Page 22 of Darkest Craving

VICTORIA

B efore my eyes crack open, I can tell the other side of the bed is empty. Again. One, because I’m no longer leaning on Wolf’s hard chest, but on a soft pillow instead. And two, because something—or someone—moves through the room, the sound bringing my body back to life.

For a moment, I think about pretending I’m still asleep. Because the memory of what I did comes to the front of my mind, and I realize I’m not ready to face my husband just yet. I can’t.

It’s one thing to fuck the way we did… and another to fall apart in his arms. To bare my soul to the one man I’m supposed to always keep my guard up around.

After what happened in his study, I went back into my room. And shortly after, he came to take me back to his bedroom, where he laid me down on his sheets and stroked me with his fingers.

I took it, took all that he was giving me, because I needed it, and I think he knew that. I think it’s why he did it, though he hasn’t uttered a single word about my breakdown. And neither have I.

My eyelashes flutter carefully, and darkness welcomes me, taking me by surprise. It’s not morning yet.

What time is it? And why am I waking up?

Wolf’s tall silhouette comes into view as he secures his watch around his wrist, dressed up as if he’s about to leave.

I blink a few times, dusting off the sleep from my eyes.

“What time is it?” I whisper so quietly I’m not even sure he heard me.

But when his gaze lifts from his wrist and sees me, I know he did. He saunters over to my side of the bed, where he strokes my face with his knuckles. I shiver at the effect he has on me with just a simple touch.

“Go back to sleep, Victoria. It’s late.”

I look up at him, confused. Disappointed. “Why are you leaving?”

“Every respectable villain goes to work at this time of night.”

A smile tugs at my lips. “Oh, yeah? And what’s on the agenda?” I yawn, suddenly feeling a lot more relaxed. “World domination? Robbing Santa?”

“Worse. But you don’t need me to tell you that.”

No, I don’t. I’m already picturing the bloody corpse of the man he killed on our wedding day, and that’s about all I need to know. Still, there’s one question my mind keeps conjuring. And for whatever reason, I need him to answer it.

“Will you…” Be safe? I want to ask, but the words refuse to roll off my tongue. “Is it dangerous?”

His thumb slides over my lower lip, pulling it down, swaying it with a deliberate, circular motion. For a few seconds, he stays silent, just watching me. Stretching out the time. Making my breath hitch.

Then he leans down, pressing his mouth to mine, and my back arches, as if it’s been expecting him. Always expecting him. My eyes flutter, closing as I moan, a silent plea begging him to stay.

His tongue strokes mine, and I’m drowning in his essence, in the taste of him. But it’s short-lived. And before I get to tell him I don’t need a life vest this time, he murmurs—

“ Mne stalo trudno pomnit', zachem ya vse eto nachal… Chto mne s toboy delat', lyubov' ?”

My eyes widen at the sound of his voice in Russian.

More importantly, they widen at recognizing every single word he just uttered. I may not speak much in my grandparents’ language, but I understand it well enough.

With that, Wolf straightens up and saunters to the door, leaving the bedroom, and closing the door behind him. Meanwhile, I’m still here, alone and unmoving, trying to process it all.

It's getting hard to remember why I started all of this… What am I to do with you, love?

WOLFGANG

Tendrils of guilt weave their way into my mind as I exit the house. Darkness welcomes me, and I breathe it in, letting it seep into my pores. I do this shit every day. There’s no reason to feel differently about it now.

My shoes crunch through the gravel. A lonely owl surveys the forest surrounding the estate, flying above the three cars parked out front.

Ivan and a small group of our men see me as I approach, and he uncrosses his arms. “We’re still waiting on Kiril. He thought he saw something near the edge of the forest. Went there to have a look.”

I raise my brows at that, because no one ever sees anyone lurking around the estate.

“Then he can have a look,” I say, “But we’re leaving now. I want to get this shit over with by sunrise.”

Ivan nods and reaches Kiril through his station. I advance through the group of armed men, rounding my car and opening the door to the backseat. Before I get in, I lift my gaze to the second floor. To where Victoria sleeps peacefully in my bed, completely unaware of what I’m about to do.

And there it is. The tightness in my chest, telling me I’m wrong.

I clench my jaw until my gums hurt and get in the car.

Half an hour later, I step into the shadow of a relic—the Romanovs’ estate. All the lights are off, except one, showing me just how desperate Victoria’s father has become. Staying up all night, trying to fix the irremediable. It almost makes me laugh.

Shutting the car door, I head to the entrance with Ivan and the others on my trail. The guards see me and move aside, because they, too, are mine now. And when I barge into Nikolai’s office a few moments later, he is reminded of that fact as well.

“Funny how you keep on working when you’re out of your job.”

He springs from his desk, taking in the manpower I brought with me.

“What is this? What do you want? It’s fucking late.”

