Page 25

TWENTY-FOUR

Vlad

L ust is one of the seven deadly sins for a reason. I never understood why until seeing Inessa’s ass turn red under my palm. She is definitely Lilith as I walk into our new house to see her trying on fucking bikinis with my handprints on her ass. The closet is flooded with light, and she’s finally started to buy herself things if the multitude of empty bags are anything to go by. But my voice comes out rough at the thought of who’s going to see her like this.

“Where the fuck are you going?”

There’s no anger as she stares at me through the mirror and answers like I’m the idiot.

“You bought a house with a pool. What do you think it’s used for?”

Is she fuck walking around with proof of her brattiness for everyone to see. Turning her around so she can see what I do, I tilt her chin so she’s looking in the mirror behind her.

“No one sees those. They’ll imagine how you got them,” I say, ignoring the memory of how she looked soaking wet in more ways than one.

She looks up at me with a twisted smile as she taps her chin and acts cute as fuck.

“Yeah, that involved water too right?”

My fingers dig into her skin, and I expect a hiss, not a moan as her tender flesh is disturbed. My voice is low, and goosebumps raise up the length of her spine as she leans further into me.

“Keep being a brat and I’ll use more than my hand next time.”

Her eyes sparkle and she strokes her hands up my chest to thread her fingers together at my nape.

The smile on her face is wicked and she looks from my lips to my eyes as she speaks.

“What makes you think I’ll allow you a second time?”

She’s funny. I didn’t know she had such a sarcastic sense of humor under the cold-hearted bitch persona. She’s even funnier as she massages across my neck and tries to wrap her hand around my throat. I don’t stop her. For some reason I like seeing the way she fills with confidence. It’s no different now when she can’t even block my air. But the best part is when it falters, and she realizes that it’s misplaced. It happens easily as I push her back and copy her hold. Her head doesn’t slam off the mirror as the rest of her body is pressed against it and she lets go of my neck to grab my arm.

Stepping into her, I ignore the way her tits move with each shallow breath and speak against her lips.

“Do you see how easy it is for you to lose control?”

Her anger comes back, darkening her brown eyes further, and she drops her hold on my arm to stand taller with her chin tilted in the air. I squeeze the sides, watching how it forces her pupils to dilate as she plugs strength into her voice.

“Only because I’ve given you it.”

I’ve become accustomed to her delusional mentality and laugh again as I apply the smallest amount of pressure to her windpipe.

“You’re funny. Keep telling jokes now.”

It’s not enough for her face to turn red or cut off her air. It’s just enough, so she knows that the air traveling through her throat is under my control.

I loosen my hand and stroke down her neck, easing the discomfort as I pull a dress from the railing beside us. Inessa scrunches her nose up when I hold it out to her and gets offended again.

“You don’t tell me what to wear. It’s bullshit and caveman style to think that you can dictate that.”

I look at what’s in my hand, expecting it to be a nun’s habit at her outburst, but it’s a normal dress that she clearly fucking purchased.

There’s another closest to me, protected in a gown bag, it’s heavier and the hanger twists from the weight while she screeches, pushing at my shoulder.

“That’s my wedding dress, you idiot, you can’t see it.”

I have to hold her mouth closed. She softens, realizing her mistake, but there’s no apology for her insult. Whatever planning she has done with Dariya and Anastasia isn’t my concern. My only role is to show up, get crowned physically, and then mentally, as Pakhan.

She relaxes as I tilt her head so she can see me put it back on the railing. I like her like this, with my hand over her mouth so she can’t argue or rage. Stroking her cheek with my thumb, I delay letting her go and try to soften my order.

“Get dressed. Valya said the art thing you wanted to go to is open.”

They all talk to each other and sit together watching her god awful pimple show. Hopefully, she can abide the rules of the snobby artists and go around the gallery opening without running her mouth.

