and I never turned her upside down, nor attempted to starve her. Ivan would have been pissed if I had done that. Thinking about it, if I¡¯d done that to my wife, I¡¯d have been pissed with myself. I guess I¡¯m going to have to thank Ivan for something after all.

    I drew my attention back to the man hanging upside down.

    ¡°Hank and Benjamin saw my potential,¡± David said.

    ¡°No, they saw an easy target,¡± I said. ¡°They knew there was a big chance their n wouldn¡¯t work. It was a long shot, based on one person and one scenario-Ivan Volkov¡¯s death. They thought they had a chance with him dead, but he wasn¡¯t dead. It was nothing more than an act, a ploy, and now you get to pay the price.¡±

    I was done with this man. Seeing as I had to go out to dinner, though, I stepped away and watched as d slid the de across David¡¯s throat. He didn¡¯t die right away, but took a few minutes, and by then, boredom on my part had already set in.

    ¡°Any news?¡± I asked, as men already started to dispose of the body and do the cleanup. I stepped aside, making my way out of the abandoned warehouse. I tended to do my kills in some of my basements. I hated these obscure locations, but this was close to where d had located him.¡±There are rumors that Hank and Benjamin were approached by another organizationrger than them.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°There are a lot of suspects, d. Irish, Italian, even theSpanish.¡±

    ¡°Some believe it¡¯s the cartel.¡±

    This made me stop. Of course it could be the cartel. They were always on the fucking border, attempting to find paths that led straight from the docks to the main cities. I, unfortunately, was one of those fucking routes. It made sense for it to be the cartel. I was hoping it wasn¡¯t, because they were nothing more than a pest. Also, I knew some of the cartel had dealings with the previous Bratva.

    ¡°What do you believe?¡± I asked.

    d sighed. He hated delivering bad news, but until all of this was cleaned up, that was all he was going to bring me.

    ¡°I believe it¡¯s the cartel, but I also think this is somewhat bigger,¡± dsaid. Now he did have me intrigued and this was rare for d. ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°The cartel are noisy. They don¡¯t just sneak in and take over, right? That¡¯s not who they are.¡±

    Not in our experience, but people change and evolve.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°I believe the cartel are working with one of the mafia sects.¡±

    ¡°Intriguing.¡± I had alreadye to thatconclusion. Running a hand down my face, I nced across the warehouse. I owned this main warehouse, and five miles away was one of my many cages, where I liked to keep people when they were being a problem. I found some time and careful treatment helped to loosen their tongues, like David had just done.

    It was alling together.

    Benjamin and Hanking together was a stretch. Both men wanted to take territory. They were more likely to kill one another than work together, so that instantly brought ina third yer.

    TheVolkov Bratva had a lot of enemies, and we¡¯d been able to keep them at bay, for the most part, but shit like a fake death and the betrayal of a brigadier had put us in a few difficult positions. None of our enemies were strong enough to outright attack, but they could slowly attempt to build up power. Work on those that are weak who could turn against us.

    I needed to speak with Ivan. But I also had a lunch date with my wife. Ivan had been setting us up at different ces to go and eat. I knew what he was doing and it was pissing me off.

    When we reachedthe car, d got behind the wheel. I climbed in the back, pulled out my cell phone, and dialed Ivan. The call was never answered. Ivan was like this. In all honesty, it was rare for me to attempt to call him. I often waited for him to call me. He was a busy guy and didn¡¯t usually stay in one ce for any length of time.

    Tapping my fingers on my knee, I thought about what I had learned so far. It wouldn¡¯t be long before I got Hank and Benjamin. They were already on the run, andI¡¯d made sure there was no possible exit for them without being detected by my men.

    What I didn¡¯t like was the possibility of who they were working for. The cartel were always a problem, but I had removed them from the docks when I first took over my city.

    My cell phone went off and I answered it without looking at the caller ID.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I said, rubbing at my eyes.¡±Why haven¡¯t you returned my calls?¡±

    Rage. I¡¯d recognize that irritating voice instantly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I had to answer your calls so fucking quickly.¡±

    ¡°If you valued your territory, you¡¯d answer them. I¡¯m trying to contact Ivan, where is he?¡±

    I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself because I had no fucking idea how to contact him either, but I wasn¡¯t going to let him know that. I didn¡¯t like Rage. In fact, I didn¡¯t like anyone from the Evil Savages MC. Making deals with them always ended in disaster, and seeing as I was now married to Charlotte, I had to wonder what shit was going to happen.

    No, that wasn¡¯t it.

    I didn¡¯t like the Evil Savages MC before, but seeing the scars on Charlotte¡¯s back, and just knowing in my gut what her bastard father had been like, I didn¡¯t like Rage, or any of them. I¡¯d dly kill every one of them, and it wouldn¡¯t cause me to bat an eye. I hadn¡¯t wanted them at my wedding either, but Ivan was all about making friends. Fuck that. I wanted to annihte the MC, and one day I hoped to get that chance.

    They weren¡¯t my current problem, though. No, Hank and Benjamin¡¯s mystery fuckingpanions were.

    ¡°You bore me with your threats.¡±

    ¡°These aren¡¯t threats. I was approached by a Hank Bfonte, iming to be a front man for the cartel, iming it was only a matter of time before the Volkov Bratva was destroyed.¡±

    Okay, shit, fuck, maybe I should have answeredhis call, but I wasn¡¯t going to admit it.

    ¡°We need to talk,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯malready on my way into town. Also, I brought Cassie, she wanted to see her sister, and seeing as Charlotte hasn¡¯t returned any of our calls, I can only assume you took away the cell phone I gave her.¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond to this. I needed to talk to Ivan, not make small talk.

    ¡°You know where to meet me,¡± I said.

    Hanging up the call, I dialed Ivan¡¯s phone again. This time, it didn¡¯t go to voicemail.

    ¡°Ive, I had to wonder when you¡¯d call me.¡±

    ¡°Where are you?¡± I asked. ¡°I just got a call from Rage. We need to talk, and not over the phone. This is important.¡±

    ¡°So, you are on your way back home to see your lovely wife?¡±

    This made me frown. Why the fuck was Charlotte being brought into this?¡±And you got her a birthday present as well. See, my dear, no one forgot your birthday.¡±

    Ivan hung up the phone and I gritted my teeth. Shit. Fuck.

    Dialing Rage¡¯s number, he answered within two rings.

    ¡°Why the fuck didn¡¯t you tell me it was Charlotte¡¯s birthday?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± he said. ¡°That exins why Cassie was so desperate toe and see her.¡±

    Yeah, we had all messed up.

 94

    Lottie

    I watched as Ivan talked to my husband, and I knew he was lying.

    I¡¯d seen Ive this morning before he leftfor work, and he¡¯d not wished me a happy birthday. He did make me some hash browns and eggs, which I enjoyed, but he¡¯d not said the words. He didn¡¯t know.

    It was rare for anyone to wish me a happy birthday.

    Cassie never forgot my birthday, but Ihadn¡¯t seen her since the wedding, nor had I heard from her. I wished I hadn¡¯t given that phone to Ivan. It would have been nice to have someone wish me a happy birthday. Ivan had arrived at Ive¡¯s penthouse apartment two hours ago, and he was the only person to remember. He handed me a present, and then kissed my cheek.

    I watched him hang up, and he turned to smile at me. ¡°He forgot.¡±

    ¡°Did you happen to remind him it was your birthday?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I wassupposed to do that for my husband.¡±

    Ivan tutted. ¡°Don¡¯t you know men are useless with dates? Do you know Ive¡¯s birthday?¡±

    ¡°September second,¡± I said. ¡°I asked when he was born.¡±

    ¡°Ah, all those pesky little questions. Did he ask you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Men are pigs.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh. I covered my mouth, and I don¡¯t know what happened, but it set off even moreughter. Ivan joined in,ughing along with me. Tears fell from my eyes, but not from sadness. Ivan had made meugh.

    ¡°I should insult myown sex more often.¡±

    ¡°Please do, it¡¯s funny.¡± I put my hand to my chest and touched the ne he¡¯d given me. It was a love heart with a diamond in the center. I¡¯d never been given jewelry before. It was such a beautiful and delicate piece. ¡°This is beautiful. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°And it looks stunning on you. I knew the moment I saw it, you¡¯d look beautiful in it.¡±

    This made me smile and I felt my cheeks heating.

    ¡°He never allowed you to have any kind of jewelry, did he?¡± Ivan asked.

    I pressed my lips together and shook my head. I tried to speak but had toclear my throat. ¡°There was a lot I wasn¡¯t allowed to have.¡±

    ¡°I wish I¡¯d allowed him to live a little longer so I could have shown him true pain.¡±

    This made me chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t want him to die.¡±It was an easy lie.

    ¡°Charlotte, it¡¯s not a bad thing wanting him dead.¡±

    ¡°He used to ask me that question a lot,¡± I said. ¡°After a beating or when he¡¯d taken something from me. You know, Ifound a dog once, wandering around. I think it had been abandoned and because it showed me love, he took it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯tlie to me, Charlotte,¡± Ivan said. ¡°You wanted him dead, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    I looked away and nodded my head. ¡°Yeah, I wanted him dead. There were a couple of times he¡¯de home.¡± I stopped and swallowed. ¡°And he¡¯d be passed out. I don¡¯t know if it was drink or drugs, or whatever the hell it was, but he¡¯d beid on the couch or on his bed, and I would have a knife in my hands. I wanted to kill him so many times.¡± I had never admitted it out loud. ¡°I thought it would make my life easier.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Fear, and I¡¯m a coward. One time, Rage stopped me.¡± I looked at Ivan.

    ¡°He did?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was so angry after he¡¯d taken the dog from me. Icalled the dog Ivan.¡± I looked at Ivan. ¡°I think I named him after you. I¡¯d never met you, but I saw that your name filled him with fear. It might be why he took the dog. My dad liked animals, but he never kept one. He didn¡¯t kill it, just sent it to the animal shelter.¡± I hadn¡¯t thought about Ivan. ¡°I think it was a mongrel.¡±

    Ivanughed. ¡°Much like myself.¡±

    This confused me.

    Ivan tapped his fingers on the table. ¡°I was the product of one of my father¡¯smany affairs. He was a violent man. Even though he didn¡¯t control what I did, nor have as much power, he was a man who was used to the streets. He was nothing more than amon thug. I had a stutter. I was weak, and he discarded me. Actually, he hoped to kill me, but the guard that was sent to do the job couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill a child, his boss¡¯s son. A boy he¡¯d, in a way, helped to raise. So, he helped me as best he could.¡±

    ¡°You were a child?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°It was being a child on my own that helped build who I am today.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t stutter anymore.¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Ivan smiled.

    ¡°Thank you for telling me that.¡±

    ¡°The Volkov Bratva used to be nothing more than a street gang,¡± Ivan said. ¡°My father was into everything-drugs, guns, fighting, money, petty stuff. For the longest time I was afraid of him.¡± Ivan looked me in the eye. ¡°You build these people up inside your head to be a lot bigger than they actually are.¡±

    ¡°I get that.¡±

    ¡°And being on the streets, I learned to read people. I learned a great deal about respect, loyalty, about all kinds of shit, and I knew that one day, not only would I kill my father, but I was going to take the Bratva from him. So I did, and my men, my brigadiers, swore their loyalty to me. I only made one bad decision, but other than that, I have built this up.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve lived with a great deal of fear and pain, Charlotte, and it¡¯s my vow to you, my promise, that you will never know such fear and pain again.¡±

    This made the tears I¡¯d tried to hold at baye spilling out. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair.¡± I sniffled. ¡°It¡¯s my birthday, and I¡¯m crying.¡±

    ¡°Let it out. Let all the pain out.¡±

    I covered my face with my hands, and I tensedup as Ivan wrapped his arms around me, hugging me.

    ¡°Ive¡¯s a difficult man, but he¡¯s a good man. He will never harm you, and if you want to make your marriage work, where there¡¯s a chance for him to love you, then you need to start talking. You need to start asking him for shit.¡±

    He made itsound so easy, but it wasn¡¯t easy to ask for anything. I didn¡¯t know what the hell I was doing.

    ¡°You make it sound so easy.¡±

    ¡°Trust me. It is easy, and you¡¯re a strong woman, Charlotte. You have been through hell, and now it¡¯s time to realize that you¡¯re not alone. You¡¯ve got us. You¡¯ve got a family, and now there¡¯s no going back.¡±

    I never thought I would do this, but I wrapped my arms around Ivan and held on. This man terrified my father. He instilled fear into many, but in that moment, he was nothing more than my salvation. I didn¡¯t want to let him go, not ever.

    He kissed the top of my head. ¡°You¡¯re safe now.¡±

    It was crazy, but I believed that.

    The door to the penthouse opened and closed. Ivan had already sent Hubert away. My guard had tried to make my day a little better, wishing me a happy birthday, offering to take me anywhere I wanted to go.

    When I¡¯d been younger and the day had gone by with no one else but Cassie wishing me a happy birthday, I¡¯d thought about what I¡¯d do or what would happen when I was older. How I would celebrate. I thought about getting drunk, or going out dancing, or having a big blow-out party.

    Instead, I had spent the first birthday away from my father alone on the couch, my knees pulled up to my chest and my arms wrapped around them, with a man staring at me.

    Until Ivan showed up.

    Ivan let me go slowly, but I knew he wasn¡¯t going to be caught hugging me in frontof my husband. Not for any other reason than Ivan didn¡¯t like to be caught off guard. There was no secret love or any kind of affair. I got that now. Ivan and I were different and yet the same. He¡¯d been cast aside, and even though that was what I¡¯d been, each time my father was angry, I paid the price.

    I got to my feet as Ive looked toward his boss then toward me. I had started to cry in Ivan¡¯s embrace. His words had touched me to the very core. There was silence. I didn¡¯t know what to say or do. Did hewant me to make a joke of him forgetting?

    ¡°Wee home,¡± I said.

    And much tomy surprise, Ive began to sing ¡°Happy Birthday¡± to me. His voice was terrible, but what also shocked me was that behind him, Rage and Cassie suddenly appeared, as if his song had magically made them appear.

    Seeing my sister made me so happy, and I rushedtoward her. Cassie let out a gasp, and pulled me into her arms, holding me tightly.

    ¡°I have missed you so damn much.¡± She held me tightly.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    I looked past Cassie¡¯s shoulder toIve and offered him a smile. At first, he didn¡¯t look happy, and then it was like he saw me smiling at him, and he nodded his head. My sister was finally here.

    ¡°I love you,¡± Cassie said. ¡°I told you I wouldn¡¯t miss a single birthday, and I haven¡¯t.¡± She pulled away and then held out an envelope for me to take.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to get me anything.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Every woman needs a present on her birthday.¡±Iopened the envelope to see that it was clothing vouchers. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯sme, but I remember how much you loved our shopping trips, and now we don¡¯t have to¡­¡± Cassie stopped and I looked into my sister¡¯s eyes to see the tears in them as well as the guilt.

    ¡°I know,¡± I said.

    We didn¡¯t have to pretend not to have fun. Cassie didn¡¯t have topretend to like clothes she never wanted to wear, just so she could sneak them to me.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we let that happen,¡± Cassie said. ¡°Neen.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m neen.¡±

    ¡°And all grown up,¡± Rage said.

    Cassie moved aside and I walked toward him.

    ¡°Hey, Rage,¡± I said.

    There were many times he was more of a father to me than my own had been.

    ¡°Hey, pumpkin,¡± he said. He pulled me in for a hug.

    There was a time his hugs made me feel safe, warm,forted, but none of thempared to Ivan¡¯s.

    Ivan was giving me a promise. No, he had made a vow to me for my protection and I believed every word of it.

    ¡°This year, I didn¡¯t know what to get you, so Cassie looked at the best spas possible, and I was able to get you multiple spa days with Cassie, if your husband would allow it,¡± Rage said.

    ¡°We can go shopping and have spa days. I¡¯m stayingat the hotel just across the street. It¡¯s real nice, but I thought I could stick around for a little while, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    I didn¡¯t mind, but I looked toward Ivan and Ive. ¡°Can she stay?¡±

    They were in charge.

    ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s an apartment avable below. If you stay at the hotel tonight, I¡¯ll make arrangements for you to move in tomorrow,¡± Ive said.

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful,¡± Cassie said. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡±

    She pulled me in for another hug.

    ¡°So, Ive,¡± Ivan said. ¡°What did you get your bride, because I happened to hear a rumor that you¡¯re thinking of taking her on a honeymoon?¡±

    I look toward Ive, and I just know in my heart of hearts, that was not the case. Ive looked pissed off, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Ive?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°As soon as I finish with my business, then yes, that is exactly what we¡¯re going to do,¡± Ive said.

    They were good liars.

 95

    Ive

    I hadn¡¯t known it was my wife¡¯s birthday. I also hadn¡¯t known Ivan was back in my city for a visit.

    Rage and Cassie had been close, so I had no choice but to wait for them before heading home. I don¡¯t know what Ivan had said to her, but whatever it was, it had caused her to cry, and I found myself more curious about that.

    There was no gift I could giveher, and in Ivan suggesting a honeymoon, he¡¯d saved me. There was no time to stop for gifts. Rage and Cassie each had their gifts, and I had nothing to offer.

    Ivan and Charlotte had waited for us to have dinner. They ordered takeout from one of our restaurants. Charlotte had been in the mood for a cheeseburger and fries. Sitting around my penthouse dining room table, I had Rage, the president of the Evil Savages MC, Cassie, her sister, Ivan, my boss, my wife, and myself.

    I never expected to have them in my home. Ivan wentwithout saying, but Rage and Cassie I didn¡¯t want in my home. Seeing the happiness on Charlotte¡¯s face was the only reason they were allowed to stay.

    And I felt a little guilty for not realizing it was her birthday sooner. I didn¡¯t mean to forget it. She looked happy and for now, I was content with that.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I had a cheeseburger,¡± Ivan said.

    This made Charlotteugh. ¡°Was it good?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s from our own restaurant. It¡¯s the best.¡± Ivan winked at Charlotte and she chuckled, shaking her head.

    Ivan liked my wife. I don¡¯t think he was attracted to her, but there was something about her that seemed to ¡­call to him. I made a note to ask him what it was.

    Don¡¯t get me wrong, she had a way of drawingpeople to her. She had a pretty smile, and even after everything she had been through.

    After the food, there was another knock at the door, and this time, Ivan went to answer.

    I sat, wanting to be alone with my wife, to talk to her, but Cassie sat next to Charlotte, talking to her. I hadn¡¯t realized the two sisters were close. No one would have assumed that based on the intel.

    Cassie was the MC¡¯s princess. I assumed she would have contributed to making her life miserable, but instead, the two were talking like they were old friends.

    Rage had a smile on his lips. He was the doting father figure for Charlotte.

    Ivan came around the corner, and began to sing happy birthday to her. Charlotte gasped and Cassie stepped back. We all stood, and joined in the song, as Ivan put the cake in front of Charlotte.

    Neen candles.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to make a wish as you blow out the candles,¡± Ivan said.

    Charlotte closed her eyes, and then gently blew out the candles. Smoke came from each one, and she sighed.

    Ivan pped his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll grab a knife.¡±

    Secondster, we were sitting around the table, enjoying some cake.

    I noticed the ne around Charlotte¡¯s neck and instantly knew it was from Ivan. ncing at my boss, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he wasin fact attracted to her.

    I made a note to call vik and Andrei, to see if he devoted this much time to their new wives.

    After the cake, Cassie and Charlotte excused themselves, and I took Rage and Ivan to my office, closing the door.

    ¡°I do not believe we should be talking business on your wife¡¯sbirthday,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°Regardless ofwhether this was Charlotte¡¯s birthday or not, I¡¯ve been trying to contact the both of you, but neither of you have responded.¡±

    This was news to me. Ivan had been the one who wanted to take on the Evil Savages MC.

    I looked toward Ivan, who shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a busy man.¡±

    ¡°Besides, you knew where Ive was the whole time.¡±

    ¡°I was showing respect,¡± Rage said.

    ¡°And I was showing that I was busy. In case you didn¡¯t notice, I have a coupleof hurdles to deal with.¡± Ivan took a seat. ¡°I have a territory currently vacant, and two potential people to take over.¡±

    This made him smile. He¡¯d now mentioned two people, twice to me. There were only two people he¡¯d struggle over, but I wasn¡¯t going to bring them up in front of Rage.

    ¡°So, why don¡¯t you catch me up to speed and do it quickly?¡± Ivan rested his elbow on the arm of the couch, and then ced his head on the tips of his fingers. One leg was crossed over the other. He looked bored.

    And Rage started to talk.

    He already told me the details over the phone. One, Hank Bfonte had paid him a visit at the Evil Savages MC. They wanted to partner up, and ording to Hank, he had backing. So far, those details were not new to me.

    ¡°He imed the cartel are in on it,¡± Rage said.

    ¡°Well, the cartel would exin the girls from Ive¡¯s territory. They have since been taken back, and are secured. As for the cartel, they have been attempting a takeover of this city, as well as many of my other cities, for many, many years. None of them have been sessful.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°Which is whythey reached out to me.¡±

    Ivan clucked his tongue. ¡°No, they¡¯re wanting power and numbers.¡± Ivan ran a finger across his lips. ¡°I do find this interesting.¡±

    ¡°What do you find interesting?¡± Rage asked.

    I needed whiskey.

    Ivan was treating this like a game, and I didn¡¯t have time for games. I had to squash Hank, Benjamin, and the cartel immediately. This was my fucking territory, and I wasn¡¯t giving it up for anyone or anything.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve had several run-ins with the cartel. It never ends well for them, but I didn¡¯t take this city, nor any other city from them. Each territory I owned was controlled by someone else.¡± Ivan turned his gaze to me. ¡°Do you remember who owned this territory before we took it?¡±

    ¡°The Irish,¡± I said.

    ¡°Exactly. They had deals in ce with the cartel before, as well as the Italians and the Spanish, but it was the Irish who had the main control.¡± Ivan ran his hand down his thigh. ¡°Hank Bfonte may think he¡¯s working for the cartel, but there are bigger fish here, and the Irish have stayed strangely silent in all of this. Haven¡¯t you noticed that?¡± Ivan asked.

    I had noticed that, which was why I kepting back to them. Everyone else had yed their cards when it came to the rumor of Ivan¡¯sdeath, but not the Irish.

    Ivan clucked his tongue.

    ¡°So, Rage, were you tempted to sway your loyalty?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Charlotte is no longer your responsibility. She won¡¯t pay for you or your club¡¯s crimes. She is Volkov now.¡±

    I looked toward Ivan and was surprised. I¡¯m used to Ivan needing a lot more from the women than just a few words and a couple of meetings, but so far, that seemed to be all it had taken.

    ¡°I suggest we arrange a meeting with Hank Bfonte,¡± Ivan said. ¡°I¡¯d liketo talk to him personally.¡±

 96

    Lottie

    ¡°Do you know why Rage hase?¡± I asked, watching the men disappear into Ive¡¯s office.

    ¡°Work, what do you think? Something is going down, but I don¡¯t have a clue.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± This did surprise me. Cassie was used to peopletalking to her about all theings and goings at the MC club.

    ¡°There have been a lot of changes. I know Rage had to prove so many times that he is fit to lead.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s always a risk. They¡¯re loyal to Dad, right?¡±

    Cassie shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not even it. Rage cleaned shop after that bad shit went down. A lot of people didn¡¯t like how Dad treated you, nor what he was doing to the club. Going against Ivan Volkov was a bad move. This is different. Ivan put Rage in ce, but even though he was the VP, they needed to know he had what it took.¡±

    ¡°They all know he has what it takes.¡±

    ¡°We all know that, but now they¡¯re making him work for it, and it¡¯s kind of hard to watch.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s won, though, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he has, but I don¡¯t know, shit is going down. It¡¯s kind of ¡­ scary, you know.¡±¡±I get it.¡± Nibbling my lip, I look down at myp and stare at the engagement ring and wedding band. A lot of stuff happened all the time.

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯ve got to stop talking about the bad stuff,¡± Cassie said, reaching for my hand. ¡°And tell me about the good stuff. You¡¯re a married woman now, and I have to say, Ive is hot.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    This made me blush, I couldn¡¯t help it.

    Cassie giggled. ¡°Come on, you have to tell me all about it. You have to tell me what he¡¯s like in bed, or what it¡¯s like being married to one of the most powerful men in the world.¡±

    This made meugh. ¡°Ive Yahontov is not the most powerful man in the world.¡±

    ¡°But he is in your world, in our world. Comeon, spill the details.¡±

    There¡¯s not a lot to spill. I wanted tough and giggle, and do the whole girly routine, but there was nothing for me to say, so I shrugged.

    ¡°It¡¯s great,¡± I said.

    ¡°Charlotte?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not a lot to say, Cassie. Honestly, I wishthere was a lot I could say, but there isn¡¯t. We ¡­ for the first month, we didn¡¯t see each other. I was at his home, and he was here. Only when Ivan came to pay me a visit did I move out here, and to be honest, I miss his home. It¡¯s a lot nicer and I can go exploring the grounds, and the rooms. It is a lovely home. Here, it¡¯s boring.¡±

    ¡°You never liked the city life,¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I was ¡­ the mistake,¡± I said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±

    ¡°They were going to kidnap you,¡± I said. ¡°You do know that. They wanted to have someone to use leverage against our dad. Instead, someone fucked up and they got me. You should be the one here, married. You would fit in.¡±

    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t,¡± Cassie said. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen the way Ive looks at you.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look at me.¡±

    ¡°No? I saw the way he looked at you through dinner. He wants to see you happy.¡±

    ¡°He and I ¡­ we haven¡¯t ¡­ you know ¡­ done it.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t had sex?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t find me attractive.¡±

    ¡°I doubt that,¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°He sees me as a child.¡±

    Cassie scrunched up her nose. ¡°Is that a bad thing? I mean, seriously?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh, because in truth, that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. ¡°I¡¯m not a child, but I also don¡¯t want to stay in a bad marriage.¡±

    ¡°Is he mean to you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then why nottalk to him? Why not ask him for ¡­ you know.¡± Cassie groaned. ¡°I cannot believe I¡¯m advising my sister to ask for sex.¡±

    Cassie pressed her fingers to her head as she was trying to rub out the memory of her asking. This did make me smile.

    ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡±I asked.

    ¡°Sex?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I know Cassie has done it. There were a couple of guys at school, who after having sex with Cassie, announced it to the whole school. She¡¯d been mortified. The club had been sure to punish the guys. One of them had been a jock, and Dad or one of the guys had broken his pitching arm, when he needed it most. The other guy had been a geek, and well, he¡¯d been at the hospital while some kind of important life-changing decision was being made by some tech scouts or something. I don¡¯t know. Either way, they had both paid the price for humiliating my sister.

    ¡°It, er, it can be good. The first time isn¡¯t great. It¡¯s kind of awkward, but I don¡¯t know how it would be for you. My first time was with a loser, Charlotte. He didn¡¯t have the first clue of what he was doing, and it wasn¡¯t great.¡± She wrinkled her nose. ¡°Ive doesn¡¯t look like a loser who doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing.¡±

    Therewas that.

    The door to Ive¡¯s office opened and Rage walked out. He didn¡¯t look happy, and neither did Ive. Ivan seemed to be in quite a pleasant mood still. I wondered if he had put my husband and Rage in a bad mood.

    Rage, Cassie, and Ivan left minutester. It was just Ive and me.

    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t know it was your birthday.¡±

    This made me smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°I had no idea what to get you.¡±

    ¡°I like the idea of a honeymoon,¡± I said. ¡°That sounds like fun.¡±

    Ive nodded. ¡°Is there anything you want?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You know I had no intention of a honeymoon, but I was going to offer you anything you wanted.¡±

    ¡°I can have anything I want?¡±

    ¡°Yes, name it, it¡¯s yours. It doesn¡¯t matter the price or the time.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re still going on a honeymoon?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, Ivan insists on it.¡±

    I looked at Ive then nced away. Could I ask him for what I wanted?

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know what you wantright away, don¡¯t worry. Think about it, and let me know.¡±

    He went to walk away and I just couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    ¡°I know what I want,¡± I said. Damnit, I felt my cheeks heating even as I said it.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked.

    I opened my mouth, closed it. It was so stupid, but it wasthe only thing I could think of.

    ¡°I¡¯d, er, I¡¯d like you to kiss me.¡± I pressed my lips together.

    ¡°A kiss?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but not like on the cheek, I¡¯d like a proper kiss, if you don¡¯t mind. How you would expect to kiss your wife. One that you wanted.¡± I struggled to look him in the eye as I asked this.

    When Ivan had told me I was going to marry Ive, I¡¯d been terrified. Thesewere my kidnappers, but in a short time, I had gotten used to the idea. They hadn¡¯t killed me. Even when my father had begged for them to do so. They hadn¡¯t. In fact, they had made mefortable, and showed me affection and care.

    ¡°You want me to kiss you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded, trying not to feel embarrassed by my girlish request. ¡°I¡¯m not a child. I¡¯m your wife, and I know I¡¯m not like the Sophies of this world, but I would like to have a kiss from my husband.¡±

    He took a step toward me, then another. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how many other people he¡¯d approached, who¡¯d been terrified. I wasn¡¯t scared. The tip of his toes brushed across mine. I had no choice but to tilt my head back to see him. I liked looking at Ive, and the blue of his eyes.¡±Let me knowif at any point you want me to stop.¡±

    He cupped my face. I loved the size of his hands. They were big, strong, sturdy hands, and they feltcapable. His thumb brushed across my lip, and I felt an answering call in my body. My nipples tightened and my flesh felt sensitive. He moved closer and I felt his breath fan across my lips.

    This was a secret I hadn¡¯t told anyone. I was attracted to my husband. No one knew. Not even Cassie, nor Ivan, but I had a feeling he already knew. When Ive had taken me, locked me up in one of his cages, and kept visiting me, I liked it and hadn¡¯t wanted it to stop.

    I was desperate for his kiss. Hungry for it.

    Ive¡¯slips pressed against mine. They were gentle at first, but with that one touch, I couldn¡¯t help but moan, and my eyes closed. His lips were slightly damp, and I tasted the hint of whiskey. I¡¯d gotten used to the scent as he drank it a few evenings. Never a lot, just one ss.

    I felt his hand at my waist as he pulled me in closer. Another moan left me, and I kept my hands at my sides for as long as possible.

    I needed to touch him, to feel him, and slid my hands up his arms, going toward his shoulders, holding onto them tightly. The hand at my waist went down toward my ass, and he squeezed the flesh. That felt so good, and I didn¡¯t want him to stop. I heard his guttural moan, and I knew I was already addicted to this man.

    My very first kiss. And I wanted more.

    Was Cassie and Ivan right? All I had to do was ask?

 97

    Ive

    ¡°You need to get your wife a puppy,¡± Ivan said, taking a seat in my office. Rage was due to arrive any minute.

    I¡¯d woken up to knocking on the door. Cassie had arrived at exactly seven o¡¯clock with the intention of spending the whole day with her sister. I had no idea Cassie was such a morning person. Charlotte hadn¡¯t responded to the door, but I had, and seeing Cassie first thing in the morning wasn¡¯t good for my mood. It had pissed me off.

    I left the two sisters and made my way to my casino office, where Ivan was already waiting. He was in a chipper mood. It was rare for me to see him in any other kind of mood. I¡¯d rarely seen him lose his temper.

    ¡°And you know this how?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Talking to your wife, of course. Did you know when she was younger, shefound a stray? Yeah, this dog made her so happy and she was going to keep it, but because her dad didn¡¯t want her happy, he took it from her.¡±

    My hands clenched into fists andI was tempted to swipe the contents of my desk onto the floor. Demon got an easy death. The more I learned about that man, the more I didn¡¯t like him. Charlotte had been a mistake on our part, but I¡¯m so fucking pleased we got her, and not Cassie. I have a feeling if Cassie had been taken, Charlotte would have paid the price.

    Ididn¡¯t want to think about my wife right now. Last night I had offered her anything her heart desired. I expected her to pick a shopping spree, or ask for credit cards, or to go traveling-anything. And she had asked for a kiss, not just any kiss, but a proper kiss between a husband and a wife. And that kiss had yed in my mind since.

