by Ker Dukey
Diana’s fists hit me with surprising force. “No! You monster! Oh God, what have you done?” She sobs hysterically as she beats and claws at me.
“He was an animal,” I growl, knocking her hands away from me.
“I love him!” she screams, her sobs broken.
I grab her wrists and drag her to her room. “Loved him. You loved him, Diana. But you can’t love him now because he’s dead. Now, collect your shit and get the fuck out of my house,” I roar. I slam the door, leaving her to pack her things.
Her sobs ricochet off the walls on the other side of the door.
Veniamin has joined Irina, and both are looking down at Anton swinging. I should have savored that kill, kept him breathing for a few days, relieved him of his putrid cock, then his fingers, hands, tongue.
“Did you hurt her?” Veniamin asks, glancing toward Diana’s door.
I can’t deal with this bullshit from him too.
“Are you also fucking her?” I bark, shoving him away from me.
He swings a punch, and it hits me in the jaw. My head snaps to the side, and I laugh. It’s real and from the gut. I spit out blood and hiss at him. “What a mistake that was, drug.” Friend.
I ram into him with a shoulder to his chest. We scuffle, slamming into walls and knocking pictures to the floor. A punch to his face, a punch to mine.
“Stop it! Stop it, Vlad, goddamn you!” Irina screams, trying to pry us apart.
Ven manages to force me from him, and I fall straight into Irina. I feel it, the weight of me colliding with her, and her legs giving out. She tumbles back away from me. I reach around to grab her, but hit nothing but air.
The soft thuds as she topples down the stairs stop my heart.
Both Ven and I rush to her aid, but she’s at the bottom before we can get to her, landing in the puddle of Anton’s blood and guts.
My father and Vas are standing at the bottom of the stairs glaring up at me.
Before I can reach her, Vas scoops Irina up into his arms. She stirs and flutters her eyes at me. Blood coats her skin and soaks her dress. Her eyes are pained.
I can’t breathe.
“I’m okay,” she mutters, attempting to push from his hold, but she’s too weak. “I’m okay.” His grip tightens, and he steps away from the bloody mess with my woman in his arms.
I sag, relieved she’s not seriously hurt. I start toward her, but Veniamin races down the stairs, knocking past me and out the front door.
Bastard.
My father glowers at me, rage in his eyes. I want to snatch Irina from Vas and run a million miles away from here. I’m about to do just that when a door slams shut and I see Diana with a bag in her arms tearfully eyeing the rope attached to the banister where her dead sicko lover hangs.
I drag my gaze back to Irina, but she’s gone.
This isn’t over.
This will never be over.
My entire body ripples with fury as I clench the steering wheel. Diana cries silently by my side. I can’t even feel sorry for her. My longtime friend royally fucked up. Sure, I was sleeping with her sister, but fucking her bodyguard under my goddamn roof? A man who preyed on her kid sister. Diana was disrespecting me in my own home. Lying to me. But worse, she was letting that bastard stick his cock in her—a cock he seemed much more keen on sticking into her little sister.
“Where are we going?” she murmurs, hugging her bag to her chest.
Ignoring her, I weave through the snow-covered streets. I didn’t even bother with a coat. My anger has heated my flesh to unhealthy degrees. Until I have my Irina back in my arms, I won’t calm or settle. I know Father is losing his mind over the scene we caused, but I can’t even bring myself to care right now.
All I care about his her.
Sweet Irina.
I need her.
I fucking need her.
“Are you going to kill me?” she asks, swallowing. She lifts her chin bravely and looks my way. I’ve debated it. But Irina’s sorrow would haunt me.
“Nope,” I spit out.
She sags. “I’m sorry if I hurt you—”
“You. Did. Not. Hurt. Me.” I jerk my head her way and spit out my words. “You made a fucking fool out of me in front of everyone.” At least if she were fucking Veniamin, it would have been with a respectable man. I would still need retribution, but Anton? He was nothing more than a servant. An old, dead fucking servant.
She starts to cry again. “Vlad, please…” She swipes her nose with her coat and sniffles. “I’ll do whatever I can to make it right. I promise.”
“You’re done,” I hiss out. “I don’t ever want to see your face again.”
