Corrupted

by Sapphire Knight

  Niko jumps in, razzing Viktor, “Never thought you would settle. This one must come with whip.”

  I giggle and Viktor shakes his head. “She doesn’t need the whip, although I wouldn’t exactly write the idea off completely.” Niko busts out laughing and Sabrina smiles.

  How on earth can she be so calm about all of this? She was just traded for a warehouse and she’s acting like this is no big deal. I would be flipping my shit right now if I were in her shoes.

  Hmmm, at least Sabrina is a better name than Kendall. I just met the chick five minutes ago so it’ll take some time to warm up to her. I’ll back off a little but she better not walk behind Viktor or I may go psycho. I do kind of feel bad for her besides the resentment I feel for her family. I can relate; I grew up with a family that didn’t want me either.

  Chapter 15

  “Come on, Princess, let’s show them where they will be staying. I’m sure Sabrina would like to get settled.” Viktor carts me out the back door, Nikoli follows and Sabrina trails last. I sneak little looks back behind us a dozen times, paranoid there will be a blade in her hand at any moment.

  I have to stop thinking that way. I just can’t help my feelings; it’s in my nature not to trust people. It’s not a switch you can simply turn off and on when it’s inconvenient.

  I catch up quickly, whisper shouting, “Viktor! She’s behind us! Let her go first!”

  Viktor stops abruptly and catches me off guard. He shoots me an irritated look and then speaks over my head to Niko.

  “You both head to the door and give me just a second with Elaina, please.” It’s not a real question, even though he makes it appear so. They smile and walk to the barn, waiting next to the door for us like this is totally natural.

  He grumbles at me. “You need to stop this nonsense.”

  Glaring, I practically hiss back, “Nonsense? Have you lost your marbles? Her sister stabbed you in the back of the damn head! Your wound isn’t even fully healed up yet and you want me to calm down? Not just no, but hell no!”

  “Ugh, you’re so infuriating sometimes! I know who she is! I was the one who was stabbed for Christ’s sake!”

  I know he’s irritated but he just sends a friendly smile to Niko, like we’re having a normal conversation about dinner or something. “If you give me two minutes I could tell you that she apologized profusely as soon as she came in the door and explained her sister had terrorized her. She’s grateful because she thinks you helped her out but feels guilty because it was her sister. Her father has already told her that if she so much as screws this up with any of us that he will kill her himself. They are not a very caring family. I would assume you have a touch of compassion to share, being you were her advocate not too long ago when you found out about the trade.”

  “I’m not sure I buy it just yet. I just met her. You can’t expect me to be buddies with her when I know nothing about her. And I gave you two minutes; in fact you had two goddamn weeks.” I finish my reprimand and stomp the rest of the way to the barn, painting a smile on my face.

  I open the barn door so we can all go in and get our new ‘guests’ settled in comfortably. We will definitely be talking more about this crap.

  Viktor catches up quickly, acting as if he didn’t just get put in the dog house. We show them around the ginormous building. If it wasn’t for the safe room under the house, then this place would be bigger than the cabin. The barn actually resembles the cabin slightly, being that it’s all wood. It’s missing the porch, and the windows in here are fewer but much bigger.

  The barn has been converted into more of a loft type space. Up the ladder there is a landing large enough to fit three full size beds for the guards. I had them take the stinky mattresses with them when they left though and asked Alexei to bring up a new large bed the same size as ours. It’s a king size, which I’m now patting myself on the back for because otherwise Niko would have been hanging off the bed from the knees down.

  I hung the old light blue curtains we had in the kitchen and used one of the new packaged comforters from the safe room downstairs. Being broke the majority of the time meant I never really had many options when it came to decorating. I may have gotten a little overexcited at the chance of sprucing up the barn.

  Looking pleasantly surprised, Viktor’s eyes shine with approval. It warms me inside to know he is proud of something I did, no matter how small.

