I know what he's thinking.
His teeth skim the surface of his lower lip as his attention is fixated on my neck, right where his initial is branded against my skin.
"Are you pleased with how everything looks?" he purrs, never once taking his eyes off me.
"Yes," I breathe out, the sudden nearness getting to my head and making me dizzy with want.
Damn it.
Even now of all days I can't seem to control myself around him, so lost in his aura, his energy enveloping me and swallowing me whole.
"It's exactly like I wanted it," I tell him, which earns me a grin from him.
The idea of a formal wedding celebration had come to me after I'd found the perfect wedding dress online. I was simply browsing the internet when I'd come across this stunning off white gown with a tight bodice and a flaring skirt reminiscent of a Victorian ballgown. I'd been so struck by it, that one day I found myself blurting out to Vlad that I wanted a real wedding.
He'd been surprised at first, since I hadn't mentioned that before, but he'd quickly adapted, calling everyone and putting things in motion for me to have my perfect wedding.
He's been so sweet, taking care of absolutely everything, making sure everything had my approval before the big day.
Now, I find myself wearing my dream dress, at my dream wedding, with my dream man. And I can't help the giddiness that forms inside of me.
"Shall we then?"
"We shall," I smile.
The ceremony is short but sweet, and compared to my first attempt at a wedding, I actually listen to all the words.
My hand in his, the warmth that seeps from his skin is the only comfort I need to know that we are in this not only till death do us apart—but beyond.
The ceremony nears its end as the minister urges us to exchange rings.
"I knew I missed something the first time," Vlad mutters amused as he slides a gorgeous silver band over my finger.
"I was so mad at you I didn't even realize it," I admit, as I take my turn at placing the ring on his finger.
We'd had them custom made, and we'd engraved two phrases very dear to our hearts on the inside of the rings. The same phrases that we utter now, when we are pronounced husband and wife.
"There's no Vlad without Sisi," he's the first to say, bringing my fingers to his mouth for a sensual kiss.
"And no Sisi without Vlad," I complete the phrase, my pulse speeding up the more he lingers with his lips on my flesh.
In this moment, no matter how much I'd wanted a fully organized wedding with everyone in attendance, I only want him—to ravish me, mark me, sear himself in my soul.
But alas, we cannot have that.
Not when we're suddenly interrupted by everyone as they come to congratulate us on the nuptials.
"Congratulations, Aunt Sisi," Claudia gives me a big hug.
"Thank you, love," I kiss her cheeks, happy to know we're now welcomed in Marcello's home and I can see her any time I want.
Everyone comes to me for kisses and a hug. One look to the right and I notice Vlad in a similar situation as men come to shake hands with him, congratulating him for the wedding and for finally getting himself a woman.
I almost blush as I hear some of the conversations they are having, but the girls are quick to take me aside, the gossip and chatter going strong.
We'd turned the entire back garden into a venue for the wedding, and with its front view towards the ocean, it really is the dream wedding.
"I always wanted to ask you," Bianca comes to my side, a glass of nonalcoholic champagne in her hand. "How did you tame him?"
"Tame him?" I raise an eyebrow.
"I've known him for more than a decade. I know him. And yet, I don't think I do, do I?" she asks, her gaze turning towards where Vlad is deep in conversation with Adrian and Marcello.
"I didn't tame him. I don't think someone like him can be tamed." I answer honestly.
Even without his episodes, there's still a savagery to Vlad that defies every logic. He's a wild beast in an expensive suit, and he knows it. Oh, he definitely knows it as he gives me that wicked grin of his, arching an eyebrow in a quiet dare.
"I just..." I pause, trying to find the words. "I saw him. I saw who he was behind the mask."
"You're probably the first and the last," she mumbles, downing her glass. "I'm going to grab some of that cake," she suddenly changes the topic, her palms over her huge belly, "this kid will be the death of me," she shakes her head, heading to the cake stand.
I mingle a little more with the guests, taking the time to talk a little with everyone in part.
"How are you doing, Katya?" Grabbing a plate of cake, I take a seat next to her.
She's not as far along as Bianca, but her pregnancy has had some complications so she's not allowed to move a lot.
"Good," she smiles. "Great. This is... wonderful. I'm so happy for you two," she tells me, her words imbued with warmth as she takes my hands in hers.
Tiberius is next to her, looking out of his element among so many people, his gaze fluttering from side to side as if he expects danger at any moment. His hand is placed protectively over Katya's shoulder and he hasn't moved from her side for a moment.
We still don't know exactly the extent of what happened to them in captivity, and both are currently seeing a therapist to help them deal with the residual trauma. Katya's mentioned in passing, though, that she's had a few other pregnancies before this, but I hadn't probed about what happened to those babies since it must be a tough subject for her.
"I don't think I could have ever imagined that it would be Vlad who saved me—us," Katya continues, her gaze on her brother. "I always thought there was more to him than what people were saying," she turns towards me. "I'm happy he has you."
"Thank you," I squeeze her hand. "I know it's been hard to get closer to him. But don't give up. He's not the best when it comes to emotions."
