Page 2

CHAPTER 2

Oleksi

Eight Months Ago

I love it when the woman surrenders—that moment she knows she belongs to me—after I've broken her down, stripped her of all pretense, and left nothing but pure need in her trembling body.

“Ohh…” The beautiful brunette bites her lips. “S… sorry, master, I didn’t mean to…”

She sucks in her breath as I shove my fingers deeper into my sub's dripping pussy, curling them just enough to make her gasp, her breath hitching as she dangles on the edge.

I can feel how fucking close she is to exploding. The sound that vibrates in her throat makes my cock ache, just like the sight of her—spread, bound, waiting—fuels the heat raging through my veins.

“It’s okay. You can speak now.” My voice is low, rough, and ruthless. “Tell me what you want, whore!”

The woman’s body quivers against the restraints, her arms bound above her, ankles secured to the floor. Her breasts rise and fall in erratic motion, the soft glow of the dungeon’s candlelight flickering over her still red-stained skin from the kiss of the leather flogger. Her dark hair spills like liquid silk over her shoulder, mussed from the way she’s been writhing beneath my touch.

“I…” Her voice trembles, soft and needy. “I want to come, please, master.”

A slow, cruel smile tugs at my lip, and I drag my thumb over her swollen clit in slow, deliberate strokes. Just not enough to give her what she wants, though.

“Not yet.” I press my mouth close to her ear, inhaling the subtle scent of jasmine and vanilla. “Do you think you deserve it?” My tone is velvet and steel. I push my fingers deeper and feel her walls tighten, her body vibrating with desperation.

“Yes,” she whimpers, her body straining against the cuffs. “Unless… unless you think I need to please you more, master. Maybe… maybe you need me to pleasure you first? Master”

A soft chuckle escapes my lips. “You’re such a good little slut, wanting to put your master's needs before your own.”

I reward her by twisting my fingers inside her, feeling her pulse around me. She’s so fucking close, teetering over the edge of oblivion, just waiting for me to let her go.

My concentration is shattered by the sharp knock that rattles the dungeon door.

“M… master?” The woman’s words tumble out of her mouth, half plea, half question, as the knock comes again.

I clench my jaw and choose to ignore it. Whoever it is can fucking wait.

I turn my focus back to the woman before me, tracing a slow, torturous circle over her clit with my thumb. She gasps, back arching, hands pulling against her bindings, that perfect moment of anticipation building once again as she thrusts her hips forward, her pussy hungry for the release.

“You were asking me for something my pet.” I lean closer so my lips and tongue can tease her sensitive inner ear and suck her soft earlobe.

“Please, master, I would like your permission to…” Her breathing becomes more labored as I roll her clit between my thumb and forefinger. “Oh… please… please…”

“That's right, whore, beg for it,” I growl. “And if your pleading pleases me, I might fill you with my cock.”

“Please, master, I beg of you, let me come and…

Just as she’s about to break—

There is more thumping on the dungeon door.

“What the fuck!” I bark. My head snaps toward the door, fury rising in my chest as my pulse throbs in my temples.

Whoever is behind that door better be ready to fucking bleed. I pull my fingers from my sub’s cunt, leaving her empty, desperate, her breath shuddering as she realizes I’m denying her release.

A strangled cry escapes her lips.

I turn toward the door as it swings open.

Sydney Purdy, my head of security strides in like she owns the place.

Tall, lean, with a body most men would die to possess and a black bob framing her deceptively beautiful face—the one that never gives away what she’s thinking. Her blue eyes don’t flicker once as they take in the scene before her. She doesn’t even flinch at my nakedness or the woman strapped to the wall of my dungeon.

Her gaze barely shifts to the woman bound before me—naked and squirming desperately.

“I know you hate being interrupted during your play time.” Her tone is crisp, professional underlined by a British accent. “But you’re needed. Urgently.”

My eyes narrow, and my gut twists as I realize there are only a few reasons Sydney would interrupt my dungeon time. We’re under attack, or someone died and right now she’s giving off the someone died vibe. A chill creeps up my spine instantly extinguishing my desire.

I step forward, shirtless, sweat still cooling on my skin. “Who?” I ask, holding her eyes with mine.

“It’s your brother,” she says, voice lowering.

The blood in my veins turns to ice.

I snatch my shirt from the chair, pulling it over my head in one quick motion. I glance at the woman still trembling, her body taut from denied pleasure. I brush past Sydney, my voice low, commanding.

“See to her.” My head tilts towards the woman.

Sydney doesn’t hesitate. “Of course.”

The moment I enter the hallway, Ivan Golubev, my second in command and close friend, steps in stride beside me.

