by V. F. Mason
Childish? Yes, but fuck it. I might have come here from the States, and it was my motherland, but Russia gave me something America failed to do.
Home, family, legacy.
And fuck if I allowed anyone else to insult it in front of me. "Maybe then you shouldn't do business with people of the 'hard regime,'" I said calmly and gestured for my men to get in the car. I barely restrained myself from smirking when he quickly apologized.
"I didn't mean it as in insult. I always liked the country, just not the people. But I can't stand most people in my country, so it's nothing personal." His attempt at a joke made the situation worse, not better. "Have you thought about the business?" he finally asked, while Richard studied me, a frown on his face. Not that I gave a fuck.
I wore black shades, and the rest of me was unrecognizable to him. Nothing in my bulky build, beard, or power could remind him of the skinny, hungry, and dehydrated boy who cried from his whips or chains. "I did." At my answer, the brothers tensed and looked at me expectantly. "I'll accept it with conditions."
Benjamin eyed me with suspicion. "What kind of conditions?"
"The girl, she stays with me. I'll decide what to do with her."
They shared a look, and then Richard shrugged. "Fine with me, the bitch is useless anyway if she's with us." Benjamin nodded and then asked, "What else?"
"I want the names of everyone involved. The clients, the muscle, places, prices. Everything."
Richard jerked his head, and his cane hit the granite hard. "You have to be fucking kidding us. It's our business," he spat, but I just raised my brow.
"Really? You won't have a business without me. And if you think I will make a deal on something and not have all the information about it, you're a bigger fool than I thought." His eyes glazed with a familiar sense of power as he lifted the cane and, with all his strength, jabbed it in my direction. My hands caught it and pushed it back at him. He fell down with a cowardly yelp followed by a groan of pain.
Fuck, but it felt good inflicting even the slightest bit of torture on him. I focused my eyes on a pissed-off Benjamin. "That just cost you 5 percent of your business."
At my icy-cold voice, his jaw clenched as he glanced back at his brother groaning in pain. Their men ran quickly to help him stand. Then his eyes traveled back to me, and I noticed a hint of appreciation in them. Benjamin liked this display of violence. "I understand," he replied. "I agree to your terms. We'll hold the gala dinner with the major benefactors and clients in New York in two weeks. You're invited. You'll get all the information then."
As much as I didn't want to go into his territory, it was a necessity. United States laws meant shit here. For Connor and the FBI to shut this all down, they needed to be there. Once I had all the information, it would send everyone involved to prison for good. "I accept. You have yourself a deal, on the condition that my men come with me." He nodded once again.
"Understandable. I think we will make a great team," he proclaimed, glancing back at his brother. "The way you handled Richard just proved it to me." With those words, they got into their car and left.
The minute they were out of sight, I took out my phone and dialed the number.
"Yes?" Connor's sleepy voice replied. Considering the ten hours difference between us, it wasn't surprising.
"He's in. I'll be in the States in two weeks." Connor cursed, and then a female's displeased groan was heard. I couldn't help but take a jab at him. "Finally getting some, huh, kid?"
"Fuck off, Dom." Then the water ran at the other end of the line, and finally, Connor's voice was steady, without any traces of sleep. "We'll be ready. I have to tell Damian."
"No," I said. "He'll go ballistic and want to get S immediately."
"Dom, he is already up my ass about it, and he won't wait long. He agreed to back off, but based on the information I get, and the trouble in paradise he is facing there, his control could snap soon."
I shook my head, despite the fact that he couldn't see me. "It's dangerous. He could ruin the entire operation; his emotions are involved."
Connor snorted. "They were always involved."
"It's different now. They're a constant threat to his woman and child, so he wants to eliminate them for his family." My brother's revenge was always personal, because those people wronged us, but add his woman to this, and yeah, he might act stupid. Connor was quiet for a few seconds, and then he said the words that made me freeze. I closed my eyes to contain the feelings that threatened to overpower me.
"It was always about family, Dom. He became Sociopath to avenge you. It's still about you."
