Page 5 of Darkest Game (The Dark Mafia #3)

Chapter Three

Liam

“ W hat are we going to do about the girl?” I ask. Jack is seated behind a desk in the office of the house. I can hear the other Irishmen in the living room, laughing and making crude jokes about Irina in the kennel.

Seeing her for the first time, I can admit that I was struck by her beauty.

She seems so innocent and shy that I almost felt bad kidnapping her.

And I don’t feel bad about most things in life.

You don’t get to where I am if you feel bad over every little thing you have to do.

Guilt is an emotion I’d rather forget about.

So, I don’t feel guilty for Irina. What I do want is to look at her again.

Soft brown hair. Pretty blue eyes. A pink dress that screams innocence while also hugging her body perfectly.

I know the other men noticed how pretty she was too.

They’re all going to want her. It’s better we figure out what to do with her before something bad happens.

Despite being an asshole in a lot of areas of my life, the one thing I’ve never agreed with is rape.

I think it’s pathetic when men can’t get a woman for themselves so they have to take a woman against their will.

I much prefer my women come to me willingly.

Once this is all over with, I need to go see Amanda.

This entire week I had been planning how to capture Natalya and Sasha and I didn’t have much time to enjoy Amanda’s body.

But something tells me from the look in Jack’s eye that I won’t be having fun with Amanda anytime soon.

“Well?” I ask. “What should we do about her? I know she wasn’t the one you wanted. Do we return her as a message to Mikhail and Nico? A threat that we can do whatever we want?”

“I’m not getting rid of the girl,” he growls.

“Ok then. What? Do we just keep her in the kennels for months until Nico and Mikhail find us? Are they even going to come for her? Do they even care?”

“I’m not sure they do. But I do know one thing. They’ll care if that pretty little girl is made one of us. That will piss them off.”

I frown. “One of us? What are you talking about?”

“I’m a married man. Even though my wife annoys the fuck out of me, I’m still loyal to her. So it can’t be me who makes her one of us.”

“I don’t understand.”

“One of you needs to marry her.”

All the air is blown right out of my body. “Marry her? A fucking Russian?”

“A pretty Russian. I’m sure you noticed. You have eyes, Liam.”

“Of course I noticed. But that doesn’t mean I want to marry her.”

“Who said it had to be you?”

Slowly, I sit down in the seat across his desk.

“You’re going to give her to one of the men out there?

” I know those men. I know how rough and rowdy they can be.

A lot of them have women on the side who they beat and fuck around with.

Something in my gut doesn’t want that for Irina.

She may be the enemy but for some reason, I would hate for her to lose her innocence.

Not that I care about her. I’ve never given a damn for any fucking Russian.

“I would prefer it if it was you,” he says.

“I need you kept in line. I need you to pay for taking over Cillian’s job when I never gave it to you.

Think of this as your punishment. You will marry that girl, make her one of us, and that will drive Mikhail and Nico insane.

Their sister-in-law now an Irish mobster’s wife.

That will be sweet revenge, don’t you think? ”

“It is,” I admit. “But I don’t want to marry her.”

“I’m not giving you a choice. I’ve decided. It’s going to be you. Let’s go tell the girl the good news, shall we?”

Jack claps me on the back as he heads out the door. Slowly, I follow after.

It’s just the two of us as we go to Irina in the kennel. She’s sitting down, her legs drawn into her chest. I can just spot the white of her underwear peeking out and it makes me a little hard. She is a beautiful woman, I’ll give her that. A woman whose body I would love to touch.

It would all just be better if she didn’t belong to the enemy.

“Girl,” Jack snaps, making Irina flinch. She pushes herself to her feet, shaking like she’s cold even though it’s a warm night out. “Welcome to your new home.”

She frowns. “Excuse me?”

“You’re going to marry this man right here.” He claps me on the back once more. Irina’s eyes widen. “You’re going to become the wife of an Irish mobster. How does it feel?”

She opens her mouth but no words come out. I’m sure it’s a shock for her. It’s a shock to me too.

“Cat got your tongue?” Jack mocks. “My. You do have a beautiful mouth. I’d love to stick my cock in it.”

She clamps her mouth closed.

“I have an idea. You will marry Liam. But I’ll get to have you on your wedding night. It’s an old school thing the English used to do to us poor Irish back in the day. Prima nocta as they called it. I’m assuming you’re a virgin. Speak, girl!”

“Y-yes,” she stutters.

