Page 9

Chapter

Nine

EVIE

T urns out, Dimitri was telling the truth about the spanking.

“Get on the bed,” he orders. “Face down.”

“You’re not going to spank me for leaving,” I say, aghast.

“Oh, yes, I am. You need to learn, Evie, that you’re mine. You’re not going anywhere. So, if a spanking is what it takes, then that’s what I’m going to do.”

I stare down at the bed, wondering if I can truly lie down. If I can truly accept a … spanking from Dimitri. “I’m not a child. I don’t need to be punished for my actions. And besides, I don’t believe in punishing children. So, this entire thing is ridiculous, and I won’t do it.” I cross my arms, thinking that’s that.

Dimitri stalks toward me. The urge to run is strong, but I plant my feet, staring him down. “You seem to struggle with the concept of staying put. So, if this teaches you that lesson, then that’s just what has to happen.” Quickly, he grabs me around the waist and places me onto the bed.

I gasp. I’m on my back, looking up at him hovering over me, and it’s not lost on me that we’re so close. That he could kiss me in this position. That he could do a whole lot more than just kiss me.

Dimitri’s eyes darken, and his hands tighten on my hips, making me gasp. A rush of heat floods through me. There’s no denying my body likes Dimitri. It’s my mind that’s the problem.

Or my mind knows my body shouldn’t like Dimitri.

“You look good like this, you know.”

“What?” I whisper.

“On my bed. If only you were naked …”

I huff, shaking my head. “You’re incorrigible.”

“ Incorrigible ? Evie, sometimes you sound like you’re a heroine from the 1800s.”

My cheeks flush. “Well, I’ve read a lot of books about heroines from the 1800s.” I pause. “And how do you even know that?”

“Hey, I read.”

“I’m sorry. I just assumed …”

“That I’m an idiot who’s never picked up a book?”

“No.” I’m so aware of his arms right next to me. Of his hands on my waist. Of how good they feel. “I don’t think you’re an idiot. I just think that …”

“That I’m incorrigible?”

I can’t help it—I smile. “Yes.”

“Well, as a matter of fact, I know how to read. Granted, I don’t read a lot. I can’t remember the last time I actually read a book. But I’m competent. In more ways than one.” His innuendo isn’t lost on me.

I fall silent as I look up at him and take in his strong, handsome features. His wavy black hair. His stubble. His eyes that know how to look right into me. Why does he have to be so disarmingly handsome?

Dimitri’s eyes darken even more as he leans his head down. He’s going to kiss me, I realize. Is it something I want? Maybe. Should I want it? Definitely not.

I gasp and turn my head at the last second so his lips skim my cheek. “I’m sorry.”

He pulls back. “Guess I read the room wrong. I’m sorry. Normally, women love to kiss me. I was picking up on some signals. ”

“Well, you were wrong,” I snap, shimmying out from under him. What am I doing? Why am I letting myself get comfortable with Dimitri? I should still be trying to find a way to escape him. I need to get the pictures I sent of Dima’s house and send them to the police, not lie here and flirt with my extremely charming husband.

Dimitri sighs as he stands up straight. “I have to ask. Why are you so prudish?”

My hackles rise. “Prudish? That’s rude.”

“Well, it’s the truth. You blush at practically everything I say, and don’t get me wrong, it’s cute. I like it. But whenever the topic of sex comes up, you pull away. How come?”

“I don’t have to tell you anything. That’s personal.”

“I think we’re way past personal by now, Evie. I’ve saved your life … what? Three times now? Four? We’re married. I think we can share a kiss every now and again.”

“Not if I don’t want to.”

He holds his hands up. “You’re right. I won’t force you to kiss me or fuck me or anything else. I just want to know what goes on in that big brain of yours.”

He looks so earnest and sweet. “You’re good at that, you know.”

“At what?” he asks, smiling a little and looking even more handsome.

“At that.” I point to his face. “Everything about you. You know how to make a girl feel … a lot when she’s with you.”

“And you feel a lot with me?” His tone is cocky. Normally, I roll my eyes at men like Dimitri, men who think they run the world, but he manages to pull it off without being annoying.

“Maybe,” I admit, drawing my legs into my chest. “But I don’t feel like I should.”

“Why deny yourself something fun? Liking me isn’t the worst thing in the world, Evie. You’re not going to go to hell because of it.”

“I think we’re already in hell.”

“True.”

Shaking my head, I rest my chin on my knees. Dimitri sighs and sits down next to me. “What is it?” he asks .

“The fact that you even care to ask makes me like you. You can be surprisingly sweet.”

“Surprisingly sweet? Ouch, Evie. And you think I’m rude.” He flashes me his signature smile. “Come on. Tell me what’s on your mind. I want to know.”