“N-No, I can f-fix this,” she chatters, sobs cluttering her throat. She reaches my way and grabs my cock. “We can have sex. I can be a good wife. Please, Vlad. I can fix this. Let me fix this.”
I grab her wrist hard enough to have her crying out and jerking it away from me. “I’m fucking your sister.”
Her sadness melts away as intense fury overcomes her. “What? No! I don’t believe you.”
“She cries so good when I come inside her,” I taunt as I pull into the driveway of my location. “I like ruining her for any men. Kind of like how Anton ruined you. You’re a whore, and I’ll be damned if I’ll marry a used-up tramp.”
“You and I were friends first,” she tries. “Have mercy.”
“This is mercy, and not for you,” I seethe. “It’s for Irina.”
She bows her head as her shoulders quake with her sobs. “Tell me you’re lying about you and her.”
“Unlike you, Diana, she was a virgin.” I pause and smile evilly at her. “But I use the term lightly because I’ve fucked her nine ways from Sunday since then.”
“Ublyudox.” Bastard.
She starts rummaging through her bag and pulls out a gun. I’m already out of the car and stalking around the vehicle. Sleet mixed with snow pelts my face, but it does nothing to cool the anger bubbling inside me. I yank her door open and jerk the gun from her. She squeezes out a shot that echoes loudly around us, but I wrench it from her and toss it into the snow. Then I grab her by the hair in one hand and snatch up her bag in the other as I haul her to the massive estate nearly surrounded by thick woods. When I make it to the front door, it opens, and Ruslan stares at me in shock.
“What are you doing here?”
“Where’s Yegor?” I roar, pushing past him.
“Please,” Diana begs. “Don’t bring me here. Vlad.”
Her words do nothing to calm me. Instead, I drag her through the dark home until I find Yegor’s office. Inside, he sits at his desk, his fat belly out in front of him. Ven stands near him. As soon as Ven sees me, he pulls a gun and points it at me. Vika and Rus enter behind us and sidle up next to Yegor, a show of strength. Laughable.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Ven demands, his glare vicious and evil. It gives me satisfaction to see his eye is turning black and his bottom lip is split.
“You already have one cunt going to wear the Vetrov last name. What’s one more? You seem to be pretty into her, Veniamin,” I bellow. The control I normally have such a tight leash on is gone. Completely fucking gone.
Ven steps forward, but I stop his movements by shoving Diana hard into him. He catches her and keeps her from hitting the floor. I pull out my hooked knife crusted with Anton’s blood and rip apart her bag.
“Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” Vika snorts at Diana. The sound of the back of Yegor’s hand hitting Vika resonates around the room, and she hits the floor like a stone being dropped into the ocean. Another sign of power. It’s weak, and little does he know, I don’t give a fuck about Vika. Neither do his sons by the looks of it. Veniamin is too busy eyeballing me and comforting Diana. Pathetic.
“You’re a fucking asshole,” Ven snaps, hugging Diana to him. She trembles and sobs and it makes me fucking mental with rage.
“Begin training her,” I tell Ven icily as I shred everything in her bag. “Fa
ther wants a Volkov to prove their name in The Games. I think she’s earned that honor.” I toss the bag to the floor and pin her with a glare. “Have fun in hell.”
“I’m fine,” I say for the tenth time in the last five minutes.
Vas narrows his eyes at me and gives a clipped nod. He’s pretty much an asshole, but he was helpful in getting me away from the madness of what happened tonight.
Anton.
Dead.
I’m trying to tap into the feelings that allow me to feel sorry for him, but I can’t. He deserved it. He was a predator. But what kills me are the screams of horror that continue to haunt me—screams that came from my sister as she watched the one she loved be brutally murdered in front of everyone.
I shudder, but that makes my sore body ache. The fall down the stairs hurt, and I know I’ll be wearing bruises for days, but overall, I’m fine. I just want to change out of this ruined dress and soak in a hot bath.
My mind keeps drifting to the look on his face.
Amber eyes blazing with hate.
I close my own to try to focus on them. He was angry for me. Killed Anton for me. I know it with every ounce of my being. He wanted revenge. To slaughter the man who hurt me. Despite all the fighting and death this evening, a small inkling of warmth provides me comfort.