  The bathroom was a disaster. Thankfully, the cleaning lady gave it a good scrubbing and I brought new cream colored towels over from the cabin’s guest bathroom. I love the huge fluffy towels we have.

  The kitchen is a tiny space. It’s adorned with a two-seater wooden table and was hard to do anything with, so it’s still dreary. I did pick some pretty purple and orange wildflowers for the table though.

  I can’t believe I went to all this trouble to make them comfortable and it hadn’t even registered until now. It didn’t seem like I was preparing for an enemy, but for a guest instead. I guess because of Nikoli I have been treating this whole ‘stay with us’ issue as if they really are our guests.

  At least Sabrina will be sleeping out here and we will be locked securely in the cabin, with Alexei as a watch dog. Hopefully Niko will keep her in check, so I won’t have to worry about it too much.

  “Well, I hope you will be comfortable staying here,” I direct to Niko.

  “I will be very comfortable,” he smirks cheekily towards Sabrina.

  She glances at me a little unsure. “So, where’s the other bed?”

  “What do you mean? We showed you the bed up in the loft.”

  “I know that but there has to be another bed, right? I mean there’s only one bed but there are two of us.”

  Niko jumps in. “No problem, I sleep on the floor. Unless you would want me to keep you warm at night.”

  I look around at the wooden floors crazily, then back at him. “Um, no. The floor’s way too hard to sleep on! I thought you would be sharing or I would have had another bed set up. I’m so sorry. I just figured you know, since you are staying together and everything…”

  Niko squeezes my arm gently causing Sabrina’s eyes to shoot straight to the place he touched me.

  “It’s no problem. We will figure it all out.”

  “Are you sure, Nikoli?”

  We can probably get another bed in here, maybe not tonight, but probably tomorrow.

  Grabbing my hand, Viktor responds for him, “My love, they will figure it out. Come on, let’s give them some time.” Giving in, I nod. Screw it, why not; I’ve already gone out of my way when I don’t even know the chick.

  “All right. Well, the fridge is well stocked so help yourself.” I head to the door and Sabrina follows.

  “Look, Elaina, I just wanted to say thank you so much. You have no idea what you and Viktor have done for me. I don’t know how to possibly repay you for it, but someday I hope I can.”

  Swallowing a large gulp, all I can do is nod with the sudden blockage in my throat. She clutches my hands in hers and gives them a firm squeeze before walking back over to Niko. He smiles at her as if she’s the best glass of sweet tea he’s ever had.

  Score one for Sabrina. She completely blind-sided me with that one. Vik and Nikoli do a small hand shake and say their goodnights. Sabrina squeezes Viktor’s hands the same way as she had mine and looks at him gratefully.

  Viktor

  The barn situation was strange, and yet a success, I believe. Sabrina did the right thing to reach out to Elaina. I have to admit it took guts and it earned her a pinch of respect from me in that moment.

  I already know where Nikoli stands with Sabrina without even speaking to him about it. One look at him and I can see it in his eyes. He has that same determined look I had when I first saw Elaina. I wish Sabrina good luck in fighting him.

  I should let Alexei know his chance of having Sabrina is a lost cause. Nikoli is bull headed and very intelligent; he won’t let her slip through his grasp. Alexei won’t have a fighting
chance if she even feels a smidge of that toward Niko in return.

  We arrive back in the cabin and I try to think up stuff for Elaina to do so I can plan my surprise. I already informed the guys earlier of what my plans are and they are doing their tasks on that end. I called Mishka and she was sending stuff up as soon as possible. I’ve been thinking about this a little for a few days now, but I can’t wait any longer for it. The rest is on me.

  “Princess, go to the safe room please. We need a nice blanket, a few candles in jars and a lighter or matches.”

  “Oh, sounds fun! Okay, I’m game. I’ll go see what I can come up with and bring it up here okay? Oh and can you think of what to do for dinner? I’m starting to get hungry.”

  “Sure, thanks love.” Landing a chaste peck on her soft lips, I open the refrigerator to appear as if I’m looking for dinner.