    ¡°Are you wishing we kept him alive?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And this is why you never act in the heat of the moment. You allow things to fester, and you¡¯re calm.¡± Ivan smiled.

    ¡°Is that why you haven¡¯t decided between The Butcher or The Beast to take over from Oleg?¡± I asked.

    Ivan shrugged.

    ¡°So it is them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a shock. They¡¯re the onlytwo people capable of bringing order to the territory.¡±

    ¡°Why not just makea decision?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I like to make sure I¡¯m making the right decision and I like to have certain things in y before I decide.¡±

    ¡°The longer you leave it, the higher the riskof that territory being reimed.¡±

    ¡°True, unless I already have ns in ce.¡± Ivan pressed his finger to his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±

    ¡°So, a puppy?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I stared at Ivan and thought about him at my home with Charlotte. He seemed close to herstnight. I¡¯d not had the chance to call vik and Andrei yet.

    ¡°Are you attracted to my wife?¡± I asked.

    This made Ivan chuckle. He lifted his watch and smiled. ¡°You took your time. I expected you to ask me the moment I showed up. Instead, you waited a goodtwenty minutes. You are showing patience.¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯m apatient man.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re a patient man when ites to extracting information, unless you¡¯re in a desperate situation. You¡¯ve always been a man of action, Ive. That¡¯s not going to change.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve not answered my question.¡±

    ¡°Because you know the answer to it, my friend. If I was attracted to Charlotte, she wouldn¡¯t be your wife.¡±

    I knew that.

    ¡°Why are you spending time with her?¡± I asked.

    Ivan tutted. ¡°I spend time with all new wives.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but Charlotte is the first you¡¯ve given your blessing to so quickly.¡±

    ¡°That is true. I will arrange for her ink once we¡¯ve dealt with this order of business,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°What is it about her?¡± I asked.

    Ivan turned his head toward me. ¡°You don¡¯t know? I¡¯mpretty sure we can both agree that Charlotte is a wonderful person.¡±

    I got up from my seat and moved to the front of my desk. I leaned against it and folded my arms across my chest as I stared at the man who¡¯d granted me everything I ever wanted. All I had to do was be loyal. I would die for this man.

    Ivan had been true to his word. He never lied. He never offered false promises, and he never turned his backon any of his men. I admired him. The power had never gone to his head and I had to wonder if that was because he made a point of being hands-on.

    Most Bratva bosses had men deal with their brigadiers. There were spies, and the Boss stayed out of the line of fire. Ivan was always there. Always willing to shoot and take the bullet.

    ¡°She¡¯s been through a lot,¡± I said. Her scars tell the whole story.

    ¡°You see the darkness in her eyes, Ive. We know some of what she¡¯s been through. We met her at eighteen, and for eighteen years, she was at the mercy of a man who couldn¡¯t stand her. A man who wouldn¡¯t even let her have a dog to love. He wanted her to be alone. I have to wonder what she would choose if you offered her a life of luxury or the undying love of a man?¡±

    I thought aboutst night. Charlotte had wanted a kiss. She hadchosen affection.

    ¡°If you gave her a chance, Ive, I have a feeling you both would be very happy.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s young.¡±

    ¡°And she has only experienced pain and loss. We both know what that¡¯s like. We were able to fight back. She didn¡¯t have that luxury. I¡¯m not attracted to Charlotte, Ive. She has mypassion. Even after everything she¡¯s been through, she was willing to give me a chance, and I imagine she will give you a chance as well.¡±

    ¡°Achance at what?¡± I asked.¡±To protect her. To do what no one else has ever been able to do. I feel that Charlotte wants to belong, she wants to be loved, she wants to be cherished. I also believe she fears it. You see, rejection is easy. She has lived with that all her life, but love is scary for her, and that I find so very sad.¡±

    I think this had to be one of the longest conversations on feelings I¡¯ve ever had with Ivan. I didn¡¯t like it and I was more than pleased when Rage knocked on the door. I called for him toe in, and right behind him followed Hank Bfonte. Rage had told usst night that he could make the arrangements to bring Hank in.

    Two of my men held a thrashing Hank. There was a gag on his mouth, his hands were tied, and there was blood dripping from his nose.

    ¡°I offer you Hank Bfonte. Hank, I¡¯d like you to meet those men you¡¯ve told me whose days are numbered. I believe they would like a word with you.¡±

    I nod at my men to take him down to the basement. They know where to go without any of the casino guests being aware of what was happening.

    ¡°Well, that was a lot easier than I thought it would be,¡± Ivan said, getting to his feet.

    ¡°He¡¯s in serious belief the Volkov Bratva is going down,¡± Rage said.

    I nce at Rage, and then follow Ivan as we make our way out of my office and down the long flight of stairs, toward the basement. Hankis already chained up by the time we arrive. He has a shiner decorating half of his face.

    ¡°You betrayed us,¡± Hank said.

    This made me chuckle. ¡°Rage was never on your side. Didn¡¯t you hear? Volkov Bratva and the Evil Savages MC are bound together by family.¡±

    Hank spat on the floor. I have to say I liked his spirit. ¡°They gave you the sister they didn¡¯t want. They turned their backs on you the moment a better offer was on the table. That slut meant nothing.¡±

    Drawing my arm back, I punch him right in the nose. Anger fills every single part of my body. No one, and I mean, no one, calls my wife a slut. Screams erupt in the basement and we¡¯ve tied Hank¡¯s arms behind him, so there¡¯s no chance of him escaping.

    ¡°You broke my nose,¡± Hank said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the onlything I¡¯m going to break.¡±

    I want to kill him, but that would be too easy of a death. No, I want to take my time.

    Ivan¡¯s going to want to question him, and I only hoped he decided to be stupid. Once he was stupid, I could have my fun with him.

    Steppingback, I see specks of blood on my knuckle, and I pull out a handkerchief to clean the mess.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t like him calling Lottie a slut,¡± Rage said.

    I ignore Rage and concentrate on Ivan. Ivan had pulledover a chair from across the room, and he moved to sit, crossing one leg over the other, and then staring at Hank. He didn¡¯t say a word.

    I¡¯d seen this side of Ivan often, the calm businessman approach. He was in total control, and then I¡¯d also seen himpletely lose it, and I knew Ivan scared a lot of men. Many of his own as well. Ivan wasn¡¯t afraid of getting his hands dirty. He asked for one thing from his men, and that was loyalty.

    ¡°What the fuck do you want?¡± Hank asked.

    There weretears running down his eyes as he tried to control himself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you and I have been properly introduced,¡± Ivan said. ¡°I¡¯m Ivan Volkov, the man you intended to kill, and take over my territories and businesses.¡± He doesn¡¯t offer a hand, but I see the surprise on Hank¡¯s face.

    ¡°You¡¯re ¡­ you¡¯re dead.¡±

    ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t you get the memo? That was a bit of fun.¡± Ivan chuckled.

    The fear in Hank¡¯s face was clear to see, even his lip trembled.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t think it was true that I was miraculously alive?¡± Ivan sighed. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ve had worse.¡±

    This made mesmile.

    ¡°So, you and¡­¡± Ivan clicked his fingers, and turned toward me. ¡°What was the other guy¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Benjamin Court.¡± I told him the name, but he knew. I¡¯d never caught Ivan at a loss. It was part of his superpower to know everyone and everything.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You and good old Benji have decided to take over my territory. You couldn¡¯t be satisfied with the tiny pieces we gave you, you had to attempt to take over.¡± Ivan tutted.

    With every second that passed, Hankbecame more afraid. I was expecting more, but then he was a guy who terrorized women.

    ¡°Now, forgive me, Hank, but I have to wonder if this was all your idea or if someone put you up to this? The warehouse that headed toward the docks, the women, the way they were drugged and taken. It all seems a little sloppy to me. Why don¡¯t you tell me who you work for?¡± Ivan asked.

    Hank¡¯s eyes went wide and he shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t work for anyone.¡±

    ¡°So, you want me and everyone here to believe that you and Benjamin decided to go from petty crime to suddenly thinking you could rule this city?¡±

    Ivan turned back to me. ¡°Who ruled this city before us?¡±

    ¡°The Irish,¡± I said, knowing he already knew the answers.

    He clicked his fingers. ¡°That¡¯s right, and I know for a fact the cartel haven¡¯t been too pleased with my being alive.¡±

    Hank shook his head. I wanted him to stay silent.

    ¡°Come on, Hank, don¡¯t you thinkit¡¯s in your best interest to tell us what¡¯s going on?¡± Ivan asked. ¡°I can make a deal with you, if you talk, that is. I know Ive here is begging to use some of his cages. They¡¯ve been a little empty the past couple of weeks. I think he¡¯s already dealt with David, isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    Again, he didn¡¯t need me to say anything, but Hank shook his head. He wouldn¡¯t talk. Even though he feared Ivan and what could happen to him, it would seem he feared the repercussions of talking. Stupid, fucking idiot. He was going to die anyway. We¡¯d at least have made it quick, but now, that was not going to happen.

    His foolish actions gave me something to look forward to.

 98

    Lottie

    I felt a little guilty. My back was being massaged as was my sister¡¯s, and Hubert stood in the corner of the room. There was no way he could be enjoying this, and I hated that I was. It felt nice, even though I was a little tense.

    As for Cassie, she was very vocal with the sounds she made as the woman worked on her back. She had asked for a couple of strapping male massagers, but Hubert had been clear. No men, only women.

    And so, my back was being worked, and it felt good. It was rather strange, though, because I wasn¡¯t used to being touched, so each time her hands brushed across my skin, that first initial touch always made me jolt, just a little bit.

    ¡°This is so good.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t agree more.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t we do this more often?¡±

    We didn¡¯tneed to go there. We both knew the answer.

    ¡°Shit, forget I ever said anything.¡± Cassie¡¯s arm raised in the air and she lifted, turning her head to look at me. ¡°Well, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°It feels great,¡± I said, smiling.

    ¡°Good. It was hard to think of what to get you. You don¡¯t have any hobbies and we¡¯ve not spoken in so long.¡± Cassie pouted. ¡°Rage told me he gave you a cell phone.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have it.¡±

    ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve been texting you, wanting to meet up, so we can do all kinds of shit together.¡±

    I was about to answer when Hubert¡¯s cell phone went off.

    ¡°You can¡¯t have cell phones in here,¡± one of the women massaging our backs said.

    Hubert took the call. He spoke in hushed tones, and then looked up. ¡°I just have to step out a moment. Both of you, leave,¡± he said, pointing toward the women.

    They looked like they wanted to protest, but Hubert gave them a look, and neither of them argued.

    ¡°I¡¯ll only be a minute,¡± Hubert said, following behind them a couple of secondster.

    ¡°Wow, he¡¯s like ¡­ intense, isn¡¯the?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s ¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± I sat up and pulled the towel around my body.

    ¡°Why did you give the cell phone up? Rage didn¡¯t know what life was going to be like for you and he promised me I could always contact you,¡± Cassie said. Licking mydry lips, I tuck some of my hair behind my ear. ¡°Think about it, Cassie. Think about who I¡¯m married to and what I¡¯m married into. A secret cell phone is a sure way to get me killed.¡±

    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not possible. Rage wouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±

    ¡°I know, but this is the Volkov Bratva. I can¡¯t have secret cell phones or any of that.¡± I nibbled my lip. ¡°You understand, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I understand, and I also know I¡¯m going to yell at Rage, which is always a lot of fun to do. Crap, I had no idea a secret cell phone would cause you trouble. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She reached out, offering her hand, and I took it, giving it a squeeze. ¡°Us being here for your birthday isn¡¯t causing any issues, is it?¡±

    ¡°No, none at all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡± Cassie winked at me. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡±

    ¡°What has it been like back home? Apart from Rage, having to earn the club¡¯s respect and all that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, you know, the same old, same old.¡±

    ¡°How do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s business as usual.¡± Cassie sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to say. Not a lot has changed. The club goes on. The club pussy is always around. I¡¯m not ¡­ Rage ¡­ he, er, he always put up with me, you know, because of who I was. After Dad and everything that went down, I guess you could say I¡¯m not everyone¡¯s favorite person.¡±This was ashock to me. ¡°You¡¯re the club princess.¡±

    ¡°Iwasthe club princess, Charlotte. Now, I¡¯m just ¡­ no one. Rage takes care of me.¡±

    ¡°I had no idea,¡± I said. ¡°Do you miss Dad?¡±

    ¡°Hell, no, him being dead and seeing you actually happy, that¡¯s everything.¡± Cassie sighed. ¡°If anything, this has made me realize that I didn¡¯t stand up enough for you.¡± She lifted her head and I saw tears in her eyes.

    ¡°Cassie, don¡¯t cry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯mtrying not to. I don¡¯t want to cry, and it will totally spoil my makeup.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going in a sauna, it¡¯s going to ruin your makeup,¡± I said.

    She chuckled and then allowed the tears to fall. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t cry.¡±

    ¡°You can cry. Everyone can cry.¡± I wanted to pull her into my arms and hug her. I didn¡¯t know if it was possible for me to tell her it was going to be all right, but I wanted to. Instead, I stayed silent and watched her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been going through all the things back home, and along with that ce are the memories, and I¡¯m so sorry, Charlotte. The beatings he gave you. I tried to stop so many of them, but I was a coward.¡±

    ¡°Stop it,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a goodthing you didn¡¯t try to intervene. He¡¯d have started on you as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m older than you. There had to be something I could have done to protect you.¡±

    ¡°No. You tried to do something, remember?¡±

    This made Cassie sob more. We didn¡¯t do this. Whenever we went shopping in the past or had a girls¡¯ day, we didn¡¯t talk about the giant elephant in the room. We just talked about everything and nothing.

    ¡°Dad was too powerful,¡± I said. ¡°He had too many connections, and there was nothing any of us could do. You tried and we made the most of it. You always tried to give me something.¡±

    ¡°Charlotte, this was the first birthday I was able to get you something without fear, andit wasn¡¯t even something you could own.¡± She pointed toward my neck. ¡°Look at that. Ivan got you that, and your husband got you that.¡±

    This made meugh. ¡°Ive had to give me the wedding ring and I think Ivan insisted on the engagement ring. They¡¯re part of the deal they made withRage. As for this.¡± I pick the ne up between my two fingers. ¡°Ivan scared Dad, remember? He was the only person who had ever put fear in our dad¡¯s eyes. As for this, I love this. You and me, finally at a spa, and at the end of the day, we don¡¯t have to pretend that I didn¡¯t have a good time. I don¡¯t have to look miserable or sad. I can be happy.¡±

    Tears filled my eyes now and Cassie climbed off the table and moved toward me. I stepped down and with the towels between us, we hugged tightly.

    ¡°I am so, so, so happy you are finally getting to live a good life.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if I should tell Cassie that Iswore my loyalty to Ivan Volkov. Instead, I just held my sister and thanked whoever was watching down on us, and asked them to take care of her.

    She¡¯d been as good of a sister as she¡¯d been allowed to be. I knew she had always wanted to stop everything that was going on, but there was no way for her to do so. When Dad was on a warpath, there was no stopping him. I was dly the target.

    ¡°I love you, Charlotte.¡±

    ¡°I love you too.¡±

    We climbed back on themassage tables and stared at each other,ughing.

    Hubert entered the room with the two women following him.

    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said.

    Thedies came to finish our massages. Cassie wouldn¡¯t let go of my hand throughout. After the massages, we opted to use the sauna, which I didn¡¯t like. Cassie loved it, for me, I hated it. Sweating in a hot room was not my idea of a good time, and it made my nose wrinkle. All the stress the women had worked out of my body was back. After the sauna, we took long showers, and then got changed and headed up to the restaurant.

    Cassie ordered some kind of fruit concoction drink, and I asked for their energy shake. It sounded nice. When it came tothe table, it was green, and I stared at it.

    My sister chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s poison.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s green,¡± I said.

    ¡°That just meansthere¡¯s a vegetable or something in it. Like kale or broli?¡±

    ¡°Ew,¡± I said.

    ¡°Are you going to take a sip?¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    Holding the straw, I leaned forward and wrapped my lips around it, sucking some of the liquid into my mouth. The moment it touched my throat, I stopped and sat back. I was pretty sure Hubertughed behind me.

    Cassie couldn¡¯t keep a straight face. ¡°This is why you always opt for something fresh. Here, try mine.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve learned my lesson.¡±

    ¡°Charlotte,e on, stop being sodifficult.¡± She slid her drink toward me. ¡°Try it.¡±

    I tried my sister¡¯s drink, and it was indeed a lot fresher and nicer, slightly sour, but I liked it. My sister ordered me the same drink and asked them to take the green drink away. I was tempted to ask Hubert if he wanted to try, but it was already gone before I could.

    ¡°Have you had a good day?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.

    Hubert stepped close. ¡°We need to leave, Mrs. Yahontov. Ive is expecting to pick you up at seven.¡±

    ¡°He is?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯d like to take you todinner.¡±

    Should this make my heart race? My husband taking me to dinner like every other time, but this was after the kiss we had shared. Did he like the kiss? Crap, what the hell was I thinking? Ive didn¡¯t like me. He¡¯d been forced to marry me. Ours was not nor would it ever be a love match, and I had to get my head on straight. It wasn¡¯t going to happen.¡±We¡¯ve got to leave,¡± Isaid. ¡°Unless you want to stay?¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. We can leave. I¡¯m tired anyway, and I can¡¯t wait to explore the apartment Ive¡¯s prepared for me.¡±

    We followed Hubert out of the spatoward the waiting car. Climbing in the back seat, Cassie kept pointing out ces she hoped to visit during her stay. I sat in silence and watched her. Cassie was always so animated. She took everything in and just tried to live, and I found that addictive.

    The journey came to an end rather quickly. Hubert took control ofthe elevator, and stopped it at the apartment for Cassie. There was no time for me to explore with her, and Hubert took us back up to Ive¡¯s penthouse.

    I missed his country home. This penthouse didn¡¯t feel like home. I left Hubert to go to the main bedroom and I saw the dress alreadyid out for me. It hadn¡¯t been there this morning, so I imagined Ive must have stopped off at home after lunch or something. Cassie and I had been out all day. This was a sky-blue dress. I wriggled into it, and slid the side zipper up, hoping it would fit.

    Stepping in front of the mirror, I gasped. It was very revealing. The bodice was that of a corset, and it certainly did feel like it pushed everything in. My tits looked huge. They were big anyway, but they looked even more so within the tight confines of the dress. Even my waist looked small. My hips certainly didn¡¯t, and the dress red out to amodate them.

    Grabbing a brush, I ran it through my now frizzy locks. The sauna hadn¡¯t been kind to my hair. I attempted to keep it confined and grabbed a clip, pulled some back, and slid the clip right in. Checking the mirror again, I knew there wasn¡¯t a lot more I could do. I never practiced with makeup, and I hadn¡¯t trained since being married to Ive.

    I stepped out of the room and Hubert was waiting.

    ¡°Is Iveing back here or do I have to go and meet him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯sing back here,¡± he said.

    I nod. ¡°I¡¯ll just wait.¡±

    There hadn¡¯t been any shoes with the dress, so I still wore my sneakers. I didn¡¯t mind, as they werefortable. The dress was long enough to hide my footwear. I had to wonder where we were going, though. Taking a seat, I sink back into the sofa and rest my head along the back of the couch, closing my eyes so I don¡¯t stare up at the ceiling. My life was so strange.

    I had spent many years imagining how my life was going to be once I turned eighteen and finally got away from my dad. After turning eighteen, I had to wait until I graduated high school, just before I was taken. That was so unlucky. I had all these great ns, most of which I couldn¡¯t do because I had no money. I think my dad knew what I nned and he tried to do everything in his power to destroy it, to stop me from living. That was the kind of man he was.

    My father had been aplete fucking monster. I hated him. He constantly showed me how much he hated me, how he didn¡¯t love me. The beatings, the humiliation.

    I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind and opened my eyes.

    ¡°How did you do it?¡± Hubert asked.

    I turned to look at my guard andfrowned. ¡°How did I do what?¡±

    ¡°I know some of what you went through. I¡¯ve seen some of your scars. I know ¡­ bits and pieces and I listened to you and Cassie today. A lot of people would have struggled with what you went through.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t all bad,¡± I said. ¡°Most of the time, he did ignore me. I think that was the hardest part.¡± I licked my lips. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, there were a lot of beatings. Some ps, some kicks. He¡¯d throw stuff at me, but again, I¡¯d do something, I think. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve kind of just cked it out.¡±

    ¡°Did he ever show you any kind of affection?¡± Hubert asked.

    ¡°No.¡± I didn¡¯t even hesitate. This made me smile for some odd reason. ¡°He never hugged me. Never gave me a goodnight kiss. Never promised to take the monsters away. He hated me. He told me that all the time. That I wasn¡¯t lovable. Rage hugged me when he could. Told me he¡¯d take the monsters away. Sometimes he gave me a goodnight kiss. He was my father.¡± I wave my hand in front of my face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±

    Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to because Ive stepped into the apartment. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯d heard any of what I said, but I forced a smile to my lips and got to my feet.

    ¡°How do I look?¡± I asked.

    Ive looked me up and down, and I expected him to ignore my question. He had so many other times.

    ¡°You look stunning,¡± he said. ¡°But it¡¯s missing something.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t realizedIve had his hands hidden behind his back until he suddenly brought them forward. He held a matching pair of shoes to go with the dress. The heel wasn¡¯t too high either.

    ¡°They¡¯re lovely.¡±

    ¡°I was also told that they¡¯refortable,¡± he said.

    This made meugh.

    He moved toward me and knelt down at my feet. I kicked off mysneakers, and he picked one up, holding it in his palm. ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Stop it. Yes.¡± I rolled my eyes and he chuckled.

    I slid my foot into the heel and it felt lovely, like it was meant to fit on my foot. Once both shoes were on my feet, Ive stood up andtook my hand.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°How do they feel?¡±

    ¡°Nice,¡± I said. ¡°Does that make me weird? Are women supposed to like the feel of heels on their feet?¡±

    ¡°I imagine at the beginning of an evening, they love it, but by the end of the evening, they don¡¯t.¡± Ive tucked my hand against his side. ¡°Come on, our dinner reservations are waiting.¡±

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A brand-new restaurant that I think you¡¯ll enjoy.¡±

 99

    Ive

    I heard whatCharlotte said to Hubert. I¡¯d entered the apartment as she began to talk, and what I heard, I didn¡¯t like.

    None of what she said came as a shock to me. I¡¯d seen the scars and knew the men we were dealing with. It didn¡¯t mean I had to like any of it. Charlotte had lived her whole life without human affection. Cassie and Rage had done what they could, I saw that now, but neither of them had been in a true position of power. Demon held all the power, no one else. Until we took it from him. Now Charlotte was ours.

    We sat in a French restaurant. I liked to have a lot of different businesses. This was part of Ivan¡¯s requests. We dealt in a lot of bad shit, but we also had legitimate businesses. He wanted to bepletely different than his father. Ivan had already proven tenfold that he was better than his father.

    The Bratva had been contained to one city. To a few men and women, a couple of families. Now we stretched across several cities, and to the Volkov Bratva there were thousands of men and women, soldiers, wives, close associates, business partners. We were untouchable.

    I remember when I met Ivan. These had been his ns from the start, and I had thought they were too far-fetched to be real. Ivan made them real. I¡¯d believed in him, even if it had seemed unbelievable. He¡¯d made it possible.

    The waiter brought us our menus and excused himself almost immediately.

    I couldn¡¯t stop looking at mywife. The blue looked amazing on her.

    ¡°How was your day at the spa?¡± I asked.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    She lifted her head and smiled. ¡°It was lovely. You should try it sometime. I did struggle with the massages, though.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°I kept flinching every time theyrubbed my back.¡± Her face went bright red.

    ¡°Did they say anything about the scars?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, no, er, I just ¡­ it was ¡­ new, you know. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She looked down at the menu. ¡°This is all in French.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t speak French. I have no idea what to order. Could you order for me?¡± She nibbled her lip again and I agreed to order for her. Signaling the waiter to return, I ced our orders in French.

    ¡°You speak French?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A little.¡±

    ¡°Also Spanish and Italian.¡±

    I nod my head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t speak anothenguage. I did okay in school, but, you know, it was difficult.¡± She sat back in her chair. Her hands dropped out of the way.

    ¡°I never finished school,¡± I said.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t have a single qualificationto my name.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you finish school?¡±

    ¡°Bad shit went down with my father,¡± I said. ¡°School was no longer important. He didn¡¯t want me as his son anyway, so it was easy for him to discard me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    I held my hand up.¡±There was no love between me and my father, Charlotte. Please don¡¯t feel pity for me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel pity. I guess I¡¯m just sad. I always imagined you had this loving family.¡±

    This made me smile. ¡°You¡¯ve never met my parents,¡± I said.

    ¡°What happened to them?¡± Charlotte asked.

    ¡°I had to swear my loyalty to IvanVolkov. They were in the way and we needed to make room.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes went wide and she leaned in close. ¡°You¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish her sentence but she tilted her head to theside, stuck out her tongue, and closed her eyes.

    I¡¯m not going to lie, I thought it was adorable.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.

    I didn¡¯t want to be entertained by my wife, but I was.

    The waiter interrupted our conversation to bring our food. It had to be the fastestservice here.

    He put the te in front of me first and then in front of Charlotte. There was a second where he lingered and I finally looked at him. This time, really looked at him. The restaurant didn¡¯t have a lot of people inside. When I called to make the reservation, I always called ahead so they knew to save my table. I was told they were full. This wasn¡¯t full.

    The waiter sweated, a lot. I noticed his hand shook. Something wasn¡¯t right.

    ¡°This looks incredible,¡± Charlotte said.

    She lifted asmall buttery potato and I didn¡¯t know what it was, but in my gut, I knew it was poisoned. I stopped her just as she was about to put it in her mouth.

    ¡°Stop!¡± I yelled the word, and that was all it took.

    I had a second to react as the door to the kitchenflung open and gunshots started raining down. Pulling out my gun, I grabbed Charlotte and covered her with my body, taking aim. I didn¡¯t have to wait long for backup. Screams erupted as the shots kept ringing. The waiter was dead. He¡¯d been the first to go.

    ¡°Ive, what¡¯s going on?¡± Charlotte asked.

    I heard the panic in her voice. I didn¡¯t have her out yet, but to go out the front door put us at risk. Hubert entered the restaurant, as did two more of my men. Covering Charlotte, I got to my feet to see the few diners that had been there being ushered out.

    d appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. ¡°It¡¯s clear,¡± he said.

    Putting my gun down, I turned to Charlotte, holding her face in my hands. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat anything, did you?¡±

    ¡°No, no, you told me tostop. I did. That happened so fast.¡±

    ¡°Boss, youneed to go,¡± d said.

    I already heard police sirens and I got Charlotte pulled against my side. That was way too close.

    Nodding to Hubert, I ordered him to take her. ¡°Get her home. Call the doctor. I want her looked over. Tell him to check for signs of dyed poison.¡±

    ¡°Ive, no, I¡¯m not leaving you. Didn¡¯t you see what just happened?¡± Charlotte asked.

    I saw her starting to panic.

    Pulling her in for a hug, I hold her tightly, wrapping my arms around her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s going to be okay.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t gowith her, I had no choice but to stay here. This was where my men needed me.

    ¡°Ive, please?¡± she asked.

    I hold her a little more tightly, and then pull away to stare into her eyes.

    ¡°I need you to gowith Hubert. I¡¯ll be there as soon as possible, okay?¡±

    ¡°What if you die?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°People die.¡± Her lip quivered. ¡°They die. You can¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t die,¡± I said.

    She nodded her head. ¡°You won¡¯t die. You promise me?¡±

    ¡°I promise you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯reing home?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Charlotte nodded and I ced her handin Hubert¡¯s. ¡°Take care of her.¡±

    I trusted him to do as Isaid. Hubert and Charlotte left, giving me, d, and my men the chance to head into the back of the kitchen.

    Four men were dead. Two had no insignias on them. One of them had the Evil Savages MCpatch, and the other, well, he was part of the Irish mafia. No sign of the cartels. They had gotten into my fucking restaurant and nned to take me out. Now I was pissed. The sneaky fucking bastards.

 100

    Lottie

    I sat on the sofa, knees curled up to my chest. I had already taken a shower. The dress was in theundry basket. I didn¡¯t know who did ourundry. Every day when I woke up, the basket was gone. I never saw anyone carryingundry. It just appeared.

    ¡°Charlotte, are you okay?¡± Hubert asked.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time he asked this.

    The doctor had already been by and checked me over. I didn¡¯t have anything wrong with me. Not a scratch or a graze. I was perfectly fine. But I felt sick to my stomach, and the only person I wanted to see was Ive.

    ¡°It happened,¡± I said.

    Hubert crouched down in front of me.

    ¡°Yes, it did. Things like that seem to gofast. While it¡¯s happening, it¡¯s in some kind of slow motion.¡±

    Our apartment door suddenly began to rattle. Hubert pulled out his gun and this made mecover my ears. I wanted Ive.

    ¡°Charlotte!¡± I heard Cassie yell through the door.

    ¡°It¡¯s my sister,¡± I said.

    He still held the gun as he went to answer the door. I had gotten to my feet and watched as Cassie shoved open the door and then came running toward me. Rage followed behind her. My sister pulled me in for a hug.

    ¡°We just heard. Are you okay? What the hell happened?¡±

    I held onto my sister tightly.

    ¡°I, er, I don¡¯t really know. Ive had taken me out to dinner. He¡¯d picked this newrestaurant. Everything was going so well. He had to order for me because I can¡¯t speak French. The waiter delivered the food and I was about to eat something, and Ive told me to stop, and then it was all a blur. People started to shoot at him.¡± Tears filled my eyes, and I had been able to keep them at bay but with my sister¡¯s arms wrapped around me, I just couldn¡¯t.

    I honestly felt fear. Real fear. I wanted Ive. He still wasn¡¯t home and I didn¡¯t like that. Why wasn¡¯t he home?

    Rage stepped toward me and held me close. ¡°Ive¡¯sfine,¡± he said.¡±What if they attack him? What if they hurt him? Kill him?¡± I didn¡¯t want anything to happen to Ive.

    Cassie took my hand and led me back to the couch. We sat down, and I sank, resting my head on herp.

    I knew our marriage was an arrangement and meant nothing to Ive. I was probably just baggage that Ivan insisted he have. It made no sense for me to react this way. Ive and I were not a love match. I didn¡¯t even know much about my husband. I knew next to nothing, but I didn¡¯t want him dead.

    Rage and Hubert were talking but I ignored what they were saying. None of it made any senseto me in the first ce.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d been shot at. It was the first time with Ive and in such a social setting. The club had been attacked afew times while I¡¯d been in it. I remember my dad had hoped I was dead. I lived to see the disappointment in his eyes every single time.

    Time passed. I don¡¯t know how long it was, but the moment I saw Ive step into his penthouse suite, I didn¡¯t think. Ijust reacted. Leaving my sister¡¯sp, I ran across the apartment and threw myself into his arms. It was stupid and childish, andpletely inappropriate, as he had Hubert, Rage, and my sister there. I also noticed another man with him, one I didn¡¯t recognize, but I think he was at the restaurant tonight. Ivan Volkov was with him as well.

    I shouldn¡¯t hug him. I knew he had to let me go.

    Get yourself together, Lottie. He¡¯s going to hate you even more for making him look weak.

    It took every ounce of strength to stop me from holding him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said.

    ¡°I brought food,¡± Ive said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to talk with Rage in my office,¡± Ive said.

    I kept my gaze averted. Tonight, I couldn¡¯t see his disappointment or his look of disgust. There was no way I¡¯d be able to handle that.

    I started to walk away from Ive, but he grabbed my hand, and I turned to see his hand in mine. He lifted my fingers to his lips and kissed my knuckles. ¡°I got the report from the doctor. He said you might be in a bit of shock.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    My heart had started to beat faster as he kissed my knuckles. I chanced a quick look at his face. I didn¡¯t know what I expected to see. Ive was difficult to read, but I knew he wasn¡¯t angry with me. He wasn¡¯t disappointed or upset. This was good. Anything else, I could handle.

