Madness (Revenge Series Book 3)

by M. S. Brannon

  His jaw is still razor sharp and clenched in a tight lock, yet his eyes flash with the struggle between what he should do and what he wants to do.

  The mask is removed as his icy irises transform into a blue heat.

  He wants me. He wants this. But the question is, will he succumb to it?

  I’m starting to work at the button on his pants when Nikolai strikes without warning.

  I am flipped around, my back against his chest. I can feel his arousal pressing into my backside. The aura of lust is dripping around us, just as it was when he slammed me into the hood of his car and ripped my world to shreds.

  His grip still tight around my neck, he trails his other hand along my side, inching it down until I can feel the heat from his fingers on the outside of my thigh. I hold my breath, reveling in his touch.

  Nikolai leans down, his mouth next to my ear. He expels a breath, and it prickles against my skin, making me quiver. He sucks on my earlobe then pinches it between his teeth, and unrelenting desire escapes between my lips while my insides become lava-hot. His fingers leave warm sensations as they dance their way under my T-shirt and along the hem of my panties. The fine lace is shredded the moment Nikolai yanks his arm back, ripping them from me.

  I can hardly stand. The anticipation is too great.

  Nikolai jerks me back around, our eyes locking in a dangerous stare down. We are on that very delicate ledge. He wants me, and I want him, but he is still debating if that is something he will pursue.

  From the moment my hunt for him began a month ago, something arose within, and now it is impossible to keep it subdued. Even more strangely now is that I don’t want to. I want to keep the newly acquired life of ours breathing with every move we make.

  Nikolai, on the other hand, has lived a life of rules and codes his entire existence, and fucking the woman who is supposed to help you on your mission is probably breaking several of them.

  He doesn’t release my throat as he pins my back against the wall again. I look deeply at him, narrowing my eyes and slicing him up with every second that passes. I run my hand down his waist again then jerk the button open on his pants, and they fall to the floor. Then I plunge my hand deep inside his boxers and wrap my hand around his hardened body.

  Nikolai sucks in a breath, trying like hell to keep his face stoic. However, I can feel the will unraveling as I glide my hand down to the base of his erection then back to the tip. I twist my wrist slightly while I slowly run my closed palm down and back up. Down and back up.

  The darkness in his blue irises ignites and liquefies into a deadly heat. They are glazed over with an aching hunger, filled with a lascivious need. With each stroke down his shaft, I am slowly chipping away the wall he barricades himself behind. I’m breaking the rules he strives to follow as I work him.

  The grip around my neck loosens, and his fingers find their way up, clenching my jaw. He leans in and, for a second, hesitates. He tips his head closer then hesitates again.

  It feels like an eternity before Nikolai slams his lips against mine and devours me. I can hardly breathe as the kiss deepens and my need increases. My hand slows to a stop as he consumes my mouth, conducting a wicked dance of our tongues. I can’t break free. I don’t want to.

  I pull my hands from his boxers and seize his face, palming his cheeks between my hands. I keep my grip tight and his lips attached to mine.

  Nikolai yanks my leg up on his hip as he brings his other hand between our bodies. He thrusts his fingers into me, and my breath vanishes. The steadiness of each movement sends tingles rippling throughout my core. I clench my muscles, close to the brink of my desire.

  He expertly works his fingers in and out of me, and as the heat builds, my knees weaken. My lips are still attached to his, but my breaths are rapid and lost in the tango with Nikolai. One second more and I will be plummeting down into the fiery pits of my orgasm.

  When he detaches from my body, my head is swimming. My sight is fuzzy. I hold my breath as Nikolai slides his boxers off. The moon is gleaming through the window, and with every movement of his muscles, his tattoos dance in the beams.

  His body is perfect. Nikolai is inked, scarred, and toned. His touch is brutal yet calming. And the passion he has in this moment is exactly the same.

  He’s going to ravage me, and I have never wanted anything more in my life.

