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CAPTURED BY THE BRATVA

BIANCA COLE

Captured by the Bratva Copyright © 2020 Bianca Cole All Rights Reserved.

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This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

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CONTENTS

Blurb 1. Lyov 2. Milana 3. Lyov 4. Milana 5. Lyov 6. Milana 7. Lyov 8. Milana 9. Lyov 10. Milana 11. Lyov 12. Milana 13. Lyov 14. Milana 15. Lyov 16. Milana 17. Lyov 18. Milana 19. Lyov 20. Milana 21. Lyov 22. Milana 23. Lyov 24. Epilogue Also by Bianca Cole

BLURB

There's a war raging, and I'm caught in the middle.

My father has had a run in with the New York brotherhood, and one of the New York brotherhood spies takes me. Lyov is muscle bound, tattooed, and gorgeous. He is also quiet and brooding.

He won't speak to me. He barely looks at me. The rare occasions I do catch his eyes on me, they're burning with dark desire.

I have to escape, otherwise I'll end up as collateral damage.

So, why do I want to stay? Even more so when he touches me. I can't ignore the way this man makes me feel. We're from two opposing sides, and I know it can't work. Our attraction could lead to destruction, but my heart doesn't want to give up.

1

LYOV

I

crack my neck, standing outside of Andrei’s o ce door. Boss is going to be pissed. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Ivan was defeated just over two months ago. Now, we’ve got another fucking dickhead standing against us.

Georgy Veselov, pakhan of the Miami Brotherhood has overstepped the mark, again. The man is operating a drug ring in our territory. He has pushed this too far, despite warnings.

Last week, one of our outfits blew up his operation on our territory. The man had another warehouse full of drugs set up within days.

I ball my hand into a fist, before knocking on the door.

Andrei’s voice calls out from behind. “Come in.”

I open the door and notice the flash of anger that crosses through Andrei’s dark eyes. Before he can say a word, I hold my hands up. “I’m sorry I didn’t make an appointment, but it is urgent.”

Andrei stares at me with a tight jaw for a moment, before nodding. “What is it?”

“Georgy has set up another drug operation in Brooklyn, even after we blew up his last one.”

Andrei sighs heavily and sets down his pen. “What do you recommend?”

I open the folder in my hand and set down the only picture of Milana Veselov I could find. “We snatch her and hold her to ransom.”

Andrei raises an eyebrow. “Who is she?”

“Milana Veselov, Georgy’s only daughter.”

I watch as he stands from his chair and walks toward the dresser he keeps his whiskey and vodka on. He pours himself a glass of scotch and turns to me. “Would you like one?”

I clench my jaw, shaking my head. “No, thanks.” Andrei is unaware of the struggles I had in my twenties with alcoholism. The pakhan of my brotherhood knows little about me. I’m not a big talker.

He takes a long drink of whiskey, before returning to his seat. It’s the first time I’ve been in his o ce in all these years that he has o ered me a drink. Ever since he fell for Vera, he’s di erent.

I can’t decide whether it is a good thing or a bad thing.

Andrei has always been cautious around me. He has to be the strong, unmovable pakhan that everyone views him as. After the shit Vera’s uncle tried to pull, we need to keep a tight ship.

“Take a seat.” He nods toward the chair in front of his desk.

I sit down, feeling uncomfortable with the way he is acting. He’s usually cold and hard.

“How do you propose we get it done?” he asks, glaring at me from behind his desk.

I shrug. “I can locate Veselov’s daughter and snatch her.

According to my research and a number of associates, she is attending the University of Miami.” I lean forward in my chair. “Her father has allowed her to move onto campus. It will make it easier for me to get to her.”

Andrei nods, knocking back the rest of his whiskey. It’s only eleven in the morning. The guy drinks more than he should. Ever since he lost his father, he became reliant on it.

The pressure of his position weighs heavily on him. I can see it in his eyes and the way he holds himself.

“I agree, get it done,” he says.

“Okay, where do you want me to hold her once I have her?” I ask.

He glances at the wall pensively, before meeting my gaze.

“Take the girl to the safe house in Chicago.” He cracks his neck. “We can’t have her here if Georgy retaliates.”

I nod and stand from my seat. “Sir.” I bow my head and turn to leave without another word.

“Lyov,” he says my name, and I turn to face him. “Don’t fuck this up.”

I narrow my eyes slightly. “Never.”

Andrei gives me a satisfied nod, and I leave his o ce, shutting the door behind me.

Alexi is waiting outside. “How did it go?”

I shrug. “He agrees I need to kidnap Milana Veselov.”

Alexi rubs a hand across the back of his neck. “Do you need anyone to accompany you?”

I glare at him. “Are you suggesting I’d need help to capture an eighteen-year-old university student?”

He shrugs. “She’s the daughter of Georgy Veselov. Who knows what she’s capable of.”

I growl as he knows I hate when people underestimate me. “Don’t be an asshole.”

“Calm down, bro. I’m joking with you.” He chuckles, patting me on the back. “Where are you taking her when you get back to New York?”

“If I told you that, I’d have to kill you.” I don’t admit I’m not even returning to New York. Andrei knows it’s not safe to bring the girl here.

He shakes his head. “Fine, keep it a secret.”

“What is happening with the detective who keeps asking about the charity event?”

Alexi’s jaw clenches, and he shrugs. “She’s sticking her nose in where she fucking well shouldn’t.” He steps away from me. “Detective Hanson is trying to dissuade her from approaching us, but she is determined.”

I shake my head. “She’s playing with fucking fire.”

“Tell me about it,” he mutters, hanging his head. “I’ll sort it out, though.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Maybe you are the one that needs help with the detective.”

Alexi punches me in the shoulder hard enough to hurt.

“Remember your place, Lyov,” he growls.

It’s not often that Alexi lashes out, but when he does, everyone knows not to push him. Andrei may be our pakhan, but Alexi is his second in command. He is brutal and vicious, and for his young age, he has a lot of power in his hands.

I bow my head in acceptance of his position. “I need to go.

I’ve got at least a twenty-hour drive down to Miami.”

Alexi nods, eyes still hot with rage. If I didn’t know him better, I’d say the detective has got under his skin. It’s unlike him to let anyone get to him.

“Take care, brother.” I pat him on the shoulder and take my leave, walking out of the front door onto the Manhattan street.

Two of the brotherhood men stand either side of the door and give me a nod as I pass through. I walk over the street toward my van.

It’s going to be a fucking boring journey down to Miami. I get into the driver’s seat and start the engine, pulling out into the tra c.

Driving never gets easier after what happened in Moscow ten years ago. When I joined the New York brotherhood, I

knew I’d have to overcome my fears and get behind a wheel.

There’s no chance for a brother who shows any weakness.

My fear of driving was a weakness, and it still is.

I sigh heavily as the tra c crawls. This is going to be one long fucking journey.

I ENTER the outskirts of Miami. The journey has taken two days in total, stopping o at a diner for food and a motel for a good night’s sleep. Or at least, as good a night as I ever get.

Sleep isn’t something that comes easy to me.

It’s getting dark, and I’m on my way to Milana’s University campus accommodation. She shares a room with one girl, Harriet. I intend to snatch her from her room, as long as she is there. If not, this could get more complicated.

I switch lanes, following the signs for the University of Miami. The university is vast, but I’ve done my homework. I know where Milana’s dorm is on the campus.

As I come to the gates, I pass through without much trouble. I pull into a parking spot and get out. A few people give me odd looks. I get it. I don’t fit in here at all.

University students don’t walk around inked to the hilt, but the bratva does. Locking up the van, I walk toward the building where Milana has her dorm. According to the records, she has a room in Eaton residence on the east side of campus.

The looks I get as I walk into the entrance of the doors are bad. I can’t deny that I’m on edge and out of my element.

This place is not used to people like me visiting.

When I make it to her floor, I manage to slide into the corridor as another girl swipes her card. She gives me an odd look but doesn’t say anything.

Milana’s room is nearby and should be down the hall on the right. I walk with quick steps, wondering if this is going to prove harder than I thought.

How can I get a girl out of here undetected?

There are too many fucking people.

I knock on the door, waiting impatiently for an answer.

My stomach drops as the girl who answers isn’t Milana. She has light red hair and freckles. Her brow furrows as she takes in my appearance. “Can I help you?”

I nod my head. “Yeah, I’m looking for Milana.”

She looks at me oddly. “Are you a friend of hers?”

Fuck. I didn’t prepare for her roommate. “Yeah, is she in?”

She shakes her head. “No, she’s gone out with friends, clubbing.” I don’t miss the disapproval in her tone.

“Did she say where they were heading?”

Harriet looks at me, suspiciously. “What did you say your name was?” Her eyes roam over the tattoos on my arms and neck.

She’s right to be suspicious. “I didn’t, but I’m a friend of Milana. Do you know where she is?” I hold her gaze, hoping she tells me where she is.

She holds my gaze for a few moments more, before moving to slam the door in my face. I read the move and catch it with one hand, forcing it open.

She startles backward, opening her mouth to scream.

I thrust my hand over her mouth, mu ing her cries. I kick the door shut behind me. “Sorry, but you are a liability.”

I knock her out with one hit, gently setting her on the floor against the bed.

She’ll be out long enough, but I won’t have done any permanent damage. I fling my rucksack down onto the bed, rifling through it for rope.

The last thing I need is this girl alerting Milana or anyone else to the danger I pose. I tie her to the edge of the bed, gagging her mouth with a fabric gag.

If I’m lucky, no one will discover her until tomorrow— when it’s too late. By then, I’ll be halfway to Chicago with Milana, hopefully.

I grab Harriet’s mobile and sift through her text messages. At the top, is Milana’s name.

Hey, I’m going to be back late tonight. We’re clubbing at Jive if you want to join?

I smile to myself, taking the phone and smashing it on the ground–better safe than sorry. When Harriet wakes, I can’t risk her being able to contact Milana. Anonymity is key when it comes to pulling a kidnapping o . I can’t risk this going south, as Andrei would never forgive me.

A club is the perfect setting for a kidnap—dark and loud —so no one can hear her scream. It’s time to collect my bounty.

2

MILANA

T

he music in my dad’s club pumps around me as I sway my hips to the beat. I may hate what he does for a living and I may hate him, but at least there are parts of this life that I enjoy. Free booze and entry to one of the best nightclubs in the city, Jive, doesn’t harm.

We are the only freshmen that get to go clubbing because my dad’s guys don’t give two shits about the legal drinking age. Especially not when it comes to their pakhan’s daughter.

“You have the coolest dad,” Kate shouts, downing a shot of top-shelf vodka.

I nod in response. If Kate truly knew who my dad was or what he did, she wouldn’t think he was so cool. Luckily, since attending the University of Miami, no one there knows who I am or who my father is. It had always been di cult in high-school to make friends because the rumors spread so quickly.

My dad is a murderer and a criminal—a man who has never given two shits about me. He pretends to care by forcing me to stay in Miami for my safety. He is such an asshole. If I’d had my way, I would have gone to university on the other side of North America.

If I could swap him for Kate’s dad, I would do in a heartbeat. They talk on the phone regularly, and he even

came up with her mom to move her in. Her parents are about as far from my dad as you can get—normal, caring parents.

Instead, I’ve got a father who controls me and has me followed everywhere by my damn bodyguard. Not because he cares about me, but because he knows I’m a target. It would be seen as a weakness if he couldn’t protect his one and only daughter. He’s almost as bad as my brother, Dima.

Dima is my older brother and a sadist. A man of pure evil who has been that way since I can remember. My dad loves him more than anything.

He’s the brutal and vicious son he had always hoped he’d have. I am the letdown and disappointment — a daughter who wanted nothing to do with the crime-infested life he loves so much.

“Milana, dance with me,” Alex shouts, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward him.

I notice Pavel tense and take a step forward. He is the bane of my existence. I don’t often get much male attention because of him. Pavel is my bodyguard, and he follows me everywhere.

“I need a rest,” I say, pulling away from him before Pavel embarrasses me.

Pavel backs o a little, keeping his eyes on us.

Alex looks hurt, but Kate soon swoops in and saves the day. “I will dance with you.” She links arms with him, and they start to dance.

I sigh heavily, walking back toward our private VIP booth.

It’s comfortable, but I’d rather be out in the central part of the club. My father insists I remain in the VIP section for my safety. I take a sip of my vodka, sitting back in my chair and watching Alex and Kate dance.

They are great, I haven’t known them for long, but we became friends pretty quickly.

Harriet, my roommate on campus, isn’t into clubbing.

She has stayed behind to study, but we get on well too.

Kate flops down next to me. “Fuck, I’m parched.” She grabs a shot of vodka and downs it.

“I’m not sure Vodka is good for thirst,” I say.

She laughs. “Vodka is good for everything.”

Alex sits down next to me, and Pavel watches him like a hawk. “What is with your bodyguard?” He shakes his head.

“I get that your dad is rich, but it seems like overkill.”

I shrug, saying nothing. The questions they ask me, I can never answer. Sure, we’re friends, but no one can know who my dad is at University. It would ruin everything. In the past, the moment anyone realizes who my father is, they change around me.

“Come on, get the shots down,” Kate shouts, passing me a shot of vodka before giving one to Alex. “To a great first year of partying and studying, but mainly partying.”

We chink our glasses together and then down the hot, fiery alcohol.

I wish my dad would stop making Pavel follow me everywhere. He might need protection, but why the hell do I need it? No one even knows who the fuck I am.

Alex and Kate are chatting with one of my father’s men.

He has had his eyes set on Kate ever since we got in here. I hate that bringing them here brings them into the orbit of men from the bratva. I glance out onto the dancefloor, wishing I could be out there.

I would give anything to feel normal for five minutes.

My heart rate picks up as I notice a man staring right at me intensely. His bright blue eyes almost glow as the lights flash around the club. He looks like he wants to come up here, but he hasn’t approached the bouncer.

The heat in his gaze is unmistakable, sending a shiver down my spine. I’m not sure whether it is a good shiver or a

bad one. He has a dangerous aura about him with the signature bratva ink snaking up the front of his neck and down his muscled forearms.

He is probably one of my dad’s men, but I don’t recognize him. I can’t understand why he fixes his attention solely on me—maybe I imagine it.

I shift and turn toward Kate, who is now being hit on by Yuri unashamedly. He has been hitting on her all night, and my warnings to keep away from him are going unheeded.

When I glance back, the man who had been staring at me is gone.

I can’t understand why a part of me is disappointed. He was attractive, one of the most attractive men who has paid attention to me for a while.

With Pavel following me everywhere, men tend to stay away. He’s six foot eight and pure muscle, despite being only slightly younger than my dad, he isn’t the kind of guy most men want to cross.

“What’s got your panties in a twist?” Alex asks, talking across Kate.

I shrug. “Nothing.” I grab another shot of vodka and down it. My head swims as I sway to the music in my seat, knowing I’ve drunk more than I should.

He shifts from his seat and comes to sit by me, glancing briefly at Pavel. Pavel’s eyes narrow as he watches Alex with hawk-like intensity. The guy needs to chill out. He knows Alex is one of my friends. I’ve got a feeling my dad has ordered him not to let any guys near me.

One thing my father insists on is that I’m going to be married into the bratva. He can try and make me, but I’d rather fucking die than being tied to this world. I hate how much he wants to control my life.

Alex notices me watching Pavel and laughs. “Let him glare at me. I’m not doing anything wrong other than talking

to my friend.”

I smile at that and nod, taking my eyes o of my bodyguard. “True.”

He holds another shot of vodka out to me, and I take it.

“Thanks.” We clink glasses and knockback another drink.

A shout from the back of the VIP area of the club makes me jump. I glance over to the commotion and notice smoke clouding the area.

My dad’s men dash into the back to check it out, and even Pavel takes his eyes o of me for once. He joins them to check for any threat.

It may seem to most that some idiot has set of a smoke bomb, but since this club is bratva owned, it could be something more sinister—an attempted attack on my dad’s outfit.

The thick smoke swirls closer and closer to us. “Come on, let’s go down into the main club,” I shout to Kate and Alex.

Kate looks a little reluctant as she glances into the back, searching for Yuri. “Fine.” She gets to her feet and follows me down onto the dance floor.

My heart hammers hard as I set eyes on the man from before. He’s watching me intently, or at least, I think he’s watching me.

A pulse of heat races through my veins at his attention.

Thank God this club is dark. Otherwise, he’d be able to see that I’m turning redder by the second. I can feel the blood rushing to my face.

Even as my body temperature rises, I can’t seem to bring myself to turn away from him. His eyes have mesmerized me, fixing me to the spot.

Is he staring at me?

I glance behind and only see Alex. Either he is watching me, or he is into guys. Knowing my luck, he’s probably into Alex.

I glance back, and he is smiling at me. It’s a smile that sends a thrill through me. A flood of hope fills me as I realize he is watching me.

Kate grabs my arm and swings me around, forcing me to dance with her. It’s a welcome reprieve from the intense staring competition we’d been having. I try to forget about the inked up man watching me, swaying to the beat and letting the alcohol take away my inhibitions.

There’s no way a man like him would want me. I’m a young girl with hardly any experience in that department.

Even as that thought crosses my mind, I let myself go, dancing in front of him.

I twirl around and make eye contact with him again. He’s still standing there, watching me. The smile has disappeared, and his eyes are dark as he watches every move I make like a hawk.

My tummy flutters and body heats at the way he watches me. His gaze is predatory. As if he is getting ready to pounce on his prey. The thought alone makes me hot, or maybe it’s just hot in here. The alcohol I’ve drunk tonight has gone straight to my head.

I have to look away, struggling to keep his gaze any longer. Kate is dancing close by, so I twirl toward her and grab her hands.

“Thank God you’ve got rid of that damn bodyguard for five minutes,” she shouts over the loud music.

I nod my head, swaying my hips to the beat. I know the reason I’m dancing like this, and it’s ridiculous. As if I have a sixth sense, I can still feel his eyes on me. I want to give him the best show I can, even though he’s dangerous and bratva —two things I try to keep away from.

Alex dances toward us, and his eyes alight with mischief as he’s about to grab my hand. I know Alex has had a crush on me since we started university, but Pavel makes sure he

can’t make any moves. His face drops as he looks behind me, and suddenly a pair of rough hands grip my hips.

The possessiveness of his touch is spellbinding, and I feel his breath teasing against my ear. It looks like my dancing drew him over, but is that a good thing?

3

LYOV

T

he scent of alcohol is overwhelming. I try not to let it get to me. I haven’t touched any for ten years, and I don’t intend to start now. Many of my brotherhood rely on alcohol to deaden the guilt. After ruining my life with it, I gave it up.

The girl I’m looking for could be anywhere. Her text alluded to the fact she is here, so I’ve got to scour every inch of this place. It would make sense since her father owns this club. It’s only a matter of time until someone discovers Harriet bound and gagged, which means I need to work quickly to ensure Milana isn’t alerted.

Digging my phone out of my pocket, I bring up the photo.

It’s a few years old and not the best. Not to mention, the club is dark. It will be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

I move through the room, keeping to the edges and searching the writhing bodies on the dance floor. A platform near the back catches my eye. It’s a VIP area, where I’d expect the daughter of Veselov to be.

Stepping backward and leaning against the wall, I scan the security. The VIP area has one bouncer guarding the only entrance. It’s too dark for me to tell whether the woman I’m looking for is there.

Bodies are dancing in that area, but the di culty will be getting in. My bratva ink is impossible to hide, but these men won’t know me. I’m a trespasser in their territory — a man who intends to steal something precious from their asshole of a pakhan.

I move toward the center of the dancefloor, ignoring a woman’s attempt to draw me toward her. She tries again, and I give her a severe glance. Her face pales, and she backs away from me.

I move as close as I can to the VIP area and look into it, trying to see who is in there. More brava members guard the entrance on the platform and there are lots of men inside. If she’s in there, I’m going to need to draw her out somehow.

One girl rushes past the entrance and takes a seat right opposite me on a round table. My heart hammers hard and fast.

Milana.

She’s unmistakable if not all grown-up compared to the photo. I swallow hard, trying to ignore the way my stomach tightens at the sight of her. Beautiful is the only way to describe her.

I bite my lip and watch as her friends join her at the table.

One guy and a girl. The guy sits down close to her, too close for my liking.

It makes no sense that I feel so protective over a woman I’m supposed to kidnap. “Hey, big boy, want to dance?” I turn around to find a blonde woman fluttering her eyelashes at me.

If I want to fit in, then dancing may be a good idea. I grunt in response, grabbing the woman’s waist and spinning her so I can keep my eyes on Milana. I can’t deny that Milana has piqued my interest. She is stunning.

The woman I’m dancing with tries to grind against me, but I keep her at arm’s length. Otherwise, she will block my

view of the target.

She turns around and tries to kiss me. I back away from her. “Sorry.” I leave her gaping after me and step closer to the VIP section.

A moment ticks by, and then Milana’s eyes meet mine. I should look away, but I can’t. She mesmerizes me with her gaze, holding it without flinching.

Most would be intimidated by my gaze, but she doesn’t appear to be. I can feel my balls tingling with interest, which is a bad fucking sign. I’m not here to fuck her, I’m here to kidnap her.

Finally, she glances away, breaking the electric eye contact between us. I move to the edge of the dancefloor out of her sight, but keep my eyes on her. My lips quirk up as she glances back to where I’d been standing. She doesn’t mask her disappointment that I’m no longer there.

Her attraction to me is my way in. She’s intrigued by me.

If I can get her to dance with me, then I should be able to get her out of this club. The guy at her table moves closer to her, making jealousy clench at my chest. It makes no sense since I don’t know her.

Then, I see a huge bratva man with peppered gray hair step forward. His eyes focus on Milana with such intensity that I know he’s her bodyguard.

It makes sense that she would have security. She is the daughter of a pakhan. It is going to make my task more di cult. I’ll need to make a distraction to ensure he doesn’t get in the way. I notice an area where I can get access to the back of the VIP platform.

I slip my hand into my jacket’s inside pocket and fumble for the smoke bomb I keep with me. It’s the best option to cause a commotion and get the bodyguard away from her. I scan the area before slipping under the mezzanine. With careful steps, I creep beneath the platform toward the back.

Once I make it to the back, I find a perfect spot to throw the bomb up. I pull the cord and chuck it quickly, walking back toward the main dance floor. A few shouts sound above me, but I manage to slip out unseen.

Milana is standing with her back toward me, watching the commotion. Her bodyguard is nowhere in sight. The plan has worked to get him away from her.

I walk toward the VIP platform, but stop when Milana turns to walk down the stairs onto the main dancefloor. I move quickly to ensure she doesn’t notice me watching her.

If she gets suspicious, then this will be impossible. The only way to pull this o is to seduce her. My cock thickens in my pants at the thought.

Fuck.

This girl has got under my skin already. I move quickly toward the edge of the dance floor and turn to search for my target. Milana has stepped onto the dance floor, and our eyes meet instantly.

We stare at each other for what feels like hours. The electricity pulsing between us is undeniable. This is a complication I didn’t need. Milana is my target and will be my captive. I can’t be having these kinds of thoughts about her.

She glances behind her as if searching for who I’m looking at it. I can’t help but smile at how oblivious she is to her beauty. It makes me want her more. Her body is perfection — full breasts, wide hips and thick thighs that I’d love to sink my fingers into.

She turns back, and our eyes meet again. I keep smiling at her, but before she can smile back, her friend whisks her around to dance.

She has her back to me now and sways her hips to the music. I watch her, feeling the need for her increase. The way she moves her curvy body to the beat makes me harder.

I groan, as it’s impossible not to admire her figure from behind. My cock thickens at the sight of her firm, round ass framed in a tight black dress.

I shake my head, trying to clear my head. I hate that her friend broke our eye contact; a sudden possessiveness of the girl is clouding my judgment.

I keep my eyes on her, but the floor is getting busy. I have to move through the dancing bodies, keeping up with her.

She turns back toward me, and our eyes meet. A flicker of mischief ignites in her gaze, and she continues to dance, putting on a show for me. The girl knows what she is doing.

My cock responds to her dirty dancing as she sways her hips and traces her hands over her hips. The exact place my hands should be.

She twirls around again, grabbing her friend. Thank god her friend is a chick, or I would have decked the guy dancing with her by now.

I shake my head. What the fuck is wrong with me? I’m here to capture her, not fuck her.

This is my chance. I walk toward her and slide my hands either side of her waist and lean down to whisper in her ear, “Would you like to dance?”

She turns around and stares up at me, letting me keep my hands on her hips. Her eyes widen, and her lips part ever so slightly. It takes a full minute for her to pull away from my grip and shake her head.

I feel my stomach dipping at her refusal.

“No way, you’re not backing out of that, Milana.” Her friend pushes her back toward me. “Go on, dance with him.”

She gets closer and says something to her too quietly for me to catch. I notice the blush spread over Milana’s cheeks.

Up this close, it’s impossible not to be bowled over by her pure beauty. She’s a masterpiece — the most tempting woman I’ve ever set eyes on.

I wait for her answer, hoping she accepts before her bodyguard comes down here and finds us. My hope isn’t solely rooted in fulfilling my mission to kidnap Milana. I want to dance with her—touch her.

She nods in response. “Okay, one dance.” Her voice is as beautiful as the rest of her.

I feel my lips curve into a smile, which isn’t all together genuine. A mix of emotions twisting together at once, as I take her hand and lead her away from safety. I’m leading this stunning woman into the evil clutches of my brotherhood. I’m torn between my duty to my brothers and my urges.

4

MILANA

I

twist around to face the man holding me. Alex has taken a step away, clearly sensing that this guy is interested in me.

“Would you like to dance?” he asks, bright blue eyes full of sparking danger.

I swallow hard, glancing between him, Alex, and Kate. I start to shake my head and take a step away, feeling too shy to dance with him. He’s way out of my league.

“No way, you’re not backing out of that, Milana.” Kate pushes me back into his arms. “Go on, dance with him,” she shouts, moving closer to me. “He is hot as hell,” she whispers in my ear.

She’s right. The guy is hands down the most attractive man I’ve ever seen. I swallow hard, before nodding in response. “Okay, one dance.”

His lips curve into a smile that I wouldn’t call friendly— it’s almost cruel. It makes my stomach twist. For a brief moment, I wonder whether I’m making a mistake dancing with him. He could be a creep for all I know. The way he watched me in the VIP area, and then again down here.

He takes my hand before I can change my mind. His large, rough hands slip onto my hips the moment we’re in the center of the dance floor. I gaze into his brilliant blue eyes,

feeling hypnotized by them. The man is a masterpiece — the kind of guy you only see in magazines or on TV. I glance nervously toward the VIP area, thankful I can’t see Pavel. For once, I’ve given him the slip. The smoke bomb and commotion is still keeping him occupied.

The guy, whose name I don’t yet know, pulls me close. He sways us to the beat of the music. I let go of my inhibitions and wrap my arms around his neck. Our bodies meld together perfectly, as he holds me tightly. His eyes hold my gaze with a promise of something explosive.

I can feel my core reacting to him. His body is hard against my soft curves. His bright blue eyes flicker with a fire that makes my panties damp. I gasp as he spins me around quickly, pressing his hard body flush against my back. His lips tease at my ear lobe, sending shivers down my spine.

My instincts tell me this man is bad news, but I can’t bring myself to break away from him. The hard press of his steel-rod against my buttocks makes me ache with need. He is as worked up as I am, responding to my body against his.

It’s almost impossible to believe a man this hot would be attracted to a girl like me.

You expect this kind of guy to be dancing with a skinny fitness model, and I’m definitely not that. He digs his fingers into my curvy hips and licks a path up the column of my neck.

There’s only one way this is going, and that is us ending up between the sheets later tonight. I arch my back, pressing myself into him harder.

I’ve never been turned on by dancing with a man before.

The chemistry between us is o the charts. I moan, thankful the sound is masked by the loud music.

He grinds his cock into my ass, making me so hot it feels like I’ll burst into flames any moment. I’m grateful the loud

music masks the sounds I’m making. I can feel my panties soaking between my thighs.

I gasp as he bites down on my neck gently, sending a thrilling pain through me. It’s electric and erotic, and all we are doing is dancing.

It’s as if his touch is a match lighting me on fire. His lips press against the back of my neck, and he kisses and nips at the skin. “So fucking beautiful,” he groans into my ear.

