by Lylah James
Pulling away, I found my notepad and pen again.
You smell like blood.
Viktor froze, and his arm tightened around my hips, his fingers digging into my flesh. I winced, and he quickly let go. He breathed out, and his lips twisted ruefully.
“Yes. You are right. I smell like blood,” he replied.
I swallowed nervously, blinking up at him through the darkness.
Did you hurt someone?
He read my words and then stared at me unblinkingly before opening his mouth to speak again. “I didn’t just hurt someone. I killed someone. Not one. Four men.”
The news stole my breath away. I knew the type of man Viktor was. He wasn’t exactly a Prince Charming, although I liked to think of him as one.
He was a killer—as dangerous as a crime lord.
But I didn’t expect him to say those words as if he didn’t care, almost heartlessly.
“Valerie, I do things you will hate. I kill men for a living. You knew that before, then why that expression on your face? Why did you just lose this beautiful smile I love so much?”
His thumb caressed my cheek softly, his eyes never leaving mine. Viktor touched the corner of my lips. “Smile for me, silent myshka.”
I imagined his voice soft and smooth as he said those words. Like I always knew, he was the puppet master. And he manipulated my fragile heart with his words.
“Your smiles are beautiful too.”
“Then I will smile. For you.”
“I will make you smile. Promise.”
“Promise?”
“Pinky promise, silent myshka.”
I remembered those words—his voice ringing through my ears. The dream I had after Valentin had drugged me.
Taking the pen in my hand again, I quickly scribbled down.
You said that my smiles are beautiful. In my dream.
He looked down at the paper and then smiled. “They are, Valerie.”
Swallowing nervously, I wrote down my next words.
Then I will smile. For you.
I stared at his face, watching his eyes move over the words. I watched his reaction, waiting and waiting.
Finally, our gazes met again. His appeared darker, unreadable. He stared at me for a moment, his expression so serious. My heart thumped hard, and my veins throbbed in my neck.
Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe my words were a mistake.
But his fingers threaded through my hair, fisting the strands around his hand. I sucked in a harsh breath. He pulled me closer and claimed my lips hard.
A hard kiss—a promise.
Viktor pulled away, his lips so close to my ear. I felt him talk, although his words were soundless.
“…make you smile…”
My eyes widened, and I quickly pulled away. It wasn’t the first time this happened. The first day his voice—barely, but it was there.
This time again, his voice sounded underwater, the words hidden under blankets, but I heard them. Very slightly. Softly spoken.
My gaze went to his lips again. “I will make you smile, Valerie.”
My vision blurred with unshed tears, and I sniffled quietly. “I’ll be the reason for your smiles, silent myshka. Promise.”
Through a tearful gaze, I wrote on the notepad.
Promise?
“Promise,” he swore.
Just like in my dream. Except this wasn’t a dream. It was reality—our reality. Our truth.
Viktor. You make me smile. Always. You make me happy. With you, I feel safe. I feel protected. And treasured…and loved. I feel different when I am with you. Like I am invincible. You make it easy to live in this dark world. I don’t hurt when I am with you.
Viktor read the words slowly, as if he were memorizing them in his mind. He touched the paper, and then our gaze met again.
For the first time, I saw all his unsaid emotions. I saw the real Viktor.
Not the killer. Not the Prince Charming I liked to dream of. Not the façade he built around himself, the shield he always had up.
I saw the man behind the angry looks. The man with a hidden gentle soul.
Viktor was dangerous. Our lives entwined together in a dangerous path. A wild beginning. We knew what it meant to be together, yet we continued to sneak through the darkness to find each other.
The heart did what it wanted. Words could be silenced. But the heart could not.
Chapter 28
Viktor
I faced the window, trying to keep the anger at bay. It became harder every time I was in Valentin’s presence. If the fury living inside of me wasn’t for Valerie, then it was for my family.
Alessio.
Ayla.
Princess.
The people I vowed to protect with my dying breath.
Valerie wasn’t part of the plan—I wasn’t meant to see her—to meet her, to touch her, to kiss her. Nothing was meant to be, but it still happened.
Fate is a cruel thing. It likes to fuck us all up with a huge fucking cucumber in the ass.
And now the game has changed.
Shaking my head, I let out a deep sigh. Valentin was still talking—about the new business deal with Carlos. And I was still back to square one.
Every time I asked a question, Valentin changed the topic. Every time I had a lead—it was a dead end. They covered up their tracks perfectly.
I should have known. If Alessio was powerful, then Carlos was just as powerful.
Two Kings against each other. Fighting one battle.
With Valentin not on our side, we were fucked sideways until I could crack him and his dealings.
I turned away from the darkness and faced Valentin. He was looking down at a paper on his table, but at my question, he snapped his head up.
“Abram told me Carlos trades aphrodisiac drugs with us. What exactly are they for?”
Valentin swallowed but remained quiet. Stalking forward, I gripped him by the neck, pulling his face close before snarling. “I am done with your bullshit. You want me to fight for you—you want to win this fucking war, but you forget that to win this war, you need me. You also seem to forget that this war is mine.”