"Where do you get food?" My voice, although quiet, finally allowed me to speak. I had been in this place almost three months, but I still stayed mostly in bed—unless I needed to relieve myself, then I'd use a cane. For the fucking life of me, I couldn't understand why my arm and leg wouldn't heal. I was embarrassed in the beginning because she had to empty the piss from the box she cleverly created under the bed. Later on, she helped me out of the bed, but turned her head and left me alone, and once my pants were zipped, she came back to help. By the time I was ready to lie on the bed, my body dripped sweat by the gallon from the fatigue, and I'd fall back to sleep instantly.
Her honey tea with some kind of flowers in it tasted like shit, and I barely restrained my gag reflexes while I swallowed it down each time, but to my fucking shock, it had helped. The pain in my sore throat eased and speaking gradually became easier. She spun around, her eyes wide open, and the spatula she flipped pancakes with dripped some of the batter onto the floor, but she ignored it. My brows furrowed at her reaction, but then it hit me.
I'd never spoken to her unless it had to do with Sapphire. Even with my voice back, she talked enough for both of us. Considering how much time she spent tending to my injuries, the guilt I felt was inevitable.
"From Dorothy," she answered happily then glanced down. "Crap." She grabbed the dishcloth and quickly wiped the floor. "Dorothy's grandfather owns this cabin and was nice enough to allow me to live in it. They own the diner, and she always gives me some of their extra food to eat. Plus, old Quinn has a garden here." She wrinkled her nose in displeasure. "In the beginning, I didn't know what to do with it, but then I remembered my grandma's knowledge of herbs and stuff," she babbled on again, but I decided to focus on the crucial information she had given me.
"How did you meet them?"
"They helped me out when I was living on the streets for a few days, and they took me in. It was dangerous for me to stay with them, so they offered me this cabin on the Hudson River. They are good people," she said defensively.
"Why would it be dangerous for you to stay with them?" She tensed instantly, and the babbling girl from just a second ago was gone, and in her place, stood a closed-off, scared little girl. "I can't tell you." Her silence displeased me, but I had enough experience with people's reactions to know how useless my questions would be.
"Do you have the means to call anyone?" With my voice back, I needed to contact Connor. He would know everything, not to mention it would allow me access to all my accounts and money.
Sociopath might have died on that cliff, but Damian and Dominic Scott were still very much alive. I'd left specific instructions with Connor, Juanita, and Luke should anything happen to me.
Rosa shook her head and then looked at me worriedly. "You can't leave. You're weak." She pointed at my chest and head bandages. "You can't even walk for long." Her words made me chuckle.
"Rosa, that's why I need to contact my people to get me out of here so I can heal faster. As much as I'm grateful for what you've done, you don't have the knowledge or the means to completely mend me, and we both know that."
"I know. I just—" she started and then exhaled heavily. "I liked not being alone."
Those words put me on high alert. The last thing I wanted was for her to develop some kind of connection with me and have it transform into attraction. My body, mind, and soul belonged to one woman.
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br /> Before I could say anything, she continued, "I can get a cell from Dorothy. She wouldn't even know I'd stolen it for a second." She fumbled with her hands. "I understand you need to leave for her. It's just nice not being alone," she repeated. If I had any say in it, she wouldn't. The connection I felt for her reminded me of the one I had with Beth all those years ago in the cell. Rosa was just a little kid who needed protection, and it looked like there was no one else to provide it but me.
"Get me the phone, Rosa, as soon as you can."
The time had come to get the hell out of this cabin, claim my woman, and destroy the evil once and for all.
Sapphire
My fingers worked desperately to work the knots out of my hair created by Damian's rough hands while he tugged on them, but without a comb, it seemed impossible. My dark, wavy, heavy locks didn't want to cooperate. Not to mention my wrinkled dress and the major hickey on my neck. "I can't believe you marked me for everyone to see. How am I supposed to cover it up?" The bruise was like a vivid sign on my pale skin. Damian zipped his pants and tucked his shirt back in, and it freaking annoyed the hell out of me that from his appearance, no one would even suspect anything. Not that anyone had any idea about us in the first place, but I was paranoid like that.