I arch my back, pressing my ass harder into the thick outline of his cock.

“Naughty girl.” He spanks my ass, making me moan in both surprise and pleasure.

I glance nervously toward the VIP booth, searching for Pavel. If he caught me now, I’d been in serious fucking trouble.

“Why so tense?” he purrs into my ear.

I turn back toward him, sliding my arms around his neck.

His electric blue eyes are pulsing with raw lust that makes my stomach clench in anticipation. I let my lips meet his lips in a tentative kiss, which he deepens.

Thankfully the music drowns out my moans as he swipes his tongue around my mouth. Every movement between us deepens the need for him building inside of me.

When we break apart, I realize Pavel will catch up to us sooner or later. I don’t want that to happen. I want this to go further. I want to be writhing in between the sheets with him all damn night. Despite my inexperience, I know that I can’t let this kind of raw connection go unexplored.

I do something I never usually do. “Do you want to get out of here?” I say, leaning closer to him.

He smiles that same wicked smile at me and nods his head. “Definitely.”

I pull my phone out and fire o a text to Kate, knowing she’ll be okay with Alex. The man leads me through the

twisting bodies toward the exit. Once up the steps, I glance back to see Pavel’s grey hair bobbing through the dance floor as he searches through the crowd for me.

Before he can spot me, I duck my head and follow the handsome stranger out into the streets. Hopefully, he will think I’m using the bathroom.

“Wait,” I say, pulling him to a stop. “I don’t even know your name.”

He tilts his head to the side slightly, conflict warring in his brilliant blue eyes. “Lyov,” he rumbles. “You?” “Milana, it’s nice to meet you.” I smile at him and hold out my hand.

He grabs it and pulls me close. “I think we’ve passed the hand-shake, don’t you?” His lips descend on mine hard, fast, and claiming.

It’s impossible not to moan as his tongue searches my mouth with a demanding need. This man is everything I crave, but shouldn’t. Although I don’t recognize him as one of my father’s men, he is bratva. If it wasn’t the ink that gave him away, the slight Russian accent is enough to convince me.

What does one night of untamed passion with a bad boy hurt?

It’s everything I’ve been craving. Lyov walks me back toward the wall of the club and presses me against it. His hands roam over every inch of my body. Usually, I wouldn’t be so hot on public displays of a ection, but I’m burning up for him.

Perhaps it’s the alcohol making me forget my inhibitions or the fact that he’s the hottest man who has ever come on to me.

He sucks on my lip, before trailing hot kisses down my neck.

I moan, fisting my hands in his dark brown hair. My head rests against the wall as he works me into a frenzy. We’re still too close to the club, but I can’t bring myself to stop him. The passion between us is unlike anything I’ve felt before. It’s raw and intense.

His body is hard but warm. I want to feel his skin against mine. I want to feel his tongue on every part of my body.

It’s unlike me to want a stranger so badly, but I do. I can’t tell if it’s because I’ve drank too much or just the chemistry between us. Chemistry I want to explore more than anything tonight.

He digs his rough fingertips into my hips hard, making me gasp. “So fucking beautiful,” he groans, nipping at my pulse.

I feel it speed up beneath his attention, and my body coils like a spring. “We should keep moving,” I rasp out.

He tears himself from me and nods. His icy blue eyes are dazzling with a heat that makes my thighs clench. Lyov grabs my hand and pulls me down the street, away from my father’s club. We get all of about three meters before I’m launching myself into him again.

I need this. I need him more than I need to breathe right now. I kiss him hard, clawing at the muscles in his shoulders. He lifts me e ortlessly and carries me down an alleyway, o the main street. I can’t believe how strong he is, as I’m not exactly light.

He presses my back into the wall, teasing his lips down my neck. The moment he gets to my exposed cleavage, I gasp at his lips there. The shock of need pulsing right to my core is so intense it feels like I’m going to die if I don’t find release with him.

“Fuck,” I moan, clawing my fingers through his thick, dark hair.

He nips at my pulse again, digging his teeth in harder than I expect. The pain thrills me. It wakes every nerve ending in my body and makes me want more.

We can’t do this here. As soon as Pavel realizes I’m not in the club, he will take to the streets in search of me. It’s almost impossible to tear myself from the man, but I manage to find a spark of willpower.

“Lyov, my bodyguard will find us if we don’t get out of here soon,” I pant.

My words seem to sober him, and he tenses against me.

Ice blue eyes meet my gaze with electric intensity.

“Bodyguard?”

I nod my head. “Yeah, my dad makes him follow me everywhere.” I shrug. “We need to get out of here if we’re going to do this.”

His eyes flash with a mix of lust and uncertainty. I wonder if he knows who I am. Does he realize I’m the daughter of Georgy Veselov, the pakhan of the Miami brotherhood?

“Okay, my van is parked nearby. I haven’t had a drink.”

I smile and nod. “Let’s go.”

He laces his large, rough hand with mine and leads me out of the alleyway. I glance nervously back toward the entrance of the club, but I can’t see any sign of him.

We walk around the corner of the street, and I know we’re on our way to safety. I can’t shake the niggling sense of doubt, which is clawing at me as we walk in silence.

Lyov is dangerous. I’ve always been drawn to danger, and I wonder if I’m making a mistake. Before I can ponder on that thought, he is drawing me in for a quick, hot kiss. It chases away all my doubts.

I’m about to have a night of untamed passion with a man so ungodly handsome, what have I got to worry about?

5

LYOV

I

’ve gone o the plan. I’m in too deep.

The moment our eyes met, I knew this was going to be harder than I bargained for. The woman is a goddess. Dark long hair that curls in waves to her waist, brilliant hazel eyes and pouty, full lips. That’s not even mentioning her perfect body.

The way her full breasts bounce as she walks by my side.

Her sides sweep into her waist and out again to wide hips, swaying so temptingly with each step she takes. Her thick thighs are perfect for grabbing. I groan under my breath as I take in the sight of her.

She has to be wearing a tight as hell black dress too, which accentuates every dip and curve of her body. Not to mention that perfect round ass that makes my cock as hard as nails.

I can feel a haze over my mind. For the first time in years, I feel out of control. It’s a wild sensation.

I keep telling myself this is the easiest way to kidnap her.

She believes we are hooking up for a hot night of sex. I think my cock also thinks that’s where this is heading, but it can’t.

What Milana doesn’t realize is the danger I pose.

Deep down, I know I don’t want the way she is looking at me to change. I’m here to kidnap her and blackmail her

father. There’s no dressing that fact up and sugar-coating it.

It doesn’t matter what stupid urges I have toward her.

I have to bind her, gag her, and throw her in the back of my van. Speed is key. We won’t have long to escape Florida. I try desperately to push the fantasy of her bound and gagged naked on my bed out of my mind.

She glances at me and smiles. “Is it a long walk to your van?”

I shake my head, saying nothing. I can’t trust myself to speak yet.

My silence seems to worry her as she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and comes to a stop. “I’m not sure we should be doing this. I don’t normally go home with a man I don’t even—” I pull her to me and kiss her hard, silencing her. The taste of vodka still lingers on her lips, but I’m surprised it doesn’t turn my stomach. The need to kiss her is worth enduring the taste.

She moans into my mouth, linking her arms behind my neck and leaning into me. She smells too damn good. The feminine scent of berries and vanilla is intoxicating. I want to hold her close and never let her go.

The kissing makes it more di cult. I’m so hard in my pants that it feels like I’m going to explode any minute.

Instead of fucking her, I’ve got to hurt her. The moment that sobering thought pulses through my mind. I pull away, clenching my jaw. “Come on,” I say, grabbing her hand and leading her toward my van.

Sure, she’s a beautiful woman, but I can’t let that get in the way of my mission. Andrei will never forgive me if I defy his orders.

She quickens her pace to keep up with my long, fast strides. “What’s the hurry?”

I meet her gaze and feel my balls tighten. “I need to get your somewhere private,” I groan, trying not to give the game away.

Her eyes flash with desire, and she licks her bottom lip.

“What are you going to do with me?” Her voice turns flirty and teasing. She is going to be the death of me.

My van comes into view, and I grab the needle with anesthetic from my inside jacket pocket. Quickly, I remove it and pull Milana close to me with her back against my chest.

She wriggles her ass, and it’s so wrong that I’m hard right now.

Carefully, I stab the needle into her vein and inject her with the drugs, before she can realize what is happening. She jolts and pulls away, ripping the needle from herself.

Instantly, she wobbles on her feet. “What the—” Her eyes flicker shut, and she begins to fall.

I catch her limp body and quickly fling open the back door to my van. She is a dead weight as I lump her into the back of the van, getting inside and shutting the doors behind me. I can’t have anyone calling the cops on us—not here.

The restraints are welded in the back of the van. I’ve carried out more kidnaps than anyone of my brothers in the New York brotherhood. As a spy, I’m often given the job. It’s not something I enjoy doing, but it’s all part of my life in the bratva.

I fasten the leather bindings to her arms and legs. I grab a fabric gag and force it into her mouth, tying it around the back of her head.

It’s so fucked up that I’m still hard. If she were fully conscious and naked, I’d love to see her in this position for me, taking my cock through her plump lips and moaning.

I shake my head, trying to shake the fantasy out of my mind. When she wakes, I expect her to be noisy. The dose of

anesthesia I’ve given her is enough to keep her under for two hours, but everyone reacts di erently.

I can’t have any setbacks. I shut the door on the beauty unconscious and bound in the back of my van, resting my back against the door. When I o ered to snatch her, I didn’t realize there were going to be any complications.

My untamable desire for her is going to be a problem.

We’ve got a long drive to Chicago, and once I’m there, I’m supposed to take her to the safe house. I’ve got to guard her, which means we will be alone for God knows how long.

That’s the instructions.

I open the driver’s side door and start the engine. The quicker I get out of Miami, the better.

I’ VE BEEN DRIVING for over four hours when I hear the first commotion in the back of the van. We’ve not yet made it out of Florida, and I’d hoped we would have before she woke. I’m about an hour from the state line into Georgia.

I’m banking on no one finding out about her roommate until it is too late. Hopefully, they’ll assume that Milana has snuck o with a guy for the night. After all, that’s what she intended to do with me.

My cock twitches at the thought. I wish this was di erent, and that I was a normal guy hitting on a normal girl in a club. Instead, I’ve kidnapped her. It’s weak to think that way.

The bratva brotherhood is my life, and I’d do anything for my brothers. They are my family. We live and die by a code.

This girl is nothing to me, and it will stay that way. I may want to fuck her, but I won’t. Sure, lesser men in my brotherhood would give in to temptation, and they wouldn’t care if she wanted it or not. I hate those men.

They may be my brothers, but I don’t regard them as such. They are the lowest of the low. Some of our brotherhood members are rapists, murderers, and worse.

Some of them use this world to satisfy their sick cravings, while others have had no choice. I’ve done terrible things, none of which I’d ever excuse. The one thing I’ve never done is force a woman into bed. It is such a repulsive act to me.

The noise only increases, and mu ed whines start to filter through to the front of the van. It seems like my gag is less e ective than I’d hoped.

Fuck’s sake.

Why couldn’t she keep quiet?

I swerve o the road down a small dirt track, heading out of sight of the main road. I need to make Milana realize the danger of her situation. My jaw clenches as I pull over and stop the van. I know what I have to do. I need to teach her a lesson. She’s not in control here, I am.

I get out of the van and trudge to the back, flinging open the door. The rage pulsing through me dissipates the moment I set eyes on her again. Her emerald eyes widen with fear. I have to hurt her. I have to make her fear me, but I want her to look at me the way she did in that club again.

That boat has long sailed.

“Shut the fuck up,” I growl.

She whimpers and attempts to back away, despite the restraints.

I avert her gaze and step inside the back of the van. The only way to keep any semblance of control over my urges is to make sure I don’t make eye contact with her. I grab the restraints and pull them from the van wall, yanking her forward.

I fail miserably at not meeting her gaze as she peers up at me questioningly. I fumble with her gag, releasing it from her mouth.

“Milana, don’t make me hurt you,” I say, shaking my head. “If you obey me, you can sit upfront.”

Her eyes widen, and for a moment, she stares at me if she doesn’t believe me. Finally, she nods her head in response.

It’s impossible to dull down the fire raging inside of me as I look at her.

I keep my eyes focused on anything but her.

She attempts to stand by herself, and that sets me on edge.

I slip my hand around her throat, gripping her tight enough to warn and forcing her eyes to mine. “If you disobey me once, you’ll wish you had stayed tied up in the back of this van.”

I let go of her throat and unlock the restraints around her wrists. Once they are o , I lift her to her feet. As if my hands are sticky with glue, I find it impossible to remove them from her. I hold her close to me, starring into those stunning eyes of hers.

She licks her bottom lip, drawing my eyes to them.

I’ve underestimated how hard this is going to be. My duty to my brotherhood has always come first, so why can’t I kill these feelings I have when I look at her?

I force her around, breaking the heated eye contact. I tie her hands together with rope, tight enough to hurt.

Usually, I have no sympathy for any of my prisoners, but Milana isn’t a typical prisoner. It breaks every damn rule having her sit upfront with me, but I don’t care.

I drag her forcefully out of the back of the van. I may be letting her sit upfront with me, but I can’t go too soft. She gasps as I force her into the passenger’s seat. I do her seatbelt up before slamming the door.

I’m at war with myself right now. I know what I’m doing is wrong. The dutiful and loyal part of me that knows Andrei

would frown on my behavior. Bratva men don’t treat their prisoners this way.

Another part of me wants to fuck the bratva way. I want to claim this girl as my own and never return her. Even though I don’t have the fucking authority to claim her now since Andrei owns her. The man who ordered her capture and who commands me in life as my pakhan.

I feel rage rise inside of me at the mere thought.

Milana is mine. I won’t let anyone tell me otherwise.

6

MILANA

T

he roar of an engine fills my ears. Slowly, my surroundings become less hazy. It takes me a while to recall my last memories, but when I do, I turn rigid.

I had been ready to go home with Lyov from the club. The ridiculously handsome, muscle-bound bratva member who had captured my attention so quickly.

Then, I’d felt a needle in my arm and had passed out. I shake my head, still feeling the e ects of the drugs he shot into me. This is bad. Whoever he is, he is no friend. An enemy of my father most likely.

My mouth is dry, and the rag stu ed in it doesn’t help. I try to move, but the restraints on my wrists and ankles are too tight.

Fuck.

God knows how long we’ve been driving. Trust me to pick a fucking kidnapper to go home with. Pavel will be going out of his damn mind. He will have alerted my father already.

My father may not give a shit about me, but once he figures out they’ve snatched me, he will stop at nothing to find me and kill those responsible.

He doesn’t like people taking his things. That’s what he sees me as—a possession. I’ve frequently heard him trying to bargain with me, o ering me to the son’s of other pakhans

in exchange for more money or power. Up to now, they haven’t o ered him anything tempting enough to agree.

I rock against the restraints, trying to rip them from the wall. The best I can do is make mu ed cries of help through the thick fabric in my mouth. I can’t believe this is happening.

Suddenly, the vehicle swerves, and I’m knocked into the side. My heart rate spikes, and I begin to panic. I frantically grip at the restraints, trying to pull myself free. It’s no use.

They are welded to the van walls — this van must be used for this regularly.

The guy is super hot, but clearly a total creep. Kate will think I’m with him all night after the text I sent, so she won’t raise the alarm bells. By the time they realize I’m missing, it will be too damn late.

The van pulls to a stop, and my heart beats out of my chest. Terror freezes my muscles and makes me sick to the stomach. I stay frozen to the spot, waiting and listening.

The click of the van door opening and shutting makes me whimper. It’s not a coincidence that not long after I start making noise, this asshole has stopped.

Lyov, if that’s his real name, flings open the door and glares at me. His gaze softens the moment he sees my face.

The rage he had in his eyes had been hot and fiery.

“Shut the fuck up,” he growls.

I whimper out of fear and try to back toward the wall of the van. It’s impossible, considering I’m tied so tightly by the restraints.

He steps into the van and shuts the door behind him, making me sick to the stomach. I’m no stranger to the brutality of the bratva. He is an enemy and will treat me as such. I avert my gaze, unable to watch as he approaches me.

I gasp as he grabs the restraints from the wall and yanks me forward.

What is he going to do to me?

A shiver runs down my spine as I wait for him to say something or do something. I expect pain, but instead, his rough hands fumble at the gag, and he unties it.

I swallow hard, thankful that the gag is no longer restricting me. Although I don’t dare breathe a word.

“Milana, don’t make me hurt you,” he grits out, shaking his head. “If you obey me, you can sit upfront.”

His words surprise me. Despite the cold tone of his voice, the fact he’d allow me out of the back of the van isn’t what I expected.

I nod my head in response, searching his eyes. He is looking at me with that same fiery passion he observed me with in the club. Within seconds, he breaks eye contact and looks anywhere but at me.

I attempt to stand, but his hand slips around my throat, gripping me tightly and forcing me to meet his hot gaze. “If you disobey me once, you’ll wish you had stayed tied up in the back of this van.” The tone of his voice sends shivers down my spine.

I believe him. He is part of the bratva and would kill me if his pakhan ordered him to. He lets go of my throat and moves to untie the restraints. Once I’m free, he lifts me e ortlessly to my feet.

For a moment, he remains still, holding me close. So close our breath mingles, and that same electric pulse ignites in the air between us. I lick my bottom lip, which is so damn dry.

His eyes dip to my lips, and I can feel the tension heightening.

Despite the fact he kidnapped me, I still want to feel those demanding lips against mine again. His eyes harden, and then he forces me around. The rope grazes against my skin

as he ties my hands behind my back. The rope cuts into my skin and is too tight.

I gasp as he drags me into the passenger’s seat of the van.

I watch as he buckles me in, ensuring he doesn’t meet my gaze once.

I sit back, letting out a deep breath the moment he slams the door to walk to the driver’s side. Once back inside, he turns over the engine without saying a word. He doesn’t look at me.

I feel my stomach twist with unease. “Where are you taking me?” I ask, my voice shaking.

“No questions,” he grunts, without glancing my way.

I sit back in the seat and shut my eyes, accepting it’s probably best to do as he says at the moment. Tied up in a van, I’m never going to be able to escape. Perhaps once we get to where we’re going, I will be able to getaway.

I swallow hard and stare out of the window as tears prickle my eyes. My father always said I was weak. It looks like he was right. I fell straight into this man’s trap so quickly.

How stupid I was to think he would want me.

The man is so utterly handsome and brutal. The lump in my throat hurts as I watch the landscape rush by. I don’t know where we are going or who this man is, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve got no power here.

My mind feels hazy, and my vision isn’t as clear as it usually is. The drugs Lyov pumped me with are still in my system. I can feel the e ects of them.

Shutting my eyes, I lean back in the passenger’s seat. At least this is more comfortable than the cold, metal floor of the back of the van.

The drone of the engine carries me o into a troubled sleep.

M Y NECK ACHES as I wake up, slumped against the van door. I don’t know how long I was asleep, but as I come to my senses, everything hits me at once. My wrists are rubbed raw from the rope tied tightly around them.

Lyov is staring straight ahead, focusing on the road. I shift in the seat and sit upright, looking out of the window to try and work out where we are. A sign for Chicago catches my attention. We’re only a hundred miles from it, which means we have been out of Florida for a long time.

“Where are we going?” I ask, wishing I could rub my hand against my aching neck.

Lyov doesn’t look at me. “No talking.”

I sigh heavily and glance out of the window, taking in the landscape. Rain is drizzling down in a constant stream, and the clouds in the sky cast a dark grey over the entire land.

It’s as depressing as this situation.

It’s almost impossible to believe that I’d thought Lyov wanted me. He was playing me. I swallow hard, feeling stupid. A man like him never wants a girl like me. I’m nothing special, and I’m certainly no fitness model.

Although, in the club, there was no doubt he was hard.

Maybe that’s how he is with any girl he dances with. I push the thoughts from my mind and steal a glance at my captor.

He clenches his jaw tightly as he stares at the road with such intensity.

“Is your name really Lyov?” I ask.

His muscles tense, and he grips the steering wheel so hard his knuckles are white. A long drawn out silence ensues, and I’m almost certain he has no intention of answering me.

“Yes,” he grunts.

Short answers seem to be his thing. He’s definitely not talkative. It’s hard to believe this is the same man that had

been all over me in the club. He’s a good actor. Maybe he chose the wrong line of work.

“What outfit do you belong to?” I ask, hoping that maybe we could make this a little less dull by chatting.

“New York,” he grunts.

Wow, he has no intention of making this more comfortable for me. “I assume your pakhan has instructed you to snatch me over a disagreement with my father?”

He swerves the van and pulls to an abrupt stop, jerking me forward in the process. His eyes meet mine with such intensity. I can’t understand whether he’s looking at me as if he wants to kill me or fuck me. It is similar to the way he looked at me in the club.

I swallow hard as he grabs my throat. It shouldn’t ignite need, but it does. Anytime this man is rough and dominant with me, it gets me going like nothing ever has. I lick my bottom lip, which draws his eyes to them. “What are you going to do to me?”

His eyes flash, and nostrils flare. “Stop talking,” he growls.

Most women would probably cower away at his tone, but I like it. It’s wrong but true. The need to be claimed by this man is clawing at me, even now.

“Or what?” I ask.

He squeezes my throat even harder in a warning. It’s not enough to pose any danger, but it hurts a little. A hurt that makes my need for him increase.

I’ve always found dominant men attractive but never met one. My first boyfriend was anything but dominant. I get a feeling Lyov knows how to dominate from the way he handles me.

“Stop, Milana,” he growls, letting go of my throat and returning his hands to the steering wheel.

He pulls back onto the road and doesn’t look at me, speeding faster than before. I get the feeling he can’t wait to get out of this van.

My urges toward him are highly questionable. The guy drugged me for fuck’s sake, and I can’t stop thinking about him dominating me. I need to get a handle of myself before I push him too far.

7

LYOV

I

pull up at a gas-station about twenty miles from the address of the safe house near Chicago. It’s quiet and out in the middle of nowhere. The perfect place to ensure we don’t draw any unwanted attention.

Milana has gone quiet in the passenger’s seat, no longer trying to fight against the restraints.

It was uncharacteristic of me to take pity on her. When I opened the door to beat her and tell her to shut up, I couldn’t. Not when those bright emerald eyes met mine, full of fire and fear.

She’s a goddess—a Russian goddess who I’d love to have beneath me.

Her eyes snap to mine, and I avert her gaze, fixing my attention on the road.

“Where are we?” she asks.

I grit my teeth together, hating that she’s disobeying my order again. I may have taken pity on her, but I can’t let her believe she has any control in this situation. “No talking,” I growl. “Stay put, and I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Not sure where you think I’m going to go,” she quips.

I grab her throat and squeeze hard, forcing her eyes to mine. “I said, no talking.”

Fear floods her eyes, and she quivers, wincing at the pain of my vice-like grip. She nods her head, and I finally let go.

Conflict is tearing at me. I don’t want Milana to be scared of me, but I’ve got no choice. She’s my captive, and I’m her captor. It’s simple. She does as I say until she gets to go back to her father—if she gets to go back to her father.

I grit my teeth. Andrei could ring me and order her execution at any point. The mere thought of harming her makes my stomach twist with unease. More often than not, that’s how this sort of shit goes down in the bratva. Loved ones die if you make a play for someone else’s territory. She will be collateral damage.

I can’t even think of hurting her, which makes no fucking sense. This is what I do. I torture, beat, and, if needed, execute our enemies.

Milana may be innocent, but she’s guilty by association.

She’s on the other side of the war — a daughter of a man who is trying to take down our brotherhood.

I grab the fuel pump and shove it into the van, tapping my foot on the floor.

This place is deserted, but I don’t like stopping with her on view, even if we are back on our turf. Veselov has been increasingly aggressive in our territory. Any asshole from his brotherhood could spot her and give us away.

The geeky, middle-aged cashier with glasses is watching us out of the window. I hate the way he stares at Milana. He’s a dirty, fucking pervert.

The possessiveness rising inside of me is ridiculous and not rooted in a traditional captive and captor relationship. I want to own her in every way.

I can’t deny that the image of her on her knees, stark naked, tied up and sucking my cock has been on repeat since I let her sit next to me.

Asking her to dance at the club had seemed like a good plan at the time. It made perfect sense to get her away from her bodyguard. Once she was pressed up against me, and her sweet scent filled the air around me, I lost it.

She hypnotized me with the way she moved and how good it felt to her body pressed against mine. Then she kissed me, and all reasoning flew out of the window. I’d forgotten what I was doing. I’d forgotten my damn name.

If it hadn’t been for her suggesting we got out of there when we did, her bodyguard would have thwarted the entire plan. I can’t think straight around her.

I’m never one to get distracted, especially not by women —not after Liliana. Another has not tempted me since her.

How ridiculous is it that the first women to catch my interest is my captive. Maybe that’s just because I’m sick — a broken man who shouldn’t go near a sweet, innocent girl like her.

Anyone that goes near me gets killed anyway. Milana would be no di erent. Once the tank is full, I set the fuel pump back and march for the station to pay the pervert, who is still staring at my captive.

I step into the station, and he still doesn’t take his eyes o of her. Rage bubbles inside of me and I can feel my control slipping. “What the fuck are you staring at,” I growl, as I get up to the counter.

The guy glances at me and then pales. “N-nothing.”

I slam my hand down on the counter. “Bullshit. I saw you staring at my woman ever since we pulled up here.” I grab him by the collar and pull him over the cashier. “I wouldn’t fucking stare at what is mine if I were you.”

He turns so pale that I’m sure he’s about to piss himself.

“Of course,” he splutters.

I let him go, and he drops back into his chair, clutching at his throat. The guy is a fucking coward. He should know better than to stare at a woman with a man like me.

I grab a few candy bars and some chips before chucking three twenties down on the counter and turning to leave.

Assaulting a cashier while I’m trying to be discreet is kind of the opposite, but Milana makes me crazy. No one can look at her because she’s mine. I shake my head. I can’t be thinking like that. She belongs to my brotherhood now, until I’m instructed by Andrei otherwise.

I get into the driver’s side of the van. Her stunning green eyes fix on me. “Why did you grab the cashier like that?” she asks.

I grit my teeth together. There’s no way I’m telling her why—because I hate any other man looking at her. Instead, I grunt in response and turn the engine over.

I chuck her the chips and candy bars. “Eat,” I order, before pulling the van out of the gas station quickly, speeding down the road toward our destination.

“Are you ever going to speak to me or just grunt and throw things at me?”

God damn it. Milana knows how to push my fucking buttons. Does she want me to hurt her? I think the more important question is, could I? Instead of looking at her, I keep my eyes forward and say nothing. I won’t bend to her will and answer.

“Fine, the silent treatment it is.”

I see her cross her arms over her chest from the corner of my eye. This whole situation is fucked up and wrong. Milana is my prisoner. Yet, she’s the one who is having the last word. I can’t even find it in myself to say anything.

Every time I snap, the fear in her eyes makes me feel guilty. It’s stupid. I’ve done far worse things, and never felt guilty. “Stop mouthing o , or I’ll make you sorry you didn’t stay in the back of the van,” I grunt.

She tenses by my side. Finally, I think I’m getting through to her.

“I wouldn’t mouth o if you told me what the fuck was happening.”

Fuck’s sake. I slam on the breaks, swerving to the side of the road. Milana can’t keep pushing me like this, but everything I do doesn’t get through to her. This time, when I grab her throat, I mean it. The strength of my grip makes it di cult for her to breathe.

Her eyes fill with fear as she stares at me—shocked.

‘What the fuck is confusing about this situation?” I ask, not expecting an answer.

“You,” she gasps.

I let go of her throat. “Explain,” I growl.

She licks her bottom lip, making my cock stir to attention.

“One minute I’m bound and gagged, and the next, you let me sit in the van. You haven’t laid a hand on me or hurt me, so it’s hard to believe the threat.” Her eyes are flickering with fire.

She’s right. I’ve not backed up my threats with my actions, and I can’t. The thought of hurting her makes me angry. I turn my attention back to the road and shift into gear, pulling away from the side of it without another word.

I can feel her eyes on me, but I don’t meet her gaze. This is situation is very bad. I’m her captor, and I’m supposed to hurt, intimidate, and torture her.