“I don’t allow myself to be with you because it feels like I shouldn’t. I was raised on women empowerment books. Feminism. My dad wanted me to have a mind of my own. But you kidnapped me and forced me into a marriage. That’s horrible. That’s a crime.”

“Not in my world.”

“But in my world, it is. So, the fact that you can also make me like you is scary. It means I don’t know what’s right and wrong. It feels like I’m going against what my dad wanted for me by being with you. But I also know it would be easy to just let myself … be with you.”

“Then do that.”

I laugh. “You make it sound so easy.”

“Because it is. Get out of your head.”

“No,” I whisper. “Not when I miss my dad so much. Not when I’m constantly reminded of him and what he would think of me.”

“He died?” Dimitri asks gently.

“Yes. Mugged. Killed with a gunshot. I was there and saw it all.”

“Fuck, Evie.” He runs a hand down his face. “No wonder you’re all freaked out by this shit.”

“I couldn’t save my dad, but I can save myself. And being with you feels like I’m not saving myself. It feels like I’m doing myself an injustice.”

“You know, I have the cure for that.”

“What?”

He holds out his hand, and for some inexplicable reason, I take it. “Dance.”

“Dance?”

“Let’s go to my club. We can dance. Have fun. Get you out of your head. And maybe there you’ll start to see you’re not dishonoring your dad by being with me. I know I’m not a good man. But I also want to do good by you. Which, for the record, is very unusual for me. ”

“This is new for you, too?”

“God, yes. Evie, I’ve never had these feelings for someone before. So, we’re kind of in the same boat.”

His words make me feel safer with him, which I know is the opposite of what I should feel. But I’m tired of feeling scared. Safe is what I need.

So, I let Dimitri pull me up and take me to his club.

It’s only after a while I realize he never made good on his spanking.

DIMITRI

Evie looks sexy in her black dress.

Before we left, I told her to wear something club appropriate, and she raided Katya’s closet and came out wearing this.

All I want is to push her up against the wall and have my way with her. She keeps holding back. Now that I know a little bit more about her dad, I get it. My dad was a hardass who expected perfection. He would definitely think I was dishonoring him by running my club and drinking most nights and fucking women left and right. He held himself to a high standard, and he did the same to everyone else around him.

Hell, that’s probably why I don’t give a fuck about rules.

After I lead Evie onto the dance floor, I rest my hands on her hips, and after a moment, she places her hands to my chest, staring up at me with both innocence and curiosity.

The more I wonder about it, the more I start to think Evie may be a virgin. She blushes at literally everything I say, and I know she prefers to spend her time reading. That doesn’t make someone a virgin, but with Evie, I’m thinking it does.

I’ve never cared if a woman is a virgin or not. Being a virgin or not has never been a prerequisite of mine. As long as a woman is hot, I’ll fuck her. Case in point—Tatiana. My dick got me in trouble with her.

But the thought of Evie being a virgin and me potentially being her first does something strange to me. It makes me want to protect her and do dirty things to her at the same time.

I run my hands around her hips, drawing her in closer.

“Dimitri,” she murmurs, glancing around.

“What? It’s not like we’re doing anything wrong. We’re married. We can stand close, you know.”

The smile on her lips lights up her face. “I know.”

“So, just let yourself dance with me. Let yourself feel.”

While we sway in each other’s arms, I roam my hands up and down her hips. Slowly, Evie inches closer to me until our bodies are flushed with each other. It’s too dark in the room to see if she’s blushing, but I know she is.

“See?” I say into her ear. “Nothing wrong with this.”

“I guess not.”

I dip her back with ease, and she gasps then begins to laugh. “This can be freeing.” I pull her back into my arms. “If you just let it.”

Her eyes soften, and for the first time, I think she’s going to open up to me. She’s going to let me in.

“Dimitri,” a raspy voice says. It’s Irina. “I didn’t know you were here. With your wife, it seems.”

Evie looks at Irina, and I see the moment she pulls away from me. It’s a subtle movement. It’s in the way her hands tense on my chest. Her gaze goes from open and soft to closed and guarded.

“Irina,” I say cheerfully. “Evie and I were just enjoying a dance. If you wouldn’t mind …” Leave , I think. Evie was finally warming up to me, and Irina ruined that.

Irina’s lips part in a surprised “O.” “All right. I just wanted to say hello.” She nods at Evie. “You’re one lucky girl.” Then she catwalks away.

“Who is she?”

“Another Bratva daughter. She was at my party to find a wife.”

“Was she a contender?” I can tell Evie is trying to keep her voice light but failing.

“She was, actually. But then I saw you.” Well, I saw Katya and had to confront her, and then I saw Evie, but those details don’t matter. Evie is the one I want now.

“Right.” She sighs. “Dimitri, I have to ask. Why me? You could have any woman in this world. A woman like Irina. Why me?”