He ignored my whining and unlocked the door, but not before grabbing my chin and lifting it up to his lips. His kiss was bruising, brutal, and so hot it made me want to crawl back on top of him and experience his dominating desire once again. As though we didn't make love just a few minutes ago. He let go, but not before harshly whispering in my ear, "Next time another man puts his hands on you or tries to mark what belongs to me, I won't be so understanding."
"Next time someone touches you like she did, I won't be so understanding either," I hissed. If he decided to utter ultimatums here, then he sure as hell would get one from me as well. Apparently, rationality didn't work with us.
"We need to talk." With those words, he exited the bathroom, leaving me standing alone.
With a frustrated sigh, I gave up on my hair, glanced one last time in the mirror, and opened the bathroom door only to bump chests with none other than Rosa.
Peachy.
Despite Damian's claims, my insides were still raw from the sting of pain and jealousy I felt in the yard. She must have read all my feelings on my face because she raised her hands in defeat. "I'm not sleeping with him." She made a gagging sound. "Just gross, girl." Either she was a really good actress or the idea of Damian and her really repulsed her. Who could be repulsed by my handsome man, I had no clue, but whatever.
I knew nothing about her, so her reassurances meant shit to me. "Good," I replied. "Let's keep it that way."
She cocked her head to the side as her eyes narrowed. "You hurt him last night."
My heart stilled at her implication, and I immediately had a deep need to search for Damian and soothe any hurt I'd inflicted with my words last night. Not that they weren't true, but the idea of him being hurt by me in any way didn't sit well.
It never did. However, Rosa was the last person I wanted to discuss it with.
"It's none of your business." My feet dragged toward the stairs, but she stopped me with her hand on my elbow and turned me toward her.
"Maybe. But FYI, I've been hearing your name almost every day for the last five years. So you better live up to the fantasy he created. Otherwise, I'll kick your ass for hurting him again. Don't use him for sex. He is not a toy."
Anger rose inside me. "Excuse me?"
She folded her arms and stubbornly lifted up her chin. "Last night, today. Don't use him for sex when he loves you. Let him go."
"So he'd be yours?" Damn it, why couldn't this jealousy go away? This whole conversation was so not me, and I hated it.
Rosa shook her head. "No, he'll always be yours. But if sex is the only thing you are willing to share with him, stop." She cast her eyes down, but then they traveled back up to me. "He's the only family I have now." With those shocking words, she left me standing in the hallway as she disappeared inside the bathroom.
Rosa was annoying.
Why?
Because she told me the truth.
Damian
Fucking my woman in the bathroom wasn't exactly the plan I had in mind when I came to this party, but thank fuck I did; otherwise, nothing would have calmed me down after that idiot touched my Sapphire.
Irrational? Yes, probably. Did I give a shit about it? No.
She belonged to me, despite all her bullshit about not being able to be with me. She had some reservations and needed to think, fine. But while she did that, she had to remember who her body answered to.
"Did you really have to do that?" Greg asked from the kitchen, where he grabbed one more six-pack of beer.
Leaning on the door, I raised my brow. "Do what?"
He rolled his eyes. "Remind her who she belonged to." The bathroom was at the other end of the house, so how could he have known about it? I growled, displeased with the idea of him hearing the sounds my woman made while she reached her pleasure. "Relax, man, I'm not stupid. No one saw or heard anything. But trust me, Peter got the message loud and clear if that's what you were aiming for."
"He'd better." Not that I'd given two shits about the guy when I was balls-deep inside Sapphire.
Greg chuckled. "I'm not sure she agrees with you. She never dated any guys here, and now she's disappeared inside the house with one. The girls will bug her about it."
"But not Annie," I pointed out, knowing she was the only close friend Sapphire had or whose opinion she cared about. Moreover, soon she wouldn't have to be scared about keeping a low profile and living the identity of Kate. The name, in my opinion, didn't suit her at all.
Greg nodded, taking a sip from the bottle. "Not her. She knows the story after all."
