Page 22

The next morning I woke up in a much better mood than the night prior.

I had discovered a new upper hand that I planned to use to my advantage.

First, I would start by ignoring Sevan.

Something I knew she hated the most.

A content sigh fell from my lips as I grabbed my glass of water from my nightstand to take a long sip.

Until I decided to grab my phone and check any new notifications.

I felt my lips unconsciously twitch up, noticing a specific text from Sevan.

I purposely didn't answer, turning on my read receipts so she knew I saw it.

Then I slid out of my bed, stretching slightly as I stood onto my feet and walked toward my attached bathroom.

I decided to shower and get ready for the day, picking out a short brown sweater dress with matching stockings and stilettos to go with it.

Also, a chocolatey brown fur coat that would fall to my calves.

I wore my hair tucked precisely into a lower bun, displaying my face covered in minimal makeup.

I skipped my usual morning cigar, deciding my nerves already felt much at ease.

Instead, I exited my room to head down to the large dining room—noticing my dogs quickly approaching me with obvious excitement.

I immediately snapped two times, leaning down to pet Misha and Varya who happily wagged their tails and licked my hands.

Until I suddenly rose to my full height, causing them both to follow behind me as I descended the stairs.

They followed me throughout the house until I specified that they go elsewhere as I entered the dining room.

Where I immediately noticed Nikolai and Ivan eating breakfast with—

Sevan.

Who wore her usual baggy black t-shirt and jeans, leaving her leather jacket draped over her chair.

Which resided to the side of my chair at the head of the table... which she intentionally left open?

"Join us, Zinovia," Sevan said as soon as I backed away toward the door.

I tightened my jaw, "I'm not very hungry," I said, narrowing my eyes at her.

Sevan only hummed, unaffected by my hostility, "Sit, Zinovia," she repeated herself again only in a much more commanding tone.

I still backed out of the dining room anyway, turning on my heel to walk away from them all.

And that's when I heard a chair scrape against the marble floors.

Then, her footsteps that echoed not too far behind me.

But I didn't bother speed walking—heading past the dining room doorway and down the long hallway.

Until she managed to catch up with me halfway down the hallway—grabbing me by the waist and firmly pulling me back to her.

"You are very annoying," I mumbled as she held me firmly to the front of her body by my waist.

"Good morning to you too," Sevan said, pressing her lips to the side of my neck.

I rolled my eyes, even if her actions sent a warmth burning down my body, "Not a good morning with you here," I purposely said as she reached up to gently grab my chin.

And tilt my head further to the side, giving her better access to my neck.

"I hope you cleared your plans," Sevan said, guiding us over to the nearest wall.

And pressing the front of my body to it as she now trailed kisses up my neck—tugging my waist away from the wall.

Which left me arching back into her.

"I didn't," I said, but it came out more breathlessly—tightening my jaw when the warmth burning inside of me grew more intense.

"A lot of fucking people are going to be disappointed then," Sevan murmured, running her hand past my waist and circling it around to the front of my stomach.

I hummed, "Nyet—I keep my plans today," I said, standing my ground on the unwanted plans she made for me.

Even if my eyes naturally fell closed, feeling her teeth graze the sensitive skin of my neck before tracing her lips against the edge of my jawline.

"We're eating breakfast and then we're leaving," Sevan said, running her fingers across my lower stomach and sending every thought I had into a frenzy.

Yet I managed to shake my head.

Even if I couldn't verbally disagree with her sudden plans for today.

"I'll drag you to the car if I have to, Zinovia," Sevan said, now pressing a kiss below my ear, "It's your choice," she added, leaning away from me entirely.

Which naturally made my eyes shoot back open, letting out an irritated sigh as I adjusted my dress.

Something that Sevan had beat me to—pulling the hem of my dress lower for me.

And considering Sevan would manage to get her way with these sudden plans, I decided to give it to her.

Only with the silent treatment.

Purposely.

It would drive her insane eventually.

But it didn't seem to bother her as we walked back down the hallway with an appropriate distance between us—entering the dining room again where Nikolai and Ivan were almost finished with their breakfast.

Yury rode with Arina to drop her off for her shift at the library, so it was only us.

"Via, you join us for breakfast," Nikolai said, pointing out the fucking obvious as Ivan openly analyzed both me and Sevan.