“Because you surprised me. It takes a lot to surprise me, and you did.”

Slowly, her expression begins to soften again.

I lay my hands back on her waist and pull her in close. “Now, let’s keep dancing. I’m not here for any woman other than you.”

Evie leans into my touch.

And then a grating laugh fills my ears. “Look. It’s the slut who stole my husband.”

I grimace and turn as Tatiana approaches. “Tatiana. You know, when I slept with you, I didn’t realize you were such a bitch. But now I know you’re a bitch and a whore.”

Evie completely pulls away from me, leaving behind a pit in my stomach. Just when we were getting close …

“Be careful what you say to me, Dimitri,” Tatiana says. “One day, you’ll be my husband. Once this slut is gone.”

“We should go,” Evie says to me.

“No. This is my club.” I try to put my arm around Evie, but she backs away from me again. Fuck. None of this is going how I wanted it to. “Tatiana, you need to leave.”

She sticks her hip out, planting her hands on her waist. “I have a right to be here.”

“And I have the right, as this club’s owner, to kick out anyone who pisses me off. And right now, you’re pissing me off. So, leave”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll drag you out of here myself.”

“It’s nothing I haven’t experienced before. I remember how much you liked it rough when we slept together.”

“That’s it,” I growl, hiking up my sleeves.

Evie walks right past me and heads toward the restrooms.

“Evie,” I call out.

“I just need some space. ”

I watch her go. Before Evie, when a woman would walk away from me, I’d just shrug and move on to the next woman. But now, all I feel is the pit within my stomach grow. Fuck. I hate this feeling. It’s no wonder I’ve never tried to care for any woman before. It’s too much fucking emotion.

I turn back to Tatiana, but she’s gone. Good riddance. I slink over to the bar, and the bartender hands me my favorite drink—an old-fashioned. I practically chug it back in one mouthful.

Tonight was not supposed to go like this. I’m trying with Evie, but she’s hard to crack, and Tatiana and Irina didn’t help.

Setting my drink down, I raise my fingers for another.

EVIE

I lean over the bathroom sink and suck in deep breaths. It’s not going well. I’m a fool for liking Dimitri. Life would be so much easier if he just chose one of the hundreds of women who would be a better fit for him. He needs someone who loves to go to the club. Not a bookworm like me.

The restroom door opens and in walks Tatiana. I push down the groan that threatens to escape me.

“Hi,” she says, leaning against the counter. She’s so close; I can smell her sugary perfume.

“Hi,” I respond warily.

“I know I was a bit rude back there.”

“You called me a slut,” I remind her.

“Right. I did, didn’t I?” Her laugh takes up the entire room. I try not to flinch. Tatiana’s smile is red and dangerous. She’s objectively a beautiful woman, but there’s a bite to her looks. A sharpness I find unsettling.

“Did you need something?”

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

I look at her more closely. “You’re … sorry?”

“Yes,” she huffs. “I am. We got off on the wrong foot, and for that, I’m sorry. It’s not your fault Dimitri chose you. It’s him I’m angry with. I say us girls should band together.”

“Ok. Well, thank you for apologizing. I appreciate it.” I try to walk past her, but she steps into my way.

“Do you want to be friends?”

“Um …” I sigh. “Tatiana, I’m not trying to be rude, but I just don’t believe you. You don’t like me. You’ve made that very clear. The last time I spoke to you, you called your father, and he tried to murder me. So, I don’t think we can ever be friends.”

She pouts. “Shame. You’re so pretty.” She runs her hand over my hair. “So dark and rich. You have gorgeous hair. I’m jealous. My hair is so thin.”

“You have nice hair, too.” I try stepping around her once more, but again, she doesn’t let me pass. “Tatiana, can I offer you some advice?”

“Do I look like I need advice?”

“Dimitri isn’t worth turning yourself into knots over. No man is.”

“Funny. I don’t see you leaving him.”

“Trust me. I’ve tried. Dimitri doesn’t want to let me go.” And for a moment tonight, I let myself believe I could be with him. But then I saw Irina, and it all came crashing back. I’m not made for Dimitri, and he’s not made for me. The sooner we realize that, the sooner we can move on from each other.

I just have to get Dimitri to see it that way—without getting sucked back into him like I’ve been doing.

“What does he see in you, I wonder,” Tatiana murmurs.

“You’d have to ask him. Now”—I nod behind her— “I’d like to leave the restroom.”

“Here.” She hands me a water bottle. “I noticed you looked like you were having trouble breathing earlier. I thought you could use the water.”

Tentatively, I take it. “Thanks, you.”

“Aren’t you going to drink?”

I study the water bottle. It’s full. The water looks clean. But I still don’t want to drink it. “I’m good.” I try handing it back to her, but she shoves the bottle back at me .

