by Lylah James
Even though I was the Pakhan, the Boss—the Russian Mafia consisted of four families in all. They would come to my help if asked…but I had to deal with this shit on my own. For now.
When I heard the door, my eyes snapped open to see Phoenix coming in. “Boss,” he greeted with a nod.
“What the fuck happened to you?” Viktor asked, looking at Phoenix in astonishment. I was wondering the same thing.
The right side of Phoenix’s face was red, quickly turning purple and forming a bruise, and his nose was bleeding a little.
“Maddie punched me,” he stated calmly, his face expressionless.
Artur’s face turned stoic at the mention of Maddie’s name, and he turned to Phoenix, moving into his face. “What did you do to her?”
Phoenix stood up straighter, his shoulders bunching tensely. His eyes turned a shade darker as he replied, acting almost nonchalant. “Why don’t you ask her?”
Artur’s expression was almost murderous, but Nikolay quickly stepped in. “Phoenix, what is the meaning of this?”
Instead of answering, he turned to me and reported back. “There was a fight at one the clubs. Two were badly injured. The mess was cleaned up before the police came. Everything is clear.”
I nodded. “What about the underground rings?”
“The underground rings are running perfectly. We got two more fighters. They’re really good. The best, I would say,” Phoenix replied. “They fight for blood.” And that was exactly what the underground rings were about. Blood. Either death or win. We could make millions in one night. Easy fucking money.
Nodding, I closed my eyes and leaned back against my chair. I didn’t have to say anything else. They knew the meeting was finished. I heard my men shuffling around and the door opening.
“Viktor,” I called out without opening my eyes.
“Yeah?”
“Call Lyov and Isaak.”
Maybe I needed their help.
Viktor swore under his breath but didn’t say anything else. The door closed and then silence.
The silence was almost suffocating, and my skin prickled with tension. I clenched my hands in fists and then unclenched them again. Doing that for some time, I tried to control the monster inside of me.
Ayla’s face suddenly flashed behind my closed eyes. Just the thought of her calmed me, and I felt the rage slowly diminish.
Angel.
Chapter 6
Maddie
My muscles ached as I quickly undressed. I needed sleep. Like now. But I knew Artur was supposed to visit me, so I waited.
I was combing my hair when I saw the door open in the mirror’s reflection. He closed the door behind him and walked toward me. “Hmm…that’s what I like to see,” he murmured, his lustful eyes raking over my naked body. Artur stood behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me to him. “Do you know how beautiful you are?” he asked, placing a kiss on my shoulder.
“You tell me every day, but I’m not complaining. I wouldn’t mind if you say it one more time,” I replied, placing my hand over his arm.
“You are so beautiful that you take my breath away. The sexiest woman I’ve ever seen,” he muttered, his arms tightening around my waist in an almost bruising grip. “And all mine,” he growled possessively.
“Yours,” I moaned.
His hand wandered toward my already weeping pussy, and I felt myself clench in anticipation. But then he stopped. I moaned in protest, my head falling back against his shoulder. “Damn it. Artur, stop teasing me.”
My eyes opened, and I stared at our reflection in the mirror. I saw him frowning, his eyebrows pulled together thoughtfully.
“I was wondering. Why did you punch Phoenix?”
My eyes widened at his question, and I froze. How did he know that?
“Wha-What?” I sputtered.
“Phoenix’s face was a mess this morning. And he said you punched him. What did he do? Is he being a problem?” he asked, placing his chin on my shoulder as he looked into my eyes through the reflection.
My throat went dry at the question, my hands clenched in fist, my nails digging into my skin.
My legs were wrapped around Artur’s hips as he pressed me against the wall. His lips claimed mine in a bruising kiss. “Good morning,” he muttered.
“I like how you say good morning,” I laughed against his lips. His fingers tightened on my hips, and I kissed him again.
When I pulled back, I caught a glimpse of Phoenix standing behind Artur, his expression almost painful and murderous.
“Artur, Boss is looking for you,” he snapped.
Artur pulled away from me and glanced behind his back at Phoenix. “Okay.” Putting me down, he gave me a quick peck on the lips. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Okay,” I replied, smiling up at me. He turned around and gave Phoenix a nod before going upstairs.
Phoenix didn’t move. He kept his eyes locked on mine. I saw his hands fisted at his sides.
“What the hell is your problem?” I asked almost angrily. “Every time you see me with Artur, you act like some type of caveman. This has gone on for too long now.”
He silently took a step forward, and I paused in my furious rant. Phoenix stalked toward me and stopped when our bodies were just inches apart and I was forced against the wall.
Swallowing nervously at his close proximity, I took a deep breath and then glared up at him. “Move away, asshole. Ever heard of personal space?”
When he didn’t, I placed my hands over his chest to push him away. “What the fuck is your problem?” I hissed, but he didn’t move.
Instead, he grabbed my hands and held them to his chest. Before I could blink or think, his other arm quickly snaked around my waist. He pulled me into his body, his hold unyielding.
“What th—” I started to say, but he cut me off.
“Shut up.”
