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Matthias

“How do we still not know anything useful? It’s been weeks! I can’t keep her cooped up in this house forever. I won’t have her feeling like a prisoner.” I can’t hide the irritation in my voice.

“Now that she’s not your prisoner anymore, you mean,” Bash snarks.

“How fucking long is it going to take you to get over it?” I snap back.

“Oh, I don’t know. How long should it take someone to get over being tricked into being an accessory to a kidnapping?” he throws back, full of sarcasm.

“Enough,” Dom cuts in. His tone shuts us both up. “I’m sorry, Matthias. I know this isn’t what you want to hear. None of the men Roman’s captured have heard of Margot. And Roman would know if they were lying–”

“They wouldn’t dare,” Roman interrupts cockily.

Sometimes the way he talks about his more hands-on work makes me uneasy. I don’t think he enjoys the violence, but I can’t say for sure. It might just be brotherly hope clouding my judgment.

“Don’t interrupt me,” Dom growls. “Bash found a few things. Let him explain.”

“I followed the payments from Northern Hemisphere Cargo and the Koschei invoices,” Bash begins.

“They trace back to a Russian account overseas. I’m working on tracking where those investments come from and what else the account is used for.

” He pauses, then adds, “I’m sorry, Matthias, but this isn’t the only thing on my plate. There are other priorities.”

“Fuck that! This is the only priority. What the fuck else could you possibly be working on that matters more? Margot’s life could depend on this!” Just the words make my stomach twist. The thought of her in their hands makes me sick.

“No, Matthias. There are other Syndicate concerns Bash has to address,” Dom says coolly, which pisses me off more. “I know she means a lot to you, but this isn’t our only concern. And Bash’s also designing for your company.”

“She doesn’t ‘mean a lot to me,’” I growl.

“She means everything to me. If anything happens to her, I won’t survive.

There’s no living in a world without Margot.

And I don’t want to survive in one. So, we’re going to fucking figure this out.

Bash, scrap everything for Syndicate Enterprise.

Focus on Margot. On the Bratva. Nothing else matters. ”

“That’s not a good idea. You have deadlines to meet,” Dom reminds me.

“Don’t tell me how to run my fucking company. I don’t tell you how to run your gang,” I hiss.

“Okay, everyone cool off,” Roman jumps in. “We’re working on it. We’ll figure this out, Matthias. Dom, Margot’s family now. Try acting like it. And Bash, I’d shut the fuck up if I were you.” He sighs. “Now can we get off the damn phone? I have shit to do. ”

Roman being the voice of reason is unsettling. We don’t usually fight like this. And he definitely doesn’t usually play peacemaker.

We end the call, but I’m still shaking with fury.

No one’s taking this seriously enough. And not being able to help? It’s torture.

I’ve always loved my role as the face of the legal side of the family, bringing in the money. But lately I’ve been wishing I had Dom’s power over the Syndicate, Roman’s brutality, Bash’s tech skills. Anything to help. Anything to protect her.

I’ve never felt so useless.

And beneath all the anger is something worse.

Fear .

I need to clear my head. There’s only one thing that helps.

Margot .

I check my watch and pull up the camera in her studio. She’s typically there around this time. I always know where she is. I will always know where she is, even after the threat is gone.

She’s in an armchair, talking into the mic. I turn on the speaker connected to the feed and listen in.

Sometimes I do this. Just hearing her voice calms me.

And today? It melts the anger out of me.

“ –I’m running from him, knowing what a monster he is. Unfortunately, my body doesn’t seem to get the message. I can feel my arousal dripping down my thighs.

‘You’re not fucking going anywhere,’ he growls in my ear.

He throws me on the bed. Before I can move, he’s on me. He rips my shirt down the middle, exposing my breasts. My peaked nipples betray my arousal.”

She pauses, then mutters to herself, “Come on, Margot. Let’s do it again. Get your head in the game.”

Her voice switches back to her narrator voice, and she starts over .

I’d think it’s adorable, if what she was saying wasn’t so fucking hot.

I don’t even notice I’m palming my cock until I feel a prick of pain.

I start loosening my belt, ready to jerk off to her voice, to her moans, to the filthy scene she’s voicing.

Then I pause as I get a better idea.

I buckle my belt, head out of my office, and start down the hall toward her studio.

All the fury and fear are replaced by a hunger I can’t ignore

Sweetheart, I’m coming for you .

She has no idea what’s in store.