"Really?" she asks, amused, pointing to the crowd that's gathered at the back of the garden.
I frown as I see Vlad wheeling in a grill and setting it up, calling out everyone's attention.
"Thank you everyone for coming to celebrate our wedding," he lifts a glass up. "I think I'm supposed to do a speech?" He frowns. "Maybe... or maybe not," he smiles roguishly, "but I'll do one anyway."
Taking off his tux blazer, he drapes it on a chair, slowly folding the sleeves of his shirt.
"The first time I saw Sisi, I knew I could never live without her," he starts and red creeps up my cheeks as I realize what he's doing.
Everyone claps at his words.
"She took one look at me and then ignored me. If that's not love at first sight, then I don't know what is," he continues, everyone chuckling at his joke.
He quickly sobers up thought.
"I could stand here and extol her virtues forever, since even her imperfections are perfect to me," he winks at me, "but more than anything I want to thank her."
My eyebrows shoot up, curious at what he has to say. Everyone is listening attentively too, and I think for many this is the first time they are seeing Vlad being anything other than his jokester self.
"Thank you for trying to save me when everyone thought I was doomed. Thank you for saving me when everyone gave up on me. And thank you for saving me when I thought I was beyond saving," he pauses, an unyielding intensity in his eyes as he looks at me. "That I am here, right now, is all because of you, hell girl. And that's why," he smirks, "moving forward I will live only for you."
Everyone claps again, with some people whispering that this can't be the same Vlad they knew.
But as I look at him, so dashing in his plain white shirt and black pants, I can only feel immensely flattered, my heart beating loudly in my chest at his declaration.
"I'd also like to give you a gift," he says, and now I'm even more curious as I watch him work around the grill before taking off his shirt and sitting down on a chair.
Sasha gets up and goes around him,
a small pouch in his hand as he takes out a scalpel.
My mouth parts in surprise as it dawns on me what he's doing.
I'm not the only one completely flabbergasted by this display, gasps erupting around me as the scalpel cuts into Vlad's back, removing a small square of flesh and placing it on the grill.
"I know it's customary for the newlyweds to share cake, but I want to share myself with you, Sisi. If you'll have me."
I stand up on shaky legs, slowly going towards him, my mind in a thousand different places as I realize just how special this is.
"Yes," I answer as I reach his side. Going around his back, I place my hands on his shoulders as I lean in to lick the bits of blood pouring from the cut, closing my lips over his skin. "This is the most wonderful surprise, Vlad," I tell him sincerely.
"But first, I want Sasha to take a piece from me too."
The words are barely out of my mouth as he turns towards me, his eyes wild.
"Hell girl," he groans and I think he's going to refuse. He places his forehead on my shoulder, breathing harshly. "Having a part of you..." he trails off. "I wouldn't dare ask for that."
"You don't have to. It's freely given," I caress his cheek, placing a quick kiss on it before sitting down.
The process is fast and not as painful as I would have imagined.
Vlad's piece is done, while mine is quickly cooking on the hot grill. When we have both a piece of each other in our hands, we look into each other's eyes, slowly bringing the morsel to our mouths.
I watch as his lips close over a piece of me just as I bring the piece of flesh to my mouth.
The burst of flavor is immediate, and it takes everything in me not to moan at the taste. Or even worse, jump on him and tear at his clothes.
He seems to have a similar reaction, and his gaze doesn't stray from me as he slowly chews on the piece of meat.
"You're part of me now, hell girl. Just like I'm part of you," he drawls, his dangerous smile engulfing me whole.
"Yes, we're finally one."
The moment stretches between us, and it's like everything fades away. There's no noise, no people around—just us.
We gaze at each other and I know that what we have is stronger than anything in this world. There's nothing that could tear us apart.
Not even death.
Because where one goes, the other follows.
At some point, the guests leave, and we're finally alone. The entire house, though, is a mess and will probably need a thorough cleaning.
"You were such a gentleman today." I praise him, playing with the collar of his shirt and teasing the small expanse of flesh visible.
"Is that so?" he asks, and my eyes zone in on his lips, licking my own in response.
There's just something magnetic the way he pulls me towards him without even trying. My body just reacts to his, and like a moth drawn to a flame, I can't possibly resist. I want him to consume me.
"Make no mistake, Sisi," he starts, his hands going down my dress until he grips the tulle of my skirt firmly in his fist. "I am still a beast. But now I'm a lucid beast," that dangerous grin again, and in no time, he has the material ripped from my body, shreds falling to the ground as a look of pure satisfaction appears on his face.
"Run, my little nun. Run."
He smiles wolfishly at me, his muscles rippling with withheld tension. His eyes are attuned to my every move, and I know he's ready to pounce.
And what do you do when you have a predator hot on your trail?
You run.
And hope he catches you.
Epilogue
A FEW YEARS LATER,
"Are you ready, hell girl?" I make to grab her hand but she's not next to me.
Turning around, I spot her still struggling to lock her gear in place.
"Sisi," I groan, especially when I see her little frown of concentration and the way she's biting her lip...
Not good for my self-control.