I’d never harm her. I know that with certainty. What I’m supposed to do and what I want to do are so conflicting. All I want to do is claim her as my own and protect her from this world.

It could change the course of my life and hers so drastically. Andrei is a fair pakhan, but I’m not sure my disobedience would be something he could overlook. If he orders me to hurt her, I won’t be able to do it.

The main question is, what choice will we have? I have nowhere to go and no connections other than within the

brotherhood. If I defy my pakhan it would be a death sentence for both of us, but hurting Milana goes against every instinct.

8

MILANA

L

yov takes a dirt track, leaving the main road for the first time. I glance at him, but he keeps his eyes firmly fixed ahead. He has barely looked at me since we left the gas station. The track weaves between thick trees and woodland.

Finally, a deserted cabin comes into view. I never thought I’d die like this. My father’s work has always been dangerous, but I’ve been una ected by it. For the first time in my life, I’m in real danger.

Lyov stops the van and then glances at me. A conflict is warring in his beautiful blue eyes. I wonder whether he wants to do this. He seduced me, drugged me, and kidnapped me. I know how to pick them.

He says nothing and gets out of the van, walking to my side. “Out,” he barks.

The coldness of his tone sends a shiver down my spine. I had sensed danger when I looked into his eyes at the club.

He’s a brutal bratva brother who isn’t controlled by my father. Anytime I ask a question, he ignores me.

I get a feeling if I don’t watch my mouth, Lyov will punish me.

A tingle runs down my spine right to my core at the thought. I’ve always been attracted to dominant men and

like the idea of a man who isn’t afraid of spanking me or tying me up. I get a feeling Lyov wouldn’t bat an eyelid at doing either of those things. He’s already tied me up, after all.

I clench my thighs together as he grabs my arms and drags me toward the cabin. I also get the feeling that Lyov is more likely to hurt me than take me to bed. We may have met under di erent circumstances, but that electric connection between us is gone. He doused the fire the moment he drugged and kidnapped me.

“Are you going to kill me?” I ask, finally fed up with the silent treatment.

Sure, he has kidnapped me—he is in control, but at least tell me what the fuck is going on.

He jerks me to a stop and grabs my hips, pulling me into him. “What did I say about keeping your mouth shut?” he growls.

The way he holds me makes me melt. I know how fucked up it is. This guy is treating me like shit, but that spark I felt in the club is still there. It flickers between us on and o .

He’s trying to shut it down, but it’s there.

I pull away from him and meet his gaze. “I get it. You’re in control here and all that alpha male bullshit, but at least have the decency to tell me what the fuck is going on,” I demand.

He flinches slightly, as though I’ve slapped him in the face. He stares at me for so long in silence. I wonder if I’ve broken the big, powerful bratva man. “Let me get one thing straight. You don’t get to demand anything from me.” He grabs hold of my hair so hard and yanks me toward him. “I control everything. Do you understand?”

I bite my bottom lip and say nothing. Standing by and not questioning what is going on isn’t in my nature. If he wants

me to be quiet, he will have to gag me. If he expects me to say yes sir, he’s got another thing coming.

“Do I have to discipline you?” His eyes flash with something wicked.

I meet his gaze, unflinching, and keep my mouth shut.

He grabs me harder and drags me toward the sofa, sitting down, and then forcing me over his knee.

I yelp in surprise as he pushes the skirt of my dress up over my ass. A flush of heat consumes me as he holds me in such a vulnerable position—so exposed to him. All I’m wearing is a skimpy little thong.

His hand teases over my flesh softly before he brings it down in a hard spank.

I cry out, humiliation, pain, and pleasure, confusing me all at once. How can I feel anything but hate for this man? I try to wriggle from his grip, freezing when I feel him — the thick, hard length of his cock pressing into my abdomen.

He brings his hand down even harder on my other cheek.

All I can think about is how hard he is. Does he get o on spanking me? The next spank makes me moan.

Lyov freezes beneath me at the sound. “Don’t tell me you enjoy punishment.” His voice is a half-groan.

I gasp as he parts my ass cheeks and presses a finger to my throbbing core. My thong is soaking wet.

“You’re so wet.” He spanks me three times on each cheek again. “This isn’t supposed to be enjoyable,” he growls.

The dominance in his voice only makes me wetter. The humiliation is gone. Only pure unadulterated lust exists inside of me now — a need to feel this man inside of me. I wanted him when our eyes first met, and I still want him now, despite everything.

He grabs my thong and pulls it down around my thighs.

I’m too needy to feel embarrassed as he parts my thighs and exposes my dripping wet arousal to his hungry gaze. His

cock twitches beneath me at sight, and he teases a finger through my folds.

“Fuck,” I moan, bucking my hips.

He spanks me three times. “I told you to be quiet.”

I bite my bottom lip, trying to endure the pleasure without making a sound. It’s torture. His finger bumps against my clit, and I can’t hold back.

I moan deeply, earning myself another spanking. Lyov won’t tell me anything, but I didn’t expect him to do this to me.

Shame spreads through me for liking the way he punishes me. It’s not right. His hand teases the stinging flesh almost gently. For a moment, I could imagine we were a kinky couple participating in foreplay, but that’s not what this is.

Lyov has stolen me from my home and taken me captive.

That thought escapes me the moment his finger slips inside of me. I moan, no longer trying to keep quiet. My body is coiled so tightly. I’m so hot that It feels like I might burn to cinders at any moment.

He groans above me, fingering me with such an expert touch. I’m drowning in pleasure on the lap of my captor. He bends me to his will with one touch — a man who takes what he wants.

I can feel the pressure building deep inside of me with each stroke of his finger. “Oh, my God.” I writhe on his lap, grinding my clit against him in an attempt to chase my orgasm.

Any reasoning about what is going on between us is gone.

All I can do is give in to the sensational pain and pleasure he’s provoking from me.

He slaps my ass with his free hand. “Don’t move.”

I still at his command, loving the way his deep, baritone voice makes me wetter, needier. He slips another finger inside of me, making me cry out. The pleasure increasing to

a point I can no longer bear. I need to come, but he’s not letting me.

“Please,” I whimper.

The begging earns me three hard slaps on each cheek.

“No speaking.”

He slides three thick fingers inside of me and increases the tempo, stroking the spot inside of me that promises release. He chases down my orgasm. My clit throbs hard as he sends me straight toward the cli edge with no sign of slowing down.

I pant and groan over his knee, wanting more. He sends me over the edge with one last thrust, and I cry out his name, “Lyov.”

He spanks my ass once more, which adds to the unbelievable pleasure spiking through me. For a moment, we remain like that, unmoving.

No man has taken me in hand like this or made me orgasm the way he just did. His hand is still resting on my stinging ass cheek.

He is panting almost as heavily as I am. I feel his cock twitch against my tummy.

Excitement reignites inside of me at the thought of this dominant man fucking me. I wriggle in his grip, trying to get an idea of what I’m working with. He feels large. Everything about Lyov is large.

“Up,” he orders.

I stand to my feet. Lyov grabs hold of my waist and hoists me over his shoulder, carrying me into the bedroom. My heart rate picks up, as I wonder what he is going to do to me.

He drops me in the center of super king-sized bed, before turning his back on me and walking out of the room without saying a word.

My stomach dips as he slams the door shut behind him. A mix of shame and humiliation floods me all at once. I’d

expected him to fuck me. No, I’d wanted him to fuck me. It’s so wrong.

Instead, I’m left feeling confused and empty, staring at a shut door. A knock on the window startles me, and I glance over to see a small bird staring in at me, tapping its beak against the glass.

My brow furrows as I get up from the bed and walk toward it. The catch is on the inside, and there is no key. I free the window and pull it up, startling the bird away. Lyov left me in here with an escape route, which is a rookie mistake.

I gaze out into the forest surrounding the cabin. An icy gust of wind picks up, chilling me to the bone. If I escape, then I will probably be dead by morning. It’s cold, and on the drive up here, there was nothing for miles.

Not to mention, the thought of leaving Lyov makes me feel a little dead inside. It makes no sense, but after what he just did to me, I want to experience more with him. Explore the line between pleasure and pain that he isn’t afraid to dole out.

I shut the window and flick over the catch. At least I know there is an escape, if I get desperate. With a deep sigh, I flop onto the comfortable bed and shut my eyes. Exhaustion overcomes me, as I haven’t slept in hours.

My eyes fall shut, and the first thing I see is Lyov’s stunning face. He is under my skin, and I’m not sure I’ll ever get him out of my mind after what he did to me.

9

LYOV

“I

trust everything went to plan?” Andrei asks over the phone.

“Yes, sir. The prisoner is in my custody, and we’re at the safe house,” I reply, knowing that calling her the prisoner is wrong. She’s sleeping in the damn bedroom, which isn’t where the prisoners sleep.

“Good.” There’s a moment of silence that passes between us. “Are you fine to keep watch of her until I call on you?”

I swallow hard. I should say no, especially after the way I spanked her over my knee only a few hours ago. If I told him that I wasn’t capable, he’d send another man in my place.

The thought of Milana being at the mercy of one of my other brothers makes me sick.

“Of course, sir. How long do you expect us to be here?” I ask.

Andrei sighs on the other end. He hates answering questions, but I need to know how long I’ve got put up with this. “A week or so.”

I nod, even though he can’t see me. A week can’t be too hard for me to control my urges, although I couldn’t control them within seconds of getting Milana into this cabin.

It was just a slip-up—something that won’t happen again. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you down.” Those words feel

rancid on my lips. They are a lie. I’ve already let him down, even though he isn’t aware. The fact I’m not treating Milana like my prisoner is enough to let him down.

“Good, Lyov. You know how much I hate to be disappointed.”

“Sir,” I say.

“I’ll speak to you within a week.” He says nothing more, putting down the phone. I stare at the phone for a moment, wondering how the fuck I got myself into this mess.

I shouldn’t have taken her in hand the way I did. We’ve been together less than twenty-four hours, and I’ve already blown up the line between captor and captive. She pushed me, and I snapped.

The door to the bedroom is open, and I find myself walking toward it. I stop and lean against the doorframe, watching the beauty sleep.

Milana is lying in the center of the super king-size bed.

She looks so peaceful and angelic. I long to curl up behind her and hold her to me. These odd feelings aren’t right.

Milana is my captive and nothing more.

Why the fuck can’t I get the image of her naked out of my mind?

Unfortunately, this safe house is a little cramped. There is one bedroom and one bed. I’m too damn big for the couch. At the moment, it’s my only choice.

Although I know how wrong it is that I punished her the way I did, a part of me loved it. I’ve always been a sick fucking bastard. The sense of control when I dominate a woman gets me harder than anything ever does.

With Milana, it seems uncontrollable. An urge I can’t resist. I was steel as I held her over my knee, painting her ass red fucking raw.

The way she wiggled on my lap, I knew she could feel my reaction. She knew I was hard and pulsing with need for her.

She knows what gets me o , and that makes me vulnerable.

If she wants, she can manipulate me. I never let anyone know my true reactions or emotions.

Emotions are a weakness that can be exploited.

Americans show their feelings too freely. It’s something I noticed when moving here from Russia. They are like open books ready to be read. It’s dangerous to act this way.

Milana mumbles in her sleep and turns over, drawing my eyes back to her. My heart stops beating the moment her eyes flick open, meeting mine.

I turn my back as fast as I can, walking away from her.

Fuck.

She just caught me watching her sleep. I walk away from her with slow, deliberate steps. When I hear her soft footsteps echo on the wood floor, my body tenses.

I’m too easy to read around her, and she knows she’s not truly in danger from me. I freeze as her small, soft hand falls on my arm. Milana’s sweet, feminine scent encapsulates me in an instance.

She is like a piece of juicy meat hung out for a starving grizzly bear. If she doesn’t watch it, I won’t be able to control myself much longer.

“Lyov, I can take the sofa if you want,” her sweet voice sounds hesitant.

I shake my head and keep my eyes o her. “No.” She squeezes my arm gently. “Or we can share the bed.

It’s large enough.”

I growl and whip around to face her, grabbing her wrist hard in the process. “I spanked you to teach you a lesson.

Don’t try to play games with me, Milana. You will lose.”

Milana winces in pain, swallowing hard as she stares at me with those big, innocent green eyes. Instant regret clinches at my chest at the look on her face. She was only

trying to be kind, and I’m acting like an ass. “I’m not playing games. I just…” she trails o and shakes her head.

Her stomach rumbles, and she turns bright red.

I nod toward the kitchen. “Sit at the table,” I order, dropping her wrist.

She does as I say, walking toward the table. That dress is still on her and as tempting as ever. I need to find her a change of clothes. Or maybe, I should order her to walk around butt naked.

I walk into the kitchen area without another word, grabbing some eggs from the fridge to make us something.

Any distraction is a good one at this point. Milana needs to keep the hell away from me, or I will end up doing something I regret.

I slam a pan down on the burner and turn it on, keeping my back to the room. It’s all I can do not to take her against the wall of this damn cabin. A temptress like her shouldn’t play with fire—we will both get burned. We are enemies on opposite sides of this war.

I really should talk to Andrei about getting a sofa bed.

Although, I’m not sure how I’d explain the need for one.

People we kidnap are always kept chained in the basement.

The bed is meant for me, or whoever is staying with the captive. There’s never a need for another bed, until now.

I won’t chain her up like a second rate citizen down in the dank basement. She doesn’t deserve that treatment. She deserves to be treated like a queen—my queen.

I flip over the eggs and chuck some toast into the toaster.

This isn’t exactly a great first meal to share, but I need to make a run to the store. It never occurred to me on the way here. I was too damn distracted by her.

I slam a plate down in front of her with two pieces of toast and a couple of eggs.

She smiles at me, and I can feel something twinge inside of my chest. “Thanks.”

I growl. “For what?”

She shrugs. “For the food.”

I shake my head and return to the kitchen, grabbing my plate and walking into the living room to eat. I can’t stand sitting opposite her because her presence is too much. She eats in silence to my relief.

After a short while, the scrape of her chair against the floor warns me she has finished eating. I hate that she’s getting up without my permission, but I can’t trust myself to even look at her right now.

It’s as if she’s pushing me to punish her again. The tension returns to my muscles when I hear soft footsteps bounding toward me. “Lyov, please, you can’t sleep on there, but I can.”

I sigh heavily, holding a hand to my forehead. Milana knows she’s not in any danger with me because I’ve been too lenient. Even though I know that there’s not one part of me that wants to harm her in any way. “Stop pushing me,” I growl.

“Pushing you to do what?” she asks.

I glare at her from the sofa, before standing to my feet.

“You are my prisoner.” I shake my head. “You do as I say.”

She flicks her tongue over her thick bottom lip. “And, if I don’t?”

I narrow my eyes at her and then turn away. This is what I was afraid of. She knows how much I want her, and now she’s using it to her advantage. She can’t take my punishment seriously, as it was more like erotic foreplay.

I keep my eyes o her, jaw clenched tightly. My cock is steel in my pants, thinking about how wet she got when I bent her over my knee. She loves me punishing her as much as I love punishing her.

My heart rate shoots through the roof as a soft hand lands on my back.

I turn to stone under her touch as she runs it in soothing circles. A tightness closes around my chest, remembering how Liliana used to do the same thing when I was stressed.

“Lyov, please.”

My jaw clenches because she is begging me and testing every last string of my resolve. It’s as if she’s trying to cut away my control and force me to behave like the beast I am.

Claim her, fuck her, make her beg for my cock until she is on the verge of tears.

“Stop.” I grit out, keeping my back tense and unmoving. I can’t fold—or at least, I shouldn’t. If I give in to my urges, there is no going back.

Milana is wearing me down with every touch and caress— with every soft word spoken. As a bratva spy and brotherhood member, I should hurt her for her insolence.

It’s impossible to do so. The mere thought of harming her makes me sick to the stomach. I have to protect her from everything bad in this world.

She still hasn’t removed her hand from my back. Her touch is light and innocent, but it sets me on fire.

What’s the use in fucking pretending any longer? All I’m doing is avoiding the inevitable. At least, that’s what I tell myself as I turn and capture her wrist in my hand, making her gasp.

Her stunning eyes dilate with such longing. I try to draw breath into my lungs, but they feel too tight. She has the power to bring me to my knees and calm the beast inside of me. I’ve been hurting too long, and one look in her eyes tells me she could ease that hurt.

The tension between us is unbearable. I know there’s no way I’m going to be able to resist her. Andrei would kill me if he knew how lenient I’ve been with her up to now.

“Are you ever going to speak to me?” She tilts her head to the side.

I shake my head and pull her close, yanking her into my body. There’s no time for speaking. Milana makes me insane and I intend to show her how much I want her.

She gasps as I grab her throat in a possessive grip. I’ve lost all reasoning as I stare into those bright emerald eyes.

The electricity pulsing between us increases.

I keep my hand around her throat, angling her lips to mine. My lips move over hers in a hard, unforgiving kiss. I force my tongue into her mouth, searching it with ferocity — the need to show her who the fuck owns her rising inside of me.

This is the first kiss we’ve shared since we were at her father’s club in Miami. I know without a doubt, it won’t be the last. It will be the first of many more to come. Milana belongs to me in more ways than one, and I’m never letting her go.

10

MILANA

I

’m insane to keep pushing him, but I can’t stop thinking about the way he made me come over his knee. My body craves his touch, his kiss—him. The fleeting thought of escaping from the bedroom window quickly dissipated. I should flee, but I want to stay with him for some inexplicable reason.

If I escape, where would I go? I’m thousands of miles from home. Lyov is the only thing that feels safe to me. As he grips my throat possessively, gazing into my eyes with such conflict. I can see him holding himself back.

It feels like forever ticks by before he pulls me toward him and kisses me hard. I moan into his mouth, loving the way it feels to be kissed by him again. Ever since our first kiss on the dancefloor in the club, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.

Lyov drugging and kidnapping me couldn’t douse the hot passion he ignited inside of me. His tongue searches my mouth as if this is the last time he’ll ever kiss someone. He kisses me with such frantic and desperate need.

Yes, this is insane. It’s as if I’ve got fucking Stockholm Syndrome, but at the same time, he hasn’t once treated me like a prisoner—not really. In my mind, I’m trying to justify this undeniable pull I have toward him.

Whatever it is between us, we’ve both felt it since my dad’s club. There’s no denying it. He lifts me into his arms without saying a word and carries me into the bedroom. This time, he doesn’t leave me.

He sets me in the center of the bed and climbs over me. I moan as he kisses my neck, pushing the strap of my dress down to kiss my shoulder. The need for both of us to be naked is clawing at me. I tease my fingers under his t-shirt touching his muscled abs.

He tenses and then grabs my wrists, pushing them above my head. “No touching.”

I whimper as he whips his shirt o , revealing his hard, muscular body with ink scrolling like a work of art over every inch of skin. My mouth waters at the sight as I’ve always loved men with tattoos.

He ties my wrists with his shirt to the bed rails, making my heart rate speed up. Fuck. I’m utterly at the mercy of this man—tied and bound beneath him. My love of dominant men is a weakness and has been ever since I grew up around these hardened, bratva men.

Lyov is stunning. He is pure muscle wrapped in tanned skin and inked to the max. It’s as if he has is made for me.

The desire to run my hands over every dip and curve of his sculpted muscles is strong, but I can’t move. His dazzling blue eyes hold my gaze as he unzips my dress at the front, pulling it down my body.

I squirm under his hungry gaze, wearing only my black lacy thong and matching bra. The way he looks at me is enough to turn me to a molten puddle in the center of this bed. He kisses my neck gently, trailing kisses down to the center of my breasts.

I shiver at the gentle way he is treating me. It’s the opposite of what I expect and want. His hands grip my hips

possessively as he trails kisses down my stomach. The anticipation of him reaching my core makes me squirm.

He hooks his finger into the waistband of my panties, pulling them down and groaning as he stares at my most private place. I swallow hard, longing to feel him touch me again. Instead, he brings his lips there and licks at my clit.

I buck my hips as he slides a finger inside of me. He shifts between sucking and licking my clit with an intensity that makes me squirm in ecstasy. His finger moves in and out of me with careful strokes.

“Lyov,” I gasp, feeling my orgasm closing in on me quicker than I’ve ever known.

He spanks my thigh. “Call me, sir,” he groans, waiting for me to obey.

I lick my bottom lip, holding his gaze. It’s as if he knows what I’ve been craving. A man who can dominate me. A man who knows what it means to be a Dom. “Sir,” I moan, arching my back as he continues his ministrations. The stinging pain where he slapped my thigh isn’t enough. I want him to flip me over and paint my ass red. I’m shocked by my craving for pain. “Spank me, sir,” I moan.

He stills with his tongue on my center. “I’m in control,” he growls.

I bite my bottom lip. Lyov’s dominance only fuels my lust.

He sinks his teeth gently into my clit, making me squeal. I’ve never felt this way with anyone. The way he doles out pain and pleasure simultaneously heightens every sense in my body. My nerve endings crackle. My body shakes.

“Fuck,” I cry out, shattering into thousands of pieces as he continues to lick me. He laps at every drop that spills from my center, tasting me. Finally, he sits back on his haunches and stares at me.

I feel more wanted than I’ve ever felt because of the look in his eyes. His fingers tease at the belt buck on his pants and my mouth waters. The thought of seeing every naked inch of him drives me wild.

He holds my gaze as he undoes his belt, then his pants zipper. It feels like torture as he slowly drags his pants down his muscled hips and thighs, chucking them o the bed. All that stands between me and Lyov’s naked body is a pair of tight, black boxer briefs.

They leave little to the imagination, as they cling to the enormous length of him. I’m so wet I can feel myself dripping onto the bed.

“Are you going to let me suck it, sir?” I ask, surprising myself with my boldness.

He growls, ripping his boxers o and exposing every hard, thick inch to me. I stare in utter shock at the size of him. My body aches at the thought of him inside of me. “Do you want to suck it, Malishka?” he groans, calling me baby in Russian.

I suck in a sharp intake of breath, trying to gather my thoughts. I’ve got a feeling my brain short-circuited for a minute. “Yes, sir.”

He fists his length in his hand and stands by the side of the bed. His cock is inches away from my mouth, a pearly bead of precum ready to be licked pooling at the tip. I lick my lips, wishing I could move closer.

His t-shirt tied around my arms holds me far enough away. I whimper as the longing to taste him overwhelms me.

“Please, Lyov.”

He grips my chin hard, gazing into my eyes. “I told you to call me, sir.”

“Please, sir,” I moan.

He kisses me hard. “Good girl.” Lyov moves closer and presses the tip of his cock against my lips.

I open them wide and accept him inside, moaning as his salty precum splashes onto my tongue. The hot, thick length of him slides in and out of my mouth. He is in control. Every thrust into my mouth is shallow, but I can see he is holding back.

I angle my head, trying to get more of him inside.

He groans and pulls his cock from my mouth. “So fucking good.”

“Fuck my throat, sir,” I moan, holding his electric blue gaze.

He groans and shuts his eyes for a second. “Open wide, baby.”

I do as he says, and he slides every inch into my mouth. I relax, making sure I don’t gag. He starts to move in and out of my throat, groaning above me. His eyes flicker shut as thick, salty precum fills my mouth.

I gag, and he stops, pulling back and glancing at me. “Are you okay?”

I nod my head, opening my lips to accept him inside again.

He pumps his hips upward, driving his cock into the back of my throat. “Fuck, your mouth feels so good,” he says, sliding the length of him over my tongue.

I flick my tongue around the base of his swollen head, teasing more precum from him. I groan at the taste as he thrusts back into my throat. Breathing through my nose, I take every thick inch of him. He’s so fucking big.

Lyov grabs my hair and wraps it around his hand, driving me harder onto his cock. It turns me on more the way he takes control. His dominance is one of his most attractive qualities.

I gag as he hits the back of my throat, salivating all over him. He groans as he continues to thrust, making it di cult

to breathe. He pushes me to the edge before letting go of my hair and allowing me to breathe.

“So perfect,” he purrs, gripping my chin between his finger and thumb and tilting my head toward his.

Lyov kisses me, searching my mouth with his tongue. I groan as he bites my bottom lip gently. For the first time, I’m learning how much I enjoy pain and pleasure together.

It’s intoxicating.

He pulls away from my mouth and kisses my neck softly and gently. The kisses are such a contrast to his rough nature, making my body tremble. I groan as he sinks his teeth into my neck before kissing my collarbone. Lyov moves down lower, sending thrills through me.

The mere thought of his mouth down there again makes me tremble with need. The intensity increases between us by the second as he moves down my body, kissing and nipping at me in a way that drives me wild. Lyov knows how to work my body and turn me to jelly in his palm.

I wriggle in his grip, earning myself a warning slap on my thighs. He grips my hips hard as he continues his descent. It feels like I’m going to burst out into flames any moment— I’ve never felt this way before.

Finally, he moves between my thighs, letting his breath tease against me.

“Please,” I moan, bucking my hips toward his face.

“Fuck,” I cry out at the feel of his tongue against my sensitive nub, licking and swiping in a way that promises release.

It’s fast and explosive. I can’t believe I’m doing this with a man who drugged and kidnapped me, but neither of us can resist the pull between us, it’s gravitational—too strong to resist.

11

LYOV

I

move over her naked body, kissing a trail up the center of her chest. She moans, arching her back. It makes me want to sink every inch of myself inside of her. I can’t. I need her to beg me. The craving to make her bend to my will is strong.

This is the last thing I should be doing with the woman who Andrei has ordered me to hold captive. It’s impossible to stop.

My shirt is tightly fastened around her wrists, holding her in place against the bed rails. She’s flushed a perfect pink, but I want to tinge her skin a stinging red. After spanking her before, I know she craves receiving pain and being dominated—two things I’m good at.

My cock is a steel rod as she drips onto the bed. I may have brought her to climax once, but I’m just getting started.

She sucked my cock like a damn expert. The way she took every inch into her throat made me want to shoot my load right away. I can’t understand why jealousy rose inside of me at the thought of those plump, thick lips around any other man’s cock.

I kiss down her tummy with slow, soft kisses. Her body shivers beneath me as I trail to her center. She whimpers as I stop and linger over her clit, letting my breath tease against

it. Milana is so fucking wet. I long to taste her again. My mouth waters at the mere prospect of doing it all damn night.

“Please,” she moans, bucking her hips in an attempt to get my lips on her.

I smile at how wanton and needy I’ve she already is. My tongue flicks against her hard, swollen nub, and she cries out in pleasure. “Fuck.”

I love having her at my mercy. I’ve lasted under twentyfour hours, before having her naked and writhing beneath me. I slip my finger into her tight arousal, feeling her clamp down around it like a vice. It makes me groan at the thought of having her wrapped around me tightly.

I fist myself in my other hand, longing to sink myself inside of her. Milana cries out as I lick and suck at her sensitive clit, drawing her toward the climax for the second time. My finger dipping in and out of her.

I stop licking her and undo the ties around her wrists. “On your hands and knees,” I groan.

She does as I say without saying a word. Her back arched as she bears herself to me, dripping. I part her ass cheeks and lick her right from her clit to her asshole. She gasps, feeling my tongue in that forbidden spot.

I slap her ass cheeks the way she begged me to earlier.

She cries out in pleasure, flooding my face with more of her delicious juice. I flick my tongue between her asshole and center, tasting her sweet nectar dripping from her.

She writhes in my grip as I move my fingers over her sensitive clit, drawing her closer and closer to orgasm. I could do this all day. Milana is my new addiction and all I crave. Ever since I saw her on that dancefloor, I knew I had to have her.

She bucks her hips backward into my mouth as she tries to demand more from me. I dig my fingers into her hips,

forcing her to submit to me. “No moving,” I growl.

She stills beneath me and releases a groan of frustration, making me smile. “Please, sir.”

“Are you begging me?” I ask.

She nods her head. “Yes, sir.”

I grip her thighs harder and force her over onto her front.

“What do you want?”

“I want you to fuck me, sir,” she moans.

I bring my hand down on her firm, round buttocks hard.

“Naughty girl,” I groan, feeling my cock pulsing between my legs — the need to be inside of her increasing by the second.

I bite my bottom lip in an attempt to hold out, pushing two fingers back inside of her.

I hook my fingers inside of her and work to force her toward orgasm quickly, kneading her pink ass in my other hand. Her pussy tightens around my fingers, warning me she’s about to come apart.

