Innocent Prisoner of the Bratva by Lexi Carter Novel

Chapter 1 – Blair

“Oh, come on!” Scarlett groaned, her hazel-gold eyes narrowing to accentuate the frown perched on her heart-shaped face. “I don’t have time for this,” she mumbled under her breath, struggling to drag her suitcase across the hall.

“Keep pulling like that, and that thing’s gonna sue you for assault,” I said, leaning against the door frame with my arms across my chest.

She paused, her brows furrowing at my response. “Would it kill you to lift a finger and help me out?” she huffed, tugging even harder.

“You’re abandoning me. Why would I do that?” I teased, a small smile playing on my lips.

“Okay, now you’re just being melodramatic—I’m only leaving for a few weeks,” she said, straightening her spine and keeping her eyes on me.

“Four weeks to be exact,” I answered, “that’s a whole month, Lettie—a whole freaking month!”

Her brows arched almost in disbelief, a bright grin spreading across her face. “Oh, my God, do you miss me already?”

I pushed my head back, blowing a raspberry to mask my emotions. “Yeah, you wish.”

Scarlett laughed and added in song form, “Denial.”

“That’s not true.” I wore a plastic frown. “I just hate the fact that I’m stuck here with our leaky sink while you’re having fun in the sunshine and sipping overpriced cocktails for a whole month.”

“Hmm.” She crossed her arms, tapping her finger on her jaw as if she was thinking. “That’s weird. I thought you hated fun and only cared about chasing truth like an addiction—even if it’s nearly gotten you killed so many times.”

I pushed off the door frame, lips twisting into a faint smirk. “Are you kidding? That’s my idea of fun.”

She heaved a soft sigh. “You, Blair Blake, are one of the weirdest people I’ve ever met.” She grabbed her suitcase and resumed dragging it across the hall.

“Thank you.”

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

I laughed, following up behind her with a radiant smile on my face.

Scarlett Carter was my roommate and my best friend. She was the definition of beauty with brains—quiet, observant, and underestimated by almost everyone. That alone made her more dangerous than people realized.

She favored soft dresses and cardigans, like the one she had on tonight—a cream-colored silk gown and a brown cardigan that draped elegantly over her petite frame.

Her blonde hair was cut blunt just past her shoulders, and her hazel eyes stood out, their colors shifting between gold and green, depending on the light.

Scarlett groaned as she struggled with the suitcase like she was wrestling a grizzly bear. It was fun to watch, especially because I loved getting under her skin.

“Clearly, heavy lifting isn’t your forte,” I teased, catching up with her.

She shot a glare at me, her lips pursed to suppress the faint grin twitching at the corners of her mouth. “If you’re just gonna gloat, you might as well just get back inside.”

“And miss out on all the fun? I don’t think so.”

She chuckled. “I hate you so much.”

“I know.” My arms wrapped around her from the back, but before she could savor the moment, I grabbed the handle from her. “Move over before you give the poor suitcase a complex. It’s embarrassed enough being seen with you.”

“Ha-ha. Very funny,” she deadpanned, letting out a sarcastic laugh, dry and witty.

I blew her a kiss and dragged the suitcase effortlessly down the hall. “See? That’s how it’s done.”

“Show off,” she murmured under her breath.

I wrapped my free hand around her neck, our laughs echoing off the walls. We stepped outside under the moon’s ethereal glow, the cool night air grazing our skin like a soft whisper.

The waiting cab gave a short honk—almost impatient. We walked down the steps at the building’s entrance, then headed toward the parked car. The driver popped the trunk open, and I helped load her suitcase inside.

“So, this is goodbye, huh?” I asked, eyes boring into hers.

“For now.” Her lips curled into a faint grin. “I’m sure you’ll be fine without me. It’s just four weeks anyway.”

“A lot can happen in four weeks—I could burn the whole place down trying to make a meal.”

She laughed. “Somehow, I don’t doubt that.”

A soft chuckle escaped my lips. “Text me when you land. Or don’t. I’ll just assume you joined a cult and start auditioning new roommates.”

“I’ll miss you too, Blair Blake.” She embraced me for a moment before letting go. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” She tapped my face, beamed at me, and then walked toward the car’s backseat door.

“No promises, Lettie,” I answered.

She yanked the door open, stepped inside, and closed it behind her. Scarlett turned her head, looked at me through the rear windshield, and gave a slight wave with her hand.

I responded with the same gesture as I watched the car drive away into the night. I stood there on the sidewalk, eyes fixed on the vehicle until it disappeared out of sight.

My hands flew into my soft brown curls, securing them into a messy bun while heading back into the house. I scanned the surroundings for a moment; aside from the incessant barks of Mr. Fisher’s dog, the neighborhood was awfully quiet tonight.

Once inside, I closed the door behind me, drew in a deep breath, and rubbed my eyes. It was quieter inside. Lonely. Scarlett wasn’t the talkative type—not at all. The girl could be in a house full of people and still be invisible; she wouldn’t speak until spoken to.

However, I’d gotten used to having her around, and now that she’d gone on a vacation, her absence lingered in the space like a ghost I couldn’t shake off. I glanced at the portrait of her hanging on the wall next to mine, and a smile lit up my face.

“I miss you already, Lettie.”

Just then, my phone chimed softly in my pocket, and when I withdrew it, I realized it was a text from her.

“I meant what I said, Blair. Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”

It was safe to say that she knew me better than anyone else. And if I were being honest, she played a major role in keeping my reckless curiosity in check. I was a freelance investigative journalist with a knack for getting into trouble. She, on the other hand, was an art history student with a knack for showing up just in time to save me from trouble.

I chuckled under my breath, fingers rattling across my phone’s lit screen as I typed in my reply. “I meant what I said, too, Lettie. No promises.” I added a devil’s face emoji and hit the send button.

The three tiny dots on my screen bobbled, indicating that she was typing on the other end. A sticker of a bunny flicking me off appeared on my screen, drawing a low throaty laugh from my mouth.

I hit the power button and slipped the phone back into the pocket of my faded jeans. The smile on my face gradually vanished, replaced by an expression as dark as the night. This was my chance to finish my mission without Scarlett’s emotions and fears getting in the way.

By now, I was already sick and tired of all the atrocities happening in the city. Every day, people went missing—girls and children alike. I knew these disappearances were tied to the criminal underworld—the Mafia gangs that ran the city. I just needed proof, concrete evidence—enough to have the Feds looking into their businesses.

Chicago was home to three Mafia organizations—the Irish syndicate, the Italian mob, and the worst of them all, the Russian Bratva. These powerful families had slowly taken over the city and were cohorts with some of the city’s most revered businessmen and women.

It was clear that those in power, those who swore to protect the citizens of the city, didn’t give a flying fuck about us. All those bastards only cared about keeping their bellies full and their bank accounts fat enough to support future generations.

They were the definition of greed and selfishness. Those dogs had mastered the art of manipulation and control. They would start a fire, let it spread across the city, and consume as many things as it could. And then, when all hope was lost, they’d step in and save the day, taking the credit for quenching the fire that they started.

Yet to the general public, they were our saviors—our heroes in tailored suits. If only the masses knew half the things I knew about these monsters, they’d hate them as much as I did.

However, those manipulative pieces of shit weren’t my problem at the moment. It was the Mafia I was after.

Crazy. I know.

Those assholes were involved in a lot of shady businesses—human trafficking, drug dealing, extortion, money laundering, prostitution, and a strategic network of bribery and corruption to keep them afloat. They were untouchable because they owned half the cops and were in bed with our political leaders.

Someone had to do something about their crimes, and for some time now, I’d taken it upon myself to track down their operations. I’d been gathering intel on their hidden warehouses and systematically dismantling their infrastructure, burning each one to the ground.

My activity hadn’t made the news yet, and within the criminal underworld, every organization was a suspect. Those devils in suits didn’t trust one another anyway. They all hated themselves and wouldn’t hesitate to burn their enemies’ empire to the ground.

No one in the Mafia world knew that an outsider—a twenty-one-year-old female—was the mastermind behind their recent losses. I intended to keep it that way for as long as I could.

My target tonight was an abandoned warehouse downtown. I’d been following whispers of a trafficking ring for weeks, and this location finally seemed to match my leads.

I went into my room, grabbed my boots, and slipped into a black leather jacket. My eyes darted across the room and settled on the worn rug beside my bed. Quietly, I walked over there, lifted the rug, and yanked open the hidden panel in the wooden floor.

A small compartment came into view, holding a locked box. I punched in the four-digit code, and the box clicked open, revealing two of my favorite toys—a Glock 19, a military-grade pistol I used in the army, and a Ka-Bar combat knife. I picked up the pistol and tucked it into my waistband, then strapped the knife to my belt.

I sealed the wooden floor back and covered the rug over it before rising to my feet. After a last look at my reflection in the full-length mirror, I let out a sigh and headed out of the house.

With the hoodie of my jacket flipped over my face, I stepped outside, my outfit blending with the night.

I arrived at the warehouse in no time, my feet soundless against the floor as I walked inside. The air was thick with the stench of rust and oil, and the place looked half-abandoned—a classic hideout for illegal activities.

The further inside I went, the darker it became, with the moon’s soft glow seeping through a cracked window as the only source of light. I turned on my phone’s torch, my eyes drinking in the shadows around me.

I kept walking like a ninja—silent and unnoticed until I spotted a closed door up ahead. I quickened my pace, rushing over to grab the handle. It wasn’t locked. Quietly, I pushed it, and it opened with a low creak, revealing the crates stacked with suspicious contents.

I dared to step inside for a closer look, my phone’s torch held up in front of me. There were women’s belongings in the crates, drugs—lots of drugs—and some stuff I didn’t recognize. Before I could take a picture, I heard some heavy footsteps approaching from behind.

Without thinking twice, I turned off my phone’s flashlight and glanced around, my pulse spiking. After spotting a dark corner, I ran over there and leaned against the wall.

Two men walked into the room, chattering in what sounded like Italian. My heart skipped a beat as I watched them from the shadows. They inspected the crates, as if searching for something in particular.

“Hey, check this out,” one said, his deep voice thick with an Italian accent. He held up a woman’s oversized underpants.

The other guy licked his lips, hands rubbing in glee. “Fuck, the owner of that must be plus-sized—my type.”

My eyes narrowed, fingers curling into a fist on my side. “Perverts,” I murmured to myself.

The two men laughed, seemingly unaware of my presence. Well, that was until my phone vibrated, the sudden noise drawing their attention toward me.

My breath hitched in that moment, and my heart sank into my stomach. “Shit!” I mumbled, struggling to turn it off, but the damn thing wouldn’t stop buzzing. My eyes glanced at the screen, and I realized it was my roommate calling. “Great, Lettie! Your timing is impeccable,” I whispered to myself.

Both men withdrew their guns, their attention focused on me.

“Who’s there?!” one of them demanded, his voice low and menacing.

“Show yourself!” the other commanded.

These guys weren’t the cops; they shot first and asked questions later. I should shoot first, take them down before they’d pull their triggers. But on second thought, I wasn’t sure how many of them there were out there. Just because I saw two men didn’t mean that there couldn’t be others.

If I fired right now, the gunshots would attract more attention to me, slashing my chances of survival. I needed to think of something quickly.

“You have three seconds before we open fire,” the second guy added, cocking his gun.

I tucked my Glock into the back of my pants and zipped up my jacket to hide the blade sheathed at my belt. Then, I raised my hands in the air.

“Please, don’t shoot,” I pleaded, tuning my voice to sound helpless and afraid.

Their eyes narrowed at me when I stepped out of the shadows, hands raised in surrender.

“Would you look at that?” the first guy said, his lips twisting into a mischievous smirk.

“How’d you get in here?” the second guy asked.

“It’s a funny story, really,” I began, taking slow steps forward, my sharp eyes roaming the surroundings, searching for the quickest exits. “I was playing hide and seek with my boyfriend when I saw this abandoned warehouse.”

That was the best lie I could come up with at the moment. It sucked, yes. But it was the only thing that popped into my head.

The second guy raised an eyebrow. “You expect us to believe that?”

“She’s lying,” the first guy said. “She’s a cop.”

“What? No, I’m not. I swear!”

At least this one was true.

“If you’re not a cop, then you’re a nosy girl,” the first guy said, lowering his gun. “Do you know what we do to nosy girls like you?”

“Um…you—you let us go?” I asked, stalling while I observed the two men, running calculations in my head on how to take them down.

They weren’t huge or muscular—just two regular guys armed with guns. One was a tiny bit taller than me. The other, not so much.

The first guy nodded at the second. “Show the bitch what we do to her kind.”

Bitch?

Yeah, I hated that word.

The idiot must’ve underestimated me because he tucked his gun into his pants and approached me with an intimidating look on his face.

Big mistake.

Even the previous guy had lowered his gun and was lighting a cigarette when his partner approached me.

His hand lunged for my wrist, but I was faster, trapping his arm in mine. And with a sharp wrench downward, I twisted hard, a sickening crack echoing through the room. He yelled in anguish, but before he could make another move, I shoved his weight forward, denting his skull into the edge of the steel table beside me.

“What the fuck?” The other guy’s eyes widened in shock, his cigarette falling from his lips.

He lifted his gun, aiming at me—too slow. I’d already unsheathed my knife, and with a flick of my wrist, the blade spun through the gloom. He grunted at the impact after the knife sank hilt-deep into the right side of his chest. He stumbled and fell backward with a loud thud.

The other guy, still dazed from the impact, staggered to his feet, his head bleeding uncontrollably. He clutched his broken arm, his eyes blazing with fury, and right before he could throw a punch, I kicked him hard in the chest. He crashed into the crates.