"Just a second," she says, placing a finger up.
Not only does she have a fuck me now expression on her face, but she's also drenched in blood, and the combination couldn't be more lethal to my senses.
"Done," she breathes out, relieved. "No matter how many times I do this, I never get it right," she mutters before taking her place next to me, slipping her hand into mine.
"We're already late." I purse my lips, looking at my watch. "The party started thirty minutes ago."
"We'll get there," she pats me on the shoulder, winking at me.
"Let's do this," I say as I open the plane's trap door, the air pressure immediately hitting me in the face.
One look at Sisi and I'm ready to go. Still holding each other's hands, we jump.
Somewhere on the way down we both release our parachutes, safely landing on solid ground.
"How do I look?" she asks as she divests herself of her gear, patting her dress down as if it were the most elegant thing.
"Good," I grimace as the words fly out of my mouth.
She does look good—to me. I'm not sure people will appreciate us showing up drenched in blood from head to toe.
"We look terrible, don't we?" She sighs deeply, her shoulders squared.
"If Bianca wants us present, she'll have to receive us like this too," I attempt to cheer her up.
She shakes her head, proceeding to walk in front of me. I don't hesitate as I catch her hand, bringing her into me and swooping her in my arms.
"I think tradition dictates I carry you in my arms," I run my nose around her face, inhaling her scent.
"And who am I to argue with tradition?"
"Good," I chuckle. "I thought you'd have objections. Besides, it's been approximately five hours since I last had you in my arms. I need to catch up."
She mumbles something incoherently, but she eventually smiles at me, not putting up a fight as I carry her towards Bianca and Adrian's house.
Today it's Bianca's birthday, and she's always very anal about everyone attending. And since Sisi and I depend on her expertise at the academy, we can't risk upsetting her.
Soon after Bianca had given birth, her contract in Russia had ended and she'd been in search of a new job. While she's not completely done with private assassinations, she accepted to become an instructor at our academy, V Academy—named so in homage of my sister.
The first year had been a little difficult as things were just taking off, the kids a little skittish around us as they were getting used to everything.
From the people we'd rescued from Miles' compound, thirteen of them had decided to stay with us, their ages ranging from six all the way to fifteen. All of them had come with different traumas from being Miles' lab rats for so long.
The only thing I'm thankful of is that, from what I gathered, the sexual abuse stopped with the new generation. The guards' interactions with the children were monitored more strictly and no outside interferences were allowed in Miles' plan. Of course, that doesn't exclude Miles' own sick depravities, but the kids haven't been too forthcoming on that front yet.
Because every student was dealing with different traumas, we'd had to make allowances for each one, and that meant designing a standard curriculum but also targeting each age group separately while also carefully cultivating everyone's personal strengths.
Safe to say, it hasn't been easy organizing everything.
Sisi and I had also started to teach them by example, and sometimes when we go on a mission we would choose a student to accompany us depending on the skills required for that particular mission.
The academy has been a success so far, with the oldest already embarking on missions on his own.
We've also decided recently to expand, and to look for new recruits.
Sisi had come up with a plan to look for people like Seth, who'd been forced into a life of perpetual fighting for a living and who have no skills other than their fists. We would be ensuring their freedom as well as a job if they decide to remain with us.
Jus
t now we'd returned from a mission in Vermont, since some sources had been talking about a child slavery ring in the area. Unfortunately, it had been a bust.
"At least we got to kill some bad guys," Sisi comments, echoing my own thoughts.
"True. If nothing else, we got a little blood shower," I smirk at her.
Considering the state of our clothing, it looks like we had a full on blood bath, not just a shower.
But since today's company isn't likely to be offended by our appearance, then we're not in a hurry to change.
"Hmm," I murmur in her hair. "You look so delectable right now I know what I'd like to do..." I trail off suggestively.
"Party first. Other things..." she bats her lashes at me, "later."
"You're killing me, hell girl," I complain.
Although my episodes had ceased after I'd found out the truth about Vanya's death, I haven't suddenly become normal.
The thirst for blood is still there—I just have full control over myself now.
And Sisi knows too well just how much I love to see her in blood. A turn on for both of us, we'd continued our tradition with the blood baths at least once a month.
It was rather simple. We'd randomly choose some targets from a wanted list, and then we'd kill them until the bath water was fully red. Then, we'd just give in to our animalistic urges in a mating that usually leaves us both out of commission for at least a day.
And looking at her cheeks, so prettily flushed, her mouth slightly parted, I know she wants it—yearns for it.
Luckily, before my thoughts can take a rather dark turn, we arrive at Bianca's place.
"Took you long enough," Bianca says as soon as she sees us standing on her door step. But one closer look and she scrunches her nose at us. "For fuck's sake, couldn't you have taken a shower?" she shakes her head, urging us inside and towards the bathroom.
"There are children around," she narrows her eyes at us, as if we've committed the worst offense. "Take these clothes and come out when you're clean. No blood!" She exclaims, thrusting some clothes into our arms.
Morally Ambiguous: A Dark Mafia Romance (Morally Questionable Book 4) Page 77