And then he slammed his lips on mine. I gasped in shock, and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue in my mouth. I didn’t move at first, but instinctively, I surrendered to his kiss. My lips moved over his, tentatively at first. He growled low in his chest and deepened the kiss.
He pulled back and glared down at me. “This. This is my fucking problem,” he said, brushing his thumb over my sensitive lips.
Gasping, I pushed him away and stumbled back into the wall. “You bastard,” I whispered, wiping my lips with the back of my hand. “How dare you?”
“You kissed me back. You want this.”
“I’m with Artur,” I murmured in shock.
“He doesn’t matter,” he replied, his face expressionless.
“Fuck you!” I said through gritted teeth, my breathing harsh to my own ears.
“That’s what I’m saying.”
Moving forward in a flash, I reared back and punched him in the face. He swore loudly and held his nose.
“Keep your hands off me. I swear to God, you come near me again, I will hurt you.”
I walked away, leaving him behind. But as I went, my eyes prickled with hot tears. Blinking them away, I refused to let them fall.
How dare he?
After everything…after so long…why now?
The sound of my name brought me back to the present. I blinked in shock and stared at Artur through the mirror. He gave me a confused look and turned me around in his arms. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Phoenix was just teasing me and being annoying. I got mad and kinda punched him in the face. You know how I am.”
“He isn’t going to be a problem? I can talk to him if you want,” Artur suggested, giving me a quick peck on the lips.
“No, it’s okay. I have everything under control,” I replied with a shake of my head. Artur still gave me a suspicious look. I sweetly smiled up at him, trying to distract him.
I didn’t want him to think about Phoenix.
And I didn’t want to think about Phoenix. He wasn’t important. Not anymore. It was just me and Artur. And I wanted to
get lost in the man who was standing in front of me, looking down at me as if I was his everything.
Running my hands over his chest and hard stomach, I made my way down until I palmed his cock through his black pants. I gave him a squeeze, and he hissed, instantly hardening under my teasing touch.
“So where were we? I believe you owe me an orgasm, Mister. Or maybe several,” I teased.
“Fuck,” he muttered. Grabbing me around the waist, he threw me on the bed before falling on top of me. Spreading my thighs, he settled between them.
“This is going to be a long night, baby.”
“Oh, I was hoping it would be,” I replied coyly, moving my hands to his shoulders.
Chapter 7
Ayla
1 week later
I was quickly getting dressed when I saw Alessio coming out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around this waist. My eyes followed his movement across the room, and I saw him smirk when he caught my eyes on him.
Stopping in front of me, he arched an eyebrow at me mischievously. “Like what you see?”
Letting out a sigh, I shook my head in exasperation. Alessio could be infuriating sometimes. He was calm and outright arrogant. Not to forget confident in everything. But those were the few things I liked about him. He wasn’t borderline or rude.
Alessio knew he was hot and used it to his advantage every time.
“You know I do,” I mumbled under my breath with a roll of my eyes.
“Louder. I didn’t hear that,” he said, moving closer to me.
Shaking my head, I laughed. “Nope. I’m not saying it louder. You clearly heard it.”
“Kitten,” Alessio warned.
I shivered at his nickname for me. I wasn’t in denial anymore. I loved it when he called me that. There was something so primitive, intense, and enticing about the way he said it.
“Alessio, I’m going to be late. I need to help Maddie and Lena with breakfast,” I admonished, taking a step away from him.
He crossed his arms, staring at me expectantly. Shaking my head, I smiled. He was so hard to resist. “No.”
Giving him another look, I turned around and went to the bathroom to fix my hair. I was pulling my hair up in a ponytail when I saw Alessio walking in, already dressed in his black suit.
He walked toward me and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into his body until my back was to his front. “You didn’t kiss me good morning,” he muttered, staring at me through the mirror.
Oh, I forgot. He was also very demanding.
Pushing my hair to the side, Alessio placed wet kisses along the length of my neck. He bit, sucked, and licked until I was putty in his arms.
I melted into his embrace, pushing my body into his. He found my sweet spot behind my ear and teased me with his tongue. Grazing the sensitive skin with his teeth, he chuckled when I trembled against his teasing touch.
My head fell back against his chest as he dragged his lips to the base of my neck and nipped at my shoulder before sucking on the tortured skin.
I let out a moan, pushing back into his hard body. “Alessio…”
He hummed against my skin, his arms tightening around me.
“We can’t…I’m going to be…late…” I breathed as he continued to tease me with his torturous ministration. My body quivered when I felt his fingers at the end of my dress, slowly pushing upward, baring my thighs.
He was slowly seducing me, and I didn’t have the strength to say no. His fingers moved to my panties, and he pressed against the fabric, right over my heated core. I whimpered as he teased me through my satin cloth. I squirmed in his embrace, feeling his length harden against my back.
“I can feel how wet you are, and I’ve barely touched you, kitten,” he growled against my ear.
Placing a kiss there, he removed his hand from under my dress, leaving me feeling strangely empty. “You are going to be late, right?” he murmured. “We don’t want Maddie angry.”