“I know it is. Which is why it irks me that I had to leave my wife naked in our bed to have to deal with you.”

“You son of a—”

“Uh uh,” I say, walking aimlessly around the room. “I don’t want to have to break your jaw before we have a conversation. Be good.”

“What did you do to my daughter?”

“Please. Let’s not pretend you give a shit about her now. How’s your other one? Enjoying her freedom?”

Face growing red, he points a finger in my direction. “You leave Anya out of this! Your problem is with me.”

The hypocrisy makes my blood boil. Once again, he’ll fight for Anya, but not for my wife.

I approach his desk, looking him in the eye. “My God. You’re such an idiot you don’t even realize you’re leading me straight to her.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

I don’t even bother to explain. Before Victoria, a night like this would’ve given me that adrenaline rush I’ve been living on for most of my life. But now? I meant what I said when I told him I’d rather be at home, next to my naked wife. Or rather balls-deep in her pretty cunt.

Muffled, high-pitched voices break through the silence of the house, followed by loud thumps and the sound of broken glass. I look up at the ceiling, pressing my lips into a thin line. Nikolai looks too, realizing what’s happening.

“No,” he says, supporting himself with his hands on the desk before rounding it. “No! You leave them the fuck alone!”

I step away, only to grab him by his nape, twisting his arm at his back, shoving his face into the desk.

“This is what’s going to happen, Nikolai.

Your daughter and your wife are going on the market tonight, because you no longer exist. You’re a ghost. A shell of a man.

I already took everything that you were away from you.

What, you thought I’d let it go, that I’ve taken enough?

No, no, no. You know better. And if you don’t, well, you should’ve. ”

“H-Hate you,” he wheezes. “She’ll hate you if you do this.”

Pulling his head back, I slam it into the table harder.

“She already hates me. It wouldn’t change a damn thing. Catch up.”

I release him and he wheezes, still bent over the table.

The screaming subsides, a sign that Anya and Nikolai’s wife were taken outside.

Officially, my job here is done. Our lawyers took care of the hotels being passed on to someone else in our network.

His money is gone—we emptied his accounts a while ago, leaving him with nothing to his name.

Now everyone he’s ever known is gone, too.

And soon, so will this house. Because I’ll burn it.

“We’re done here,” I say to Ivan, loud enough that Nikolai hears there’s nothing else I want from him, other than his life. For that, I’ll have to wait a bit more, otherwise everything I’ve just done won’t have any real impact. It won’t say “don’t fuck with us.”

I turn to him. “The next time you see me, be prepared to choke on your own fucking blood.”

I leave the room, then the house, and step back outside.

Victoria’s sister and mother stand in front of the estate in their nightgowns, faces flushed from the fight, streaked with tears.

It’s fucking brutal how I took them out of their beds, but it had to be done this way, otherwise Nikolai would’ve never believed it.

“Get them into the car,” I say to no one in particular. “Ivan?”

“Yeah.”

“Hold off on burning down the house for a few more days. And make sure the word doesn’t get out about this yet. I’m taking my wife out tomorrow, and I don’t want her to be upset.”

More like, I don’t want her to find out. Because what the world will know versus what I’ve actually done will be two very different stories. And if she hears the wrong thing… then Nikolai will be right. My wife will never so much as look me in the eye ever again. I can’t allow that.

I enter the car Anya and her mom were shoved into.

Both trembling, watching me with pure terror in their eyes.

Part of me feels sorry for them—the women are almost always innocent in our world.

Sold to criminals as wives without ever having a say in it.

Which is why another part of me is glad they’re feeling what my wife must have felt when I took her.

I take two blankets from the passenger seat and give one to each of them.

“I apologize for taking you out like this, but it was the only way.”

Neither says a word, their hands interlaced. I shift my eyes to their faces, to the many questions in their eyes they don’t dare ask. They must think I’m the fucking devil.

They cover themselves with the blankets, and eventually, Anya asks, “W-Where are you taking us?”

Her face is round, with soft edges, eyes smaller than Victoria’s. She takes after Nikolai.

I sigh. “I’m sorry you got caught in the crossfire, but life as you know it is over. I’ve arranged for you to go back to Russia. There’s an apartment there in my name. And you’ll be cared for in any ways you need for the rest of your lives.”

They look at each other, confused. They can tell this wasn’t part of the plan. And I hate that I have to deviate from it, but my wife would be appalled at knowing her family isn’t safe. I can’t allow that.

“What have you done to my sister? Where is she?”

“Safe. And she will always be safe with me. But if you choose to stay in America, there’s nothing I can do about the two of you.”

Her mother hushes out. “What about him? What about my husband? You can’t leave him here. He has no one. Please—”

“Your husband knew this would happen when he betrayed me. Now he’s simply living with the consequences. The question is, do you want to join him? Or will you take me up on my offer and enjoy your new life?”