I shrugged, "I'm hungry I guess," I mumbled as we approached the end of the table.

"We also have business to discuss," Sevan said, openly hinting at their leave.

Which earned a narrowed look from me.

But it didn't matter what I had to say, Sevan's indirect demand was enough to make both of my right-hand men stand up from their chairs.

"We go get started on today's business then," Nikolai happily said as he briefly wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin, "We see you later Via."

Ivan nodded in agreement at Nikolai's statement, setting his glass of water down as he exited the room with him.

Yet I still remained silent, watching as Sevan pulled out the chair for me and motioned me to sit down.

I tightened my jaw, silently sitting down in the chair without a single disagreement.

Which was enough to make Sevan tilt her head at me.

But she still sat down in the chair to the left of mine, grabbing one of the glass plates.

Which she started adding various foods to, not bothering to ask what I wanted.

I pursed my lips into a thin line, glancing down at the filled plate she sat in front of me.

"Is there something you would like to say, Zinovia?" Sevan asked, her tone holding a level of sarcasm as she eyed my face.

I lazily shrugged, sparing her a response as I grabbed my fork and began eating some of the eggs.

Meanwhile, Sevan paid my silent treatment no mind—now making her plate along with glasses of orange juice for us both.

Sevan didn't break the silence even as we ate, purposely letting me remain silent.

Which irritated me to say the least.

Mostly because it bothered me more than her.

Still, I sat through the entirety of breakfast with her—not bothering to utter a word.

Even as we walked out to her chauffeured car waiting out front for us.

Or the car ride that appeared to take us away from the busy city of Moscow.

Until Sevan finally broke the barrier between us.

And laid a folder in my lap.

I furrowed my brows, naturally picking the folder up to glance through it.

But all it held was a list of names to the left and their address to the right.

There were also a list of people associated with each person listed right under their address.

"I heard killing people makes you happy baby," Sevan said, running her hand across the back of my neck that she gave a firm squeeze.

Which annoyingly sent goosebumps racing down my spine.

"I have a list of over thirty loose ends I need to handle—knock yourself out," Sevan murmured, her dark eyes burning into the side of my face as I continued analyzing the list in front of me.

But I still refused to say a single word to her.

Even if this did make me very... happy.

I refuse to show that emotion though.

Especially in front of Sevan and at the expense of my own ego.

So I firmly shut the folder and glanced out of the tinted window away from her—desperately trying to ignore her thumb that gently caressed the back of my neck.

But it was all I could fucking focus on for the entire ride—how she would trace my skin with purpose, gently squeezing my neck from time to time.

She was unbothered.

I hated it.

But I decided to fuel that hate into something else.

Killing the first person on the list—who apparently killed someone in his gang and pinned it on someone else from a rival gang.

Which Sevan said led to a gang war that she and the executioners quickly handled.

But the guy who was responsible got away.

Or he managed to make it to the safe house on the snowy outskirts of Russia.

He didn't technically getaway.

He's going to wish he got killed by anyone else.

Just not me.

"He's going to try and run," Sevan said as she opened my car door.

I didn't bother taking her extended hand, sliding out of my seat past her as my heels clicked against the snowy gravel.

The safe house looked like one of the usual snowy cabins displaced in the middle of nowhere.

"Running makes it more fun," I said, sliding the gun from my fur coat before Sevan could offer me one.

Which naturally made her grow amused, walking by my side as numerous guards slid out of the three different SUVs that followed behind us.

"I do this alone," I said, not bothering to glance over to Sevan as we approached the safe house.

"Disengage," Sevan immediately said to the guards now following behind us.

Which immediately made them halt in place, leaving me to shoot the door handle off myself.

Sevan followed me into the small cabin that was almost like a studio apartment.

And I could immediately spot the trembling man balled up under the covers.

Pathetic.

"Too easy," I sighed, walking over to the bed and yanking at the furry cover.

Which immediately revealed a man wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants as he remained balled up in a fetal position.

"I'm sorry—I swear I'm sorry," the man quickly said as I stood at the end of his bed with Sevan by my side.

Who naturally ran her hand across my lower back, settling her arm around my waist.

"I needed his spot—"

His own scream cut his words short, feeling the pain of the bullet I shot through his leg.