“Drink it,” she says through clenched teeth. There’s an anger in her eyes that makes me cold.

“No, thank you.”

She grabs the water bottle back and opens it. “Fine. I’ll make you drink it.” She grabs my chin and tries to open my mouth. I stumble back, but she goes with me. She manages to get the tip of the bottle into my mouth. Water fills my mouth, and before I can stop it, I swallow some of it. I try spitting out the rest, but Tatiana doesn’t stop pushing the bottle against my lips.

I shove her back, and she falters in her high heels. In no mood for a fight, I start walking for the door …

… until I stumble again and lean heavily against the counter. My head begins to swim. Instantly, I know Tatiana drugged me. I just need to get to Dimitri, and everything will be all right.

But the room refuses to stop spinning. How much was in that water bottle for me to be this affected when I only had a little bit?

Tatiana smiles smugly as I slip to the floor. “There. Now we can be friends.” She helps me stand up and slips her arm around me as we leave the restroom.

I can see Dimitri at the bar, but he has his back to me. He doesn’t see me at all. I try to call for help, but my tongue isn’t working.

I slump against Tatiana.

“God, you’re heavy,” she mutters, practically dragging me along with her.

My eyes search the room frantically for help. And that’s when I see him.

Dima.

I gasp and try to run the other way, but my shoe gets caught on something, and Tatiana pulls me roughly against her. I start to slide to the floor. With a huff, she lifts me back up.

How can Dima be here? Dimitri has to see him. He has to do something .

But when I look back in Dima’s direction, he’s not there anymore. Did I really even see him at all?

“Let me go,” I whisper. Tatiana doesn’t respond .

She gets me out of the club and back into the fresh air of the night. It doesn’t help me at all. In fact, it makes me feel worse. The cold night air slaps me in the face and I begin to shiver.

“I need Dimitri,” I murmur.

“No. What you need is to die and give me Dimitri.” She walks me over to a car and pushes me inside. I slump into the seat, my vision still swimming in circles.

Tatiana gets in beside me and starts the car as Dimitri bursts out of the club and sees us. The sight of him fills my heart with relief and joy, but then Tatiana drives away before he can get to me.

Looking in the rearview mirror, I see him run to his own car.

Then Tatiana turns a corner, and I lose sight of him.

“Why are you doing this to me?” I whisper. My tongue feels heavy in my mouth.

“Because you’re in my way. Plain and simple. Dimitri screwed me over when he took my virginity. Now, no man will want me. No one of high enough status anyway. He needs to own up to what he did, and for him to do that, you need to die.”

She drives us to an abandoned building and drags me out of the car. I stumble as we walk inside. I can’t make a run for it. My body isn’t working properly.

Once inside, I’m confronted with the sight of Abram, Boris, and Arthur.

“You did good, pumpkin,” Abram says, kissing Tatiana on the cheek.

“Thanks, Daddy. Now, get rid of her. I’m tired of looking at her face.”

Abram grabs my arm and tosses me at the other two men. “Before I kill her, I want Dimitri to know what real pain feels like. I want him to know how it feels to have someone he loves violated.”

“What do you mean?” I ask. The words are slurred.

“He violated my Tatiana. Now, I’m going to have these men violate you.”

I feel like ice. I can’t even move as the men drop me to the ground. Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this ?

I can just barely feel Boris touching my leg as Arthur grabs my breast.

And behind them are Abram and Tatiana, smiling down at me. They’re monsters.

The door bursts open, and Dimitri runs inside. He shoots Boris in the head, and his blood splatters all over me as he slumps onto my body.

Abram and Tatiana take off running while Dimitri shoots Arthur next. Both men are dead.

Dimitri rushes to my side. “Evie. Fuck. Are you ok?” He sits me up, but my head rolls back. “Shit.”

“Get them,” I whisper.

“What?”

“Get them.”

He glances around, but Abram and Tatiana are gone. “Fuck!” His shout echoes through the room. “They’re gone. I would have to leave you alone to go find them, and I’m not going to do that. Not with you in the state you’re in right now. What happened?”

“Drugged me. Tatiana.”

“Fucking bitch.” Scooping me into his arms, he carries me to his car. I’m distinctly aware of the fact that I have Boris’s blood on me. It’s hot and sticky.

Dimitri quickly drives us away from the abandoned building. “What the hell was I thinking, leaving you alone at the club? Fuck. Evie, I’m so sorry.” The look he gives me is so full of pain and regret that I have the urge to forgive him.

But then I remember he’s the reason I’m in this mess to begin with.

“I can’t,” I whisper back.

“Evie, god. I’m so sorry. I am. I can’t stop fucking up. What’s wrong with me?”

I can’t give him an answer because my vison starts to go black. The last thing I hear is Dimitri saying my name over and over again until it all disappears.