“What happened to you?” he asked unmoved.
“Royal,” he answered, pulling the thread through his flesh.
He smacked on his gum. “She stab you?”
“Dah,”
“Why?”
“She’s woman,” Dmitry groaned, motioning for Anatoly to give him the antiseptic.
“She found out who you were, didn’t she?”
“Dah,” Dmitry said, pouring the chemical over his wound.
“Well then, you should be glad that she didn’t shoot you.” Anatoly walked over to the refrigerator and opened the door, chuckling.
Dmitry shook his head. Anatoly did not know the first thing about love. “She’s a good girl. She was just very afraid. I can’t say that I don’t blame her,” he explained to his son.
Anatoly sifted through the food to find a containerof chilled oysters. Grabbing the small bowl, he closed the door and turned around to look at his father. “Are you sure that you’re ready to do this? To give all of this up for woman who is… not even Russian?”
“You look around and see all these things. I look around and see a large fortress, keeping the whole world out. I don’t want to live like this anymore. And yes, I know that she’s a black woman. I’ve seen more of her than you have. I know. I don’t care about that. I want woman who is going to stand by me, even when it’s in her best interest to run. Let’s not ever forget where we are from, boy. From the streets, lower even, from the gutters of the streets. We have no room to pass judgment on anyone, especially good people.”
“So you’re saying that she’s worth it?”Anatoly was still not completely convinced. He cracked at his father.
Dmitry shook his head. “Yes, so get busy. I want this transition to happen now.”
“The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow. We make the big announcement then.”
“What time tomorrow.”
“Six on the dot.” Anatoly tapped his watch and left the room with his bowl of oysters, headed to the entertainment room to watch television.
Chapter 25
Dmitry decided instead of sleeping in one of the guest rooms to back go to his study. It was his man cave, full of reminders of why he had to press forward whenever times werehard. He had done it a hundred times before, slept in the place he worked. Tonight was no different.
Relaxed, his long body sprawled out over on the long leather sofa with his armselevated on back of the soft wine-colored textile, looking up at the ceiling fan circling above him. The darkness of the room strangely brought him comfort. A world wind of events had taken even him by surprise. And while he had not allowed the feds get under his skin, Royal had. She was quite exceptional at that.
It was the painful tears and the scared stare in her face that disturbed him most. How did she see him now? Would she leave? Would she ever trust him again? He loved her dearly and treasured her like no other woman.
He rubbed his temples and growled. A headache was looming over him. He had worried less about murder than he did about loving her.
With his free hand behind his head, propped up on his waded up, torn shirt, he listened to the crackling of the fireplace and recalled each and every event of the day. Reaching over, he grabbed the crystal container off the table and winced; the wound reminded him of Royal’s aching heart and bad temper. He laughed a little. She was such a firecracker. He poured the last of the brandy in a glass and swallowed it quickly. Drinking heavily was not one of his releases, but he needed to numb the pain in his arm and his heart.
Closing his tired eyes, he tried to cast his cares away and sleep for a few hours when suddenly he heard soft footsteps approaching on the marble outside his door. His eyes popped open. Royal.
The door knob twisted slowly, and a light appeared from the hallway. She stepped inside cautiously. Dmitry lifted his head a little as she made eye contact with him. She closed the door behind her and walked towards him. He followed the unintentional sway of her full hips and admired the silhouette of her body under the silk chemise.
“I came to see if you were…okay,” she whispered, kneeling before him. His peering eyes sparkled like diamonds at her. Even now, she was in awe of how handsome he was.
Dmitry looked at her for a moment without saying a word. She glowed in the darkness of the room. The fireplace made her look like an angel. Her hair danced about her freely, skin free from make-up and resilient. For a moment, he forgot about the pain.
She took his arm and looked at the dressed wound. “I’m sorry,” she said with tears running down her cheeks. “I tried to stay up there as long as I could. Even though you deserved to be brutally stabbed, I still felt bad about it.” She fumbled over her words and swallowed hard.