This was my window, my chance to escape, and I took it. However, before I could reach the door, three other guys barreled in, blocking my path. They glanced back at their injured comrades and decided to launch an attack.

I dodged their blows and kicks, retaliating with my own, and soon the sounds of thick grunts filled the space. I was almost certain these men were wondering deep down how I could stand toe to toe with all three of them at the same time.

Well, I was trained by the U.S. Army, so I wasn’t just good with weapons; I was good with my fists, too. These guys were stronger, and that’s why I avoided their punches at all costs. One blow was enough to knock me unconscious.

This whole time, none of us had fired a bullet—not even once.

I drove my knee into the ribs of my closest opponent, then used his momentum to flip him hard onto the floor. Another lunged with a pipe, but I was quick to duck under the swing, my fist crushing my attacker’s balls.

His eyes widened in pain, his hands flying to his groin as if to help soothe the agony. “Bitch!” he cursed under his breath, straining with veins lining his forehead.

The second I turned around to face the last guy, I met a blow that almost crushed my skull. It was so powerful that it turned my head with a sickening crack. I honestly thought my neck was broken, and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor.

My vision was hazy, and the ringing in my ears wouldn’t stop. His heavy footsteps echoed off the walls as he marched toward me, slow and deliberate. I tried to stand, but my head was too heavy, my body too numb to move.

I could hear the sound of my own heart hammering like a drum in my heaving chest. Fear crept in, stealing my breath and leaving me vulnerable.

“The bitch broke my arm,” one of them grumbled, kicking me hard in the ribs.

I groaned on the floor, surrounded by these dangerous men, whom I’d just pissed off.

“Hold her down,” one of them ordered the others.

Before I could do anything else, I was restrained—hands and feet pinned to the floor so tightly that I could barely move. I struggled to fight back, but they were stronger.

My vision cleared, and the first thing I saw was a huge man towering over me. His lips twisted into an evil smirk. “I’m gonna enjoy this,” he growled, fingers taking off his belt.

I struggled, trying to squirm out of their hold, but I was too weak. “Let go of me!”

They laughed, holding me down with all their might. They handled me roughly, squeezing against my flesh. One of them was busy cupping my breast; another was slapping my face, while one was struggling with my zipper.

I struggled, crying out, begging those perverts to stop, but they didn’t listen.

“Not so strong now, are you?”

They laughed at me, molested my body, each touch fueling my hate and anger.

They’d already unzipped my pants, and the huge guy above me was now reaching for his shaft when a loud voice echoed through the room.

“Enough!”

The men stopped, their heads turning toward the speaker. One by one, they let go of me and stepped away. The second I was free, I rushed to my feet, taking the stance of a warrior who wasn’t done fighting. However, deep down, I knew I was in deep trouble, and no amount of fighting would save me now.

The newcomer, an older man with gray hair and a well-trimmed beard, resplendent in a black tux, wasn’t alone. He walked in with about five other men, each one armed to the teeth.

His shoes scuffed against the floor as he approached me, his eyes wandering around the space. He looked at his men with raised brows, a glint of astonishment flickering in his gaze.

“She…did this to you?” he asked them, his focus shifting from one injured man to the other.

They hid their faces in shame, although the rage in their expressions wasn’t at all subtle.

He drew closer to me.

“Stay back!” I warned him, snatching a discarded knife from the floor.

“Ooh, temper, temper,” he said, his lips curling into a self-satisfied smirk. “This one’s got fire in her eyes. I like her,” he added, glancing back at his men.

He drew closer again.

My grip tightened around the hilt of the blade. “I swear to God, I know how to use this, and I will not hesitate to do so if you take one more step closer.”

He laughed. “Put the knife down, child.”

I locked my jaw, eyes shifting across the mean faces of the men around me.

“You fought well,” he said, taking another step further. “And I gotta admit, taking down five of my men on your own is very impressive.” He halted before me, his gray eyes boring into mine. “Now get that knife out of my face.”

I glared at him, then reluctantly lowered the blade.

“See, that wasn’t so hard.” He lit a cigarette, took a drag, and then blew a puff of smoke right in my face. “What do they call you?”

I didn’t respond, just glared at him.

“Who do you work for?”

Still not a single word.

He heaved a sigh, then rubbed his eyes. “You know what, I don’t care who you are. I know exactly what to do with you.”

At this point, my breathing was erratic, chest rising and falling as I struggled to mask my fear with fury.

“Bernard,” he called, glancing over his shoulder.

“Boss,” the big guy answered, stepping forward with his eyes pinned on me.

“Our clients will pay good money for a fiery woman like this one,” he said, a faint smirk curling at the corners of his lips.

Wait. What?

Panic set in, and I lifted the knife again with an even deeper scowl.

They laughed at me, mocking my willingness to keep fighting.

“Alright. I’ve had enough of the show,” the newcomer said. Then he ordered his men, “Restrain her.”

Before I could use the knife, it was snatched from my hand. The next thing I knew, I was being seized by two huge men. I fought against their strength, my legs flailing in the air, but nothing worked. “Let me go! Let me go!”

“Keep her with the others, but don’t touch her,” the boss added and headed out. “She’s for sale.”

I’d never been more afraid in my life, never hated myself more for not listening to Scarlett’s advice. If I hadn’t come out here tonight, maybe this wouldn’t have happened to me. Maybe I wouldn’t have been a victim of the very operation I fought so hard to bring down.

Everything happened so fast, and I could only hope that this was some kind of nightmare.

They bound my wrists behind my back and dragged me deeper into the warehouse, ignoring my struggles and screams.

“Shut the fuck up, bitch!” One of them smacked me across the face. He stopped in his tracks and gripped my jaw tightly. “You should be grateful we’re not taking turns on you.”

The other guy opened a door in front of us, and they hurled me inside, then slammed it shut behind me. On the floor, I winced at my aching body, and when I raised my head, my heart skipped a beat.

I was in a small room, lit by a single bulb that swung on its wire, throwing restless shadows across the walls. My wrist burned from the ropes, but honestly, it wasn’t the pain that made my skin crawl; it was the helpless faces around me.

Women sat huddled in clusters on the cold floor, their backs against the damp walls and rusted pipes. The women were a mix of Asians, Americans, Europeans, and Africans. Some wore dresses that had been ripped off or wrinkled; others were still in their work uniforms.

These women stared at me with fear and hopelessness in their eyes. Their humanity was stripped down to shivers, ragged breaths, and the sounds of chains clinking whenever someone shifted.

They were prisoners—all of them.

And now, so was I.

Fuck.

Chapter 2 – Nik

This was by far the most boring auction I’d ever attended—and the only reason I was still here was because I didn’t come around to be a part of it. The idea wasn’t to engage but to monitor my enemies in the business.

I slouched in my velvet chair, holding a glass of vodka with a blank expression. My eyes drifted across the dimly lit room, detached from the event as I observed each bidder’s choices.

In my line of work, knowing my enemies’ strengths and weaknesses was crucial to the game. It was the only way to stay one step ahead—to always stay in control. I’d been in this business for decades, and I learned over time that what people spend money on reveals a lot about them.

The fact that the parade of these frightened women—too broken, too lifeless, too easy—bored me but excited them was proof that we weren’t the same. I’d never spend my money on anything that didn’t spark something in me.

I glanced at my watch, hoping the bidding would end soon so I could be on my way. There was absolutely nothing interesting happening here, and with each passing minute, the event was starting to feel like a waste of my time. My patience was growing thin; perhaps coming out was a mistake.

My mission had been accomplished anyway. I’d observed every bidder in the room; none of them was worth my time or attention.

I lifted the glass to my lips and finished the last of the vodka. Ready to get up and leave, I set the glass down on the side stool. But before I could stand, a commotion on the stage caught my attention.

Two hefty men were struggling to drag a young girl from behind the curtains. She resisted with all her might, squirming out of their hold. My brows furrowed when she kicked one of the men right in the nuts.

Almost every other man in the room felt the impact, and a low groan rose from the crowd of bidders.

The second the man’s grip on her hand loosened, this strange girl threw a punch in the other man’s face.

Crack!

“Fuck!” he groaned, stumbling backward with both hands over his bleeding nose.

My eyebrows rose instantly, astonished by what I’d just witnessed.

“Hold her down!” someone ordered from behind the curtains.

Two other men rushed to grab her. One wrapped his arms around her waist from behind while the other hurried toward her front. She lifted her legs in the air, slamming her feet against his feet. The impact was so powerful that the man—almost twice her size—fell off the stage.

Now that’s what I’m talking about.

My interest was piqued, and I relaxed back in my chair, enjoying the snow with a crooked smirk on my lips.

While struggling with the man behind her, his grip around her waist tightened. Seeing she couldn’t get him to let go, she struck him hard in the face with the back of her head.

Before the pain could even register, she snuck her foot behind his leg. And with one tactical sweep, he fell backward like a dry log. She sprang to her feet and tried to flee, but she was restrained by four others, each one throwing punches at her as though she were a worthy opponent.

She still didn’t back down. This strange girl fought back, her moves tactical, throwing blows and kicks with practiced ease. She was a lioness, and she stood her ground against those men, proving she wasn’t easy prey.

It took five men to hold her down as if she were a wild animal on a rampage. “Cowards—you’re all cowards!” she snarled, eyes burning with rage. “Shame on you!”

Two men pinned her to the ground, her chest pressed against the floor as they bound her wrists behind her back.

“You won’t get away with this!” she added, her voice dripping with venom and echoing off the walls. “You’ll pay for this—for all your crimes. You’ll all rot in hell!”

The host tapped the microphone and forced a smile as she was pulled onto the stage. His fear of the wild girl was clear in his eyes and the way he shifted away from her.

He cleared his throat. “Gentlemen. We, uh…we have a, uh…special addiction tonight. Unlisted. Unexpected. And….” He paused, then swallowed hard. “Well, as you can see…untamed.”

She let out a low growl, restrained by two hefty men.

I leaned back in my chair, fingers stroking my jaw as I watched her in silence. The men around me were already making noises about how violent she was. But it was that particular character that made her different from the others.

I liked that unbroken spirit of hers—that wild fire burning within her. That was exactly what pulled me to her like steel to a magnet.

She glared at the host, then shifted her gaze across the room, seething in silence. She spat at the floor, earning a harsh jerk from one of her captors.

Someone laughed from the left row. “Fiery little filth!”

“She’ll learn!” another echoed from the back. “Or she’ll break!”

The audience laughed.

“We’ll start the bidding at ten thousand!” the host announced, tugging nervously at his collar.

“Fifteen!” a man in the front row barked, raising his paddle.

“Twenty-five!” someone else shot back.

“Forty!”

“Forty-five!”

While they were at it, my attention was fixed on the wild cat on the stage. Her shirt was ripped at the collar, revealing a glimpse of her cleavage. She stood barefoot, her toes bleeding, skin covered in dirt. Her brown curls were yanked into a messy ponytail, her stormy green-gray eyes burning with fury.

Even in the face of danger, the defiance etched in her intense gaze was remarkable. For the first time since I arrived at this auction, something had piqued my curiosity.

The girl was boiling with rage and hate. If she got her hands on a gun, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill every last one of us in this room. That was the kind of spirit that resonated with mine. And although I had no intentions of buying anything tonight, because of her, I’d had a change of heart.

“Seventy-five thousand!” A voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

For a moment, the laughter hushed, and men began exchanging glances. The price was climbing really fast, and some were already contemplating their choices.

The girl jerked against her restraints, her fingers curling into fists as her expression darkened by the second.

“She’ll need breaking,” a man to my left whispered to his neighbor. “With all that fire, trust me, it’ll cost you more than money to tame her.”

“It’ll be worth it, though,” the neighbor replied. “I mean, look at her—beautiful and hot. She’ll fetch a hundred easily.”

He wasn’t wrong. She was beautiful—too beautiful, actually. The kind that didn’t wilt under pressure. The kind that made men reckless. I had no doubt that she would exceed a hundred without stress.

And so it went.

“Eighty-five!”

“Ninety!”

“One hundred!” someone barked from the back.

The room fell silent for a second, whispers thickening amongst the bidders.

Even the host looked baffled by how quickly the numbers had risen. He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. “Do I hear a hundred and twenty?”

“One hundred and twenty!”

“Do I hear one-fifty?” he asked, raising the bar.

“One-fifty!”

“One-fifty going once…going twice….”

“One-seventy!” Someone else raised their paddle from the front row.

Voices fell silent, and soon murmurs turned uncertain. The bidding began to falter at this point as men leaned back, rethinking their choices.

“She’s too wild to be too expensive!” someone bellowed from behind me.

“Yeah!” another shot back. “And too much trouble, too. Why waste so much money on a wild animal?”

My jaw locked, fingers balling into fists. While they all saw a beast—a nuisance to be tamed—I saw raw potential. A spirit not yet extinguished.

The host wiped at the sweat glistening on his brow. “Gentlemen, remember she’s rare, untamed—” His voice was cut off while trying to reignite the room.

“She’s unmanageable!” said a bidder. “Not worth another dollar.”

A moment later, I decided it was time to put an end to this. So, I casually raised my hand, quiet and deliberate.

The effect was instant; conversations died mid-sentence, the host’s voice lodged in his throat, and even those who’d been laughing moments before went pale. The room went still, and all eyes were on me, tension thick in the air at the realization that I’d just entered the game.

“One million,” I said, my voice smooth and effortless, leaving no room for further debate.

A collective gasp rose from the crowd, and even the host’s brows yanked up in shock.

My eyes were pinned on my prize, the wild girl who glared at me with so much hatred in her gaze. Her scowl grew deeper, as if she’d rather stab me in the heart than stand in my shadow. That was how fierce her hatred was. I liked it.

I didn’t need her for anything, but somehow, I couldn’t resist the urge to claim her as mine. Despite the resistance in her eyes, her fate had already been decided.