He glared at me before his sputtering started. I blocked his airway passage, and Valentin fought for each useless breath. It was tempting—so fucking tempting to end his life right here and now.
Valerie’s face flashed in front of my eyes. Her tears. Her pain. Her silent cries—silently begging me—silently beckoning me to be her dark warrior.
I squeezed his throat tighter, bloodlust coursing through my veins. His face turned red, but he didn’t lose the motherfucking glare.
Just keep playing, Viktor. A game never stops until there’s a winner.
At the end of it, only one person will be standing and left breathing. And there are only two choices. Me or Solonik.
I heard Alessio’s voice in my head, and my fingers loosened around Valentin’s neck. I let him go—because a game still had to be played.
He coughed, sputtered, and finally started breathing again. It took him some time, but he swore and cursed at me.
I shrugged it off. “I have given you the reins for too long. Now what the fuck is going on? I am a Solonik—and I have every fucking right to know what my family and what my business is dealing with.”
Valentin struggled for another moment before he turned his furious face to mine. “I thought you weren’t ready for this yet, but it appears I have underestimated you, Konstantin.”
And then he smiled. “You are my heir, after all. I was waiting for you to snap and demand answers.”
His smile turned sadistic, and I had a bad fucking feeling about it. Actually, about his whole ugly old face.
Valentin got off his chair and walked toward me. He clasped me on the back and then laughed. “Aphrodisiac drug, you ask?”
His laughter died down but not the evil glint in his eyes. “We use them for a lot of things. But the best use…” He paused and then smirked. “Women. They work best on
those whores. It makes their pussy so fucking wet. Best fucking sight, let me tell you.”
I knew that. I fucking knew that. But that wasn’t all. There was more.
I stayed silent, waiting. And waiting. Finally, he shook his head.
“How do you think I built my empire, Konstantin? How do you think I am still this strong? If I had followed Alessio like a lost puppy—the Solonik wouldn’t have been this powerful. You are lucky, my son. Very lucky that I am giving you all that I have earned through years of work.”
The blood in my veins froze, and my heart stuttered. My heart twirled because I knew where this was going. I didn’t want to see it, believe it, but it was there, right in my face. I should have known.
“Buy and sell.”
His words broke through the fog around my head. I clenched my fists and took a deep breath. Calm down, Viktor. Calm. The. Fuck. Down.
“You mean human trafficking?” I elaborated slowly.
He nodded, his smirk still in place. “You can make millions in one night.”
“I thought we weren’t doing this. Alessio was against this,” I continued, trying to understand where this was coming from.
“We are doing this. They aren’t. Alessio didn’t know, and he doesn’t need to know. For a Boss, he’s pretty pathetic,” Valentin mocked.
Nodding, I breathed through my nose and played my part. “You are right. Their loss. Our gain.”
Valentin clasped me on the back again, a proud look on his face—like he was a proud father and I, his son. And when he spoke, the pride was there in his voice too. “I always knew you were the right man for this. To officially welcoming you and announce you as my heir, a grand party is being held in a week. All our closest associates will be there.”
I was silent, lost in my thoughts—lost in this sudden reveal. What the fuck was I supposed to do now? Play along? Fuck those innocent souls—just so I could convince Valentin? Buy them, use them—sell them?
The thought made me sick, and my stomach twisted. I clenched and then unclenched my fists again, desperate to hold on to the rest on my fucked-up sanity.
“I invited Alessio too.”
At Alessio’s name, I snapped out of my thoughts and gave Valentin a dirty look. “Why?”
He laughed. “Boy. Do you hate him that much?”
If only you knew…
“A few weeks ago, my man traced a call. Ayla called you,” he stated slowly.
My heart stuttered to a stop, and it felt like I stopped breathing air. I coughed and then hid it with a laugh and a shrug. “Just like I said—she fell for it. So fucking easy. No wonder Alessio fell for her. Her pussy must have been an easy access for him.” I paused and took a deep breath. “Or maybe it was loose. After all that time Alberto fucked that used pussy.”
“I underestimated you yet again.” He laughed and nodded in response. Valentin looked pleased with himself, like he had finally won the best thing in the whole world.
My full loyalty—what he always wanted.
“I have heard news…that Italian blyad is pregnant again. You didn’t say anything when you came back,” he muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
I swallowed hard, nervously. Fuck me. We were treading on a bad line.
“I had other more important things,” I replied slowly, watching his reaction.
He tsked at me, shaking his head in disappointment. “You don’t understand what this means, right? We were lucky it was a girl the first time.”
Gun shot…right through my heart.
“What if it’s a son this time? A boy—to take the Ivanshov name forward, to continue their legacy? We lose all our chances, Konstantin.”
I stayed silent, my tongue feeling heavy in my mouth. I couldn’t speak; no words could be made from me.
Valentin continued, pacing around the room like a caged animal. He told me of his plans.