One more spank on both of her dark pink ass cheeks is enough to shatter her. Milana bucks on my hand, moaning my name in a way that drives me insane.

“Fuck, Milana,” I groan, bringing my mouth back to her center and tasting her. I spank her ass again as she grinds on my mouth. “No moving.”

She stills like a good submissive, accepting my dominance. My cock is leaking all over the silk bedsheets as I move backward. I position the swollen head of my dick at the entrance of her slick pussy, teasing it through her folds.

I press my aching cock to her entrance using the right amount of pressure. She can feel me there, but I haven’t parted those slick lips of hers.

She whimpers as I back o , doing it over and over again. I won’t stop until she begs me again for my cock. I spank her pink ass and groan as she leaks onto the swollen head of my dick.

“Fuck, Lyov.”

Her using my name earns her a good spanking. “Call me, sir.”

There’s a moment’s pause, and I wonder if she intends to deny me. “Please, sir,” she begs.

Finally, she gives me what I want. “What do you want, baby?”

She bucks her hips, pushing against my cock in an attempt to sink me inside of her. I grab hold of them hard, making Milana still. “Tell me what you want, Milana.” I grab her hair, forcing her to arch her back. My cock rest between her ass cheeks and against her puckered asshole.

“I want you, sir,” she moans as I kiss the column of her neck.

“Be specific.” I yank her hair harder in warning, and she moans even louder.

“I want—no need your cock,” she pants.

I can’t hold on any longer. The beast inside of me rises to the surface, hearing her beg me for my cock. I groan, thrusting every inch inside of her without warning.

A primal part of me kicks in as I lose all control. Usually, I’m in control, but my brain has lost all reasoning. All I can focus on is her warm, tight heat encasing me.

Her thighs quiver as she moans deeply, coming almost instantly. Milana’s pussy tightens around my cock, and her already soaking wet pussy floods with more of her sweet cum. I spank her ass again as I move in and out of her with forceful thrusts. Every stroke, I find the depth of her—going as deep as physically possible.

The slap of skin against skin echoes through the room.

I’m so deep that my balls hit against her clit each time. My fingers sink into her hips as I drag her against me.

“Fuck me hard, sir,” Milana moans, spurring me on.

I grunt as I fuck her even harder. It’s impossible to know where I end, and she begins. The need to become one with this woman I hardly know drives me.

“Oh my God,” she cries out as I force my painfully hard cock to hold on.

I growl as she arches her back, driving me even deeper.

Rough sex turns me on like nothing ever can, but usually, woman aren’t into it this much. Milana seems to crave it harder and faster. It’s as if we are made to fit together.

I sink my fingertips harder into her hips—hard enough to bruise. She bucks her hips more. The woman loves pain as much as pleasure, and it makes me crave her more. The moment I looked into her eyes, something shifted.

I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want her. My attraction to her is deep and primal and impossible to resist.

Milana throws her head back and bucks her hips, driving me harder and deeper with each stroke. I grunt, circling my arms around her waist and holding her still. She moans deeply, enjoying being restrained by me. This woman loves being controlled and I love controlling. “I’m in charge, baby,” I mutter into her ear.

“Yes, sir,” she purrs.

Damn. This girl knows how to wind me up. I grunt, lifting her onto my lap. “Ride me,” I order, spanking her full ass.

She groans as I knead the sore skin in my palms.

Her stunning emerald eyes hold my gaze as she rises and falls on my cock. I watch her ride me harder and faster, keeping eye contact with every thrust of her full hips. The woman knows how to play me like a damn instrument.

“Fuck, that’s it, Malishka. Ride that cock hard.” I spank her ass again three times on each cheek.

She throws her head back and moans. “Yes, sir.” Her thick thighs pin me to the bed as she moves her hips harder and faster. I don’t often let women get into a position like

this with me. It doesn’t play to my need to dominate. My cock is aching to explode as she drives up and down with such force. I grip her hips, forcing her to slow down.

With one quick movement, I have her beneath me again.

She gasps in surprise as I keep myself buried to the hilt inside of her. “That wasn’t very long,” she whines.

I bite her bottom lip in a warning. “That’s all you’re getting. I’m in control, Milana. Always.”

She pouts but doesn’t protest. I can see it in the way her eyes light up at my dominance that this is what she wants from me. Her eyes roll back in her head as I thrust hard into her, driving as deep as possible.

I let my hand fall on her throat, squeezing gently. Her eyes widen before she relaxes to the sensation. Once it’s clear she’s enjoying it, I tighten my hold, fucking her hard and fast. I feel the walls of her tight arousal squeezing in around me, as she begins to unfold.

“That’s it, baby. Come on my cock like a good girl,” I groan, continuing to fuck her through it.

She moans deeply as her pussy squeezes me so hard. I fall over the edge with her, releasing every drop of my seed deep inside of her.

After a moment of resting still inside of her, I roll onto my back. My heart is pounding hard and fast in my ears as I stare up at the ceiling.

What we just did was bad. I didn’t even use a damn condom. The notion of Milana getting pregnant crosses my mind, and for some reason, I relish the idea.

It’s ridiculous. I know it would be an easy way out of this mess, as Andrei couldn’t contest the truth. Milana is mine.

12

MILANA

I

wake to the sound of running water, frowning. It makes no sense why Lyov would be showering alone. Ever since he kidnapped me a week ago, we’ve showered together every single morning.

Then I remember how he was the evening before. He didn’t seem himself. I glance at the clock, sighing, as it’s a little before eleven in the morning. I feel terrible for oversleeping, but we haven’t had much sleep during the night lately.

There’s been an unspoken tension between us that seems to be increasing. We both know Lyov can’t keep me forever.

We both know this can’t continue. My dad wouldn’t allow it, and neither would Lyov’s pakhan.

Although, the thought of returning to Miami and being forced to submit to my dad’s control again makes my stomach churn. The only positive of returning would be seeing my friends again. Kate, Alex, and Harriet probably think the guy I hooked up with murdered me.

I wonder what they are going through and if they’ve approached the police. My dad has enough contacts in the Miami PD to keep it under wraps.

I move to sit on the edge of the bed, wincing slightly.

Ever since we started fucking, I’ve been sore. It doesn’t help that the moment Lyov looks at me, the soreness turns to an aching need for him. I get out of bed, stretching my arms above my head and yawning.

I’m about to head out of the room when the ding of Lyov’s mobile phone catches my attention. I stare at it, wondering whether or not to check it. After a moment of hesitation, I walk past the phone. It’s crazy, but I trust the man who kidnapped me—I don’t need to check his phone.

I enter the kitchen. Lyov got me to write a list of all my favorite food and stocked up the kitchen with it the day after we arrived. My favorite breakfast food is pancakes with maple syrup. I decide to get to work, making us both some.

I search the cupboards, looking for a mixing bowl.

Anytime I’m not with Lyov, I have to keep myself occupied.

Otherwise, I start to think about the reality of our situation. I know what we have between us can’t continue.

Here in this cabin with him, I’ve been happier than I have been my entire life. University was only a partial escape from my dad and that way of life, but he made sure he was never too far away.

For the first time in my life, I’m free of Pavel’s constant watch, and it feels exhilarating. Ironically, the man who was sent to capture me, freed me. Even though I don’t have a bodyguard, I feel safer than ever. Lyov makes me feel safe.

My life has been full of coldness and detachment from an early age. Ever since I was little, my dad has never cared for me or shown me any love. It hardened me to all emotions.

One week with Lyov, and I can feel him peeling back the layers and slowly melting my ice-cold heart. He makes me believe that I can love and that it’s not too late for me.

I grab the milk, eggs, and butter out of the fridge, placing them down by the side of the mixing bowl. When I moved out to live in student accommodation, I had to learn how to

cook quickly. At my dad’s house, there was never any need since he pays a full-time cook.

I learned that I love to bake, and my friends love what I bake too. I even started getting orders for cakes from students in my class. It would be a dream to own a little patisserie someday.

When I told my dad I wanted to bake for a living, he laughed in my face. He said my only job would be to service whatever brotherhood member he forces me to marry—in other words, whichever one will pay the most for me. He said that to my face as if I’m a damn whore.

A bang in the bedroom startles me, and I spin around. My brow furrows as I hear Lyov swearing and then his footsteps stomping out toward the kitchen.

“Is everything—” I stop short when I see Lyov’s face.

He is standing in the entryway to the kitchen with fire in his eyes. A rage so intense it scares me with one —a look that reminds me so much of my father when he snaps.

“Did you read my messages?” He holds up his phone.

My brow furrows, and I shake my head. “No, I came straight out here to make us some breakfast.”

He charges forward. “Don’t lie to me,” he growls.

I stumble backward into the counter, knocking the bowl of batter onto the floor. “Oh, look what you’ve made me do.”

I bend down to grab the broken dish. Before I can grab it, Lyov captures my hair and yanks me around to face him.

“Lyov, let go of me,” I shout, trying to writhe away from him. This is ridiculous. “I didn’t read your fucking messages.”

He yanks me even harder, and my heart rate stills as he grabs a knife from the kitchen counter. His eyes mist over, and pure rage etches onto his face. This isn’t the same man I’ve spent the past week getting to know. He is well and truly gone. I haven’t seen this side to him.

“Lyov,” I mutter, trying to soften my voice in an attempt to stop him.

He brings the cold metal of the knife up to my throat, staring at me like a man possessed. “Did you read them?” he asks again.

I shake my head. “No, I told you I didn’t.” A lump forms in my throat as tears cloud my vision. I can’t understand why he’s acting like this.

His eyes are glazed over as he stares at me. I swallow hard, feeling the metal nick my skin as I do. A drop of blood trickles down my throat and onto my chest.

His eyes follow it. It’s as if the blood breaks him from his rage-filled daze. He lets go of me, and I stumble backward.

My knees shake from pure terror and give way as I crumple to the floor. I stare in shock at Lyov, who keeps his back turned to me.

His back rises and falls with deep and heavy breaths, keeping his head bowed. He walks toward the door, saying nothing. All I can do is watch as he opens it and leaves the cabin.

I flinch as he slams it hard behind him, making the cabin shake with the force. The turn of the key in the lock makes my stomach sink.

Ever since we started sleeping together, he has left the door unlocked when he goes to get supplies. He’s right not to trust me to stay after the way he just treated me.

He just showed me some of his true colors. He is a brutal man who can’t control his anger. That’s the last thing I want from a man I care for—my dad and brother were bad enough. Perhaps all men are the same because the men I know can’t control their anger.

I let out a shaky breath, remaining on the floor. My head rests on the soft, wool rug beneath me. Lyov’s lash out and

uncontrollable rage serves as a painful reminder of the kind of man I’ve got myself involved with.

Tears prickle at my eyes as I recall the look in his eyes.

There’s a darkness inside of him—darkness I shouldn’t have got entangled with, but I couldn’t help it. There was such a strong connection between us that neither of us could deny.

I can’t explain why he draws me to him, but this is the proof I need that it was a mistake. I need to get away from him. We are bad for each other, and he’s dangerous. Next time he flips, I might not be so lucky. It would have taken one swipe of his wrist, and he could have killed me.

As the tears fall down my cheeks, I force myself up to my feet. I press my hand to the small cut at my throat, swallowing hard at the thought of how much worse it could have been.

This is enough to break the spell Lyov has had over me.

He has blinded me by the way he makes me feel, but his actions prove he doesn’t care for me the way I care for him.

Lyov is too broken. A man lost trying to find his way. I don’t intend to be collateral damage, no matter how much I care for him.

I walk toward the window of the cabin, gazing out at the man I’ve been sleeping with these past seven days. He sits in the driver’s seat with his head in his hands. A burning ignites in my chest as I wonder if he even regrets the way he just treated me.

He glances up, and our eyes meet. I dodge out of the way, feeling the breath stolen from my lungs from one glimpse of those ice-cold blue eyes. The roar of the van’s engine outside sends a wave of relief through me.

I can’t face him now or ever—not after what happened.

He will be gone for a while if his other trips are anything to go by. I turn my attention back to the cabin and know what I

have to do. Hopefully, the window in the bedroom is still unlocked and the perfect escape route.

I dash for the bedroom and rush toward the window, trying the catch. The panic clears the moment it flips over. I force the window open, and the cold air gusts through the cabin.

By the time he returns, I intend to be long gone. We may be in the middle of nowhere, but I can’t stay here. I refuse to accept that this is my fate. It will hurt to cut him loose after what we’ve been through, but I won’t be collateral damage.

It’s not worth dying next time he snaps.

13

LYOV

W

hat the fuck have I done?

I sit in the bar with a glass of untouched scotch, battling with the demons in my head. Milana’s face is all I can see. She was petrified, and I was the reason.

One glance at the clock tells me I’ve been sitting in this bar for about four hours. The bartender doesn’t seem too happy about it, but I can’t find it in me to care.

Milana is alone in the cabin, waiting for my return. What the hell am I going to say to her?

I fucked up. The way I snapped at her was unwarranted, but the text from Andrei panicked me. It’s part of the reason why I’m sitting in this bar. For the first time in ten years, I’m on the edge of caving.

Andrei wants a photo of Milana. When I saw the text, something inside of me snapped. He detailed how he wanted her to look. I pull my phone out and reread it, clenching my jaw as I do.

Tie her to a chair, naked, and beat her up. I want her bloodied and bruised. You know what to do. I need those photos in the morning.

The mere thought of her seeing that text or believing I’d do that to her made me snap. Instead, I hurt her anyway.

When I saw the blood run down her neck, it snapped me out

of it. The shame I feel for treating her that way is unbearable.

I couldn’t say anything.

Milana deserves better than me. It’s been a week since I kidnapped her from the club. A week since I first punished her over my knee. Andrei will kill me when he finds out I have no intention of sending him those photos. The problem is, I’ve got no idea what I’m going to do.

Milana won’t want me after what I did earlier.

“Buddy, are you going to drink that?” the bartender asks.

I meet his gaze and narrow my eyes, which is enough to scare him.

He steps back and pales slightly, holding his hands up. “I was just asking.”

I glance back at the drink, staring into the liquid I haven’t touched for ten years. The smell is goading me to taste it. I shake my head and push it across the bar. “Nah, I’m out of here.” I throw a ten-dollar bill down on the counter and get down from the bar.

It’s about time I faced my demons. It’s about time I got my life back on track. Pain has been my companion for too long, and I need to make things right with Milana. She’s the first good thing to happen to me in the last decade, and I don’t intend to throw that away.

A S THE CABIN comes into view, my stomach sinks. There’s not one light on in the place. I sigh heavily, wondering if Milana is okay. The way I snapped was wrong, and it scares me. I could have killed her in a fit of rage.

I pull the van up in front of the cabin and turn on the engine, staring it. The afternoon is drawing to a close, and the temperatures are rapidly dropping. I unlock the front door and step inside.

Milana isn’t sitting in the living room watching television like she usually is when I run errands. The place is eerily quiet.

My brow furrows as I make my way toward the bedroom.

Before I even get there, I know something is wrong. An icecold breeze gusts through the hallway from the bedroom, making my heart rate spike. I rush into the bedroom, and my stomach dips.

The window is unlocked and open. Milana has escaped me. A mix of so many emotions hit me all at once. I feel rage, sadness, and panic.

I can’t blame her for taking the opportunity—not after what I did.

Fuck.

I punch the cabin wall, cracking the wood and forcing a splinter into my knuckles. The pain grounds me and clears my mind. It is what I need. We’re miles away from any civilization, and she won’t make it to town on foot. Even if she left just after me, she’d be wandering the damn forest alone and cold in the dark.

This is all my fault. I’ve been so distracted by Milana that I didn’t check the locks on the windows.

I’ve let down two people—Milana and Andrei.

I rush for the front door, dashing out into the cold dusk.

Darkness is drawing in on us quickly, and the girl I’ve come to care for could die out here.

“Milana,” I shout her name, hoping beyond hope that she will reply.

All that returns to me from the trees is the howling of the wind. I rush to the van and grab out a flashlight, turning it on and walk toward the window. Milana’s footprints are evident in the muddy ground, and there’s a trail leading into the forest.

I glance between the van and the tracks, wondering what option is best. If she’s been walking for almost four hours, she could be too far away for me to find.

I’ve got no option but to follow her trail and hope she didn’t go far. The tracks are clear for a good mile through the forest as I jog alongside them. It’s faster and keeps my body temperature up, despite the plummeting winter temperatures.

I grunt as the trail goes cold. Milana’s footprints are no longer visible as the terrain turns rocky. I grit my teeth, searching the area for any more signs. Milana could be anywhere from here. It will be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

“Milana,” I shout her name again, shivering as the wind picks up through the trees.

A flake of snow drifts down and lands on my nose, making more panic rise inside of me. Milana is going to die out here if I don’t get to her quickly. The temperatures tonight are supposed to drop way below freezing.

The crunch of a tree branch close by draws my attention to it, and I follow the sound. Only to find it’s a fox that scuttles away as I come into view.

A scream rings out over the howling wind, and it makes my heart race. I rush in that direction, praying Milana’s alright. If I lose her, life won’t be worth living.

“Milana, where are you?” I shout.

A mu ed yell calls out from my left. “Here.”

I follow her voice, feet pounding hard through the muddy ground. My body tenses as I find her, gripping hold of a branch and half-submerged in water. She’s fallen into an ice-cold river, and the branch is the only thing stopping her from being swept away by the current.

“Fuck, hold on. I’m coming.”

I step down toward the bank of the river, making sure not to slip myself. I anchor myself with my back foot and then lean toward her. “Can you pull your other hand up and grab mine?” I ask.

She tries, but her hand is a couple of inches too short. “I can’t reach.”

“One moment.” I pull my jacket o and fling it out toward her. “Try and grab my jacket.”

She does as I say, gripping hold of my jacket.

“On three, I’m going to try and tug you out.”

She nods and swallows hard. The fear in her emerald eyes is striking.

“One, two, three.” I use all my strength to pull her up onto the bank.

She falls to her knees, gasping for breath. Her lips are blue, and she is shivering. I need to get her warm and quick. I grab her shirt and rip it from her body. “Trousers o , quick.”

She’s shivering too much to get them o . I unbutton them and force them down her hips, leaving her naked. I pull o my shirt. “Put this on.”

She does as I say, wrapping the shirt around her.

“And this.” I pass her the jacket.

She doesn’t protest, wrapping the jacket around her too.

My arms go around her waist, and I hoist her over my shoulder. “Come on. We need to get you back and warm.”

A part of me regrets not having the van. She needs to get back quickly, and it’s over a mile walk. I break into a jog, knowing we haven’t got much time. She will die if I’m not quick. The mere thought fires me up and forces me to push on harder. It’s tough. Milana isn’t light, and the cold is getting to me, but the only thing I can think about is getting her warm.

I can’t lose her.

It takes too damn long to get back to the cabin. Once there, every limb in my body aches, and I can hardly catch my breath. I set Milana down inside the cabin, and she stumbles slightly. I pull her into my chest and try to warm her with my body heat. Her lips are blue, and she’s as cold as ice. After a short while, I have an idea. “I need to run you a warm bath.” I grab her hand, pulling her toward the bathroom.

My heart is racing as I turn on the faucets to the tub, cursing the water for not being instantly warm. Once it starts to run warm, I plug it with the stopper. This girl almost scared me half to death with her escape attempt.

Luckily, despite walking over a mile, she hadn’t gone too deep into the forest. Much further and the chance of saving her would have been slim. I can’t bear thinking about it.

Milana stands by the sink, shivering with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Come here,” I order.

She walks toward me and barely looks at me. “Strip,” I say.

I help her take o the jacket and then she pulls o the shirt.

“In.” She says nothing, getting into the warm water and sighing. Her eyes clamp shut, and she rests her head against the end of the bath. A long silence ensues between us, as slowly the color returns to her face. The panic loosens around my heart, seeing her perk up.

“What the fuck were you thinking?”

Her eyes snap open, and she worries her bottom lip with her teeth. She shakes her head. “I was escaping.” Her eyes harden. “After what you did…”

Shame floods me at the mention of earlier, and I draw a long breath. She wanted to get away from me. Escape the

beast I am. “I’m sorry,” I mutter, shaking my head.

There’s nothing more I can say to excuse my behavior.

“I can’t sit around waiting for you to snap and go too far,” she says, tears filling her eyes as she says it. “Next time, you might go through with it.”

I grit my teeth together and try to think of something to say. How can I win back Milana’s trust? “There won’t be next time,” I mutter.

“No, there won’t be. I don’t want any part in whatever this is between us anymore.” She glances away from me, and my heart breaks.

It’s what I expected. It’s what I deserve. Despite that, I can’t just let this girl go, not without a fight.

“Milana, look at me,” I say.

She ignores me initially.

“Now,” I command, keeping my voice soft.

Her jaw clenches, and then she turns her head, glaring at me with such ferocity. “Don’t order me about.”

My stomach clenches at her boldness. She’s always been so gutsy, despite her situation with me. It’s one of the things I love about her. “Please don’t do this,” I say.

Her eyes widen. “Are you begging me?”

A part of me recoils against the suggestion. Milana should be the only one who begs in this relationship, but right now, I’m desperate.

I’m on the cusp of losing the best thing that has happened to me in years. “Yes, because I can’t lose you.” I shake my head. “My rage is a problem. I know that. I’m sorry I lost it with you.” I swallow hard. “I promise I won’t do it again.”

Her eyes narrow, and she sinks deeper into the water.

I wait for her response, wishing beyond anything I could turn back the clock and act di erently. Life in the bratva has made my rage worse. It’s fed the anger and given me an

outlet to express it in the wrong way. I’ve never dealt with the grief and the shame I harbor deep inside of me, scared to face it.

“How can I believe you?” she asks.

I shake my head. “I don’t know, but I know I need to face up to my demons.”

She looks into my eyes properly for the first time since I snapped at her. “I want to believe you,” she mutters.

My heart flutters in my chest with hope. I hope that somehow we’ll be able to get through this. “Then believe me.” I thread my fingers into her hair and pull her lips to mine, kissing her softer than I ever have.

When I break away, she mutters words that cut me to the core, “I don’t know how this can continue.”

I don’t know how it can either, but it has to. Life without Milana is no longer an option. She’s everything to me.

“It has to continue,” I mutter, splashing warm water over her hair. I grab a bottle of shampoo and squirt some into my hand. “I’m going to wash your hair,” I say, before rubbing the shampoo into her tangled, messy strands.

She sighs as I massage her scalp.

Milana has become my world in a short period. Ever since the death of my fiance, I’ve never even given one moment thought to love again. I don’t believe I deserve it, but I want it with Milana.

Once I’ve washed the shampoo from her hair, I ring it out and then run my hand down her neck to her full breasts.

She groans at my attention, clamping her thighs together.

I’ve been hard as a rock ever since I started washing her hair.

It’s time for me to show her how much she means to me.

“I need you,” I breathe, playing with her hard nipples.

She meets my gaze and licks her lips, eyes full of fire. I seem to have broken down her doubts—for now, at least.

I let my hand tease down her stomach until I reach her legs. She parts her thighs for me, allowing me access to her perfect pussy. I’ve never craved a woman the way I crave Milana. It’s an addiction—she’s addictive.

My finger slips inside of her, and she makes the most delicious sound. She’s soaking wet for me already. I work my finger in and out of her, making her cheeks turn a deep pink.

I tease her clit between my finger and thumb, making her moan loud.

“Lyov,” she calls my name, making me even harder.

Her pussy tightens around my finger, and I quickly add another, fucking her to orgasm so damn fast. She shudders in the water as she comes undone. Her eyes clamp shut. Her lips part on a moan.

“I need to be inside of you.” I groan.

She stands from the water and shivers instantly. I grab some towels and quickly dry her with one of them. Once she’s dry, I wrap her in another and lift her into my arms.

Milana wraps her arms around my neck as I carry her into the bedroom. She’s quick to get under the sheets, shivering slightly — nothing better to warm her up than some hot and heavy sex.

I get under them with her, covering her body with mine.

My hands roam every inch of her curves, worshipping them as she writhes beneath me. The need to be inside her claws at me. Usually, I take my time, but I almost lost her.

She could have died out there, and it was my fault. I kiss her lips hard, slipping my tongue into her mouth and searching with desperation. I need her to know how much I regret the way I treated her. I need her to know how much she means to me.

I let my hand tease between our bodies, finding her soaking wet center. She’s more than ready for me. “Fuck me, sir,” she moans.

I groan, not needing to be asked twice. My cock slips deep inside of her tight heat, filling her to the hilt. For a moment, I remain still. She bucks beneath me, trying to get me to move, but I hold her tight. The need to savor this moment out wins the need to fuck her.

“Please, Lyov,” she breathes.

I grunt and begin to move in and out of her. Initially, I’m slow, but it’s not long until I’m fucking her hard and rough.

Her body is taking everything I give. My cock aches as her pussy muscles clamp down on me so hard. She’s coming already, and I’ve barely fucking started.

I grunt, flipping her over onto her hands and knees. She arches her back s I fuck her through her first orgasm, spanking her ass at the same time.

I drive in harder and faster as she keeps her back arched.

It’s as if she is challenging me to become the beast I am. I can’t lose control with her. My tendency to be rough can scare me at times.

“Harder,” Milana moans.

It snaps my resolve. The last hold on my control slips through my fingers. My cock aches as I pick up the tempo. I fuck Milana so hard I might break her in two. Unlike most women who’ve goaded me to this point, she moans and arches her back more.

How can she love this so much?

I spank her ass. My cock slides as deep as possible inside her with each thrust.

A crazy, wild notion slides through my mind every time I’m inside of her. The need to shoot my seed into her belly rules me — a need to breed her. I’ve got no idea if she’s on birth control, but I fucking hope she’s not.

It would give me full possession over her if she were carrying my child. We’ve fucked every day for the past week, multiple times. I want to make her pregnant. I want that

ultimate mark on her to ensure no man ever goes near her again.

The image of Milana’s tummy growing big with my child makes me want to explode. Instead, I hold out, clenching my jaw tightly. She needs to come again first. I want to feel her tighten around me.

I stop fucking her and pull out, making her whimper in protest. My arms snake around her waist, and I lift her to me, flipping her onto her back. She looks perfect—cheeks flushed and chest heaving. My mouth waters as I suck on each of her hardened nipples.

I grab her ankles, pushing them up and sinking every inch back inside of her. She moans, parting her pouty, thick lips.

“Fuck, just like that,” she breathes, clamping her eyes shut and letting her head fall back against the pillow.

My cock is so deep inside of her, as I pound into her tight, wet heat with abandon. It feels like we’re the only two people in this world — all reasoning and questioning of what I’m doing vanishes from my mind when we come together. I shouldn’t be doing this, but I don’t care.

“Oh my God,” she cries out as her pussy tightens around me.

I grunt, trying to hold out as she milks me for all I’ve got.

The need to make this moment last driving me, but she’s too fucking tight. I explode as deep as possible inside of her, spilling my seed and marking her.

Milana is mine. I knew it when I saw her on that dance floor, and I know it now more than ever. No matter what my pakhan says. No matter what anyone says.

Andrei won’t be getting those photos. I’m never letting her go. I’ll go to the ends of the earth to keep her with me— whatever it takes.

14

MILANA

L

yov holds me so tightly; it almost hurts. “I’m sorry,” he says, voice distant.

“Sorry for what?” I ask, glancing up at him. Is he apologizing again for the way he treated me? Part of me feels weak for believing him. He is troubled. I shouldn’t sleep with a man who held a knife against my throat.

He shakes his head. “Everything.” He glances down at me. “And, I know I can be rough during sex.”

I laugh. “I like it rough, couldn’t you tell?”

He shakes his head and swallows. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you the way I did before.”

I sigh heavily and squeeze his hand gently. “No, you shouldn’t have.” I gaze up at him and notice a stray tear rolling down his cheek. It shocks me to see a man like Lyov cry. I shift out of his grip and sit on his lap, wiping it from his cheek. “What’s wrong?”

His jaw clenches and conflict rages in his brilliant blue eyes. “Nothing.”

“Tell me, Lyov.”

His jaw clenches, and he stares into my eyes. “My past is complicated and I…” he trails o , averting my gaze.

I cup his chin in my hand. “An ex?” I ask.

He squeezes my hand in return. “Sort of.” He swallows hard. “Ten years ago, my fiance died.”

