Page 6

Chapter

Six

DIMITRI

T o say that I wasn’t expecting to see a dead body on my front porch would be an understatement.

Because why the fuck do I have a dead body on my front porch?

The woman is young and … looks a lot like Evie, I realize. Without giving her a second glance, I hurry inside and stop when I see Evie seated on the ground, her head on her knees and Katya kneeling next to her.

“What’s going on?” I demand.

“Here.” Katya hands me a note. I read it and realize right away it’s from Dima.

Fucking Dima.

I should’ve killed him when I had the chance, and now, he’s out there killing more women and wants Evie. I need to find him and tell him Evie is mine now.

Except … he sent the dead body to my house. Not Evie’s. Which means he knows she’s staying here. He doesn’t care that she’s mine.

He still wants her .

I crumple up the note and kneel next to Evie. “Are you ok?”

“I can’t stay here,” she whispers.

“What?”

“He’s going to continue killing other women unless he kills me. I can’t stay here. I need to …”

“Need to do what?” I demand. “Give yourself over to him?”

“Yes.”

Katya gasps and grabs Evie’s knee. “You can’t.”

“I have to. He’s going to keep killing because he wants me. I can’t live with the guilt knowing I could’ve stopped this. I need to give Dima what he wants. Me.”

“And you think that will stop the killings?” I ask. “Hell no. He’s just going to continue after you’re gone.”

“Maybe, but …”

“No,” I growl. “I’m not going to let you give yourself up to that fucking madman. I’ll deal with him. You just remain here where it’s safe.”

“Nowhere is safe. Your house was shot up,” she reminds me. “I’m not safe here. I need to return to my old life.” And with that, she jumps to her feet and runs outside. I quickly follow.

She stops at the sight of the dead woman.

“I’ll call someone to …” I trail off. Normally, I’d say dispose of the body, but that seems a little harsh given the circumstances.

“Her family deserves to have her body.”

“True, but she’s on our front porch, Evie. I can’t let the police find her body here. I … I need to call one of my guys who can move … bodies. He can move her somewhere her family will find her.”

“What the hell is happening?” she whispers. “You have men at your disposable who can move dead bodies. What kind of man am I married to?”

“It’s just part of my job.”

“No.” She takes off running.

It startles me so much that I just stand there for a moment. “Evie.” Then I chase her .

She’s surprisingly fast for not being tall and the fact that she spends her days in the library.

But she’s no match for me.

I grab her around the waist and lift her against me. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I need to leave. I need to go back home. Let me go!”

“So Dima can kill you? Fuck no. I’m not letting that happen.”

She struggles against my hold, so I let her go, and she almost stumbles to the ground. “You said marrying you would protect me against him. But he still wants me. No, no, no. I need to go back home. I can’t stay here. I can’t.” She bends over, her breathing short and panicked.

It takes me a moment to realize she’s having a panic attack.

The sight of it scares me. I’m worried for Evie, and I’ve never been worried for a woman like this before. I’m going to be honest—I’ve laughed at the sight of people panicking before.

But I’m not laughing now.

“Just … breathe?” I suggest, but that does nothing for her. It does the opposite. She starts panicking even more. The ragged breaths that come in and out of her don’t even sound human.

I need to snap her out of this, but how?

Then an idea occurs.

I lift Evie back in my arms—fortunately she doesn’t fight me this time—and I bring her back into the house. Katya tries asking me what’s going on, but I ignore her as I bring Evie into my bedroom. I shut the door on Katya so she can’t come in.

“Dimitri!” she shouts. “What the hell are you doing?”

I set Evie down on my bed and leave her there as I rip open the door and grab Katya’s arm.

“What the hell?” she mutters as I pull her toward her room. Once she’s inside, I lock her in there.

“Dimitri!”

“I just can’t have you screaming at my door all night.” I go back to Evie, who’s breathing has gotten even worse. “All right. This won’t do. ”

Grabbing her around her waist, I put her on her stomach. She’s panicking too much to even ask me what I’m doing.