    ¡°Go and eat,¡± he said.

    I nodded.

    The food was ced in the kitchen and Cassiecame with me.

    It was good old traditional drive-thru food. Burgers, fries, even corn dogs, and I was suddenly hungry. I didn¡¯t get a chance to eat earlier. Food hadn¡¯t seemed important while waiting for him to return home, but now I was starving. My mouth watered for a taste.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Cassie asked.

    In all honesty, I had no idea how I felt. Happy, sad, terrified. They were all working their magic on my body, and I couldn¡¯t think, nor focus. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Charlotte. I know you. I knowyou¡¯re not fine.¡±

    I looked up at my sister and took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m feeling. I, erm, I ¡­ have you ever had that feeling that something bad was going to happen, and you had no way of stopping it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Shaking my head, I force a smileto my lips. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, and this is just me watching you and Ive, but have you thought that you¡¯re worried for your husband¡¯s safety?¡±¡±Ive¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°I know he¡¯s fine and can handle himself and all that, but maybe you have feelings for your husband.¡±

    We grabbed some food and moved toward the dining room table.

    I snort. ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Ive andI ¡­ this is not some kind of love match. He was forced to marry me and I had to marry him, to, you know, live.¡±

    Cassiewaved her hand in the air as if that wasn¡¯t important. ¡°Don¡¯t think of it in those terms, because they¡¯re not great things to think about.¡±

    This made me frown.

    ¡°You asked me about sex. Are you wanting to have sex with Ive?¡±

    I felt my cheeks heating. ¡°Can we just eat good?¡±

    ¡°Charlotte, I¡¯m being serious. You and I both know that being shot at is scary, it¡¯s real fucking scary, but we¡¯ve lived through it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve been shot at but wehaven¡¯t been the main targets. I was a main target tonight.¡± I was trying to distract my sister.

    ¡°I know you were one of the main targets, but-and this is the big but-you weren¡¯t the only target. Tonight, you weren¡¯t afraid for yourself. You kept staring at the door. The moment Ive walked in, you threw yourself over to him. That means you have feelings for him.¡±

    I shake my head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡±

    Cassie sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid. It¡¯s good to have feelings, but I think you¡¯re trying to pretend they don¡¯t exist because you¡¯re worried someone is going to take it from you. Dad always did that to you. It¡¯s why you stopped trying to care about anything. Dad is gone.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not going to take anything from you. Never again.¡±

    I looked down at the table. ¡°I know he¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°He has a lot of enemies, Cassie. He¡¯s Volkov. It was a name that even made Dad scared.¡±

    ¡°I remember.¡±

    ¡°What if someone takes him away?¡± I asked.

    Cassie reached across the table. ¡°I wish I could say that¡¯s never going to happen, and believe me, I hope it doesn¡¯t. People die, Charlotte. They get sick. They have idents, and then of course, people kill them.¡±

    Just the thought of it filled me with fear.

    ¡°But there is always that risk. You cannot live in fear, and if you have feelings for Ive, you can¡¯t hide from them. You can¡¯t ignore them, otherwise one day you¡¯re going to wake up and life will have passed you by.¡±I didn¡¯t getthe chance to respond. Cassie pulled her hand away as Ivan, Rage, Hubert, my husband, and the mystery stranger approached the dining room table. Hubert left to grab the rest of the food. Ive sat at the head of the table, while Ivan took the other seat. I tried not to look at my husband, but felt very much aware of Cassie looking at me.

    Lifting my head, I caught Ivan¡¯s eyes, and he stared at me quite intently so I forced a smile to my lips. It was then that I noticed the new ck eye Rage was sporting.

    I had no idea what was going on, but it must not have been too bad since they all sat around eating food. Turning my attention to my husband, I saw he had an equal shiner on his face. What happened?

    After the food, I found out that the mystery stranger was called d, and he worked for my husband. There was no time to get to know him because Ive ordered everyone out, including Hubert.

    I stood with Ive as we saw everyone out. Ivan was the first to leave. Rage and Cassie left together, followed by d and Hubert. Once alone, Ive turned toward me.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°It has been a long night.¡± He stepped toward me and cupped my face. ¡°I think you need to get some rest.¡±

    I nod. I can¡¯t argue with him. He doesn¡¯t let go of my face.

    ¡°Can I sleep with you tonight?¡± I asked.

    Ive frowned.

    ¡°Not sex, I mean, erm, just sleep next to you, if you don¡¯t mind?¡± How stupid and childish did I sound?

    I didn¡¯t want to sleep close to him forfort. I wanted to sleep next to him so I could keep an eye on him. Ive couldn¡¯t be taken from me. And that felt even more messed up to think so.

    ¡°Yes, you can.¡±

 101

    Ive

    TwoWeeks Later

    Charlotte has slept in my bed for thest two weeks and as I wake this morning, I find her still fast asleep. Most mornings, I wake to find her staring at me.

    Anyone else, I might find it a little fucking strange, but not Charlotte. I¡¯d never shared a bed with anyone before. She was the first woman I had slept with all night long. Staring at her now, curled up facing me, she looked at peace. One of her hands was beneath her head, the otherid t on the bed. Her face tilted downward a little and her mouth was slightly parted. I watched her breathe in, and then out. The sounds and motion seemed to calm me, which I didn¡¯t expect.

    I reached out and slowly pulled back some of her hair, tucking it out of the way. She let out a little moan and then groaned. I¡¯d woken her up. Her eyes opened and she looked at me, offering me a smile.

    ¡°Morning,¡± she said.

    ¡°Good morning.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes, so I get to look at you thistime.¡±

    Charlotte chuckled. ¡°Please, don¡¯t keep bringing it up.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you mean how you like to look at me, and watch me?¡±

    ¡°How do you make it sound so bad?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± I rest my hand on her back. I noticed whenever I touched her, at first she tensed up, but then, she¡¯d seem to move into the touch. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Neither of us spoke for several seconds and I just looked into her eyes.

    I¡¯d never enjoyed awkward silences with women. I didn¡¯t want to have to read a woman¡¯s mind, which was why in the past, most women knew I was after a fuck. I didn¡¯t have time for their bullshit.

    I looked at Charlotte, and I wanted to have all the time in the world to just look at her.

    ¡°What are your ns for today?¡± I asked.

    Cassie still hadn¡¯t returned to the MC, while Rage had left to deal with club business. The guy who¡¯d been shot at the French restaurant had been a Demon supporter. A man who¡¯d wanted to see the end of the Volkov Bratva, and wanted to take back more territory.

    Rage had said he¡¯d gone missing a couple of months ago. He didn¡¯t suspect the guy turning traitor on the club, but here he was. I¡¯d been so pissed off that he had put Charlotte¡¯s life at risk, I¡¯d punched him in the face. Rage had responded by hitting me back, and as we went to go at each other, Ivan stepped between us. He¡¯d threatened to tear us both a new one if we didn¡¯t shut the fuck up and deal with the problem at hand.

    Hank still wasn¡¯t talking, so I¡¯d been giving him some of my special treatment for the past couple of weeks. Not only had we slowly withdrawn food, until I hadn¡¯t fed him for two days. We were also depriving him of sleep. d was taking turns with my men to keep the guy awake.

    It wouldn¡¯t be long before he cracked and told me everythingI needed to know. As for Benjamin, he seemed to have disappeared, the fucking coward. There was also no sign of the Irish. Now this was new. One of their men was dead, and they hadn¡¯te to retaliate. Did they not know that every time they didn¡¯t react normally, it told us they were up to something?

    Down at the docks, there was no suspicious activity. However, Victor Abdulov was arriving any day now, as he¡¯d been dealing with the cartel as well.

    I didn¡¯t want Victor in my territory, not with Oleg¡¯s still exposed. Ivan was in talks with The Butcher and The Beast, and I knew it wouldn¡¯t end well if he decided between the two of them. They were equal when it came to kills.

    ¡°Cassie and I are nningto go shopping,¡± Charlotte said, drawing my attention back to me. ¡°I, er, I wanted to ask you something.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Ivan said I needed to start shopping for a honeymoon.¡±

    This was news to me. Yes, Ivan did sayCharlotte and I were to take a honeymoon, but then shit hit the fan real fucking quick. I couldn¡¯t leave my territory until I had resolved the Hank and Benjamin problem.

    ¡°He did?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Do you know where we¡¯re going?¡± she asked.

    I rubbed at my eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve annoyed you?¡±

    ¡°No, you haven¡¯t annoyedme. Ivan likes to meddle. I don¡¯t know when we¡¯re going to be able to go on a honeymoon. Do you even want to go or is this something Ivan¡¯s cooking up?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to go,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, if you¡¯d like to go with me. I don¡¯t want to go on a honeymoonby myself, but only when you¡¯re ready, and of course, like I said, if you want to go. Do you want to go with me?¡±¡±Yes, I do,¡± I said. Yeah, that was a realfucking surprise to me as well. I actually wanted to spend time with my wife. It was unexpected. I had started to look forward to seeing her. No woman had ever left me feeling that way. This was all new to me.

    Charlotte¡¯s smile lit up her whole face and she moved a little closer to me. Damn, did she even realize how pretty she was?

    Why the fuck was I thinking this shit? I wasn¡¯t the lovey-dovey kind of guy. I killed shit for a living. Maybe I just needed a good fuck. It had been too long since Ist had one. Before I¡¯d met Charlotte. Before we¡¯d kidnapped her. No other woman appealed to me.

    I figured it was because of work and dealing with all therepercussions and stuff. Charlotte was too young. I was a forty-year-old fucking man. I¡¯d never been attracted to young women.

    Charlotte reached out and touched my cheek. Why did I like this touch so much? Her caresses weren¡¯t tutored. They weren¡¯t sure. She was nervous, I understood that. She wasn¡¯t used to being near men. She was still a virgin and that shouldn¡¯t turn me on but it did.

    ¡°Can I kiss you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask permission.¡±

    Her gaze dropped to my lips.

    ¡°Will you kiss me back?¡±

    ¡°If you want me to.¡±

    She nodded her head and nibbled her lip.¡±I¡¯d like that.¡±

    I knew this girl was messed up. Her dad and the people who were meant to love her had done a number on her. Cassie had visited me at the casino and tried to tell me that Charlotte was falling in love with me but she was afraid. I didn¡¯t know exactly what she was afraid of. There was no way anyone was taking me away. No one would ever take me from Charlotte. Just like there was no need to be afraid because she wasn¡¯t going anywhere.

    Charlotte leaned in a little closer, then a little closer. Her palm pressed against my chest. Staring up into her eyes, I waited. I¡¯m not the kind of man who allowed a woman to take the lead but with Charlotte, I¡¯d make the exception. She was the onlyexception I would make.

    ¡°I¡¯m nervous,¡± she said, then smiled at me.

    Reaching up, I slowly pushed back some locks of her hair. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be nervous about. You can kiss me, or we can just stay here.¡±Her gaze dropped to my lips and I knew she wanted to be kissed. This had to be her choice. This first time at least. I¡¯d kissed her for her birthday, but this was different.

    She leaned down and her lips brushed against mine. They were so soft at first, if I didn¡¯t have my eyes open to witness the kiss, I wouldn¡¯t have realized one was happening.

    I pushed out my tongue, and traced it across her lips. She jerked back, only a little, and then moved back toward my lips. Her tongue touching mine. Her touches were light, delicate,pletely untutored, and I fucking relished tasting her, teasing her, showing her exactly what I wanted. Charlotte followed my lead. There was no reason to talk.

    Sliding my fingers to the back of her head, I forced our lips together, and a moan filled my mouth as it spilled from her lips.

    Heavenly. There was no other word to describe it. She tasted like pureHeaven.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    Slowly, I pushed her to the bed. She didn¡¯t fight me, but slid to her back, and I stared down at her and then began to explore her mouth. Tracing my tongue acrossher lips, Charlotte opened her mouth, and I plunged inside. I couldn¡¯t help but imagine my cock between those plump lips, me teaching her how to suck it.

    I ran my hands up her body, taking hold of her fingers, locking them together, and pressing them against the bed. She moaned again, and I was growing increasingly addicted to the sounds she made. I changed my position so this time I was rested between her spread thighs. My cock was rock-hard as I pressed against her core. There was no hiding my arousal, and I didn¡¯t want to.

    I¡¯d been fucking pretending to myself, lying, that I didn¡¯t want this woman. I don¡¯t know what it was about her that called to me, but I did fucking crave her. That¡¯s why I stayed away.

    Work was nothing more than an excuse. Having her at my penthouse suite was so freaking hard. It was easier to try and keep separate lives than acknowledge I wanted my wife.

    Charlotte thrust her pelvis up against me, and I pulled back just a little to stare into her eyes. She was a virgin. Did she haveany idea the fire she yed with?

    I had a feeling she didn¡¯t have a clue, she was only responding to what her body wanted. I was what her body wanted. Fuck me, she was perfect. It was like she had stepped straight out of a dream.

    I was about to kiss her again, but the knock at the main door came loud and fast. Charlotte gasped.

    ¡°Who could that be?¡±

    Hubert went home every night. This building was locked tight and it was very rare for there to be an attack. No one who was going to kill you fucking knocked on your front door.

    Pressing a kiss to her lips, I ordered her to stay here, and climbed out of the bed. The possibility of danger was like throwing a bucket of cold water over me. My dick was no longer hard, and I was focused on taking care of my woman.

    I grabbed my gun on the way out of the bedroom, pulled the door closed to offer Charlotte privacy so she didn¡¯t have to see if I ended up attacking someone.

    Making my way to the door, I took my time, and then checked through the peephole to see that it was Ivan. Along with him was fucking Victor Abdulov.

    I knew he was traveling to my territory, but now Iwas pissed off. Opening the front door, I kept the gun at my side and looked toward Ivan.

    ¡°What the fuck is he doing here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you too,¡± Victor said.

    ¡°You can put the gun away, Ive.¡± Ivan brushed past me and stepped into my penthouse.

    They didn¡¯t have a fucking clue they could have been interrupting shit.

    Victor hadn¡¯t been in my territory since the wedding, so I didn¡¯tknow what the fuck he was doing here. Now I was pissed off.

    I was finally exploring my wife, and I had every intention of going a little further this morning, but not anymore. Ivan was a cock block.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your lovely wife?¡± Ivan asked, ncing around my penthouse.

    ¡°In bed,¡± I said, ring at him.

    ¡°Well, get her. I want to see what she thinks of my suggestion.¡±

    This made me tense. I looked toward Victor and for a fleetingsecond I wondered if he nned to swap us, give Charlotte to him. That shit wasn¡¯t happening. I knew I didn¡¯t want to get married to Charlotte in the beginning but that ship had sailed. She was mine, and now I had gotten used to wearing the wedding band, and he wasn¡¯t going to take that from me.

    The door to the bedroom opened. Charlotte had pulled on a dressing gown. Ivan was already doing the math, as he looked from me to Charlotte then back again. There was a massive smile on his face, which I didn¡¯t fucking appreciate.

    Again, I stayed silent. I hadlearned that when it came to Ivan, silence was a lot easier, and it meant I got to keep my shit together.

    Ivan pped his hands.

    ¡°Hello, Charlotte. Do you remember Victor? I¡¯m not sure if the two of you were introduced.¡±

    She stepped forward and offered Victor a handshake. Victor took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, which pissed me off. I wanted to p him fucking silly for even daring to touch my wife. I kept my opinion to myself, of course. It was the only thing I could do. Ivan loved to wind me the fuck up.

    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Charlotte said, and I liked that she immediately stepped toward my side.

    ¡°So, tell me, Charlotte, where in the world would you like to go?¡± Ivan asked.

    My wife looked toward me, and I saw the frown drawing her brows together. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Where would you like to go for your honeymoon? If you could go anywhere in theworld. You name it. A private ind. The Caribbean. Even Ennd. Wherever your heart would like to go.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to go back to ¡­ Ive¡¯s country home,¡± Charlotte said.

    Ivan frowned. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°I ¡­ I like it there.¡± She wrapped her arms around herself.

    Ivan was offering to take her anywhere in the world, and she wanted to go back to my country home.

    ¡°Okay, fine.¡± Ivan turned toward me. ¡°Well, you heard her. I want you to take Charlotte, and go and enjoy your stay-at-home honeymoon.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to do.¡±

    ¡°I know, and everything will be waiting foryou when you get back, but I¡¯m not going to keep having work get in the way of what is important to me. Your marriage is important. You are to go to your country estate, stay there, and enjoy a honeymoon.¡± Ivan wrinkled his nose. ¡°Personally I¡¯d have suggested a private ind, but I think you can¡¯t run away from the beach, and that makes it more of a vacation. Are you sure I can¡¯t change your mind?¡± Ivan asked.

    Charlotte smiled and then turned to Ive. ¡°Where would you like to go?¡±

    I¡¯d take her anywhere.¡±My country home sounds good.¡±

    Her smile was still wide and this time, it did in fact, reach hereyes. I¡¯d say that was pretty good progress.¡±Fine, have it your way. You both may leave. I expect you gone by the end of the day. Victor is here to help take care of your territory while you¡¯re away.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m staying at my country home, I don¡¯t need anyone else to take care of business.¡±

    ¡°You do, because I want you to focus on your wife,¡± Ivan said. ¡°For the good of the Bratva.¡±

    There was no arguing with the boss. He always had the final say on freaking everything.

    ****

    Lottie

    It didn¡¯t take a genius towork out that Ive didn¡¯t want to leave the city. Cassie wasn¡¯t happy that I was leaving, but seeing as she now lived in the same building as me and Ive, she didn¡¯t want to head back to the clubhouse either. Ive had told her she could stay for as long as she¡¯d like.

    I had a feeling she wasn¡¯t ever leaving. I wonder what the club was like now that Dad was gone. Since he¡¯d been killed I¡¯d not been back home. Actually, since my kidnapping I¡¯d not been back home. Being by Ive¡¯s side was my home.

    Ive wasn¡¯t happy about that other brigadier being in his territory. We didn¡¯t speak as we drove toward his country home. Ivan had given us orders that we were not to leave Ive¡¯s estate. We were to treat this ce as if it was a private ind.

    I know Ivan was upset with the ce that I had chosen but it wasn¡¯t like it was hard to figure out why I loved it here. For one, it was like a mansion all its own. The second reason was I truly loved this ce. The third, it was the closest ce I¡¯d ever called home. Finally, this was the first ce in my life that I¡¯d ever been happy.

    Of course, that could all be destroyed now, if Ive didn¡¯t want me around.

    Hubert was with us, and a few ofhis staff were there to greet us, including Michael, who pulled me in for a hug as I approached.

    ¡°I have missed your enjoyment of my food.¡± His ent had changed again, and now I didn¡¯t have a cluewhatnguage he was studying.

    Ive shook his hand.

    ¡°What would you like for this evening¡¯s meal?¡± Michael asked.

    ¡°Steak and potatoes.¡±

    I¡¯de to realize quite quickly that my husband loved his steak and potatoes. The only other meal he favored was a good burger and fries. Of course the cheeseburger was always a beef one, and he loved lots of cheese.

    ¡°And for mydy?¡± Michael asked.

    ¡°Surprise me.¡±

    The chef winked at me and I smiled. In that moment, I felt like I had returned home, and that was a damn fine feeling. I didn¡¯t want it to end, not ever.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Ive said, taking hold of my hand, and we entered his country home.

    I noticedinstantly that my stickybels were still in ce.

    Hubert took the lead as he made his way upstairs. Ive gave him a few seconds as he dismissed the staff. Once that was done, he kept hold of my hand as we made our way upstairs toward the main bedroom. This wasn¡¯t the room I had stayed in before.

    Hubert dropped the suitcases on the bed, and then turned to leave. He didn¡¯t look at either of us.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t my bedroom,¡± I said.

    Ivan¡¯s decision to send us on a honeymoon had been rather quick. I wasn¡¯t prepared at all, but I didn¡¯t freak out. I remained calm. Cassie got enough notice to say goodbye, and long enough to ask if she could stick around for a bit, and that was exactly what she did.

    ¡°I know,¡± Ive said, keeping hold of my hand.

    I turned my attention toward him. Some of his blond hair had fallen across his eyes.

    ¡°We shared a bedroom at my penthouse, I figured we could continue to share a bed here.¡±

    ¡°Ask him if he wants to have sex with you.¡±

    Cassie¡¯s advice flittered through my mind. I¡¯d stayed inIve¡¯s bed at his penthouse suite, and the truth was, I loved having his arms wrapped around me, and I didn¡¯t want that to stop. I had no problem sharing a bed, but I did want other things.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to share a bed with you but I¡¯dalso like for us to¡­¡± Why was this so hard to say? Staring at his chest, I tried to gain the strength to blurt out exactly what I wanted, and so I did, real fast. ¡°I¡¯d like for us to have sex.¡± I spoke fast, but clear.

    Seconds passed and he didn¡¯t say a word. That wasn¡¯t good. I needed him to speak for me to know that my words had been registered. Lifting my gaze to his, I saw him staring at me.

    There wasn¡¯t much distance between us, but he closed the small gap. I had no choice but to tilt my head back to look at him. I was much smaller than him.

    ¡°You want to have sex with me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    Ive dropped his lips to mine. ¡°Then I guess we¡¯re both sharing a bed.¡±

    I loved the feelings that traveled down my spine. This wasn¡¯t fear. I¡¯d felt that this was something else-pleasure. I didn¡¯t want his kisses to stop.

    I licked my lips as I looked up at him and then reached out, grabbed his jacket, pulled him down, and kissed his lips again. I loved his lips but I also loved his hands. It was hard to choose which I loved the most. His lips were hard and yet soft at the same time. They felt amazing against my lips and I couldn¡¯t help but think how good they were going to feel on my body.

    His hands were not soft, they were hard and yet each time he touched me, they only showed tenderness, and I liked that. I never felt the need to cower away from him.

    Ive put one of his hands at my waist and with the other he cupped my cheek, slowly sliding back and sinking into my hair. I didn¡¯t want him to stop touching me. I loved the feel of him so much.

    The bedroom door was closed. No one would disturb us. We had some time before dinner. Michael always liked a lot of time to prepare and I was ready.

    Letting go of his jacket, I slid my hands inside, and worked them up toward his shoulders so that I could push it off. Ive didn¡¯t stop me. My heart was pounding.

    I¡¯d expected him to stop me at any minute, but I was able to get his jacket off. Next, I worked on his crisp white shirt. They are always spotless, pure white. Working each button open, I stripped that away from his body, and ran my hands over his chest. This time, I stopped myself, pulling back and staring into his eyes.

    ¡°If you want to stop that¡¯s up to you,¡± he said.

    He was giving me control. My lipswere so dry.

    I don¡¯t even know how I kept going because the truth was, I didn¡¯t have aclue what I was doing. I was going based on what I¡¯d seen in the movies and just on instinct. Cassie had told me that worked a lot, but I had my doubts.

    Itdidn¡¯t take too long to remove his shirt, but now, it was his pants. I was still fully dressed. I felt myself start to panic, but I quickly dropped the coat I was wearing to the floor.

    Ive, seeming to know what I was going through, released a chuckle, grabbed the straps of my dress, and pulled me close.

    ¡°How about I undress you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯d like that.¡±

    I loved the sound of his chuckle.

    His body pressed to mine as he reached behind me to locate the zipper. The dress wasrger than I needed it to be so I¡¯d easily slipped it over my head, but I didn¡¯t tell him that. He took care of the zipper, swiftly, easily, and the dress fell to the floor at my feet. I only had on a pair of sandals, my bra, panties, and then a t-shirt.

    His hands curved around my waist and he spun me around so that my back was now pressed against his front. He teased the bottom of my shirt. He surrounded me and I loved the feeling.

    Ive swiftly removed the t-shirt and it fell to the floor. Now I was more undressed than Ive. He took care of my bra, followed by panties. With the bra, he simply undid the sp at the front, but with the panties, hepletely destroyed them-there was no way I was going to get any kind of wear out of them. Crap.

    My annoyance didn¡¯tst for long because his hands, those glorious big, hard hands, touched my stomach. I know it¡¯s not an arousal zone, but it felt so good. More than good. I loved the way he touched me. It seemed almost expert.

    I couldn¡¯t believe how much I wanted this man, how much I craved him. To think, when I first met him, I¡¯d screamed and threatened. I must have been a sight. Now I was his wife, and I wouldn¡¯t change it for the world.

 102

    Ive

    I promised myself I wouldn¡¯t touch my wife. Charlotte was way too young for me, and she needed time to grow up. Ivan was a clever fucking bastard. He knew what he was doing in forcing Charlotte to be close to me. Even though I attempted to be at work all the time, there was no getting away from my wife.

    When she lived in a different ce, it was easier. Coming home, day after day, week after week, Ivan had known the barriers would soone crumbling down, and that is exactly what happened.

    Charlotte was my wife. Yes, she was young, but she never acted like a child. I found myself looking forward to herpany. I¡¯d never been the kind of guy to go and enjoy restaurants. If I wasn¡¯t home for Michael to cook for me, I took the drive-thru on most options. It wasn¡¯t healthy, but it was food. With Charlotte close, I was able to take her to different ces, to see her dressed in the prettiest of dresses, admire her, and enjoy herpany.

    The barrier I¡¯d tried tokeep in order to protect her was well and truly smashed. Feeling her in my arms was even better than I imagined. I wasn¡¯t a virgin. Before Charlotte I hadn¡¯t lived like a monk. Since she had entered my life, there hadn¡¯t been anyone else. There hadn¡¯t even been a single temptation. She was all I wanted. And that bothered me. She was young. I didn¡¯t want to be like my father. He¡¯d been a sick fuck. I didn¡¯t crave young girls. Charlotte wasn¡¯t a girl. She was all woman.

    She spun in my arms, and I didn¡¯t let her get too far, so her body was pressed against mine. I felt the tips of her nipples as they pressed against my chest. Her hands reached for my belt, but she was so new to all of this, her hand stroked right across my hardened dick.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she said, jerking her hand back.

    ¡°You can touch me anytime you¡¯d like.¡± I took hold of her hand and pressed it against my dick.

    I¡¯m not rough. I made sure to keep my grip soft. I didn¡¯t want to scare her. Charlotte doesn¡¯t look afraid. She looks in control.

    Letting go of her hand, she keeps her palm pressed against my dick. At first, she does absolutely nothing, but then she begins to touch me, stroking her hand across my length, exploring me.

    I love her touch on my body, and this was new to me. With women, I didn¡¯t allow them to explore. They bent over and took my dick. It was as simple as that. Charlotte was different. I wanted her totouch me, to get used to me. I stroked my fingers across her back, traveling up her spine and back down. The moment I touched her, she jerked, just a little. Not in pain. I knew it was because she wasn¡¯t used to gentle touches, caresses. Charlotte is used to ugly violence.

    I¡¯d neverraise my hand against her. She would always be protected, no matter what. I dropped my hand lower, toward the fullness of her ass, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Iasked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I love that she didn¡¯t evenhesitate. This woman trusted me and I was going to make sure I honored that.

    Moving her back toward the bed, I dropped a kiss to her lips, and then eased her down. I changed the position so she was further on the bed.

    Grabbing my belt, I opened it, followed by the zipper fly, and pulled it down. The pants I wore dropped to the ground. Kicking them aside, I took care of my boxer briefs, and I was now naked for my woman.

    Kneeling on the bed, I crawl toward her and spread open her knees. She¡¯s shaking just a little so I take my time, allowing her to be ustomed to my touch. Spreading her open, I ease down toward her pussy.

    I smell her and my mouth fucking waters. I¡¯d never enjoyed licking a woman¡¯s pussy. I know, double standards, seeing as I expected my dick sucked, but Charlotte wasn¡¯t some random whore I¡¯d picked. She was my wife, and I wanted her.

    Easing the lips of her sex open, I stare down at her pussy, and then Iswipe my tongue through her creamy slit. Charlotte is aroused. She is wet for me.

    I stroke her clit, sliding my tongue back and forth, and around in circles, heightening her arousal. She is so sensitive, each touch of my tongue makes her quiver and moan. I want to hear her orgasm. I want to taste her sweet nectar. It¡¯s all I can think about. All I freaking crave.

    This is not like me. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s done to me, but all I want to do is give her pleasure. To see that precious smile on her lips. To know that I was the man who put it there. I know it¡¯s insane and crazy to even care so much about this, but I do.

    I don¡¯t want it to stop.

    My names spills from her lips and it sounds like a caress to my ears. I can¡¯t get enough. I know she¡¯s close to orgasm, but I don¡¯t wait or prolong her pleasure. I want her to know how good it can be. Thrusting her over the edge, I hear her pleasured moans. Her body shakes beneath me, and I don¡¯t ease up, not just yet, letting her enjoy every second of pleasure. I was going to let her have just one orgasm, but now that I¡¯ve gotten a taste for herpussy, I can¡¯t stop, and I want more. Sucking her sensitive clit into my mouth, I hold her down, and this time, I wait for her to be ready for a second orgasm. Working her body, learning what she likes and what she doesn¡¯t, making sure it feels perfect, and then, I take her over the edge into that second orgasm. It took a little longer for the second, but as she reaches it, I fucking revel in it.

    For what is about te next, this is going to be painful. Charlotte is a virgin. She¡¯s never felt a man¡¯s cock. She will only ever feel mine.

    I¡¯d never been a possessive man. Not when it came to a woman, but Charlotte had broken down all my walls, and now I didn¡¯t want anyone else. No one else would ever touch her. She belonged to me. I imed her as my own. She was mine. All mine.

    Moving between her spread legs, I stared into her pleasure-hazed eyes.

    ¡°Tell me to stop,¡± I said.

    ¡°No. I want this.¡± Her hands went to my waist. ¡°Please.¡±

    My wife didn¡¯t beg.

    Reaching between us, I moved my cock to the lips of her sex, and slowly slid through. She was soaking wet. Her orgasms had made herpletely slick. I only hoped her arousal eased my path.

    Once my dick was coated inher release, I pressed the tip to her cunt. I could go slow, prolong the experience, but that to me, seemed cruel. mming all the way inside her, I tore through the thin flesh of her virginity. Charlotte cried out. It was a sound I would never get out of my head. The pain of it. I hated it.

    Wrapping my arms around her, I held her tightly, not wanting to let her go. She was all mine now. There was no letting go. No giving back.

    I press kisses against her forehead, not wanting her to feel any pain, and hating that I¡¯d been the one to cause it. I hated myself. But she was mine. Time passed, and Iwaited.

    Charlotte was the one to make the first move. She began to thrust against me. Letting her go, I stare down at her. Tears trailed out of her eyes, and I hated that I¡¯d been the one to cause them. Taking hold of her hands, I locked our fingers together, and slowly I began to pull out of her, making love to her.

    Sliding in andout, taking my time. I watch her eyes, waiting to see if she¡¯s in any kind of pain. There is none that I see. She released a gasp and I pause.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± I said.

    ¡°You¡¯re not. It feels so good. Please don¡¯t stop.¡±

    Taking her pussy, I drive inside her, feeling my own orgasm start to build. Her pussy is incredibly tight and I just can¡¯t hold back. I don¡¯t want to. A woman¡¯s first time was meant to be the best of her life, which always made me wonder how the fuck that was. They always felt pain. It was freaking new.

    Charlotte¡¯s first time wasn¡¯t the best one, but I knew every single time after that would be better than before.

    ****

    The Butcher

    The carnage beforeme is pretty. I like it.

    The men are all dead-all seven of them-but then, they deserved it. Taking girls off the street, raping them, posting videos of them on the inte. They were all sick fucks. The cops ignored theints. They ignored one man¡¯s pleas, but I didn¡¯t.

    I hated men who abused women. I hated copswho were dirty.

    pping echoed around the silent room and I smiled.

    ¡°Ivan Volkov,¡± I said. I should have known he¡¯d turn up. He¡¯d been trying to reach me for a couple of weeks, but I hadn¡¯t been taking his calls. I didn¡¯t work for the Bratva, nor did I work for anyone else.

