Page 4

THREE

Vlad

I have bled and made others bleed for the two dumbasses, committed countless crimes, and taken part in many more sins to fucking protect them. Rewatching what my failure has resulted in, I don’t let it stop playing as Valentin keeps his mouth shut for once, and our father couldn’t give two fucks about his youngest child.

“It’s his punishment for being careless. If he survives, he’ll learn. If not, you’ve got rid of your weakness.”

Looking at the brother I have left, understanding floods him at how fucking naive he was to think power was for the sake of my ego. The video restarts, and Vitali’s voice is strong, filling me with equal parts pride and horror.

“Ni za chto.”

The same order I gave every time this prick would make them fight.

Get back up, stand every time. Don’t stay down, not for any price.Not for any fucking price.

It’s going to haunt me now.

Redirecting the conversation before Len attempts to give me an order like he’s a respectable father. There’s no emotion in my voice or respect, “Where is your wife?”

If she’s fucking one of the guards, I’ll have to replace them and disinfect whatever they’ve touched. Hard eyes land on me as he helps himself to my bar, but I’m thirty years too old for him to fight.

“She was tired after the flight and went to bed.”

He doesn’t answer the question of who the succubus has taken with her. The fucker probably doesn’t even know and leaves to check after pouring a too-heavy hand from my top shelf. Gluttonous bastard.

Once we’re alone, Valentin moves closer and keeps his voice low and hopeful, “You got a plan?”

His eyes go wide at my change in behavior as I drain my tumbler in one gulp, and I tell him all he needs to know for now. “I’ll switch places with him. You will marry Inessa and become the big brother in charge.”

Tapping the bar with my middle finger, I nearly laugh at the thought of him trying to figure this shit out after being protected for so long.

“Good luck. At least you won’t have to deal with your tantrums like I’ve had to.”

I’ve faced worse than death for the idiots, and there are no results coming back from the trace to give away the location. All of this headache over a fight, that bastard Roel won — he should be happy.

Valentin sits beside me and stares at me like a lost puppy.

“You’re not suicidal. You’ll get him out and then have your fairy-tale wedding.”

I don’t know what stories he’s been reading, but it’s not anything close to resembling reality. Inessa can have the aesthetic of her dreams, but she’ll know each step is to serve a purpose. It’s almost disappointing that she hasn’t fought back or tried to have Maximoff go back on our agreement. Each time I prod her, she bends publicly and strikes privately. She’d make a good Vor if they allowed women to do anything other than gather information or open their legs.

Sending the link to the woman who set the trap, I hope she’s in turmoil and the kindness she shows people is true. If I’m going to die, I’m haunting as many people as I can. I leave Valentin to celebrate or grieve, depending on his mood, and take the stairs to my floor as I watch the video play again.Each loop rattles my brain as I use the replay to work out how badly he’s injured.

His leg is fucked, I can see that from the drill bit currently stuck in his kneecap, but he’s still attempting to stand. The final image of those Albanian fucks holding a knife to my brother’s throat comes too soon, and I restart the video. Again.

Viktor’s night-time obsession plays out as I reach my floor and pocket my phone. He’s the closest in mental age to the little puppy that is Vitya. He’ll be upset if he finds out that he’s hurt. I walk through with my scowl already in place. Turning towards me, he forgets to drop his smile, taking away the heat from his attempted mean mug.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

My voice is too rough, but the kid likes it, and he sits back with his hands behind his head and ankles crossed.A king in the making.

Inessa can’t hide her disdain, looking me up and down like I’ve hit him. Ignoring her for now, I reach the end of the sofa in three steps. His glare comes out with more fire, showing he’s been practicing as I pick him up by his leg and carry him upside down toward his room. He chooses which floor he wants to sleep on every night, taking the unused service elevator, and he’ll never stay with his dad when Len and Anika are staying. It’s a way of physically getting as far away from them as possible, and he’d probably sleep on the roof if he could get past the child locks.

Dropping him on his bed, he scrambles under the covers, still wide awake, and the innocence comes out.

“Is Tali going to be home tomorrow? He promised to play a game with me when he got back.”

Stroking his hair back, I kiss his forehead and pull the sheets up to his chin giving my word.

“He’ll play with you when he’s home malyshonuk. Go to sleep.”

He smiles widely, believing everything I tell him, and plays the same shit game he always does.

“But what if monsters?”

Darkening my voice, I lean into him and let him see he’s protected by the worst one there is.

“There’s already one here.”

Turning his night light on, I wait for his lashes to flutter before silently leaving the room and go to my other houseguest. Inessa shuffles as far away from me as possible, and I can’t help my humor at her, thinking a few extra inches of air would save her.

“Do you sleep naked?”

My question has her cheeks turning ruddy, and she splutters, latching on to anger, “You’re a pig.”

Stopping myself from oinking in her face, I stay still.

“And you need to visit a farm to learn new animals.”

It’s her only fucking insult, for someone so sharp, she hasn’t let go of the animal in five years.

Her foot fidgets, and I take in the full length of the woman who is going to be my wife. She will look good covered in cum. The silk covering her body isn’t low enough to see her chest clearly, but her enraged breathing has more of the fabric tightening, giving me enough to catalog her. She’s stubborn, strong-willed, and hasn’t taken the opportunity to fuck anyone, unless she’s managed to escape the guards and not discuss it with her friends.

I don’t fuck virgins. I’ll happily spill blood, but they’re too much effort to relax. If I wanted to impart knowledge, I’d become a fucking teacher. With the clock ticking on whatever deadline the Kadares have, I use it to my advantage, and there’s no threat in my voice.