Then I spank her ass.

Evie gasps and goes silent. Then: “What are you doing?”

“I’m snapping you out of your panic attack.” I spank her again for good measure.

“Ow. That hurts. Stop!”

“Not until you get your mind back on right.” Spank. She flinches, but her breathing is starting to calm down. I give her a couple more light taps just for the fun of it.

The feel of Evie’s ass in my hands is amazing. But I push that thought aside because right now is not about my dick. It’s about Evie’s safety.

Stepping away, I let her go. “There. Feel better?”

She rolls back around on her ass and winces. “Why did you do that?”

“To get you to focus. You were having a panic attack.”

“So, I should be thanking you for …” She blushes. “That was completely rude! You don’t just do that to people without their consent.”

I shrug. “Mobster, remember? I don’t exactly play by the rules. But fine. I’m sorry. Next time, I’ll ask you if I can spank a panic attack right out of you. Ok?”

She flushes even more as she shakes her head. “You’re such a …”

I lift an eyebrow. “A what?”

“A barbarian.”

“Nice one. Wasn’t sure which direction you were going to take that.” I lean over her, pressing my hands into the mattress on either side of her. Our faces are so close, I could just lean in and kiss her. But I hold back. “You’re not going anywhere, Evie. I said I would protect you, and I will. Running back home will only put you into Dima’s path, and he will kill you. And then he’ll keep on killing other women once you’re gone. The only way to stop him is to kill him myself.”

“Is that what you’re going to do? ”

“Yes. But I need to find the little fucker first. Once I do, he’s dead. Until then, you’re going to remain here where it’s safe.”

Her lips part and her cheeks are flushed and she looks so fucking cute, I desperately want to kiss her.

My eyes flick to her lips and it takes everything inside me not to consume her lips with my own.

I stand back. “Stay here, ok?”

“I can’t be a prisoner.”

“Understood. But I can’t trust you not to run again.” I give her a sympathetic smile then leave the room and lock the door behind me. Does it make me an asshole? Sure.

But as long as Evie remains safe, I’ll be an asshole for as long as I need to be.

EVIE

My butt is too sore to sit down.

I can’t believe Dimitri. First, he locks me up, then he forces me to marry him, and then he spanks me! Just the word makes me blush. His hand on my behind. It was so large and strong, but that’s what made it hurt.

Yes, it did snap me out of my panic attack, but it was still rude of him to do so. He’s just so …

God, there are no words for how Dimitri drives me crazy. No one has ever gotten under my skin like he has. I want to shake him and make him leave me alone.

But when he was leaning in close to me, I thought we were going to kiss for a moment.

And I’m not sure I would’ve stopped him.

This is insane. I’m insane.

Everything was just easier when I worked at the library and all I had to worry about were late fees.

I wonder how Juno is doing without me. She’s either living her best life or struggling to do even the most basic things. I’ve been cooking and cleaning for her ever since she married my dad. Strangely, I miss her. She could hurt my feelings, but she was also familiar.

This world that Dimitri has dragged me into is so far removed from my own reality. I don’t know how to act.

What I do know, though, is that Dima cannot continue to kill other women. If there’s a way I can stop it, I will, but first, I have to get out of this room.

I try the door, but of course, it’s locked. I have no idea how to pick a lock, and even if I did, I have nothing to use.

I wander over to the window and look down. I’m on the second floor, and even a drop from this height could cause serious damage.

I’m stuck.

Eventually, with nothing else to do, sleep takes me over.

I wake up to Dimitri sitting on the bed. He’s not even looking at me but his phone in his hand. I jerk. “What are you doing in here?”

“This is my bedroom, remember?”

The fact that I’m lying on the same bed Dimitri sleeps in every night makes my skin warm.

“You’re watching me sleep?”