    Turning around, I seethat Ivan sat in the only vacant chair. He wasn¡¯t there when I first arrived. I always make sure to clock my surroundings. Ivan is a dangerous man. To many, he¡¯s scary, but he¡¯s safe from me. I have no desire to kill him. Even though he was ruthless man with a scary reputation, he was also fair. He didn¡¯t abuse his power. If he did, I¡¯d have to deal with him.

    ¡°You¡¯re a hard person to track down,¡±he said.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± I didn¡¯t work for Ivan Volkov, but that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t do work for him from time to time. I¡¯d done so in the past. His past was an interesting one, but it certainly hadn¡¯t defined the man he¡¯d be. Or had it?

    ¡°I have a business proposition for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±

    Ivan chuckled. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard what I want.¡±

    ¡°You have a territory that¡¯s vacant. You have a list of enemies a mile long, and then some, and you don¡¯t need me toe and clean up that shit. You¡¯ve been to see The Beast, so I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve offered him a ce. You don¡¯t need me.¡±

    ¡°And you don¡¯t think you and him could work together?¡±

    ¡°No, we couldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s intriguing to me, which one of you would be more ¡­ deadly.¡±

    I re at him.

    The Beast and I were simr. I believe our kill rates were the same, or close. After tonight, I might be ahead of him a little. The Beast could be bought, I rarely could.

    Folding my arms across my chest, I look at Ivan, because the truth was, I was intrigued. People were terrified of me. No one knew exactly who or what I was. Running a territory would be new, kind of exciting, and I¡¯d certainly get shit in line, but that meant swearing loyalty to Ivan Volkov, and that was something I vowed never to do. Not because of him being Bratva, but because he was a man.

    Ivan smiled. ¡°This is good work. I¡¯ll see you around.¡±

    ****

    Lottie

    I was no longer a virgin.

    I¡¯d had sex. And I had enjoyed it. Not the pain. No, the pain had been awful, but once that had subsided I had loved everything else. He¡¯d given me not one, but two orgasms, and they had felt amazing.

    Rolling onto my side, I look across at my sleeping husband. I had drifted off after we¡¯d changed the bedsheets. It was a littlete in the afternoon. My stomach growled.

    ¡°You need feeding,¡± Ive said.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± I reached out and pressed a hand toward his chest, but I didn¡¯t get the chance to touch him as he stopped me.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asleep.¡±

    ¡°You were,¡± Isaid. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I heard you snore.¡±

    Ive lifted my wrist to his lips and pressed a kiss on the inside. ¡°How could I sleep with you snoring?¡±

    I gasped. ¡°Take that back. I do not snore.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you do.¡±

    This made meugh. I just couldn¡¯t help it, I found it so funny.

    Moving across the bed, I straddlehis waist and feel the hardness of his cock against my core. I freeze as I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m supposed to do.

    Ive¡¯s hands went to my knees, sliding up my thighs, then back down again. Both of my palms are t on his stomach. He¡¯s covered in ink, all different kinds, but I¡¯m more distracted by the feel of his dick.¡±Are you sore?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±I want to have sex again but I don¡¯t know what the hell I¡¯m doing. This sucked. Thest thing I wanted was for Ive to think of me as a child.

    I wasn¡¯t a child. I¡¯d never be a child.

    My stomach growled again and Ive chuckled. ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say that I¡¯ll be feeding you before I fuck you again.¡±

    He lifted up and I let out a little scream as he took me to the bed. Now he was nestled between my spread legs.

    ¡°You want to have sex with me again?¡± I asked.

    Ive chuckled. His gaze dropped to my lips. ¡°Yes, I want to have sex and fuck you¡­¡± His lips opened as if he was about to say something else, but then he stopped.

    I want to know what else he¡¯s going to say, but instead he pushed himself off the bed.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s only fair that I feed you.¡±

    He stepped away from the bed, and I watched his naked ass as it went into the closet. He returned secondster holding a gown.¡±Come on.¡±

    I climbed out ofbed and moved toward him, sliding my arms into the robe. Ive surprised me further by tying it up closed.

    ¡°No one gets to see what belongs to me.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they look away?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d kill anyone who looked at you.¡± He dropped a kiss to my lips.

    Is it wrong to love his possessiveness? I don¡¯t know what hase over him, but I don¡¯t want it to end. No one had ever treated me like this. There had been no guy in my past and there certainly wouldn¡¯t be anyone else. I belonged to Ive, and I loved that I was his, in everything.

    I was the mistake, but now, Iwas his wife.

    He holds my hand and we leave the bedroom together. I don¡¯t want to leave thesanctuary of the bedroom. I have a horrible feeling that reality will break through this cloud we¡¯ve had over us.

    When I was at his home before, I saw soldiers everywhere, but right now, as we make our way to the dining room, I don¡¯t see a single person. There¡¯s no one around, not even Hubert.

    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They know to stay out of the way. They¡¯re paid to hide, and besides, this is supposed to be our honeymoon. Ivan sent orders ahead of us.¡±

    ¡°But this is your home. Don¡¯t theyanswer to you?¡±

    ¡°Ivan¡¯s rule is above mine.¡±

    ¡°And you don¡¯t mind that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I swore my loyalty to him. He¡¯s the only person who can overrule me.¡±

    I nod. I totally understand what he¡¯s saying and even understand the why of it, but I can¡¯t help but disagree. I like Ivan, I do. This is Ive¡¯s house and he should have a say in what happens.

    Ive pulled me in close. ¡°You¡¯re thinking way too much.¡±

    ¡°Do you like being with Ivan?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even hesitate.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    We arrived at the dining room, and Ive took the head of the table. He¡¯s silent for the longest time.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Ivan Volkovfound me when I needed to be found,¡± he said. ¡°The previous Bratva were brutal, cruel, and they used people, and tossed them aside. If they didn¡¯t live up to a certain standard, they were removed. Ivan has his own story, as do each of us. Ivan found me in the gutter. My father had tossed me out for many reasons. He considered me defective.¡±

    ¡°What made you defective?¡±I asked.

    I saw his jaw clench.

    ¡°Do you like books?¡± he asked.

    This made me frown. ¡°Yes, I like books. I enjoy reading.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    This made me frown. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    Ive tapped his fingers on the table and looked straight ahead, before finally turningtoward me. ¡°My father was a vicious fuck. He liked young girls, younger the better, but he also liked power. I was his only son. At least, the only one he acknowledged as his own, but there was a tiny problem.¡± He paused. ¡°I couldn¡¯t read or write.¡± He ran a hand down his face. ¡°He tried to get teachers or his soldiers, anyone he could pay, to teach me, but nothing worked. He tried beating me, that didn¡¯t work. He didn¡¯t want a dumb son. A dumb son to him meant weakness. So he got one of his soldiers to drive me out to the middle of nowhere, and his job was to kill me.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± I knew he¡¯d not done the deed, because Ive was my husband and verymuch alive.

    ¡°He couldn¡¯t do it. I think he had a son himself, or whatever the fucking reason. So he left methere and made sure I could fend for myself. I guess he told my father he killed me, because when I went to swear my loyalty to Ivan Volkov, I met him again.¡±

    ¡°To swear your loyalty, did you have to kill your father?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ive said.¡±We had to wipe out our families, and as for my father, he was a piece of work to begin with. I had no love for the man.¡±

    ¡°Can you read and write now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. I¡­ I take my time.¡±

    ¡°I could help.¡± I wanted to help him.

    He held his hand up. ¡°Ivan made sure I was able to do everything I could to take over as a Brigadier.¡±

    ¡°He surprised you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. There are men that work for him who were far more capableof taking a territory.¡±

    ¡°But you took it.¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°You proved to him that you could.¡±

    Ive nodded. ¡°No one else knows this. Just me and Ivan.¡±

    ¡°And now me.¡± I smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone. You know all my secrets. You know I came from a father who wantedme dead.¡±

    He reached out and took my hand. ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°Iknow, but that¡¯s the thing, isn¡¯t it? He¡¯s long gone but the sting of what he did lives on. He didn¡¯t want me and the truth is, you guys made a mistake.¡±

    ¡°Stop it,¡± Ive said. ¡°You¡¯re not a mistake.¡±

    ¡°You could be married to Cassie right now.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, no.¡±

    This made meugh even though I felt like crying. I hated the thought of Cassie being in my ce. I loved my sister and I knew she tried to help me growing up, but I didn¡¯t want her to have him.

    ¡°You would be,¡± I said.

    ¡°No, Ivan intended to useCassie. When he saw it was you, his ns changed. Your father would have still been alive if we¡¯d gotten Cassie, and we would have figured out a way to bring the club to our side. We had the leverage.¡±

    ¡°My father wanted me dead.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You know, all I ever wanted was for him to love me,¡± I said. ¡°How stupid is that?¡±

    I let go of his hand and press my own to my face. I hate that I feel this way. It¡¯s messed up and wrong. So very wrong.

    Arms surround me, and I love his embrace. I don¡¯t want it to stop.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± he said. ¡°And your dad was a total dick for not loving you.¡±

    No one had ever loved me. All my life I¡¯d wanted my father¡¯s love, but that had been reced, because now, all I wanted was Ive¡¯s, and I had no idea how to get it.

 103

    Ive

    Charlotte doesn¡¯t know how to y.

    Charlotte deserves a puppy.

    All she wants is love.

    Staring across the dining room table, I watch as she cuts into the steak that is beautifully prepared byMichael. I missed my chef¡¯s food. Michael had been a star find. I knew how to cook, but I fucking hated it. When I purchased this ce, the first thing I did was find a chef, and Michael had been working for me in one of our top restaurants. The only problem was he got bored easily and the guests liked to have the same menu for a great deal of time. Michael liked to change it up all the time. No one appreciated his gift, but I did. So I offered him the job. He was in control of my kitchen. He cooked for me and the staff, whatever the hell he wanted to. No one got to tell him what to cook.

    He had already sworn his loyalty to the Volkov Bratva, and it wasa pretty good deal. The food was top rate. There were a few times when food had been served to me and I was about to eat it, and he¡¯d storm into the dining room, take my te from me, and dere it was shit. He would then go and make me something else. I adored him. At least he¡¯d never given me food poisoning and I¡¯d done that to myself, plenty of times.

    ¡°Michael is the best,¡± Charlotte said.

    ¡°That is sweet music to my ears, darling,¡± Michael said. His British ent was back. I nodded toward him. He¡¯dalready told me he¡¯d been given the memo about this being my honeymoon. Everyone was under strict instructions to keep me away from my office.

    I didn¡¯t like being out of the loop but I had no choice-I hadto trust Ivan and Victor to take care of business while I was away. I should have put up more of a fight but I enjoyed the idea of being alone with my wife.

    When Ivan told me I was to marry her, I¡¯d been pissed off. She was too young and I¡¯d not wanted awife. Charlotte had grown on me.

    My wife turned to the chef and her smile was sweet. ¡°It¡¯s so good. Ive took me to so many restaurants in the city-Italian, French, Spanish, Mexican, there might have been an English one as well-but none of them match your food.¡±

    ¡°That is because I am the best.¡±

    ¡°And he is not modest,¡± Ive said. ¡°Have there been any calls?¡±¡±No business. Just pleasure. Now, I made a beautiful praline tart. I know it¡¯s your favorite. I wanted to make sure your first meal on your honeymoon was the best.¡± He pressed his fingers to his lips and kissed the air.

    I looked toward Charlotte. ¡°He means you. He doesn¡¯t give a fuck about me.¡±

    This made Charlotteugh. ¡°It¡¯s been the best.¡±

    ¡°Excellent.¡± He picked up the dishes and left for the kitchen with the promise of dessert.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure you didn¡¯t minding here for our honeymoon?¡±

    ¡°No, this is the house Ichose for myself,¡± I said, winking at her. I did so, just to see her smile. ¡°Why did you pick here? You could have gone anywhere. Ivan would have seen to it that you got what your heart desired.¡±

    Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I ¡­ this is the only ce I have ever felt at home. I know it¡¯s silly. I always had a home growing up, but this is different. This feels more like home.¡±

    ¡°Thisisyour home. It¡¯sourhome.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nowhere else I¡¯d rather be.¡±

    Michael interrupted the moment to bring us his dessert and it looked amazing. There was a small dollop of whipped cream on the side. I waited for Charlotte to take a bite, as did Michael. Her eyes closed and she moaned as she did so.

    My chef pped his hands and disappeared once again. He¡¯d be plottingour breakfast for tomorrow.

    I finally took a bite of the dessert, making sure to get enough pastry, hazelnut chocte and whipped cream, and it was so good. My mouth watered. Our dessert was gone within minutes.

    Taking Charlotte¡¯s hand, I pulled her to her feet. ¡°How about we go and have some fun?¡±

    All I wanted to do was fuck her. I wanted to spread her open and explore every single inch of her body, but I couldn¡¯t do that, not until I knew she wasn¡¯t sore anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±

    Remembering a few months ago when Ivan came to visit, I took Charlotte to the game room. The power was already on, and I took Charlotte over to the air hockey table.

    Charlotte groaned. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to y.¡±

    I never came into the game room. I¡¯d built the ce for the off chance that I might have a child one day. It was a long shot because to have a child, I had to trust a woman. Charlotte was my woman and I knew there was now a chance she might be pregnant. All it took was the one time.

    She¡¯s distracted by staring at the table and I take the few seconds to look at her, to imagine her full and ripe with my child. The thought of children in the past terrified me. I didn¡¯t want to be a father. I don¡¯t know how to be anything else other than a fucking monster. For fun, I lock enemies up, take my time to torture them, and make them pray for death long before I grant it. Ivan and Victor wouldn¡¯t be dealing with Hank until I got back, but he would be on minimum food. We didn¡¯t want to starve him to death before we got our information.

    Charlotte pregnant with my kid. That is just ¡­ too fucking dark for me to delve into.

    She lifted her head and smiled at me. ¡°Are you okay¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± I¡¯m tempted to call it a day, and tell her that I have to head back to the city, but then I¡¯d have to deal with Ivan, and he can be a giant pain in the ass. I was a grown-ass man, I could make my own decision, but Ivan was a bigger pain. He got what he wanted, and a honeymoon wasn¡¯t a bad idea. I just couldn¡¯t fuck my wife anymore, or if I did, I¡¯d have to wear condoms. The smile fell from my lips.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to y?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said.¡±When was yourst cycle?¡±

    ¡°My what?¡±

    ¡°Your period, your menstrual cycle?¡±

    Her cheeks went bright red. Sheopened and closed her mouth, and then looked toward the ground. ¡°Last week.¡±

    I made a note toremember when her next one was.

    The moment was lost, I knew that, and I had a feeling Charlotte did as well. I was determined to enjoy the game room though. I¡¯d never share it with a son or daughter and still didn¡¯t know if I would have children.

    I couldn¡¯t help but think about my own father. The beatings I got when I failed a reading and writing test. He¡¯d been so angry that he had a stupid son. I hadn¡¯t thoughtof this shit in so long. In fact, I never thought of it. It meant nothing to me. I don¡¯t even know why I told Charlotte. She didn¡¯t need to know about my past.

    Charlotte started to y, and at first, my heart wasn¡¯t in it. I wanted a drink, but I stayedfocused, and slowly, with herughter and time, I was able to draw myself back. I didn¡¯t know when it happened, but I started to have fun. Charlotte scored twice in my zone, but she was no match for me. She wasn¡¯t a sore loser. Each time I got the puck into her goal, she¡¯dugh. Whenever I pushed it in her direction, she would let out a scream and try to fight it off, and sometimes her mistakes meant my puck got into her goal.

    She was a breath of fresh air. I didn¡¯t even know I needed this.

    After I¡¯d scored for the twentieth time, she stood, massaging her elbow.

    ¡°Time for us to move on, what would you like to y?¡±

    ¡°How about pool? Can I just practice shooting the balls in? No game, just attempting to aim. Could you show me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just to shoot?¡±

    ¡°Just to shoot,¡± she said. The smile on her face, damn, fuck, I couldn¡¯t look away, and I certainly couldn¡¯t bring myself to turn her down. I didn¡¯t know what the fuck was going on with me.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    I had a city to protect. There were at least two enemies attempting to take over my territory. I had anotherbrigadier in my city, in my spot, just so I could enjoy my honeymoon. There was a lot of other shit I had to do, and yet, I didn¡¯t want to be anywhere but here, with Charlotte.

    She pped her hands and rushed to grab a couple of pool sticks. I wanted inside her again. The feeling was overwhelming. I¡¯d gone months without feeling the touch of a woman, and now, one taste of Charlotte, and I wanted her again. There was no way I was going to fuck her just yet, though. She needed to recover. I didn¡¯t want to hurt her and I¡¯m not a small guy.

    She stepped right in front of me, handing me apool stick, which I took, but then I banded my arm around her. She gasped but tilted her head back. She didn¡¯t try to fight me, and I love that. Just staring into her eyes, I know I want to fuck her, to take her, to make her minepletely.

    Even as darkness swirled in her gaze as she stared right back at me, I didn¡¯t give a fuck. I craved this woman. This made her a danger. She was turning into my weakness. I¡¯d have to make sure she was taken care of. When we got back to the city, she was going to need more protection, more men, and I¡¯d need to make Hubert aware of his responsibility toward her.

    What the fuck am I even thinking? I didn¡¯t want a wife.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Charlotte asked.

    I forced a smile to my lips, took the pool stick from her, and walked to the pool table. The balls were all in position. I lined the white ball in ce, took aim and shot, dispersing the balls throughout the table. I wasn¡¯t going to answer her. I didn¡¯t know if I was fine or not. I¡¯d not wanted this marriage. Charlotte was thest woman on earth I wanted to be married to and yet, here I was, with her.

    ¡°Let me see how you y.¡±

    She nibbled her lips and I stared at the curve of her body-the way her ass looked as she leaned forward, the fullness of her tits. I tried to avoid staring at her, but now there was no reason for me to look away.

    vik, Andrei, and now me. I can¡¯t help but wonder what the fuck Ivanwas doing.

    She leaned over the table and held the pool stick awkwardly. She squinted at the ball and then took aim, which was way off as the ball went past all others, and just hit the other end.

    ¡°You¡¯re too focused on hitting the one ball. You¡¯re hitting that ballregardless, what you need to do is focus on where you¡¯re aiming.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think I was doing that? I wasn¡¯t even looking at the white ball, I was looking at that one.¡± She pointed her finger to one green ball that had been only a few inches in front.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, oh.¡± She blew out a breath. ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± She dropped her hand to her waist.

    Putting my pool stick aside, I chuckle. ¡°Everything requires practice and I can show you.¡±

    And so, for the next hour, I held my wife, tilting her hips, getting her into position, feeling her ass nestled against my dick as she attempted to learn to shoot some of the balls. I wanted her again so badly. My dick ached to feel her wrapped around my cock.

    I don¡¯t know at what point she began to feel it, but we were both leaning across the pool table. My dick rested against her ass, but I felt her start to wriggle on my dick. The movement was slight at first. If I¡¯d not been so close to her I wouldn¡¯t have felt it. Just a slight twitch of her ass, subtle, but it was there. It made me want to grab her ass, fuck her hard, hold her down, and have my way with her.

    Charlotte was new. She had no experience. Everything she learned was because of me. It made her even more tempting. She was all mine, and I¡¯d never had anything that was mine before. Not all mine. My territory, even myself, I belonged to Ivan Volkov.

    Then I realized Ivan had given me something. He¡¯d given me Charlotte. Was that what he was doing? Rewarding us? I didn¡¯t know if many men saw marriage as a reward, I certainly didn¡¯t.

    Ivanwas always one step ahead of the game. He¡¯s a man who knows what he¡¯s doing. He plots and ns everything. I have no doubt he already had ns for Victor and Peter.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re doing?¡± I asked, gripping the fine curves of her ass. I hold her steady.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing, but I know what I want,¡± Charlotte said, her voice somewhat breathy.

    I can¡¯t help but grit my teeth. Where had this womane from? I knew where she had, but how?

    ¡°Are you not sore?¡± I asked.

    Iwas trying to be the gentleman, but Charlotte was not making it easy.

    ****

    Lottie

    I¡¯m a little sore, but that isn¡¯t going to stop me. All day, I¡¯ve been trying to gain Ive¡¯s attention, and it¡¯s been one challenge after another. Is the man made of freaking ice? Am I not that attractive? Actually, I don¡¯t even want to think about that, because the truth was, I didn¡¯t see myself as particrly attractive. I¡¯m nothing like Cassie, but I¡¯m offering willing sex, doesn¡¯t that count for something?

    Ive spun me around and pressed me up against the pool table. He lifted me up and perched my ass on the end of the table, and it¡¯s a little ufortable because my ass is bigger than the edge of the table. His hands slowly move up the outside of my thighs and then stop.

    ¡°Are you sore?¡± he asked the question again, and I can¡¯t help but nibble my lip. He¡¯s so close, I feel the hard ridge of his cock.

    ¡°No.¡± It¡¯s not a total lie. I¡¯m a little sore, but not sore enough to say no. I want to feel him inside me.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± he said.

    All I want to do is touch him, but I¡¯m using my hands to keep me upright. They¡¯re pressed to the felted top. I do no more than thrust my chest against his.

    ¡°But I want you,¡± I said.

    For some reason, this makes him jerk, just slightly. If I¡¯d not been paying attention, I¡¯d have missed it, but I saw him do it. Why does my truth make him do that? Nibbling my lip, I stare into his blue eyes. Does he not see how much I want him? From the moment I first met him, I¡¯d been equally terrified and intrigued by this man.

    Some people might say I have ¡°Daddy issues,¡± and maybe I do, but I don¡¯t care. Ive¡¯s the first man I was attracted to. The first man who locked me up, but also fed me, and made sure I was safe and warm. He took care of me.

    I know Rage took care of me, but he did so behind the scenes, never crossing that line that pissed my own father off.

    Ive¡¯s different. He didn¡¯t throw me away. I was the mistake. They could have killed me, but they didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t know why they didn¡¯t.

    One of his hands moves from my ass and goes toward my knee. I don¡¯t avert my gaze but I look into his eyes. I don¡¯t want to miss a moment. Slowly, so achingly slow, he travels up my knee, and then moves toward the inside of my thigh. The tips of his fingers are feather light. He¡¯s so close to my pussy. When he cups me, I moan.

    ¡°Ifyou can¡¯t take my fingers, you¡¯re not taking my cock.¡±

    The timber of his voice awakens my body, setting it on fire. I sink my teeth into my lip and try to stay focused on what is happening.

    He slid my panties to oneside and stroked between the lips of my sex. The first touch across my clit is like sweet Heaven. I don¡¯t want him to stop, but Ive¡¯s got other ideas. He moves down, going toward the opening of my pussy, and circles my entrance.

    Ive pushed one finger inside me. Just the one, and I moan. It¡¯s a little tight and I¡¯m not used to having anything inside me, but I feel Ive, and he feels ¡­ so ¡­ amazing. I don¡¯t want him to stop. Sinking my teeth into my lip, I close my eyes, and I just feel the moment. A second finger is added.

    ¡°Am I hurting you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    The third finger was a little tighter, but that didn¡¯t take away from the pleasure. I don¡¯t care how tight it is, or the slight edge of pain. All I want is this man.

    Ive growled and as I open my eyes, I see him seconds before he takes possession of my lips. The feel of his lips on mine, and his fingers in my pussy is so good, I don¡¯t want it to stop.

    He twisted his fingers and his thumb begins to stroke my clit, and that takes everything into another dimension. Breaking the kiss, I let out a cry.

    Ive¡¯s lips traveled down my neck and his teethsink into the flesh of my neck. Each touch sent me higher. I could feel my orgasm was close and then Ive pulled away. His hand pulled out of my pussy. It was so sudden that I could only sit there on the pool table.

    Iwas about to ask him what was going on but then I grabbed his hand, and we were out of the game room. I¡¯m not sure where we were going, but then I saw the warning sticky note I attached to his door.

    We step into his office, and Ive doesn¡¯t waste any time. Within seconds his desk is empty as he swipes his arm across, spilling pens, clips, a stapler, and even a phone, off the top.

    I rece those items.

    I¡¯m actually relieved, because I feel the pool table would have hurt my back with the edge being somewhat higher than the main table.

    Within seconds, Ive¡¯s got me naked, and his mouth has reced his fingers at my core. I was so close to orgasm before, but now as his tongue continues to work its magic, I know I¡¯m only seconds away froming. I¡¯m so close.

    His hands spread the lips of my sex open while his tongue dances across my clit, then down toward my cunt. He fucks me with his tongue, once, twice, and after the third, he pushed his fingers back inside me. In and out. I¡¯m so slick. I can feel my own juice leaking out of my pussy, traveling toward my anus. I¡¯m so close. Ive sends me over the edge, and I scream his name as Ie, hard. It¡¯s such an unexpected release. How can anyone hate an orgasm? It¡¯s the best feeling in the world.

    Ive¡¯s not done with me, though, and I don¡¯t want him to be done. He stands up, and I look up at him as his hands roam over my body. I¡¯m all his. I belong to this man.

    ¡°Whenever you feel this is too much, youhave to tell me to stop,¡± he said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to stop.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not to be afraid of me.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°You know what I¡¯m capable of.¡±

    Yes, I did.

    ¡°And yet you¡¯re not afraid?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No.¡± I¡¯m not. How odd is that?¡±I¡¯m not afraid.¡± I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d ever be afraid of Ive.

    Maybe if he turned that temper onto me, but for now, never.

    He pressed his cock against my core. I felt the hard ridge and then he wrapped his fingers around my neck. There was absolutely no pressure, but the threat was there. I look into his eyes, and I don¡¯t know how I know, but I just know he¡¯s not going to hurt me.¡±You won¡¯t hurt me,¡± I said.

    ¡°And why won¡¯t I hurt you?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m your wife and I swore my loyalty to you and to your boss.¡± I leaned up and pressed mylips to his. ¡°I¡¯m all yours.¡±

    ¡°Where the fuck did youe from?¡± he asked, seconds beforehis lips mmed down on mine.

    I wrapped my arms around him. I don¡¯t have a clue where I came from, to be honest. Cassie and Rage never talked about my mother. Neither did my father. All I know is that all my life, my father hated me. But I push those memories aside. They have no room here. They will never be wee while I¡¯m with Ive.

    He reached down between us and I feel him move to my entrance. At first, it¡¯s just the tip, and then slowly he moves inside me, inch by inch. I¡¯m not sure I can handle the torture of how slowly he moved, but I grit my teeth, wait, and then moan as he starts to thrust in and out. Slow at first, then he speeds up until he¡¯s driving inside me.

    His hands roam my body, touching me everywhere. I love the feel of his hands on my body. I know he could hurt me at any moment, but he doesn¡¯t. His touch is gentle. Sweet. Kind. Tender. I¡¯m not used to it, and each part of my body feels so sensitive. I love the feel of his cock, the touch of his hands, his lips, the hardness and yet, so soft. I¡¯m so close and then he suddenly pulled up, grabbed my hips, and started to pound inside me, driving deeper than before. I thrust up to meet every single thrust, not wanting it to stop.

    ¡°You¡¯re all mine, Charlotte, all mine, and don¡¯t you fucking forget it.¡±

    As Ie, I feel the hard kick ofhis cock as he fills me. I¡¯m not an idiot. We¡¯ve not used any condoms so I know there¡¯s a risk of me getting pregnant. The thought of being a mother terrified me, but I love feeling my husband¡¯s naked cock within me.

    I know Ive was forced toe to our honeymoon, but I¡¯m going to cherish every single moment we¡¯re here together.

    ****

    The Beast

    ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate you sneaking into my home,¡± I said.

    Ivan Volkov sat in my favorite chair. This was one of the many ces I owned. It was a small apartment, ina busy city, easy to blend in. I held my keys, ready to fight if necessary.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t sneak,¡± Ivan said. ¡°I walkedin the front door.¡±

    Which was locked. I hadn¡¯t been to this apartment in a couple of months. I¡¯d just gotten back from a job, and I was tired.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t invited.¡±

    Ivan tutted. ¡°Considering I helpedwith the final piece of your puzzle, you¡¯d think you would be a little grateful.¡±

    This made my jaw clench. I should have known Volkov had a hand in finally handing me the one man I¡¯d been hunting for, for nearly five years. He¡¯s even drinking the bottle of scotch I¡¯d saved for the asion. Anger rushed up my spine.

    I always had a problem with my anger, even as a kid. It was what caused me a lot of issues over the years. Getting it under control took a lot of skill. A lot of people had died for invoking my wrath. If I killed Ivan, I knew any kind of happiness and quiet would be impossible.

    The rumor of his death had circted some time ago, a couple of months, ayear, I can¡¯t remember, but I knew it had caused some difficulty for him. The man was smarter than anyone I¡¯d ever known. Ivan faked his death for many reasons, and I¡¯m pretty sure only he would know them all.

    ¡°That¡¯s my whiskey,¡± I said.

    Ivan nodded. ¡°Ah, yes, for the moment when you ended the man who took your mother and three sisters away from you?¡±

    I¡¯m not surprised he knew that.

    I red atthe man, who I had a deep respect for. Ivan didn¡¯t have everything handed to him on the te. I knew there was a lot of fact and fiction circting about this man. The one truth I knew was that he¡¯d been tossed aside by his own father, left to die in the gutter. Many believe he had a thing for strays, and those that were not wanted.

    What I did know was the gutter had created a monster. A monster who always seemed to wear a smile, and expensive Italian-made suits. Always pristine. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever caught sight of Ivan looking anything else but the best.

    Even now, sitting in my apartment. I had three guns, one inside my jacket, one at my back, and another in my ankle, as well as two knives. I could kill him easily.

    ¡°You could try it, if you want,¡± Ivan said. ¡°I¡¯m not armed.¡± He took a sip of his drink. ¡°This is good whiskey.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my whiskey and you haven¡¯t been invited.¡±

    ¡°It goes without saying that I¡¯m invited to drink your whiskey, seeing asI¡¯m the reason you get to crack this bottle open, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Ivanwas a sneaky bastard. I don¡¯t know how he did it, how he¡¯s able to know everything about everyone. There¡¯s no point in fighting this. Ivan was the reason I was finally able to terminate the man I¡¯d been hunting.

    Letting my bag ease tothe floor, I take a step toward him, and he holds out a ss for me filled with my whiskey. I take it from him.

    Sitting in the chair opposite, I stare at him. My apartment is dark and I¡¯ve notbothered to put a light on yet. I don¡¯t need the light. I hate anything that brightens a room if it¡¯s not natural.

    ¡°Do you want to tell me why you¡¯re in my ce?¡± I asked.

    ¡°All in good time. First, you must taste your victory.¡±

    I doubt this is poisoned. Poison is not Ivan¡¯s style, or at least it didn¡¯t use to be. People change over the years. They adapt. They grow.

    I nce down at my whiskey, and rather than challenge him, I merely take a sip. There are some fights worthtaking on. Ivan wants something, that I know.¡±Is it how you imagined it?¡±

    No, it wasn¡¯t. Nothing ever was. ring at Ivan, I finish my whiskey in one drink. I didn¡¯t want to share my victory with anyone. I didn¡¯t want thepany. Ivan was ruining this for me.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me why you came here?¡± I asked.

    Ivan tutted. ¡°So impatient.¡±

    I wait. There¡¯s no point in rushing Ivan. He will do whatever the hell he wants to do, at his own pace. So, I wait.

    ¡°I have a business proposition for you.¡±

    I continue to stare at him.

    ¡°If this is about yourvacant territory, I thought you went to The Beast?¡± I asked.

    I was not going to be angry that he went there first. The Beast and I didn¡¯t exactly get along.

    ¡°I¡¯m approaching both of you, but I can see you¡¯re going to need some ¡­ persuasion. That¡¯s more than fine with me. Aren¡¯t you curious, though?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°Who would win?¡±

 104

    Ive

    Charlotte¡¯s moans fill the room, echoing around as I continue to pump my cock deep inside her cunt. I should be wearing a condom, but I just didn¡¯t want anything between her pussy andmy dick.