Tomorrow, I’ll check on Diana, and then I’ll go to him.
“You’re staying here now,” Father says, as if reading my thoughts, as he enters his office where Vas and I have been waiting. I jerk my head up and pop my eyes open. My neck aches in protest. He tucks his cell phone into his pocket.
“W-What?”
“Diana has made a mockery of our name, and I will not put my other daughter at risk. I need to clean up this mess.”
Sitting across from me, he gives me a smug smile, then pushes the ledger across the table. “Besides, you have work to do here. Work that doesn’t seem to get done the correct way in your absence.”
Vas stiffens from beside me. For a moment, I feel sorry for him. Father’s love is fleeting, and Vas will soon learn that. I hope he enjoyed his time in the limelight because now he’ll spend the rest of his life not being good enough for Leonid Volkov. None of his children ever are.
I start to reach for the ledger, but wince in pain. Vas reaches past me and grabs it. He settles it in my lap before sitting rigidly next to me, his focus on me.
“I can help you with the books, but tomorrow, I want to go home,” I tell my father, my voice slightly cracking. It’s not often I stand up to him.
He sneers. “Don’t be foolish, child. You’re never going back there. I’ll send Vas for your things, but you are home now. Safe. And you’ll do as you’re told until I can arrange for your marriage to Artur Voskoboynikov.”
“I’m not marrying him!” I screech.
“Irina,” Vas utters beside me as he touches my knee.
I swat him away. “No, I am not like Diana. I will not be forced into marriage with someone I don’t love.”
Father laughs, and it’s cruel and mocking. “Love? You’re a Volkov, dear. We don’t love. We do business, and we’re good at it. You, child, are a pawn in this and you’ll do your part. You’ll all do your parts.”
“You promised us,” I choke out, my tone accusing. “You promised us both that we were just as good as the men of our world. That we can rule the empire and marry whom we chose.”
He slams his palm on his desk. “Enough. Your mother filled your head with that nonsense, not me. You will marry who I determine benefits us the most.”
“No—” I start again, but Father waves me off.
“You’ll do as your told,” he snarls.
“I need to go check on Diana,” I bite out as I stand. I’m still weak and dizzy, and the room spins. Vas rises and wraps an arm around me to keep me from crashing to the floor. He may be an asshole, but right now, he’s the best asshole in the room.
“Diana is safe,” Father says. “I just got off the phone with Yegor Vetrov. She is to stay there for the time being. Hopefully, she’ll be able to use her charms on one of the Vetrov men and redeem the shame she’s brought upon us all.” He scowls at me. “The eldest has always been sought after. Not even little Vika Vasiliev could land Veniamin. But your sister will try if she values her family reputation. She owes us a debt. And now the Vasilievs will want retribution. We need to strengthen our name with that of our allies. Then we can finally squeeze out the Vasilievs. We’ll become the most powerful family with Vas running the front here, Diana marrying Veniamin, and you marrying Artur.”
“I’m not going to marry Artur!” I cry out, my knees buckling.
Vas hugs me to him and breathes against my hair. “Shut up, Irina. Just let it go for now.”
I squirm against him, but I’m too weak, and Vas is built like a machine. “Please, Father.”
“It is done. I’ll negotiate with Iosif to see if Ivan will marry you instead. That would be better than Artur, but I cannot make miracles happen. This is the best we can hope for at the time.”
A loud crash resounds from somewhere in the house, then several loud gunshots. I scream in horror and Vas drags me to the corner of the office out of the line of fire. He draws a weapon with his free hand and points toward the door. Father already has his piece pointed at the door.
The hairs on my arm stand on end as though a storm is coming. I can feel the charge in the air. The crackle and hum as the entity nears. My heart leaps in my chest, and I try to pull away from Vas.
“Irina,” Vas hisses.
A beast enters the room. Wild and untamed. Dark hair hanging in his eyes, his face splattered with blood.
Vlad.
He carries a machine gun and keeps it pointed at my father as his violent eyes search me out. The moment his lock with mine, they flash with relief. I let out a sob and reach a trembling arm in the air.