She belonged to me now.

Chapter 3 – Blair

The tiles were cool beneath my feet, my wrists cuffed behind my back. The sharp edges of the cuffs dug into my skin with a searing pain that jolted to my brain.

My heart was racing like a galloping horse, my eyes scanning the dimly lit space. The air was thick with the smell of sweat, smoke, and something fouler.

Fear was etched in the faces of the women around me, their whimpers and sobs filling the room. We could all hear the bidding going on just beyond the curtains. The sounds of men’s laughter as they analyzed the women presented to them echoed through the space.

My blood boiled with rage as my fingers worked the cuffs discreetly behind me. I had grabbed a discarded pin from the floor about thirty minutes ago, and since then, I had been struggling to unlock the cuffs that held me without drawing unnecessary attention.

One by one, the guards dragged random women out onto the stage to be auctioned like some piece of property. It was all fun and games to the men seated beyond the curtains, as they decided how much each woman was worth.

As the auctioneer’s voice droned on, my scowl deepened, fingers working more deftly at my back. My eyes scanned the surroundings, waiting for the right time to bolt toward the door to my right. Three armed guards were keeping us all in line, but none of them was near the exit. They were focused on making sure we all stayed put.

I wasn’t going to be sold off like a worthless piece of shit to some devil in a suit. Hell no. I had to do something about my situation because, unlike the other women, I still had some fight left in me. I refused to accept my fate and was determined to escape by any means possible.

While my fellow prisoners wept and said silent prayers, I was working on my freedom. After one last strategic twist of my finger, the cuffs unlocked with a soft click.

A fleeting wind of relief blew across my face, and I locked my jaw, knowing this wasn’t the time to celebrate. Setting my hands free was only the first step. Getting to that door on time was step two. And although I had no idea what lay outside, I was willing to take that chance.

How fast would I have to move in order to outrun the guards?

“Hey!” the guard in charge of selecting who went up next bellowed, pointing at me. “You’re up.”

My heart kicked against my ribs, and without a moment of hesitation, I took off, surging toward the door.

“Stop her!”

Heavy footsteps rushed after me from behind, and with each passing second, they drew closer. I didn’t stop, didn’t slow down, because I couldn’t afford to get caught.

However, I was almost at the door when a brutal hand grabbed my shirt. The pull was so powerful it ripped the collar of my shirt, forcing me down to the concrete floor. My face contorted in pain, my back aching from the impact.

A huge man picked me up like I weighed nothing, my legs flailing in the air. “You’re becoming a real headache,” he growled, his eyes flashing with fury. “And it’s starting to piss me off.”

I staggered backward when he finally put me down, my chest heaving with uneven breaths.

“Try to run away again, and I’ll break your legs,” he warned me, his voice deep and menacing. “Get her out there,” he ordered, nodding at one of the guards.

“The boss should’ve let us have our way with her,” one of them said, his tone laced with disdain. “Nobody’s gonna pay a dollar for such a wild one.”

I glanced back at him, casting a stern glare. And for a fraction of a second, I could’ve sworn that I caught a glimpse of fear in his eyes. The man swallowed hard and looked away instantly, avoiding my gaze.

Before I knew it, I was pushed onto the stage, my eyes squinting at the bright lights flashing directly on my face. It took a moment, but I adapted to the light at last, and that’s when I saw the black suited men seated in rows.

The mere thought of being bought by one of those pigs in tailored suits sparked my defiance. Adrenaline kicked in, and I moved instantly, springing into action. I jabbed my elbow into my handler’s ribs, then struck him so hard in the nuts.

A collective intake of breath rose from the seated men, almost as though each of them felt his pain. As he grabbed his balls and dropped to his knees, I dodged a punch from the other guy, retaliating with a powerful blow that broke his nose.

Crack!

He stumbled backward, groaning in pain.

Like the untamed beast that they claimed I was, I fought back with every ounce of strength in me. I clawed at my attacker, threw as many punches and kicks as I could. And although I took down a couple of them, in the end, I was outnumbered and pinned to the ground.

I could barely breathe with that huge man’s knee pressing down on my neck while he bound both my wrists behind my back. I was roughened, treated like an animal, and when they forced me to my feet, my heart shattered into a million pieces as those pigs laughed at me.

To them, the fight for my freedom was some kind of twisted entertainment—one they clearly enjoyed.

Furious, I cursed them all from the depths of my broken heart, wishing them death in the most miserable ways ever. But those pigs just laughed at me, whispering God-knows-what amongst themselves. My jaw tightened by the minute, and my intense glare swept across the room.

That’s when I spotted him—the only man who wasn’t laughing like the others.

Resplendent in a black suit and a flashy red tie, this man’s silence and composure drew my attention. His short, slightly tousled black hair caught the air as he sat, exuding confidence and power.

A jagged scar ran along his jawline, but that wasn’t the most striking thing about him. That credit was reserved for his eyes—those cold and empty gray eyes that sent shivers down my spine. His face was rugged, his expression completely blank, unreadable.

This man was different from the other men. And while I thought of them as pigs, I wasn’t sure what I thought of him. How could I when there was nothing to read from him?

Those men were mean, and their words were cruel as they debated on the rapidly escalating price. Even the auctioneer was shocked by the numbers—to be honest, so was I. But despite my shock, I hated every last one of those men and hated myself for being stuck in such a sticky situation.

I never thought that a day would come when I’d be put up for sale like a used cargo. I stood there, fighting back the tears that welled in my eyes, unsure of my fate. One thing was certain, though; now that the bidding was ongoing, one of these filthy pigs would emerge as the highest bidder.

And then, they’d claim me as their prize.

The mere thought of that felt like I was being gutted with a knife. However, I wasn’t going to let them see me vulnerable. I refused to break down in front of these soulless monsters. I wouldn’t give them that satisfaction. No.

When bidding began to stall and murmurs about the “unmanageable girl” being too expensive rose from the crowd, the unexpected happened.

The man with the cold eyes casually raised his hand, and the room immediately fell silent. Clearly, he was one of the most respected among the ranks. Because why else would a single gesture command such instant compliance?

Heads turned to face him, and I could feel the anticipation in the air.

When he placed the bid at one million dollars, a collective gasp rose from the others, and I felt my own breath catch in surprise.

No one dared counter, not a single soul. Instead, they all just exchanged glances and watched him in awe.

For a moment there, time seemed to have stood still, and that’s when it dawned on me. This man didn’t just buy me like a vintage car in an expensive garage. He just claimed me as his own.

I hated myself for feeling a bit of relief that he was the one who bought me and not one of those pigs. However, the feeling was fleeting, and his stare told me what I already assumed deep down.

This wasn’t salvation.

No.

It was something darker, and I was caught right in the middle of it.

Chapter 4 – Nik

“Damn!” a man from the auction exclaimed softly beside me, watching as the wild girl fought against the men forcing her into my car. “It’s a good thing I didn’t buy her. She’s a liability.”

I turned toward him, casting a stern glare that made him shrink in terror. His throat bobbled as he swallowed hard and avoided my eyes.

“Bitch!” One of my men’s voices drew my attention to the commotion unfolding near the parked SUV. “She fuckin’ bit me!”

The girl was fighting back vehemently, refusing to get in the vehicle. Even with her hands bound, she threw powerful kicks and weaponized her head, striking her skull into their faces whenever she had the chance.

Her grunts filled the night air as she snarled, biting, violently flashing her fingernails like demonic claws.

“Just get in the fuckin’ car!”

“No!” She slammed the door shut with a kick.

Another one of my men groaned in pain, his loud voice echoing through the night. It turned out that when she kicked the door, she’d slammed it into his fingers.

That must’ve hurt!

The struggle between the wild girl and my men caught everyone’s attention, including those who were already driving out of the compound. Most of them looked at her with disdain and disgust, as if she were an untamed beast that needed to be locked up in a zoo.

But that’s not what I saw. In my eyes, she was wild and dangerous, yes. But that was the exact thing that made her different—fascinating in every way. The darkness that wrapped around her like silk pulled me in like a moth to a flame.

Breaking such a fiery spirit would be a challenge, since she was a tough nut to crack. But that was the most interesting thing about this whole situation. She was definitely going to break under my rule, but at least I wasn’t going to be bored with her anytime soon.

It took a while before three of my best men were able to shove her into the car, finally. She was still banging the window and raining curses on all of us, her eyes burning with fury.

In a split second, she met my gaze across the sidewalk, and her brows knitted together. Her chest was rising slowly as a deep scowl carved into her face.

My lips curled into a faint mocking smirk, which only accentuated the frown on her face.

She was pissed. Good.

I walked over to the vehicle and climbed into the back seat, my expression stoic. At first, she didn’t say a word, and the silence between us was punctuated by the sound of her breathing—heavy and unsteady.

The hum of the engine filled the car’s cabin as we drove into the night, the city blurring past us. The silence still lingered for a while until she broke it—as expected.

“You’re evil,” she said, her voice low and venomous. “And I hope you and those soulless scumbags rot in hell.” She faced me, eyes burning with hatred.

I didn’t respond, didn’t even look in her direction.

“Ignore me all you want,” she growled. “But I hope you know money doesn’t make you a man. It just makes you a coward with a fat wallet.”

Again, no reply.

“You disgust me.” Her chest rose and fell with slow, uneven breaths. “May every drop of blood on your hands drown you in your sleep.”

Quietly, I looked at her and answered, “Amen.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, forming deep creases between them.

“Hate me all you want,” I murmured, my voice low enough to make her bristle. “But your fate is sealed already.” My eyes roamed over her body, drinking in the sight of her ripped clothes and disheveled hair.

Her faded jeans were torn, revealing her scraped knees, flecked with dried blood. She sat rigid, her posture screaming defiance—chin held up, shoulders squared, eyes blazing.

I met her gaze again and added, “You belong to me now.”

Her scowl intensified, glare sharpening.

“You should be grateful that I was the one who bought you, not one of those ‘soulless scumbags,’” I said, looking right into those fiery eyes of hers.

Her features clouded over, lips pressed into a thin line. “You’re no better than them.”

“Maybe,” I answered, toiling with my cufflinks. “I still own you.”

Her brows furrowed deeper. “Go to hell,” she murmured, her voice dripping with venom.

My lips twisted into a mischievous grin. “You’re in luck. We’re already hell.”

That instant, the estate gates creaked open, revealing the vast expanse of land. The car drove slowly along the serpentine driveway lined with towering trees and manicured gardens.

The mansion loomed in front of us, its stone façade adorned with gargoyles and topped with turrets. A grand fountain, complete with mythological statues, stood sentinel at the building’s entrance, water squirting from its center.

We pulled over in front of the giant building, and the driver killed the car’s engine. The girl looked at me as though she was confused about what to do. That wasn’t a sign of weakness, though, because her eyes still held that fury that pulled me in.

“Out,” I said, nodding toward her side of the door.

She hesitated for a second, but after I stepped out of the vehicle, she did the same. I walked toward the giant door at the entrance, and she followed quietly behind me.

Once inside, my shoes scuffed against the fine marble floor, the sound echoing off the high walls of the foyer. Her dirty feet stained the spotless floor with each step, her eyes discreetly drinking in the luxurious interior.

For some reason, she stopped in her tracks and then tried to bolt toward the door.

Too slow.

I grabbed her wrist without looking back at her, my grip tightening by the second. She struggled to squirm out of my hold, but it was useless. I was stronger. Effortlessly, I pulled her closer and spun her around to look at me.

My hand snapped out, fingers tightening around her jaw. I didn’t squeeze hard enough to hurt her, just enough to send a message; I wasn’t to be messed with.

Her frown darkened, her chest heaving with heavy breaths as she glared.

I observed her for a moment, studied the stubborn set of her chin and the way her eyes dared me to break her spirit. Fascinating. She was a wildfire, capable of consuming everything in her path. I, on the other hand, loved playing with fire.

“Let’s get something straight,” I began, leaning forward to mirror her face. “You’re not going anywhere. The sooner you get that into your skull, the better.”

Her expression turned uglier, deep creases forming between her brows.

I let go of her jaw and stepped away without another word.

“You’re a monster,” she whispered, eyes fixed on me.

A small smirk played on the corners of my lips as I reveled in the misery etched on her face.

The words were meant to wound, but I’d been called worse. Besides, she was right; I was a monster, and unapologetically so.

Chapter 5 – Blair

That night in my dream, my subconscious uncovered a memory and presented it like a dream, reminding me of my mission. I didn’t forget who I was or why I did what I did—I just got so used to the mask I’d worn for so long.

Everyone had a dirty little secret, including me. But in my case, I became one with the lie—the false identity I chose to live under. It was the only way to blend in without drawing unnecessary attention to myself.

For a really long time, I maintained a low profile, keeping my secret to myself. Even my roomie had no idea she was sharing a room with a government agent. Scarlett only thought I was weird for recklessly chasing the truth at all costs. She knew how much I hated the crimes of these Mafia men.

What she didn’t know was that it wasn’t just personal; it was a job. And that night, everything flashed in my head like a dream.

“You understand the risks, Agent Blake,” Director Martha Voss said to me, leaning back in her chair. “Once you’re in, there’s no lifeline.”

I nodded, seated in the visitor’s chair in her office. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”

She edged closer, hands on the table between us, her green eyes pinned on me. “This isn’t about rodeo, Blake. These are traffickers, men without a heart or a soul. You need to be extra careful when dealing with them.”

“I understand.”

I’d already risen to my feet when she added quickly. “And Blake?”

My silence was her cue.

“Please, don’t get caught,” she warned, her voice laced with concern. “No matter what.”

My heart skipped a beat, but I was confident in my ability to operate undetected. “I won’t.”