    Pulling all the way out of her, until only the tip remained, Istart to thrust, little by little, giving her a tease and a taste of what¡¯s toe. Then I begin to thrust harder within her, until the sound of our pping flesh fills the room, as well as her moans.

    I lovethat she doesn¡¯t hold anything back. There is no challenge with Charlotte. She sumbs to the pleasure. She wants me, only me.

    I can¡¯t get enough of her. Even when she was sore, I tried to do the right thing, but shewas too much of a temptation to ignore.

    Like now, we¡¯re in the dining room, supposed to be enjoying breakfast and instead, I have her dress pulled down, exposing her tits, and it shoved up, so I can watch the lips of her pussy as they spread open while sliding down my length. Licking my fingers, I press them toward her core, stroking her clit back and forth. My name spills from her lips, and it¡¯s the sound of sweet music to my ears.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, baby. Come for me. Come all over my dick.¡±

    She does exactly as I said, andes, hard. Her cunt became a vise wrapped around my dick. I have to grit my teeth to control my own release. I¡¯m so freaking close. There¡¯s no controlling it and as Ie, I do so hard, filling her up. As I do this, I can¡¯t help but wonder if this will be the time that I get her pregnant. That I knock her up. She would look so freaking beautiful full and ripe with my child.

    What the fuckwas I thinking?

    I didn¡¯t know the first thing about kids, or being a father. It would be a fucking nightmare to do that.

    Charlotte copsed her head against my neck, and I runmy hands over her back, calming her. I loved these movements, and I have a feeling she did as well.

    Our breakfasts are still on the table, but I¡¯m not in any rush to get rid of this closeness, which makes no sense to me.

    I¡¯ve never been the kind of guywho needed a cuddle. I never wanted women to get too close, or to think they stood a chance with me. They didn¡¯t. It was in and simple.

    ¡°I think we should eat breakfast,¡± Charlotte said, a slight pant to her breath.

    Our stomachs chose that moment to grumble.

    We had skippeddinnerst night as we had enjoyed several hours of making love and fucking.

    Teaching Charlotte was fast bing one of my favorite activities. I just couldn¡¯thelp it. I wanted to explore everything with her.

    Running my hands down her back, I take the straps of her dress, and it was a miracle I hadn¡¯t snapped them. When she entered the dining room dressed in the pretty blue sundress, I¡¯d been unable to containmyself. All I had wanted was to fuck her.

    I¡¯dcrooked my finger to her, and she¡¯d stepped right up to me. From there, I¡¯d tugged the panties she¡¯d been wearing down her legs and let them drop to the floor. My cock had already been hard, but I¡¯d managed to ease it out of the tight confines of my pants. And well, the rest is history.

    I love every single part of Charlotte. Her tits, her hips, even her fucking waist, which is insane, but I love holding her. Wrapping my arms around her, pulling her against me. Her ass as well. Yep, I loved her ass, the fullness of her. I like to squeeze it, stroke it, and I have even bitten it a few times, which always made her yelp. Loved that sound.

    Then of course, I love her face, her eyes. Charlotte has a way of holding back her emotions, of hiding them, but not with me, not in thest couple of weeks. Oh, fuck me, Ipletely forgot that it had been two fucking weeks. We¡¯d been on our honeymoon for two fucking weeks. I¡¯d called Ivan once during the whole fourteen days.

    Charlotte had known I was gettingtesty about not knowing what was going on in my territory, and she insisted I talk to him. I had, and Ivan¡¯s response was everything was fine, all I had to do was enjoy my honeymoon and my wife.

    As for Charlotte, she wasan easy woman to please.

    Between the game room, the movie room, the bedroom, and exploring the grounds, she seemed perfectly content.

    Thinking about her and her past, it didn¡¯t take a genius to realize that Charlotte loved human interaction more than anything else. She¡¯d gotten close to Michael the chef, when she first came to my house, and they did seem like friends now, as if they¡¯d known each other for years. Even the staff liked her and my men. I didn¡¯t have a problem with any of them liking her. It meant they would all do what was necessary to protect her and she had to be protected.

    Before letting her go, I hold her close to me.

    When I thought about my enemies, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little panic at the thought of them realizing I now had a weakness. No one could ever know. Not even Ivan.

    Our stomachs grumbled for a second time, and I helped Charlotte as she eased off me. Reaching down, I grab her panties and help her step into them. As she does, I see some of my cum spilling out of her pussy, but I don¡¯t wipe it up. I use her panties, cupping them in my palm, and pressing them against her cunt.

    ¡°That stays inside you.¡±

    Charlotte groaned. ¡°Why do you have to say those kinds of things?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because I want to.¡±

    I would have loved to seemy cum spilling out of her pussy, and taking the time to push every single drop back inside her. My pussy. My woman. All fucking mine.

    But, I don¡¯t. Iget to my feet, fix her dress into ce, and then wrap my arms around her, pulling her in close.

    ¡°Tellme when you want to head back to the city.¡±¡±Are you getting bored?¡± Charlotte asked.

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    She giggled. ¡°You keep asking me that, but why would I want to leave here? It¡¯s perfect.¡±

    I know there¡¯s a lot she¡¯s not telling me. Her father did a number on her, and from time to time, I¡¯ll say something, and she will exin what happened. The other night I¡¯d been stroking her back, and one of the scars on her back is a little more ridged than thest. That night I found out that Cassie had called Social Services about what was happening, but their father believed it had been Charlotte, so he beat her.

    It didn¡¯te as a surprise to me, the power that the Evil Savages MC had, that no one would believe them, or they were too afraid to go against Demon.

    ¡°Then this is where we¡¯re going to stay,¡± I said.

    I kiss her lips and help her into her chair. The fruit doesn¡¯t look quite as crisp or as cold as when it first arrived. My staff know when not to disturb me and seeing this was my honeymoon, they had kept fucking clear of the dining room. I¡¯d have been pissed and had no choice but to punish anyone who interrupted me while I fucked my wife.

    Charlotte picked up her fork and pierced some peach. I watch as she takes a bite. Her eyes closed for a few secondsas she enjoyed the taste.

    ¡°This is good. I don¡¯t know how Michael does it.¡±

    ¡°He cuts up fruit,¡± I said.

    ¡°I know, but he has to pick the right fruit. It tastes like fruit. I¡¯ve eaten some in the past that taste like nothing but water. So gross.¡± She wrinkled her nose.

    I was about to respond when the sound of the doorbell rang out. I tensed up.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Charlotte asked.

    ¡°Stay here.¡± I don¡¯t have guests.

    No one ever knocks or rings my fucking doorbell. I want to enjoy breakfast with my wife. Getting to my feet, I enter the main hallway as Hubert opened the door, and Ivan saunters in with a big smile on his lips.

    ¡°Good morning, Hubert.¡±

    He turned toward me, and then the smile widened.

    ¡°Ah, one of my many favorite people in the world.¡± Ivanstepped up to me and shook my hand.

    I¡¯d left the door open, and of course he saw Charlotte enjoying her breakfast. I guess today¡¯s ns of taking her out into the gardens and making love surroundedby flowers, was now out of the question. Summerwas nearly over. It had been a long one this year. Most of spring had felt like freaking summer. I was looking forward to winter. My birthday was only a week away.

    Ivan moved into my dining room, and of course Charlotte got to her feet, and I watched as the two people embraced. Just like that, easily.

    There is no fear in Charlotte¡¯s eyes, and I don¡¯t know if that makes her a bit of a fool for not being afraid of the monster before her eyes. But then, Charlotte¡¯s life had been full of monsters. I wonder if she considered Ivan a good monster. As if there were truly any of them around. I fucking doubted it. Ivan was a dangerous man. He was not the kind of man you trifled with.

    ¡°Still eating breakfast?¡± Ivan asked.

    In response my wife¡¯s face went a bright red.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been busy,¡± I said.

    ¡°Excellent, that¡¯s what I like to hear. So the honeymoon is going well?¡±

    I swore my loyalty to this man but right now, I wanted to punch him, real fucking hard. Charlotte¡¯s face had gone bright red, and she seemed to be fascinated by the te of fruit in front of her.

    I call out to my staff, and immediately one steps through the dining room door. I order a fruit te for Ivan and then pick up my fork.

    I stare at Ivan, and he looks right back at me with a smile on his lips. He knows what he¡¯s doing. Of course he does. He always knows what he¡¯s doing.

    At least he didn¡¯t knowwhat I was doing ten minutes ago. I would have lost my erection without a doubt. There were limits to what I would ept, and Ivan in my house, while I was screwing my wife, was not one of them. He always came with a risk. There were a lot of men and women who¡¯d like to see him dead.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    Eating the slice of pear that was starting to brown, I looked at Ivan and wondered what could be so important to interrupt my honeymoon.

    I have to think of my city, my territory, my men. I¡¯d purposefully kept away from any kind of news, because if I had anything about wars on the streets, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to control myself. I¡¯d have to go and fix it.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking well,¡± Charlotte said.

    ¡°Thank you, my dear. I have to say you¡¯re looking radiant as always.¡± Ivan reached out and touched her wrist and Charlotte offered a smile. ¡°Has he been treating you well?¡±I want him to stop touching my wife.

    Gripping my fork tightly, I¡¯m pissed off that he¡¯s so familiar with Charlotte. However, what I also see is that he¡¯s very caring around my wife. How had I missed that?

    Ivan doesn¡¯t raise his voice, he¡¯s not threatening violence. Not that they were part of his character, but I knew what he was like. He didn¡¯t make any sudden movement to scare. With Charlotte, he takes great care with everything he does.

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m worried I¡¯m boring him, though,¡± Charlotte said and turned her head toward me.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t bore me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯tsay stuff you don¡¯t mean.¡± She chuckled. ¡°How is Cassie?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t checked in with her sister and I looked toward Ivan.

    ¡°She¡¯s settling in really well, in all honesty,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°She hasn¡¯t returned home?¡± Charlotte asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°What about Rage?¡± Iasked. The sister I could handle, the new Evil Savages MC president, I didn¡¯t want to.

    Rage and I were never going to see eye to eye. I was never going to agree with him holding back when it came to Demon and his treatment of Charlotte. In all honesty, I didn¡¯t want Cassie around either. None of them had done a good job when it came to my wife.¡±He returned to the club.¡±

    Somethingwas going on. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they had idently killed Hank. Keeping prisoners, weakening them, took some finesse to get right.

    I¡¯m guessing Charlotte sensed the need to talk business. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the game room with Hubert.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°I need to get better at my air hockey. I nearly beat himst night.¡±

    She had, but only because I¡¯d been distracted. To make the game room more interesting, I¡¯d gotten her to remove every single item of clothing, and well, that had been my punishment. My reward for still winning had been her spread open on the sofa as I took her hard and fast, showing her how to make love and to fuck.

    Charlotte moved toward me and I was tempted to push her away, but I wouldn¡¯t do that. Not with her. She pressed a kiss to my cheek and then smiled at Ivan before leaving the dining room.

    ¡°I can see thetwo of you are getting along swimmingly. Just as I knew you both would.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.

    Ivan picked up a ss of juice and took a sip. He continued to drink and I ran a hand over my face.

    ¡°Have you killed Hank?¡± I asked.

    He finished drinking. ¡°Nothing of thesort. No, Hank is very much alive. I mean, he¡¯s pissed off that he is, but he has a nice little cellmate with him.¡±

    ¡°You found Benjamin?¡±

    Ivan smiled.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    ¡°No shit.¡±

    I got to my feet. ¡°Then we need to talk to them.¡±

    ¡°That we do, but here¡¯s the thing, Ive-none of them are talking.¡±

    ¡°How long have you had Benjamin?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Five days.¡±

    ¡°Five days? Why the fuck didn¡¯t youe and get me?¡±

    ¡°Victor, vik, Andrei, and I could handle it.¡±

    This made me even more angry. ¡°You have vik and Andrei in myterritory?¡±

    ¡°I hosted a dinner party,¡± Ivan said. ¡°In fact, I only came here to tell you the news and to invite you and your beautiful wife to tonight¡¯s dinner party.¡± He smiled.

    ¡°What game are you ying?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m ying many games, Ive. Surely, you don¡¯t expect me to exin how many I have going on.¡±

    ****

    Lottie

    I don¡¯t know what news Ivan brought, but for some reason, Ive hadn¡¯t been the same since he arrived.

    I was in the game room for a good two hours. I think I bored Hubert, and I came close to beating him, which told me I could potentially beat Ivan as well. No, there was no way I would beat my husband. He was far too skilled when it came to this.

    Ive hade to find me and let me know that our nsof enjoying a nice romantic evening by the fire had been changed. Ivan had invited us to dinner, back in the city, at a restaurant.

    Reaching out, I brushed the steam from the mirror and stared at my reflection. Dinner with my husband and his boss. What could possibly go wrong? I had no idea what I was doing. The past two weeks had been amazing because we got to stay home. At home, I didn¡¯t have to know the proper protocol of being a brigadier¡¯s wife, or a member of the Bratva. I could be myself. There was no acting.

    ¡°Try not to get yourself killed,¡± I said to my reflection and then stepped out into the bedroom.

    Ive stood, holding a dress in his hand. He was already dressed and he looked ¡­ so sophisticated and in control, every single part the Bratva boss, while I ¡­ I was nothing.

    That horrible voice reared its ugly head inside mine.

    You¡¯re nothing but trash.

    Trash is meant to be thrown away.

    You¡¯re nothing but garbage and one day they¡¯re all going to see that.

    ¡°Areyou sure I need to go with you?¡±

    ¡°Ivan invited both of us,¡± he said, putting the dress onto the bed. ¡°And that means he expects both of us there.¡±

    I can¡¯t help but wrinkle my nose at the thought. ¡°I have no idea what I¡¯m doing.¡± I have to be honest with him.

    ¡°Charlotte, there¡¯s no right or wrong. Aurora, vik¡¯s wife, is the only one who truly understood what it meant. Adide never stood a chance, but she is still living and breathing, and doing everything she can.¡± He reached out and tucked some hair behind my ear. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be afraid.¡±

    I nod. What else can I do? It doesn¡¯t really matter if I think I¡¯m prepared. The truth is, I¡¯m not.

    I¡¯d met Aurora and Adide at the wedding, it was an introduction and then I was moved on to the next person. There had been a lot of people at the wedding, most of whom I didn¡¯t know.

    None of the MC that had been present hade to say hello to me or hug me. Just Rage and Cassie.

    Reaching for the dress, I tried to settle my nerves, but that was next to impossible. I felt sick to my stomach.

    Ive doesn¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯d dressedin front of him a couple of times without any worries, but this was different. Tonight I was dressing to go as his wife, by his side, and meet other brigadiers, and that was terrifying. I didn¡¯t want to embarrass him.

    With my underwear on, I reached for the dress. Ive had already lowered the zipper, so I stepped into it and wriggled my way to holding the bodice against my chest. Ive stepped close without me even asking and he eased the zipper up. It did require a few tugs, but he eventually got it worked up. ncing behind me, I thanked him.

    I¡¯d never been good with makeup, or with handling my hair. I used one of the hair grips that Ive had gotten for me, and Ipulled some of my hair back, pinning it up. That was as good as it was going to get.

    The dresswas lovely. It didn¡¯t have any sleeves or straps, and molded against my chest. My breasts and the tightness of the zipper was what kept it up. There was a great deal of support there. The corset ended at my waist, and then red out to hit the floor.

    Ispotted the shoes that went with the dress in front of me and I stepped into them. In doing so, I lifted to look my husband in the eye.

    ¡°These are high,¡± I said, feeling the panic sweep over me.

    Ive stepped close and wrapped an arm around my waist. ¡°Then I¡¯m going to be here to make sure you don¡¯t fall.¡±

    Now this made me smile.

    ¡°We could stay in?¡± I was hopeful.

    ¡°Ivan woulde and visit.¡±

    ¡°I could pretend to be sick and you could take care of me.¡±

    He chuckled. I loved the sound. Ive didn¡¯tugh a lot and I knew for a fact he never did when anyone else was around. He kept his humor and his caring to me and me alone.

    ¡°Trust me, he would concoct some other evil way to deal with us.¡± He winked at me. ¡°Are you ready to leave?¡±

    No, I wasn¡¯t, but there was no reason to stall. I was dressed and ready to go. Might as well get this humiliation over with before they figure out they made a big mistake in picking me. Cassie would have been the better choice. She knew what she was doing. I didn¡¯t. I was the biggest loser going.

    I didn¡¯t say a single word, not as we left Ive¡¯s home. Hubert was driving us. I sat in the back of the car and was relieved that Ive hadn¡¯t let go of my hand. This was a wee relief. Taking a deep breath, I look outside of the car window at the passing scenery.

    Ive tugged on my hand and held up his cell phone. There was a picture of a couple. ¡°This is vik and Aurora. They currently have one child, and I believe they have a second on the way, but I¡¯m not sure of those details as they¡¯re keeping everything close before announcing.¡± He swiped across the screen. ¡°This is Andrei and Adide. Andrei was supposed to marry her sister, but before the big day, he discovered some truths about the sister, and Adide took her ce.¡±

    ¡°Her sister, isn¡¯t she the one that¡­¡± Crap. I pressed my lips together. Being captive I might have heard a conversation or two that I shouldn¡¯t have.¡±Yes, she turned against us and went with Oleg in the hope of taking out Ivan.¡±

    ¡°And they still allowed Adide to live?¡±

    ¡°Adide had sworn her loyalty to Ivan and she proved herself with him. Her life was also put at risk as her sister hired hitmen to kill her.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± I said.

    I was thankful for Cassie.

    ¡°They¡¯re going to be at the dinner tonight. I¡¯mnot sure if Victor or Peter will be joining us.¡±

    ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re Ivan¡¯s other brigadiers. We¡¯ve all sworn our loyalty to him.¡±

    ¡°Does he do these ¡­ meals often?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes. Not often.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Aurora and Adide were like. They had both been smiling and seemed happy at the wedding.

    Ive picked up my hand. ¡°You need to stop worrying.¡±

    ¡°You can tell?¡±

    ¡°You have sworn your loyalty to Ivan, and in doing so, he will be loyal to you. A couple of years ago, Ivan had picked some fiancees out for some of his brigadiers. It wasn¡¯t confirmed and it was only merely a hint, but they treated Aurora terribly, these women did, and in doing so, Ivan removed them and their families from any position of power.¡±

    ¡°Ivan could do that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he knows a lot ofpeople, and, well, he doesn¡¯t like it when people hurt his own.¡±

    I knew Ivan was a powerful person. He was still the only person to scare my father. After meeting him, I could understand why some people were afraid of him. There¡¯s a darkness within him that he tried so hard to hide. He doesn¡¯t do it very well. I didn¡¯t tell Ive this. Instead, I kept my thoughts to myself.

    ¡°Loyalty and trust are two things Ivan values more thananything else, Charlotte.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ever call me Lottie?¡± Now that I think about it, Ivan stopped calling me Lottie and so has Cassie.

    ¡°Lottie is not your name. Charlotte is.¡±

    I didn¡¯t bother to ask any more questions, and we had arrived at the restaurant. There was a man waiting and he opened the car door for Ive. In the main car mirror I see Hubert¡¯s irritation. He climbed out of the car but Ive had already stepped out. He held out a hand for me, which I took without hesitation. I slide across the seat, and Ive steadied me. The shoes were not a great idea. They are a little too high for me, but I didn¡¯t say anything. Just kept a smile on my face, and kept walking. I didn¡¯t think I would have been quite so graceful if I didn¡¯t have Ive¡¯s arm wrapped around my waist.

    I love it when he holds me close. From kidnapper to lover, that was Ive. And of course my husband. Yep, I had the rings on my finger to prove it as well.

    The restaurant is busy. I¡¯m tense because thest time I stepped into a restaurant, well, we got to the dinner being delivered and then all hell broke loose. I hoped this one went a little better, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t eat out again. Not ever.

    I spot Ivan in the middle of the restaurant and I see vik and Aurora as well as Andrei and Adide. My heart is pounding but I hope it doesn¡¯t show. There is one other man at the table, but I cannot remember his name.

    ¡°Ah, Charlotte, you look stunning,¡± Ivan said.

    All eyes turn toward me, and I hate being the center of attention.

    Thereare two seats remaining. Ivan pulls me into an embrace and I hug him back. He puts me in the seat next to him, and Ive is right beside me.

    ¡°Let me introduce you to the table,¡± Ivan said. He goes around the table and I smile at each person. Thest is a man called Victor. I remember he¡¯s the one who¡¯s helping Ive so that we can have a honeymoon. I offer him a smile. ¡°And your husband, you know.¡±

    This makes me chuckle. Beneath the table, Ive takes hold of my hand and I¡¯m so thankful. Can he see me visibly shaking? I¡¯m so afraid of messing up right now. I don¡¯t have a single clue as to what I¡¯m doing. His fingers lock with mine.

    I expected the conversation to turn to business but it wasn¡¯t long before Ivan asked Adide what she wouldlike to eat. Much to my surprise, Adide was a vegan, and this restaurant had been chosen so she would be able to eat.

    There were times I couldn¡¯t quite follow conversations because I was out of myfort zone.

    The conversation seemed to flow, bouncing from one person to another, talking aboutthe weather, which was insane to think of these scary men talking about something so mundane. Adide talked about a trip to one of the inds and then to Ennd, which sounded lovely.

    Aurora talked about herson, vik Ivan. I watched the couples. While Aurora talked about her family, vik wrapped his arms around her waist. It was a simple action many might see as possessive, but I watched the tips of his fingers. They stroked her arm. It was subtle, but I saw it. vik was very much in love with his wife and even while they were out in the open, he offered herfort, showed her love and affection, and it was disguised as possessive.

    ¡°I cannot wait toe for a visit.¡±The moment I spoke, I saw, vik didn¡¯t like my words. His lips pursed.

    Turning my attention to Adide, I also saw that Andrei had moved his chair closer. The distance between the chairs was exactly the same, but Andrei had made sure he was close to his wife. They also kept drawing closer, almost like a ma. I wonder if they even realized that. They were both in love and very happy.

    Ive¡¯s hand tightened on mine.

    ¡°What about you, Charlotte?¡± Aurora asked.

    I¡¯d been so distracted by watching everyone, I turned to Aurora. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±

    ¡°What would youlike to be when you¡¯re older?¡±

    As if on instinct, I just can¡¯t help it. ¡°I¡¯m trash.¡± The words spill from my lips and the moment they do, I jerk back.

    Holy crap. I don¡¯t evenknow how that spilled out. Tears sprang to my eyes. How did the conversation turn to something so trivial?

    He¡¯s dead. So fucking dead. My father. The piece of shit that he was.

    The table has gone silent and I¡¯m so mortified.

    ¡°I need to use the bathroom.¡±I kicked off the shoes because there¡¯s no way I¡¯d walk on them and get away fast enough. I push my chair back and in the process, bump a passing waiter. ¡°Crap, I am so worry.¡± He doesn¡¯t have any food, so that¡¯s not a disaster, but everything has gone blurry.

    I need to leave. Rushing away from the table, I don¡¯t care how crazy I look, even though it doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out I¡¯m a crazy woman. Why would they talk about the future and growing up?

    Stepping into the bathroom, I quickly made my way into a stall and pressed my back against it. I¡¯m relieved by the coolness of the door and lift my head up, trying to stop the tears. I didn¡¯t want to cry. I didn¡¯t want to remember. My mind had other ideas.

    ¡°What are you?¡±

    ¡°Your daughter.¡±

    I cry out as the p is hard and painful. My pants are down to my ankles and myfather is standing behind me. His palm is so painful.

    ¡°What are you?¡± he asked again.

    I want to say ¡°your daughter¡± again, but I don¡¯t. He has told me what to say and even though I don¡¯t want to, to stop the pain, I have to say the words. ¡°Trash.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t hit me.

    ¡°What will you be when you grow up?¡±

    There were so many things I wanted to be-a doctor, a nurse, a librarian, a mother, a teacher, a writer-so many things.

    ¡°Trash.¡±

    Pulling out of the memory, I try to take a deep breath. All day, my father did that. I don¡¯t know why he was so determined to make me say it. I had deducted that he¡¯d been sleeping with one of my teachers and she must have told him that I wanted to be someone when I grew up.

    After that day, he had done his job, becausewhenever someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always responded the same-I wanted to be trash. The first time, I got bullied, then I think the kids at school realized what was happening, and afterward, they never bullied me. They actually cut me some ck. I was neen years old.

    That son of a bitch was dead and I just humiliated myself and my husband at dinner. My fucking Bratva husband in front of his boss.

    ¡°Charlotte,¡± he said.

    ¡°Go and enjoy dinner,¡± I said.

    ¡°Dinner hasn¡¯te outyet, Ivan told them to wait until you return.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t go back out there.¡±

    ¡°Open the door,¡± he said.

    ¡°No.¡±

    I feel his hands on the door, it¡¯s so strange.

    ¡°Come on.¡±

    I don¡¯t want him to see me like this.

    I swipe at the tears that were so rude not to stay inside my eyes. Spinning around, I open the door. ¡°Please, just ¡­ can I go back to your house?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You mean home?¡±

    I nod my head but I never called it home, not out loud. No, it was always silently in my head.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to embarrass you.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t embarrass me.¡±

    Pressing my lips together, I clench my hands into fists.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going toask me what happened?¡± I asked, forcing myself to look up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to. I put two and two together. Your dad forced you to say it enoughto that question that it¡¯s became a natural response to you. You were distracted at the table. When asked, you went back to your default answer.¡±

    I swiped at the tears. ¡°Itwas so stupid.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not stupid at all. What is stupid is that he got to die quickly and you didn¡¯t get to see him suffer.¡± Ive took hold of my hands, locking our fingerstogether and he pulled me close. ¡°You didn¡¯t get to see him beg and cry and look as ugly as he begged for his life. You deserved to see that.¡±

    ¡°My father wouldn¡¯t beg.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think so, but I know he would.¡± Ive kissed my lips. ¡°And not a day willgo by that I don¡¯t regret you didn¡¯t have that chance. You¡¯re not trash, Charlotte. You never were and you never will be.¡±

    I want to believe him.

    ¡°You¡¯re my fucking queen.¡±

    I want to sob.

    ¡°What are you?¡± he asked.

    It was on the tip of my tongue to tellhim I was nothing but trash. I force myself to look into his eyes, but there¡¯s something in that blue gaze that warns me not to.

    ¡°I¡¯m your queen.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, and as my queen, we¡¯re going to go and enjoy dinner. No one will say anything. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°How can youwant me by your side?¡±

    He let go of my hands and wrapped his arms around me. One cupping my face, the other on the curve of my ass. ¡°Tell me, Charlotte, how can I not want you? You are my wife. No one will say anything. Trust me. Do you trust me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He takes my hand and leads me out of the bathroom. I feel like there¡¯s a lead weight in my stomach, and as I approach the table, I don¡¯t dare look at anyone.

    Ive pulled out my seat and I sat down, and he nudged it beneath the table.

    Ivan speaks first andalerts the waiter it¡¯s time to bring out food.

    Lifting my head, I look at the table, and even though everyone is staring at me, not one appears to be judging me. I don¡¯t know what has been said, butconversation starts again when the waiters bring the food to the table.

 105

    Ive

    The honeymoon hase to an end. Last night¡¯s meal was the final evening, and apart from Charlotte¡¯sincident, it went by without a hitch. I left Ivan to talk to everyone at the table while I went to my wife.

    Shehad been so freaking nervous going to dinner. I had to calm her down. I didn¡¯t need her to exin to me what happened. The scars on her back, and the few faux pas she¡¯d had during our honeymoon, told me everything I needed to know.

    Her father had causedher pain so that she responded naturally to a simple question. I didn¡¯t like it, but I knew Demon had done a number on Charlotte. She was a woman who had never known true kindness or a loving touch. I¡¯d caught sight of her in some mirrors as she hugged me, how happy that simple action was. A kiss. A touch. She loved it. She craved it more than anything.

    And right now she was back at my penthousesuite, while I was out in the middle of nowhere, on one of thends I owned, where both Hank and Benjamin were enjoying their stay. This was not a five-star amodation. I liked to think the rats had more luxury than my prisoners. Ivan was with me, as was Victor.

    vik and Andrei had returned to their territories. My honeymoon was over, and now I had to get back to work, which meant dealing with Hank and Benjamin-the two men who hoped to kill me and take over Ivan¡¯s businesses.

    Benjamin did not look well at all for hiding. He had grown a beard and even his clothing looked like it had been worn and not seen a washing machine for weeks.

    ¡°Did you find him like this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°He was on the streets,¡± Victor said. ¡°d located him. One of the cops doing a sweep of the neighborhood found him.¡±

    Hank is hanging from the chains in the ceiling. He is like this, withhis feet also bound so that he can be fed and not cause me a headache in dying from starvation. I had given strict instructions on how to keep him alive.

    ¡°Hello, gentlemen,¡± I said.

    Benjamin is sitting on the bed, looking pissed off.

    Staring between thetwo men, I can tell they¡¯re pissed off. Hank looks more afraid than Benjamin, who looked like he had given up.

    ¡°We all know how this works, you¡¯re going to tell us who you worked for,¡± I said, folding my arms across my chest. ¡°And then you¡¯re going to tell us the deals you made and what you did to get where you are now.¡±¡±Fuck you,¡± Hank said. He¡¯s also sobbing so I know captivity is not doing well for him. He¡¯s starting to break. It is kind of impressive. I know men who can¡¯t evenst forty-eight hours before they break. He would have made a fine soldier.

    I don¡¯t say anything and instead look toward Benjamin who is staring at me. This is a man who has lost everything. I know it. He knows it. When you go into hiding, you don¡¯t end up on the streets, which tells me whatever deal they had made had gone south, very quickly. I watch him. Benjamin shook his head.

    ¡°There was nodeal,¡± Benjamin said.

    ¡°No deal?¡±

    ¡°None. Hank and I, we thought we found a way to take this territory. We had enough men, including a couple of disgruntled Evil Savages MC, who gave us bad intel. That¡¯s all it was.¡±

    I tut. ¡°You expect me to believe that?¡± I get to my feet and unlock the cage to Hank. ¡°Is what he is saying true?¡± I asked.

    I already held my knife, but no one else could see it.

    Ivan and Victor are watching. I usually like privacy when I extract information from people, but I¡¯m now bored with waiting.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I draw the de down Hank¡¯s chest. It¡¯s sharp. I don¡¯t even have to press against his flesh. Blood oozes from the cut and secondster he screams.

    ¡°I fucking told you,¡± Benjamin said.

    ¡°You tell me lies. You expect me to believe twothugs, who held two lowly positions on street corners, suddenly had it in their minds to start trafficking women. Two men who didn¡¯t have enough money between them to buy a property to house them in, suddenly have all the deeds as well as details of how to move them through the city, to where they could be transported near the docks?¡± I asked.

    With every word I spoke, Hank¡¯s whimpering increased.

    ¡°You underestimated us,¡± Benjamin said.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I did, but you know what, I think I know how to handle this,¡± Ivan said. ¡°Because I¡¯ve got a damn good idea who you might be working for.¡±

    I turn to look at Ivan. This is not part of then. Hank and Benjamin are going to tell me exactly who they work for. I step out of the cage and move toward Ivan.¡±What are you doing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Working another angle. They¡¯re not going to tell us, and to be honest, I don¡¯t give a fuck. Their punishment wille. Have d and a few mene in,¡± Ivan said.

    I pull out my cell phone and text d. Ten minutester, he and four mene in.

    ¡°Hurt them,¡± Ivan said. ¡°Broken bones, the works. But they must be alive.¡±

    Ivan stepped around d and my men, and I follow my boss out of the cages. Once we¡¯re clear, I then call out to him.

    ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± I asked.¡±We need to know who they¡¯re working for.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re working for both,¡± Ivan said.

    I had a hunch, but I wanted to get it from them.

    ¡°So, what is the n then? We storm both of them? What?¡±

    ¡°No. Wedeliver Benjamin to the cartel, and Hank gets delivered to the Irish. Simple as that.¡±

    Okay, now I was confused.