“Convince Ayla to come to the party,” he announced, smirking wickedly. “This your war, after all…you can do the honors.”
My body was cold, my hands ice as I listened to his words. The baby, an innocent child—Alessio and Ayla’s baby wasn’t even born yet—but his death was already being planned.
I did the only thing I could.
I nodded.
I fucking nodded…to kill my brother’s baby.
My head swirled with too much. Valentin thought he underestimated me…but it was me who underestimated him.
For the first time, Alessio underestimated his opponent—by a long damn shot.
Valentin looked amused and winked. “You look nervous, son.”
Shaking my head, I cleared my thoughts and then chuckled low. It sounded vicious and cold to my own ears.
“No, old man. I am not nervous. I’m just thinking of different ways to spill blood.”
“You will find one very fitting. You always do. Make it painful for her—and him. Reserve the best for family, right?”
I stared at him, right through the eyes. “Right. You are so fucking right. Leave the best for last.”
He nodded. “Good. I am proud of you, son. I know you will not disgrace my name, our name.”
Valentin turned around and faced the full-length mirror on the wall. He fixed his tie and ran his fingers through his grey hair. “Now that this is out of the way, I would like to visit my wife. I am sure she has missed me.”
His words sent me through a dark spiral mess. My heart clenched, and I found it hard to breathe. It fucking…hurt.
My beautiful silent myshka. The one trapped in her tower…waiting for me.
I had to fight against the urge to rub at my aching chest. Clearing my throat, I looked around the room, trying to appear disinterested.
“Will she be attending the party?”
Valentin shook his head. “She never does. She isn’t allowed to leave her room.”
“Well, that’s boring. I thought it would be fun. Parading your property around, letting everyone see—but no one can touch and have her. If I was you, I would have proudly presented her around and made all those horny bastards jealous. Let them know she is mine.”
A small possessive growl escaped past his lips at my words. I waited—watching his reaction. Finally, he smirked.
“Well, fuck, Konstantin. You always have the best ideas,” he replied, his laughter booming across the walls.
I lifted my chin in acknowledgement. “This will be…fun.”
Valentin didn’t reply. Instead, he started to walk away toward his destination—my destination.
And I couldn’t let him.
Not today. I just…couldn’t.
I couldn’t let him hurt her.
Just not fucking today. Not after everything I had just learned.
Tonight, my Valerie would not feel pain.
“Wait,” I called out, stopping Valentin in his tracks. “How about we have a toast tonight? Celebrating our win a little early? I’m sure her pussy can wait just a little longer.”
He turned around, looking thoughtful for a second.
I waited…and waited…
I stopped breathing, hoping…fucking praying.
He nodded.
I was hit with a rush of relief and almost fell on my ass.
My sweet Valerie.
“I’ll bring the drink! A toast. To our win.” He winked and walked away.
I stumbled back and sank down on the couch. Burrowing my face in my hands, I sagged against the seat.
Valentin had dropped several bombs, and I was still reeling.
Our war.
Those innocent women.
Alessio.
Ayla.
The baby.
And…Valerie.
What the fuck was I supposed to do now?
Chapter 29
Valerie
Fifty-one…fifty-two…fifty-three…fifty-four…fifty-five…fifty-six.
I recounted the tally marks again.
Fifty-six.
A round fifty-six.
Fift
y-six days.
Sixty days since our gazes first met.
Fifty-six days since I met Viktor and shared our first words.
Twenty-four days since I kissed Viktor for the first time.
I recounted the tally marks again, memorizing those dates.
Memorizing our moments again…and again. They were ingrained in my memories, never to be forgotten.
First look. First touch. First kiss. Every touch after that. And every kiss after that.
Every soft look…heated look after the first.
The burning desire built in the pit of my stomach and traveled all the way to my heart, clenching and hooking there—forever to stay.
I was still looking at the paper when I felt a hand on the back of my neck.
The softest touch—but I could feel the possessiveness in the way he gripped me. I relaxed and closed my eyes, already knowing who it was.
His touch—I had it memorized. My body knew it, and I welcomed him.
Leaning back into his warm body, I let out a soft sigh. This was my favorite moment. When he would sneakily enter my room, and spend all the little time we had…together.
We stayed like this, him holding me, and I leaning into him. My anchor.
Finally, I opened my eyes and turned around. He stared down at me through unsmiling eyes. But I knew, those dark cold eyes, they could be so gentle.
His fingers trailed up my neck, and he thumbed my lips. I shivered against his touch and leaned into him for more. Viktor’s forehead dropped to mine, and we breathed.
He closed his eyes tightly, as if he was fighting some kind of demon…like he was in pain.
I wrapped my arms around him, holding him to me. I laid down on my back and pulled him on top of me. The bed cushioned our weight. He buried his face between my breasts and just stayed there—silent and holding me so tight.
We held each other.
Another moment to memorize.
Finally, he looked up at me, his eyes filled with so many indescribable emotions. Bringing a hand up, I caressed his face gently. He burrowed his cheek into my palm and placed a kiss there.