A soft gasp tore through my lips, my eyes flying open in the unfamiliar ceiling. My chest was heaving with slow breaths, and my brain was blank for the next few seconds.

When I finally regained my composure, I blinked back to reality, taking in the luxury surrounding me. My eyes caught the crystal chandelier glimmering overhead. That piece looked like it must’ve cost a fortune.

I looked around; the entire bedroom exuded quiet wealth, the kind that made your brows yank up reflexively. Dark mahogany panels framed the walls, softened by muted gold accents. Even the very air smelled rich and crispy with the faint scent of leather and expensive cologne.

The room was spotless, and every surface was gleaming in the chandelier’s soft light.

It was beautiful. Yes.

However, it felt less like a bedroom and more like a gilded cage. I’d assured Director Martha Voss that I wasn’t going to get caught. I knew the agency wouldn’t be able to pull me out if I slipped. I knew I’d be on my own.

I took that chance because I believed I could dismantle these criminal organizations without drawing unnecessary attention to myself. I was wrong. I hated myself for being so clumsy and reckless.

The National Crimes Intelligence Bureau was a covert government-backed security agency dedicated to exposing transnational criminal networks. I worked for them as an undercover agent with only one goal: solving the mystery behind the missing persons reports the police had shoved under the carpet.

How ironic that I got sucked into the very world I wanted to burn to the ground! I’d gone looking for missing women and ended up missing myself.

That wasn’t good at all.

I rubbed my eyes, recalling his harsh words from last night: “Let’s get something straight. You’re not going anywhere. The sooner you get that into your skull, the better.”

My heart was pounding like a drum as I lay in bed, deep in thought. My whole body ached—scraped knees, wounded feet, bruised skin, and a searing pain surging through my ribs.

The traffickers had roughed me up, kicking and punching in a bid to teach me a lesson. They said I was too stubborn—a pain in their asses—and perhaps beating the crap out of me would keep me in line. It didn’t. If anything, it only made me rebel even more.

However, despite my rebellion against this man and his men, nobody had lifted a finger to hit me. Not one. Last night, I fought so hard, refusing to get into his car, and instead of his guards beating me up, they just struggled to force me into the backseat.

They dodged my punches and kicks but didn’t fight back. I saw the anger in their eyes and the pain etched on their faces whenever I struck them. Yet, these guys didn’t physically hurt me. They found a way to restrain me without being animalistic.

I wasn’t sure how to feel about the way they handled the situation. They could’ve easily beaten the living daylights out of me, but they didn’t. I had a feeling that their behavior toward me was based on their boss’s instructions. That was the only logical explanation, considering how pissed they were by my wildness.

However, that didn’t change anything, and even though I was fed and given a room that exuded luxury and style, I was still a prisoner. Sure, I was in a better place than I was days ago, but I wasn’t free.

I tossed the thick, comfy white sheets to the side and rose from the bed. The polished marble floor was cool beneath my feet, the chills seeping into my wounds. I padded across the room, heading toward the window, and there, I parted the velvet curtains.

All I saw was a vast expanse of land—a breathtaking landscape with a manicured garden. Across the horizon, the sun was rising, its golden glow draping over the compound.

When I looked down, I saw them—armed guards roaming about like robots, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. My brows drew together, jaw locked as I observed them for a moment.

I stepped away from the window and returned my attention to the room. Since I was a prisoner, it was only logical that I was placed under twenty-four-hour surveillance.

The man had spent a million dollars just to buy me. God! I hated the sound of that in my head. But anyone who spent that much money would definitely want to keep an eye on the expensive item they bought.

I planned on getting the hell out of here anytime soon. But to do that, I had to study the mansion first. I would have to know the number of cameras in the whole building, where each one was hidden, and also understand the movements of the guards.

However, all of that would take a while because this place was enormous. And it was a fucking fortress too.

Then it hit me.

Maybe this was exactly what I needed to crack the case. Thinking about it now, I realized my present situation might just be a blessing in disguise. The mission was to find enough evidence to put these guys away for good.

This entire time, I never got close—I was fighting from a distance. But now, I’d gotten closer to the real deal than I ever thought. So maybe instead of focusing on escaping, I should channel that energy into completing the mission.

This house was a web of secrets, and I was right inside it. What an opportunity of a lifetime!

To gather the evidence I needed, I’d have to wear another mask—play a different role and make them believe I’d accepted my fate. I needed my captor’s trust—it would take some time and a lot of hard work—but I was determined to get the job done.

To do that, I must first step back, observe, and take mental notes of everything I can. The estate’s layout, the men who’d come and go, the conversations I’d overhear, et cetera—I must study them all.

It was paramount that I made him and everyone else believe that I was nothing more than a frightened little girl trying to adjust to her new reality. Her captivity.

That being said, I had to abandon my aggressive attitude and stop drawing attention to myself. I needed to become someone else to reach my goals; I had to wear another mask.

I scanned the luxurious white space until I spotted the camera hidden in a corner of the room. My lips curled into a faint smirk, and I closed my eyes for a fleeting moment, steadying my heartbeat. And despite the fear knotting in my chest, a stubborn fire still burned.

As long as I was here, I’d make good use of this opportunity. And although he had eyes everywhere, he wouldn’t see me coming. He wouldn’t know what hit him until it was too late.

Chapter 6 – Nik

She’s far too sharp to be the helpless little thing she pretends to be.

Where was all that fire she came with? All that violence and chaos she often left in her wake, where’d it all go?

It was almost like she’d turned over a new leaf in the short period of time she’d been here. Strange. However, her eyes were still as fiery as before, but different. I couldn’t explain it, but there was something about her that I couldn’t quite place my finger on.

She was more relaxed these days—fought less and obeyed more. Why? Why the sudden change in attitude? The girl was still wild, no doubt. However, for some reason, she’d taken a pause on making trouble and threatening to burn the whole house down.

Perhaps I liked the old her better; that was why I was starting to question her newfound loyalty. I watched her every move—down the halls, in the garden, and even in her room. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Just a captive trying to adapt to her reality.

Yet, there was still this void inside me that I couldn’t fill. Something felt wrong—even though everything appeared fine and things looked like they were starting to fall into place.

On several occasions, I’d caught her gaze lingering a little too long on some corners of the estate, including the exits and front gate. A possibility crossed my mind, and I thought, maybe she was taking in the details. Maybe the girl was plotting her escape—and to be honest, it would be fun watching her try to break out of this fortress.

Over the years, I’d learned to expect the worst possible outcome from every scenario. That way, nothing surprised me because I had anticipated everything before it happened. That was why I was always two steps ahead of my enemies.

This girl had proven that she wasn’t someone to be underestimated. She was a force to be reckoned with.

I could do my homework on her, find out who she really was. Yadda yadda yadda. But part of me seemed to enjoy the mystery surrounding her. Running a background check wouldn’t cost me anything, but where was the fun in that? Why ruin it when two could play this game?

I’d seen a lot of women in my time, but none of them had intrigued me like this one. She was different—fascinating, mysterious, and a puzzle worth solving. There was something about her that pulled me in like a moth to a flame. Maybe it was her fiery spirit, her unwillingness to break easily, or perhaps this new art of deception she portrayed.

Whatever it was, it was both intriguing and dangerous at the same time. Deep down, something warned me not to play too long, lest I get lost in the game.

She was a fire with no filter. I guess it was a good thing that I was better at burning than getting burned.

I had just come back from the office that evening and was walking down the hall when I turned a corner and ran into her. Our bodies collided in a split second, her gentle curves pressing against my torso. Soft.

So tender.

A strange warmth spread across my body after the collision. And when her feminine perfume drifted into my nostrils, a sudden chill ran down my spine.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t—” The words fell off her lips, her eyes rising to meet my gaze.

I watched her breath hitch and her brows narrow, almost like she was shocked that I was the man she’d bumped into. A faint scowl flashed across her face, and she swallowed the rest of her apology. Literally.

A glint of defiance flickered in her eyes as she took a step back.

“You should watch where you’re going,” I said to her, my expression soft but blank.

“Funny.” She raised her brows. “You took the words right out of my mouth.” Her eyes locked onto mine, her voice soft yet sinister.

Silence.

I was speechless, especially by that challenging look on her face. This was the same person who’d apologized a few seconds ago, because she didn’t know who she’d bumped into. However, now that she’d found out, the crazy, wild girl decided I was undeserving of an apology.

No woman had ever spoken to me like that, cold and defiant. No one dared to. Yet, this little scoundrel looked me dead in the eyes and said what she said.

I should be offended. I should punish her. But instead, a faint smirk lined the corners of my lips, intrigued by her effrontery.

Watching her in silence, I absorbed the details I had previously missed. First of all, she was more beautiful than I had thought. Maybe this was because the night I bought her, she was covered in dirt and bloodstains. After several days of proper rest and a thorough bath, nothing was left to hide her true beauty.

Her pale skin simmered under the soft light, and her brown hair was piled up into a messy ponytail. Her stormy green-gray eyes held a glint of defiance and hatred, the kind that stirred something inside me.

My gaze hovered over her body as she stood before me barefoot, the hem of her dress grazing her alluring thighs. My eyes flicked back to her face, discreetly tracing the curve of her mouth.

The air was charged with something strange, the kind of tension that I wasn’t ready to name. She held my gaze, refusing to look away—almost like she was waiting for my response. I said nothing and did nothing but stare at her with a hand in my pocket.

I was amused by this little stunt she pulled. And the longer my eyes bored into hers, the more awkward the silence between us grew.

Finally, I broke it.

“Careful, little scoundrel,” I began, watching her expression turn ugly. “Being sassy will only land you in trouble.”

She raised her brows and clenched her jaw, clearly offended by what I’d called her. “Last time I checked, I’m already in trouble. I walked right into it the day I stepped into this hellhole.”

I closed the distance between us, my eyes pinned on her. “Tread with caution.” I leaned in, whispering in her ear. “There are far worse things than being trapped in this…‘hellhole.’”

Her expression darkened, her brows furrowing into deep creases. “I’m sure there is,” she murmured, her voice low and even.

I lingered for a moment, still towering over her as she looked right into my eyes, refusing to turn away. A crooked smirk tugged at the corners of my lips, and then quietly, I walked past her, my shoulder grazing against hers.

She didn’t say another word, and neither did I. My shoes scuffed against the fine marble floor as I retired to my bedroom without even glancing back at her. This conversation, as short as it was, managed to ignite a flame within me—primal and dangerous.

The scent of perfume clung to the fabric of my suit like a ghost that I couldn’t quite shake off. With each breath I took, I inhaled her scent, raw and intoxicating. A part of me liked it, as though I’d claimed a chunk of her for myself.

When I stepped into my master bedroom, I shut the door behind me, fingers loosening the tie around my neck. I tried to dispel the thoughts of her that had plagued my mind. But the more I tried, the more I failed.

Perhaps that was because, deep down, I knew I enjoyed entertaining myself with images of her face and the sound of her voice. It had gradually become a habit, one that I should do away with as soon as possible. Yet, for some reason, I couldn’t.

I strolled further into the room, enveloped by the chandelier’s warm glow. The couch crunched beneath my weight after I sank into it and leaned against the backrest. My fingers rubbed my tired eyes, my thoughts a tangled mess. I tried convincing myself that whatever had ignited within me was nothing but a physical attraction.

The only issue was that this physical attraction had lingered longer than every other attraction I’d ever felt in the past. I’d had countless women before—different shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. She shouldn’t be any different, especially because she wasn’t my lover.

But unfortunately for me, she was different.

I realized after a careful evaluation of our brief moment that I hadn’t felt this kind of heat before—at least not from just a conversation. I sat there on the couch, replaying the moment over and over again in my head, and it unsettled me more than I’d like to admit.

It was almost like the image of her face was tattooed on my mind. I couldn’t help reminiscing on the defiance in her gaze and the fire in her eyes. She was the most stubborn human being I’d ever come across in my life. And I was drawn to her because of that unique character.

Despite my fascination, though, I could tell that she was hiding something. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I wasn’t ready to find out yet. I’d play her game and see how long until she unfolded right in front of me.

She was a mystery, one I would patiently unravel. Piece by piece.

“Two can play this game,” I whispered to myself, a faint smirk lining the corners of my lips

Chapter 7 – Blair

It’s been a week already—a week where nothing good happened. Well, so far, nothing bad had happened either. Every day was the same: wake up, shower, eat, wander the halls like a lost puppy, read a few books in the library, then go back to my room at night.

At least that’s what it looked like on the outside—that’s what everyone else saw at first glance. But that wasn’t entirely true. All that time in the library, I’d been studying the mansion’s blueprint and tracing escape routes through the estate.

Each time I wandered the halls or moved around the building, it wasn’t just because I was bored out of my mind. It was to observe the security system—CCTV, guard shifts, the number of potential exits, and any pattern that could help me find a loophole in their patrol.

I found one—a minute window between 12:15 and 12:20 at midnight. During this time, the guards patrolling the service passage were usually on a break, smoking and chatting, leaving the exit unguarded.

I’d mapped out my movement for tonight, and when it was time, I snuck out of my bedroom. My bare feet were soundless against the cool marble as I hurried through the hallway. With occasional glances over my shoulders, I rushed over to the staircase leading to the living room.

The entire building was plunged into darkness, but I moved freely because I’d already memorized everything, every corner of the house. I knew how many steps it would take me to get to the staircase from my room. I’d practiced this so many times during the day.

The exact number of steps on the staircase was buried in my mind. So when I descended, I counted them quietly—one step at a time. The polished railing was cool under my grip as I walked down the stairs.

When I reached the base, I heaved a sigh and braced myself. I was already rushing toward the door that led to the service passage when the lights came up. I stopped in my tracks, my eyes squinting at the sudden brightness that enveloped the room.