  I find the energy to remove my shirt and go on the offensive. I stalk my way to his warm, waiting frame. Walking around him, I look at the fine specimen he is as my eyes trail down his rippled, lean back and over his perfect ass. The cathedral on his back flexes when the muscles in his shoulders twitch. He turns, but before he can do a single thing, I push Nikolai to the mattress behind him and fall immediately on top of his waist. I want him to know what he does to me. I want to ride him. And I want it to be hard and fast. The control needs to be mine.

  I straddle his hips as I reach around behind me and ease him into me. The erotic shivers cover me as I adjust to the fullness, slowly moving down, savoring the sensation one inch at a time until I am sitting completely on him. Then I start to rock. My hips sway forward then back. Forward then back.

  With every dance of my pelvis, I open up and accept his length.

  His eyes are shining with a lustful glimmer as his fingers find my nipples, pinching them hard. He then palms my breast and grips them as he did my neck moments ago. It skyrockets me closer to the heavens the longer he holds them. I’m so close.

  Nikolai sits up, wrapping his arm around my waist, then flips our bodies over. The control is lost as he takes me over with every thrust of his hips. He dips his face down, our lips grazing and foreheads touching. Our bodies are slick with sweat, our lips tasting salty and the air smelling of our passion. His elbows are resting on either side of my head, our bodies completely connected and close.

  I raise my leg, hooking it around his hip and deepening the penetration. I start to shudder. The brink is nearing.

  Nikolai rocks faster and harder. The noises trapped in the back of my throat escape as he pushes himself rapidly inside of me. Then my sight splinters and my head spins as the enticing high is reached and I dance on the crest of my orgasm.

  Nikolai’s baritone groan releases and vibrates against me. I slam my pelvis against his one last time as he reaches the brink and releases inside of me. He allows the sensation to take him over for a moment before he collapses on top of me, both of us utterly spent and unquestionably satisfied.

  .*.*.*.

  August 19, 2015 2:47 a.m.

  Our bodies are still tangled in a naked, sticky heap. I crack my eyes open to find Nikolai staring back at me, watching me sleep, no doubt, and it makes me wonder what could possibly be on his mind. I can tell everything by looking beyond his façade and deep into his eyes. I finally think he’s coming to terms with this.

  “So, where do we go from here?” I ask.

  Nikolai only looks at me, his brow creased in concentration.

  I lift my hand and trace my fingers along the lines in his skin, and he abruptly breaks our connection and stands from the bed. He grabs his boxers from the floor and steps into them. There is something weighing down his thoughts, because whenever he becomes detached, it’s because he needs to tell me something I don’t want to hear.

  Gone is the high I experienced an hour ago, and in walks the frustration of dealing with this brooding man. Nikolai has once again transformed into the assassin and purposeful man.

  I slide down the edge of the bed, yanking my shirt from the floor and slipping it over my body.

  “Well?” I snap.

  “The plan for you is simple. You’re to stay in the room until further notice.” He says, glaring in my direction.

  “Excuse me? Why the hell would you drag me clear across the globe if I’m only going to sit in a hotel room, forbidden from leaving?” My tone is laced with anger as I attempt to control the boiling fury.

  “Because it has to be that way,” he gives as an immature answe
r, his tone mirroring that of a petulant child.

  I walk to him, getting directly in front of him, and hold my ground. My arms are crossed over my chest, and my stance is posed for the second battle of the night.

  “The fuck it is. I’m going with you.”

  He swallows down his anger, but his tone inside is dripping with rage. “No … You’re not. You will remain in this room until—”

  “Until nothing!” I interrupt. “I am not standing on the sidelines while you finish the job without me. I didn’t come with you to be an observer. I’m here because I need to be here! I have just as big of a right to destroy him as you do!”

  “Shut up!” Nikolai grabs my arms and swings me around, pushing me against the wall. Only, this time, it’s not fueled by lust; it’s laced with hate, the hate that seems to live alongside the lust. “You were almost abducted tonight!”