I let out a sigh and turned around in his arms. After a week, I knew him well enough to know Alessio was teasing me. He loved leaving me over the edge, dangling, begging for release. Only then would he give me what I wanted.
“You are so bad for me,” I muttered, resting my hands over his chest.
“I know,” he replied. “You are bad for me too.”
Giggling at his response, I placed a kiss over his chest. Alessio grasped my hands and held them over his chest. Placing a finger under my chin, he lifted my head up and dipped his before claiming my lips. The kiss started slow and gentle at first, but then he kissed me like he was starving.
The kiss was brutal and possessive. He kissed me like I was his everything.
Alessio’s hold was unyielding around my waist as he pulled me closer. He let go of my hands and wrapped his fingers around my hair, twisting my ponytail tightly into his fist, until his knuckles dug into my scalp. Tilting my head upward, he kissed me soundly. Instead of refusing him, I melted into his embrace, taking his kiss and demanding more in return.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you,” he breathed out against my lips.
“Hmm…” I whispered in a complete daze.
His chest vibrated with a low chuckle, and he slowly let go of me. “I’ll see you for breakfast.” Giving me a quick peck on the nose, he smiled and then left.
Smiling at his retreating back, I leaned against the counter, feeling blissful. I turned toward the mirror and removed my hair tie to redo my ponytail again. But something else caught my eyes.
Letting out a gasp, I leaned forward, moving closer to the mirror and slightly turning my body to the side. There it was, on the base of my neck.
A red spot from where Alessio had bitten and sucked at the skin. He left a hickey.
Shaking my head at my reflection, I smiled. Infuriating man.
I placed the hair tie on the counter, deciding to leave my hair down. It was the only way to hide the mark Alessio left me.
At the thought, my smile widened. Alessio had laid his claim.
Giving myself a final look in the mirror, I walked out of the bathroom and Alessio’s—our room. I mostly used Alessio’s room. He said what was the point of going back and forth between rooms when I was already sleeping in his. In other words, he was claiming it was our room. He was the first one to call it that. Our room.
I skipped downstairs to see Maddie setting the table. “You are late, missy. Again,” she grumbled at the sight of me.
I gave her a sheepish look. “Sorry.” Maddie and I went back and forth from the kitchen and the dining room, placing the dishes on the table.
“Can you tell Milena and Sophia that it’s their turn to serve today? They’re in the garden,” Maddie said as she placed the last plate.
I nodded in response, walking backward.
But I almost tripped over my feet when my back hit something. Or someone. My eyes widened in surprise, and I quickly swiveled around.
The first thing that came to my mind was that he was tall. The top of my head reached only to his chest. Glancing upward, I froze.
Grey eyes stared down at me. But in those grey eyes were small flecks of blue. Those eyes almost reminded me of Alessio’s.
Taking a step back, I closed my eyes and quickly apologized. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…I should have been looking…I’m sorry.”
When I didn’t hear an answer, I opened my eyes. I took a few steps away from him, finally seeing the man clearly for the first time. All I could do was stare at him in complete astonishment.
He looked like Alessio. Almost exactly like him. There were a few wrinkles in the corner of his eyes and lips, the only indication that he was older. Was he related to Alessio?
My eyes were still glued to him when I saw another man step forward until he was standing beside Alessio’s lookalike.
With both men standing together, I trembled under their unflinching, tense gaze. I heard a loud gasp resonate from behind me, but I was too fixated on what I saw
in front of me.
The other man’s eyes shifted away from mine, and I saw him look behind my back. He nodded. “Lena.”
“Isaak,” I heard Lena say.
Alessio’s lookalike gave me a final look before staring behind me too. “Lena,” he greeted, his voice gruff and deep.
“Lyov,” she breathed, shock evident in her voice.
Lyov. The name sounded so familiar.
When realization dawned, I took a step back, my hands shaking at my sides.
I now understood why he looked so much like Alessio.
Lyov was Alessio’s father.
Chapter 8
As soon as I realized who was standing in front of me, I froze.
When I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders, I flinched in fright but quickly calmed down when I realized it was Alessio. He gave me a comforting squeeze.
Lyov’s eyes moved to Alessio’s arm around my shoulder, his stare burning holes into my skin. His gaze moved to mine, and I almost flinched at the glare he sent me. Moving further against Alessio’s body, I sought comfort from his touch.
“Isaak.” Alessio nodded toward the other man.
Turning to his father, he did the same thing. “Lyov.” His voice was cold and void of emotion, a strange way to address his father.
“We’ll have breakfast and then discuss the matter,” Alessio continued.
Lyov walked around me without a second glance, while Isaak’s eyes moved to mine again. He stared at me for a few chilling seconds, his gaze penetrating and almost frightening. There was a strange look on his face, but then he shook his head, as if he was clearing his mind. Without sparing us another glance, he followed Lyov.
As soon as they were out of sight, my shoulders sagged in relief, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my wildly racing heart. Swallowing nervously, I peeked over my shoulder to see them walking upstairs.
“You don’t have to worry about them. They won’t hurt you,” Alessio muttered in my ears.