Her smile touches my palm as she nods her head and I take that as confirmation she’ll shut up and reluctantly let go. I step back and allow her to change as I go to the window to see everything that’s ours. It feels right being out of New York, to have a territory that’s only ours. The stables are off in the distance and Viktor is already obsessed with the horses as he runs through the garden towards them. There is no other fucker pretending to be in charge, and the property is big enough for everyone to grow together when it’s all done. The security box has guards around the clock. With our attention no longer split and every fucker bowing under me, Maximoff has no further doubts and I’m closer to my goal to get back to Vanya.

My finger moves against my thigh as I look at the boundary, knowing one day some fucker will attempt to breach it to get payback for my justified revenge. The small gap hidden near the stables allows me to breathe and warm fingers wrap around mine stopping my movements. Looking in the direction of it, Inessa stands beside me. She’s already dressed, and she smiles softly. Her voice is equally as soft and there’s care behind her eyes.

“I’m ready.”

I nod and extricate my finger from her grasp as I turn, waiting for her to follow me through the house.

She’s more subdued when we reach the elevator, and she keeps her eyes fixed ahead. The fake bitch persona comes out when we reach the front door, and she oozes power from every pore as Dima opens the door for her. She doesn’t take his hand to step up into the SUV and that one act has me fighting a smile. I know Dima wouldn’t touch her, he’s indebted to me, and we raised our siblings together so he’s family. He does the same, losing his grumpy disposition as he looks at me and smirks, keeping his voice low so the other guards don’t hear.

“Ona predana d’yavolu.”

I ignore the comment to stop myself from laughing at the absurdity of her being devoted to anything as I get in the car. It’s pride not loyalty that stopped her reaching out for help.

Inessa was built for the role of Pakhan’s wife, and she’ll make some other fucker’s life hell when she’s done with me. I can’t deny that she’s perfect for the role in public and she’s finally quiet as I drive through the gates. Flipping the visor down, she checks her hair and comfortably orders me around, breaking the peace.

“Do you have your card?”Her superpower is spending money like it’s water and I pause in answering.

She already has my card and unless it’s combusted from overuse, which wouldn’t be a surprise, there’s no reason for me have mine out at an exhibition. Sitting back in her seat, she sighs at the inconvenience of spending my money.

“You need to buy my apology gift for not telling me about moving. Would you rather your men see me put my hand in my pocket, lapachka?”

Her frozen mask thaws at the edges as she smiles in my periphery.

Looking away from the road, her devious smile is out in full force, and I hold her chin between my thumb and forefinger telling her what we both know.

“It’s my card in that pocket, anyway.”

Her smile dips and she looks away. It’s suspicious as fuck and there’s nothing she could do that would piss me off when it comes to spending money. But my brain works overtime trying to anticipate what she’s done with the insignificant card.

She shakes her head with my hold still on her chin and hesitates in speaking as I look for somewhere to pull over if nothing comes out.

“The bank have blocked it,” she quietly admits.

I haven’t had a call, and she’s all sad, making me want to fucking murder the bank manager. The promise is easy, and I relax knowing it’ll be a quick bloody fix.

“I’ll sort it, give me twenty-four hours.”

The fucker has been given strict instructions not to block any spending on the card or even call me to authorize a single payment. It was done with the intention of stopping her speaking to me, now it’s because of the way her eyes dim.

Keeping hold of her chin when my hand has the urge to go to hers, I focus on the road. I can’t get attached to Inessa like the rest of my family. They’ll have the opportunity to keep her after I’ve done everything I need to, and some fucked-up part of me relaxes at that. They’ll all have each other, and Valentin’s moody ass will break the clause allowing her in their lives.He’ll have someone to tell his tantrums to and the others will maintain their joy in her presence.