Dmitry grunted then turned his body to sit up on the sofa. His muscular frame flexed as he moved. She stood up and stepped back. Dmitry automatically wondered if she was still afraid of him. The thought bothered him, frustrated him.
“Come here,” he said, waving her to him. She moved closer to his body slowly and felt his long arm reach out for her waist and pull her to him. He rested his head on her stomach and rubbed her bottom.
Royal wiped the tears from her eyes and lifted his head where he could see her.
“Will you forgive me…for stabbing you?” she asked.
He laughed a little. “Dah.” His deep voice filled the room. “Will you forgive me for being who I am?” His eyes were wide and anxious.
“Mozhet byt’,” she said in a soft voice.
“Perhaps?” Dmitry smiled. “Well, I guest that’s better than net.”
“Dah,” she said again.
“You know your Russian is very limited for a woman who lives with me.”
“I’m sure I’ll learn.” She nodded.
Dmitry rubbed her back and ran his hand down her leg. He smelled the perfume on her body and signed. “Is this a peace offering?” he asked, pulling her closer.
Royal looked down and rubbed through his hair. “Would you like for it to be?”
“I need it be.” He focused on her body.
“I love you still,” she whispered.
Dmitry’s stare was carnal. Having drunk too much, he forgot his normal carefulness as he reached for the top of her gown with his large hands and tore it off. The fabric ripped as he pulled it away from her soft skin. The act only inflamed him more. His desire for her grew by the moment.
She was stunned at first but did not move. She gasped as he rose over her like a hungry lion. Her naked body was vulnerably exposed. She tried to cover herself with her hands,but he pulled them away, licking his lips as he drank her body in through his eyes. She looked up at him through matched hooded eyes ready to accept whatever he wanted to give. Everything.
He moved her hair from her face, off her milky brown shoulders to see her better. She was his gift from God.
He picked her up in his arms and kissed her mouth, forcing her to shed her civility. Her long legs locked around his waist and closed around his back.
Carrying her to desk, he pushed the contents to the floor, shattering the glass mementos as they hit the ground. Papers floated down to the ground around his feet. She sat back on the desk and rested her elbows on the surface,watching him change from a docile creature to a hunter.
Dmitry leaned over the desk, in between her legs and kissed her lips again, holding her face in his massive hands. She moaned under his touch and the pressure of his body leaning against her.
“Don’t ever be afraid of me,” he demanded,pulling her to him. Her body jerked. Her long hair fell over on the desk. “Don’t ever think that I would hurt you. I would hurt myself first.”
She said nothing. He spread her legs further apart with his thighs. Her back arched, and she ran her long nails over his bare skin. Sensually, he kissed down her neck to her collar bone to her aching nipples. Cupping her warm flesh in his mouth, he suckled her.
Biting her lip, she undulated under his body. She wanted him so badly now. Why did he make her wait?
Dmitry breaths became quicker as she came alive before him. Taking both of her large thighs in his hands, he pulled her body closer to his steely erection.
He could feel her long fingers on his pants, forcefully pulling them down. They hit the ground and made a jingle as his belt buckle hit the floor. He stepped out of them quickly and pulled her body to the end of the table.
Lifting her long legs to fit safely on his large shoulders, he pushed deep into her body. There was an immediate, collective sigh. Instinctively, she tried to pull away from the initial sharp strike, but he only gripped the front of her knees tighter and kissed the insides of her legs.
She screamed in unadulterated pleasure, looking at his sculpted forearms, his fatless marble frame and the shining of his Rolex reflecting in the fire light. It was embarrassing to admit how much his power and sex appeal suddenly turned her on.
His tattooed temple pulled back and crashed back into her body, bringing her back to the task at hand. She arched her back and bit her index finger as she absorbed his impact. Pain. Pleasure. Pain. Pleasure. Pleasure. Pleasure.