He smiles and puts his phone away. “Do you want me to watch you sleep?”

“Not really.”

“Ok. Then I won’t.”

“Just like that?”

He shrugs. “Just like that.”

I wipe the sleep out of my eyes as I sit up. Suddenly, I’m self-conscious about my crop-top and pants. It’s not revealing, but it feels like Dimitri can see right past my clothes.

“I have no desire to make your life miserable,” he says.

“Then why lock me up?”

“For your own protection.”

I shake my head and cross my arms. It makes me feel a little more in control, but I know I have no power here. “That’s just an excuse.”

“Well, it’s either lock you up or have you run away, and then Dima will find you, and then he’ll kill you. I’d rather you were here. Safe. But no worries because I’m taking you out today.”

I’m not sure I hear him correctly. “What?”

“On a date. We’re married now, after all. I thought we could go and pick out rings. Sentimental and all that shit.”

“You want to pick out rings?” I ask slowly.

“Why not? We need them as an example of our love.”

“What love?”

He laughs and reaches over to push a piece of my hair behind my ear. I hold perfectly still. “I like you, Evie. Most women don’t give me grief like you do. It’s refreshing.”

“What do most women do?”

“Usually, we’d be fucking by now.”

I blush and turn away from him. “That’s not going to happen. You’re a stranger to me.”

“I’m not going to force myself on you. I’m just being honest. I like to fuck, and women like to fuck me. And I want to fuck you, Evie. I want to claim you as my own.”

“I thought you already did that when you married me.”

“True. But I want more. But I can also tell you’re uncomfortable, so I’m not going to make you have sex with me. I’m not a complete monster. We should get to know each other. Go on a date. Pick out rings.”

I look at him with curiosity. “Does that really interest you? Picking out rings?”

“God, no. I’d rather be doing other things.” His eyes tell me exactly what those other things are. “But since that’s not happening, I thought we could spend some time together. I want to spend time with you, Evie. Spend time with me.”

He makes it sound so easy, and in a way, it would be. Dimitri is charming and handsome and witty. But he also spanked me, locked me in his room, and forced me to marry him.

I can’t let myself get lost in his eyes.

But what else can I do? I might as well get to know my husband.

“Ok,” I finally say .

“Great. Let’s go.”

“Uh, can I change first?”

He looks around his room. “I don’t have any clothes for you to wear. Unless, of course, you want to go naked.”

I flush again. I think that’s going to be a common occurrence being around Dimitri. “Katya has clothes I can wear.”

“Ah. All right. But I have to go unlock her door, and she’s not going to be happy with me for locking her in her room.”

“Can you blame her?”

Dimitri only gives me a devilish smile as he leaves the room. I shake my head, but there’s a tiny smile on my lips, too.

He opens Katya’s door, and by the look on her face, she’s pissed. “Seriously, Dimitri?” She shoves him out of the way. “I can’t believe you locked me in my room all night!”

“Sorry,” is all he says.

Katya walks over to me. “You ok?”

“Yes. I’m fine.” There’s no way I’m going to tell her about Dimitri spanking the panic attack out of me. “Do you have clothes I can borrow?”

She lends me a simple summer dress that’s a little long on me, but I manage.

Dimitri and I leave to go on our date with Katya grumbling to him about not locking her up ever again.

“She’s a handful,” he says as we get into his car.

For a moment, I consider making another run for it, but my dress is too long, and I’d trip. I could never outrun Dimitri in a running contest.

“Katya’s not a handful,” I respond, needing to defend my best friend. “You just don’t trust her with her own agency.”

Dimitri lets out a low whistle. “Calling me out again. You’re good at that, aren’t you?”

“Has there really never been another woman to call you out on your crap?”

“Crap?” He scrunches up his face, and honestly, it’s kind of cute. “Would I call it crap?”

