Page 20

NINETEEN

Vlad

E xpecting to find Inessa hiding on the top floor, there’s no one here. There are no lights on, and her things haven’t been moved, but she’s nowhere in the house. I’ve gone through every floor in the hours since she’s been gone and I’m regretting not chipping her like a prized pet. Going back down, I repeat my checks. Somewhere along the line she has been added to the list of people I have to make sure are safe before I can do anything I need to.I can’t leave the house unless I know they’re all breathing and safe. All the windows are closed and there’s no breeze floating through from anywhere, but I can feel my chest tighten.

I load the cameras and run them back to when I left my office. The little thief slinks out a few minutes later and pockets a set of keys. She looks ridiculous with that pink shit on her face, and I can’t even laugh about it with the amount of bruising on her neck. There’s an instinct gaining steam telling me that this woman is going to fuck up my life and I’ll sit back in awe of how fantastically she achieves it. She already has me gaining respect for her which is dangerous enough on its own. There are no notions of love or care, respect is the commodity that is used to barter alliances and start wars.

She took Valentin’s pride and joy, so I hope for her sake she’s a careful driver or he’ll end up throwing one of his tantrums and bitching if it’s scratched. It’s been hours and my jaw clenches at the thought of her fucking some prick wearing my ring. Now that Inessa is my bride publicly, no one will fucking touch her.Once she’s fucked herself and got used to having something inside her, the only dick she will feel is mine. I’m not going to allow any doubt over paternity to stop my family being safe.

I pace by the bar as I watch the external cameras, waiting for her to get the fuck back from whoever was so important. She’s spent the day with my family, fitting in with them, and bonding with their vain fucking habits. Tapping on my thigh as the minutes pass without any sight of her, I relax seeing the headlights approach.They don’t go to the garage. She stops outside the doors and gets out leaving the guard to park as though they’re the valet. That stubborn fucking woman won’t be satisfied until she’s my equal without spilling a drop of blood.

Even in the screen she looks too happy, not because it’s genuine, but she’s suspiciously giddy as she walks with purpose through the doors. I follow her through the cameras until she’s in front of me and pocket my phone. Her smile is the first thing I see, it’s wider but her clothes aren’t crumpled. There’s not a single golden hair out of place on her pretty little head or a crease in her dress, allowing me to relax.

Unless she folded it to avoid the creases .

I don’t allow that thought to gain traction because there was no wince as she walked in.

I’m looking for the wrong type of evidence as she picks my hand up and places something cool in my palm. The smugness in her voice stops me examining it as I take in the full sight of her.

“Looks like I didn’t need to cut my finger off after all.”

Opening my hand, the platinum that should be wrapped around her finger is bent, having been cut off. Fuck me, this woman isn’t docile or an ice princess. She’s a queen making her own rules, exactly like she keeps demanding.

My laugh is genuine at her need to try to win not realizing she’s fucked herself. Shrugging out of my suit jacket, I remove my cufflinks lining them up on the bar top and rolling my sleeves up. A low sound of appreciation leaves my bride as she stares wide eyed at the movement.

“Oh fuck.”

Her stunned state helps me, and she doesn’t resist as I gently hold her forearms to pin her arms behind her back.It pushes her chest into mine and her eyes are filled with lust as she looks up at me.

I pull her closer and she stares in a triangle between my eyes and lips. There’s nothing but desire between us both. Mine isn’t sexual as I turn her, so she’s pressed against the bar. She keeps her dark orb-like eyes fixed on my face and has no attempt at fight as I hold her wrists in one hand to turn on the burner. The sound of the flame roaring to life has her turning rigid. Her head whips to the side, and she tries to bring her knee up as she curses, “Get off me, you fucking weirdo.”

I hold her wrists tighter and pin her in place with my hips as I hold the V insignia to the flame with the ice tongs. Looking from the metal slowly heating to her, I ask, “Shall we see how you take this one off?”

Her eyes go wide, and the refusal falls on deaf ears as she tries to twist away.

“Fuck off. You are not disfiguring me.”

Her struggle doesn’t help her, it just makes her grind into me, and she stops trying to pull her arms free as her hips continue moving. She’s so transparent it’s laughable. She wants me to fuck her. All the taunts and her refusal to fuck anyone else make it even more obvious. I can’t hold back my question as I wait for the cufflink to glow.

“Are you infatuated with me, meelaya?”

It’s the only thing that makes sense, but Inessa scoffs and spits out, “Adjust your ego, you’re as fascinating as a wet fart.”

Pride wells inside of me.

She’s perfect.

If only she didn’t try to bend me as though I’m malleable.

I pull her right hand taut and she slaps out with the free limb trying to push me away. It makes her turn, forcing me between her thighs, so she’s looking right up at me. She keeps fucking fidgeting as I hold her hand flat against the stone bar top and press my forearm over her chest.