Dmitry winced from the twinge of his arm and the ecstasy of her eager body. His rhythmic jolts made her bounce on the table. Easing her back and forth with his strong hands, he felt her begin to shiver. She moaned his name, but he would not stop, would not let up. His motions became hypnotic; each caress, kiss and thrust was filled with heart-felt passion that coupled with lusty exhilaration.
Royal’s quiet moans soon became loud screams. The shivering became shuddering, and her body convulsed like she was the subject of an exorcism. Still he would not release her. His face was focused, drowned in sweat, mouth open, eyes gleaming like the fire behind them. She eyed him curiously of how long he would continue to punish her. The anger in his face showed that it could be a while, but her body would give out at any moment. When she could not take one more jolt, she reached out for him.
Dmitry allowed her legs to fall to either side of his waist as he leaned over the table to kissher. She sat up to meet him. His tongue searched her mouth softly, awakening her senses with every taste. She whimpered in his embrace, feeling his large hands search her body, pull and rub at the most tender spots.
Picking her up off the table, he stood up with her on top of him. They looked at each other for the first time as he held her. Royal saw Dmitry, and Dmitry saw Royal. They were no longer strangers, just two people who desired more than anything to be together.
“Hi,” she said, biting her lip.
“Hi,” he snaked his tongue out the side of his mouth as it watered.
Royal wiped the sweat from his brow affectionately. He had all but destroyed her inside and out. He held her close as he made love to her, never taking his eyes of hers. She hugged him tightly, submitting to his will. He was far too strong of a man to fight and far too good of a lover to stop. He continued for a while, standing in the middle of the floor with her riding him without ever once shifting.
Finally falling to the gravity of the earth, she felt her body against the plush rug. The world shifted. She went from looking at the floor and holding on to his iron gripto catching glimpses of the vaulted ceiling. He laid over her, connected to her inner core, deep inside of her troubled heart.
Her screams started again and were intermingled with Dmitry’s deep, masculine groans. Tears formed in her eyes as he continued. He looked at her with tears in his owneyes . In them, there was a glimpse of humility – sorrow for the way that he had deceived her. She had never seen him cry until tonight. It was frightening to her.
In the silence of the room, she held him tight as he moaned and tensed up, releasing himself into her body. His mouth converged on hers in a long, passionate kiss and deep, frustrated sigh. His deep breaths vibrated against her sweaty body. He covered her, hiding her from God and man. She looked up at the ceiling beyond his large arm and smiled. How could she deny him when he loved her beyond words, beyond barriers, beyond life?
Too weak to move, Royal stayed under him shaking until he finally sat up. She breathed free air as he did. On his knees in front of her, he wiped the tears quickly from his face, embarrassed that she had seen him show so much emotion.
He looked down at her with a now expressionless face and then picked her exhausted body up off the ground. She closed her eyes and lay against him nearly asleep. Naked, he carried her in his wounded arms, up to their bedroom.
Chapter 26
Ivan took a drag of his cigarette, while he watched the sun rise above the horizon. Spitting over the balcony, he propped his long leg up on the railing and listened to the local news on the television just inside the patio door.
Although there had been no reports of an arrest of his brother, Ivan’s contact told him that Dmitry had been detained by the FBI. However, he suspected that it was not for long enough, so, he and his men had relocated in the middle of the night to a vacant studio apartment downtown. It was right under his brother’s nose, but the last place Dmitry would think to look – directly across from the restaurant in view of everything.
Ivan’s men were ready to battle and hungry to take over the new territory. They were not skittish like Max and Nicolai’s men, and they were not blindly loyal like Dmitry’s drones. His men were like him – opportunistic, ready to carpe diem. Most of them had no official ties to Vory z Vakone. They had no true understanding of the code, but they were aggressive, moral-less, vile creatures willing to do anything to make a buck.