  My world instantly stops, and all the growing anger evaporates from me. Did he say what I think he said?

  To be sure, I ask, “What?”

  “The second you stepped out of the train station, you were spotted by a scouter.” Nikolai takes a step back then sits on the edge of the bed.

  In my bewildered state, I slowly follow suit and sit next to him.

  “It was completely obvious that this is your first time in Moscow. The man saw you straightaway. When I was trailing you, I noticed he was following you. I pursued and intervened, but it wasn’t until I killed him that I discovered who he was.”

  “Wait … You killed him?” I’m not sure why I’m surprised, but I guess I was thinking he was over that until we get in the lair of Stravinsky.

  “Yes, Josslyn, I killed him. He was the son of a very powerful man in the human trafficking business.”

  My gut drops to my feet and fear boils under the surface. I was almost kidnapped by traffickers? I can’t hide the terror on my face.

  Nikolai’s features finally soften. He lifts his fingers and brushes them across my cheek. A small gesture, but it’s his way of comforting me.

  I feel vulnerable and, for the second time since meeting Nikolai Petrov, scared. Only, this time, it’s not him I’m afraid of.

  I slide closer to him, needing to feel the security of his skin. Then I lean my head down and rest it on his shoulder and ask, “Who was he?”

  “His name was Zahir Mirza, and he’s affiliated with the largest underground trafficking organization in Asia.”

  “What do you think he would have done with me?” I’m not sure why I ask. I just have to know.

  “He was going to take you to Bangladesh and put you in the auction. From there, you would’ve been sold to the highest bidder. Beyond that, I have no idea what would have been in store for you. That would be left to the discretion of the buyer.”

  “Is it true? The case files I studied in college about the women who are sold in the auction?”

  “If you read that most of the girls are sex slaves for the remainder of their lives, however long that may be, or are forced into a life of hard labor, then yes, what you read was accurate.”

  Chills overtake me as my skin bumps up on the surface. I can feel them prickle everywhere. I didn’t want to ask him, but I knew I’d never be able to move past this until I did. And what he said is exactly what I studied in college.

  Nikolai picks up on this and wraps his arm around me, comforting me once again. All the anger over staying in the hotel room dissipates, and I understand fully his request. However, I don’t want to be trapped in Moscow near traffickers while he’s in Chechnya. If I’m going to be stowed away in a hotel, I want it to be near him. I want to know he will be near, and I will be close to him if he ever needs me.

  “I will agree to stay at the hotel, but only when we go to Chechnya. I don’t want to stay anywhere near here alone, knowing what almost happened.” The moonlight captures my attention once again as I look down and watch the beams dance across Nikolai’s tattooed physique.

  I can feel him swallow hard then expel a breath when he replies, “Okay.”

  We climb back in bed, and Nikolai rolls away from me. But I can’t put my erratic thoughts to bed without the comfort of knowing he’s beside me, so I slide across the king-sized mattress until my chest is flush with his back. I settle my head on the pillow next to his and inhale the comfort of his scent. For the first time in my adult life, I’m seeking out another man’s touch to calm me.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Nikolai

  August 19, 2015 10:13 a.m.

  “You need to condense your belongings,” I tell Josslyn as I finish getting myself dressed. “You will be flying to Grozny, and you don’t want to check a bag.”

  She starts pulling all the items out of her suitcase and garment bag while I scroll the booking website and punch in her card number, purchasing her ticket.

  “The airline will allow one carry-on and one personal item. Your briefcase will be your personal item, but you need to decide what stays and what goes between your other bags.”

  She’s been very cooperative since our conversation last night, finally understanding the importance of remaining in character and following directions to a T.

  As she’s repacking, I notice her hands trembling slightly. She is very nervous about leaving after I shared with her about her near abduction. However, flying there shouldn’t be too dangerous. Often times, the scouts don’t go near the commercial airlines unless they are really desperate. There are too many ways to get caught. Too many cameras and guards are lingering about.