I didn’t need to turn around to sense his presence behind me. His cologne wafted through the air, and when he cleared his throat, I almost flinched.

“Going somewhere?” he asked, his voice deep and husky.

I closed my eyes, my chest rising and falling with slow breaths. “I just needed some air.”

“At this time of the night?”

I locked my jaw, then slowly turned around to face him. He was seated on a sofa, legs crossed, hands resting on the armrest, with a posture that exuded power and confidence. He was stripped from the waist upward, the chandelier’s soft light highlighting his broad chest and shoulders.

“What’s the big deal? Did you impose a curfew or something?” I folded my arms across my chest, my eyes pinned on him.

He held my gaze a little while before slowly rising to his feet. He buried a hand in his pocket and then approached me with slow, menacing steps. His expression was blank, his eyes cold as ice.

“Perhaps I didn’t make it super clear the first time,” he began, halting in front of me. “You’re not going anywhere.” He paused, letting the words sink in. “You belong to me now.”

My jaw tightened.

“Instead of trying to run away,” he added, holding my gaze, “you should consider yourself lucky that I put you in a luxury suite and not a damp cell with the rats and cockroaches.”

“You can dress it up all you want. But a prison is still a prison,” I said to him, eyes blazing with fury.

He paused for a moment, then said, “You’re right. You’re in my prison—and it doesn’t matter how many times you try…you’ll never escape.”

His words struck me like a knife to the heart, and it only fueled my rage.

“Accept your new reality, and save yourself the trouble.” With that, he stepped away from me and headed back upstairs.

It wasn’t until he’d disappeared out of my sight that my lips curled into a self-satisfied grin. This was my first attempt at an escape, and I wanted him to catch me. It would be a lot easier to have him more focused on my escape plan than on the actual plan.

I wanted him to believe I was reckless and stupid so he wouldn’t look deeper. He must not know that my real mission was observation. Not escape.

After that night, I made more bold moves, and the more I tried, the more he caught me. It became like a game between us, and this time, I was the one calling the shots. He was doing exactly what I wanted him to while I gathered as much information about his business as I could.

I’d noticed the subtle signs of criminal activities in the mansion: muffled screams from the basement like someone was being tortured, hushed conversations behind closed doors, and coded phone calls in Russian.

Strange packages were constantly being moved in and out of the mansion under the cover of night. Although nothing was concrete yet, I was sure that with time, I’d get to the bottom of this.

This place wasn’t a home. It was a hub for criminal activities.

Meanwhile, despite all of these findings, something else was swelling between my captor and me. Something that could either help me destroy him or end up destroying me. Every time he faced me, he looked at me in a way that was both captivating and unsettling.

His cold eyes lingered a little longer, and whenever his skin grazed mine, it ignited a flame within me. Every time I sensed the tension between us, or the emotions his touch stirred inside me, I’d mask my feelings with rage.

Pretending not to notice any of this was the only way that I could stay focused on the mission. However, my pulse betrayed me whenever he was near.

This uneasy attraction was an unwelcome distraction that unsettled me in more ways than one. I had to remind myself every day why I was here, what the mission was, and what was at stake if I lost.

My captor wasn’t someone to be seduced by. No. He was a man to be exposed and locked away forever. This was a dangerous game, and I was clearly playing with fire. I could either burn or get burned, and I preferred to burn. Maybe if I played this game well enough, I might actually win.

Chapter 8 – Nik

I sat at the head of the table, watching her closely as she ate in silence. The soft click of her cutlery filled the room, the aroma of grilled chicken and red wine mingling in the air.

Her brown hair spilled over her shoulders tonight instead of her usual messy ponytail. She kept her eyes fixed on her plate, her jaw moving in a smooth, poised rhythm. Her skin shimmered under the chandelier’s soft light, and she tightened her grip on the cutlery just a bit.

My eyes roamed over her body, drinking in every little detail I could capture. I noticed the freckles across her nose that hinted at how much time she used to spend out in the sun.

She was beautiful and feminine. No doubt. However, the texture of her skin told a different story. She had bruises—scars that predated the most recent injuries she sustained during the auction. And considering her violent nature, it was clear that she was no ordinary girl.

Her fingers were bare and unmanicured, suggesting a non-feminine lifestyle—one far from delicate. She had the hands of someone who’d faced war and come out alive, someone who didn’t just handle a weapon but knew how to use it expertly.

However, that could’ve been caused by being held hostage by her kidnappers for so long—a period that somehow changed her appearance. Perhaps captivity had shaped that roughness, carving traces of endurance into what might’ve once been soft.

Whatever the case, she was no ordinary girl. She was tough, rugged in more ways than one. The girl was slender but strong, with a dancer’s grace and a soldier’s posture. I had no idea who she was, where she had come from, or why.

At first, I didn’t want to ask about how she got entangled with human traffickers. But my curiosity got the best of me. I needed to know, even though I had a feeling she might lie and not tell the entire truth. That’s what I would do if I were her.

I reached for my half-empty glass of wine, lifted it to my lips, and took a sip. “Tell me,” I began, my voice low and even. “How did you end up with those men?”

Her fork hovered halfway to her mouth. Moments later, she lifted her eyes and met my gaze with quiet intensity. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” she said, slipping a piece of grilled chicken between her lips.

I ignored the sass in her tone but gave her a stern look—one that said I wasn’t asking.

Her silence was an indication that she was trying to dismiss the question. However, the hard look on my face wasn’t something she could ignore.

Quietly, she set down her cutlery, dabbed her mouth with a napkin, and sighed. “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” she answered, placing her elbows on the table.

“That’s oddly vague.”

Her brows drew together by a whisper, but her expression remained blank. “As you know, people—girls have been going missing around the city,” she said, holding my gaze. “A few weeks ago, a friend of mine went out to get some groceries but never returned.”

A glint of pain flickered across her face, accompanied by a flash of fury.

She continued, “So, I decided to look into it since nobody was willing to do so. I received an anonymous tip about a warehouse where some shady business was going on. I found the place, hoping to take some pictures and use them as evidence.”

I watched her swallow her words, her chest heaving with slow breaths. “Let me guess. That’s when you got caught.”

Her jaw tightened, and her scowl deepened.

“Why didn’t you go to the cops?”

She raised a brow. “The cops? Are you for real? You and the other monsters control more than half of the precincts in Chicago.”

I paused for a second, watching the rage simmering beneath the surface. “True,” I murmured to myself.

Her story sounded legit, but I’d been in the game long enough to distinguish between the truth and what only sounded like it. The best lies were those that had traces of the truth embedded in them, and she obviously was familiar with that psychology.

“I guess she was sold off to some Mafia monster. Just like I was,” she said, her voice lower than average. “Isn’t it ironic that I landed in the same trouble I was trying to get her out of?”

As she spoke, her voice never wavered, and she didn’t even blink. Not once. Her emotions were under control, and she maintained the same expression throughout. Blank. Her voice was steady, and her breath was controlled.

This girl had trained herself to lie convincingly, and with her skills, she might just beat a lie detector. I knew she wasn’t telling the whole truth, but I couldn’t prove it, and I wasn’t mad either. Rather, I was impressed—couldn’t help watching her with unsettling amusement.

“Do you have a sister?” she asked me.

Silence.

She continued regardless. “If you had one, how would you feel if someone abducted her and sold her off like some piece of property?”

Again, silence.

“Imagine it happened to your daughter sometime in the future, what would be your reaction?”

At this point, my jaw locked, and anger coursed through my blood. Not because of what she said, but because the mere thought of my daughter in the hands of those pigs infuriated me.

“With the kind of power and influence you hold, I’m sure you’ll burn the world down looking for her,” she said, her eyes boring into mine. “I have no doubt that you’ll find the men who took her and make them regret their decision.” She paused, letting her words sink in. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

She wasn’t. That’s exactly what I’d do if that ever happened to my future daughter.

“You’re not wrong,” I answered, cradling the glass in my hand.

“Then why do you and your kind do such monstrosities?”

I leaned back in my chair, still holding her gaze. “Hate to break it to you, Dikaya. But the Bratva doesn’t deal in such crimes.”

“Yet you were there at the auction. You participated and bought me,” she shot back.

I went silent for a moment, observing her from across the table. “Believe it or not, I wasn’t there to be a part of the auction. My presence at that gathering was for a different reason.”

“Then why did you spend a million dollars to get me?”

“Because you were the only one who stood out and caught my attention.”

Her breath hitched, almost like she wasn’t expecting my response to strike her the way it did. She took her gaze off my face, her eyes dropping back to her plate.

My lips curled into a sly grin as I watched a delicate flush spread across her cheeks, warm and fleeting.

To mask her faint blush, she cleared her throat after a moment of awkward silence. “Dikaya,” she said, meeting my gaze again. “That’s what you called me earlier. What does it mean?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I answered, gently stirring the wine in my glass. I’d just used her line against her—tore a page from her own book.

Her eyes squinted, a small grin playing at the corners of her lips. “I see what you did there,” she murmured, holding my gaze.

I took another sip, savoring the flavors on my tongue. “It’s Russian for ‘wild one.’”

Her brows rose instantly, a glint of surprise flickering in her gaze. “Wild one?”

“Don’t look at me like that,” I said, “I don’t know what to call you.”

She stared at me in silence, her lips parted, but no sound came forth.

“Do you have a problem with the name?” I asked, my gaze unwavering.

Silence.

At this point, I rose to my feet, and she swallowed hard, her throat bobbling. I strode toward her with slow, calculated steps, then halted before her, a hand buried in my pocket.

“I’ve watched you take down men twice your size,” I began, looking right into those stormy green-gray eyes of hers. “You hurt them badly—fought like a tigress—like you’d rather die than be a pawn in their games.” I let the words sink in for a bit. “Tell me that’s not the behavior of a wild one.”

Her chest was rising and falling, but this time it wasn’t because she was furious. It was because I’d leaned too close to her by now. I could feel her breath warm against my skin, and in her eyes was a glimpse of fear and something darker.

She clenched her jaw as if to brace herself. “I have a name.”

“I know,” I answered, my voice low and husky. “But I don’t suppose you wanna tell me what it is.”

The air between us was charged with the kind of tension that quickened her heartbeat. I could tell from her ragged breaths and the way she struggled to hold my gaze.

“Dikaya will do just fine,” she said, wearing a blank expression to mask the mixed emotions coursing through her blood.

This was a game now, and I was ready to play it to the very end. She’d proven to be a worthy opponent—one smart enough to spice things up.

At that moment, she stared at me, caught between irritation and something I was yet to name. This closeness felt dangerous—almost intimate even. The longer we remained in such a compromising position, the harder it became for her to hold my gaze.

Was it just my imagination, or could I hear the sound of her heart hammering in her heaving chest?

Restless, she shifted in her chair, the legs scraping softly against the floor. She placed her hands on her lap, fingers fidgeting as she pressed her knees together. Finally, she looked away from me, her foot tapping a quiet rhythm against the leg of the chair.

It felt good watching her misbehave under the weight of my stare. A shallow breath left her lips, and her eyes wandered the dining room for a moment.

The silence between us stretched on forever, and I still wouldn’t take my gaze off her.

Unable to stand it anymore, she sprang to her feet, fingers casually scratching the back of her head. “Please, excuse me,” she murmured, stepping away from me.

I could’ve stopped her. But I didn’t. I let her go. However, she was only a few paces away when I called out, telling her my name. “It’s Nik, by the way.”

She paused in her tracks but didn’t look back.

“Nikolai Tarasov.”

After a moment of hesitation, she picked up her pace and left the dining room.

My lips curved into a mischievous, self-satisfied smirk, knowing that I was starting to crawl under her skin. As good as that felt, it was also unsettling because she was crawling under mine as well.

Perhaps it was nothing more than just fascination on my side. Deep down, though, I worried it might be something else—something darker, more obsessive. And considering how rapidly it was creeping in, it was only a matter of time before something crazy would unfold right in front of us.

I hadn’t admitted it yet, but this girl was gradually becoming something I couldn’t ignore, no matter how hard I tried.

And that…was the problem.

Chapter 9 – Blair

All through the night, I could barely get some sleep. Why? Because the memory of our dinner together wouldn’t stop playing in my head. It wasn’t the questions he asked or the way he watched me with quiet intensity, and that kept me up all night.

It was the way he made me feel when he stepped into my space. I shrank beneath his gaze, my pulse quickened, and my chest tightened. I recognized that unsettling feeling, and even though I hadn’t admitted it yet, I knew if I didn’t tread with caution, he just might use that against me.

I hated how much influence he had over me, how easily he played with my emotions. He stirred a flutter in my chest, and a sudden rush of blood made my veins throb. Just looking at him, I felt a shiver run down my spine and a tingling feeling between my legs.

He turned me on without even trying, and I felt so embarrassed—so ashamed of myself that I had to leave his presence immediately. I was afraid that if I spent one more moment around him, he might make a reckless move, and I might not have been able to control myself.

It wouldn’t have been a case of forced entry because I would’ve given my consent. It was way too early to fall for his seduction—besides, I should be repulsed by the mere thought of being intimate with a man like him.

He was cruel, mean, and ruthless. His place was behind bars, not between my legs. That was a fact; one that had been ringing loudly at the back of my mind since last night.

Be smart about this, Blair. He might be using you, a voice murmured in my head.

But with everything going on in my head—my plans to finally get rid of him—who exactly was using whom in this situation? What was he using me for anyway?

He bought me from my kidnappers at a price no one dared mention. He fed me, cleaned me up, and restricted my movement within his estate. But that was it. This man didn’t sell me off to someone else, didn’t turn me into a maid, or even attempt to take me by force. He let me do as I pleased, and his only rule was to never cross the estate’s gates without his permission.