  She flashes me a soft smile and heads downstairs. As soon as the door leading downstairs closes I race around digging through the kitchen cabinets. Once I find a note pad and pen, I scribble ‘Meet me at our swim spot. Love, Vik.’

  Thank God my men already took everything down there to be set up. That’s why it was so important to show Niko and Sabrina around the barn. Normally I wouldn’t have done that but the guys needed time to get everything I need without Miss Nosey seeing it.

  Quickly, I drop my pants, slip my shoes off, and deftly undo my zillion shirt buttons. I yank out the pair of swim shorts I had hidden in the kitchen cabinet with the pans while Elaina was in the shower. I tug them up speedily and slide my house shoes on that I also stuffed in the cabinet. Elaina would kill me if she knew they were in with the clean dishes.

  I need to put the note somewhere she will see it. Hmm, I’ll leave it on the stove and put her soft drink next to it. Hopefully she notices it right away and doesn’t go looking all over for me. That could be a disaster.

  Dropping the note, I quietly sneak out the back door. The door makes a rather loud noise and I don’t want her to freak out if she hears it. She’d probably run up here thinking Sabrina came over to slaughter us all.

  In my excitement I practically run to the beach, making it in no time at all. I can’t wait to see her expression when she arrives, and then again when it’s time for dessert. She has no idea what’s in store for her.

  “KhaRAWshee (good)?”

  Spartak stops his task to approach me. “Yes, Boss, a few touch ups and it will all be finished. I’m happy for you, sir. She’s a good fit for you.” I shake his hand, bouncing with energy inside.

  “Thank you, she is perfect. I don’t know if I will even be able to eat.”

  Alexei walks over and smacks me lightly on my back. “You will be fine, Boss. You deal with criminals all the time, what’s one little lady, yeah?”

  “For being a little lady she’s given you plenty of hell.” I chortle at him, grinning.

  “Da, that she has!” he chuckles and they efficiently finish setting up the beautiful table and dinner I had Mishka put together.

  Mishka made us her famous жаркое and sent it up. It’s one of my favorite dishes. It won over Emily to the family and I’m hoping Elaina enjoys it as much as her sister did that night.

  I take it all in, the wonderful spicy aroma from the meat, freshly baked loaf of bread, and the buttery goodness coming from the veggies. I have a lovely red wine and also some tea if she’d prefer. For dessert we have Swiss truffles I had Alexei order especially for this occasion a few days ago and overnighted. Then a homemade pound cake with a decadent caramel glaze.

  The small table is formally dressed with white linens. The votive candles are placed tastefully around and a small beautiful arrangement of cut purple hydrangeas and pink peonies are placed to the side. I don’t want anything besides the food between us.

  I want to be able to reach out and caress her anytime the feeling to do so hits me. I hope she’s pleased with it, as everything was planned for her. This is our special evening and I want to remember each moment I’m able to make her smile. This is only the beginning of many more days and nights that I hope to spoil her.

  The guys plug in the strands of tiny twinkle lights and try to hide the extension cord. They eventually make their way back up to the campers and cabin, fixing the lights along the way.

  This way she now has a path specifically leading her straight to me. The lights twinkle dimly, it’s not dark enough for them to stand out just yet, but by the time dinner is over it should complement everything beautifully.

  I have the ring hidden with our dessert platters. I don’t plan to actually ask her over dessert, just thinking it will be a safe place until I’m ready. I can’t believe I’m actually going to ask her to marry me.

  “You did this for me?”

  Chapter 16

  Elaina looks stunning, as she always does in her white bikini with navy paisleys adorning it. I could ravish her now, but I have to hold off. I have a plan and want to stick to it. This is her night, so it all needs to be about her needs. Right now she needs to see that I love her completely.

  “Christ, your beautiful,” I utter. “Yes, I did this for you.” I hold my hand out to her so she comes to me. Tucking her into me tightly, my eyes close at the feeling of her warmth. She feels like home. “Let’s sit, my love, you said you were hungry earlier and the food is ready whenever you are.”