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°When they both turn up dead, and they will, we know the Irish and cartel are involved without even having to cause a war, and then we deal with them.¡±

    Running a hand down my face, I¡¯m not happy. I wanted to draw blood. Those two bastards were responsible for putting a hit out and nearly killing Charlotte.

    I see what Ivan is doing. If we get the information from Benjamin and Hank, we must react. It¡¯s the only strong thing to do. However, if we dump their bodies, then the cartel and the Irish won¡¯t know if we extracted that information. They would either have to start the war first or withdraw. This is the more intelligent way to do it, and it would also mean less casualties.

    But I know Ivan is up to something as well. Why would he suddenly want to take the easy route?

    ****

    Lottie

    Ive¡¯s Birthday

    ncing around the penthouse suite, I have checked the candles and they are lit. It is nearly eight o¡¯clock and I asked for Hubert to wait near the door for Ive to arrive. I had been nning this for the past couple of days.

    While Ive had been busy withwork, I had been on the phone to Michael, so that I could produce the perfect birthday cake. I was determined to make it for him. I¡¯d even told Cassie not toe around today. I spent the whole day baking. All Ive had to do was turn up on time.

    I knew this was hard for him to do, butI had gotten Hubert to text him and asked him, on my behalf, to be home, on time.

    He¡¯d snuck out this morning, so I¡¯d not gotten the chance to sing him a happy birthday, or give him a present. I had no idea what to give a man who had everything. Admittedly, what I had gotten him was stupid, but I hope he liked it.

    This was the first birthday I had been able to put any real effort into. My dad never allowed me to do anything for him, nor for Cassie. I often made Cassie homemade gifts. Little things like decorating her book covers or cleaning her bedroom. I even did herundry for her.

    Cassie always thanked me. She always saved me cake and we¡¯d even have our own private celebrations together. That was what we did. Always. In secret.

    ncing down at my dress, it was a small red dress, because he liked it. I even had on red lingerie that I knew he liked. I¡¯d left my hair down as he said he loved to y with it.

    I was a littlenervous, but not entirely.

    Our honeymoon may be over but it wasn¡¯t over over. Ive hadn¡¯t changed, not sinceing back, and having to deal with work. He never talked about work, but I knew a lot was going on. Especially as yesterday, Rage called to tell me he was back in the city.

    Cassie hadn¡¯t left. She was looking for work, andit seemed she nned to stay. She had asked me if I could talk to Ive about her renting the apartment permanently. I had yet to ask Ive about that. Today was his birthday. It was his special day.

    Checking the time, I saw it was a little after eight. Pressing my lips together, I waited, sping my hands. Ten past eight came and went, as did twenty past, then at eight-thirty, I thought he had forgotten. A minute after, the door opened. I heard the rough timber of his voice, and then the door closing.

    Hubert must be leaving.

    I waited and secondster, there was my husband. A few buttons at the top of his shirt were open.

    ¡°Charlotte,¡± he said.

    ¡°Happy Birthday.¡± I didn¡¯t care that he waste. He had arrived home. His steak might be a little overdone, and the potatoes too crispy, but I didn¡¯t care. He¡¯d arrived and that was all that mattered. I moved toward him and wrapped my arms around his waist. Going onto my tiptoes, I pressed a kiss to his lips.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do all of this.¡±

    ¡°It is your birthday.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t celebrate my birthday.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t celebrate your birthday, and I never celebrated mine, but seeingas we¡¯re together and we can make our own traditions, why don¡¯t we start with this one?¡±

    I pushed some hair off my face and handed him a card and the present I got him.

    ¡°Charlotte?¡±

    ¡°What? You don¡¯t think you deserve to be sung to and have abirthday?¡±

    He chuckled but he did take the card and gift. I watched as he tore open the card. All it said was a happy birthday with a balloon and a cake. I didn¡¯t know what kind of card to get him. All of this suddenly seemed extremelyme. I wanted to do something good for him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s great,¡± he said.

    ¡°You think so?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He put the card on the table and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. The cards I got for Cassie always had to be kept hidden. Even Rage had never disyed any of the birthday cards I made for him.

    I ignored those memories and gaveIve his birthday present. With such limited time, I didn¡¯t have a clue what toe up with, and after asking Hubert to take me to a ce that made trophies, it had once again seemed like a great idea. Now in practice, it didn¡¯t exactly feel great.

    Ive tore into the wrapping and then he burst outughing. Not fakeughter, actual, from-the-gutughing. The sound made me smile because I knew I¡¯d been the one to cause that outburst.

    I¡¯d gotten him a trophy of a hockey puck, stating he was the number one air hockey yer. His name wasinscribed on the trophy as well as stating he was the reining champion. The shopkeeper when I asked him for this, looked at me a little clueless.

    ¡°You got me a trophy,¡± he said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t beat you. It makes you number one, and trust me, between now and your next birthday, I¡¯ll do better. You¡¯re not an easy man to buy for.¡±

    I went to move away, but he reached out and grabbed me, pulling me in close.

    ¡°All you needed to do, Charlotte, was wrap a giant bow around yourself, and then I could have unwrapped it.¡±

    Now, I did think of that, but I thought it was a bit of a cop-out, so I changed my mind. ¡°Well, you never know what you might get for next year. Now, you can have whatever you wantter. I¡¯ve got dinner, getting chewier by the second.¡±

    I was more interested in serving him cake with the candles.

    Ive took me by surprise as he kissed me before letting me go and deal with the food. He was sitting at the table as I came to serve him and much to my surprise, it wasn¡¯t too chewy, which I was thankful for. I¡¯d never considered myself a great cook, but slowly, with Michael¡¯s help, I was learning so much more. I did enjoy cooking. It was one of the few pleasures I had while growing up.

    After the meal, I told Ive to waitright there, and I disappeared into the kitchen and lit several candles.

    Carrying the cake out, I began to sing to him once more. My voice was not great but I was pleased it didn¡¯t wobble as I ced the cake down in front of him. I also hadn¡¯t blown out any of the candles, so yay me.

    I sped my hands together, looked at him, and told him to make a wish. He stared at the cake for several seconds, and then he blew out the candles. I was about to hand him the knife, but Ive captured my wrist and put the knife back down on the table. Before I gota chance to ask him what was going on, he suddenly put his shoulder against my middle, and without any warning, lifted me right up and off the ground, startling me.

    ¡°Ive, what are you doing?¡±

    He didn¡¯t say a word, just carried me through to the bedroom. I was already aroused by this point and I didn¡¯t put up a single fight with him. He lowered me to the ground, and I looked up at him, nibbling my lip.

    He took care of the dress I had worn for him, quickly, and within a matter of seconds I stood before him with just my underwear on. He flicked the sp of the bra open, and the panties were no match against his strength as he tore them straight off my body. I stared up at him waiting.

    ¡°I love my gifts, but this is even better.¡± He cupped my tits, pressing them together and I moaned as he took one nipple into his mouth.

    He didn¡¯t bite down, but his suction was hard. Ive changed to the second nipple as it became almost too much and he showed my second breast equal attention.

    He spun me around so that my back was pressed against his front and then he slowly caressed down my body, going between my thighs, where he began to stroke. Small, tender strokes at first, and then, slowly, he began to speed up. The pleasure was intense, startling me as he worked my body. He stopped and his fingers moved down toward my entrance. He circled me, and then plunged two fingers inside me, making me moan.

    I felt the hard ridge of his cock as he thrust it against my back. I was so close to my release that I whimpered as he pulled his fingers from me, and then I was on my knees on the bed. The sound of his zippering down echoed around the room and excitement flooded me. Biting my lip, I tensed up as his hands touched my ass, and then he spread the cheeks wide. His fingers once again inside me, and he twisted them so his thumb stroked across my clit.

    I loved it when he did this. There was double the pleasure. I loved him being inside me, and I loved my clit being teased. Ive knew exactly what I loved.

    He brought me close to release several times, but he wouldn¡¯t let me find that bliss. Hepulled out of my pussy, and I missed his touch instantly. He grabbed my hip with one hand, and the other, I imagined he grabbed himself, ready as I felt the tip of his cock pressing against my core. Inch by inch, he sunk inside me, going deeper, and oncehalf of him was inside me, he grabbed my hips and mmed thest few inches, making me gasp at the sheer force of it. Gripping the sheets tightly beneath me, I couldn¡¯t control the moan that escaped my lips. It was impossible.

    ¡°I love the sounds you make,¡± he said.

    I couldn¡¯t contain them. There was no way.

    Ive stayedstill, giving me a short time to be ustomed to the feel of his cock within me.

    He tightened his grip and then I knew he was about to start moving. Slow at first, making me feel every inch of his length. Then, he began to increase his thrusts, until it wasn¡¯t long before he pounded inside me, making me take all of him.

    With the size and width of him, it was next to impossible, but I loved it. He was a mix of pleasure and pain, butit was such a thin barrier, that I loved it more than hated it. I loved having sex with my husband.

    I loved Ive¡¯s hands, his cock, his body. I loved being taken by him. Completely.

    One of his hands let go of my hip, and he returned to teasing my clit. The orgasm that swept over me was even stronger than ever as I came hard on his length.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Ive joined me secondster after he fucked me hard, and then spilled his cum deep inside my pussy.

 106

    Ive

    Halloween

    Benjamin and Hank were found by different police. Benjamin was found floating in the river, his eyes gouged out as well as his tongue. Hank was discovered overdosed, badly beaten, in a stinky hotel room.

    Before Ivan left to do whatever he had to do, he told me not to approach either the Irish or the cartel. I was to continue as if Benjamin and Hank were my problem. I wanted to ask questions but knowing Ivan, he already had ns in ce, so I continued to deal with business and solving problems. Victor had returned to his territory, as had vik and Andrei.

    I had ears and eyes everywhere. Even though I wasn¡¯t going to approach either organization, that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t have people giving me daily information about what they are doing.

    ording to my sources, they hadwithdrawn, even questioning their involvement with my two thugs, but I knew they were working together on this.

    ¡°Sir, Cassie is here to see you,¡± d said, stepping into my office. Secondster, the annoying sister that wouldn¡¯t return home, was here.

    Rage had triedto get her to leave with him on multiple asions but it would seem I was the one to take care of both sisters. I knew Charlotte loved having Cassie around. At least, Cassie wasn¡¯t a pain in the ass. She had insisted on going out and getting a job. A job I had to acquire for her, but so far, she¡¯d been perfect at it. It was the clothing store where I¡¯d gotten Sophie fired from.

    I¡¯d not heard from Sophie, so I made a note to ask d, to make sure she wasn¡¯t going to cause me a headache.

    ¡°You wanted to see me,¡± Cassie said.

    She was dressed in a ck skirt, white shirt, and jacket, looking every part the businesswoman.

    ¡°Yes, does Charlotte enjoy Halloween?¡± I asked.

    It was a stupid question, but one Ivan had asked me yesterday after our call with thetest updates.

    Cassiestopped and frowned. ¡°Halloween?¡±

    ¡°Yes, does she like dressing up, going to parties?¡± I asked.

    She turned a bright red and nibbled her lip.

    Folding my arms across my chest, I red at her. ¡°You have no idea, do you?¡±

    ¡°Back home, Charlotte wasn¡¯t allowed to ¡­ participate in Halloween.¡±

    I saw the shame as she lowered her head.

    Anger consumed me. I was so pissed off, but instead of being angry, Itook a deep breath, and then nodded my head.

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Moving back behind my desk, I stared down at the calendar and then made the decision. One of my nightclubs always celebrated Halloween with a fancy dress-up. Charlotte would find out one way or the other exactly if she enjoyed it or not.

    ¡°You can leave,¡± I said.

    Cassie made no move to leave and this annoyed me. Lifting my re to her, I waited.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said.

    ¡°What exactly are you sorry for? For not fighting for her? For letting your father do the shit he did to her? Have you seen the scars on her back?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen them. I was the one who cleaned them up. You can judge me all you want. You don¡¯t think I do the same to myself? You don¡¯t think I regret not standing up for her? My father was scary.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°And what am I?¡±

    I stared at Cassie, but Ididn¡¯t allow her to see anything other than the pain and suffering I¡¯m capable of.

    She took a step back and ced a hand on her stomach. Tears sprang to her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You can go.¡±

    ¡°You care about her, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°This is not your ce toask. Leave, Cassie.¡±

    ¡°I know she likes you. I¡¯ve ¡­ Rage and I were never able to make her smile, or to look forward to something. I don¡¯t know if she cares about Halloween, but I do know she would love to enjoy a Thanksgiving. Charlotte had to be on her own during that time. Dad ¡­ Demon, wouldn¡¯t allow her to join in. Thanksgiving always took ce at the club, and he made sure she stayed at home.¡±

    This made my anger spike.

    ¡°And Christmas,¡± Cassie said. ¡°I would try to get her presents, as would Rage. If he knew how much she loved something, he¡¯d take it from her.¡±

    ¡°Get out of my office, Cassie, and right now, be d that I know my wife loves you, and wishes you to be well.¡±

    Cassie didn¡¯t argue with me. She had gone pale.

    I could kill her and Rage easily, but that would upset Ivan, and I wasn¡¯t in the habit of getting on his bad side. Sitting down behind my desk, my thoughts drifted to my wife. Charlotte truly was a beautiful soul. I didn¡¯t have a freaking clue how she¡¯d been able to stay that way, with men like her dad constantly trying to take away from who she was. I wanted to kill him. This wasn¡¯t the first time, nor would it be thest time that I wanted to kill him. In fact, I do think I¡¯d enjoy it very much.

    ¡°Sir, are you okay?¡± d asked, stepping intomy office.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Any news?¡±

    ¡°No. Everything is clear. There have been no overdoses, no missing women. No street crime. It¡¯s clean.¡±

    I shake my head. And that was a problem. It was never silent and I didn¡¯t like this shit, because it meant they were plotting something else, but until Ivan said otherwise, all I had to do was run the business and stay ahead of them.

    ****

    Lottie

    ¡°You want me to pick one?¡± Charlotte asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I look at the five different costumes and then turn to Ive. It¡¯s Halloweennight, and even though I¡¯d been excited about it as a kid growing up, and I was forced to stay at home, I did love it. There were many times I wanted to dress up, go trick-or-treating. Cassie and Rage always made sure I had candy to give out to the kids, which I did. I always pretended that dressing up wasn¡¯t something I was into. It helped me not to feel like too much of a loser when my dad wouldn¡¯t allow me to participate. My first Halloween with Ive, he¡¯d brought me not one, but five costumes. There was a bloodied nurse¡¯s outfit. Sexy witch,plete with a hat and broom. He had even pointed out a prostitute¡¯s outfit, at least that was what he called it. There was a fairy,plete with wings. There might also be a vampire and then there was an historical costume, which I¡¯m not going to lie, looked ufortable.

    ncing over at Ive, I looked back down at the costumes. ¡°What are you going as?¡±

    ¡°Myself? I think I¡¯m scary enough.¡±

    This made meugh. ¡°Then how about I go as your fairy?¡± I picked up the pale-blue dress.

    Iveughed. ¡°Try it on.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know exactly what he had nned, but I was intrigued soI didn¡¯t argue with him.

    Ive didn¡¯t leave the bedroom and I had no choice but to wriggle out of the jeans while he watched. I only hoped the costumes fit.

    The fairy costume was not quiteas modest as I originally thought. The top was a corset, and it really did push my boobs up, and made them look even bigger, if that was possible. The shorts were small, but at least I got to wear tights, and then, Ive ced the wings on my back.

    ¡°What doyou think?¡± he asked.

    I turned toward the mirror, and Ithere I stood, dressed up.

    My hair fell around me in waves.

    ¡°I look ¡­ okay.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not finished,¡± Ive said. He crooked his finger, calling me to him, and I went willingly.

    Stepping toward him, I waited and smiled up at him.

    I hadn¡¯t noticed him holding some kind of makeup kit, which he did. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°The whole point of dressing up is to enjoy every single part, and that meanspleting the costume.¡±

    ¡°You know how to put makeup on women?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t, but I know how to make a fairy.¡± He painted something onto my eyes, and then onto my cheeks, and neck, followed by my lips. ¡°Go and look.¡±

    I returned to the mirror, and he¡¯d givenabove my eyes a blue glittery sparkle. There was also glitter on my cheeks and neck. Not too much, but enough to give me the look of a fairy. My lips were painted red and I turned toward Ive.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked, giving him a bow. ¡°Would I make agood fairy for you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re perfect.¡±

    My heart began to pound. I don¡¯t know if he even realized he said some of the sweetest things to me.

    ¡°So, where are we going?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to a party.¡± He held out his hand for me, and I took it. He locked our fingers together, and we left the bedroom to find Hubert waiting by the main door. We traveled toward the elevator and stepped inside. I watched it descend, taking us down to the main floor.

    We stepped off and were close to the main doors when my sister¡¯s voice stopped us. I noticed Hubert and Ive tensed up. Did they see her as a potential threat?

    ¡°I wanted to get a picture,¡± she said.

    Hubert stepped away and Ive wrapped his arm around me, pulling me in close. I didn¡¯t even need to be asked to smile. It just came naturally as she looked through her camera and took the shot.

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    I smiled at her.

    ¡°Go and have fun.¡± She rushed toward me and kissed my cheek. She came away looking all glittery, which made us bothugh.

    Ive turned me back to thedoor, and Hubert was once again there, as we headed to the car. I don¡¯t know why it wasn¡¯t parked in the underground parking lot, but I wasn¡¯t going to argue about the car being parked in apletely different ce.

    It was an unnecessary waste of breath. Ive helped me into the back of the car, and Hubert took the wheel.

    I had no idea where we were going, but I looked around the city. There were some groups of people dressed up, wandering up and down the street, but most of them were not.

    Was it silly to want to dress up? To have some fun? I wasn¡¯t a child.

    I didn¡¯t geta chance to ask Ive to turn us around as we arrived at his nightclub. We¡¯d never gone to one before and I heard the noise the moment we stepped out of the car. There was a long queue and I expected us to join it, but Ive took my hand, and once again we were heading inside.

    My heart raced as we stepped into the nightclub. The music was loud, almost too much, but then, I looked around and saw everyone was in fancy dress. Vampires, police officers, some people were dressed up as celebrities. I loved it. Ive said something to Hubert and my guard left. As for Ive, he took me through tothe VIP section.

    ¡°How about a drink?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Would you like to dance with me?¡±

    ¡°After a drink.¡±

    I pouted but it didn¡¯t exactlyst long since I was distracted by the dance floor. So many people were dancing. Some were couples, others were single people, and I watched as men and women came together.

    There was a lot of happiness on the dancefloor.

    Our drinks were delivered by a female pirate and I was pretty sure she had one breast hanging out, but I didn¡¯t say anything. Ive didn¡¯t show her any attention at all.

    He took the whiskey from her and handed me a drink. It looked fruity and refreshing.

    ¡°Be careful,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a lot more alcoholic than it looks.¡±

    Taking the drink, I had a sip, and it was so nice and fruity. I was pretty sure I could taste oranges, mangoes, pineapple, and a lot of other fruits. It made my mouth zing. I went in for another drink and Ive took the drink from me.¡±It tastes good,¡± I said.

    Ive¡¯s cell phone went off and I used his distraction to pick my drink up and have a few more sips.

    I didn¡¯t see what the problem was. He¡¯d given me a fruit drink.

    I wanted to go and dance.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Ive said.

    I didn¡¯t arguewith him as he moved us toward the dance floor. People moved out of his way. I didn¡¯t know if they knew he was one of the brigadiers in the Volkov Bratva, but I wasn¡¯t about to tell them.

    There was a space for us, andIve pulled me into his arms, pressing his knee between my thighs as he banded a hand around my waist. That felt good.

    The music for me faded away. I wasn¡¯t paying attention to it. My one and only focus was on Ive. He took the lead and I loved how closely he danced with me. I didn¡¯t want it to stop. His hands on my body felt so good.

    When the song changed, he did too. He spun me away and then drew me back. I honestly didn¡¯t have a clue who this man was, but he knew how to dance. After several dances, he pulled me back against him, twirled me, and then allowed me to tilt backward at the end.

    I was so thirsty.

    We arrived back at our VIP section. The waitress with the one boob brought us out a drink. I had a sip and just as Ive was about to take the ss from me, Hubert came to our table. He whispered something to Ive, and he had no choice but to tell me to stay as he left. Hubert was ordered to stay with me.

    Sipping at my drink, I was surprised to find that I finished it very quickly. ¡°Can I have a second?¡±

    Hubert nodded, but he was distracted. The waitress brought me a second drink. She looked mightily disappointedas I was the only one avable to see. I wanted to tell her that she could keep her hands off my husband, but I wasn¡¯t the confrontational type, and the truth was, I didn¡¯t know if she had a shot with my husband.

    By the time Ive came back, I¡¯d had threeof the fruity drinks and as he pulled me to my feet, the world had begun to spin.

    ¡°What the fuck has she had?¡± Ive asked.

    He wrapped his arms around me but I giggled.

    ¡°Three fruity drinks.¡± I think that¡¯s what I said, at least that¡¯s what I thought I said.¡±You¡¯re drunk,¡± Ive growled and then turned to Hubert.

    I don¡¯t know what was said between them, but I closed my eyes.

    ¡°Can I have anotherdrink? I can¡¯t get drunk on a fruity drink.¡±

    I saw the confusion in Ive¡¯s eyes, and I had to wonder if my words wereing outthe way I said them.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking her home before I have to take her to the goddamn hospital to get her stomach pumped.¡±

    ThisI found hrious. I had never been drunk in my life, but the world was spinning so well. Ive had no choice because for some odd reason, my legs were refusing to work. He lifted me off my feet, and I was flying away.

    Hubert brought thecar around and Ive helped me into the back. I don¡¯t know what happened between the nightclub and getting into the back of the car, but that happy floating feeling turned, instantly.

    ¡°Stop the car,¡± Ive said.

    My hair was pulled back as Ive opened the car, but he moved me into position, and some of the fruity drink spilled out onto the sidewalk as I vomited. This wasn¡¯t good. The fruity drink was indeed deadly. I felt sick to my stomach.

    Hubert had no choice but to stop a couple of times. By the time we got to Ive¡¯s building, I didn¡¯t think it would be possible to be sick again. However, on the elevator ride, I tried to keep it in, but in the corner was some more sick. This was horrible. This was worse than getting a stomachache from eating too much candy. I felt so cold.

    Ive got us into the penthouse suite, and he had me naked and in the shower. I hoped Hubert wasn¡¯t around as he did this. When Ive wasn¡¯t there, I copsed to the bottom of the shower, and I knew nothing more wasing. I felt sick and rotten, and I hated it.

    ¡°I¡¯m never drinking again,¡± I said as Ive stepped into the shower.

    He held me up against his body and stripped down naked.

    ¡°We all say that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never drank,¡±I said.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have given you a fruity cocktail,¡± he said.

    ¡°It tasted really nice, but not now.¡± I wrinkled my nose.

    Ive managed to keep me uprightas he washed my body. My legs were so weak. I did help as best as I could.

    I didn¡¯t see the appealof drink. It was so gross.

    He took care of my hair as well, washing the strands. I had a horrible feeling I might have gotten sick in my hair, but Ive took care of it. He washed me, and after the shower, he dried me and even got me changed into a negligee to put me to bed.¡±This was not how I imagined your first Halloween, but I think forthe next one, you and I can stay home and get hung over on candy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love that,¡± I said.

    He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my lips.

    ¡°Stay with me?¡± I asked.

    I didn¡¯t want him to leave. Ive had no idea but he made ns for a second Halloween, andthat to me meant more, so much more, than anything else. He had ns for the future ¡­ for us.

    Ive nodded. He unwrapped the towel from around his waist and climbed into bed behind me. Hisrge arms, wrapped around my stomach, pulled me against him, and I loved his touches. Snuggling against him, I breathed a happy sigh of relief.

 107

    Ive

    Thanksgiving

    I didn¡¯t want to invite Ivan, but Charlotte had been insistent. My wife had a way of giving me those sweet eyes of hers that meant she got whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.

    She¡¯d already asked if Cassie and Rage could join us for Thanksgiving. Both had epted my invitation and I was waiting for Ivan to respond. I knew he changed his ns repeatedly over the years. I was not going to invite any of the other brigadiers.

    Charlotte wanted Hubert and d to be there. She had gotten to know my otherman quite well over the past few weeks.

    For ourThanksgiving, we were not going to be at the penthouse, but home, at my country estate, where I knew she and Michael were already concocting ns. Michael had already asked if I had a problem with him doing not one but two turkeys, as if I cared how many he cooked. Charlotte had told me she wanted to make sure the whole staff got to enjoy the asion as well. Her ability to care astounded me. I was convinced she didn¡¯t have a vile bone in her body.

    My cell phone rang as I was waiting for Charlotte to get ready to leave. We were heading back tomy country home today.

    ¡°Ivan,¡± I said.

    ¡°You called.¡±

    ¡°You know why.¡±

    I smiled. I didn¡¯t want Charlotte to get worried.

    ¡°Well, an invite would be nice.¡±

    Ivanwas doing this on purpose, so I winked at Charlotte.

    ¡°Charlotte and I were wondering if you would like to spend Thanksgiving with us.¡±

    My wife moved in close. ¡°I¡¯m going to be helping Michael do all the cooking. We¡¯re going to have pecan pie and apple pie, and pumpkin pie. I¡¯m not a big fan of pumpkin but apple and pecan, yum!¡±

    I loved her excitement.

    Charlotte brushed past me to head to the bathroom.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Charlotte has ever celebrated Thanksgiving,¡± I said. We both knew her past and it wasn¡¯t a good one.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡±

    Ivan hung up. He¡¯d been more aloof than usual.

    ¡°Is heing?¡± Charlotte asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Will Cassie be riding with us?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m having d bring her.¡± I had been tempted to drive with my wife and her sister back to my country home, but I didn¡¯t like Cassie. I knew she had probably done everything she could for the young woman, but I couldn¡¯t justify what she didn¡¯t fucking do. I saw the scars on Charlotte¡¯s back. I didn¡¯t know every single story that had caused each one, but there was no reason for her to have them. I knew her father had been a bastard. He¡¯d hurt Charlotte because he could, there was no other reason for it.

    It¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t stand Rage either. He might havebeen able to stop it and even reduce it, but he didn¡¯t eliminate it. Demon was happy for Charlotte to die at our hands. She¡¯d never had a true Thanksgiving, or a Christmas, not even a Halloween.

    I was going to change all of that.

    Pulling Charlotte into my arms, I slide my hands down to her ass. I love her ass, the size and shape of it.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got to get going,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m packed.¡±

    This made me chuckle. ¡°You do realize we have everythingyou need at home.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t want to be without them. I¡¯ve got to pee.¡±

    Curiosity got the better of me. Going to her case, I open it up, and I¡¯m surprised to seesome of my clothes. There are shirts and pants that I had dressed her in after her sick spell at Halloween. There were a couple of items of her own clothes that she said were the mostfortable. Zipping up the case, I picked it up and reached out for Charlotte¡¯s hand, which she took. Did she even realize she didn¡¯t hesitate with me?

    Pulling her against my side, Hubert waited for us out in the hallway. With my hand at her back, we headed toward the elevator. On Halloween night, Hubert took care of the cleaning after Charlotte was sick.

    If I¡¯d not had to take care of some business, I¡¯d have been able to keep an eye on her, and stop her from getting drunk. Hubert had avoided me for a few days after that, feeling guilty for not monitoring my wife better.

    Hubert had caught sight of a man dealing out some drugs, but it hadn¡¯t been drugs. No, it had been condoms.

    I didn¡¯t like how on edge I was, waiting for either thecartel or the Irish to make their move. I knew they were going to. It was only a matter of time.

    Helping Charlotte into the back of the car, I put her case in the trunk and thenclimb in beside her. Hubert took the wheel, and it wasn¡¯t long before we were out of the city and heading toward my country home. Charlotte moved closer to me, and I loved this. She wasn¡¯t afraid of me. Even though I had arrived home a couple of times with blood on my shirt. Even though my territory was quiet, in our vacant territory, shit was still going down, and I had no choice but to contribute.

    We¡¯d managed to push back the Italian mafia takeover bid. They had tried to take Ivan¡¯s territory, but after they had lost a vast number of men, they had backed down and even retreated out of the territory. For now, Ivan had taken over the base, or at least that was what my spies told me.

    I had a feeling Ivan had other ns in mind, but I didn¡¯t ask what they were. Ivan would only ever give information when he was damn well ready to do so. Not a moment before. We all had to just wait.

    ¡°Do you like Thanksgiving?¡± Charlotte asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never cared for it.¡± Before my father got rid of me, he would have big, borate feasts, which always ended with him beating the shit out of my mom because she did something wrong.

    To think there was a time I was afraid of that man. That fear had evaporated when I stepped into his home and sat down in front of him, and forced him to look at the man he intended to kill. I made him look into my eyes as I took the life from him, and as I did, I told him what I was going to be. Who Ivan Volkov was, and how the biggest mistake of his life was turning against me. Since being cast out of my father¡¯s life, intended to be killed, I¡¯d never celebrated another Thanksgiving. I never wanted to. This was all for Charlotte.

    ¡°Did you?¡± I asked.

    She didn¡¯t talkright away. ¡°Sometimes. I hated being home alone, you know? It was scary. It was always so dark and I only ever had the television forfort. There were always some instant noodles, so I ate them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not having instant noodles now.¡± I took her hand, andshe locked her fingers within mine. She always knew what to do, what I wanted.

    Charlotte snuggled in against me. ¡°I think the only downside to having guests is we can¡¯t enjoy each other.¡±

    I rub her shoulders. ¡°That wille. Trust me, I¡¯ll kick themout.¡± I pressed a kiss to her head and she chuckled.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t mind me inviting Rage and Cassie?¡±¡±I don¡¯t mind.¡± I did but I wasn¡¯t going to tell her that.

    The drive didn¡¯tst quite as long as I wanted it to. None of the other guests hadarrived, so we had time to head upstairs, change, and then Charlotte went straight to the kitchen, while I was there on my own to greet our guests. When Cassie arrived, I told d to go and take her to a room.

    There were still sticky notes on each door, and I didn¡¯t want anyone to take them down. They were a reminder to Charlotte of every single room she had explored.

    Rage arrived, alone, and looking at his face, I saw the ck eye and the healing split lip.

    ¡°How?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Club business, that¡¯s all. Where¡¯s Charlotte?¡± he asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s in the kitchen, but I¡¯m warning you, if you upset her in any way, I will fucking kill you.¡±

    Rage looked at me and then nodded.

    ¡°Hubert will see you to your room.¡±

    With Rage, Cassie, and Ivan at my home, I hadincreased security as well. There would be a man outside of Rage and Cassie¡¯s rooms. I was not going to run the risk of them trying to kill us in our sleep.

    Ivan was thest person to arrive, but much to my surprise, hewas not alone. Nope. vik, Aurora, Andrei, and Adide were present, and in Aurora¡¯s arms was her little boy.

    Now, I¡¯m pissed off. I didn¡¯t invite them, but he had invited them. I expected Victor and Peter to arrive.

    ¡°Ive,¡± Ivan said, looking real fucking happy. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I invited some of our friends. Peter and Victor will be along shortly.¡±

    I should have known.

    Thanksgiving wasn¡¯t until tomorrow, but I was already hating it. I avoided this kind of get-together on purpose. vik and Andrei didn¡¯t look too happy about it. This was all for Charlotte. All for her.

    I closed the door behind them and turned to see Charlotteing toward me. The smile on her face was worth it. She looked so happy as she came forward.

    First she embraced Ivan. Not a single moment of hesitation. She threw her arms around him and hugged him. ¡°I¡¯m so pleased you could make it.¡±

    With vik and Andrei, she offered them a smile and her hand. Adide and Aurora got the hug, and of course, she swooned over the baby.

    WatchingCharlotte with the little one made me think of her swollen, heavily pregnant with my child one day. I¡¯d not been careful with her, but she hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant yet. The truth was, I wasn¡¯t prepared for kids. I wanted my territory under control, where I was waiting for an attack by the Irish or thecartel.

    ¡°Are you happy?¡± I asked, as Charlotte came to stand with me.