At this point, I couldn’t help questioning some things. Why was I here? What was my purpose in this place? Why did he decide to buy me, since it was crystal clear that he didn’t need me for anything in his life?

Maybe he was right when he said you’re better off with him and with any one of those pigs, said another voice. Maybe he bought you just to keep you safe.

That sounded a lot like an act of kindness, but men like him were incapable of kindness. He was a Mafia boss, a ruthless leader involved in numerous crimes. Kindness was not his strong suit.

He did say that his organization had no part in human trafficking.

He was a monster, a criminal, and a liar—of course, he’d deny it. And even if his organization didn’t deal in such crimes—which was highly debatable—they were still actively involved in others.

Like which one?

My brain went blank for a moment.

The voice continued, You claim he’s guilty of other crimes, yet you haven’t found anything concrete to use against him.

He was guilty; I just couldn’t prove it yet!

And why the fuck was a part of me questioning my mission? He was a bad man, and bad men should all end up behind bars. Period.

If you truly want to put him away so badly, then why does your heart skip each time you think about him? The voice went ahead to add, Why do you harbor illicit thoughts and enjoy imagining what his touch would feel like?

Being attracted to someone attractive was a natural human behavior. It wasn’t that deep. So what if I found him sexy? So what if a part of me craved his touch? It didn’t mean anything other than the fact that I had an itch that needed scratching.

On second thought, maybe instead of feeling guilty about my attraction to him, I should use this to my own advantage. He was messing with me, seducing me because to him, this was some kind of game—one he was in control of.

The quickest and most effective way to discover the truth was through the weapon between my legs. I shouldn’t be the one to be seduced in this situation—it was an embarrassment to me and to womanhood. I should be the seductress causing him to spin his head and crave me every day.

He should be the one shrinking beneath my gaze, the one lusting after my body. Despite his signature flat expression, I had glimpsed glimpses of sexual fire burning in his eyes more than once. He was as attracted to me as I was to him.

Since the feeling was mutual, it would be best to weaponize it. That way, I’d kill two birds with one stone—I’d have my way with him and still squeeze the truth out of him. I was going to use his sexual hunger against him, and once I was satisfied, he wouldn’t know what hit him.

Damn, that’s cold. With this plan, you’re no different from the monsters you loathe.

The words stung me like a bee, but it was a necessary evil. Sometimes, the best way to beat a criminal at his game was to be a criminal yourself. We weren’t the same—he enjoyed being evil. I, on the other hand, only decided to tear a page from the monsters’ guide to bring a monster to justice.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

That instant, a soft knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts—and I almost jumped out of my skin. I took a moment to get a grip of myself, then cleared my throat, wondering who was outside my room. This was the first time anyone had come knocking, and I had no idea what to expect.

“Who is it?” I called out, rising from the bed I’d been lying on this whole time.

“Katerina, ma’am!” a feminine voice answered.

Must be one of the maids.

I headed to the door and quietly opened it. There she was, standing across from me in her black and white dress with her black hair piled up into a neat bun. Beside her were two other women—one was another maid, and she was holding a plastic garment bag. The other, I didn’t recognize. She stood tall, a makeup kit in hand.

“Sorry to bother you, ma’am,” Katerina said to me, barely holding my gaze, her voice thick with the Russian accent. “Gospodin Tarasov asked us to get you ready.”

My brows arched, a glint of confusion flickering in my gaze. “Ready for what?”

The maid hesitated, almost as though she thought I should’ve been informed about whatever this was beforehand.

“He wishes to take you out.”

He wishes to do what now?

That explained the lady with the make-up kit and the maid holding the plastic garment bag. He planned on taking me out to God-knows-where, and he didn’t even ask me first. Not that I would’ve declined anyway—it would be nice to breathe some fresh air after being trapped in here for so long.

“May we come in?” she asked me, her tone mild and polite.

I managed to squeeze out a smile. “Yeah. Sure. Of course.” I stepped away from the door, and they walked inside, one after the other.

They moved quietly, the makeup artist setting up her things as I watched in silence. I wondered what he was up to and where he was taking me tonight.

It took about three hours to finish getting me ready—and when they were done with me, even I didn’t recognize myself. The dress clung to my body like a second skin, outlining my curves and contours. The makeup was simple but classy, and it blended seamlessly with my skin tone.

My soft brown curls were swept into an elegant chignon atop my head—neat and refined. A pair of heels graced my feet, making me look inches taller. My nails were groomed, manicured on the hands, and pedicured on the toes.

When I looked in the full-length mirror, it was like looking at a whole new person. Beautiful. Sexy. Elegant in every way. The dress was a bit more revealing than I was comfortable with. It had a daring slit that grazed high against my thighs and a neckline that showcased my cleavage, leaving little to the imagination.

This outfit was gorgeous. But it wasn’t my idea.

“You look stunning,” the maid said to me, her cheeks flushing as he locked eyes with me.

“Thank you, Katerina.” I beamed at her, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles on the dress.

“Gospodin Tarasov will be pleased,” she added, mirroring my smile.

I’m sure he will.

“Where is he?” I asked her.

“He’s waiting downstairs,” she said. “I’ll tell him you’ll be down shortly.”

Her gaze swept over my body one more time before she signaled the makeup artist and the other maid. Quietly, they exited the room in a single file.

Left alone, I heaved a sigh, watching my reflection in the mirror. I couldn’t help admiring the breathtaking transformation from a regular girl to a gorgeous goddess. The makeup artist outdid herself on this one and deserved a bonus for a job well done.

This was going to be my first night out with Nikolai Tarasov. And although I had no idea what to expect, I was glad to finally see the world beyond the gates of the estate.

Could this be classified as a date or what? Where was he even taking me?

I drew a deep breath. “Relax, girl. It’s just some harmless time out. What could possibly go wrong?”

Uh, a lot! a voice answered in my head. Have you not seen a Hollywood movie before? Every time someone says that, something terrible always happens.

Good thing this was reality, then. I had nothing to worry about.

That was how I shoved the negative thought to the back of my mind and headed downstairs.

At first, there was no shift in his expression when he saw me. But when I drew closer to him, I watched his brows slowly and discreetly rise, as if stunned by my appearance.

He was dressed in a sharp, perfectly tailored black suit, with his short dark hair styled flawlessly for the first time. Weird.

Nik’s hair was always slightly tousled, often slicked back with no care. But tonight, it was different—a good different—and if I didn’t know better, I’d think he did that to impress me.

And are you impressed?

Maybe I was.

His gray eyes—cold as ice—were pinned on me as I walked over to him. He stood tall with his hand in his pocket, his posture exuding confidence and power.

He didn’t say anything, not a single word. But his eyes did all the talking, and he wouldn’t stop staring at me. His gaze was uncomfortable at first, but I couldn’t stop reveling in the lust flickering in his eyes. He looked at me like a hungry beast that would jump on me at any time and devour my flesh.

“Katerina said you were taking me somewhere,” I said, my low voice filling the awkward silence.

He cleared his throat, then glanced at his Rolex. “That’s correct.”

“Can I ask where?”

“I’d ask you to trust me, but you wouldn’t,” he said, looking into my eyes.

I shrugged my shoulders casually. “Well, I’m all dressed up for you, aren’t I?”

He was quiet, with a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I guess you are,” he murmured softly.

***

He took me to a sleek nightclub downtown—one of the many he owned across the city. The place was alive with loud music, flashing lights, and frenzied bodies dancing to the DJ’s hypnotic beat.

The air was thick with the scents of perfumes and colognes, blending with sweat and expensive liquor.

He held my hand tightly as we moved through the crowd, our path directed by his bodyguards. We were led up to the VIP section above the dance floor—above the chaos below that almost looked elegant.

It was more peaceful up here—less crowded, quieter, and more private. This section exuded luxury and comfort—adorned with velvet couches, gold-rimmed glasses, and two bottles of vodka chilling in a bucket of ice.

I sat beside him and crossed my legs, the rhythmic thrum of the music vibrating through my body. He swung his arm over the back of the couch, his eyes locked on me.

“What will you have, Dikaya?” he asked, his voice smooth and nearly charming.

I paused for a moment, eyes scanning the environment. The few other people around us were all holding glasses of vodka and expensive liquor—including the women. I wasn’t in the mood to drink, nor did I have any intentions of getting wasted tonight. So, I didn’t mind being the odd one out—I was never the type to be pressured into doing anything I didn’t want to do anyway.

“Food,” I answered, looking right into those cold eyes of his. “The kind that doesn’t come with an aftertaste of regret.”

His lips curled into a faint grin as he raised his hand and snapped his fingers to summon a hostess. A moment later, one approached smoothly, setting down a tray of crystal glasses and a variety of small bites.

I eyed the spread—olives, slivers of smoked salmon, and caviar toasts.

“Help yourself,” he said, reaching for the half-filled glass of vodka on the low table before us.

I picked up a piece of olive and leaned back on the couch, watching him sip from his glass. “Can I ask what we’re doing here?”

He raised his brows. “It’s a nightclub.”

“I can see that,” came my said. “But what I don’t get is why you brought me here?”

“Would you rather have stayed back at the estate, watching the outside world through your window?”

I paused, my gaze never leaving his face. “Why?”

His eyes squinted a little, a hint of confusion flickering in their depths.

“You clearly don’t need me for anything,” I added, “so why’d you buy me?”

Silence.

“I mean, all I do is stay locked up day in, day out with no goal, no purpose at all. I don’t serve you in any way—meaning I am of no use to you.” The words came out slow and deliberate, my expression softening by the second. “So, help me understand why you would spend a million dollars to buy what you don’t need.”

His eyes shifted from my face and roamed the surroundings behind me. The small smirk on his lips gradually vanished, replaced with something more sinister. At this point, it was safe to say that he was no longer listening to me; his attention was fixed on something else.

“Nik?” I called, wondering why the sudden change in attitude. “Are you still here?” I looked back, hoping to find what had captured his attention.

I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary—just a bunch of writhing bodies on the dance floor.

“Get down,” he said to me, his voice low but urgent.

“What?”

“Get down, now!” he bellowed, reaching out to grab me.

That’s when the first shot rang out.

Bang!

Chaos erupted—people screaming, gunshots filling the room like a storm. The music died down in an instant, bullets shredding the air, flashing like silver sparks under the neon lights.

People dropped to the floor—dead, injured, seeking shelter from the sudden violence. Glass shattered, drinks spilled, and ear-piercing screams filled the air.

Nik had pulled me to himself and flipped me over so his body shielded me from the turmoil. I lay low under his protective arms, my survival instincts already kicking in. My eyes searched the surroundings for anything to use as a makeshift weapon—anything to defend myself with.

“Are you okay—are you hit?” he asked me, his voice laced with hints of concern.

I nodded.

“Stay down.” He rose from on top of me.

By the time I looked in his direction, he was already in action, firing calculated shots at the armed men who raided the building. While he was busy taking down those across the dance floor, two more snuck up behind him.

He wasn’t looking, and his attention was on the enemies below. I watched them climb the stairs, guns raised in front of them. They were aiming at him, ready to squeeze the trigger at any moment.

I could let them take the shot and end his life in an instant. That would be one monster off the streets of Chicago. His death would mean I could go back to my normal life. No one would ever remember the wild girl he once bought at an auction. No one would come looking for me—they’d all be too focused on his death.

In that moment, within a split second, I had to make a choice. Let him die and earn my freedom. Or save him and continue the mission to bring him to justice.

Honestly, I’d solve seventy-five percent of my current problems by just letting these men kill him. But wouldn’t that make me as terrible as him?

I was supposed to be better than him—more reasonable, more compassionate, and less violent. Did he deserve death for all his crimes? Yes. Still, it wasn’t my place to decide that. The best way to bring him down was to follow the rules.

I closed my eyes, heaved a sigh, and made my choice. “Nik, behind you!”

With lightning-fast reflexes, he spun around and fired twice, one bullet each at two attackers. Three more surged up the stairs while his men handled the others below. This small group wasn’t armed with guns but with knives and machetes.

He squeezed his trigger, but the gun clicked empty. Nik hurled it at the first attacker; it slammed into his nose and knocked him to the ground. With his bare hands, he fought the other two, pummeling them despite their machetes and knives.

The sound of bones cracking echoed through the space as Nik snapped them like dry twigs. His victims groaned in pain and screamed loudly.

He hurled one of them off the balcony, then kicked the other in the nuts. Nik lifted him into the air and slammed him downward. The man landed head-first with a sickening thud, his neck cracking under the impact. His lifeless body sprawled at Nik’s feet as he towered over him, his chest heaving quietly.

The third guy grabbed a knife from the floor and lunged at me, ready to attack. The idiot probably thought I was helpless. But he had no clue that from the moment he got to his feet, I had already figured out three different ways to take him down without breaking a sweat.

However, before I could act, Nik grabbed the fool by the shirt. He yanked him backward with one powerful pull and sent the man flying over the railing. Seconds later, we heard him crash into a table below the balcony.

The chaos ended just as suddenly as it started. In its aftermath, only Nik and his men remained standing. The attackers were either dead or retreating.

I rose to my feet, eyes sweeping over the mess—corpses, blood on the walls and the dance floor below. Broken glasses crunched beneath boots as Nik’s men moved around, assessing the scene. The crowd of frenzied dancers had dispersed, and the music was as dead as the assailants lying in pools of their own blood.

I stared at Nik in silence, struggling to reconcile the protector I just witnessed with the monster I knew him to be.

Two of his men went up the stairs, their heavy footsteps breaking our quiet staring contest. They didn’t ask questions; they just checked to make sure no one was hurt.

“Clean up this mess,” he ordered them, his voice deep and steady as though this was just another Tuesday in the club.