“You’re a virgin?”

“Yes.”

Jack gives me an eager smile that makes my stomach drop to my feet. “Good. Then I’ll fuck you on your wedding night to Liam. Truly make you one of ours. And then he can have you all he wants. How does that sound?”

She only shakes her head as tears spill down her face.

Jack laughs again. “Cheer up, pretty girl. I’m marrying you to Liam. You’re lucky I’m not making you marry one of the ugly fuckers inside.” He leaves after that, whistling to himself.

I turn to Irina. “This wasn’t my idea, trust me.”

“I don’t trust you,” she whispers.

Fair enough. “I don’t want to be married to a Russian. The enemy. I don’t like you, Irina. Understand that.”

“Why are you being cruel?”

“Why would you think I’d be anything else? I’m being forced into this marriage just like you are and I’m not happy about it.”

“I don’t want to marry you,” she sobs, falling to her knees. It’s a pathetic sight. It also makes me want to scoop her up in my arms and hug her. I have no idea where that second feeling came from.

“Like Jack said, you’re lucky. I won’t rape you, so you don’t have to worry about that. But I do plan on being with other women even after we’re married. Don’t expect me to be loyal when this is not what I want.”

“Do I get to be with whoever I want?”

The question startles me. So far, Irina has been shy and quiet that this bold question is a shock.

“What?” I ask.

She raises her head and wipes her tears away. “If you get to be with whoever you want, then do I get to be with whoever I want after we’re married?”

“Do you have someone you want to be with?” For some reason, that thought makes me want to go punch someone. Preferably punch the guy who Irina likes. I’m never a jealous man. Fuck. What is happening to me?

“No,” she says so sadly it makes my fucking heart squeeze. “It was just a question.”

“I mean… no. I’ll expect you to not fuck any other man after we’re married. I don’t want you getting pregnant with another man’s baby. It would piss me off.”

“But you can be with other women? How is that fair?”

“It’s not.” I’m not going to sugarcoat it for her. “I don’t want this marriage. But Jack, my boss, is going to make me. And he’s a hard man to go against. So this is just the way it’s going to be.”

“I don’t want this marriage either. I just want to go home. You can’t make me do this.”

I point to the kennel she’s in. “You belong to Jack now. If he wants this, this is happening.”

In a burst of energy, she runs at the bars and grips them in her small hands. “Then let me go. You don’t want this marriage either. Just let me go. You can take me back to Mikhail’s house. I wasn’t the one you wanted anyway.”

“You’re not seriously suggesting you’ll give up one of your sisters in exchange for you, will you?’

She recoils like I asked her the most offensive question on the planet. “I would never give any of my sisters up to be in my place. Just let me go. Please.”

“Sorry, baby. The only way I would let you go is if one of your sisters took your place. So unless they’re offering…”

“They’re not here to offer. And I would never give them up without their consent.”

“Then we’re at a standstill. Trust me, I don’t want this any more than you do. But what I do want is revenge on Nico for killing Cillian. And on Mikhail for being a fucking pain in my ass. And marrying you will hurt their pride. That’s enough for me.”

I pat the bar and she grabs my hand, startling me. “Please,” she begs. “Please.”

Her pretty face is so sad and pathetic. I do feel bad for her. But I need to keep my job more than any small ounce of guilt I might feel. And my desire to hurt Mikhail and Nico outweighs anything else.

I pull my hand away and I see the moment all hope leaves her eyes. “Sorry, baby. We’re going to be married. It is what it is.”

“You’re really going to let your boss… take me on our wedding night?” She whispers the word ‘take’ like it’s a naughty word. God, so innocent.

“It’s what he wants I’m afraid.” I act blasé but I have to admit, I fucking hate the idea of Jack putting his hands on Irina on our wedding night. It’s another ‘fuck you’ to me. Another punishment. I won’t even get to be the first one to claim Irina.

Jack is trying to keep me in my place but I don’t know how long I’ll be able to put up with it before I explode. Though, I do know it won’t be over some girl, even if she will be my wife.

I have no love for her. And everything will be easier if I just keep that in mind.

Irina

Liam walks away, leaving me alone in the kennel once more. The dogs have stopped growling at me so at least there’s that.

Married. To Liam O’Connor. Just to spite my two brothers-in-law. I’m a plaything for these men. It feels like Denis all over again: controlling my life. Dictating what I get to do and not do. Liam made it clear that he will not honor the sanctity of marriage but that I will be expected to.