“Irina, come,” Vlad growls, his voice low and deadly. I’ve never seen him like this. As though he’s a demon recently escaped from hell, determined to wreak havoc on the earth.
I start to pull away, but Vas hugs me tighter to him. “No,” he snaps back.
“She’s not yours,” Father snarls to Vlad. “You’ve sent Diana away, and that’s that.”
Vlad’s eyes flare with fury and the vein in his neck throbs wildly. He’s utterly breathtaking. A dark prince come to save his princess in distress. “That’s not that,” Vlad seethes. “Your whore of a daughter made a fool of the Vasiliev name, Leonid. She can rot in hell for all I care, but that is not that.”
I wince at his hate for my sister, but my need for him overshadows it for now. “Vlad,” I murmur.
“Give her to me. Now,” Vlad hisses, his rage barely contained. If they keep pushing, I am afraid my father is going to eat a bunch of bullets.
“You will not come into my home, boy, and—”
Vlad’s eyes darken. “Don’t test me, old man.”
Sensing the impending explosion, Vas pushes me forward toward Vlad. I stumble, and Vlad rushes over to me, collecting me in his free arm. My arms wrap around his solid frame, and I bury my face against his chest.
Warm.
Safe.
Protected.
“You can’t just waltz in here and take my daughter!” Father bellows.
Vlad’s tone is icy as he spits out his words. “The hell I can’t, Volkov.” He kisses the top of my head. “You owe me a fucking wife.”
He’s silent the entire way home, but he’s calmed considerably. The moment we got into his car, his fingers laced with mine and he hasn’t let go. Everything hurts, and I’m worried about Diana. Father said she was to make advances on Ven. That has my nerves settling a bit. Ven is her friend, and I don’t think he’d hurt her. It’s probably the safest place she could be. My thoughts are still jumbled as Vlad pulls up to his estate. He climbs out, then stalks around the car to fetch me. I start to walk, but he doesn’t allow it, scooping me into his powerful arms. He’s still quaking with fury, and I crave
to calm him in any way I can.
“Vlad,” I murmur as I stroke the dark hair from his eyes.
He closes them and stops. The snow falls heavily and sticks to his hair and lashes. He’s beautiful. A beautiful, furious monster. All mine.
I run my fingers through his hair and angle his head down. My lips brush across his. He presses a hard kiss to my lips, but then pulls away. Anguished amber eyes meet mine.
“I need to clean you up and assess how badly you’re hurt,” he says, his voice a low, guttural sound in his throat.
“I’m fine,” I murmur.
His gaze intensifies. “If you’re fine, then I’ll clean you up and fuck you until you’re not fine.”
I smile at him. “I’m sorry.”
Dark brows furl together as he regards me. “For what?”
“Sorry that things couldn’t be easy from the get-go. Sorry that everything else had to happen to get this.”
He leans his forehead against mine. “I’m not sorry. Not even a fucking little bit. I have you now, and nobody will ever take you away from me. Not your father. Not mine. Nobody.”
“Take me home then,” I whisper.
And he does.
Vlad leans against the bathroom counter as the shower heats up. His bathroom is much nicer than mine. A walk-in shower with four showerheads on the slate-tiled walls. I’m giddy just thinking about how it will feel on my sore body.
Most of the violence has left Vlad’s glare, but sparks ignite here and there. I’ve never seen him fully unleashed until tonight. Knowing, finally, the monster that lives within somehow comforts me rather than scares me. With slow, shaky movements, I remove my dress and let it fall to the floor at my feet. His eyes skim over my body, flickering every time he sees a bruise inflicted from the fall and not his mouth. Once he’s done assessing, I remove my bra. My panties are still missing from earlier. I’m bare and all his.
With a satisfied nod, he starts tearing away at his ruined suit. Piece after piece gets tossed to the floor until he’s completely naked in front of me. His cock is thick and proud, jutting right at me. I admire the way his muscles ripple along his tattooed chest with each breath he takes. The two-headed imperial eagle. His brother’s name is written into the feathers of one bird’s neck and his own name is on the other. Viktor and Vlad. Often, over the past month, I’ve lingered my fingertips over his muscled flesh and wanted to ask questions. One day, when I think he’s ready, I’ll ask and hope he’ll answer.