They nodded, and one of them signaled the others below, barking instructions in Russian.

Nik’s gaze returned to me—and although he didn’t say anything, the look in his eyes reminded me that I was still under his watch. No matter the situation.

I wasn’t sure how that made me feel; relieved or terrified? But whatever the case, one thing was clear: Nikolai Tarasov was more dangerous than I thought.

Chapter 10 – Nik

Richard Kane was behind the attack on my nightclub two nights ago. The bastard’s been trying to bring me down for a really long time now. Over the past few months, he’d sent dozens of men after me, and after every attack, it’s his men that always end up dead.

I’d been on the defensive for a while, letting him send his best assassins after me, only to kill all but one. I often liked to leave at least one alive so he’d return to his foolish boss and report the mess he witnessed.

But for some reason, Richard Kane just wouldn’t give up. He was trying desperately to prove he could take me down and destroy what I had spent years building. I hadn’t launched a full-scale attack on the son of a bitch.

Not yet, anyway.

Let him enjoy his fun for now—let him keep sending his men to their deaths trying to take down Nikolai Tarasov. His foolishness caught up with him, and despite all his efforts to get my attention, I wasn’t going to stoop to his level. Richard Kane was nothing more than a clown to me—an idiot desperate for recognition. He believed that if he could go after me and succeed, he’d be seen—maybe even feared—by the other criminal groups.

Fool!

The best way to teach him a lesson was to keep sending corpses back to him while still ignoring his loud noises. He wasn’t worth my time—I had more important things to worry about than planning a retaliation against that pig.

If he truly wanted my attention, he’d have to do a lot more than just attack my clubs. But for now, I had bigger fish to fry—like the fact that since the attack, my Dikaya had been avoiding me. I wasn’t sure why; however, my guess was that she saw a side of me she had only read in the papers.

Maybe the monster she saw that night scared her quite a bit. A little fear was a good thing—at least it made her fall in line and show respect when needed. Even though she tried to stay away from me, I still caught her gaze lingering longer than usual whenever she thought I wasn’t looking.

Today, I was in the pool wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, the water cool against my skin. I sliced through the surface, arms pulling with strong, steady strokes. As I glided, swimming from one edge to the other, the sun glinted on the ripples, my breath a low rhythmic hum.

I noticed her watching me from the balcony, but pretended to be unaware of her unwavering gaze. I kept swimming, reveling in the comfort that cool water provided. I swam to the other side of the pool, wiped a palm over my face, and then lifted my head toward her.

She flinched, her body stiffening the second she met my gaze. Her hand flew into her hair, and she lowered her head, her eyes darting across the compound. She was embarrassed that I caught her staring at me. My lips curled into a self-satisfied grin, and I refused to take my eyes off her.

She glanced at me, but when she saw my steady stare, she scratched the back of her head and straightened her posture. Quietly, she went back inside, disappearing from view.

I let out a soft scoff, shook my head, and resumed swimming. My mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of her—the fact that something was beginning to swell within me. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it wasn’t hate or fear; it was darker and lighter at the same time.

Each time I looked into her eyes, there was always this flame flickering in their depths—the kind of fire that hinted at sheer desire. As much as I loved to bask in the lust growing inside her, the same was growing inside me, too. So whatever effect I was having on her, she was having on me, too.

When I finished in the pool, I headed back into the house with a white towel draped over my neck. My skin glistened with droplets under the soft light as I ran my fingers through my hair. I had just rounded a corner when I bumped into her in the hallway.

Her body collided with mine, her soft breasts pressed against my chest. A faint scowl flashed across her face, her fingers rubbing her forehead in a massaging motion. It appeared the impact had hurt that particular spot, hence the frown and the gentle massage.

“Watch where you’re going, will you?” she murmured, defiance flickering in her gaze.

She tried to hide it—but I could see right through her. Her eyes swept over my body in a fleeting moment, drinking in the sight of my chiseled abs and broad torso. Her breath hitched, and her throat wobbled, hinting at the heat spreading through her body.

Her gaze dropped to my groin, where the print of my cock was visible beneath my tight boxers.

A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “Do you like what you see?”

“Huh—what?” Her eyes flicked back to my face, her tone defensive.

I raised my brows, letting a soft mocking laugh. “I know you like the view.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please don’t overestimate yourself.”

“You’re free to touch if you want.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” she asked, arms across her chest, her voice laced with sarcasm.

I maintained that smirk on my lips while tugging at both ends of the towel around my neck. “Is that rhetorical?” I teased. “Because I could just as well answer it.” My eyes darted over her body.

She was wearing a pair of ripped jean shorts and a white crop top that exposed her flat belly. Beautiful and sexy. Her soft brown hair was back to the usual—tied into a messy ponytail—and her stormy green-gray eyes sparkled in the light.

She rolled her eyes again, shook her head, and walked past me, her shoulder brushing against mine in the process. She pretended to be unaffected by my words and the fleeting sexual tension that had hovered around us seconds ago.

I turned around with a smirk on my lips as I watched her leave, her hips swaying with each step. I stood there in the silence, savoring the sight of her amazing body and the awareness between us.

Her resistance was fleeting because it was only a matter of time before she’d fall for my subtle seduction. And when she did—nothing would ever be the same again. I’d own and possess every curve, every inch of her body, mind, and soul.

She would, in time, belong to me in every sense of the word.

Chapter 11 – Blair

The plan was simple: Flip the table and seduce him before he seduced me—make him want me so badly that he’d lose his composure. It seemed like a good and feasible plan at the time, especially because I’d be killing two birds with one stone.

However, as the days blurred past, I couldn’t bring myself to become the seductress that I thought I was. It turned out that it wasn’t as simple as I thought—easier said than done, I guess.

After all that hype about driving him crazy with my words, actions, and appearance, it was all just noise in the end. There’s one huge problem that I ignored when cooking up this seduction plan.

I was still a virgin.

Yep.

It didn’t make sense that an inexperienced girl like me would pull a stunt like effectively seducing a Mafia boss. Even if I managed to do so, I’d die of embarrassment before he’d be done with the first round.

Besides, this wasn’t how I envisioned getting deflowered—not by a ruthless monster like Nikolai Tarasov. Yet, he proved every day to be one thing I couldn’t stop staring at. I’d taken a pause on my plan to seduce him—because part of me was worried it wouldn’t end well.

But now, I was the one being seduced by him.

It was the tiny details that stirred up something inside me—his shoulder grazing mine when he moved too close, the sight of him shirtless, and that pesky little smirk on his face.

Every time I tried to remind myself that he was a monster and I shouldn’t feel anything for him, my mind would flash back to the night at his club. The way Nik had moved instinctively to save me from the pelting bullets blurred the line between the beast I thought he was and the protector that shielded me from an attack.

If there wasn’t an ounce of goodness in him—no shred of humanity at all, then why did I hear worry and concern in his tone when he asked if I was hit? Was he faking it? I highly doubt that.

The other night, he found me curled up on the couch at one of the balconies. He must’ve thought that I was asleep, but I was still half awake—aware of my surroundings. He took his jacket off, assumed that I was freezing, and draped the thick fabric over my body.

Reflexively, I adjusted on the couch, finding comfort in the warmth that enveloped me. The scent of his cologne was all on this jacket, teasing my senses.

But he didn’t stop there. No. This man carried me in his arms, took me back to my room, and laid me down on the bed. He took his jacket off me and then pulled the sheets over my body. His fingers brushed against my skin when he pushed back the hair that framed my face.

His touch was gentle, his presence offering a sense of safety. Nik lingered over me for a moment, and even though my eyes were closed, I could feel his gaze. He didn’t try anything stupid—didn’t attempt to take advantage of me in my sleep. Nothing of the sort.

Instead watched over me like a guardian angel. After a few minutes, he quietly walked out of the room and switched the light off. The moment the door closed with a soft click, I opened my eyes, a small smile playing on my lips.

Ever since that night, he’d been roaming my mind, and there was no feasible way to get him out. How could someone so ruthless be so gentle and loving at the same time? Nik always liked to get under my skin, pretending to find solace in my torment. However, it was clear that that wasn’t the case.

At this point, I wasn’t even sure what I believed anymore. I had no idea what my perception of him was because no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that he was evil, I couldn’t ignore the contradictions. He was a monster. Yes. But he was also my protector, my shield, and defender—he’d made that pretty clear.

It was unsettling that I could feel so much attraction toward a man like Nik—a man I was on a mission to bring down. I was angry at myself for harboring such emotions for a heartless criminal, but resenting myself wasn’t helping the situation at all.

This ‘criminal’ had snuck his way into my heart, occupied my thoughts, and left me in a state of utter confusion. Each time his skin grazed mine, it sparked a heat within me that I didn’t want but at the same time, didn’t know I needed.

Each glance at this ridiculously attractive man seemed to drag me deeper into something I tried so hard to resist. The more I fought this feeling, the more difficult it became to focus on anything. Countless times, he’d caught me watching me in unguarded moments. It was so embarrassing, honestly, especially because of my attitude toward him.

I loathed how much effect he had on me, and I was drawn to him like steel to a magnet.

“There you are,” his deep voice, smooth and enticing, cut through my thoughts.

“Jesus Christ!” I flinched, my hand flying to my chest. I gripped the balcony railing tightly as if anchoring myself to reality.

He let out a low laugh.

I turned around to look at him, a faint—almost playful scowl settling on my face. “It’s not funny! You don’t sneak up on people like that—Jesus!” The words tumbled out in a rush.

Shirtless, he leaned against the door frame, the moon’s ethereal glow silvering his thick skin and broad torso.

“I thought you didn’t scare easily,” he teased, a mocking smirk lining the corners of his lips.

I swallowed hard, trying not to be distracted by the hard panels of his stomach, each ridge catching the soft light.

“I don’t—” I cleared my throat, eyes dropping momentarily to the floor. “You just took me by surprise.”

“That’s the best excuse you can come up with?” He raised a brow, his gaze unwavering.

Ignoring the mockery in his tone, I asked, “What do you want, Nik?”

“Careful now. You might not like my answer.” His eyes roamed my body in a single sweep, a glint of lust flickering in their depths.

My breath hitched, and my pulse spiked in a heartbeat. But chose to play it cool, acting unfazed by his response. “I meant, why are you out there?”

He paused, watching me closely. “You’ve been avoiding me for days now. Why is that?”

My brows knitted together. “Uh…maybe I’m still recovering from the fact that you almost got me killed.”

“Really?” he asked, that deep husky voice sending tremors down my core. “Is that how you choose to see it—that I almost got you killed?”

“How else do you want me to see it?” came my response, swift and stern. “You offered to take me out, and I agreed. And of all the places in the city, you chose a nightclub—one where gunfire was basically part of the playlist.” I paused, letting the words sink in for a moment. “What if I was shot?”

“You weren’t.”

“But what if I was?”

Silence.

I didn’t take my eyes off him, and neither did he.

I heaved a sigh, fingers rubbing my forehead. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I was a lot safer within these walls.”

Again, silence.

Then he broke it. “So, I took you out once, and now somehow, I’m the bad guy.” His voice dropped low, the kind of calm that sounded too close to laughter. “Interesting logic.”

“Don’t do that—don’t try to turn this around.” My scowl deepened.

At this point, anger was the only emotion that I could muster. It was the one thing that could block out the illicit thoughts creeping into my mind.

“You know, instead of making me the villain, you could actually just thank me.”

I scoffed, brows rising in disbelief. “For what? Saving the life you endangered? Yeah, no—I’m not doing that.”

He pushed himself off the door frame and approached me with slow steps. I drew a breath, bracing myself as he closed the distance between us. My eyes flicked to his chiseled abs, then to the faint print of his stick dangling between his legs before returning to his face.

“You’re one stubborn little mule, you know that?” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I looked up at him, defiance flashing in my eyes. “So I’m told.”

Towering over me, he asked, “Do you know what they say about stubborn people?”

“We don’t break easily,” I answered, arrogance creeping into my tone.

His hand snapped out, fingers caressing the strands that framed my face. “True. But that’s just that first part. The second part says you bleed longer.”

Silence.

My heart was pounding like a drum, and all I could do was hope that he wouldn’t notice how nervous I was. He’d gotten so close to me that I could feel him grazing against my thighs.

The soft touch stirred up something primal within me, and jolts of electricity surged through my blood, leaving me vulnerable.

I was tempted to glance down at the shaft teasing my upper legs, but by doing that, I’d only be exposing my own desires.

“Stubbornness is strength without direction, Dikaya,” he drawled, eyes narrowing slightly. “It burns bright. But it burns out.”

I locked my jaw, my chest heaving with slow breaths. He held my gaze and leaned in to mirror my face, his lips inches from mine. A sudden heat spread across my body as a cold shiver sprinted down my spine. My palms were greasy, and I was already sweating in awkward places.

I felt a tingling sensation between my legs, and my thighs brushed against each other in response. My body stiffened when he ran the back of his hand along my arm. His electric touch weakened my knees, turning my legs into jelly.

My heart sank into my stomach as I held his gaze, struggling not to shrink under his stare. The scent of his cologne was intoxicating, his towering height intimidating. He had me trapped—cornered. Literally.

In that moment, I knew that one wrong move would send me melting into his arms. I was weak and vulnerable, and if he decided to act on that tonight, he’d have me in his bed in no time.

I was wet down there just by looking into those cold eyes of his. His fingers on my arm ignited a flame within me, and it was starting to burn like a wildfire. It was as though every cell in my body had come alive, and all I wanted was to taste his lips.

This—whatever this was?—it was intentional.

Nikolai Tarasov was teasing me on purpose, messing with my emotions just to see how long until I gave in. As much as I wanted to prove him wrong, I knew even if I passed the test tonight, it was only a matter of time before I fell completely.