"You have no loyalty for your people," I said stoically, now shooting his other leg.

Which immediately filled the house with the loud ringing of another bullet and his gutted scream.

The man trembled almost violently as dark blood quickly oozed from his open wounds, soaking the bed he laid in.

"You sound like little girl," I murmured, feeling my lips twitch up as I glanced over to Sevan.

Whose dark eyes were already on me, trailing every inch of my face.

"I want to cut him up," I told her in a soft whisper.

"What? No-no please don't let her near me," I heard the man plead as he tried crawling to the edge of the bed soaked in his own blood.

He should've tried to run instead of begging like a pathetic boy.

No man would do that.

Sevan only hummed, her stare lingering on my glossed lips, "Go for it baby," she murmured, ignoring the man's echoing pleas around us.

I nodded, glancing down when she reached her other hand under her shirt and revealed a matte black knife from her waistband.

"I use my own," I told her with a narrowed look.

Yet she handed me the knife anyway.

"I want to watch you use mine," Sevan whispered so delicately, firmly squeezing my waist before she let go of me entirely and took a step back.

I hummed contently, approaching the side of the bed as Sevan sat down in the nearby chair to watch me.

It only took me ten minutes to truly have his body slightly dismembered.

I slashed the knife across his legs first, which I previously shot so he couldn't run from me.

Then I focused on his arms.

But at some point he passed out, deeming it not as fun.

So I decided to pull the bloodied knife away, not beginning to care about my stained clothes as I approached Sevan.

Who immediately took the knife from my hand, walking over to the sink to wash the blood off and dry it.

"Let him bleed out," I told Sevan as I walked toward the door with her following behind me outside.

"Yes boss," Sevan casually murmured one of the most attractive things that I had heard fall from her lips.

But I refused to give her the reaction she wanted, so I forced my lips to remain in a line and avoided her dark eyes as she opened the car door for me.

Luckily, there wasn't too much blood on me—just a few splatters given how accustomed I was to leaning out of the way when blood sprays from certain body parts.

I also know certain body parts expel more blood than others.

"I have clothes for you when we're done," Sevan told me, eyeing my dress and fur coat.

That I would need Nikolai to have replaced by tomorrow.

This is a really fucking good fur coat, and I love the brown shade.

"Zinovia," Sevan suddenly said again, which naturally made me turn my head and reluctantly meet her dark eyes.

But I didn't verbally acknowledge her.

Which I could finally see was beginning to bother her.

I narrowed my eyes at her as soon as she brought her hand up to my face—gently wiping her thumb against my cheek to wipe away any drops of blood.

"You look pretty like this," Sevan murmured, briefly glancing down to my lip.

But when I continued to remain silent, she quickly glanced up and met my light eyes.

"Tell me how pretty you are baby," she demanded, running her hand down from my cheek to my neck.

That she firmly wrapped her hand around.

"I am very pretty," I didn't hesitate to say, considering how easy the words came to me, "Very fucking attractive."

Sevan hummed in approval, "Yes..." she trailed off, eyeing my neck that she pressed her thumb slightly against, "Very attractive."

I felt my lips twitch up slightly, eyeing her sharp bare face that managed to glow under the light streaming in from the tinted car windows.

"I am mad at you, Sevan," I suddenly said, faking a sigh as I turned my head to face back front, focusing on the snowy fields that blurred past us.

Until Sevan turned my head back toward her by my neck.

"Finally you said it," Sevan sighed, not remotely bothered by the fact that I was mad at her.

I raised a brow, "Now you say sorry," I commanded.

Which made Sevan...

Smile?

"But I'm not," Sevan whispered so softly as she eyed my face, "Even is even, Zinovia–you chose to start this with Nazara."

I tugged back against her hold, naturally making her hand tighten around my neck.

"I don't speak to you then," I gritted with a narrowed look directed at her.

Sevan's smile grew slightly, "Pouting is cute on you anyway," she murmured, finally letting go of my neck.

Which made me naturally roll my eyes, leaning my body away from hers as I leaned into the door.

At least until Sevan firmly grabbed my knees and forced them back to their original position—leaving my upper body facing away from her.

I let out a bored sigh, purposely crossing my leg over the other to nudge her hand off.