  The emotion shines in her eyes as she whispers, “Viktor, this is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, lovely,” I murmur back and kiss the top of her hair, helping her into the chair.

  She sits and takes the lids of the dishes off, her eyes growing wide at the delicious foods.

  “My God, this looks amazing! Did you do this? When did you have the time?”

  “I didn’t. Mishka sent it up for us. She knew I wanted to have a dinner for you and she planned accordingly.”

  “Your grandmother is so awesome! I’ll have to call and thank her tomorrow.”

  “She would enjoy that, now please dig in.”

  I load her plate up with some of each and do the same for myself. The meat is tender and flavorful. The bread is moist and I inhale the divine smell with each bite I take. I even finish the vegetables in a flourish, probably eager to get through the food portion of the night.

  “Viktor, slow down, you’re going to choke if you eat any faster!” Elaina laughs, amused with my shoveling.

  “I guess I was hungrier than I thought.” Shrugging and smiling sheepishly, I clear the food away to the small side table. I need to make room for dessert.

  Setting the truffles directly in front of her she groans and it makes me chuckle. I knew she would love them. As soon as her hand reaches for one, I bat it away. “Oh no, I get to feed them to you.”

  “Really, you think you are fast enough to stop me from grabbing one?” She teases me and I laugh loudly.

  “Shall we try it out and see?”

  “Maybe, but I see more dishes over there. I want to know what’s in them before I decide if I should eat all these truffles. I want you to have a fighting chance and all.” Winking, she gestures at the other desserts.

  “You’re quite bossy, you know that, right?”

  “Yes, and it’s one of the things you love about me,” she responds cheekily.

  “It is, and there are many others.”

  Placing the cake on the table with two dessert plates and new forks, I automatically serve her a small slice and place a few truffles on her plate.

  “One rule.”

  “Okay, shoot.”

  “The first taste of truffle comes from me. Then you can have free range.”

  “Now who’s the bossy one? Okay, I’ll play.”

  I moan as I pop a truffle in my mouth. These are so much richer and more decadent than I was expecting. No wonder they cost me a fortune. The flavor is intense and leaves you feeling as if you just had a chocolate induced orgasm.

  “Hey! How’s that fair? I want a bite!”


  “You’ll get your taste,” I murmur as I lean in, nibbling on her bottom lip until she opens her mouth. I stroke her tongue with mine, sharing the rich chocolate taste still exploding through my mouth.

  “Oh God,” she groans through the kiss and returns it fervently as I linger a few moments more.

  Unhurried, I pull back from her tender lips and playfully tap the tip of her nose with mine. She keeps her eyes closed for an instant longer, taking in the flavors. I’m finally met with dazed blue irises and a lazy smile.

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Oh yeah! That has to be the best chocolate, like, ever.”

  “I thought you meant the kiss,” I retort, disgruntled.

  Laughing, she backtracks. “I was talking about the kiss, I loved it, but the chocolate made it out of this world.”

  “I’m corrupted, Princess, I never promised to play fair.”

  She rolls her eyes. “You don’t play fair, you make it impossible to say no to you!”

  “Good. Would you like to take a swim?”

  She nods, moaning as she takes her first real bite of truffle, “Oh my gawd! We need more of these!”

  “I don’t eat many sweets but those could end up being a bad habit if we have them around frequently.”

  Grinning, I hold her hand as we walk into the refreshing water.

  “You’re getting quite the tan for being a pale Russian.”

  “Christ, you just want me to spank you today. I’ll take it as a compliment. It’s your fault, dragging me down here every morning for a swim. I’m getting tanner and leaner; you sure you’re not trying to turn me into an Italian?”

  “Haha! No, of course not. I wouldn’t dream of saying the ‘I’ word around a macho Russian man, and I’m not opposed to spanking.” She giggles happily.