I stare at him, stunned for a moment, mainly that he told me so freely. “I’m so sorry.” A small silence passes between us. “Was she killed by the bratva?” I ask, knowing that so many men lose family and lovers in the crossfire of brotherhood wars.

He shakes his head. “I killed her.” His jaw clenches tighter, and the guilt in his eyes is unmistakable.

It’s take me aback to think Lyov would kill his fiancé. I wait for him to say more. “Why?” I ask when he says nothing.

He shakes his head. “Car accident, but I had been drinking. We both had.” He pauses a moment, staring into the distance as he remembers the painful memories. “Liliana died, and I lived.”

“I’m so sorry,” I say, squeezing his hand.

He tenses. “Don’t pity me,” he snaps, shaking his head.

“I killed her. It was my fault for drinking too much.” The rage I’d seen earlier resurfacing makes me recoil backward.

His demeanor shifts so quickly it’s enough to give me whiplash. Suddenly, his rage starts to make some sense. He’s hurting from his past still, and it’s his only way to deal. I shift away from him and sit on the edge of the bed, resting my head in my hands. Even so, it’s no reason for him to take it out on me.

I can’t even begin to imagine how guilty he must feel for what happened. It makes this whole situation even more fucked up. What have we done?

Lyov is troubled and broken, but this situation isn’t good for him. We’re enemies by association. Sure, I dislike my dad and have no allegiance to him, but we are from opposing sides.

We shouldn’t be together, but my heart longs for him. I think I knew my heart was at risk the moment our eyes met across that dance floor. It’s not going to be easy, and there are so many things stacked against us, but being with him feels as natural as breathing.

Two large, rough hands grab my shoulders, pulling me backward. “I’m sorry, Milana. It’s hard for me to speak about.” I let him lift me into his lap, kissing my cheek gently. “You’re the first person I’ve told about it since.”

I swallow hard, gazing into those beautiful eyes that hold so much pain and conflict. He has carried the weight of his mistakes for ten years. It’s clear as day when I look at him.

It’s why he’s so angry all the time. Perhaps I can help heal those wounds. “I understand.”

He smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Thank you.” He shifts out of bed to sit on the edge. “I want to take a shower.” He glances back at me, and the wicked look in his eyes almost melts me.

I lick my lips, feeling the heat pooling between my thighs at the mere memory of what we just did. We’ve just fucked, and I should be sore—I was sore when we finished, but the moment Lyov looks at me like that, I’m aching for another reason.

Lyov is a damn God. I get out of bed and dash after him into the bathroom.

He captures me with his arms around my waist, lifting me against the wall. “Where do you think you are going?” He raises an eyebrow.

I lick my bottom lip. “Shower.” I nod my head toward it.

He smirks at me. “Yes, you are very dirty.” His voice is a husky rumble that sends shivers down my spine. He sets me back on the floor and spanks my ass playfully. “Get in.”

I walk into the large walk-in shower, turning on the faucet. I jump back as the cold water hits me, bashing

straight into Lyov’s hard, naked chest. His arms wrap around me, and he kisses my shoulder.

“Beautiful,” he murmurs into my ear, pushing me under the warm water.

I sigh as the warm water, and Lyov’s warm body encase me. We’re like rabbits ever since we first fucked. It’s impossible to resist the urge to throw myself at him.

He spanks my ass as I attempt to turn around. “Back to me,” he orders. He parts my ass cheeks, and suddenly, his tongue probes at my forbidden hole. It sends a new thrill through me as his finger slips into my dripping heat.

“Have you ever been fucked here?” he asks, pressing his finger against my tight ring of muscles.

I shake my head. “No,” I squeak. The thought of him fucking my ass both scares and excites me.

He growls lowly. “Do you want me to?”

I shrug, unable to find the words to reply.

He spanks my ass. “Wait right here.”

I stand still, keeping my hands pressed against the shower wall as the warm water cascades over me.

He returns, holding a bottle of clear lube. I hear him squirt some into his hand, and then I feel his finger against my hole. “Relax,” he purrs, making my pussy ache. The thought of anything inside of my ass makes me hot.

Slowly, he works his fingers into my virgin hole. “Lyov,” I breathe, half in shock and half in pleasure. It feels unbelievably good and so forbidden. I can feel the wetness pooling between my thighs and the ache deepening as he moves his finger in and out.

“Do you like that?” he breathes, nibbling on my ear lobe.

I groan as he kisses my neck, making me needy for anything he gives me.

“Answer me.”

“Yes, sir,” I say.

He adds another lubed finger into my ass, slowly moving it in and out of me. It blows my mind and sets me alight. I moan as he continues to finger my ass, stretching my hole for the first time.

I never imagined how good this could be. The only thing that had held me back was the thought of how much it would hurt, but it doesn’t. Lyov adds even more lube and continues to stretch my hole with three fingers.

The hard, hot swell of his cock rests against my ass cheek.

It pulses against my skin, making me want him more. I feel dizzy with the need he’s igniting inside of me. “Fuck me,” I breathe.

His fingers still inside of my forbidden, and he nips my ear. “Where?”

I bite my bottom lip, wondering whether I can fit his huge size in there. “My ass,” I breathe, despite the uncertainty racking me. A part of me longs to try it with him.

He groans and presses the thick length of his cock against my aching, stretched hole. A shudder runs from the top of my head right down my spine. “Are you sure?”

I bite my bottom lip and nod my head before I can change my mind.

He gets more lube and works it into my hole, before spreading it all over his thick, throbbing cock. I gasp as he wraps his arm around my waist and lifts me out of the shower, carrying me back toward the bedroom.

He sets me down in the center of the bed and smiles, no doubt at my questioning gaze. “You can’t have your first anal sex stood up.” He pushes my legs up and tilts my ass toward him, letting the heaviness of his cock rest against my hole.

I hold my breath, waiting to feel him push.

“Relax and breathe, baby,” he purrs, pressing forward and stretching me around him. Initially, it hurts a little, and

Lyov has to add more lube, pulling back and rubbing it all over the length of him.

The sight of him touching himself builds the deep ache inside of me. He is a god in his own right. I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have captured his attention in this way. I groan as he slides two fingers back into my ass, making sure I’m ready for him.

Lyov presses his thick, swollen head against my stretched hole, forcing himself inside. I groan, feeling uncomfortable initially because of how huge he is. It doesn’t hurt as such, but it feels so unusual.

“Relax,” he purrs, pressing his lips to mine.

I groan as he pushes in even deeper, keeping my legs stretched. His tongue darts out into my mouth, teasing against my tongue as his cock sinks into a place I’ve never been touched before.

It’s surprisingly intimate and pleasurable—beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before. I shut my eyes, giving myself over to the sensations. Lyov’s tongue delves deep inside of my mouth, exploring and searching with need.

As I relax more, the pleasure becomes unbelievable.

Lyov’s cock delves deep inside of me with each thrust until his balls are slapping against my skin. I groan, loving the way he’s making me feel.

“Do you like my cock in your ass?” He growls, sinking all the way in again.

I nod my head, unable to find the words. It’s as if my brain has short-circuited.

“That’s it, baby, be my dirty little girl.” He pulls out of me, making me whimper at the sudden emptiness he leaves behind. “On your hands and knees, Malishka.”

Him calling me baby in Russian only adds to my desire. I can hardly move as my whole body shakes, but he helps me to bend over. I feel the heat of him against my stretched out

hole, pressing the head against the tight muscles. “Relax, baby,” he purrs.

I do as he says, breathing deeply as he sinks his massive length inside of me again. Initially, it stings for a moment, but once he’s entirely inside, the sting turns to pleasure. He reaches an arm around and rubs my clit between his finger and his thumb, sending such thrilling need through me.

“Fuck,” I moan.

He licks the back of my neck before moving back and gripping my hips hard. I cry out as he begins to fuck my ass, pulling almost all the way out and slamming back in again.

I’m teetering on the edge of orgasm, and it feels intense— stronger than anything I’ve experienced before.

“I want you to come while I’m buried deep inside your ass,” he growls.

His commanding tone pushes me even closer to the edge.

I reach down and rub my aching nub between my thighs, which rewards me a hard spanking on both ass cheeks. “Only I can touch you there.”

I bring my hand back to the bed. Lyov’s hand quickly replaces mine, touching me in the way I need. I can feel the release building as he thrusts even deeper inside of me. Fire spreads through my veins — pleasure pulses through my nerves. “Lyov,” I moan his name as he sends me crashing over the edge of oblivion.

My entire body trembles with ecstasy as he grunts, coming over the edge with me. I feel his cock pulsing deep inside my virgin hole, coating it with his seed. We rest in silence, both trying to catch our breath.

Finally, He slowly pulls his cock from my hole and lies down next to me. He grabs my waist, lifting me to settle into his side. Both of us are breathless and silent, staring up at the ceiling. I have no words to say to explain how what we shared made me feel. Instead, it feels right to hold each

other. I’m allowing myself to fall more deeply for this man by every passing day, which is dangerous.

15

LYOV

T

he ring of the cabin landline cuts through the silence, making me tense. I glance at Milana, who is curled up on the sofa, reading a book. She looks perfect. I know I could get used to being like this with her all the time—like a normal couple. It’s a bad situation.

I expected the call. It’s well past morning, three-thirty in the afternoon, to be exact. Andrei demanded the photo in the morning, and I haven’t responded to him at all. Milana is blissfully unaware of the sickening request he gave me. Boss won’t be happy, which might force us both into unprecedented danger.

I stroll toward the phone, wishing it would stop ringing— Andrei is nothing but persistent, and his three attempts on my mobile, which I’ve silenced, didn’t go unnoticed. Despite not wanting to pick it up, I grab the receiver. “Hello?”

“Lyov.” The warning in his voice is unmistakable.

My heart is in my throat as I know what is coming. “Sir.” “Don’t sir me. Where the fuck are the pictures of that bitch smacked about?”

I hate hearing him call her a bitch, and it sends a pulse of rage coursing through my veins. Gritting my teeth together, I try to control it. “I’m not giving you any,” I snap.

There’s a moment of dead silence on the other end, which feels like it will stretch forever. “What?”

“No pictures,” I say simply, unable to say more.

It cuts me to defy my pakhan—a man who has been nothing but good to me since I joined the brotherhood. He’s my leader, and I look up to him. When I fled from Russia and found myself alone in a foreign country, Andrei was there for me.

He gave me a place to belong, but Milana comes before everything. I never thought I’d have a second chance at love.

She’s my second chance, even if I’m not sure I deserve it.

“Lyov, explain yourself before I send fifty men to hunt you down,” he growls, voice as cold as ice.

I clench my jaw, knowing that is the last thing I want.

Andrei wouldn’t mess around. He will need to punish my betrayal. “I can’t.”

“Are you going to make me come up there myself and beat both of you?”

“Let me speak to him,” Vera says in the background.

I know Vera will understand this more than anyone. The question is whether I can risk telling her the truth? She knows more about me than any of my brothers.

We bonded in a way I never expected when Andrei revealed the truth that he has fallen for the virgin he’d purchased. A woman he intends to marry, and she’s like a little sister to me.

“Lyov, what is going on?” she asks.

I glance back at Milana, who is watching me intently. I know I’ve been tense, and she has picked up on it. “Listen, Vera. I can’t hurt her. I won’t—” “You love her,” she interrupts.

I swallow hard, hearing her say those words. My eyes are drawn instantly to the woman I’ve been sleeping with for the

past week. Is that what this is? I’d barely thought about it, but for the first time in ten years, I feel something.

Could I dare to believe I could love again? Surely my soul can’t be redeemed after everything I’ve done. I don’t deserve love.

“Lyov, listen to me,” Vera says, drawing me out of the daze I’d fallen into. “Andrei won’t accept disobedience, but I can try and convince—” “Vera, enough,” Andrei barks. “Give me the phone.”

There’s a bit of a commotion on the other end before I hear Andrei speak into the receiver. “Lyov, you can’t disobey me. Her father doesn’t even believe we have her.” There’s a long pause. “I need a photo of her, and she needs to be in a bad way.”

“I can’t.” I pause a moment, trying to find a way to make him understand. “What would you do if it were Vera?” I ask.

There’s a long pause on the other end as Andrei thinks about my question. I can’t hurt Milana. There’s no way it’s happening.

“Fuck,” Andrei says finally. “You’ve got it bad, huh?” He laughs. “I never expected you of all people to encounter this problem.”

Some of the tension eases from my shoulders, hearing my pakhan laugh in this situation. I was expecting to have to run and hide with Milana. Andrei already mentioned sending fifty men after us, and I don’t doubt that.

Andrei can be brutal, even with his brotherhood members.

I know that if it weren’t for Vera’s influence on him, we would already be running. His response gives me hope that he may be able to overlook my indiscretion.

“So, Milana is yours now?” he asks, voice apprehensive.

“Yeah,” I reply.

He sighs heavily. “It puts the entire brotherhood in a di cult situation. We stole Veselov’s daughter, and we can’t

give her back.” There’s a long pause on the other end.

“We’re heading for war.” He utters the words I knew were coming.

My actions and my feelings for Milana mean the brotherhood has to go to war with Veselov’s brotherhood.

What I have with Milana is selfish, but I can’t turn a blind eye to it, no matter how much I try to remind myself of our code. “I know. I’m sorry—” Andrei cuts me o . “Don’t be. I’ve wanted a reason to go to war with that son of a bitch ever since he picked a fight with me at the virgin auction last year.”

I can’t help but smile at how Andrei always sees the positive in every situation. If I had defied him publicly, this might have gone a di erent way.

“I need you to return to New York with her, but be discreet.”

I glance at Milana. The thought of taking her to Andrei scares me. He may be saying the right things to draw us into a trap. All I can do at this moment is trust him. Otherwise, we will be running for the rest of our lives, which is not a life I want for her. “Okay, we’ll leave right away.”

“Good. I’ll see you both soon.” Andrei puts down the phone, leaving me staring at the handset in a daze. His mercy was the last thing I expected—Andrei accepting our romance.

I don’t notice Milana behind me until her hand lands on my back. “Lyov, Is everything okay?”

I wish I could tell her everything is fine, but I honestly don’t know. Andrei is brutal. He has done things many would find abhorrent, and yet, I trust him because he’s my pakhan.

Vera will try to plead my case, but if he intends to turn on me, he won’t tell her. Andrei is one of the smartest men I know.

“I’m not sure,” I mutter, turning and taking her hand in mine. “Andrei wants us to meet him in New York.”

Milana’s eyes widen, and she takes a step backward. “He will kill me.”

I shake my head and grab her hand again, pulling her into my chest. “I won’t let him harm you.” I kiss her cheek. “I promise. He knows about us.”

The promise feels a little wrong, as even though I’d do anything to protect her, I can’t guarantee that Andrei isn’t leading us both into a trap.

She looks uncertain as she stares into my eyes. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

I squeeze her hand. “Andrei is nothing but honest. The only other option is to run, but we will be running for the rest of our lives.”

She nods her head, biting her bottom lip gently.

“Don’t worry. Go and get packed.” I nod toward the bedroom.

Instead, she wraps her arms around my neck and jumps into my arms, forcing me to take her weight. I groan as she presses her large, firm breasts into my chest.

“Are you trying to tempt me into fucking you first?” I ask.

She bites her bottom lip and smiles. “Guilty.”

I shake my head and pull her close, kissing her hard and fast. “No matter how much I’d love to take you to bed, we haven’t got a moment to waste.” I pull away from her, holding her at arm’s length, as it’s all I can do. “Andrei is angry enough as it is. We can’t take liberties, Milana.”

The stunning smile falls from her mouth, making my chest ache. “Are you sure we are going to be okay?”

I stare into her beautiful emerald eyes, wondering how to answer. “The truth is, Milana, I don’t know.” I grab her hand. “All I know is that we will survive this together.”

She smiles weakly, nodding. I can’t help but notice the doubt in her expression. I wish that I could tell her that everything will be okay, but I don’t want to lie to her. Until we get to New York, I can’t be sure.

“Come on, grab anything you need and let’s go.”

She walks toward the bedroom. I follow her slowly, leaning against the door frame. Milana rushes around, blissfully unaware that I’m watching her gather the clothes I bought her into the bag I’d purchased.

She spins around with the bag over her shoulder and jumps. “Oh my God, Lyov, you scared me half to death.”

I raise a brow and chuckle. “Sorry, are you ready?”

She tugs on the strap over her shoulder. “Yep, ready.”

I nod my head toward the exit, and she dashes past me. At least one of us is ready. I’m not sure I’m prepared to face Andrei or my brotherhood. What I’ve done will put all of us in danger. Hopefully, the rest of them are as accepting of my indiscretion as Andrei seems to be.

16

MILANA

L

yov pulls the van to a stop on an upmarket Manhattan street. He glances over at me, and I can tell he is worried about taking me in there. In the eyes of his brothers, I’m the enemy.

“I hope Andrei is true to his word,” he says, gripping the steering wheel so hard his hands are turning white.

I swallow hard, reaching out to grab his hand. “What do you think he will do?”

His jaw clenches, and he shifts to grip my chin in his hands tenderly. “I can’t bear to think of it.” He brushes his lips over mine in a soft kiss. “Promise me you will do as I say here, Milana?”

I stare into his brilliant blue eyes. It may be crazy, but despite everything we’ve been through, I trust him. “Of course.”

He smiles at me and squeezes my hand gently. “Come on.” He drops my hand and gets out of the van.

After being brought up around the Bratva, I know which house we are entering. The two muscle-bound, inked men outside of a townhouse are practically a flag for the bratva.

There are no guards outside of any of the other properties on the street.

Lyov is by my side quickly, grabbing my wrist forcefully and pulling me toward the building. I let out a shaky sigh, knowing Lyov can’t be gentle with me. He has to appear as the hardened Bratva member in front of his peers. It’s always the way. Not all of my father’s men are assholes; a few of them are nice guys. Even so, they don’t let the rest of their brothers see that side of them.

I was always an exception to the rule. Women are often treated di erently by the bratva because they’re not a threat.

I hate how sexist this world can be. Why is it that men are the only ones with power in the bratva?

The two men standing either side of the door give Lyov a nod, but they give me a suspicious glare. I’m an enemy here.

I can tell that with the way they look at me. Lyov instinctively pulls me closer to him as we enter the house.

This place is unbelievably lavish—more so than my father’s house. From what I’ve heard of Andrei Petrov, he’s as brutal as my father. I shiver at the thought. There’s no doubt I trust Lyov, but I don’t know what to expect from his brothers.

He walks me through the hall and stops in front of a door, squeezing my hand before dropping it and knocking the door.

“Come in.” A deep voice calls from the other side.

Lyov opens the door and enters the room, dragging me with him. He keeps me behind him, though, as he stands in front of a tall, dark-haired man in a suit.

Andrei Petrov.

I may never have met him, but it’s obvious. He holds himself like a pakhan. There’s an air of danger around him as he regards the two of us.

“Lyov, thank you for coming so quickly.” He clasps his hands together and walks forward, eyes fixed on me.

Lyov tenses as he walks closer.

“Milana, I assume?” he asks, staring at me for an answer.

I nod my head in reply, unable to find the words. Andrei is more intimidating than I expected. His dark eyes are so cold.

“Lyov, I’m not sure how the fuck we’re going to deal with this.” His eyes don’t leave me, and Lyov shifts in front of me in an attempt to block his pakhan.

Andrei’s eyes snap to Lyov, narrowing slightly. “I understand you are protective of her, but she’s got nothing to fear from me. Stand aside.” The command in his voice is clear.

Lyov reluctantly steps out of the way, allowing Andrei to approach. “Your father should never have tried to move in on our territory.”

I shrug. “I’ve got no idea what my dad does. He’s an asshole.”

A whisper of a smirk plays at Andrei’s lips. “Indeed. Well, put.” He glances at Lyov. “Good choice.”

Lyov’s jaw clenches, and he says nothing, glaring at his pakhan. I know how important it is for him to remain obedient to Andrei—no matter what. If Lyov were to speak out of turn, it wouldn’t go down well with his leader.

“We are going to have to break the news to the rest of the bratva,” Andrei says.

Lyov tenses. “They won’t be happy.”

Andrei steps away from me, allowing me the freedom to breathe again. I’d been holding it ever since he got close.

“No, but we are about to enter a war with Veselov.”

I swallow hard. My dad has always been an asshole. A man I could hardly call a father, but I know I’m burning the bridges between us forever, choosing Lyov. It means I’ll never see my friends at university again, or return to Miami.

A sadness burns in my chest as I wonder what Kate and Alex think is going on. They have been great friends since we

started earlier this year. The thought of never seeing them hurts, but it would be too risky.

“Where shall I take Milana?” Lyov asks.

Andrei glances at me with a glimmer of amusement. “She will attend the meeting.”

Lyov tenses. “What?”

Andrei’s smirk drops, and he stares at Lyov with a fierceness I haven’t yet seen. “I said she will attend the meeting.”

Lyov is playing with fire anytime he questions Andrei. My dad would have killed him by now if he were his pakhan. It proves that Andrei is more level-headed than my dad— thank God. We’d both be dead in his hands.

The door behind us opens, drawing all of our attention. A young woman, not much older than me, enters and walks up to Andrei. His hand slides around her back, and he pulls her into his side a ectionately. “Milana, I’d like you to meet my fiance, Vera.” The light in his eyes as he says her name is as clear as day.

“Nice to meet you,” I mutter.

She meets my gaze and smiles, but the power she exudes is almost enough to match her fiance. Her eyes are kind, and she smiles at me. “Nice to meet you too.” She turns her gaze to Andrei. “Perhaps it would be better if we could have a chat while you meet with the brotherhood.”

Andrei glances at me and then back at Vera. “Fine, show Milana around.”

Lyov steps closer to me, squaring his shoulders. He grabs my hand and narrows his eyes at Andrei. He’s about to say something when Vera cuts in. “Lyov, you know me, and you know she will be safe in my care,” Vera says.

The tension in his shoulders eases slightly. He seems to trust this woman. There’s a kindness in her eyes as she regards me with a small smile playing at her lips. “Come on.

Let us leave the men to it.” Vera steps towards me and holds out her arm.

I take it warily, glancing at Lyov as I do.

He gives me a slight nod, despite his muscles tense and coiled. Andrei watches both of us with a similar intensity as we move toward the door. “Don’t go too far,” Andrei warns.

Vera rolls her eyes and walks out of the door, saying nothing.

I admire her boldness, especially with a pakhan. Her disobedience to her fiance wouldn’t be taken if she were in the Miami brotherhood. “Do you want some tea?” she asks, glancing at me briefly.

“Sure,” I say.

She leads the way down a long hallway and into a large, modern kitchen. “Take a seat,” she says, nodding at the island in the center.

I can’t deny that I’m on edge. As it stands, I’m an enemy to these people — the daughter of a man who wants to overthrow Andrei, this woman’s fiancé. We remain in silence, as the bubbling of the kettle is all that fills the air.

Vera grabs a set of teacups out of the cupboard.

I’m unsure whether to be thankful that she saved me from facing the New York brotherhood or not. I’m not sure what her motivations are. She returns with two cups of Russian tea and passes me one. “Thank you.”

She smiles at me and takes a seat at the island. “You may wonder why I insisted on you staying with me during the meeting.”

I nod in response.

“Those meetings are boring, and you wouldn’t have been comfortable. The brotherhood has a way of making outsiders feel uncomfortable.” She sounds as if she is speaking from personal experience.

“Were you an outsider?” I ask.

She smiles softly. “Yes, my story is more complicated than you can imagine.” She clears her throat. “I want to know more about the woman who has tamed Lyov.” She chuckles.

Heat pulses through my veins and floods my cheeks.

“There’s not much to know.”

She shakes her head. “That can’t be true.” She takes a sip of her tea. “How did he kidnap you?”

I bite my bottom lip, remembering the moment our eyes met over that dance floor. “He asked me to dance at my dad’s club.”

“And?” she asks.

“I asked him if he wanted to get out of there.”

She chuckles. “A woman who likes to take charge.”

“Then he drugged me and flung me in the back of a van.”

I shrug. “Not the most romantic meeting.”

Vera’s expression turns serious. “There’s nothing romantic about the world of the bratva. Nothing.”

This woman can’t be much older than me, but she appears older than her years. I wonder what she’s been through to make her that way. “No, I’m well acquainted with the ways of the bratva.” I sigh heavily. “I’ve always wanted to escape it. Ironic that I’d end up falling for a member.”

Vera grabs my hand, squeezing gently. “Lyov is special.

He will protect you with his life.” She smiles kindly. “If there is one thing that is certain, bratva men are very protective of their women.”

It’s a strange notion, considering my father has never been protective of me. He didn’t protect my mother, either.

She died when I was only three years old. Anytime I asked him about her, he was closed o and dismissive. I don’t even know how she died. “Not all of them are.”

“No, not all, but Lyov is much like Andrei. He may be brutal at times, but he has a heart beneath all that vicious

persona.”

I nod my head, realizing I couldn’t put it better myself.

There are many sick and twisted bratva men, like my dad and brother, but not all of them are the same. Lyov is broken, but he’s not a lost cause. I take a long sip of the delicious tea Vera prepared for me, relaxing in her company.

“It’s nice to have someone to talk to about this,” I say.

She smiles. “Likewise.”

We fall into a comfortable conversation as we drink tea, waiting to be reunited with our men. All I can do is hope the meeting goes well. Lyov is everything to me. The last thing I want is to be torn away from him.

We may have only known each other for a week, but I know him more deeply than anyone I’ve known before.

17

LYOV

I

t kills me to watch Milana leave me, but I can’t fight Vera. I trust her. I’m not sure I trust Andrei.

He hasn’t given me any reason to believe he intends to turn on me, but it could all change once we get in front of the brotherhood.

“Come on, time to face the music,” Andrei says, nodding toward the door.

I swallow hard. Suddenly, my shirt feels too tight around my neck. I hate wearing shirts, but you have to be presentable when meeting with your pakhan.

Andrei’s upbringing in this world has put him out of touch with morality. He has more good in him than most, even if he keeps up his brutal and vicious persona.

Don’t get me wrong. Andrei is not a good guy by all accounts—none of us are. He’s just better than a lot of them.

We’re all murderers in the brotherhood—even Vera helped murder her uncle. She quickly became one of us, despite the reluctance of many of Andrei’s men to accept her in that way.

It goes against the bratva way of life to take orders from a woman. Andrei has insisted that she rules by his side. She has as much power as him. A lot of the men despise it.

“What are you waiting for?” Andrei asks, narrowing his eyes at me.

“Sorry, sir.” I bow my head and walk out of the room. It’s time to find out if I made a mistake bringing Milana here.

When we walked through the front door, it felt like I’d walked a lamb into the lion’s den—my lamb. The way my brothers looked at her riled me.

Alexi is standing in the hallway. “Lyov,” He calls, smiling widely. He has no idea what is going on yet, which is surprising. Alexi is Andrei’s sovietnik. They are closer than I can comprehend, as close as if they were a real family.

“Alexi,” I say, struggling to mask the worry in my voice.

“What’s up with you?” he asks.

Andrei clears his throat behind me. “You’re about to find out.”

Alexi glances between Andrei and me a few times. His brow furrowed in confusion. “Don’t you wish to enlighten me before we meet with the brotherhood?”

“No,” Andrei says simply. “Enter,” he orders.

Alexi is a powerful, large man who you wouldn’t expect to take orders from anyone. The moment Andrei utters the order, his head bows in obedience. “Sir.” At times, it’s awe-inspiring to see how much power Andrei holds. Andrei’s hand lands on my shoulder, stopping me from following Alexi. His voice drops. “Make no mistake.

Vera is the reason I’m going easy on you. I will be telling the men the reason we’re going to war with Veselov. The brotherhood won’t be happy.”

I feel a shiver pulse down my spine. I swallow hard. “Sir.” “Walk forward,” he orders.

I force one foot in front of the other, despite the weakness spreading through my limbs. Andrei’s warning reminds me of how dangerous this situation is. Milana is the daughter of

our enemy—a man we’re about to enter a war with. I’ve walked her into real danger.

If the brotherhood kicks o when Andrei tells them the truth, it will be hard to protect her. In Andrei’s home, I’m duty-bound to keep my mouth shut since Milana was never mine to claim anyway—not really.