As though I’ve conjured him up with my thoughts, Valentin parks up outside the gallery at the same time as me. He’s pissed but not tantrum level, it’s deeper and his fists are balled as he turns spotting us. Nodding my head silently asking what’s happened, he shakes his head once and drops his anger.He doesn’t go inside and walks to Inessa’s door with his gaze fixed on the building. The trouble with raising my brothers means I know their every emotion. He’s hurt, and that’s enough information for me to be on alert. He can burn the place to the ground once Inessa has picked out whatever piece she wants to keep.

He doesn’t say anything to explain his presence as he opens the door and stays beside the ice princess. Neither of them know that they were supposed to marry each other, and I can’t see it now. They’d probably kill each other, between Inessa’s demand to be treated as an equal and Valentin’s need to be a cruel prick, they definitely would have murdered one another. It all clicks into place as we enter the gallery and I see a familiar head of hair. Daniela Carvalho hasn’t aged a day, and she’s still in fucking overalls like she’s been plucked from the past, chasing my brothers around.

She slowly turns, taking in the items on display as my brother doesn’t make any attempt to disguise his hate. He avoids her and guides Inessa to the opposite corner before she can spot him, and I keep my steps silent until I’m stood behind her. Her jaw goes slack when she sees me. There’s fear in her eyes, more than when she was a teenager sneaking into the house and her choked question has me on alert.

“How did you find me?”

If she was hiding, she’s doing a shit job staying in our territory, but I don’t voice her obvious fuck up and send Valentin a message to stay by Inessa’s side.

Gesturing for Dani to walk ahead, she twists her fingers together, being strange as fuck, and loses all composure when we reach the loading area at the back.

“I didn’t know what Carly did, I swear. It was her and Leno’s idea because they were in debt with some MC and she said you beat the shit out of her and you kind of did that at the party with Zoe and Chelsea.”

Holding my hands flat so she can see I don’t have a weapon and shuts the fuck up, doesn’t make her calm down and there are tears in her eyes as she starts hyperventilating.

I don’t give a fuck about her sister. Viktor will never know his mother and he’s a good kid. He’s happy and never asks after her. He has the childhood no other Vartanov could dream of.He’s safe, and no one gets to change that or bring shit into his life.

Dani folds in half, holding her knees, and manages to get her breathing back in order. She was a sweet kid, a bit wild with Vitali’s influence, but she hasn’t asked after her nephew which isn’t like the kid who basically lived in our house and became part of the family. She was the only one who would attempt to clean up after herself when I gave them their breakfast and she even managed to get my filthy brothers to do the same on a few occasions. Keeping all emotion or threat out of my voice takes work and her head snaps up at my question.

“What did Carly do?”

There’s nothing other than confusion covering her features and she speaks slowly like it’s a question.

“They stole from you?”

It’s laughable that she thinks her riddled sister and Leno’s drugged-out ass could take a cent from me. They wouldn’t be able to rob a vault if the doors were open and a helicopter was waiting for them. I put her at ease, and she straightens.

“I wasn’t looking for you, my fiancée wanted to buy some art shit for the house. You’re safe Dani.”

She looks like a kid again and I half expect Vitali to come running up behind her screaming he’s got his girl back. It’s unconventional how hard he latched onto her, but I don’t think he spent a night alone since Dani started sneaking through his window and staying in his bed.

It’s like looking at Viktor when he manages to convince Dima into whatever trick he wants him to perform that day. Shaking the thoughts away when he’s not her nephew anymore, I leave her to do whatever she needs and go back inside.

Inessa is stood at the end of the hallway sipping champagne with murder in her eyes directed towards me. If I checked into an inpatient facility, there would be more mental stability around me than there currently is. Valentin is like her anger coach, matching her expression over her shoulder, and whoever hexed me at birth better be in hell when I get there, or I’ll fucking drag them down with me to pay for this shit.

He waits for me to be at her side before he goes to chase after Dani. The frost settles in immediately as Inessa gives me her back. She could make the arctic a summer vacation with her cold shoulder as she goes through the pieces displayed. There’s no conversation or stupid remark, but I’m not happy about it. I’ve been telling her to shut her mouth, and she chooses the worst moment to listen.Or she’s fucked with my head that I crave the sound of her voice because I’ve been forced to endure it so frequently.