“Stay still.”

The rough command works, and my voice turns deadly with my next question.

“Did you fuck someone else?”

Her heart thuds against my forearm, but there’s no answer, and I move my thigh between hers.

“Answer the fucking question.”

She’s bent backwards, and I lean into her allowing her to see the threat without the knowledge it’s bullshit.

“I’ll shove a hose up you and wash you clean if you even think about lying.”

Her entire face falls and she blinks before slowly shaking her head once. I reward her honesty with my own.

“Ya yedinstvennyy, kto tebya trakhayet.”

She nods in a daze and the metal tongs between my fingers starts to warm. I pull it away from the flame issuing my promise.

“If you even think about touching anyone else, I’ll mark your cunt the same as your finger.”

Lifting my elbow up so she can bite into my forearm, I press the hot metal into her ring finger. There’s no scream or bite, a true fucking queen glaring at me turning her pain into power.

Lifting the cufflink off her skin, awe fills me. Inessa is the first and only thing that has ever been solely mine and I won’t keep her with my timescale in place. But I can enjoy the feeling while it’s there. She doesn’t scream profanities at me or curse my name as usual, and I loosen my hold on her wrist when she doesn’t try to pull away. Taking an ice cube from the bucket, I gently press it over her tender flesh, and she lets out a whimper. The urge to tell her I’m proud of her sits on the tip of my tongue and I have to physically bite down on the muscle to stop it leaving.

The steel in her voice doesn’t betray her being subdued as she demands equality.

“What about you?”

Keeping the ice on her finger, I step back unbuttoning my shirt with one hand and showing her my side.

“Already have the insignia, meelaya.”

It’s distorted with being older than her and she shakes her head.

“That tells people you are a Vartanov.” Straightening, she points to her finger and continues. “That, is a Vartanov claim. But I’m not one, and I deserve my own.”

She loses some of her anger as I grab a fresh piece of ice and she actually waits for my confirmation. She’s covered the marks on her neck, and I cup her nape tracing the lines hidden under her makeup. Softening my voice as much as I’m able to, I stroke along her jaw with my thumb.

“You will never own me. Or brand me. I belong to no one.”

The anger comes back, and she moves her head back to evade my touch.

“Why do you have to be such a fucking prick all the time?”

Her outburst has my fingers itching to wrap around her neck. Gripping her hair at her scalp instead, she glares up at me and I press the ice harder to keep her hand in place. She doesn’t allow me a breath to remind her about her tongue and sadness coats her features.

“Did I do something to you I don’t know about?”

My brows come together, and I move my head back confused as fuck at what she’s saying.

“Why the fuck do you hate me Vlad?”

The small voice makes me feel weird, and the truth comes out.

“I don’t. I’d have to feel something for you to hate you.”

It’s not a lie. Hate requires some betrayal or expectation of more. The only thing I expect her to do is give me an heir, once that’s completed she’s no longer of use to me.

She takes it as an insult, and tears line her lashes as she deflates. It’s uncomfortable as fuck witnessing it when there’s usually a smartass comment. Her mouth opens again, speaking to herself and my entire body turns rigid.

“This is the man I’m supposed to have a child with, you would destroy it before it was a year old.”

Lead drops in my stomach and every muscle in my body. I let her go and take a step back controlling myself, so she doesn’t know how much those exact fucking words affect me. It takes everything in me not to push them down her throat and I move further away when my hands itch.

I keep walking until I’m out of the room and pick up a random set of keys not giving a single fuck over who will throw a tantrum in the morning. I need release, it’s not sexual release but aggression. Someone has to pay for my sins, and I don’t look back as I leave the house. The door doesn’t click, and the sound of heels follow me.This fucking woman is going to drive me crazy; she’s given her stupid fucking quip hitting the only weakness I have and now she wants to follow me.

Ignoring Inessa’s mouth, and presence, she becomes inescapable getting in the passenger seat before I can throw her out.

“I told you not to abandon me.”

She has a death wish or enjoys being in danger constantly fucking running towards me. Buckling herself in like we’re going shopping, she looks at me like I’m an idiot and bugs her eyes out.

“Drive then.”

Why the fuck couldn’t she have had a sister? Or even a brother, I’d fake being gay over dealing with Inessa. I’d have chosen Maximoff’s favorite fucking dog as a bride if I was given the option and it would get me where I need. It would be quieter hearing that bark than her constant chatter.

But I don’t push her out and she sits primly in the seat as I drive towards the warehouse we use away from any other business under the Bratva. Her head turns looking for a reference point. Anastasia has already left, and Dima’s car is parked at the back when we get out. Before more noise can leave the hole in her face, I glare at her lips making them close.

“Good girl, now walk and make sure they stay shut.”