“I would. ”

He laughs, easing back into his nonchalant posture. “It’s just the way things are in my world. I need to make sure Katya isn’t off running around with men. That’s the thing with Bratva men. They expect women to be virgins on their wedding night. Katya is worth more as a virgin.”

“That’s … vile.”

“Being a virgin?”

“No. That a woman’s only worth is as a virgin.”

He slants his eyes at me. “So, Evie. You’re not a Bratva girl. You’re twenty. I take it you’re not a virgin?” He tilts his head to the side. “Or are you? You do tend to get embarrassed whenever I say something naughty.”

I face the window to cover my burning cheeks. “I’m not discussing my sex life with you.” Or lack thereof.

He winces. “Bad sex, then? Been with guys who didn’t know how to please you?”

“I’m not discussing that with you,” I repeat. Because there’s nothing to discuss. I’m not ashamed about being a virgin. I just don’t want to give Dimitri anything to hang over my head. Frankly, I don’t want him to tease me about it.

After my dad died a few years ago, I closed myself off into books. I haven’t left them since … until now.

But Dimitri doesn’t need to know that. Telling him about my dad would hurt too much. After how Dimitri has treated me, he doesn’t deserve a part of my heart.

“Oh, come on,” Dimitri says. “I’ll tell you about all the bad sex I’ve had if you do the same.”

I glance over at him. “You’ve had bad sex?”

“Plenty of times. I mean, I’m great in bed, you know, but not every woman I’ve been with has been good. Some get too clingy. Some are pillow princesses. Some are just too weird even for my tastes.”

“I’m going to regret asking this, but … what are your tastes?”

The look he gives me sends a heat over my entire body. “I just love a good time. When I can make a woman come and writhe in pleasure. When she can make me feel the same. Nothing better than that. ”

I gulp and look away again. Dimitri will be the death of me; I swear.

“Why are you wound so tight?” he asks.

“I’m not.”

“Uh, yes you are. I could snap you in half for how tense you are. Why does talking about sex make you so uncomfortable?” His smile disappears. “Oh, shit. You weren’t assaulted or anything like that?”

“No, nothing like that.”

He relaxes. Interesting. It seems Dimitri really does want me to be safe. “Then what it is?”

“I’m just not as open as you are talking about it. That’s my boundary, Dimitri. You have to respect that.”

He nods once. “Ok. I’ll stop pushing.”

“Thank you.” I relax in my seat, but there’s a sense of disappointment in me. Dimitri is very forward, and I don’t like that—yet I kind of like how he teases me. His attention feels like nothing else on this earth.

We arrive at a jewelry store, and Dimitri opens the car door for me. “I can be a gentleman,” he says after I give him a surprised look.

Inside the store, I’m blown away by the beauty of all the necklaces and bracelets. And rings. So many rings.

Then I see the prices on them. “Dimitri, it’s all too expensive.”

“Not for me, it isn’t. Pick out the ring you want.”

I raise an eyebrow. “I actually get a choice?”

“Just this time.” He winks to let me know he’s joking.

“How may I help you today?” the saleswoman asks as she walks over to us. She’s effortlessly beautiful in a jacket and skirt combo. Immediately, I see her perk up at the sight of Dimitri.

He has that effect on women.

“My wife and I are looking for rings.”

She deflates slightly then smiles. “Of course. What are we looking for?” They both turn to me, and I can only shrug. God, I feel like a dork, but this world of fine things and pretty salespeople and shiny jewelry is so far outside my comfort zone.

“Um … I like that one.” I point at a simple diamond ring .

“That’s a lovely choice,” she says, picking it up. I notice the price. It’s six thousand dollars.

Before I can object, she hands the ring to Dimitri, and he slides it onto my finger. “Would you look at that. A perfect fit.”

It actually is. The sight of it on my finger does strange things to me.

“Do you like it?” he asks me in a low voice.

I want to tell him I hate it and I hate him and I want to go back home, but … I don’t say any of that because I don’t hate the ring and I don’t hate him and I don’t exactly want to go back home to Juno.