She steps away from my palm as I go to put my hand on her lower back. I’ve barely fucking touched her, and she’s forgetting her ass is still red from her insolence. There are too many people around to grab her and the press would fucking love seeing the Maximoff Media heiress being manhandled. Her red ass is going to be fucking sore for weeks and she’ll struggle to sit at her own wedding with the way she’s behaving.

Finding her voice, there’s a threat laced in the fake explanation of some painting.

“Deceit, see how the woman is crying?” She looks back over her shoulder, her eyes burning with rage as she drops her voice. “That wouldn’t be me, I’d be laughing and the heart on the floor wouldn’t be mine.”

I’m not an aesthete and give it a cursory glance. There’s a mangled heart in a puddle of blood while a woman holds her chest with bloody hands. Whatever the fuck it means clearly speaks to the personality disorder my bride has.

She doesn’t buy anything, and the coldness stays as we get back in the car. That’s my first warning when we haven’t been at the exhibition long. Discomfort snakes up my spine and my finger taps on the dash as I try to get the annoyingly talkative woman back.

“You hungry?”

I’ve become accustomed to the torture of her mouth, and she turns her head slowly like a horror movie.

“It is in your best interest not to be alone with me or speak to me.”

The formality is weird as fuck, and she holds herself rigid, staring straight ahead.

There’s a dark alley nestled between the buildings, and I pull into it as I knock the external lights off. I unclip my belt and face her. She doesn’t move until I try to tilt her face, but she slaps my hand away as her anger breaks through.

“Do not fucking touch me,” she seethes.

Gripping her neck, she fights my hold for once and hurt fills every syllable leaving her lips.

“I told you I would kill you both if you touched someone else. You’re a disrespectful fucking prick and now it’s my turn.”

Dragging her over the center console, I push my seat back hating the image she’s put in my head of what her turn would be. She continues her attempts to fight me as I grab her wrists in one hand behind her back. The fight is still there, mixing with pain as she looks away from me. Jolting her body with my hold, I wait until I have her attention to ask, “What are you going to do?”

She’s fucking crazy and leans into my palm saying one slow word that has my hand flexing.

“Everyone.”

I slit some bastard’s throat while he was laid above her, and she still thinks I’m bluffing. Squeezing the sides of her neck enough to make her lightheaded without cutting off any air, my voice is deadly.

“You’ll be the reason and witness to his death.”

She had years, five of them to be exact, to fuck anyone she wanted. She chose not to and now she’s fucking mine. My thumb blindly finds her ring finger bearing my insignia as a reminder of what will happen if she even attempts to let anyone else touch her. She shrugs and has a smile lifting my lips at her wicked mind.

“Who said it will only be men?”

My smile drops with her voice and words.

“I will lay myself on your bed like a fucking offering while you watch the parade of whoever I deem interesting enough.”

There’s no lie on her features, she would do that shit just to prove a fucking point and I cover her mouth before she can say anything else.

“No man fucking touches you, or you’ll bathe in his blood again. If you fuck a woman when I’m not there, or she so much as puts her little fucking finger inside you, that’s betrayal.”

No one else will fucking touch her, I’ve made it clear to her and she still tries to test me.

Biting my palm wanting to speak, I let go and she rages.

“But you can leave me to go fuck one of your fucking whores while your brother babysits me?”

Loosening my hold on her wrists, I try to hide my laugh at her assumption. It doesn’t work and filters through my explanation.

“Dani is a kid. She went to school with my brothers.” She lived in our house without actually moving any of her shit in, for fuck’s sake. She’s still the brace-face awkward girl that always had paint on her. Not someone I’d even entertain the idea of touching when I’ve made her fucking cereal before school.