Andrei ordered me to capture her. He owns her as my pakhan—as the man that runs this outfit. The moment that thought passes through my mind, my conscience repeats one phrase over and over again.

She’s mine.

I know it, and she knows it, but what about everyone else?

The brotherhood members are gathered in the room, chatting among themselves. Andrei’s presence sends a tremor through the room, and the voices are quickly hushed.

I watch as he walks to the end of the table, clapping his hands. The men are silent and focused on their pakhan.

“Brothers.” His eyes meet mine, and the intensity of his gazes makes my stomach churn. There’s a spark of something in his eyes, but I can’t work out what it is. He shifts his eyes across the rest of the room, freeing me. “I’ve called this meeting because we have some urgent news.”

A few of the men glance at each other but don’t dare whisper. Andrei hates it when anyone talks while he is addressing the brotherhood like this.

“What you may or may not know is that Veselov has been overstepping onto our territory.” He grits his teeth together.

“He isn’t backing down despite extensive attacks on his operations.”

Alexi crosses his arms over his chest, making eye contact with me. There’s a questioning look in his eyes. He knew I was going to snatch Milana, but he can’t anticipate what Andrei is about to reveal.

“Lyov was instructed to snatch his daughter.” Andrei looks at me again, and so does the rest of the room. “He can’t part with her, which means our only option is to go to war with the Miami brotherhood.”

Hushed whispers break out between every man in the room.

“Enough,” Andrei barks. “I won’t have any disorder in my meeting. We’re not a bunch of gossiping sissies. Lyov has claimed Georgy’s daughter, but that means nothing,” he growls.

Everyone is stunned by the ferocity in his voice as he cracks his neck. “Veselov has disrespected us too many times. He doesn’t deserve our attempts to agree to peace. We will take the full force of the New York bratva to Miami and blow them out of the damn water.”

A lot of the men turn their attention on me, glaring at me with a hatred that cuts me to the core. I know they won’t thank me for forcing war on them. It’s what I expected, but it makes this place even more hostile for Milana. I’m thankful now that Vera saved her from experiencing this.

“We are going to war. It’s simple,” Andrei finishes.

I’ve actively kept my gaze away from Alexi, out of fear of what I will see. He has been the closest to me over the years — the only man here I truly trust with my life.

“As you can all imagine, Veselov won’t be happy,” Andrei says. “As such, we need to reach out first and find out if he wishes to agree to peace. If not, we go in full force.” The likelihood of Veselov reaching an agreement is slim to none.

He’s a brutal, power-hungry son of a bitch who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

My snatching of his daughter and then bedding her will be seen as the ultimate insult. Even though it has nothing to do with him, neither of us could control the connection between us. It’s otherworldly.

I know I would have been the last of all of us anyone would expect to fall for a woman. I’ve always been a sensible, unemotional member. I do what needs to be done and detach my emotions from my actions sometimes too easily. Then, Milana came along and turned me into an emotional wreck.

When it comes to her, I will do anything to keep her safe.

If she wanted me to free her and let her home, I’d do it in a heartbeat–even if it would kill me to do so. Thankfully, she feels this connection between us too. It would have been heartbreaking to let the only woman I’ve felt anything for in ten years go. I would have done it, though, if it’s what she wanted.

“Now, that matter has been discussed. Does anyone have any other business we need to attend to.” Andrei glances at Alexi, who steps forward, clearing his throat.

“Yes, we all need to be on guard with the NYPD. Unfortunately, the detective doesn’t seem to want to back o the charity case.” He shakes his head, and there’s a real concern in his eyes. “Everyone needs to keep a wide birth from all police contacts for the foreseeable future. At least until we get her o our backs.”

One man, Nikov, claps his hands. “Man up, Alexi. Surely you can deal with some dumb bimbo.”

There’s a flash of something dangerous in Alexi’s eyes as he charges forward, fists clenched. It’s unlike Alexi to get wound up by an asshole like Nikov. Usually, he’s the most chilled out guy here.

Nikov’s smirk is wiped clean o his face as Alexi grabs him by the collar, dragging him to his feet.

“Say that again, Nikov,” he dares.

Nikov’s knees shake as Alexi towers over him. He has no idea what to do with himself. No one has ever seen Alexi snap like that—ever.

“Enough,” Andrei orders. “Nikov, keep your mouth shut.

That’s my sovietnik you are speaking to.”

Alexi removes his hands from Nikov’s shirt, turning away from him.

Nikov breathes a sigh of relief. “Sorry, sir,” he replies, bowing his head.

The guy is a cowardly snake. Unfortunately, a few of our brotherhood doesn’t deserve to be part of this outfit. They don’t respect the men who are far superior to them.

I get the feeling my rank in the brotherhood may have dropped significantly. Most certainly, Andrei’s opinion of me is lower. I can see it in the way he looks at me.

He insists he wanted a reason to go to war with Georgy, but I’m not sure I believe that. It’s his only way to justify the war. He can’t tell the men he’s going to war with him because I’m in love with Milana—that’s too soft. It’s also not the reason.

Vera is the reason. She wouldn’t have let him harm me, because we’ve become surprisingly close ever since the morning of Andrei’s surgery. All I want right now is to reunite with my woman.

“Very good, anything else?” Andrei asks.

There’s a deafening silence as no one else speaks. “Back to work, then. Until next time.” Andrei dismisses them and heads for the door, not looking at me again.

I swallow hard, wondering where Vera has taken Milana.

A panic grips at me as I charge out of the room and into the hallway, knowing Andrei will lead me to them. He doesn’t notice as I follow him down the corridor toward the kitchen.

Vera’s voice carries from the kitchen, and I quicken my footsteps. As I turn the corner, Andrei is standing behind Vera with his hands on her shoulders. “How are you two getting on?”

I walk in and move to stand behind Milana, finding my rightful place by her. Andrei doesn’t react to my appearance, even though it’s a protective move.

“I will ask the sta to prepare the spare room for the both of you,” Andrei says.

I shake my head. “There’s no need—” “Lyov, you’ve tested my patience enough. It’s not a question but an order. Until we can ensure Milana’s safety, you will both remain under this roof.”

I clench my jaw, knowing that I can not speak out of turn again. Andrei’s patience is wearing thin. He’s not happy that I’ve forced his hand with my indiscretion with Milana.

I nod my head instead, keeping it bowed slightly.

Andrei claps his hands, making Milana jump. “Good, it’s settled.” He walks out of the kitchen without another word.

Vera rolls her eyes once his footsteps have disappeared into the distance. “Ignore him. He’s used to calling all the shots.”

Milana smiles, but I can’t find it in myself to join in—not yet. She may feel safe with Vera, but her persuasion only stretches so far. We need to be on guard while under Andrei’s roof.

18

MILANA

L

yov returns to the guest room Andrei has allowed us.

It’s quite a privilege for any of the brotherhood members to stay here—other than Alexi, who resides

here.

“Is everything okay?” I ask.

He looks distracted as he turns his attention to me. “I’m not sure.”

I watch him as he marches toward me, muscles tense.

“What is it?”

He runs a hand through his dark hair. “Your father has agreed to meet to discuss terms.”

My brow furrows. “It’s a trap,” I say simply. My dad doesn’t discuss anything. He’s a hothead. If he wants to meet with Andrei, then he has a plan.

He nods his head. “That’s what worries me. He wants both of us to accompany Andrei for the discussion.”

What the hell is my dad playing at?

He sighs heavily. “We have to leave for the airport, now.”

I bite my bottom lip, trying to figure out my dad’s plan. If anyone here knows him, it’s me. The only problem is he never discusses work with me. Instead, he confides only in Dima, my brother. He has taken after my father, but he’s

worse — a disgraceful excuse of a man. We never got on, even less so as he grew up.

“I’ll pack a bag,” Lyov says, walking toward the walk-in closet in the room. Andrei has been generous to both of us in the past three days, supplying us with anything we need.

Despite him insisting he is repaying Lyov for his years of service, I get a sense Vera has something to do with it.

I was sure we were heading straight for war. My dad never negotiates. His thirst for blood is never-ending, and he has been at war with the Los Angeles brotherhood for years. Lyov and his brotherhood will be in the same situation if they can’t agree to peace, which seems impossible. I know my dad.

It’s either enter a war with my dad or let him take me back. I can’t go back. It may be selfish, but now I’ve found Lyov, I don’t intend to let him go.

When our eyes met over that dance floor, I knew my life as I knew it had changed. Deep down, a part of me recognized this man as the man I’m destined to spend my life with. A sixth sense that drew me to him like a moth to a flame.

Lyov returns with a small overnight bag. “I’ve got all we need. Andrei is waiting for us downstairs.”

“Does he suspect this is a trap?”

He walks toward me and sets the bag down by his feet, grabbing my hips and pulling me into his chest. “Andrei is one of the smartest men I know. He’s well aware of your father’s temperament.”

I rest my hand on his hard chest, wishing we could stay here. New York is safe. It feels like my dad can’t touch me here, but the thought of going anywhere near Miami makes me uneasy.

The last thing I want to do is bring harm to Lyov. A man I’ve not know for long but love more than anyone. He’s

everything to me.

The first person to make me long for a better life. A life with love and happiness, even if we belong to the bloody world of the bratva. We can endure this world together, stronger side by side.

“Trust me, Mila,” Lyov grabs my hand and presses his lips to the back of it. “I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.” He presses his lips to mine gently in a quick, chaste kiss. “Andrei doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

No one has ever called me Mila before, but I kind of like it.

I try to smile, but it feels forced. I nod and let him lead me out of the bedroom, which has become our refugee. All I can do is hope we both make it back here soon.

Andrei is standing in the main entryway of the townhouse, arguing with Vera. “What do you mean I’m not going?” she says, setting her hands on her hips.

“Vera, don’t push me on this.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “There’s no reason for you to accompany me.”

Lyov clears his throat, alerting them to our presence.

Andrei turns around to face us. “Good. Let’s go.” He claps his hands and turns back to face Vera, taking her hands in his. “Listen to me. Stay here and look after the place for me.

I’ll be back before you know it.”

She’s about to open her mouth when he kisses her passionately. The intensity reminds me of what I share with Lyov. They look at each other with such adoration. Andrei seems like such a cold man, but when he looks at her, the coldness melts.

As I walk past Vera, she grabs my hand. “Good luck, my friend, stay safe.”

I give her a smile and nod. “Thank you.”

An SUV is waiting outside to take us to the airport. Lyov and Andrei haven’t mentioned where we are flying from, but

I don’t even have my passport with me. I don’t expect it to be a problem as if they fly privately, then I won’t need it.

Lyov lets me get into the back of the car first, before entering after me. Alexi sits on the other side of me. He is going to accompany us.

Andrei slides into the front passenger’s seat and gives the driver the address.

I can’t help but feel on edge. None of them know what my dad is like. He’s a backstabbing, cruel son of a bitch who cares about no one but himself. Lyov grabs my hand and squeezes, saying nothing.

He can probably sense I’m tense, but I can’t help it. We’re heading straight for a blazing inferno without regard for the consequences, and yet I can’t voice my concerns. Andrei is pakhan. He most certainly wouldn’t take lightly to a woman telling him what to do.

The entire journey, which takes about an hour, is made in silence. The driver pulls into a small private airstrip where a jet is waiting for us. There are certainly no TSA checks here.

Lyov exits the vehicle, holding the door open for me. I get out, wobbling a little when my feet touch the floor.

He grabs hold of my hips, steadying me. “Are you okay?”

I draw in a deep breath. “I don’t know.”

Lyov’s hand slides onto my back, sending sparks through my veins. “What are you thinking, Mila?”

“All I can think is we are walking right into a trap.”

Lyov glances at Andrei, who is already boarding the plane.

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about the New York brotherhood pakhan, it’s that he doesn’t like to mess about.

He’s straightforward and direct. It’s a good quality in some ways. “It’s possible, but we have to agree to this meeting.”

Alexi stops short of getting on the plane, looking back at us. “Hurry up, the both of you.”

“Come on. Maybe your dad will surprise you and agree to peace.”

I sigh heavily. “You don’t know my dad.”

He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “You’d be surprised how much I know. He is power-hungry, and you’re kidnapping will make him look weak.” He shakes his head.

“We have to hope he will see reason.” He takes my hand in his and presses his lips to the back of it. “We have no choice.”

“I know.” I do know that Lyov isn’t in control here. He doesn’t call the shots and never will. Andrei is his master. He has to obey him.

He pulls me toward the plane, leading me into the lavish jet. It’s far more extensive than my dad’s jet, which isn’t surprising. There’s a reason why he’s going after the New York brotherhood’s territory. It’s by far the most lucrative territory in North America.

Andrei sit at the front, and he gives us both a small nod.

Alexi sits on the other side. I’m thankful that Lyov walks us to the back, giving us some degree of privacy from the other two guys.

The pilot enters the plane and heads straight into the flight deck. As we take out seats, the engines come to life.

It’s about a three-hour flight to the meeting point, Florence, South Carolina, which is mid-way between Miami and New York.

Lyov keeps hold of my hand, chasing away some of the nerves beating around in my stomach. Together we will be okay. At least, that’s what I hope.

“Why would Andrei agree to the peace talks?” I ask as the plane begins to move.

Lyov glances at me. “What do you mean?”

I shrug. “Andrei said he wanted a reason to go to war with my dad for years.” My dad has been out of touch for years.

All he cares about is money and power. It didn’t surprise me to learn that he has been making a play for New York territory and become increasingly aggressive in the past few months. He’s always been the same.

He shakes his head. “Andrei would like to take your dad out, but war means many lives lost. If he can avoid it, he will do at all costs. Even though he said the opposite.”

I rest my head back and try to push my doubts out of my mind as the plane cruises toward our destination.

A BOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF IN , I’m woken by Lyov shaking me.

“What is it?” I ask.

There’s a devilish look in his eyes as he leans toward me.

“I need you.”

My brows hitch up at the suggestion of being intimate here. “Lyov, we can’t—” He silences me with a kiss, making me hot in an instance.

“Mila, be a good girl and do as I say.” He nips at my bottom lip. “There’s a bedroom at the back of this jet. Go there now, undress and wait for me.”

I glance toward the front where it seems Andrei is engrossed in his laptop, and Alexi is fast asleep. After one more glance at Lyov, I stand and do as I’m told. My stomach twists with excitement as I close the door behind me, moving toward the bed.

I undress and then turn around, wondering what to do with myself. If Andrei were to walk in on me right now, I’d die of shame. The door opens and to my relief, Lyov is standing there. He raises an eyebrow. “I told you to undress.”

I look down at myself. “I am undressed.”

He narrows his eyes. “You’ve still got your bra and panties on,” he growls.

“Oh.” I unclip my bra and let it fall to the floor, before hooking my fingers into the waistband of my panties, and pulling them o . “Won’t Andrei be annoyed if we fuck in his bedroom?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “He’ll never know, and something tells me it wouldn’t bother him anyway.” He pushes me back toward the bed. “Lie down.”

I do as he says and lie on my back, watching as he pulls o his shirt. It doesn’t matter how many times I see him like this, every time I’m in awe.

His fingers tease slowly down to the button at his pants, freeing it and slowly dragging them down his hips.

The thought of him fucking me here, in Andrei’s private jet, makes my thighs quiver. It’s forbidden and naughty and exciting.

He pulls his boxer briefs down, freeing his thick, long length. It springs to attention, glistening with pre-cum. “On your hands and knees,” he orders.

I do as he says and turn to rest on my knees, bending at my waist and arching my back in invitation. He spanks my ass, making me gasp. I bite my bottom lip, knowing I need to be quiet. Andrei and Alexi aren’t far from us.

Lyov spanks my ass cheeks repeatedly, forcing me to bite my bottom lip. It’s almost impossible to remain silent.

“What do you want?” Lyov murmurs.

“You,” I whisper.

He spanks me again. “I can’t hear you.”

“I want you to fuck me,” I say, louder.

He groans and spanks me again. “Naughty girl.” He rubs the swollen head of his cock through my slick arousal, sending a pulse of need right through me.

I whimper as the need building inside of me is excruciating. It doesn’t matter when or where, Lyov knows how to get me aching for him. I buck my hips backward, but he holds me still.

“Don’t move,” he orders, voice gravelly and deep. It’s enough to send a shiver right down my spine.

He thrust into me without a word, filling the gaping void that existed where he fits. I groan, finally feeling some release from the ache. We fall into a rhythm, moving together as one. Lyov is gentle with me for the first time since we met. There’s a di erence in the way he fucks me.

I’ve known it for a while now, even if neither of us has uttered it out loud. I love this man and he loves me. A warm blissfulness pulses across my skin as we make love passionately in the back of Andrei’s jet.

While we’re together like this, it feels like nothing can stop us. For now, my worries about my dad and his plans float into the background. For now, only the two of exist in this world.

19

LYOV

S

omething doesn’t feel right. We’re standing on the runway in Florence, South Carolina, waiting for Veselov’s plane to arrive. He’s later than scheduled. It’s putting me on edge.

Andrei seems as calm as ever, but Milana is tense. I keep my arm around her waist, holding her back against my chest — the need to protect her rules me every hour of every day. I hate not knowing what is going to happen when we meet with her dad.

We are like sitting ducks here, waiting for them to rain fire on us.

“I don’t like this,” I say, finally voicing my concerns to my pakhan. Andrei may perceive it as a weakness, but Milana’s welfare is too important to risk.

“Neither do I,” Milana mutters.

Andrei glances at the both of us, seemingly unconcerned.

“The plane is delayed. It’s not unusual.” He glances at Filip, the jet pilot. “Filip, can you track their plane?”

He gives him a nod. “Sure, boss.” He walks back toward the jet and disappears inside.

Andrei is always the practical one. It’s unlike me to let my emotions get the better of me, but when it comes to Mila, I’m careful. She’s the single most precious thing to me in

this world. The drone of a plane’s engine catches all of our attention, and finally, I see it heading down toward the runway.

I grit my teeth together and prepare myself for the brunt of what is to come. Veselov is going to go mental when he realizes the man who kidnapped his daughter has also bedded her.

According to my contacts, Veselov has been trying to find the highest bidder to sell Milana o to for a couple of years —ever since she turned sixteen years old. It makes me sick thinking about it, especially that he would considering selling her underage. Andrei hates the practice of selling women, be it in an auction or form of a dowry.

It’s something Andrei has set about trying to stop, ever since Vera went through hell in the capture of the virgin auction runners. It didn’t go down well with the auction runners, but Andrei shut it down. I’ve got a feeling Vera was part of the driving force behind it.

The plane touches down and Andrei takes a step closer to me, dropping his voice. “Follow my lead and don’t speak unless I tell you to.” He glances at Milana. “You too, princess.”

Andrei calling her princess rubs me the wrong way, but I keep my mouth shut. He has been more than fair to both of us since I landed him in this mess. We’re here because neither of us could resist the pull to each other, forcing my brotherhood to sacrifice peace for our happiness.

Sure, Andrei paints it as if Veselov is the reason for the war, but everyone knows that this wouldn’t have happened if I could have kept it in my pants.

We wait as the jets engines turn o , and the private airstrips workers set up the steps to the craft. Even as we wait, I can’t shake the feeling of unease. Milana knows her

dad wouldn’t agree to negotiate, and deep down, I know it too.

After three years of war with the Los Angeles brotherhood, he is yet to even meet with Luka Romanov. All the signs point to this being a trap.

The door to the jet opens, and Georgy Veselov appears at the top, descending the steps onto the airstrip. Milana tenses in my arms, pushing herself tighter against me. Her brother, Dima, is the next to appear from the jet.

The agreement was that we would both only come with two men. Alexi is, therefore, waiting on the plane. I wait and watch for more movement on the jet, wondering if he’s drawn us into an ambush.

Surprisingly, no one else follows. I sigh a breath of relief, as the two men walk toward us. They both look rather calm, considering we’ve told him we have no intention of giving back his daughter.

“Veselov,” Andrei calls, stepping forward to address him.

There’s a line already drawn that neither of us can cross. It’s part of the negotiation agreement.

“Andrei, I can’t say that it is a pleasure.” His eyes switch to me and Milana. “What is this nonsense about not giving my daughter back?”

Andrei beckons both of us forward. Milana grabs my hand, and we walk to stand by his side. “My spy and your daughter have fallen for each other. I have no intention of breaking them up.”

Georgy laughs a high pitched laugh. “My daughter doesn’t have a say when it comes to who she ends up with.”

He crosses his arms over his chest. “I’ve already swapped for her hand in marriage. The deal is done and set in stone. I won’t leave here without her.”

Andrei takes another step forward. “It seems we are at an impasse then, as we will not give her up. Not to mention, she

has no wish to go with you.”

Dima steps forward, right up to the line. “She doesn’t have a choice.”

The evil glint in his eyes tells me they are up to something. I’m not sure what. A commotion behind us makes my heart rate spike. Before I know it, a pair of hands land on my shoulders, dragging me back and away from Milana.

I try desperately to keep hold of her. Someone grabs her by the waist, hoisting her into the air and away from me.

Andrei attempts to fight against the men who have seized him, swinging punches left, right and center, but it’s no good. He’s overpowered.

“Lyov,” Milana shouts, as she watches.

The man who grabbed her doesn’t struggle with her kicking and punching, as she desperately tries to break free.

Her eyes are wide as he begins to carry her up into the jet. All I can do is watch as Veselov’s men hold me down to the ground.

We should have seen this coming. Andrei is too damn honorable to bring back up. If he agrees on terms of a meet, he sticks to them. It’s a weakness he needs to overcome. The bratva don’t honor terms of agreement often. They’re all snakes that backstab in an attempt to make it to the top.

The bratva is about who has the most power, and it doesn’t matter how you gain that power. If you have to lie and cheat, then you do it. Otherwise, someone else will.

As I watch Milana disappear into the jet, a sense of failure overwhelms me. I promised I would protect her, and yet I’m powerless. Veselov meets my gaze, laughing. “Rough them up and send them on their way,” he orders.

The men begin to kick and punch me, but I hardly feel the pain. All I can feel is the pain of failing my woman. I fight back, writhing on the ground with all the strength I have.

Somehow, I find the power to throw them o me. I punch one of them in the face, and another in the gut, downing them as fast as I can.

Georgy is a hundred yards away, getting into the jet. I break into a sprint. “Milana,” I shout her name, seeing her looking out of the window of the plane.

It speeds Veselov up as he dashes into the plane. The door shuts, and the engines whirl to life, as they remove the steps.

I’m seconds too late. I consider jumping onto the plane, but I know it won’t do any good. Our only option is to try and chase them through the sky.

Milana presses her hand to the glass of the window, tears streaming down her cheeks. I want to tell her I’ll find her. I want to say to her I won’t let them get away with this.

Why would she believe me?

I told her I’d protect her, and I failed. A hand lands on my shoulder, and I swing around to land a punch. It’s Andrei, and his face is bloodied and bruised. The men who had attacked him are rolling around on the floor or unconscious.

“We need to get in the plane now, if we’re going to follow them,” Andrei says.

Thank God he is thinking the same as I am. I follow my leader back to the jet as he barks orders at Filip. Alexi follows quickly, face also bloodied and bruised. We all probably look a mess, but not as bad as Veselov’s men.

The man is a disgrace. He left his own brotherhood men on the tarmac, abandoning them in an attempt to save his skin. It says a lot about a pakhan.

As quickly as possible, Filip has Veselov’s jet on the radar, ready to follow him.

“Don’t lose him, whatever you do,” Andrei says.

It’s clear now that I can trust him. He has no intention of fucking Milana or me over. The engines fire to life beneath

us, and before I can think, Filip has the jet taxiing down the runway to take o .

I take a seat beside Alexi. We haven’t really spoken since Andrei broke the news to the brotherhood just over three days ago.

“Damn, I never thought you’d get us into this mess,” he says, pressing a cold compress to the bruise on his cheek.

I shake my head. “Neither did I.” Andrei leans toward us. “Veselov got us into this mess, and don’t forget it.” He holds Alexi’s gaze until he nods.

Andrei keeps staring at him with such intensity. “Lyov wouldn’t have had to kidnap Milana, if it hadn’t been for his dumbass actions.”

A swell of emotion floods my chest as I glance at my pakhan. Andrei hardly knows me, since I’ve always been so closed o to everyone, and yet, he defends me with loyalty.

The brotherhood is supposed to be a family, but until now, I haven’t embraced it wholeheartedly.

It feels like I’ve been going through life on auto-pilot rather than living it. Milana has made me realize life is worth living.

Alexi clears his throat and nods his head. “It’s about time you found yourself a woman.”

It’s the first time he’s acknowledged it. Ever since Andrei announced it to the rest of the brotherhood, he’s been o with me.

I shrug. “Not exactly ideal circumstances, though, are they?”

“These are the kind of circumstances I’d expect from you, Lyov.”

I raise a brow at him. “Really? No one else did.”

He claps me on the shoulder. “No one else knows you as well as me.” He’s right. Out of all my brotherhood members, he’s the only one that I’ve been more open around.

We settle into a comfortable silence, but inside I’m a mess. Until I have Milana back by my side, I won’t be able to rest. All I can hope is that they aren’t traveling too far. It feels like I’m in a nightmare I can’t wake from.

20

MILANA

I

wake with my arms chained behind my back, sitting in my dad’s jet. Pavel sits opposite me, watching me with an odd sadness gleaming in his eyes. He almost looks like he pities me, and it’s unlike him to show any emotion.

“Let me go,” I shout, fighting against the bindings, despite the metal cutting my skin.

He swallows hard. “Milana, it would be in your best interest to stay quiet,” he mutters.

He may be right, but I don’t care. They’ve ripped me away from my only happiness in this world. My chest aches at the thought of never seeing Lyov again. “I don’t give a shit. Let me the fuck go now. I’d rather jump out of this damn plane than go back with my asshole of a dad,” I spit.

It seems my shouting gets his attention this time, as he appears in the doorway.

The look on his face is pure rage, and then I see Dima standing behind him. The smirk on his face is cruel. Pavel was right to warn me. If my dad sets Dima on me, then I will be put through tremendous amounts of pain.

“I can arrange that, Milana,” Dad says.

I shake my head. “Why the hell did you even both rescuing me from him? You don’t care about me.”

My dad’s jaw clenches. “He made me look weak. Not to mention, I’ve agreed on a truce with Luka Romanov, which involves you marrying his son. He intends to o er his daughter to Dima in return.”

Panic closes around my heart at the mention of me marrying anyone. “I won’t marry him.”

My dad advances closer and grabs my chin hard, digging his nails in. “You will do as I tell you. We are on our way to Los Angeles as we speak.” He shakes his head. “That spy of yours won’t have a chance to find you. Yerik will have claimed you as his before he even knows where you are.”

Tears prickle at my eyes at the cruelty of my father. Pavel watches on with that same sad, wistful look on his face. It’s at that point I realize all the times I tried to avoid him, he cared more for me than my family does. I treated him as though he were as bad as my dad, but no one is as bad as him, other than Dima.

Dima steps forward. “Milana, you are a fucking whore, and I need to teach you a lesson.” He pulls out a knife and the blood drains from my face.

To my surprise, it’s my dad who stops him. “No, she has to be unharmed when we o er her to Luka.” He returns his attention to me. “I’m sure Yerik will punish her accordingly.”

The smirk falls from Dima’s lips, and he turns to leave like a petulant child. His thirst for the depraved is sickening.

I watch as he walks away.

“Listen to me, Milana. You will marry Luka’s son if it’s the last thing you do.”

A lump forms in my throat as I stare up at the man who should have been the one to love and protect me. “What did I do to make you hate me?”

For the first time in my life, a flicker of emotion floods his eyes. It disappears within moments, and he drops my

chin. I watch him walk away too, leaving the question hanging in the air.

Pavel moves forward and wipes the tears trickling down my face. “I’m sorry, Milana,” he mutters softly.

I force a weak smile at him. “I’m sorry too.”

His brow furrows. “For what?”

“All this time, I’ve been so terrible to you, assuming you were like my dad and brother. I know you are nothing like them.”

Tears form in his eyes and he shakes his head. “No, I’ve cared about you like a father should care about a daughter, Milana. I’m sorry your dad doesn’t treat you the way you deserve.”

He squeezes my hand gently before moving to sit back down in his chair. If my father heard him speak to me that way, he would punish him for it. It’s the first time I’ve talked to Pavel with any civility. I’d always acted like a spoiled brat toward him, and yet, he cares.