My previous assumption that Inessa is a pillow princess is bullshit, she’s a brat and needs to feel in control. Also translates as hard fucking work.

She stays in step with me as we enter the warehouse and I ignore her. The next time Valentin throws a fucking tantrum I’m siccing my bride on him. Her mouth not only rivals his outburst, but she’ll outdo him. I trade places with Dima and his brows go up seeing her sitting like a queen in the chair that did have his things on. She’s piled them on the floor beside her and has her legs crossed dressed in a white dress surrounded by blood. The only thing saving her is those pouty lips being closed.She carries authority too well, too naturally, and he doesn’t question it.

Shrugging to himself and accepting the change, he drags the dead fucker away and goes to get the next in the lineup. There’s only curiosity on Inessa’s face as she examines the space like it’s an art exhibit and her anger comes back seeing me remove my shirt. The lips that will haunt me until the day I die, open when my fingers go to my belt, and she spits out, “Are you going to fuck someone right in front of me?”

I’m going to start paying myself every time she speaks when she’s told to shut up. I’ll have a couple of million by the end of the year.

My belt buckle clangs like a gavel with each step I take until I’m in front of her and I don’t put out the flames of her anger. Stoking them higher, I gesture to the door.

“You don’t have to watch what you’ve never experienced.”

It’s not an outright lie, and she undoes my button glaring up at me. She’s careful not to touch my dick as she lowers my zipper with her nostrils flaring and murder is facing off against me.

“I might as well get a sample of how disappointed I’ll be once we’re married.”

Like fuck she’ll be disappointed, we’ve already established what she wants despite her earlier lie.

My hand moves without me thinking and I hold her wrist pushing her hand into my trousers. Fitting my lips by her ear, my voice is low not wanting my live punching bag to hear.

“Don’t lie when we both know you’re soaking your little panties right now.”

She hums as she squeezes my dick through my boxers. I’m not fully hard with the task needing to be completed clinking behind me and she turns into me. Her lips brush my jaw with each low husky syllable falling off them.

“We both know you’re a selfish bastard and I’d be getting myself off,” then she lets me go, but I catch sight of the way she bites the corner of her lip as I straighten.

She drops it straight away and I step in front of her blocking the soon-to-be-dead man from seeing her as he begs for his life. Tracing the edge of her lip that was caught between her teeth as it glistens, I tilt her head back so she’s looking up at me fully and lower my voice.

“You seemed to be drooling. Fix your problem, then I’ll plug your other leak.”

She flushes, her cheeks turning ruddy as she shifts uncomfortably on the seat.

She sits taller and presses against my hip with another command on her tongue.

“Go fuck your little torture victim.”

I take a controlled breath to stop myself from throttling her intentionally. Fuck it, she’s allowed herself some false comfort because I’ve been kind so far and she’ll see what I’m truly capable of now. That will stop her running her mouth and demanding shit from me like I’m some errand boy to her whims and fancies.

I turn and stop Dima from hanging the fucker up on the hook. The chain is already threaded through it and my new toy shakes as I pull off the rest of my clothes so I’m in my boxers.

“Please, God, I didn’t do anything.”

Snot runs into his mouth sticking in his facial hair. He’s younger than the average, around Inessa’s age. He has an athletic build too. He could be an opponent rather than solely an outlet. My smile feels dark and sinister as I change my mind. It’s only fair I use the suka for release when he done the same to me. I stand free of any blood in nothing other than my boxers, but he whimpers full of fear making me laugh.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you recognize me?”

Stopping myself from saying anything more with Inessa being present, I select a random knife from the table and test the weight as I change my mind and want it to be a fair fight. Dima looks at me, awaiting instruction and I stretch my neck to the side speaking around a calm smile.

“Get rid of the chains, I’m in a good mood.”

Catching the knife by the handle, I point it at my entertainment and lightness fills me.

“It’s your lucky day, I’ll give you a chance.”

The shaking intensifies, and he stares at me wide eyed. People act like I’m fucking crazy when offering them a knife while I only have myself. It’s bullshit. I like their fear, it’s the one thing I’ve worked for over the last twenty-five years. That fear is intoxicating, and it stops everything.

The sick fuckers who have committed unspeakable sins always back away in terror without the privacy of whatever fucking basement they used to get their kicks. He drops to the floor as Dima undoes the mechanism, the chain hitting the concrete with a heavy clang. He stumbles as they’re removed and takes a step forward.

I can’t help myself and pretend to slash him, the pure fucking fear staring back at me has my head falling back from the force of my laugh. Holding it between my finger and thumb, I throw it on the floor behind him and roll my shoulders waiting until it’s in his hand for it all to turn silent. For it all to stop, just like that day I found the off switch for pain. It’s never my own that quiets the noise. The pain of others is the only thing that allows the calm in.