The door opens and in walks Abram.

I gasp at the sight of him. He doesn’t have a gun this time, but his presence is still intimidating.

“Abram,” Dimitri says in a forced cheerful tone. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ll be honest with you, Dimitri. I was following you. You’re out ring shopping with your new wife, I see. That should have been my Tatiana you were doing this with.”

“We’re past that, old man. Drop it.”

Abram huffs and turns to me. “Slut.”

The force of that one word hits me and makes me stumble back.

Dimitri steps in front of me. “Don’t say shit like that, Abram. You’re going to regret it.”

“She’s a slut, Dimitri. A whore. She’s nothing like my Tatiana.”

“You’re right. Evie’s better.” Dimitri’s hands clench into fists. “Take back those words.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll do this.” Without warning, Dimitri punches Abram in the face. The saleswoman screams while I remain rooted in place.

Abram laughs as he stumbles back. Blood is on his lips, but he doesn’t even seem to notice. “I understand, Dimitri. You’re willing to go to war for this little bitch. Good to know.”

“Get the fuck out, Abram,” he growls, “before I do something I’ll regret. ”

When Abram’s eyes flick to mine, a shiver runs down my spine. Then he leaves.

Dimitri’s knuckles are bloody. “Are you ok?” he asks.

I nod at his hand. “You’re hurt.”

“It’s nothing.”

But it’s not nothing. Dimitri just defended my honor. I don’t approve of physical violence, but I’ve come to understand that’s the way Bratva men do it.

“Can we leave?” I whisper. “I don’t feel safe here.”

He nods and turns to the saleswoman, who looks like she might pass out in fear. “We’ll take the ring.”

AbrAM

I hurry out of the store and cross the street to Boris. He’s been my business partner for years. As a fellow traditional Bratva man with a daughter to think about, Boris understands me better than anyone.

Because of that, it was easy to ask him for his help.

“Did you get it?” I ask.

He shows me his phone. On it is a video he took. A video of Dimitri punching me in the face.

“Good,” I growl. “I want to hurt that bastard for hurting me. For hurting Tatiana. Send this video out to the other traditional Bratva men and tell them Dimitri is losing it. Tell them I have been wronged and they need to side with me.”

“Will do,” he says, pocketing his phone. “And what about the girl?”

“Oh, we’re going to kill her. But first, I want to break Dimitri down. Make him understand what it’s like to be made the fool. And once we’ve done that, we’ll take his wife from him, and then he’ll marry Tatiana. He’ll have no choice because he’ll have nothing then, and only I will be able to make his life better.”

Boris chuckles. “That’s diabolical.”

“No. That’s business. ”

EVIE

“Do you have a first-aid kit?” I ask once we get back to the house.

“Why?”

“To fix up your hand. You don’t want it to get infected.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve had worse scraps then this.”

“Dimitri. Come on. You need to clean the cuts at least.”

He sighs and motions for me to follow him into the nearest bathroom, where he grabs a first-aid kit from the counter. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“I’m certified in first aid and CPR.”

His eyes are soft as he looks at me. “Of course, you are.”

I dab his knuckles with the alcohol swab then place an anti-bacterial cream on his skin. As I clean his knuckles, all I can see is the ring on my finger.

The ring that officially makes me Dimitri’s wife. This is a symbol of his claim he has over me.

“Do you make it a point of getting into fights all the time?” I ask.

“Yes and no. Only if the occasion calls for it.”

“And did this occasion call for it?”

“Evie.” The way he says my name warms me. “He was being an ass to you. Of course, the occasion called for it. I told you before; I’ll always protect you.”

As I look into Dimitri’s eyes, I know he speaks the truth.

And that’s scary because the way he’s looking at me right now makes me want to step into his arms and have him hold me. But I shouldn’t want Dimitri to hold me.

Within such a short amount of time, things have already become complicated.