Ivan preferred them that way, instead of true soldiers. He would have less remorse should he ever have to kill them all – all except Dorian, his only true brother, whom he would never kill. It was a pity that a division such as this had to bring them together and tear he and his real blood apart, but at least he did not walk away empty handed.
Dorian walked out on the patio beside him and took off his acrylic work goggles.
“The payload is ready,” Dorian said confidently.
“Then it will happen today,” Ivan confirmed. “Doom’s Day.” He smiled.
“Only this is no Normandy,” Dorian said yawning. “I suppose I should get some sleep then. I’ve been up for thirty-six hours.”
“After this evening, you can sleep for days. There will be no more threats for either of us.”
“Have you decided about the girl?”
“Dah. She’ll pay too. She’ll pay for Ari.” Ivan still said her named with reverence.
“I don’t know if it’s right. Ari was one of us – a killer, a warrior, part of the resistance in Georgia. This Royal doesn’t seem to be a fighter at all.”
“Do you say that because she’s black, brother? Do you feel some sort of kinship to her?”
Dorian smiled. “Nobut if I did, I wouldn’t have any shame in telling you. I just wonder if going after an innocent won’t damn you.”
“Innocent?” Ivan huffed. “Why do you think she’s in-nocent?”
“I don’t know her. I’ve only seen the pictures of her, but she doesn’t look like she should be involved.”
Ivan thumped his cigarette over the balcony and turned to Dorian. “Well if you feel that way, I would suggest that you not stick around for the grand finale. It might turn your stomach.” He winked at Dorian and went inside.
Dorian sincerely cared for Ivan. He was like his broth-er, and he sympathized with him for all that he had lost because of their alliance, but it did not stop him fromseeing that at times Ivan was evil to the bone. It was because of Ivan’s malice that he decided that this favor to him would be his last. He would not have a hand in ravaging a young woman to avenge Ivan’s murdering and conniving late wife.
∞♥∞
The sun rose over Dmitry’s bedroom and casteda glow over Royal’s naked sleeping body. Dmitry on the other hand had not slept since he carried her up to their room many hours before. Instead, he sat across from the bed in a leather-backed chair watching her sleep and thinking of what was surely to come.
Nighthad receded behind dawn’
s rising call, and Dmitry still had not moved. It was News Year’s Day. He had spent the night before fighting demons of a past that had come back to haunt him at his most inconvenient time, and he still could not determine if he had won. While the beast he called his lust had been tamed, and Royal thoroughly satisfied, he wondered if the good feeling of the previous night would still be there with him when she woke.
Without Royal’s knowledge, he had planned a very ro-mantic evening for them the night before, but it had been rudely interrupted by a truck full of feds and a very sharp steak knife.
He rubbed his throbbing head and put down the pen and paper that he had used to write up some very important notes for his son and his lawyer to follow in the next coming days. His head was pounding and his mind raced like a pack of wild wolves…such was the life of a crime boss.
As the sun settled on her face, Royal turned suddenly in the bed. Her movements suggested a nightmare. She flinched and jerked as if she werein pain.
Dmitry sat up in the chair with his hands planted firmly on the armrests watching her, wondering if he should shake her awake. She turned violently again, then sat up on her own. Her hair bounced with full body as it nestled around her small frame, her perky full breasts and beautiful skin.
There was a short calm before the storm. Lazily, she made eye contact with Dmitry; then with a jolt, she covered her mouth and jumped out of bed.
He watched her long body stride through the large bathroom double doors and kneel before the toilet. Suddenly, he heard her coughing and her body up heaving the little food that she had eaten the night before.
Dmitry followed her into the bathroom and walked up behind her as she kneeled before the toilet. Lovingly, he bent down and moved her long, wild hair out of the way for her. She held on to both sides of the seat, feeling the cool porcelain on her long fingers while she coughed and gagged. The smell of the toilet water made her even more nauseated. She gagged again.
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