“Have you fixed the problem yet?”

I wait for her to say yes, and she sits smug with a small smirk on her lips, then flicks her eyes across my body. The appreciation isn’t new, and it won’t change my mind, but it’s the smirk on her lips that has my attention despite the way she lies.

“You’re still here so, unfortunately I’m having to deal with it.”

Without anything to keep me here, I stand and gesture for her to follow me. She doesn’t move, and I speak over my shoulder, not giving a fuck about whatever glare is being shot into my back.

“I suggest you move, or I’ll have to put my hands on you.”

The click of her heels taps against the tile in a steady rhythm, thinking I’d do anything other than pick her up.She’s not an opponent to me physically, it would be pathetic to fight against someone who’s unmatched, and I don’t need to assert physical strength over her when she’s already weakened by her protective bubble.

People make others into monsters and then perpetuate that fear by never looking deeper than their own opinion. Who gives a fuck if I’ve killed someone? Or if I’ve lost count of how many someones there have been? Inessa has grown up on the knee of the Pakhan, for fuck’s sake, but she’s acting afraid of me.I usually revel in it. That fear is like fuel. Somehow, it doesn’t energize me when it’s on her features.

She leaves space between our bodies as she follows me, and I can’t hold back my taunt.

“I didn’t know you were religious.”

There’s no threat in my voice. That fear is still there, lying under her confusion as I stretch my arm out into empty space.

“Leaving space for the Holy Spirit?”

Fuck me, she actually smiles, and the ice princess thaws making her glow. Her voice is melodious and playful as she takes a step back.

“A man and a woman are never truly alone. The devil is always present.” Looking me up and down, her voice drops, and I stand taller. “Doesn’t really count when you’re both the devil and man.”

It’s supposed to be an insult. Instead, it’s the best compliment she could ever give me. Show the world a man, and they’ll look for weakness to break him. Wrap the devil in him, and he breaks the world.

She moves closer to the bed with her brows together and looks around the room for whatever she thinks is missing. Her eyes linger on the bed, and she slowly tilts her head giving me her attention with her chin held proudly.

“Where are you sleeping?”

My feet move automatically, and her pulse is ticking against her neck, calling me closer. Lifting her hair out of the way, my voice is too low turning this into something it isn’t.

“Were you expecting bunk beds?”

She’s thrown off by my proximity and moves to the side to try to escape me. Crossing her arms over her chest, she hardens and stares into the space where my soul should be.

“Where am I sleeping?”

I actually prefer death over her constant fucking questions. I point at the bed and speak slowly to get through to her, “See this rectangle thing? It’s called a bed — you lay on it and close your eyes. If you could shut your mouth as well, that would be preferable.”

Valentin wasn’t as fucking bad as this when he was a toddler, and I’m going to kill one more person before my own death tonight. The look she sends me says she’s feeling the same. I should have left her to deal with her old-ass boyfriend sneaking into her room. Anger has her moving closer, and she stares up at me, somehow gaining authority she doesn’t have.

“I am not sleeping with you.”

Rubbing my lip with my thumb to hide my humor doesn’t work, and she goes red at my retort.

“Or anyone else, it seems.”

She fills with embarrassment over something as small as her hymen being intact, and hisses, “Fuck you.”

I react before she’s even finished and grab her jaw, pushing her into the mattress.

“Watch your language when you speak to me. I won’t warn you a third time.”

Her insolence is going to ruin her, and she pushes up with resolve.

“I’m not sleeping in the same bed as you.”

Acting like a gentleman stops in my own bed, I won’t sleep on the floor. You don’t return to where you started willingly, it has to be forced, and my last night on this fucking planet will be spent how I choose. Stroking her delicate jaw with my thumb, I lay out her options easily, “You can sleep on the floor, or in the bathtub for all I care. I won’t be moving to accommodate you.”

I’ve never looked at her closely, she’s striking from far away, but there’s barely any space between us right now. It might be my impending death that has me appreciating her, but I don’t move back. Her soft fingers wrap around my wrist, and she strokes the inside of my palm with her thumb. It’s not purposeful as she whispers into my lips, “It seems like you are, unless you sleep bent over your mattress.”

I let her go and straighten. She follows me, trying to pull the sheets with her. I wait until she’s collected her items to speak. “I didn’t say you could take anything. Those stay on my bed.”

Glaring at me over her shoulder, she grabs a pillow and chokes it as she tries to clean up her language.

“Can I take this, sir?”

It would have been fun making her spend however long we were married calling me sir, and I nod my agreement as she mutters under her breath, going towards the bathroom.

She stops in front of me without returning my false politeness.

“Give me a t-shirt.”

The thin silk draped around her body betrays the fact she has nothing on underneath, her nipples poking through, and I step back to get the full view.

“Firstly, remember your manners. Secondly, what do I get in return?”

She stares at me. I haven’t had anyone meet my eyes without some greed behind them in years. But she doesn’t break the eye contact as she slips the strap of her dress off one shoulder and hugs the pillow covering her body before doing the same to the other side.

“Keep your t-shirt if it means that much to you.”

Fuck me, I can’t see anything other than her legs and arms, but my dick reacts, knowing I’d only need to pull the pillow away. Following her with my eyes as she walks away, her ass is perfect, and the threat over her shoulder loses all heat with it in view.

“Vlad? Make sure you spend extra time brushing your teeth in the morning. Dental hygiene is very important.”