“What’s going on?” I demand as we head toward the front door where I have no doubt that Ivan’s cousin and my third in command after Syd, Lev Tarasov will have the SUV waiting for us.

“Pavel called,” Ivan fills me in as I walk through the front door to where the SUV is idling at the bottom of the stairs. “Someone threw a Molotov cocktail through Gavriil’s living room window.”

“Jesus!” My eyes widen. “Are my brother and Irina okay?”

“Irina and Gavriil were having a drink in the living room when it happened,” Ivan tells me. “But luckily your brother is fanatical about keeping fire extinguishers all over the house. Between him and Pavel they managed to put the fire out before it caused major damage besides shaking Irina up.”

He pulls the back door open for me and I slide inside.

“Hey boss,” Lev greets me. “Where’s Syd?”

“Taking care of my guest,” I answer and turn toward Ivan, sliding into the front passenger seat. “How the fuck did someone get close enough to throw that shit through my brother’s window?”

“That’s what we’re going to find out,” Syd says, climbing in beside me. Her eyes catch mine. “By the way your guest is taken care of. I got Mikhail to take her home.”

“Thank you.”

As she pulls the door shut Lev pulls off heading for my brother’s house that is ten minutes away from where I’m staying at my cousin Radomir’s estate.

“There is something else you need to know,” Syd tells me. “Not too long after the incident, Pavel saw Gavriil stalk into his home office and then overheard someone with a Russian accent threaten him.”

“The Russian told him his time to deliver was up,” Ivan adds.

A muscle ticks in my jaw. “Time to deliver what?”

“Pavel has no idea.” Ivan twists around in the seat to look at me.

“I don’t like this?” My hands ball into fists as a bad feeling twists in my gut. I lean forward ordering Lev, “Step on it.”

By the time we pull up to Gavriil’s estate, the estate is swarming with guards as Pavel must’ve immediately called all the men in as soon as he heard the threat. The guards at the gate spot us and let us through immediately.

We pull up to the front of the house, stopping beside my brother’s SUV which I notice Pavel ushering Gavriil and Irina into the back seat and my gut clenches.

I stride forward, gripping the driver’s door before Pavel can shut it and lean in turning toward my brother and his wife.

“Gavriil, what the fuck is going on?”

My brother looks up, his expression more rattled than I’ve ever seen it and his eyes widen with surprise to see me. “Oleksi? What are you doing in Vegas?”

I raise a brow pointedly. “Looks like it was the right decision to be here.”

Irina, still shaken, grips Gavriil’s arm. “It’s been a night from hell.” Her voice is gruff with emotion and enunciating her Russian accent. “Someone tried to set our house alight and then a shot was fired at me.”

“Someone first tried to burn us alive and then took a shot at my wife!” Gavriil’s voice is frantic as he repeats what Irina has just said. His eyes hold mine and for a moment I swear I see a flicker of guilt?

“Have you sent the dogs out to search the ground?” I ask, eyeing my brother curiously.

“Yes, sir,” Pavel answers for my brother. “They are out scouring the entire estate as we speak.”

“So far, they’ve found five dead,” Irina tells me.

“Your men?” I look from Gavriil to Pavel who nods in confirmation. “Son of a bitch,” I spit. “So this was a hit!”

“It seems that way.” Gavriil’s voice suddenly becomes stiff and a bit edgy reminding me of when he was younger and he’d done something he shouldn’t have. But I shake it off as he continues to tell me his plans. “I’m taking Irina to the penthouse at the Diamond Hotel. After what happened to Leigh, Radomir has turned that place into a fortress.”

“That's a good idea,” I agree, gritting my teeth as the anger coils inside me like a snake ready to strike. How dare someone try to attack my brother in his own home? “I’ll help clean up here and try to find some clues.”

“Thank you.” Gavriil gives me a tight smile and hesitates, a fleeting flash of guilt sparks in his eyes once again making me slightly nervous but it's gone as quickly as it appeared. “I’m glad you’re here, brother. I’m sorry about all this.”

Before I can respond Lev appears at the top of the stairs.

“Boss!” Lev calls. “You’re needed inside.”

I nod at Lev. “I’ll be right there.” Turning back to the SUV I start to close the driver's door. “Get them to the penthouse safely,” I order before turning to go after Lev.

As I climb the stairs I can't shake this weird feeling that starts to creep over me and then the night suddenly falls eerily silent for a few moments—like the world was holding its breath—waiting for something.

Then—

BOOM.

A shockwave tears through the estate.

Heat scorches up my back. My body slams into the stone steps, pain bursting through me and the world starts to spin—everything goes black.