Does he care enough to help me, though?

“Pavel, can you help me?”

He looks conflicted, understanding what I mean. I need to get the hell out of here. What I’m asking of him is a lot. He would be putting his life on the line for me.

“Milana, what you ask is di cult.”

I nod my head. “I know.”

He falls silent as he thinks about my proposal. “I’ll try.”

A spark of hope ignites inside of me at his agreement.

“Thank you.”

He smiles kindly and nods his head. “Wait right here.”

I chuckle. “I can’t exactly go anywhere, can I?” With that, he nods and leaves me alone in the back of the jet. Pavel is one of the few good guys I’ve come across, and in my hatred of my own family, I’ve mistreated him in the past.

I’ve been blind to the truth. My dad has always been the

villain in this. He forced me to stay close for university, intending to sell me o to the highest bidder.

My hopes, dreams, and aspirations never meant anything.

Dad found it comical when I told him I wanted to attend university, but he indulged me, only to keep me quiet. At least, until he found me a husband, it’s not surprising he would choose the son of his enemy.

I don’t know much about Yerik Romanov at all. Although, I pity the daughter of Romanov for being landed with Dima.

Any woman who is unlucky enough to find themselves in his path, won’t survive long. He’ll marry her and torture her until he kills her or she takes her own life. It’s sick what my brother does to people—and not only women.

For the bratva, even he is extreme, yet no one calls him about because of who he is — the son of the pakhan and the next in line to lead. God help the brotherhood when he comes to power. It will be kinder if someone kills him before that can happen.

The whirring of the engine is all I can hear, as my mind floats to thoughts of my friends at university. Kate, Alex, and Harriet will no doubt think I’m dead in a ditch.

There would be no other explanation for my disappearance, and I’m sure Lyov was smart enough not to leave any tracks for the police to follow. They are probably all better o not knowing me.

I never thought my father would get his hands on me, but it seems I was right to think I’d never see them again. He would never have taken me home—not after this.

This world brings down everyone and everything around it, making it impossible to live a normal life. I thought that was what I wanted. A normal life and a nine to five job. A husband and two kids in the suburbs.

It’s the opposite of what I want really. Lyov is what I want. A man who can’t o er me any safety or a reprieve

from this world. All he can o er me is a love I could never have imagined. It’s deep and powerful. Even now, as I fly toward my fate, it fills me with the hope I wouldn’t otherwise have.

Pavel returns to the room, shutting the door behind him.

He gives me a small smile. “I have a plan.”

I raise a brow as it’s unusual to see him smile. He should do it more often, though, as it makes him much more approachable. “What plan?”

He shakes his head. “The least you know, the better. I will help you, Milana.”

I nod my head in response, hoping I can trust him. All I can do is wait and hope that everything will work out. I won’t give up hope that I will reunite with Lyov.

T HE ENTIRE PLACE is in chaos. My dad thought he was here for a straight swap, but it turns out someone has kidnapped Luka’s daughter—a man from his own brotherhood. It gives us precious time to find a way out.

I’ve been sitting in a room, tied to a chair. Pavel has kept me updated. They’ve sent men after his daughter, hoping they can retrieve her in time to do the swap.

Luka Romanov and my dad have been in a meeting for over three hours, trying to agree to the terms. My dad won’t give me up without something in return, be it money or flesh. He isn’t the kind of man to agree to promises. If Luka’s daughter isn’t here for him to take now, he won’t let Luka take me.

The sound of the door opening to the room I’ve been kept in sets my nerves on edge. My chair is in a position so that I can’t see the person entering. The slow footsteps

approaching make me sure it’s not Pavel. I hold my breath as the footsteps stop. “Who is it?” I ask.

Finally, a young man with sandy hair steps into my view.

“Your husband to be.” He smiles, cruelly. “I heard you’re not too pleased about the arrangement.”

I bite my bottom lip, wondering how exactly to play this.

Yerik won’t like me telling him I’m in love with another man. Instead, I shrug. “I don’t like the idea of marrying a man I don’t know anything about—no.” I narrow my eyes at him. “Can you truly say you are happy to be entered into an arranged marriage?”

He seems surprised by my candid approach. “I wasn’t sure, but now that I’ve seen you, I’m pleased.” His eyes are alight with lust as he moves closer to me, tilting my chin toward him. “You are more beautiful than I could have imagined.”

Sickness twists at my gut, but I keep my expression neutral. “You’re not too bad yourself.”

It seems the compliment surprises him, and he drops my chin. I get a feeling he was hoping to find me resistant and fighting, but that would be the wrong way to play this. I see some of my brother in him. He wants to stir up trouble and irritate me. I don’t intend to give him what he wants.

His eyes narrow. “Although, you’ve got too much meat on your bones. Don’t worry, I’ll soon fix that with a strict diet.”

The smirk that breaks onto his face is sickening, but I don’t let his attack on my weight get to me. Instead, I stare at him with indi erence.

“Well, it seems you are a bit of a disappointment. Your brother assured me you would be fighting me every step of the way.”

I frown at him. “Is that what you want?”

He tilts his head to one side, regarding me. “I’m not sure what I want.” He moves closer to me and grabs hold of my

chin again, forcing my gaze to his.

The sound of the door opening forces his attention away.

“What are you doing here?” Pavel asks.

I feel relieved to be rescued before Yerik could delve more into the conversation. I could only string him along for so long before he caught on to my insincerity.

“I’m talking to my future wife.”

“Unfortunately, until your sister returns, the deal isn’t done.” Pavel walks closer. “Get out, before I throw you out.”

Yerik pales and nods his head, glancing at me once before leaving.

Not many people would stand against Pavel—he’s enormous. Six foot eight and bound in muscle. He could choke Yerik’s scrawny little neck with one hand, but what no one knows is he’s a gentle giant at heart. Something I hadn’t realized until today.

“The plan I have will to be dangerous,” Pavel says, once the door shuts behind Yerik. He approaches me and takes a seat opposite, holding a plate of food. My stomach rumbles as the scent wafts to my nostrils. “I intend to start a fire to ensure everyone is distracted. Then, I will sneak you out into a car and leave before they know what has hit them.”

A swell of emotion clutches at my chest. Pavel would go to such lengths to save me. He is the true father I never had, although he’s a little younger than my dad. “Isn’t that a bit dangerous?” I ask, wondering if pyrotechnics are the best option here.

He shrugs. “We need a distraction. Have you got any other idea?”

I worry my bottom lip between my teeth, trying to come up with something. My dad and brother are assholes, and so are the Romanov’s, but setting a fire could be condemning them all to death. If they escape, they won’t rest until they

get revenge on Pavel and me. He would be in grave danger for the rest of his life, always looking over his shoulder.

“They will be after you for the rest of your life.”

Pavel grabs my hand and squeezes. “Don’t worry about that. I can take care of myself, Milana.”

“Perhaps Andrei will accept you into the New York brotherhood.”

He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Perhaps.”

He may doubt whether Andrei would allow him into the brotherhood, but I’m sure he would. Lyov would help me fight to save him, especially if he gets me away from my dad.

“How come you never married?” I ask, staring into the dark brown eyes of the older, but handsome man. His hair is peppered with gray, but he’s attractive. He’s a bit of a silver fox.

He shrugs. “The time was never right. Life in the brotherhood is too risky to consider bringing someone I care for into it.” He smiles. “Also, I never found the right woman.”

I nod. “Well, it’s never too late.”

He sighs. “No, I guess it’s not.”

A short silence falls between us, palpable with tension.

“When do you intend to set the fire?” I ask, breaking it.

“I’m going to wait until dusk. About forty-five minutes.”

He glances out of the window. “Then, I’ll set the fire, and we’ll get out of here.”

I swallow hard, wondering if this is a good idea. A fire seems rash, but Pavel is right. We need something big to keep all the security busy while we try and get out of here.

Not only are there all of Luka’s men, but my dad’s security too. The place is doubly protected.

Pavel’s plan could go south. If the worst happens, we may both end up dead. I have to hope somehow we both come out of this unscathed.

21

LYOV

I

’ve been in many car chases before, but never a plane chase. It’s tense. Filip has been tracking and following Veselov’s plane through the sky for three fucking hours. All I feel is numbness, as I pace the floor of the jet.

Her dad took her from me—the one thing I promised her wouldn’t happen. This is all my fault. I knew something wasn’t right.

Filip is one of the best pilots in North America, thankfully.

He knows the flight path they are taking, and they are heading straight to Los Angeles. Georgy Veselov is at war with Luka Romanov, which means him heading there makes no sense. Traveling into enemy territory with his family seems like a pretty dumbass move.

I pace the floor again, tensing when a hand claps my back.

“Relax, Lyov. Take a seat.” Andrei says, squeezing my shoulder hard. It’s a warning that he’s not asking but ordering me to sit down. It’s the last thing I want to do right now. I’m going out of my mind. Alexi is fast asleep slumped against the side of the jet. I sit next to him, resting my head in my hands.

Andrei sits opposite. “We will get her back.”

I glance up to meet my pakhan’s gaze. The fire in Andrei’s eyes fills me with confidence. He will do anything to get her back now that Veselov has disrespected him. I give him a nod in response.

“That weasel won’t be getting away with what he pulled.”

A short silence pulses between us as I think about his words. “There’s no way we are going to avoid war now, is there?”

Andrei shakes his head. “No, but it’s about time someone rained down fire on that cocky son of a bitch.”

I smile, rubbing my hand across the back of my neck.

Andrei’s words of reassurance help, but the fact is, I failed Milana. She was uncertain about the entire meeting, and I should have pushed harder with Andrei to avoid it.

Veselov had been so sure he was leaving with her. I should have seen the ambush coming—we all should have. We’d been naive to walk into the trap so easily. As always, Andrei’s morality often becomes his weakness as a leader.

Even so, I can’t find it in myself to resent him for it. It’s one of the reasons the brotherhood admires him so much. He commands respect because he is as honorable as a bratva pakhan can be.

“I intend to flay the skin from his flesh and watch him su er in pain and agony,” Andrei says, staring forward with a far o look.

Honorable and a little bit insane. Andrei’s brutal, vicious, and doesn’t take mercy on his enemies. I guess that’s what happens to you when you’re brought up in the bratva, surrounded by violence.

His mother left him when he was little, forcing his father to raise him. He doesn’t speak of it much. His mother is probably out there somewhere, living her life without giving a thought to where her son is. I know it has haunted him. It would haunt anyone.

Both my parents were caring and decent, but I fled them when Lilliana died. I was too ashamed to face up to what I had done that I left the country and never looked back. I didn’t even have the guts to face her parents. It’s shameful, and I’ve regretted it ever since I made that choice.

Now and then, I send my parents an update via email. I know it’s selfish and wrong to have left them like that, but I was far more broken ten years ago than I am now.

For Andrei, though, ever since he met Vera here’s been a change in him. He’s better. I feel that Vera is helping him heal the wounds he hides from the rest of us. The same way Milana is helping to heal the wounds I’ve hidden. Alexi is like a little brother to him, but as far as I can tell, he doesn’t confide in him either—only Vera.

It’s clear that the importance of finding the person that can help mend you is even more vital for bratva members.

M Y HEART POUNDS frantically as we drive up the drive of the Romanov mansion. Flames burst from the windows of the upstairs floor, untamable and wild. No guards were on the gates since they’re at the main house.

My heart is beating out of my chest. Milana is in that building, and it’s on fucking fire. A red rage mists over my whole vision, and I can feel the control slipping. It feels like the car crash all over again.

I can’t lose her. I won’t lose her.

I’m about to run forward when Andrei grabs my shoulder.

“Wait,” he orders.

“Milana is in there,” I protest, trying to break free of his firm grip.

“Possibly, but you running in after her through the front door isn’t the best way to save her.” Andrei glances between

the house and a parked car sitting at the side entrance of the building. “I’ve got an idea.”

He heads toward the door, and I hesitate. Alexi follows after Andrei, forcing me to go along with Andrei’s plan. The panic that has got a grip of me is making it di cult to think straight. Andrei’s probably thinking with a clearer mind.

Once he makes it to the door, he turns to face the both of us. “The flames are worse on the other side of the building.

If we go in this entrance, we’ve got more chance of making it out alive.”

Alexi nods in agreement. I can’t even find it in me to say or do anything. I’m numb. A flashback image of Lillian’s lifeless body, bloodied and yards away from the car, takes over my mind.

“Are you alright, Lyov?” Andrei asks.

I shake my head, trying to shake away the images. Milana can’t die. I’ve got to save her. “Yes. Let’s do this.”

Andrei looks less than convinced, as he turns his attention back to the entryway. He opens the door and almost walks straight into one of Veselov’s men. I recognize him instantly from the club — Milana’s bodyguard.

Andrei draws his gun, but so does he. They stand staring at each other, and my heart almost stops beating when I see Milana appear behind him. “Lyov,” she cries, rushing forward between her bodyguard and Andrei to launch herself into my arms.

I hold her tight, hardly able to believe she’s here. She’s safe and in my arms.

She pulls away and turns her attention to Andrei. “Please, stand down. Pavel was trying to help me escape. He set the fire and has a vehicle ready to take me away.” She places her hand gently on Andrei’s arm.

He glances at her with narrowed eyes and back at Pavel.

Pavel puts his gun away, holding his hands up.

Andrei backs down and puts his gun away too. “They’ll never stop hunting you for this,” he says to Pavel.

Pavel swallows hard and nods.

“Can’t we o er him sanctuary?” Milana asks.

I squeeze her hand in warning. We can’t keep asking for more from Andrei. He has done enough for us.

“If you want him to remain as your bodyguard, I have no qualms against that,” he says, surprising me.

Milana’s face lights up.

Andrei turns to Pavel. “Take Milana to this address.” He places a piece of paper in his hand. “Wait for us there.” He then turns to me and Alexi. “It’s time for me to end this once and for all.”

I shake my head. “They have us outnumbered, Andrei.”

His jaw tightens. “Don’t question me, Lyov. We have to make them believe we were responsible for the fire. Even if we only show our faces, they will know that this is what happens when you fuck with the New York brotherhood.”

Alexi joins in. “Let’s do this. Pavel will keep her safe.”

I give him a reluctant nod, and Milana steps toward me, pressing her lips to mine. “Be careful, and I’ll see you soon,” she says.

I kiss her back, hard and fast, before allowing Pavel to take her away. Allowing Milana to escape without me goes against every instinct that drives me. I feel torn. My pakhan has a orded me too many leniencies as it is up to now. If I were to defy him, I can’t be sure that he would stand by it— not again.

“Come on,” Andrei says, moving deeper into the blazing house.

We make it into the main hallway to find Romanov and Veselov, attempting to break down the front door. Pavel made sure they wouldn’t have a quick and easy exit. “Don’t

fucking move,” Andrei calls out, as the three of us aim out guns at the two men.

There’s no sign of either of their sons.

“Petrov, I should have known you had a hand in this,” Luka growls.

We had no intention of entering into a war with the Los Angeles brotherhood, but this has forced our hand. A full scale countrywide war could erupt because of this. All the northern brotherhoods will side with Andrei, but the Miami and Los Angeles outfits are more extensive than any of them.

“That’s what you get when you fuck with us,” Andrei shouts.

Veselov moves forward, and Andrei cocks his gun. “I said, don’t move.”

Georgy shakes his head. “You won’t be getting Milana, though. She is upstairs under her bodyguard’s protection.

His lips curve into a wicked smirk. “The fire would have already killed her.”

The hatred I feel for this man is so intense it overwhelms me. He is talking about his own daughter’s death. I can hardly contain my rage. “You’re wrong,” I shout, narrowing my eyes at him and cocking my gun too. “She’s already out.

We’re not fucking stupid, Veselov.”

His smirk drops. “Lying bastard,” he growls, launching forward.

It’s Alexi that moves first, shooting him in the chest and stopping him dead. A part of me worries what Milana will make of this. She may hate her dad, but he was still her family.

Romanov’s expression turns to one of fear, as he regards Georgy’s dead and lifeless body. He holds his hands up and clears his throat. “Look, the disagreement was between you and him. I’ve got nothing to do with this.” He glances around his home, which is quickly filling with smoke.

“Although, I’d expect some compensation for the damage you’ve done to my home.”

Andrei stares at Luka, unmoving. “It can be discussed at another time.”

Luka grits his teeth as Andrei turns his back on him.

“There’s nothing to discuss. You damaged my home, and I’d expect you to have the decency to pay for the damage.”

“Fine, send me a bill,” Andrei says, waving his hands in the air.

They both know that this is pointless. The cost of the damage will be nothing to either of them, so it makes sense for Andrei to agree in an attempt to avoid war over it.

“Andrei,” Luka shouts.

Andrei turns to face him again.

“If you see Miron, tell him I’m out for blood.”

Andrei stares at Luka for a moment, before nodding his head. “Will do.”

It makes no sense since Miron is Luka’s sovietnik. Why would he issue a warning to him? Clearly, something else has happened. Miron has been Luka’s sovietnik for years. They knew each other back in Russia.

Luka manages to free the front door with one more push, and he escapes through it. The three of us walk back the way we came.

Filip is waiting in the SUV outside to take us back to the airstrip we landed at. We weren’t able to land at the same airstrip as the Veselov, as it would have been too obvious.

The journey from the strip we landed at is about an hour.

I grit my teeth, wishing that Milana could have waited. We may not have been apart for long, but I need to see her.

There are so many things left unsaid, particularly the fact I love her.

I’ve known it ever since we first met, but I’ve been too scared to admit it. The thought of telling Milana I love her

and stripping myself bare frightens me more than anything —other than losing her. My heart will be at risk, but I realize it’s worth it.

Andrei leads us out of the exit only to be confronted with more conflict. Pavel, Milana’s bodyguard, is standing with his gun aimed at Yerik, while Dima, her brother, has his gun pointed at Milana—his sister.

It looks like this isn’t over yet, It’s just beginning.

22

MILANA

I

t feels wrong, leaving Lyov as he charges into a burning building. Pavel has a car ready on the other side of the door. I glance back into the hallway of the Romanov mansion, considering turning around.

“Milana, what are you doing?” Pavel asks.

I glance at him and then back into the house. “It’s not right,” I say.

“What’s not right?”

I shake my head. “Leaving him here. I can’t.”

“Milana, don’t even think about it.”

I ignore Pavel, which he’s used to me doing, and turn back. Lyov may think he’s protecting me by sending me away, but the last thing I’d want is to leave him to his death.

I’d rather die along with him.

My gut twists with unease as I head closer to the scent of smoke. It’s clouding the air and getting worse by the second.

“Milana,” Pavel shouts after me. His footsteps thunder behind me as he gains on me e ortlessly.

I gasp as he grabs me by the waist and hoists me into the air. “Where the fuck do you think you are going?” he growls.

I grit my teeth, wishing I had the strength to fight him o . “Let me go, Pavel.”

He pulls me back the way I’d come. “No, you can’t help them.” I give up as he pulls me toward the door to outside.

The sound of a gun being cocked has us both freezing.

“Where do you two think you are going?” Yerik asks.

Pavel sets me onto my feet and blocks me with his body.

“If you hadn’t noticed, the mansion is on fire.”

Yerik’s eyes narrow. “You were trying to escape with my fiancé.”

Pavel squares his shoulders and sighs. “I was trying to save her as her bodyguard. Put the gun down, Yerik.”

Yerik glances between me and Pavel two times, before putting the gun down.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Pavel says.

Yerik gives him a nod, but I can tell he’s still wary of our intentions. “How did the fire start?” he asks, glancing at me.

Pavel shrugs. “Fuck knows.” He barges through the door to the side, swinging back around with his gun drawn on Yerik.

Before he can realize what is happening, I dodge away from him and dash to Pavel’s side. Yerik holds up his hands.

“What the fuck?”

Pavel ignores him. “Milana, in the car now.”

“I knew you were helping her escape. You probably started the damn fire,” he yells.

“Now, Milana.”

I glance between Pavel and the building burning in front of me. Lyov is in there. It goes against my instincts to leave him, but I’ve got no choice. I rush for the passenger’s side of the car and open the door, freezing at the sound of another gun being cocked.

Dima is standing in front of me, aiming his gun right at me. “Don’t move a muscle, sis.”

I swallow hard, staring into the soulless dark eyes of my brother. There’s no doubt that he will shoot me if I don’t do as he says. In fact, he might still shoot me even if I do.

“Put the gun down, Dima,” Pavel orders.

He chuckles a deep, evil laugh. “I’m not taking any orders from a traitor. My father will string you up for what you’ve done.”

I keep eye contact with my brother, trying to work out a way out of this. “Pavel isn’t a traitor. He was trying to save me from this building and that asshole.” I nod toward Yerik.

Dima’s narrows his eyes. “Don’t try to take me for a fool, sis. You don’t want to marry Yerik and you’ve managed to convince Pavel to get you out of here.”

I keep my expression blank. Dima has always been too perceptive.

The sound of the door opening behind us has all of us looking over. Andrei is standing at the door with Lyov and Alexi behind him. I swallow hard, knowing this is going to end in bloodshed.

Dima won’t let them leave. There’s more chance of me sprouting wings and taking flight.

Yerik points his gun at Andrei. “Don’t fucking move.”

Dima keeps his gun trained on me. “Or the bitch gets it.”

Lyov tenses and moves forward, which prompts Yerik to cock his gun in warning. “Not another step,” he growls.

Andrei stands at the front with a calm and collected expression. “If you don’t let us go, you’re declaring war,” he says quietly.

Dima glares at him, but it’s Yerik who speaks, “I think you are the one declaring war, by breaking into my father’s home.”

Andrei steps forward, shaking his head. “Blame his father.” He nods toward Dima. “He snatched Milana from us and draw us to your home.”

Yerik glances between Dima and me. “Milana is his sister and my fiancé. You have no claim on her.”

Lyov steps forward this time. “I don’t fucking think so.

Did Milana agree to the engagement?”

Yerik glances between me and Lyov. “She didn’t refuse it.”

That’s true. In front of him, I kept up pretenses, knowing it was the safest option. “I definitely didn’t agree to it either,” I protest.

“Shut the fuck up,” Dima spits at me. “You’ve done enough.”

Lyov draws his gun in a flash, pointing it at Dima. The cocking of his gun has my heart racing faster.

This is escalating quicker than I could have imagined.

Alexi follows his lead. “Stand down, Dima,” he calls.

“Or what?”

Alexi shakes his head. “Luka agreed to let us go, so holding us up only goes against your allies orders.”

Dima glances between Andrei and Alexi, unsure what to believe. “What of my dad?” he asks.

“He didn’t have much to say on the matter.” I don’t miss the glint in his eyes, and I feel my stomach dip. They’ve killed him. I can’t explain how I know, I just do.

I know that is a lie. My dad would never agree to let them go, believing that they’d set this fire, and after everything I’ve heard about Luka Romanov, he wouldn’t either.

“I don’t believe it,” Yerik says, shaking his head.

Andrei nods toward the door. “Why don’t you go and ask him?”

Yerik’s eyes narrow. “Are you telling me he’s still in the burning building?”

Alexi shrugs. “Why don’t you find out for yourself.”

I sigh heavily, wishing this childishness would end.

“Dima, put down the gun.” I glance at my brother, hoping I

can reason with him. He is my family.

He steps forward and keeps his gun trained on me. “What makes you think I’d do anything you say?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Lyov moving toward me. I want to tell him to stop, but I can’t draw my brother’s attention to him. Instead, I keep my eyes fixed on Dima. It’s all I can do in a hope that he doesn’t seem him move.

Dima is ruthless. He will shoot first and ask questions later.

Dima makes a split decision to pull the trigger on me. It’s as if time slows to a halt as the trigger goes o and the bullet ricochets toward me. Suddenly, I’m pushed to the ground by a large, hard body.

I glance up to see Pavel lying across me with a bullet wound in his chest. I try desperately to stem the flow of blood.

It’s at this moment that Dima notices Lyov’s advance.

“Lyov,” I scream, trying to warn him. His eyes are trained on me as he searches for a wound. Dima doesn’t hesitate as he shoots Lyov, catching him in the shoulder. A pained expression passes across his face as he collapses backward onto the floor. The impact of the fall knocks him out cold, and I can’t get to him.

I can’t move under Pavel’s immense weight. The worry and panic spiral out of control as I try to process what just happened. The man I love has been shot and I haven’t even told him yet. He’s lying on the floor and I can’t go to him.

Pavel, a man who has been like a father to me has also been shot. Both of them by my asshole of a brother.

A few more gun shots ring out, but I can’t see what is happening. The weight of Pavel is weighing heavily on me, but I’m trying desperately to stem the flow of blood from his wound. “Hold on, Pavel,” I say, tears prickling at my eyes.

He’s unconscious and breathing shallowly.

Suddenly, Pavel is yanked o of me, and Andrei is standing over me. He holds out a hand for me to take, and I do.

Once I’m back on my feet, I see Yerik and Dima lying on the floor. They’re both alive with minor gunshot wounds.

Dima is whining like a coward. He’s only been shot in the leg. Lyov is lying on the floor still and I rush toward him.

He’s unconscious. Tears flood down my cheeks as I kneel by his side, pressing my hand against the bleeding wound in his shoulder. “Lyov, no, please don’t go.”

A hand lands on my shoulder, and I turn to see Alexi. “It’s a flesh wound.” He shakes his head. “He’ll be okay, but it’s going to take him a while to recover.”

I sni , returning my attention to him. “I want him to wake up. I haven’t even told him the truth.”

“What truth?” Alexi asks.

“That I love him more than anything in this world.” A steady flow of tears race down my cheeks.

Alexi snakes a hand around my shoulders and forces me to my feet. “You can tell him that once he’s awake. I promise you, he will be fine.”

Andrei is on the phone, speaking frantically in Russian.

“Are we going to call and ambulance?”

Alexi shakes his head. “We’ll drive him and Pavel to the hospital. They can’t be linked to this place, otherwise the police will be swarming within seconds.” He glances over at Andrei briefly, before lowering his voice. “Both of us will have to drop you o with Pavel and Lyov. We can’t hang around. It’s too dangerous.”

I nod my head. "Is my dad dead?” I ask, staring into the auburn eyes of Lyov’s friend.

There’s sympathy in his eyes as he nods his head. “Yes, I’m sorry. It wouldn’t—”

“Don’t be sorry. I despised the man,” I say, despite the slight burning in my chest. The world is a better place without Georgy Veselov in it, and my life will be better without him hanging over me. Even so, he did father me. It seems to have a slight pull on my emotions, which annoys me.

Andrei approaches us. “We need to get them in the car and to the Los Angeles general as soon as possible.” He turns his attention to me. “Mila, please wait in the back of the SUV.” I bite my bottom lip, staring at the fearsome New York brotherhood pakhan. It’s not a good idea to deny him anything, but I don’t want to leave Lyov’s side. “But—” Alexi grabs my arm. “He’s going to be fine. Wait in the car.”

I sigh heavily, glancing once more at Lyov’s still body. I get into the vehicle and watch as Alexi, Filip, and Andrei struggle to carry him to the vehicle, bundling him into the seat next to me. They turn back to retrieve Pavel.

I sweep some of his hair out of his face. The fear I felt when he hit the floor was immeasurable. This man has brought sunlight into the darkest depths of my heart, if I were to lose him now, I’d plunge into eternal despair.

“I love you, Lyov,” I mutter, pressing my lips to his forehead. “Please make it through.”

Andrei, Filip, and Alexi manage to get Pavel into the boot, as there’s no space for him to lie down in the back of the car.

They get into the front and turn over the engine. I hold Lyov’s hand, praying he will be fine. He has to be.

23

LYOV

T

he beep of a heart monitor breaks through my unconscious as I slowly open my eyes. I shut them almost immediately, as the light is too bright. I feel the soft warmth of a delicate hand rest on top of mine. “Lyov,” Milana utters my name, squeezing gently.

I try to reply, but my mouth is too dry. I recall the last thing I remember, staring at the sky as I hit the ground.

Milana’s screams filled the air as gunshots went o . All I could do in those moments was pray that she was okay—that Andrei managed to save her.

As I recall the moment, my eyes shoot back open. I force myself to look through the blinding light. Once they adjust, I see Milana staring down at me like an angel from heaven.