Which made Sevan rest her hand back on my leg in response, giving it a firm squeeze almost as a warning.

And I knew fighting her would only give her what she wanted.

My attention.

Or me speaking to her.

So I remained still under her touch—almost stiff on purpose.

But it didn't visibly bother her.

Not even when I ignored her for the entirety of our time spent killing more people on that list.

We made it to fifteen when I grew bored.

And aggravated by Sevan's lack of acknowledgment.

I hate when she's calm.

"You said change of clothes," I said, staring out of the window at the historic building.

"At my stylist, yes," Sevan said as she opened her door.

I rolled my eyes, "You didn't mention that part," I mumbled under my breath, opening my own door before the driver or Sevan could.

Which meant I was past fucking irritated.

I never open my own door unless I want to slam it shut.

Which I did.

"Feel better baby?" Sevan purposely asked as I walked away from the car that had previously rattled from the loud slam.

I remained silent, not bothering to look at Sevan as I walked past her to the revolving glass door.

Which I purposely entered separately from Sevan, walking into the clean and modern lobby.

Everything was a marble white and shining so blindly under the modern chandeliers.

It gave me a headache.

I tilted my head at the two women seated at the front desk—who openly eyed my clothes in concern.

At least until Sevan emerged from the revolving door.

Then they stood from their squeaky swivel chairs, briefly lowering their heads at her presence.

"We go get Ms. Belova urgently," the blonde quickly said as the brunette began backing away from their shared desk.

Sevan nodded once even if they had already rushed to one of the nearby doors—running her arm around my waist.

Which naturally made me roll my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest as I actively ignored her familiar cologne.

It was silent as it had been all day between us.

Until the woman who I assumed was Ms. Belova emerged from the doors.

She was middle-aged, low sleek bun, light but noticeable botox, and wore—

The newest line of Chanel?

Specifically a detailed snowy white blouse with dress pants and pale blue stilettos.

This I like.

"Sev, darling," Ms. Belova said as she approached us both with a smile.

"Vika," Sevan said, allowing the woman to side-hug her even as she continued to keep her arm around my waist.

Ms. Belova's dark eyes suddenly locked with mine, "And you must be?" she politely asked as she analyzed my face and blood-stained clothes.

"Your worst client," I mumbled, which naturally made the woman's brows rise slightly.

Until she suddenly smiled wider?

"I like her," she had the nerve to tell Sevan like her approval fucking mattered in the first place.

"She has that effect on people," Sevan said, suddenly glancing over to me, "Call her Koslov," she told Ms. Belova.

Which unconsciously made my eyes lock with Sevan's, unaccustomed to that name falling from her lips.

But I...

Fuck me, I liked it.

I forcefully rolled my eyes, immediately glancing away from Sevan as the woman I assumed was named Vika led us past the front desk and the doors behind it.

There was a large dressing room among numerous—but the one she led us to was larger and visibly grander than the others.

I like this too.

"I want everything on my body replaced," I told Vika as soon as we made it to the room.

Vika only smiled, "I do better darling," she assured me, backing out of the room to grab the different clothes.

Which left me with Sevan who was already seated on the couch, pouring champagne into the provided flutes.

But I didn't bother to approach her—even as she grabbed her own flute and began sipping from it, leaving me the one she poured for me.

Which I eventually grabbed with reluctance, watching Vika now enter the room again with different women rolling in racks of clothes.

"I give you options—and I also picked out a specific outfit that you try," Vika explained as the women politely walked out of the room, "You try first outfit please?"

"Da," I mumbled dryly as Vika exited the room, closing the double doors behind her.

I let out a long sigh, setting my flute down on the glass coffee table with a clatter as I reached for my jacket.

Which I immediately slid off my arms, dropping the article of clothing on the floor.

"The private dressing room is to the left," Sevan specified as I slipped my heels off, approaching the racks of clothes.

I nodded in response to her statement as I analyzed the outfit picked out for me.

It was a brown fur coat... but better?

This one isn't planned to be released until next season.

I clenched my jaw, fighting against my lips that wanted to lift so fucking badly into a smile.

I really like this.

Blyat.

I wanted to hate this.

I suddenly froze at the idea that popped into my head—suddenly realizing how I could make this a little more enjoyable for myself.

And less for Sevan.

This time I will make her cave.