  Josslyn is rehanging shirts, dresses, and clothes, storing them inside her garment bag. She dwindles her shoes down to two pairs: the sneakers and her black dress heels. The dress she wore for Vlad and the dress she wore when we danced in Vegas are left in the closet.

  After spending all this time with her, I know she needs something to get her in the right mindset. I want her aware of her surroundings and how she comes off to others, but I don’t want her frightened.

  “Josslyn.” I grab her arm as she tucks toiletries inside the zipper pocket of her garment bag, but she refuses to give me any attention. “Look at me,” I command, and she finally connects her eyes with mine.

  My eyes are hard, and my jaw set in a firm, tense line. I need her to snap out of her self-pity and transform back into the spirited woman I first encountered. She is looking at me, but not really concentrating on me. The fiery side of Josslyn is easier to deal with than the zombie in front of me.

  Needing her to snap out of it, I lift my palm and crack it across her face. The action makes her narrow her eyes and her frame tenses.

  “What the fuck?” she shouts then pushes me back with a hard thrust.

  My eyes widen in delight, and I can’t help the corner of my mouth sneaking up.

  “Why the hell did you slap me?”

  “Because, my dear, you’re in a trance, and I can’t deal with you when you’re like that,” I respond.

  “I was just doing what you told me to do. Excuse me if I’m not overly excited to walk through a gauntlet of human traffickers with the hope that my cute American ass doesn’t get snagged.” Her breaths are deepening and labored. The fire is definitely back.

  “This … This right here is the woman you need to be, Josslyn. I need you aware of your surroundings while being a complete and total bitch to the outside world. Do you understand?” My voice is gruff, and I keep my tone short, wanting her to think I’m pissed. “If you act like a wounded little girl or a fucking robot, you will get taken, and you will die. Do you understand me? Give people a reason not to fuck with you. If you’re going to remain active in this plan, then I need the woman I met two weeks ago. The cop with the fight. Not some weak, worthless woman. Do you get it? Make them see the side of you that you seem to reserve for me.”

  Josslyn takes a deep breath and expels it through her nose. She stands slightly taller, and her eyes keep the hate pushed to the forefront.

  Good.

  We finish packing our stuff, and
I nod, telling her it’s time.

  Josslyn has yet to break character. I actually don’t think she is in character. This is the Josslyn I know, only dressed in fine threads versus cotton sweatshirts and denim.

  The hotel door closes behind her, and I leave her to check out and hail a cab to the airport. This, I know she can manage, but I will still be there, lurking in the shadows as she travels to the safety of the airport. Once inside, I don’t know when I will see her again, but as I promised, I will always find her.

  .*.*.*.

  August 20, 2015 11:01 p.m.

  I made an expensive yet necessary purchase for my journey into Chechnya—a car. Missing my brand new Dodge Challenger in the States, I opted to get the fastest and sleekest car the used dealer had on his lot—a 2015 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe. The car was barely touched by its previous owner, and damn, it is as sexy as hell. It’s almost as beautiful as my girl back in the States … almost. It was a quick buy, which is what I need because the journey in Chechnya takes more than twenty hours by car through some rough areas.

  Normally, spending four hundred and seventy-eight thousand rubles on a car is way too exorbitant, but I have been looser with my funds since leaving prison. Prior to this revenge mission, I was tight with my money. I never stayed in the expensive suites or luxury hotels, and I sure as shit didn’t spend nearly seventy-five thousand American dollars on a car, but lately, I haven’t given it a second thought. Hell, I have millions upon millions of dollars in my Swiss accounts. More money than one person can spend in two lifetimes, so why not spend some of it before I die?

  They are hunting me, and I’m hunting them. It won’t be long before we all catch up with each other. My gut can sense it. I can feel the pot boiling, and it will explode with blood and death sooner rather than later. However, I still have my secret weapon—Josslyn. Stravinsky doesn’t know she’s alive and, like me, out for blood—his blood. I will keep her hidden away until he is in my sights.