An Angel who I still haven’t told the truth. A lump forms in my throat as I realize I could have died before I had the chance to tell her I loved her. I move to sit up, but she weighs me down with her hand, shaking her head. “Don’t sit up.

You’ve lost a lot of blood.”

I groan and allow myself to fall back against the pillow.

“What happened?”

“Dima shot you in the shoulder. The bullets shattered through one of your bones.”

I turn my head, searching for Andrei or Alexi. “How did you get away?”

She smiles, weakly. “Rest and worry about that later.

We’re all alive, and that’s all that matters.”

I narrow my eyes. “What happened?”

She sighs heavily, eyes tearing up. “Pavel jumped in front of a bullet and saved me, giving Andrei enough time to disarm Yerik and shoot Dima in the arm.”

I swallow hard, realizing her bodyguard meant something to her. “I’m sorry, is he okay?”

She squeezes my hand. “They’re operating now.”

“Where was Pavel hit?” I ask.

“The chest. The bullet was close to his heart.”

That doesn’t sound good at all, but hopefully, he will pull through—he seems like a tough guy. I don’t voice my concerns to Milana, noticing how worried she is. “He will pull through.” I glance around again, searching for Andrei.

“What about Andrei and Alexi?”

“They’re both fine, but they had to return to New York urgently,” she says.

The door to the hospital room opens, and a nurse enters the room. “You are awake. I need to ask you some questions.” She’s holding a clipboard.

Milana helps me sit up in the bed, but my shoulder hurts like hell.

“How are you feeling?” the nurse asks.

“Not great. My arm is painful.”

She nods her head and glances warily at Milana. “Can you tell me how you sustained this injury?”

Milana squeezes my hand. “I told you. The three of us were walking down the street when a man tried to mug us at gunpoint—” “I asked the patient,” the nurse says, giving Milana a stern look.

I expect that they are going to be suspicious. One look at me inked to the hilt, and they’ll know this isn’t a straight forward case. We don’t usually come to hospitals if we can help it. It’s no surprise Andrei and Alexi high-tailed it out of here. It brings up too many questions we can’t answer.

“As she said. A guy mugged us at gunpoint. Is there anything else to say?”

The nurse narrows her eyes and glances at me. “Have you informed the police? They will want to speak with both of you.”

Milana surprises me by answering, “Yes, the police came to the scene and took our statements. I’m not sure why you are questioning us, instead of attending to Lyov.”

A small smile pulls at my lips at her feisty attitude.

The nurse nods her head, and her expression softens. “Of course, I’m sorry.” She does her routine checks, making sure my blood pressure and vitals are all okay, before leaving without another word.

I glance at Mila, smiling. “You did well.”

She shrugs. “Andrei and Alexi made it clear what story to stick to, and I’m following instructions.”

“Well, I know you are good at following instructions,” I say, thinking about how submissive she is in the bedroom.

She shakes her head. “Don’t be an ass.”

The smile drops from my face as I realize I have too often been an ass toward her. I’ve not even told her how I feel.

“Mila, listen.” I grab her hand.

Her eyes widen slightly. “What is it?”

I press my lips against the back of her hand. “I’m so sorry.”

She laughs. “Sorry about what?”

“I have been an ass. I didn’t tell you that I love you.”

She looks taken aback by my sudden profession of love, but I couldn’t wait any longer. It’s not exactly the most

romantic setting, but if I’ve learned anything these past twenty-four hours, it’s that waiting is a bad idea. “I should have told you a while ago.” I shake my head. “I just…”

She squeezes my hand, cutting me o . “I love you too, Lyov.” Her eyes are brimming with tears and one races down her cheek.

The need to kiss her, hold her, and make love to her is overwhelming, but that won’t be happening here—not in my state. Instead, I squeeze her hand back and pull her lips close to mine.

Her plump lips part as we kiss. It’s the best I can do right now. Even leaning into the kiss sends a shooting pain through my shoulder and down my back. I grimace and Milana pulls away, keeping her hand on my chest. “You need to rest, Lyov.”

I rest back on the pillows. “When will you hear about Pavel?”

She worries her bottom lip between her teeth. “They said the surgery could take up to three hours. It has only been two.”

As if like clockwork, the nurse pops her head into the room. “Your dad is out of surgery, and you can see him now if you want?”

I give her a questioning look, but it’s clear she had to lie about who he was to her when we arrived.

“Yes, I’d like to see him now.” She turns to me. “I’ll be back shortly.” She presses a kiss to my lips, before walking away and out with the nurse.

I sigh heavily, unable to believe I’ve been this lucky to get away with only a bullet wound to the shoulder and with Milana unharmed. I hate her being away from me ever, but it’s not like I can go with her.

As soon as Pavel is well enough to be moved, we need to get out of our enemy’s territory, though. Yerik and Dima will

already be in this hospital too. It’s also likely that Luka has told Dima of his father’s death. Anger is all he’s going to feel.

I shift in the bed, trying to get more comfortable. It’s been a whirlwind two weeks since I met Milana. She came out of nowhere, blustering into my life like a hurricane and turning my world upside down—for the better.

I can feel again, for the first time since Lilianna died, I feel human, or at least less beast-like. Milana has tamed the hurt inside of me and given me a relief I don’t believe I deserve. Yet, she takes me as I am, never judging my past actions.

The swing door to my room opens, and Milana stands in the doorway, pale.

“What is it? Is he okay?” I ask.

She nods her head. “Dima has ordered the brotherhood to find us. I overheard him on the phone in his hospital room on the way back. Pavel isn’t in a state to get out of here, but we have to.”

“Fuck.”

“Are you going to be able to walk?” she asks, glancing back into the corridor.

I nod my head, despite not feeling up to it at all. “Yes, we’ll have to wheel Pavel out the back entrance. Where’s my gun?” I wince as I pull the iv needle out of my arm before swinging my legs over the side.

Milana lifts her shirt to reveal my gun tucked in her jeans.

“Here.”

I nod. “We might need it. Keep an eye on the door, Milana.”

She walks to the door, staring out of the glass hole.

I force myself onto my feet, grunting at the pain shooting through my arm and down my back. Milana is in danger, and I can’t protect her if we run into trouble.

I force my feet into my shoes and opt to leave my clothes o and stay in the hospital gown. There’s no way I can dress in my state.

“Let’s go,” I grunt, trying not to let her see how much pain I’m in.

She nods her head, biting her bottom lip nervously. We walk out into the corridor and turn right, heading toward Pavel’s room. If it weren’t for the fact this guy means something to Milana, I’d be leaving him high and dry. It would be a death sentence, but trying to save him might get us all killed.

Milana leads the way down another corridor and into a room where her bodyguard is unconscious.

“This could be dangerous for him, taking him o the meds.”

Milana glances at me. “What choice do we have? Leave him here to die?”

She has a point, but we’re going to need to race him out of Los Angeles brotherhood territory and straight to another hospital. “I’ll remove the meds, but as soon as that monitor goes dead, we won’t have long until the sta notice. We need to disable the alarm.”

I step over to him and using my right hand only, get to work at trying to disable the alarm, which will alert the sta his heart rate is gone. Once it’s disabled, I glance at Milana.

“We may be best taking the drip with us, as it could be important to his recovery.”

She nods her head in agreement, nervously glancing over at the door. “How are we going to go unseen?”

“We’ve got to take it as it comes. Improvise. There’s no other option.” I kick o the break from Pavel’s hospital bed and try to move him, but the guy is heavy. “Fuck.”

Milana comes to the other side. “Together?”

I nod. “Let’s do this.”

We push Pavel to the doorway on his bed. I realize once we get out of here, we’re going to have to steal a fucking ambulance. It’s not ideal. We’re out of our territory, and the police will come down hard if we’re not discreet.

The hallway is empty, and after a brief look over the floor plan, we’re close to the back entrance here. “This way,” I say, heading down the corridor the opposite way to the central hub. “What floor are we on?” I ask, realizing I hadn’t even checked.

“Ground floor, luckily.”

I sigh a breath of relief, but a commotion behind us has us marching faster. The sound of raised Russian voices makes my heart pound out of my chest.

Dima’s guys are already here, and we barely missed them.

We turn the corner and rush toward the fire exit at the end.

The sound of footsteps following has both of us on edge, as Milana reaches for the gun.

I give her a nod, and she passes it over to me. This is the last place I need to be entering into a shootout, especially after just being shot. We both come to a stop, and Milana waits to one side with Pavel. I listen for the oncoming footsteps. There’s at least two of them, and we only have one gun.

As the first comes into view, I shoot him in the chest, stopping him dead. I can’t risk Milana. If I could avoid killing, then I would, but there’s too much at stake.

The guy next to him begins to shout, as I shoot him through the chest also. He falls to the floor, but the sound of far o footsteps running has me turning around.

“Quick,” I say, nodding toward the fire exit, which is only thirty yards away.

Milana pushes Pavel’s bed toward it, straining under the weight as she tries to speed up. I do what I can to help, pushing through the pain. As the adrenaline kicks in, the

pain is fading into the background. We rush out of the exit only to find we’re down a small alleyway. I’d hoped there would be ambulances parked outside.

“Fuck,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “This way.”

Milana and I push the bed toward the main street. We need to find an ambulance. As we break out of the alleyway, I spot one pulled up by the side of the road. The back doors are open. “Perfect, over there.”

Milana’s eyes widen as she realizes what I mean.

“It’s our only option.”

We head toward it and push the bed right up to the back.

“Excuse me,” I say.

The paramedic in the back turns to look at us, puzzled as he notices the hospital bed. I cock my gun and point it at him. “Get him in now,” I say. There’s no driver in the front, which means I have to drive.

He holds his hands up. “Of course, don’t shoot.” Despite his shaking hands, he’s quick to get Pavel into the back. I pass Milana the gun. “Keep it on him.” I shut them in the back and rush to the front, noticing a couple of Los Angeles brotherhood men rushing out of the same alleyway.

In the nick of time, I turn over the engine and flick on the sirens. It’s about time we got the fuck out of here. I grab my phone out of my pocket and dial Andrei’s number. “Lyov, is everything okay?” he asks.

“Not really, we’re in an ambulance we just fucking stole because Dima sent the brotherhood after us. I need a way out and quick.”

“Okay, I’ll get it sorted. Head for the same airstrip we came in to, and I’ll ensure a plane is ready to fly you out.”

“Thank you, sir. We’ll need a ramp access setup for Pavel,” I say, weaving through tra c as my sirens blare.

“Consider it done. See you soon.” He hangs up, and I glance into the back, checking Milana is holding her nerve with the paramedic.

She sits with the gun pointed at him fearlessly. The fire in her eyes is enough warning not to move, although I wouldn’t be sure that she’d have it in her to shoot an innocent guy.

A S WE TURN onto the coastal road heading toward the airstrip, I relax on the speed and shut o the sirens. There’s no one following us. Although, the police may be aware that someone stole this ambulance I shut the radio o about thirty minutes ago back in the city. Speed is still key.

Milana moves closer to me, keeping the gun trained on the paramedic. “How far is it?” she asks.

I shake my head. “Not far.”

We fall into silence, and some of the adrenaline ebbs away as the airstrip comes into view. It’s only a few hundred yards up the road. It’s at that point when I hear it — the roar of bike engines behind us.

“Fuck, it looks like we’ve got company,” I say, glancing into the rearview mirror.

Milana glances into the mirror, and her face pales. “Are those Los Angeles brotherhood men?”

I nod my head, knowing a lot of them drive those bikes.

It’s going to be a fucking nightmare trying to get on that plane.

“Hold on,” I say as I press my foot down on the accelerator, speeding toward our destination. Milana braces herself, holding on with one arm and keeping the gun pointed at the paramedic.

I rush through the gates, knocking the barrier down as I do. A security guard jumps out of the booth, but I’m already fucking gone. The strip is a hundred yards ahead, as I race along the tarmac toward it.

The bikes are following, but have dropped behind. I skid to a halt in front of the plane, throwing open the side door and rushing to the back. A man comes over. “Lyov is it?” he asks.

“Yes, I need to get on that plane and out of here now,” I say, glancing back toward the road.

“Okay, I’m the pilot.”

The roar of the bike engines gets louder as I undo the door and allow Milana out. She hands me the gun, and I point it at the paramedic. “Get him out,” I order.

He gets to work, lowering Pavel’s hospital bed onto the tarmac. Once down, I shut the guy in the back of the ambulance, for his safety. If this goes south, he could get caught in the middle.

Pavel stirs, muttering something, as the anesthetic finally starts to wear o .

I turn to the airstrip employee. “Help me get him onto the plane. Milana, get into the plane .”

She hesitates for a moment, biting her bottom lip.

“Now,” I order.

She does as I say, rushing toward the plane. The pilot helps me wheel him into the aircraft as one of the bikes skids to a stop on the tarmac. “You may want to get in,” I say as he points a gun at us.

“Fuck,” the pilot says, jumping into the plane.

I shoot at the biker, catching him in the shoulder before he can fire at me.

Quickly, I release the ramp from the plane and pull the door up, locking it from inside. “We need to go, now,” I growl, as bullets begin to ricochet o the plane’s chassis.

The pilot nods his head and rushes into the cockpit, quickly starting the engines. He’s fast to get us moving down the runway, as I watch through the windows.

At least eight bikers watch us take o , attempting to shoot at the moving plane. I sigh a breath of relief as I feel the plane lift from the ground. We made it. Against all the fucking odds, somehow, we made it.

Milana walks up to me, snaking her arm around my waist.

“We’re safe now,” she says.

I grab her hand and pull her to face me. “Safe and together, forever,” I say, kissing her softly.

A groan behind us makes us both turn. “Cut that soppy crap, what the fuck happened?” Pavel says.

“You’re awake,” Milana says, rushing to his side. I watch on as she grabs his hand and begins to fill him in. For once, it feels like just maybe, we will get our happily ever after.

Milana and I shouldn’t have got together, but fate has brought us here. I know that I will love that girl for the rest of my life. She is all that matters to me anymore.

24

EPILOGUE MILANA

T

he sun rises above the mountains, as I stroll along the rocky banks of Lake Louise. It’s midaugust, but it’s only a chill forty-four degrees this morning.

My warm coat helps stave o the cold, as I stare into the crystalline blue waters. The color reminds me of Lyov’s eyes.

I’ve got used to the concrete jungle of New York, but it’s a relief to escape for once. Lyov managed to convince Andrei to give him two weeks o for a getaway. I’d taken living in Miami for granted, never being far from the beach.

Even so, I couldn’t convince Lyov to pick a beach location.

He said he had always wanted to visit the Canadian Rockies.

A place I’d not considered before, but I’m glad he insisted. It is beautiful here, if a bit cold.

Lyov admitted that we needed somewhere quiet and far away from any other brotherhood’s territory. After everything that has happened in the last six months, I was quick to agree. There’s no chance we’re going to bump into any of the bratva up here.

It’s eight o’clock in the morning, and when I got up, Lyov was fast asleep. He isn’t exactly a morning person. I couldn’t sleep any longer. For three weeks, I’ve struggled to sleep. It’s because of the news I got from my doctor.

I’m pregnant.

The mix of emotions are so intense that I can hardly work out whether I’m happy or just downright scared. Am I ready to be a mother? More importantly, are we prepared to be parents?

I haven’t told Lyov yet. Fear of what he will think has held me back since we haven’t discussed children or our future.

It’s been just over six months since we met, and it feels like it could be too soon to start a family.

That’s not even taking into account how dangerous it is to raise a family in this world. A world full of crime, brutality, and violence isn’t exactly what I want to o er my future family.

Do I want to bring a child into this world? The bratva world.

My dad is gone from it, which makes it a safer place.

Dima was quick to take his place as leader, but he’s not a strong one. I’m confident he won’t pose any threat to the New York brotherhood. He’s foolish and doesn’t command the same respect our dad did.

“Mila,” Lyov calls out from behind me.

I turn to face him. “What are you doing up and out of bed so early?”

He jogs to catch up with me, wrapping his arms around my stomach and pulling me into his chest. “I think the more important question is, why did you sneak out of bed without me?”

I sigh. “It’s so beautiful out here, and I wanted to explore, but I didn’t want to wake you.”

He shakes his head. “Never sneak away from me again.”

He rubs his nose against mine. A short silence falls between us, palpable with tension. “What’s bothering you?”

I pull back and glance up at him. “What makes you think there is something wrong?”

Lyov grabs my hand and leads me toward a bench on the edge of the lake. “Sit.” I take a seat, worried this is going in the direction I didn’t want it to. The idea of telling Lyov I’m pregnant makes me queasy.

“Milana, I’m not blind. I know you are hiding something from me.” He cups my chin in his hands. “Tell me what is wrong.”

I know I can’t keep it a secret forever. Three weeks of hiding this from Lyov has been long enough. “The truth is that three weeks ago, I went to visit the doctors.”

“Are you okay?” he asks.

I nod my head. “Yes, but… I’m pregnant.”

Lyov drops my chin for a moment, eyes widening.

“Pregnant?”

My stomach sinks at the shock in his voice. “Yes… I don’t know—” He kisses me, silencing the words on the tip of my tongue.

“That is amazing news.” He cups my face in his hands. “We may not have planned for it, but I can’t wait to start a family with you.”

A lump forms in my throat, and emotion rises in my chest to hear him so happy. The biggest fear was that he’d be angry. Angry that I hadn’t taken precautions to stop this from happening. Tears flood my eyes as I realize the anxiety was rooted in whether he would want this or not.

He wipes away the tears that roll down my cheeks. “Why are you crying, Mila?”

I shake my head. “I was scared what you would think…

We haven’t discussed starting a family.”

Lyov smiles, kissing my lips softly. “No, we haven’t discussed it, but it’s everything I want.” He shrugs. “Sure, our lives our dangerous, but I know we’d protect our children with everything we’ve got.”

I laugh. “Of course.”

We fall into a comfortable silence, holding hands and staring out over the lake. “Isn’t this place beautiful?” I ask, staring at the snow-capped peaks in the distance.

Although I love beach holidays and hot weather, I love nature too. I always have since I was a kid. My dad thought it was weak to enjoy nature. He preferred Dima’s approach, which was killing any animals or any nature he came across.

I’m glad I’ll never see either of them again, even if they were the only family I knew. Lyov is my family now.

“It’s beautiful, but not half as beautiful as you, Mila.” He grabs my hand and pulls me to face him, biting his bottom lip.

I tilt my head to the side. “What is it?”

He slips his hand into his inside jacket pocket. “This seems like a perfect lead up to a question I have to ask you.”

He pulls out a small, black box and falls to one knee.

I know exactly what is coming before he even opens it. My heart races as he opens the box to reveal a stunning solitaire engagement ring.

“I love you, Milana. Ever since I saw you on that dance floor, a part of me knew we were supposed to be together.” I never believed in soul mates until I met Lyov. “Will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?”

I can hardly speak from the pain coating my throat. I’ve never felt so much emotion before in my life. A flood of tears stream down my cheeks. “Yes, of course, I’ll marry you.”

He breathes a sigh of relief, pushing the ring onto my finger. “For a moment, I thought you were going to say no.”

He stands and grabs my hand, pulling me to my feet.

“Never,” I say as he picks me up and spins me around.

He sets me back down on my feet, grabbing my hand.

“Come with me.”

“Where are we going?”

He smirks and leads me toward a passageway between mountains. “You’ll see.”

We walk for a while between the jagged rocks jutting out on either side until we come to an opening and a small, steaming pool nestled between the stone. I glance up and notice only a small amount of sky is visible. It’s a private oasis.

“How did you know about this place?”

Lyov shrugs. “I paid the right worker at the hotel. I wanted somewhere romantic to take you.” He winks.

I feel the ache ignite deep inside of me and know what he means. Somewhere he could fuck me without anyone seeing us. He pulls me against his chest forcefully, pushing the tips of his fingers hard into my hips. “It’s about time I fucked my fiancé,” he murmurs, pressing his lips to mine softly.

I try to step back, but he holds me close. “I didn’t bring my swimsuit.”

He shakes his head. “You most certainly won’t be needing it. Strip.” He let’s go of me, and I take a step backward.

I stare into the icy blue eyes of my future husband, wondering how I got so lucky to find a man like him.

“What are you waiting for?” he asks.

I shiver at the prospect of getting undressed right now.

“It’s too cold.”

He steps toward me and tugs at my coat, forcing it o my shoulders. “I’ll warm you up. I promise.” I let it drop to the floor, as he begins to unbutton my pants. “Not to mention, the pool is a balmy ninety-eight degrees.”

He lets me continue stripping, pulling his coat and shirt o . I watch as he unbuttons his pants, pulling them down, so he’s only in his boxers.

I shiver as the cold air teases over my skin. Lyov pulls me close. “Do you trust me?”

I nod my head without a moment’s hesitation. “Of course.”

He wraps his arm around my waist and hoists me into the air. I hardly have a moment to realize what is happening, as he plunges us both into the water.

I scream, but it doesn’t do me any good. It’s too late. To my surprise, the water is hot and it instantly staves o the cold. I come back to the surface, slicking my hair down.

“That was an asshole move.”

Lyov smirks. “I thought you would have learned by now that I am an asshole.” He swims toward me and gathers me in his arms.

I trace my finger over the scar on his left shoulder, which is slowly fading in color. “Does it still hurt?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “No.” His ice-blue eyes match the hue of the pool as I get lost in them.

“What are you going to do to me?” I ask.

He tightens his hold on me, hands slipping to my hips.

“Whatever I want,” he breathes, stealing the breath from my lungs.

He digs his fingers into my hips, forcing my back against him. His hands cup my breasts through my lace bra, and the hard length of him presses against my ass. “I’m going to fuck you so hard that people will hear you for miles,” he groans.

My knees quiver at the thought. Before I know what Lyov’s doing, he tears my panties in two and discards them in the water.

“Lyov,” I protest, staring at my favorite pair of lacy burgundy panties. “Those are my favorite.”

He kisses the column of my neck. “I’ll buy you some more.”

I lean into his back as his hand travels between my thighs, finding the slickness already pooling between them.

His finger slips inside of me, and I clamp my eyes shut, giving myself over to my fiancé.

“That’s it, let me finger you out in the open,” he growls, teasing his tongue down the column of my neck. “My naughty Malishka,” he murmurs.

I can’t speak, as my mouth is too dry.

He bites down on my neck, sending a thrilling pain through me as he continues to finger me. I groan as he adds two more fingers, fucking me with them. The fire is building inside me already, and he’s barely started.

I try to turn around, but he holds me in this position.

“No moving,” he orders, digging his fingertips into my hips hard enough to bruise.

I groan as he picks up the pace, fingering me right to orgasm. All I can do is give in to him—my fiancé. I let the sensations take over as he curls his fingers in exactly the right way, hitting the spot that has me coming undone.

“Fuck,” I moan, wishing I could get more from him. The need to have him inside of me increasing. I reach around and grab him through his soaking wet boxer briefs.

The move earns me a spanking on my ass, as he forces me around to face him. His hand wraps around my throat. “No touching without my permission, Malishka.” His icy blue eyes are blazing with such fire.

“Please, sir, can I touch it?” I ask, hoping he’ll let me.

His eyes narrow, and he tightens his grip around my throat. “You can suck it with those perfect fucking lips of yours.” He let’s go of my throat and moves to perch on the side of the pool. His huge length is tenting his soaking wet boxer briefs.

The sight of him ready for me makes my mouth water. I swim over to him and rest between his muscular thighs, bringing my hand up to the waistband of his boxer briefs. I

peel them from him and free his huge cock, which springs back and slaps against his abs.

My fingers wrap around the base of him, and he grunts as I tug at him. I bring my lips to the thick, swollen head and tease them over it. He groans, and I can’t help but feel powerful in this position. I can make him feel as good as he makes me feel.

Slowly, I take him into my mouth, working him into the back of my throat. His fingers slide into my hair, grabbing a fistful as he begins to take control. I let him. He forces his cock into the back of my throat over and over again. I focus on breathing through my nose, taking everything he has to give.

His sweet and salty cum coats my throat and mouth with each thrust, as he grunts above me. “That’s it, baby, take my cock,” he breathes.

He increases the tempo, and I gag, coating his cock in saliva. He pulls his cock from my mouth and grabs my chin, forcing me to stand. I moan as he kisses me hard and deep, swiping his tongue around every inch of my mouth.

“I need to be inside you,” he murmurs.

He won’t get any protest from me, as he jumps back into the water. His strong arms wrap around my waist, and he pulls me against him, kissing me softly. He lifts me in the water and kneels, positioning me over his cock. Without any warning, he brings me down and buries himself right to the hilt.

“Fuck,” I moan, enjoying the way he fills the aching void inside of me.

He lifts me up and down his cock, kissing and nipping at my lips as he does. It’s more gentle than he often is, as he takes his time. He stares into my eyes, increasing the intimacy between us.

It feels like I could burst with pure happiness and pleasure, as he makes love to me in the hot water. I throw my head back, as he sucks on my peaked nipples, sending another wave of ecstasy through me.

His strong arms pick up the tempo, lifting me up and down faster and harder on his cock. I wrap my arms around his neck, but he shakes his head. “Put them behind your back,” he orders.

I do as he says, and he wraps one arm around my waist, pinning them to my back. The hard, thick length of him pulses deep inside of me as he keeps fucking me. Every stroke feels better than the last. “Oh, God,” I cry out, feeling my orgasm closing in on me.

He grunts, stopping still and leaving me dangling.

“Why did you stop?” I ask, finding his gaze and holding it.

“You can’t come yet,” he says. “I want you to come when I say.”

I bite my bottom lip, nodding in agreement. Lyov begins to fuck me again slowly, torturing me.

“Harder, sir,” I moan.

He stills. “O ,” he orders.

I jump o his lap, and he bends me over, finding my center and thrusting into me hard and fast. “Yes, sir,” I moan as he spanks my ass and fucks me hard. He’s like an untamable beast every time. He always takes me hard—the way I want.

I can feel the fire building inside of me, and I desperately try to hold on.

The control needed to resist coming undone is challenging, but I need to please him—it’s what I live for now.

It’s almost unbearable. He thrust into me three, four, five times, and I’m sure I won’t be able to hold any longer.

My whole body quivers and shakes. “Please, sir, I can’t —” “Come,” he orders.

As if his words open the floodgates, my whole body drowns in unadulterated pleasure. Stars burst behind my eyes and I struggle to keep myself upright. Lyov is only thing supporting me.

I moan and cry out, totally overwhelmed by the strength of my orgasm. Lyov grunts, shooting his seed deep inside of me at the same time. Our bodies react together, coming undone together.

I stay in that position for a few moments, breathing heavily. Lyov pulls his cock from me and then wraps a strong arm around my curvy waist. He lifts me into him, kneeling in the water, so we’re both submerged up to our necks.

“Perfect,” he murmurs, kissing me softly. “I don’t intend to leave this pool all day.”

My eyes widen. “What if someone else comes down here?”

He shakes his head. “No one does. The sta assured me we’d be alone.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. “I love you, Lyov.”

He smiles against my lips. “I love you, too, Mila. You’re mine forever now,” he breathes.

We kiss lazily as the steam swirls around us. I’m sure I’ve never been so happy in all my life. The bratva brotherhood is a part of my life forever now—something I wanted to escape —but we’ll have each other every step of the way.

THE END

T HANK you so much for reading Bought by the Bratva, the second book in The Bratva Brotherhood series. I hope you enjoyed following Lyov & Milana’s story.

The next book follows Luka Romanov’s daughter and his sovietnik, Miron, and will be available through Kindle Unlimited or to pre-order on Amazon.

Claimed by the Bratva: A Dark Mafia Romance

I’m a pakhan’s daughter, and the man I love is his most trusted advisor.

A man twice my age, and the sovietnik to my father.

A man who looks at me with fierce hunger that drives me wild.

When he learns of my arranged marriage to the son of another pakhan, everything changes.

He tells me I’m his. He tells me he won’t let me marry anyone else. He tells me he’d start a war for me.

The problem is, our feelings really could start a war.

Will we survive or perish in the flames of our desire?

Claimed by the Bratva is the third book in the Bratva Brotherhood Series. It's a safe story with no cli hangers, a HEA and no cheating. This story has hot scenes, some dark themes, and bad language. Like most of the books by Bianca Cole it features an over the top possessive alpha male.

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