"I knew it." Sapphire's voice behind me froze us as she came closer and poked her finger in his chest. "After he showed up the other night, I wondered about you and Annie. You guys always were close to me, even though I tried so many times to push you away. You spied on me!" She waved her hands chaotically, a sign of her distress.
She was about to race out of the house, but Greg's hand stopped her. "Listen, no. She had no clue. I don't even work for the FBI anymore." Sapphire furrowed her brows in confusion. "Connor asked me to keep an eye on you, but Annie wanted to be friends with you on her own. She didn't befriend you on my behalf. She only recently learned about all this. Please, don't be mad at her."
"I just—" She sighed heavily. "I just don't understand. All these secrets around me… it's like everyone decides what's best for me without even asking!" She took a deep breath. "Fine, I won't tell her I know. I value her friendship and don't want to ruin it because of you guys. God knows I can't afford to lose any more friends." She glared at me too, but why the hell was it my fault? I wasn't the one who placed her in this city to begin with. "Do you think she'd mind if I left now?"
Greg scratched his chin. "She'll understand, but I'm not sure your girl will want to go." I followed his gaze through the window, and sure enough, she'd scooted closer to the nerd kid, listening to everything he said with fascination while he barely noticed her.
Even though I understood he was just a kid, my hands still were eager to grab his collar and point to where the real gem was, instead of his stupid superhero toys. Just how long did little girls have crushes?
To my utter surprise, Sapphire touched my arm and asked, "Could you bring her home, once she is done? I need a moment to think." I searched for some explanation in her eyes, but they gave nothing away. Leaving our baby with me seemed out of character, and although it worried me, I understood she needed space. The last thing I wanted was for her to have some kind of mental breakdown because of me.
I nodded, and only then, I noticed Greg had left the kitchen, giving us privacy. "To think about us?"
She hesitated, but then replied, "Yes." She tried to walk past me to the door, but my hand wrapped around her wrist, bring
ing her back to my front. She gasped.
Pushing her hair to one side, I whispered into her ear, "Remember how I gave you the choice back in New York all those years ago? I'm giving it to you now too. Choose what you want. I can't screw you and then act as if nothing happened. I deserve better. You deserve better, and we sure as fuck deserve better." Then I let her go and went to the yard to keep an eye on our daughter, and I hoped like fuck she'd come to a conclusion satisfying to both of us.
Bratva Headquarters, Moscow, Russia
Once we were back in the Bratva headquarters, I made it to my room and closed the door behind me.
No one dared to enter here without my permission beforehand, even Michael.
My apartment wing consisted of three rooms, two bathrooms, and a huge balcony with one big window, which opened up to a view of the whole mansion. The suite also had a secret passage that led to all the important places, something Vasya made sure to explain and show to me.
The wing had marble floors with small squares on it, which glistened under the crystal chandelier. Expensive leather couches and chairs, and a flat-screen TV dominated the living room that also had a small bar with golden glasses. An expensive Persian carpet was in front of the fireplace, which was rarely used these days. I walked to the small office containing a huge, black oak desk with a computer on it. I dropped all the important files inside the safe, closed it, and checked for e-mails from Connor. Once satisfied with everything, I shut off the light and finally ended up in my room.
Vasya had lived in these rooms for thirty years, and needless to say, the last thing I wanted was to move in here, but once you were Pakhan, you didn't have a choice. Changing anything in the other two rooms was senseless; all the furniture was already antique, and I didn't spend enough time there to care.
However, the master bedroom was a different story. I rearranged everything. I threw away the massive bed, couch, all the Dominant crap Vasya had. I got rid of the red satin sheets and curtains, expensive clocks, and artwork. The bathroom was cleared of all the feminine necessities— who the hell would use them anyway? Instead, a single black mattress was on the floor with a woolen blanket. Several candles were placed in different corners of the room. A curtain hung to the side of the balcony door that allowed the cool breeze along with bright moonlight inside. Because of the size of the window, the room didn't really need any lamps or chandeliers, so I'd removed them too.