    ¡°Very, very happy.¡±

    ****

    Lottie

    Preparing a Thanksgiving feast is not quite so easy, especially as I now had a vegan. Adide had said she could eat everything but the meat and she was happy to do so. I wouldn¡¯t hear of it, and so Michael and I found a few recipes that we could make on short notice. A turkey using vital wheat gluten, tofu, and chickpeas. Sounded interesting, and we settled on one recipe and got to work.

    We started that yesterday, and today we got to oven roast with a ze. The turkeys were already in the oven.

    I knew Ive struggled with our guests. I was introduced once again to Victor and Peterst night. I know Ive was pissed off.

    He didn¡¯t want them for our Thanksgiving dinner. Cassie had hit it off with Aurora and Adide, and she tried to help out in the kitchen, as did Aurora and Adide, but Michael had told them to leave. He only wanted me assisting him. The dining room was already set up.

    I had to keep making escapes to go and check on Ive. I felt so bad for leaving him to entertain our guests. I knew it wasn¡¯t easy for him, but he did so well.

    So far, other than a few cuts with the knives, no blood had been drawn. Victory. I kept going to him, checking to make sure they were happily refreshed. There were a few moments I walked in and there seemed to be silence, which was broken as I offered them all a drink.

    Cassie, at times, wouldn¡¯t even look at me. Ive did, as did Ivan. Victor, Peter, vik, and Andrei did as well, but they didn¡¯t have pity in their eyes, no, it was something else that I wasn¡¯t quite sure about.

    Leaving them to whatever argument they were having, I returned to the kitchen and got everything ready with Michael.

    ¡°Thank you so much for doing this with me,¡± I said.

    ¡°No problem, littledy. You and I, we can do Thanksgiving every single year.¡± He winked at me.

    I liked that. To have Thanksgiving every year. I went to him and gave him a hug, I just couldn¡¯t help it.

    He patted my back. ¡°You¡¯re going to get me killed if your husband sees you hugging me.¡±

    This did make me smile. I thought it was so crazy to even think of Ive being jealous. There was nopetition. I liked Michael, but he was not my husband.

    The timer went off, and I looked at Michael. The turkey, providing the instructions didn¡¯t lie, should be ready. He had the heat thermometer ready, and I opened the oven, and Michael grabbed both turkeys out, and pierced them at the right point, beneath the leg. I waited, and yep, our turkeys were ready. I pped my hands and felt like such a loser for being happy about that.

    The next job was to cover them, allow them to rest, and finish everything else. Adide¡¯s fake turkey was also cooked. Michael and I had tried a piece and I have to say, it wasn¡¯t bad at all.

    I made sure not to use butter or any dairy or animal fats in the final preparations for Adide¡¯s food, and for everyone else, that was more than fine.

    We carried out the food to the table, and I went to get everyone for dinner. I stood waiting as Ive was thest person to leave the sitting room.¡±You owe meter,¡± he said.

    This made me giggle. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± I asked. This morning, Ive had suggested we just stay in bed, lock the door, and pretend we didn¡¯t have arge meal to preparefor guests. I had promised him that he could have anything he wanted, if he would help me with this Thanksgiving. He told me the stakes would be high.

    ¡°I want you naked, and I can do whatever I want to you,¡± he said.

    ¡°I like that.¡± And I did.

    He put his hand on my ass only letting me go as we got to the dining room table. Ivan sat at the head of the table, and there were only two spots remaining. Ive¡¯s ce at the head of the table, and me beside him. I didn¡¯t mind that Ivan took the other ce, as even when I was with Ive alone, I never sat far away from him. I wanted to be close to him.

    We said a quick prayer, and everyone around the table gave thanks for something they appreciated. I listened to them give thanks for sports, to a couple of actresses, one person, I think it was d, even said the porn channel, which raised a few chuckles. Cassie thanked the world for fashion and shoes. When it came to me, I had to think.

    ¡°I¡¯m thankful for everyone here, sitting around this table, my true family.¡± I felt my cheeks heat, but that was really what I was thankful for, more than anything.

    Ive took my hand and gave it a squeeze. One nce at Cassie and Rage and I saw the sadness in their eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± Ive said.

    I stifled myugh, because I knew what he was trying to get to. I wanted to be alone with him as well.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Food was passed around and Adide was more than happy with what Michael and I were able to cook up at thest minute. She had second helpings. Everyone seemed to love the food. I don¡¯t know if they were being polite or not.

    Ive filled my te as well. He made sure therewas a little something of everything on my te. After dinner, we all enjoyed some pie. I chose pecan pie as it was my favorite. I noticed Cassie went for pumpkin. My husband went for the apple pie.

    This made me smile.

    We sat around talking, enjoying each other¡¯spany, and coffee. Michael came out, and I went to hug him again, but he took my hand, offering it a kiss.

    This was perfection. There was no arguing, no shouting. In a way, our weird family enjoying a moment together. By the end of the night, I was still buzzing. I was pleased we didn¡¯t make our excusesright after dinner, as I¡¯d have been too full to enjoy alone time with my husband.

    Iveflicked the lock on the door, and then stepped over to me.

    ¡°Did you at least enjoy it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying when I tell you it¡¯s the best Thanksgiving dinner I¡¯ve ever had.¡± He cupped my face, and I tilted my head back to look at him.

    ¡°For real?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t lie.¡± He took possession of my mouth, and afterthat, I didn¡¯t care. I was so freaking happy. He had loved my dinner.

    I was thrilled. I knew not every single Thanksgiving was going to be as great, butI would always have this memory of my first one.

    Ive moved me toward the bathroom and stripped off my clothes, tossing them to the floor as we went. I moaned his name, and within seconds, he had me naked and in the shower. He covered me with his hard naked body so none of the cold water hit my flesh.

    Ive ran his hands all over my body. I loved the feelof his hands. He picked up the soap,thering my body, using his hands as a sponge to work into my flesh.

    I don¡¯t know what he did, but it was like a magic wand as he heightened myneed for him. I didn¡¯t want him to stop.

    After he cleaned my body, he picked up the shampoo, then the conditioner, soaping my hair. Once he was done, he then handed me the soap, and told me to clean him.

    I touched his body, using my hands the same way he had. I loved touching him. His body was covered in ink and I couldn¡¯t get enough of him. When I got to his dick, he was already hard as rock. Running my hands up and down the length, I worked him over and over, until he pushed my hand away.

    I worked shampoo and conditioner into his hair, and Ive didn¡¯t bother with a towel. He turned the shower off and then led me back toward the bedroom. He pressed me to the bed. His lips were on mine, but they didn¡¯t stay there. They traveled down my body, taking my nipples, each one in turn, into his mouth. He sucked on the hard buds, and then moved down, kissing his way toward my pussy.

    Ive spread open my legs, and that wicked tongue of his danced across my clit, before sliding down, entering me. He fucked me with his tongue as his hands went to my hips, and I yelped as he took me to my knees. Pressing my palms t to the bed, I felt him spread the cheeks of my ass wide, and he pressed two fingers inside my pussy. I closed my eyes as he pumped them in and out. I was already so wet, but what he did next surprised me. He didn¡¯t move up toward my clit, but instead drew them back and began to stroke across my anus. Back and forth, and then just slightly, he pressed against that forbidden hole. I tensed up, but not because I didn¡¯t want it or was afraid. The touch was so unexpected.

    I looked back at him, and he paused. ¡°Do you want me to stop?¡±

    ¡°No. I ¡­ I¡¯m not used to it.¡±

    With his other hand, he touched my pussy and the moment his fingers were on my clit, I lost all thought. I couldn¡¯t focus. I didn¡¯t want to. He kissed the curve of my ass.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, tell me to stop.¡±

    I cried out as he pressed just a little harder against my anus, and I felt one of his fingers prate my ass. Sinking my teeth into my lip, I tried to contain my whimper, but it spilled out, startling meas it then changed to that of a groan.

    Ive was still for several seconds, maybe even a few minutes, and then he pushed forward until his finger was to the knuckle deep in my ass. It was hot and strange, but it wasn¡¯t too painful. I liked the sensation as he worked my clit at the same time. I closed my eyes, and allowed my body to feel.

    ¡°Do you like that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a lie.

    ¡°Good, because soon I¡¯m going to have my dick balls-deep inside you,¡± he said.

    I whimpered.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not goingto do that to you tonight. No, I¡¯m going to fuck this sweet little pussy. I want to feel your tight cunt wrapped around my dick as I fuck you hard. Tonight, after Ie inside you, I¡¯m going to make sure it stays there.¡±

    I¡¯d never been more aroused thanI was at that moment. I wanted him so badly, and it didn¡¯t matter what Ive asked for, I¡¯d give it to him.

 108

    Ive

    Christmas

    I¡¯d never cared for Christmas. It was a tradition in my household, and my father hated to celebrate it. My father, even though he liked to ssh the cash, was in fact, poor. He talked a big game but didn¡¯t have a single cent to his name. Not a thing. Christmas was one of those times when he was made aware of just how poor he was, and he hated the reminder and would take it out on everyone.

    Watching Charlotte decorate the tree in our main living room made this worthwhile. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweater, which kept riding up, giving me a good view of her jean-covered ass. I hated to see herpletely dressed. I liked getting her naked, exploring her body.

    ¡°Are you not going to help me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°This hot chocte is not going to drink itself.¡±

    She rolled her eyesbut walked toward me. I wished, in that moment, that she was naked. If she¡¯d been naked I¡¯d have been able to see the sway of those beautiful tits.

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking naughty thoughts,¡± she said.

    ¡°Always.¡±

    I grasp her wrist after she put down her cup ofhot chocte, and pulled her against me.

    We¡¯d spent thest few weeks at my penthouse suite in the city as I had some business to deal with. For her reward I¡¯d purchased a tree, an actual treeplete with a pot that she¡¯d need to water. There were already too many pine needles on the floor to count, but I saw the happiness in her eyes, and that meant more to me than the mess.

    She¡¯d already put up a string of fairy lights around my office and across my desk. I told her she would have to pay me to haveChristmas in the office, and she already had. I had her spread wide across my desk and I¡¯d explored every single inch of her with my mouth, finishing with my cock balls-deep inside her pussy.

    I loved her pussy. And her ass. I also happened to enjoy her mouth too. In fact, against all the freaking odds, I enjoyed every single part of my wife, and not just sexually either.

    This was fucking insane. I¡¯d never wanted a wife. I¡¯d never wanted to betied down. There was no way I would have willingly brought a woman into my world. I know there was always the risk of them getting hurt.

    Charlotte could get hurt, and the very thought of it was enough to make me feel sick to my stomach. It was why she was always surrounded by my men. Hubert was always by her side if I wasn¡¯t. At the penthouse suite, Hubert wasn¡¯t the only one to keep an eye on her. I had men located on every single floor. There was no way anyone was getting to my woman without me being alerted to it first. I¡¯d find a way to save her.

    ¡°Ive,¡± she said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to help me with the tree or not?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s our firstChristmas together.¡±

    She¡¯d straddled my waist and I gripped her hips, pulling her down so she was next to my cock.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to help you, but how do you expect me to want to decorate the tree with all of these clothes on?¡± To make my point, I grab the edge of her sweater and pull it up and over her head. ¡°Ah, you see, so much better.¡±

    Charlotte giggled.¡±All you think about is sex.¡±

    ¡°True, but then I¡¯ve got an insatiable wife, I¡¯ve got no choice but to think about sex all the time.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t wearing anything but a white silk bra beneath and I ran my hands all over her body, and then went to the catch at her back. If she didn¡¯t want me to, I would stop, but her eyes slid closed and her teeth came out to capture her lip. She wanted this. Removing her bra was easy. When it came to her jeans, I had no choice but to move her off myp and then take care of them. She helped me by wriggling out of them. It wasn¡¯t long before I had her naked, and back to straddling me.

    ¡°I¡¯mpletely naked,¡± she said.

    ¡°And perfect. My interest in the tree ising back to me in droves.¡±

    Sherolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m more interested in putting ornaments on the tree than I amsitting here drinking hot chocte.¡± It was real good hot chocte. Michael had outdone himself. We¡¯d both learned that Charlotte loved hot chocte. He had served it after Thanksgiving as a special treat and my wife had looked so freaking happy. There was no way I was ever going to let her be without what she enjoyed the most.

    ¡°So you¡¯re not interested in having sex with me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re still on myp?¡±

    ¡°Has anyone ever told you you¡¯re a bad liar?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m a great liar, when the situation calls for it.¡± I run my hands up her back and sink them intoher hair, pulling her down so I can kiss those luscious lips. They¡¯re full, tempting, inviting, and I want her.

    Charlotte kissed me. Her handswent to my shoulders. Letting go of her hand, I run my hand down her back, going toward the curve of her ass, where I can¡¯t resist and squeeze the supple flesh. She released a moan and I swallowed it down after kissing her harder.

    ¡°You¡¯re making it impossible to think,¡± she said.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t think, feel.¡± It didn¡¯t take me long to move her to the sofa so I was the one on top of her. Taking possession of her mouth, I didn¡¯t linger, but slowly began to travel down her body, going toward her chest. I sucked one nipple into my mouth as I yed with her other tit.

    Trailing my tongue between the valley, I went towardher second nipple. I loved her tits. I couldn¡¯t get enough of them. I didn¡¯t know which one I liked the most, left or right. I didn¡¯t care, I loved them equally.

    Gliding down her body, I went across her stomach, kissing down until I was at the apex of her thighs. She had a small patch of hair and as I spread the lips of her sex open, she let out a little moan. I pressed my tongue to her clit, just the very tip, and I slid it back and forth. She cried out and I had to hold her down to get ustomed to my touch. Whenever I licked her pussy like this, she always struggled, but I took my time, allowing her to get used to the feel of my mouth.

    After several minutes passed, I took the whole of her clit into my mouth, sucking on the bud, then I released it and drew my tongue down, circling her entrance, before moving back up and flicking back and forth.

    The moment I focused on her pleasure, she was so close to the peak. I watchedas she sunk her teeth into her lip.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fight it,¡± I said. ¡°Come for me.¡±

    And she did, hard, screaming my name.

    Before she had even finisheding down from her release, Imoved my cock inside her. I¡¯d eased my pants open and pulled my dick out while I¡¯d been licking her clit. Sliding deep inside her soaking wet cunt, I couldn¡¯t help but close my eyes as it was fucking perfection. There was no other word for it. She felt so good. Better than good.

    Moving my hands to her shoulders, I made sure she could take me, and then I began to slide in and out of her, taking my time as I drove within her tight pussy. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and it was hard to not lose control. She was fucking perfection. I loved it. Driving in and out of her, harder and faster, I felt myself getting closer to the edge, and I didn¡¯t fight. I didn¡¯twant to, and I came hard, spilling my seed deep inside her cunt. The moment my orgasm ended, I moved down and kissed her hard.

    ¡°See, I want to focus on the tree,¡± I said.

    She burst outughing. ¡°You¡¯re such a liar.¡±

    ****

    Lottie

    Ive had put his foot down when it came to Cassie joining us for Christmas. For our first one together, he¡¯d insisted on it being the two of us in the morning. Cassie was allowed to join us around lunchtime. d would be bringing her over.

    As for Christmas morning, I had alreadysnuck out of bed and changed into a rather revealing red negligee. Ive said me wrapped up with a big bow would be present enough, and that¡¯s exactly what I had arranged as his first gift.

    Stepping out of the bathroom, I had expected to wait for him to wake up, but he¡¯d been wide awake. There hadn¡¯t been any time to figure out how to be overtly sexy, so I¡¯d just gone for it. Ive had loved his present.

    He¡¯d taken his time unwrapping me, but once he had, he¡¯d spent a good hour to maybe two, making love andfucking me. He also reminded me that as his present, he could have me anytime he wanted throughout the day. I didn¡¯t mind. I loved being his.

    When Ivan and Rage had first told me about the proposal for marriage, I had thought it was insane. In all honesty, I figured they¡¯d change their mind and put Cassie in my ce. Everyone preferred Cassie. She was the golden daughter. The princess. The one everyone wanted, and I loved her. On my wedding day, I¡¯d expected them to change me. It never happened. I¡¯d be Ive¡¯s wife and the truth was, this had been the best half year of my life.

    Now, as we sat in the living room, Ive handed me yet another present. The first had been a brand-new pair of heels. I had a feeling they were more for him, but he¡¯d insisted my feet would love them. There had also been a sexy lingerie set; actually, there had been five or six lingerie sets.

    This box wasn¡¯t quite so heavy, and I tore into the wrapping to see it was a camcorder as well as one that took photographs. I frowned and looked toward Ive.

    ¡°I talked to Cassie about your past. There are not many photos of you or videos growing up. Your father wouldn¡¯t let you be part of the memories.¡±

    My father wanted to wipe me out of existence.

    Ive took my hand. ¡°I figured you could start taking memories of our own. I want a picture of you, and this will be for you.¡±

    ¡°Making memories,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes. Everything you need is in there. If I¡¯ve missed anything, just let me know, and I¡¯ll fix it.¡±

    I threw my arms around him. ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡±

    Hechuckled. ¡°It¡¯s also set up.¡±

    ¡°It is?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s why the box is open. I got Michael to set everything up, charge it. All you¡¯ve got to do is open it and press ¡®record,¡¯ or take a photograph.¡±

    I slid the camera open, and the screen lit up. I checked overthe camcorder and saw the ¡°start¡± and ¡°stop¡± button. It was pretty basic.

    Clicking¡±record,¡± I pointed it at Ive. ¡°Merry Christmas, Ive.¡±¡±Merry Christmas, Charlotte.¡±

    Hearing my name from his lips in the early days had been so very weird, but now, it felt right. It felt good. My name wasn¡¯t Lottie. It was Charlotte. Charlotte Yahontov.

    ¡°Are you enjoying your morning?¡±

    ¡°I got to unwrap and fuck you, so it¡¯s been a very good morning.¡±

    ¡°Ive, there¡¯s no way we can share this with the kids, or anyone with you saying nasty things like that.¡±

    Heughed. ¡°Fine, you can edit that part out just for your enjoyment. Hello, future kids, we¡¯re being nice and ying nice. Your aunty Cassie ising overter, and I have no intention of embarrassing your mother so I can fuck her wherever I want.¡±

    ¡°Ive!¡± But I was too busyughing. I just couldn¡¯t help it.

    I saw the button that said¡±photo¡± and I pressed it, taking one of my husband. He gave me a wink and I chuckled as I closed it up and put it to one side. Ive had gotten me a photo album for me to print my pictures and to start making memories. I loved this.

    Any images my father had of me, or if anyone ever had them, were torn up and burned. Even the ones Cassie took. He didn¡¯t want any memory of me at all.

    I wasnot going to cry. I was going to keep my shit together today. For Ive, he was a hard man to pick presents for, so I had gotten him some socks, a new wallet, and a new jacket. I¡¯d also gotten him a couple of picture frames and a locket. Inside the locket, there was a picture of me and him on our wedding day. The photographs from that day had arrived. I¡¯d been surprised to see a couple where I¡¯d actually smiled.

    ¡°I love this,¡± he said, sliding the locket around his neck and putting it on.

    With presents done, Michael was waiting for breakfast. As it was Christmas morning, we got pancakes, and I loaded mine up with syrup. Dinner was not turkey for today, but roast beef. I¡¯d asked Ive what he wanted for Christmas lunch, and he¡¯d chosen beef, so that¡¯s exactly what he¡¯d gotten.

    I didn¡¯t mind as I¡¯d eat pretty much anything on offer.

    Cassie arrived with d at around lunchtime. Michael came out of the kitchen with a couple of mimosas, and Ive refused to allow me to have one. In fact, since he took me out on Halloween night, I¡¯d been banned from all kinds of drink. I couldn¡¯t me him as I clearly couldn¡¯t handle alcohol as I¡¯d ended up vomiting everywhere and that hadn¡¯t been a pretty picture. Far from it.

    Ivan surprised us by arriving just before dinner. Hecame alone this time, but it was nice to have him there. Around our table was me and Ive, Cassie, Hubert, Michael, d, and Ivan. Most of the staff refused to sit with us, and I was happy with that, providing they were as well. I didn¡¯t argue with anyone.

    After dinner, we had some Christmas cake, which Michael had made a few months ago, and it was so good. I loved it.

    I loved Christmas just as much as I¡¯d loved Thanksgiving and Halloween.

    With Ive. Always with him. There was nothing I wanted more than to spend time with him every single chance I got.

    I didn¡¯t even mind going and staying at the penthouse suite anymore. I found ways to upy my mind. Mainly I explored with Hubert as I didn¡¯t have to stay at the penthouse suite. I knew it wasn¡¯t just Hubert that followed me. There were other men in Ive¡¯s employ who watched over me, making sure nothing bad happened. I¡¯d never felt safer than I did right now.

 109

    Ive

    Valentine¡¯s Day

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be taking your wife out?¡± Ivan asked.

    I mmed my fist against my prisoner¡¯s face and stepped back. I¡¯d not had to interrogate someone in nearly three weeks, but this man had been caught sneaking around one of my nightclubs.

    He had the ink that dered him one of the cartel¡¯s but the fucker wasn¡¯t talking. Yes, I was supposed to be taking my woman out to dinner tonight, and afterward, I nned to take her back to our penthouse suite and spend the night between her thighs. All I wanted to do was fuck her.

    She¡¯djust finished her menstrual cycle so for the past week, I¡¯d gone without, just holding her in my arms and rubbing her stomach. I¡¯d heard women experienced pain, but Charlotte neverined about pain.

    ¡°I am.¡±

    Ivan hade and gone out of my territory over the past few months. He didn¡¯t have any new information for me. After he crashed my Christmas, I¡¯d not seen him until the first week of January. Then he¡¯d gone again, only to arrive today as I was intent on dealing with this man.

    Charlotte adored him. My wife and Ivan had be quite good friends. I saw it every time they were in the same room together and I had to wonder what it was about Charlotte that Ivan liked.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bust up your knuckles too much,¡± Ivan said.

    I stepped away from the man and turned toward Ivan. ¡°Wouldyou like to have a turn?¡±

    Ivan offered me a smile, but then he grabbed a knife from the table and looked at the cocky fucking bastard currently tied to a chair. It was rare for Ivanto do anything or contribute. I knew he could do a lot of scary shit, but he¡¯d rarely did it for anyone to see.

    Over thest few months, the Irish mafia and the cartel had gone quiet on me. Quieter than I liked. They were not operating at their usual ces, and none of my men knew where they had gone. This was the first activity from them in months. I didn¡¯t like it.

    I preferred my assholes to be presentin my territory so I could keep an eye on them. With them in some kind of retreating mode, I had no choice but to take a trip into our currently vacant territory that Ivan seemed to keep an eye on. It wasn¡¯t like him to wait this long to pick a new brigadier. He was up to something, I just didn¡¯t know what.

    His instincts had never let him down so far.

    Ivan stepped in front of the man, and for several seconds, maybe even minutes, nothing was said or done, and then Ivan struck. He didn¡¯t sh at the man or give a random cut. Ivan mmed the de right between the man¡¯s legs. From the screams and the angle, I had no doubt Ivan had gone right through the man¡¯s cock, and with the force and speed, it was now stuck to the chair, seeing as the knife stayed upright.

    ¡°You can keep moving around. I¡¯m guessing the de is sharp, so as you move, it will just keep making a hole. A nice big hole through your cock, severing your nerves, making it impossible for you to get an erection again.¡± Ivan leaned forward. ¡°But, I¡¯ve got a feeling that¡¯s a good thing for thedies, as I¡¯ve heard about your reputation. You like to rape women, don¡¯t you? You like to force them so they have no fucking choice. You beat them, and then you humiliate them.¡±

    Ivan¡¯s voice was so nd and as I looked at our prisoner, who ording to his documents was Stuart Hertz, he had all the ink that linked him to the cartel. He was nothing more than a little puppet for them to y with.

    ¡°Please, please, I¡¯ll tell you anything. Please.¡±

    He tutted.¡±How many women do you make beg? How many times have you listened to them when they asked you to stop? Taking your dick away is a kindness. Only real men know how to use their cock properly, and you¡¯re not a real man.¡± Ivan stepped back and rubbed his hands together. ¡°I¡¯ve heard this ce has rats.¡±

    ¡°Everywhere has rats.¡±

    ¡°Good, with all that blood, they¡¯ll be drawn to him. They¡¯re going toe and eat him, and by morning, he¡¯ll still be alive. I¡¯ll bring my gun and we can shoot the little fuckers off him. Hopefully they would have eaten his dick by then,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°Wait, wait. I know what you want. I can give you the information you need,¡± he said.

    I looked towardStuart.

    ¡°They knowwhat you did to Hank and Benjamin. No one knew if they had talked about their n to you.¡±

    Ivan blew a raspberry. ¡°Do you think we don¡¯t know this?¡± Heughed. ¡°Why do you think I sent them back? I had no idea if Hank and Benjamin were working with the cartel or the Irish. They didn¡¯t talk. Their dead bodies talked for me.¡±Stuart wasn¡¯t going to make it out alive.

    ¡°They¡¯re not working together anymore,¡± Stuart said.

    This did make me stop. This was news. ¡°My bosses got information that suggested the Irish were going to attack them before the takeover of this territory wasplete. I don¡¯t know how they got that information, but it came at the same time Hank and Benjamin were delivered. Both men were responsible for bringing them together.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me Hank and Benjamin were the masterminds behind them?¡±

    ¡°No, not masterminds exactly. They had a n. They figured if they all worked together, then territory by territory, they could take over, and once it all belonged to them, Hank and Benjamin wanted an equal slice of the pie.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m surprised,¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°You were supposed to be dead,¡± Stuart said.

    The man was sweating but then he did have a knife through his cock, so I¡¯d give him that much.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you what you need to know. Kill me. Get it over with.¡±Ivan smiled. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m going to kill you?¡± He walked over toward the knife and pulled it out. Stuart screamed. ¡°Send him back.¡±

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that. They¡¯ll know I talked.¡±

    ¡°You could lie, but you¡¯re notmy mess to figure out. You¡¯re their mess.¡± Ivan was already leaving my warehouse and I nodded at d to take him back and dump him at one of the cartel¡¯s known ces. With that, I followed Ivan out of the warehouse.

    ¡°Do you want to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Simple, they have to deal with him, and we don¡¯t have any reason to create a war at this time.¡±

    ¡°Are you against a war?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not against a war, I think we need one, because since my fake death, some people have gotten a little too cheeky.¡±

    ¡°What exactly do you have nned?¡±

    ¡°A whole lot of things, but we¡¯re not talking about my ns, let¡¯s talk about yours. Where are you going tonight?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so interested in my Valentine¡¯sDay ns?¡±

    ¡°I hate to break it to you, Ive, but out of all my men, you¡¯re the weakest link when ites to romance. You just don¡¯t have a single romantic bone in your body.¡±

    ¡°My wife doesn¡¯tin and I¡¯ve handled Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year, without your help.¡± I hadto point that out.

    ¡°Ah, yes, but the woman still doesn¡¯t have a dog.¡±

    This was insane.

    ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t need a dog.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re out here doing work, and she¡¯s indoors or out exploring. Just think of how ¡­ enamored she¡¯d be if you got her a fucking puppy.¡±

    ¡°Why does this matter to you?¡± I asked. I¡¯d already gotten her a camcorder so she could film and takepictures of our life together. A puppy was going to need training and a whole lot of space.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me. I¡¯m making sure my brigadiers are happy.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s what you do, make your men happy?¡± I folded my arms across my chest and looked at him.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy?¡±

    ¡°What about Victor and Peter?¡± I asked. He¡¯d gotten me, vik, and Andrei married off. I didn¡¯t see or hear anything about Victor or Peter.

    Ivan clicked his tongue. ¡°I¡¯m taking care of things, trust me. You should be more focusedon your wife.¡±¡±Why does her happiness matter to you?¡± I asked.

    He¡¯d been about to walk away. There was a car waiting for him and he suddenly turnedtoward me with a serious expression on his face. ¡°Because there are few people in this world that are precious. Those that are special need to be fought for. Charlotte hasn¡¯t had a great life, but even with all those odds stacked against her, she finds a way to smile.¡±

    It was rare for me to see Ivan looking so calm, but also, that look on his face. I had a feeling that even as he smiled, there was nothing that amused him. This was the real Ivan, the face he rarely showed. I saw it for a fleeting couple of minutes, and then it was gone.

    He moved toward his car, and there was a man in the front I recognized as one of his close guards.

    In the next second, he was gone.

    ****

    Lottie

    I expected to go out to dinner. Ive had told me we were going out to a restaurant, and he¡¯d even told me what outfit to wear. It was a pretty pastel-blue dress, with somece over the top of the dress. It showed off a great deal of skin but was covered byce as well. The dress was beautiful. Again, I didn¡¯t go with makeup and I pinned my hair back as he preferred the length to be long.

    This morning, on our first Valentine¡¯s Day, he¡¯d already given me a card, as well as a bouquet of the brightest red roses. Choctes had arrived after he left, and a ne and bracelet as well. Both of which I wore tonight.

    We were not at any restaurant, but instead, I saw the signs for an animal shelter. It was quitete, so I was shocked to see the gates open. Then I realized they hadn¡¯t been left open, but someone waited for us as they closed the moment we drove through.

    ¡°Ive, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Ive opened the door and held his hand out to me, which I took. I looked around but it didn¡¯t matter what I looked at, nothing made any sense. He pulled me into his arms as Hubert got out of the car. Like so many times before, he turned his back to us, giving us privacy.

    ¡°Your dad took something from you, something you loved.¡±

    ¡°Ive?¡±

    ¡°And you deserve to have something to love and to be loved,¡± he said.

    Okay, now my heart pounded just a little bit. Neither of us had said anything to each other, not a single word of love, but I knew he wasn¡¯t going to say anything tonight. I wasn¡¯t even sure if Ive loved me. I think he might care for me, but I was fine with that. His care was addictive.¡±There are a lot of dogs here, but you can have one, to start with.¡±

    ¡°One dog?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, one dog. They do have puppies and dogs here. Unless you don¡¯t want a dog.¡±

    ¡°I want one,¡± I said. That day when my father took the dog from me, it had broken my heart.

    Tears filled my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. This was ¡­ so beautiful.

    Ive took my hand and we stepped through the main doors. There was a woman waiting, and she led the way. She gave a brief description about the dogs, but as I came to one cage, the dog hadn¡¯t even bothereding to the door of the cage. Out of all the dogs, this was the only one curled up on her bed.

    The lights were down quite low, but I saw from the tags that this dog had been here for over a year. She was two years old and surrendered at a year old. One year of living in a shelter, she had watched peoplee and go. No one wanting her. No one wanting to give her love, even though she had a whole lot of love to give.

    I wasn¡¯t going to move. This dog had givenup. She expected to be ignored. Not anymore.

    ¡°This one,¡± I said.

    ¡°Charlotte, she¡¯s not even bothered toe to the cage.¡±

    ¡°Because she is used to being overlooked. A year she has been here, Ive. She has watched peoplee and go, ignoring her. I can¡¯t walk past.¡± Thewoman opened the cage and when she went to go in the cage, I stopped her. She was about to protest but I could imagine Ive giving her a stern look.

    I didn¡¯t rush to the dog. Instead I entered the cage and pressed my back to the wall and slid down. The dress would be ruined, but I figured aftering here, the restaurant was off the menu for the night. I didn¡¯t mind.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    Staying with Ive, wherever we went, was all I cared about. If he took us out to a pit for us to dig, I¡¯d do it just to be with him.

    ¡°Charlotte?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Just give her time.¡± Like me, just give me time. I¡¯m not a bad person. I¡¯d had a lot of bad stuff happen over the years, but I was still good. Always still good.

    I don¡¯t know how long it took, and in all honesty, I didn¡¯t care. The dog that had given up on people slowly made her way from the bed and moved toward me, putting her head in myp. I knew this wouldn¡¯t be the case for all dogs, and there would be some that were vicious, but this girl wasn¡¯t vicious, she was beautiful, sweet, and kind. I saw it in her eyes. I wasn¡¯t going to give up on her.

    Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to her nose, and as she looked up at me, I was sure she told me her name.

    ¡°Rose,¡± she said.

    ¡°There are puppies,¡± Ive said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want puppies. I want this girl, right here.¡±

    The kinddy looked so happy as she gave meRose¡¯s lead, as well as some toys. Ive promised he¡¯d handle all the necessary equipment I¡¯d need to take care of her. She didn¡¯t have a problem leaving the shelter, and we got her into the car and settled in the seat between us.

    ¡°She¡¯s already going to be a cock block,¡± Ive said.

    This made meugh.

    ¡°You know, if you show her a little love, she will love you and be loyal to you as well.¡± I loved dogs so much. They were precious.

    We arrived backat the penthouse apartment block, and Hubert very kindly reminded us that we were going to need to walk her.

    Ive groaned, but I had started to realize it was a little fake. I noticed him strokeher head in the car. Even if he wasn¡¯t entirely sure if he wanted a dog, I had a feeling he was going to love her regardless.

 110

    Ive

    I didn¡¯t expect to love the dog. Charlotte always corrected me whenever I referred to the dog as a dog or a bitch. Her name was Rose, and Rose, well, she was a harddog to fucking hate.

    Yes, she ruined my ns for Valentine¡¯sDay, which had been to take my wife to a lovely restaurant, where they didn¡¯t try to poison her. After which I wanted to bring her home and make love to her all night long, and into the next day. I¡¯d hoped to wear her out with the pleasure of my cock.

    Instead, we had a dog that struggled for the first couple of nights to settle in. Rose, at first, was a bit restless, which meant sex was off the menu. I expected Charlotte to get angry, but if anything, she loved having Rose.

    After the first week, Rose got into a routine, which we then broke in a way as we took her home.

    Our staff loved her. She coulde and go as she pleased and even though it was fucking freezing, Charlotte was insistent ontaking her out for walks, ying with a frisbee in the back yard. Once again, Rose got into a brand-new routine, and she thrived.

    Rose and Charlotte wereinseparable. I eventually got to make love to my wife again, and sometimes Rose would be in the room, but she only ever waited until we were close to sleep to climb on the bed and curl up at our feet.

    I didn¡¯t expect to be used to or attached to the dog. However, I found myself getting up early in the morning, like always, and where I¡¯d get off to work before even enjoying a coffee, I stopped doing that. No, instead, I took Rose out. Yeah, that was the sucker I¡¯d be.

    At the penthouse suite, I¡¯d take her to the local park for a walk, and yes, I even got the pleasure of picking up dog shit. I hated Ivan every morning I did this. Back at my ce, I made others collect her shit. I had to wonder if there was a way to toilet-train her, but the truth was, I came to love our morning walks.

    At night, when Charlotte went to have a shower, and I was either in the sitting room or my office, Rose woulde in. If I sat on the couch, she¡¯de up and put her head on myp. I loved this freaking dog. Yep, I loved this dog, just as I loved the woman that had be my wife. I never said the words, and I wasn¡¯t going to either. Love made men weak, and that¡¯s thest thing I was. Charlotte didn¡¯t need to hear me say it.

    I had a lot of shit going on at work. Stuart had been sent back to the cartel, and within two days, his body had been found with his cock severed and shoved in his mouth. His tongue had been removed and shoved up his ass, and his eyes removed as well. ording to the postmortem, that had all been done to him while he was still alive.

    The cartel was pissed, but if what he said was true, I had a feeling they were licking their wounds right now. Hank and Benjamin were gone, and for all intents and purposes, the Irish had retreated. There was no sign of them. Their bases were all empty. I wanted to pursue them, but Ivan had told me to carry on with my work as usual.

    My work, as usual, was taking care of this territory, of building up the empire for Ivan. I still didn¡¯t like the threats either side posed. I also had to have meetings with Rage as well. The Irish and cartel hadn¡¯t approached him. He¡¯d tried to reach out to them, but all contact had been severed. To everyone else, it looked like they had gone back to their little hiding spots, but I knew differently.

    They were going to make their appearance known, but I had to be constantly on guard.

    Ivan came and went as he pleased, which I didn¡¯t mind. Oleg¡¯s territory was still being taken by the five of us, as well as Ivan.

    So far, he¡¯d notchosen anyone for the job, but I also had word that The Beast and The Butcher had disappeared. I didn¡¯t know if they had gone to work for the cartel, or if they¡¯d been killed. I never used their services. I believe Ivan had in the past, but they were two people I didn¡¯t need. I had my own means of taking care of business.

    My cages were currently empty. With no enemy to speak of, there was no reason to fill them.

    And so, life went on, but even as it did, I keptwaiting for them to strike again.

    ****

    Lottie

    Our First Anniversary

    I still wasn¡¯t pregnant, but that was fine. We didn¡¯t have to get pregnant right away. I wasn¡¯t even sure if I wanted to have children yet. I was only neen years old. There was plenty of time to have children and a family, and to do everything married couples did.

    Rushing around his home like a crazy person, I checked the candles and turned down the lights. Michael had already left for the night, and his staff were around, but they were very good at being invisible. I knew they were there, somewhere. Ive had told me there was never going to be a time that I wasn¡¯t alone. Someone had to take care of me at all times. I liked not being alone. I loved that someone was there no matter where I turned. Growing up, being forced to be alone so many times, I had grown out of loving alone time. I much enjoyedpany time.

    And Ive was due home any minute. Rose was in her bed in the corner of the dining room.

    Ive and I had been married for a year. One freaking year. I couldn¡¯t believe it. Time had flown by, and even though that day had been one of the most terrifying, it had turned into one ofthe best years of my life.

    Honestly, being married to Ive, I felt like a fairy tale princess. If the fairy tale princess had married a viin, but it was the good kind of viin. The kind that was mean to everyone else, but loved her.

    That was Ive.

    He was rarely nice to anyone else. He was respectful to his staff, and he loved Rose. I knew he did. I was so pleased he loved her, and Rose hade out of her shell. She was a mixed breed dog, a mongrel to many, but I didn¡¯t care. I loved her, and it was nice to be able to tell someone that I loved them.

    I still hadn¡¯t told Ive yet, but I was afraid to do so. There was no rush in telling someone you loved them. I wasn¡¯t going to tell Ive. He didn¡¯t want to hear it, and besides, I still had the horrible memory of my father, taking everything off me that I loved and cared about. Yep, those feelings were going to be kept locked up tight, with no way of escaping. Not in a scary way, but in a more preserved, I don¡¯t need to express my feelings to anyone. Cassie had told me I should.

    She had really thrived since leaving the MC. I rarely saw and heard from Rage. I knew he called and asked about me, but my life was not part of that world anymore. Cassie told me he finally earned the respect of the club, and no one questioned his decision to join with Ivan and the Volkov Bratva.

    I didn¡¯t understand why there were so many men against it. Ivan Volkov was a good man. Well, maybe a good man was a bit of a stretch. No one got to be in that kind of power for being all butterflies and rainbows. No, Ivan was deadly, but I had never seen him in action, so to me, he was still like a teddy bear.

    Anyway, I tried not to listen to too much gossip when it came to the MC. Ive rarely talked to me about work. He asked me about my day, and he filtered his. I¡¯d seen the bruised knuckles he had, as well as on his body and face, so I knew stuff still went down. I was his home though. I was the person he went to at the end of the day.

    So, I never brought up work. I never demanded he tellme what he¡¯d been up to. I was home.

    I gave Ive what I always wanted as well. A ce to call home, and to be loved.

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll like it?¡± I asked, looking toward Rose. She opened her eyes, but didn¡¯t even bother lifting her head. This made meugh. ¡°You¡¯re sozy. I walked for miles today as well.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t tired, though.

    Nope, I was excited, I wanted Ive to be home. Our first anniversary. This morning he had to leave early, and that was fine. I¡¯d still been in bed. I was often a light sleeper, but just recently, I¡¯d been rxed enough to sleep through every single bump and movement. I knew it was because of Ive. He made me feel safe and protected.

    I heard the door opening and closing, and I rushed toward the main door, and sure enough, therewas Ive, stepping through, carrying a bouquet of roses.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t forget,¡± he said.

    Rolling my eyes, I rush toward him and throw my arms around his neck. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t forget. Wasn¡¯t this the day a year ago that ruined your life?¡±

    ¡°Yes, totally ruined it.¡±

    He wrapped his arms around me, still holding the roses.

    ¡°I¡¯m such a bad woman,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yep, you are, because there was a time when I¡¯de home and not be osted by a woman.¡±

    I gasped and made to pull out of his arms, but he wouldn¡¯t letme go.

    ¡°And I didn¡¯t have to deal with all the kisses.¡±

    This time, he kissed me.

    ¡°AndI can smell dinner is ready?¡±

    ¡°It is.¡±

    ¡°Please tell me you¡¯ve not left it to Rose?¡± he asked.

    One of the days Michael had cooked for us, I¡¯de to greet Ive, only tofind that Rose had a penchant for steak and potatoes and she ate the whole thing. Ive hadn¡¯t been too impressed but I had a feeling that was because he fed her while we were at the table.

    ¡°No, everything is covered.¡± But I had my doubts. If a dog wantedsomething, she had her ways of getting into it.

    Ive chuckled as I tried to pull him to the dining room, but Rose was still curled up in her bed. The food was safe. I was relieved as I didn¡¯t have anything else to cook for us. I¡¯d nned everything perfectly and with the food still there, I wanted to run over and kiss and hug Rose. She was bing such a good girl. But, I didn¡¯t.

    Taking Ive¡¯s hand, I led him to thetable and made him sit down. I knew he allowed me to do this. I didn¡¯t force him to do anything he didn¡¯t want to do.

    Before I sat down, I lifted the silver domes off our tes, revealing our food, which was still warm. The scent of herbs and garlic filled my senses, and I smiled.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°This looks delicious,¡± he said.

    I take a seat, and pick upmy knife and fork. He asked about my day, and we enjoyed our meal, just talking. Michael had prepared us some chocte mousse, so I went to the kitchen fridge and grabbed them.

    Ive didn¡¯t wait at the table. He came to the kitchen and wrapped his arms around me. His face pressed against my neck, and I couldn¡¯t contain the moan as he flicked his tongue across the pulse. I closed my eyes as pleasure flooded me.

    He took the dessert from my hands and ced it on the kitchen counter. He spun me around and teased the strap of my dress.

    ¡°You look stunning in this, but you look even better naked.¡±

    I didn¡¯t stop him as he pulled my dress down, exposing my tits, and I¡¯d even felt the confidence to not wear underwear. Ive growled and ran his hands all over my body.

    He moved me back toward the counter and I let out a yelp as he suddenly lifted me up and put my naked ass onto the t, cold, marble surface.

    ¡°Cold?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Let me warm you up.¡± He pushed me back, and it was a pretty long counter so I was able to lie back and he lifted my feet, cing them on the counter.

    His tongue was at my clit secondster, and Iknew it wouldn¡¯t be long until I felt release. I was so aroused already. Just being in Ive¡¯spany had that ability. I could watch him talk, imagining his mouth on my pussy, and those hands. I knew those hands did deadly things, but to my body, he created a fire of magic. One I never wanted to stop.

    I came hard, screaming his name, knowing I was going to have to wipe this counter down, because there was no way it was clean.

    Ive wasn¡¯t done with me, though, and he lifted me up in his arms. Since being with him, I had put on some more weight, but it didn¡¯t matter to him. He held me in his arms and carried me up to our bedroom. He ced me on the bed, where he took a step back and then looked at me.

    His gaze roamed my body, and I watched as he began to get naked. I watched his heavilyinked skin as he removed his shirt and his pants, followed by his briefs. His cock was already long and hard, and he stepped toward me.

    I didn¡¯t move back like I had so many times before. I was ateye level with his cock. Wrapping my fingers around his length, I took him into my mouth, and I looked up to see his eyes close as I sucked him to the back of my throat. I used my hand and my lips to work his length.

    Ive pulled out of my mouth and pressed his lips to mine. He moved me back onto the bed, and then he mmed his cock inside me, making me moan. Ive pulled out only to m back. He fucked me hard and fast, and as I was close to a second orgasm, he stopped, easing out of me, only to move me to my knees.

    His hand went to my waist, while the other held his cock. He filled me back up, and ced both hands at my waist, mming inside me, over and over again.

    I cried out his name, but then, one of his hands moved, and I felt his thumb teasing my anus. The action was so subtle that at first, I didn¡¯t know if I was feeling it, but then I knew it was there. He continued to fuck me and tease my asshole. Ive pressed on my ass, and I knew he had to fight past that tight ring of muscles. He¡¯d not taken my ass yet, but he liked to y, liked to tease. Each time he did, I felt my desire to have him there increase.

    He pressed a finger deep in my ass, and this time theburn was so wee. Ive didn¡¯t stop with just one finger, he began to add a second finger. While he did this, he spread his fingers open, stretching me. He¡¯d been preparing me for this moment, and he reached over me, going for the top drawer beside his bed. I knew exactly what he reached for. I briefly saw the tube of lubrication. I felt it on my ass, and this time he pulled out of my ass. He was gone for just a brief second, and then the tip of his dick pressed against my anus. He was big. I didn¡¯t think he was going to fit, but I should have known.

    ¡°Touch yourself, Charlotte,¡± he said.

    Reaching between my thighs, I stroked my clit. At the same time, he began to press the hard mushroomed tip to my anus. Slowly, ever so slowly.

    I gritted my teeth. Therewas pain and pleasure. I didn¡¯t want him to stop.

    Inch by inch, he thrust inside me, until he gripped my hips with both hands, and then made me take thest few inches, and it was fucking glorious.

    I cried out. The pleasure wasintense. There was no other word for it. I didn¡¯t want it to stop, not for a second.

    Ive held himself deep within my ass, giving me time to get used to the feel of him, andthen, when I was so close to another orgasm, he held me in ce and began to finally take my ass.

    It wasstrange at first. Almost too much sensation, but then I didn¡¯t want him to stop. He went harder, slightly rougher, and I came hard, calling out his name. It was like my orgasm set him off because secondster, he came, growling my name. The sound seemed to echo around the room as he filled me up. My ass took every single drop.

    I loved this man.

    I knew I would never say the words, but he had married me. The mistake. The person no one wanted, and it had been the best year of my life. I didn¡¯t know how long this was going tost, but I did know I was bing addicted to being happy, safe, and free.

 111

    Ive

    TwoYears Later

    I should have known.

    I¡¯d warned Ivan, but he insisted I continue with mywork, and now I had just gotten the call. The cartel had taken my wife. Hubert was dead. Rose had been taken to the vet as they had shot her. But Charlotte was gone.

    The only wayI knew she was alive was by the sound of her screams as they tortured her. My wife.

    Today was our anniversary.

    We¡¯dwoken up, like on our other anniversaries, but this time, I¡¯d made love to her. I¡¯d watched her sleep all night, unable to take my eyes off the woman. Today I¡¯d nned to tell her.

    Michael and I had already organizeda delicious meal tonight, and I¡¯d tell her I was in love with her. That she wasn¡¯t a mistake. I loved her more than anything.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    She had gotten to the confession first.

    This morning, after we had sex, she¡¯de to me, wrapped her arms around me, and told me that she loved me so very much. I knew she spoke the truth. And I¡¯d not said anything. I stared at her, without saying a single word.

    Then my cell phone went off. She gave me this smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. The smile she¡¯d given me when we were first married. She wasn¡¯t happy, but she didn¡¯t want to be questioned.

    Now the cartel had my wife.

    Ivan was nowhere to be fuckingfound, and I was pissed off.

    Rage had been the one to call me away. He¡¯d beenapproachedst night, while I was balls-deep into my wife, loving the sounds of her pleasured moans.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked into the cell phone.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple, I want you. I want this territory. Is your wife worth giving up everything for?¡±

    I didn¡¯t like the humoring back at me.

    Three years. Charlotte and I had threeyears.

    I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t tell her that I loved her before now. She didn¡¯t know how I felt. That I was a man who¡¯d never known what love was, but being with her, I knew it. I knew I woke up every single morning, looking over at her, and feeling this sense of peace I¡¯d never known. Charlotte was Volkov.

    After our first year together, Ivan had arranged the tattoo on her wrist, which consisted of ivy surrounding a V. She¡¯d earned her ce in the Volkov Bratva. She was my wife, loyal to me. Mine. All freaking mine. This man didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d done. I was going to kill him.

    ¡°Where?¡± I asked.

    He gave me the location. It was in the middle of nowhere. There would be no civilians. It was the perfect spot to take either side out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡±

    Howdid they know to take my wife? I protected her. She and Hubert had been out, walking Rose at the time she¡¯d been taken. I had already seen the footage.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got to go,¡± Rage said.

    His anger was as strong as mine. I knew Charlotte hadn¡¯t spoken to him much over the past few years. Cassie had never returned to the MC either. She stayed in the building I owned, working hard at the clothing store. From what I¡¯d been told, she loved the job, clients loved her, the staff loved her. She blended in well.

    I putmy phone down on my desk. d was looking at me, waiting for instructions.

    ¡°Goddamn it, Ive, this is no time to second guess. They¡¯re going to kill her. They¡¯re already torturing her.¡±

    Swiping my arm across my desk, I sent the whole contents but the phone flying to the floor.¡±Do you think I don¡¯t fucking know that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I made a vow to my wife. I promised her. I told her she was Volkov. I told her nothing bad would ever happen again. I was going to protect her.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Volkov now, Charlotte. That means nothing will ever happen to you again.¡±

    I¡¯d told her those very words after she got the ink. But now she¡¯d been taken. The love of my life.

    Turning to d, I told him to get the car ready.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call my boys,¡± Rage said.

    ¡°No.¡±

    I red at him. ¡°If you bring an army, he¡¯ll kill her.¡±

    ¡°And you don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to bring men? This is a suicide mission, Ive. You can¡¯t do that. Charlotte won¡¯t let you and they will kill her and you.¡±

    ¡°My wife is not dying today.¡±

    Grabbing my cell phone, I leave my office and head down to the main street where d is waiting. I don¡¯t allow Rage to drive with me. I¡¯m going to arrive on my own. As d pulled away from the curb, my cell phone lit up.

    ¡°You go to the meeting,¡± Ivan said.¡±You knew,¡± I said. ¡°Youknew they were going to take her.¡±

    ¡°Charlotte is not going to die today.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what the fuck you know!¡±

    Ivan hung up.

    I wanted to throw the phone, destroy it,sh out all my pent-up aggression, but instead, I put my cell phone on the seat beside me.

    Hubert had been killed with a single gunshot wound to the head. He and Rose hadn¡¯t been able to react. The bastard who¡¯d shot Hubert had then shot Rose. The vet had told me she would do everything in her power to keep Rose alive. I loved that dog. My wife loved that dog. Nothing could happen to either one.

    Running a hand down my face, I felt the tension rising inside me. The anger, the rage, It started to consume me, filling me, and it was exactly what I needed.

    Three years. Charlotte and I had three years, and they were not enough. She couldn¡¯t die on me. No one was going to take her from me.

    Our three years together had been the most amazing of all. Coming home had been a dreame true. No matter what time of day it was, other than early in the morning, my wife woulde rushing toward me. If I was alone, she¡¯d throw herself into my arms. If I wasn¡¯t alone, she¡¯d offer me the sweetest of smiles.

    Rose was the same, alwaysing over, demanding hugs and even some kisses. I¡¯d lost count of the numberof times she¡¯d bathed my face with her tongue.

    Charlotte hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant yet. We¡¯d gone to the doctor and both of us had been checked. Everything was fine, but it was going to take time. So I enjoyed every single moment of our time together.

    I loved having her at my side when we were invited to dinner with Ivan or the other brigadiers.

    She had stopped referring to herself as trash. I might havehad something to do with that as I kept asking her the question, and whenever she¡¯d been tempted to say trash, I withdrew her orgasm from her. For several months we practiced this, and I got her used to not referring to herself as trash.

    I never forgot her birthday. She made a point of celebrating both of our birthdays with equal enthusiasm. She also began decorating our home or our penthouse suite for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. We saw in New Year¡¯s together, naked, watching the fireworks in the sky from our bedroom in the penthouse with the curtains open. Rose hated the fireworks, so she¡¯d alwayse to the bottom of the bed or she¡¯d find a way to scootch in between us, and we¡¯d bothfort our dog.

    Rose couldn¡¯t die. Neither could Charlotte. She had given me so much. I loved her more than anything in the world.

    After I got the initial callthey had taken her, I¡¯d gotten my man to send the security camera footage to my email. There I had watched. Hubert didn¡¯t stand a chance. Someone had been waiting for them. I¡¯d seen them waiting behind the park bushes.

    Someone had figured out my wife¡¯s routine and waited for the right moment to pounce.

    I was going to kill them all. The cartel thought they stood achance. They didn¡¯t.

    I¡¯d called Ivan after I had seen the footage, and he¡¯d not been shocked by it. He¡¯d hung up after telling me to wait forfurther instructions.

    I don¡¯t know how he¡¯d known, but he had. Did he know because one of his spies told him? Did he know because someone within the cartel had alerted him to what was about to happen? From my sources, Ivan had been with Victor in his territory.

    I arrived at the spot, and I saw Charlotte instantly. The ground was dirt, barren. There were no houses for miles, and as d brought the car to a stop, I climbed out, and I saw them. The cartel werea few feet behind her, guns raised, ready to pull the trigger. No one stood with my wife, and I knew they had hurt her. She was standing on only one foot. The other was shaped at an odd angle. She also nursed one of her wrists close to her chest, that was broken as well. Her face had blood over it and I saw more blood covering her body.

    Getting out of the car, I stopped. Rage joined me minutester. He¡¯d been following me.

    Staring at my wife, seeing her look at me, I could read her. She was so happy to see me, but she knew. The moment she took a step toward me, she knew she was going to die. They had done this on purpose. One of them had moved her to where she was now, and left her. She was going to grow tired fast. At least they hadn¡¯t killed her.

    I held a gun in my hand and I had it pointed at theman I knew to be their leader. He stood at the head, a smirk on his face. He also had a golden gun. His body was heavily inked, and I knew he was the one I needed to take out. What they didn¡¯t understand was that all of them would die today.

    Three years. I wasn¡¯t only going to have three years. How did I get her out of this mess? Our life had been incredible.

    I can¡¯t even believe this shit had happened.

    My wife was mine. I wassupposed to protect her. Love her. There was no way I would allow any of them to take her from me. Charlotte was mine. But I knew she needed to make that step. She needed to move. I don¡¯t know how long she stood there, but she was growing tired. They were going to kill her.

    d, Rage, and I were the only ones here.

    I heard the car and then turned to see Cassie. She climbed out of the car and ran, screaming Charlotte¡¯s name. No one paid Cassie any attention. We were only interested in each other.

    Charlotte was about to make that step, and the sun caught the light and I watched asone of the cartel pulled out a couple of knives. Before I could even make sense of what was happening, those knives were buried deep inside one of their very own.

    A single gunshot rang out, and I reacted, charging forward.

    Two of their own had started to kill their people, and I saw Ivan had also arrived. I didn¡¯t care. I went for their leader. He¡¯d not been taken out, but he moved too close to Charlotte. I knew what his n was.

    My wife had copsed to the ground, her ankle unable to support her weight. Her screams rang out for all to hear.

    I took out the leader¡¯s knee, watching him fall to the floor. He went to point the gun at the floor, right where Charlotte was, and I took out his hand. He screamed in agony. The sounds were exactly what I wanted to hear.

    Firing my gun a third time, I dropped it to the ground and reached behind me for my knives. I stepped forward, and drawing the de together against the man¡¯s neck, I looked into his eyes as I sliced downward, killing him. He slowly died at my feet.

    Lifting my gaze, I watched as I caught sight of the two people who¡¯d started to kill the cartel. Much to my surprise, I stared at The Beast and The Butcher. Man and woman. There was always rumors circting about who exactly The Butcher was. Some believed them to be ghosts. I had met her a few times. She was deadly, scary as fuck, and seeing her in action, I knew all the rumors about her to be true.

    Ivan was there aswas Cassie, who¡¯d gone to Charlotte. Dropping my knives to the floor, I went to mywife.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°I¡¯m totally fine.¡±

    The pain in her face was clear to see.

    I forced her to look at me. Staring into her eyes, I didn¡¯t care whowere witnesses. ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it,¡± she said.

    ¡°You can ask Michael. I had a meal nned. I was going to wine and dine you. Tonight I was going to tell you, Charlotte Yahontov, that I love you. I love you more than anyone else in the world.¡±

    I saw the tears in her eyes. ¡°I love you too.¡±

    I leaned down and kissed her.

    ¡°Look, I know you both are having this touching moment, but we need to get her to the hospital,¡± Cassie said.

    ****

    Ive

    Charlotte had a broken ankle, a broken wrist, a couple of cracked ribs. A lot of bruises, but she was going to be fine.

    The vet had called me. They¡¯d been able to extract the bullet and Rose was going to be fine as well. They were going to monitor her overnight.

    Staring into my wife¡¯s room, I watched her. The doctors had given her some morphine, and she¡¯d not been able to stay awake.

    I knewIvan had moved close to me without me having to turn and look around.

    ¡°You knew,¡± I said.

    ¡°Stuart nted the information.¡±

    This made me spin around. Thinking back to two years ago when we had tortured Stuart.

    ¡°You did it on purpose.¡±

    ¡°Charlottewas never going to die. The Beast and The Butcher had already agreed to go in. To find out what they nned.¡±

    ¡°When?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yesterday.¡±

    That was when Ivan knew they were going to take her.

    My hands clenched into fists and I felt so fucking angry. ¡°You put my wife in danger. Hubert is dead. Our dog nearly died.¡±

    ¡°And in doing so, we just took out the problem of your cartel. The Irish have gone from here. They¡¯re not your problem anymore, but the cartel have been pesky little bastards for as long aswe could remember. Right now, they¡¯re all retreating, which is what we needed. Charlotte was never in any real danger.¡±

    ¡°Look at her,¡± I said. ¡°See how she looks. You¡¯re telling me that¡¯s no real danger?¡±¡±The Butcher and The Beast stopped them from rapingher. They made sure she was still intact. They were going to start tearing her apart. I sped things up. Made the meeting happen. Made them stop.¡± Ivan looked into the room. ¡°I won¡¯t ever let anything happen to Charlotte again, but I had to draw them out, and she was the only way to do it. When you¡¯ve calmed down, realize what happened, you¡¯ll see it made sense.¡±

    I did see it made sense. The cartel had been a pain in the ass for as long as I¡¯d been a brigadier. I¡¯d lost good men to them.

    But my wife¡­

    ¡°Goand be with your wife, Ive. She needs you.¡±

    I wanted to yell at him some more, but instead, I went into the room and waited for my wife to open her eyes.

    ****

    Charlotte

    ThreeDays Later

    Ive won¡¯t leave my side, and I love that. He told me work canwait. He¡¯s more focused on me getting well. My ankle is in a cast, as is my wrist. I didn¡¯t care. Ive loved me. Just as I loved Ive.

    Rose was going to make a full recovery, but Hubert didn¡¯t make it. There was going to be a funeral for him. Ive had already told me his family would be taken care of.¡±Hot chocte,¡± Ive said. ¡°Michael also said that he¡¯ll stop forcing you to have the marshmallows.¡±

    This made meugh. Rose snuggled against my side and Ive sat on my other side, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

    ¡°I love you,¡± I said.

    ¡°Charlotte, you own my heart.¡± He took my hand and pressed it against his chest. ¡°I love you with all my heart.¡±

    ¡°All I ever wanted was for someone to love me.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m the one who will love you forever.¡±

    Tears filled my eyes, because Iknew Ive wasn¡¯t just saying that. I wasn¡¯t a mistake to him. To him, I¡¯d be the love of his life.

    Three days ago, I thought Iwas going to die. That life had been so cruel. I should have known Ivan had a n. He¡¯de to my hospital room when Ive had stepped out to get some coffee.

    Ivan told me he knewthey were going to take me. That he had his man and woman in ce. I knew what he¡¯d done. Ive was pissed at him and refused to talk about him. I knew Ivan didn¡¯t have any other way of taking out the cartel, so he used me. I should be pissed off, but I¡¯d seen the look in Ivan¡¯s eyes. He had done what he thought was right, and I couldn¡¯t hate him for that, so I forgave him. I was Volkov. I¡¯d do whatever was necessary to protect the Bratva as well as my husband. Always. My life was theirs.

    And my loyalty was to Ivan, but it was also to Ive. I loved him with all my heart and he¡¯d been the reason I hadn¡¯t given up. I would fight for him, for us, always.

 Epilogue-end

    Charlotte

    Five Years Later

    We had two children with a third on the way.

    Ive held one child in his arms, while I held the other. Rose was in front of us as we looked toward the camera.

    Memories. That was what we made now. Family memories.

    Our son, IvanJunior, was a terror waiting to happen. Our daughter, Anastasia, was a sweet little girl.

    We didn¡¯t know the sex of our third child. Ive and I liked to keep it a surprise. I had a feeling Ivan Volkov had a way of finding out the sex, bribing the doctors as he always knew what presents to bring to the hospital on the day I¡¯d given birth.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    It had taken Ive a long time to forgive Ivan after what went down. I wouldn¡¯t let him be angry at the man.

    I wore my ink with pride. Ivan Volkov had wanted me, had seen my potential when I¡¯d only ever been seen as a mistake, a piece of trash. Nothing worthy. He¡¯d not tossed me aside, but he¡¯d given me a ce. Married me to one of his brigadiers. I don¡¯t know if Ivan realized I would fall in love with Ive, but I had done so. I loved Ive with all my heart. My family meant everything to me.

    My past no longer defined who I was. I wasn¡¯t Lottie. I wasn¡¯t nothing. I wasn¡¯t trash. I was Charlotte Yahontov. Ive¡¯s wife. The mother of his children.

    We all said Merry Christmas and toplete our picture, Rose farted, and we all scrunched up our noses.

    IvanJr. wriggled out of his father¡¯s arms, wanting a cookie. I let Anastasia down, and she crawled across the floor.

    ¡°New family pictures,¡± Ive said.

    I¡¯d gotten into the habit of taking a brand-new one every year. I had promised myself I would never waste a moment of life. Life was too fucking short.

    Wrapping my arms around my husband, I tilt my head back, and smile up at him. ¡°Do you hate it?¡±

    ¡°No, it makes you happy and that is worth everything.¡±

    This made me giggle. I loved this man so damn much.

    ****

    Ive

    Iloved getting my wife pregnant.

    I loved fucking my wife.

    I loved making love to my wife.

    I loved everything about my wife.

    But I hated when she had to give birth. Fucking hated it. That day, I heard her screams and they would stay with me forever. The sounds she made now as she gave birth made me want to pull out my gun and shoot all the medical staff in their fucking faces. Michael and d were out in the waiting room taking care of my son and daughter, while I stayed with my wife. She squeezed my hands and screamed hard, whimpering after one long push.

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she said, whimpering.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got you, baby. I¡¯ve got you.¡± Ihad promised myself we only needed one child. Then our daughter hade along. I¡¯d made the same vow, and now we were about to have our third child.

    For three years, we didn¡¯t have any children. Five yearster, we were about to have three.

    Charlottepanted and the doctor told her to give one more final push.

    I held the love of my life as she squeezed my hands. I was tempted the next time I had to punish someone, to use my wife, because she had a fucking death grip on her.

    Then I heard that precioussound. The opening of lungs. The childish scream that said our baby was alive.

    She copsed against me.

    The doctors took our child, and I watched and waited, and then one of the nurses brought over a baby, swaddled in pink. We had a daughter.

    She was ced in my wife¡¯s arms, and as I looked over her shoulder, I knew I loved this child just as much as I loved my others.

    Charlotte leaned back and I stared into her eyes. I loved my children, but none of thepared to this woman.

    I¡¯d not wanted to be married. I¡¯d not wanted Charlotte, but Ivan Volkov had been right to force me. He¡¯d given me my territory and a woman to love. Even as I hated that fucking bastard, I was also grateful to him.

    My life wasplete.

    TheEnd

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