He wasn’t going to give up; the determination in his eyes was a testament to that. I was at his mercy, ready to bend to his will—and if he kissed me right now, I wouldn’t push him away. Instead, I kissed him back and maybe even lost myself in the passion. That was how turned on I was.

His lips twisted into a mischievous grin, and just like that, he quietly pulled away. “Sleep well, Dikaya,” he whispered, then turned and left.

After he disappeared out of sight, I let out a long sigh of relief, realizing just now that I’d been holding my breath this whole time. With a hand on my chest, I struggled to get a hold of myself, and my grip tightened around the railing.

My knees were too weak to carry my weight, my mind too busy to focus on anything other than Nikolai Tarasov. I despised how my body betrayed me, how it responded to his touch with longing. I knew that entertaining those illicit thoughts in my head was a bad idea, but I couldn’t help it.

I tried to remind myself over and over again that he was the enemy and I was on a mission to bring him to justice. However, the cracks were already spreading in my defiance.

There’s no better way to say it. I’m fucked.

Chapter 12 – Nik

I’d just stepped out of the shower, and my body was still glistening with water droplets. Steam curled around my skin, the marble floor cool beneath my feet as I strolled over to the minibar.

There, I grabbed a bottle of brandy, popped it open, and poured myself a glass. I lifted it to my face, inhaled the sweet aroma, then took a sip.

My fingers combed through my damp hair, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of my lips. As I stood there with a towel wrapped around my waist, I recalled the way my Dikaya shrank under my gaze last night.

I was certain that my proximity to her on the balcony had more effect on her than she cared to admit. She tried so hard to mask it—but as a master at this game, I easily saw right through her.

The way her breath hitched when I leaned closer, the clenching of her jaw, the heaving of her chest, and the flicker of desire in her eyes all hinted at one thing. The flame ignited within her.

In other words, the girl was turned on. She was horny—and if I’d attempted to kiss her, there was an eighty percent chance that she would’ve kissed me back. I’d played this game long enough to master the art of seduction.

Remembering her struggle to stay calm and composed broadened my smirk. It was amusing how much effort she put into pretending to be unaffected by my advances.

Funny girl!

I drained the drink down my throat and refilled my glass. While at that, my brain was busy cooking up more ways to torture her until she begged me to take her.

She thought she was strong enough to resist me, but last night revealed just how vulnerable she was around me. It was clearly a matter of time before she’d fall for the temptation she’d tried so hard to resist.

A flash of lightning streaked through the dark clouds outside, accompanied by rolls of thunder. In no time, the heavens began weeping.

I gulped down the glass of brandy, sealed the bottle, and, while I was heading over to the king-sized bed, the front door slammed open.

Dikaya barged into my bedroom uninvited, her bare feet padding across the floor. Her eyes were blazing with fury, and a scowl was etched on her face.

For a moment there, I wondered what the hell this was all about. She’d never come in here before—never showed any interest in knowing where I lay my head at night. But for some reason, she had the effrontery to barge in unannounced.

No one had ever invaded my privacy the way she just did. Although I was intrigued by it, part of me couldn’t wait to know what her reason was for acting so recklessly. And whatever it was, it had better be good because I’d hurt people for lesser crimes than this.

She stood a few paces from me, seething with her arms across her chest. Her black, semi-transparent nightgown, a sheer lace chemise, revealed a teasing glimpse of her matching underpants beneath.

The hem of the fabric grazed the smooth curve of her alluring thighs as a light white robe hung loosely over her shoulders.

The see-through fabric did little to conceal the temptation it was meant to cover. Her hair cascaded down her back in effortless waves, and her stormy green-gray eyes sparkled under the soft light.

The intoxicating scent of her perfume drifted into my nostrils, and although she looked pissed, everything about her tonight was seductive.

“You really are heartless, aren’t you?” she attacked me, her voice harsh and stern. “Do you find comfort in watching other people suffer? Why are you so mean?”

I paused, holding her intense gaze. “I’m afraid you’re gonna have to be a little bit more specific than that.”

“I saw Katerina crying in the backyard.”

My brows rose in confusion. “Who?”

“Katerina,” she snapped, irritation flashing in her eyes. “Your maid. You know—one of the decent people keeping this mansion of yours running.”

Silence.

I could now see where she was going with this. A few hours ago, the girl was refilling my glass in my study when she spilled wine on an important document on my table. I snapped at her for being clumsy and ordered her out of my sight.

Now Dikaya was here, seeking justice. How amusing.

“Are you really that self-absorbed that you don’t even know the names of the people who work for you?”

“A good judge doesn’t jump to conclusions based on one side of the story.”

“You yelled at her and sent her out of your sight like she was some riff-raff!”

“She spilled wine on an important document.”

“It was an accident!” she shot back. “She didn’t mean to do it, and she definitely didn’t deserve to be treated like a lesser human being.”

“She is lesser,” I said, trying to push her to her limit.

“No, she’s not!” Dikaya snapped, her eyes blazing with fury.

Gorgeous. I loved it.

“She’s your maid, not your slave!”

A small grin tugged at the corners of my lips. “I don’t see the difference.”

She swallowed her words, and her head shot backward, shocked by my response. “You’re a monster,” she declared, her voice dropping below a whisper.

“I am,” I said coldly. “And you’re in my den, alone…shouting in my face. That’s a reckless move for a smart woman such as yourself.” With that, I stepped toward her, my gaze fixed on her fiery eyes.

“In case you haven’t noticed, Nik, I’m not afraid of you,” she said, staring right at me.

“No, you’re not,” I whispered, closing the distance between us. “You’re afraid of something else—something darker. Something that makes you tremble and makes your heart race when you think about it.”

She swallowed hard and locked her jaw. “Are you projecting your own fears on me, Nik? Is that what you’re doing?”

I towered over her, flashing a cocky grin as my eyes drank in the sight of her sexy body. “Go ahead. Mask your desire with anger all you want, but I see you.”

Silence.

Her chest was rising and falling with measured breaths, her eyes still pinned on me.

“Tell me, Dikaya,” I began, circling around her with slow, calculated steps. “Why are you really here?”

Lightning flashed across the room.

“To call out your bullshit and maybe remind you of what humanity looks like.”

I moved around her like a predator studying its prey, my fingers slipping through a handful of her soft brown curls. The scent of shampoo and conditioner clung to the strands, sweet and clean.

“Then why are you half-naked?” I paused in front of her again with an unwavering gaze. “Did you have to dress up provocatively to make a point?”

A crooked grin played on her lips. “Why? Does it bother you?” she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm. “Is it affecting your focus or maybe making you feel a certain way?”

My expression darkened. “Careful, Dikaya. You keep testing me like that, and I might start taking it personally,” I said, my voice a low whisper.

She paused, her eyes locked to mine, her chest still heaving slowly. “Is that a threat?”

My lips twisted into a mischievous grin. “Stick around long enough, and you’ll find out.”

“Maybe that’s what I want: to find out what you’ll do if I keep pushing,” she answered, her tone quiet, but seductive.

I leaned in to mirror her face, her fresh breath warm against my skin. “You’re playing with fire, Dikaya. And you just might get burned.” I grabbed her arm, watching her expression shift from furious to tense.

Her body collided with mine, her soft breast pressing against my skin. I expected her to resist—to push me away, but she didn’t. She just held my gaze as if daring me to take her despite the glimmer of fear in her eyes.

I released her arm and wrapped my right hand around her waist while caressing her cheek with the other. “Aren’t you going to stop me?” I whispered in her face. “You know what I’m doing. Push me away if you don’t want it.”

Her throat bobbed, her breathing quickened, and her jaw locked, but she said nothing.

Another round of thunder clapped outside.

I pulled her closer, my cock growing harder by the second. “Tell me to stop and I will,” I dared her.

Still not a word, just a look that begged me to take her already.

“You go quiet when you should be running.” My hand slipped to the back of her neck. “Your silence, Dikaya, says more than you think.”

Again, no response. Although seconds ago, her lips had parted as if to speak, but no sound came forth. Her breath caught in her throat, and her defiance faltered. The air between us was charged with tension, and I could almost hear the sound of her beating heart.

She stood frozen in place, a hint of anticipation dancing in her eyes. It was obvious that she wanted me as much as I wanted her. A soft gasp fell from her mouth when I pressed my fingers into the back of her neck.

I pulled her head closer and planted a kiss on those cherry lips of hers. The sudden action stole her breath, drawing an abrupt moan from her. She didn’t kiss me back; instead, she tore her lips from mine.

Her chest heaved more heavily than before, her body trembling as she held my gaze. I didn’t push any further, just waited for her own desire to take control. And it didn’t disappoint.

Seconds later, she damned everything and rushed at my mouth, her lips devouring mine in the heat of passion. I pulled her to myself, reveling in the feeling of her body against me. Her tongue invaded my mouth, our heads tilting to the rhythm of the hunger that fueled our desire.

The light robe slid off her shoulders, revealing the spaghetti straps of her nightgown. I dared to palm her breasts over the fabric of her dress—she didn’t stop me. I squeezed deliciously, molding her gentle swells with soft caresses.

I whisked her into the air, her legs wrapping around me as I headed toward the bed. While still in motion, she continued to devour my lips with an intense fervency that only fueled my lust.

It felt like a dream—but it wasn’t. It was real; we were at last making out.

I lay her back on the bed, her hair sprawling over the pillow as I crawled on top of her. I broke the kiss and stared at her for a moment, savoring the look of want and embarrassment plastered all over her face.

She tipped her head back when I leaned in to kiss the nape of her neck. Her hands caressed my back in response to my touch, her legs parting for better access.

I tugged down the straps of her sheer lace chemise, exposing the curves of her breasts. While sucking on one, I fondled the other, basking in the sound of her moans. Her hand slid down to the towel around my waist, and with one tug, she yanked it off me.

“Oh, my God—it’s big!” The words escaped her mouth the moment she wrapped her fingers around my cock.

She probably didn’t mean to say that out loud, hence the glint of embarrassment in her eyes when I looked up at her face.

A wind of satisfaction and pride washed over me, and I smirked. “You’ve never had a huge cock, huh?” I teased, my voice as low as hers.

She swallowed hard, her hand stroking my shaft as she stared at me with a mix of awe, fear, and desire. As the silence stretched on, my head tilted slightly to the side, a crazy thought creeping into my mind.

The suspicion in my gaze was clear as crystal, but I watched without a word.

“Actually, I’ve never….” Her voice trailed off, her eyes shifting away from me. “…done this before.”

My brows lifted in shock. What a pleasant surprise!

“You’re kidding,” I said calmly.

She shook her head.

I didn’t know what to make of this revelation, but one thing was certain: Taking her innocence would be a huge win for me. But she had to be on board a hundred percent. As ruthless as I was, I’d never take a woman without her consent.

Before I could make any other move, I had to make sure that we were on the same page.

“We can stop here if you want,” I suggested, even though deep down, I hoped she’d reject it.

And she didn’t disappoint.

She shook her head.

“I’ll be gentle.”

Her chest heaved subtly when I went down and buried my face between her legs. The fact that she hadn’t been touched by anyone before had just changed the game.

It didn’t kill the fire; it only slowed down the pace, and since this was her first time, I had to make it worthwhile. She might not like me as a person, but after tonight, her perception of me would change.

I took her panties off and stared at her beautiful cunt—well-shaven and a bit pink at the clit. My hands held her thighs in place as I drew in a deep breath, savoring the scent of her arousal.

The teasing glimpse of the wetness between her folds sent shivers down my spine, fanning the flame burning within me.

I leaned in, my tongue parting her fold with a single swipe.

“Oh, my God!” she gasped, her legs trembling beneath my grip.

She tasted really good, so I kept eating. She arched her back in response to my touch, her fingers clutching the sheets beneath us. Her moans were muffled at first—suppressed by her embarrassment.

However, the longer I spent between her legs, the more impossible it became to hold back. I drank her juice, sucked her clit, and licked her entrance like a hungry animal.

“Fuck, that’s so good,” she moaned out loud, her hips swaying against my mouth.

I kept eating, flicking my tongue with just the right pace, in the right spot at the right time. The more I ate, the more her legs trembled as she tried to pull herself away from my mouth.

But she didn’t get to do that. Each time she pulled away, I dragged her back by the thighs. She was mumbling something about me killing her softly, but I wouldn’t stop eating.

“Nik, please…” she moaned, struggling to pull away again.

I held her thighs in place.

“It’s so good I think I’m gonna come,” she whimpered, her voice low and shaky.

So soon? Perfect.

I found the right spot and flicked my tongue over it with a steady rhythm, anticipating her release.

“Oh, fuck—what’re you doing to me?” She tugged on the sheets, her voice deep and dripping with urgency. “Yeah, right there. Just like that. Fuck!”

The storm outside drowned the sound of her moans as they grew louder by the minute. She clearly couldn’t hold them back anymore.

I flicked so hard that my tongue almost felt numb. I drooled all over her slippery cunt, my saliva mixing with her nectar. She cried out, arching her back and pressing my head deeper between her legs.

“I’m coming, Nik,” she announced, her voice weakened by sheer pleasure. “I’m coming, I’m coming….”

Her announcement was a signal to take my face off before it was too late. And just before her dam shattered, I lifted my head, watching her unravel in front of me. Her body was shaking, her toes were curled, and her eyes had completely turned white.

Like water from a fountain, she squirted, liquid spraying all over my groin. She arched her back so high while tugging on the sheets beneath her. A moment later, she dropped to the mattress, gasping for breath, sweat glistening on her heaving chest.

I crawled over her, palmed her left breast, and sealed her lips with a soft kiss. She reached down, grabbing my dangling shaft and positioning it outside her cunt. Her body writhed beneath me as she teased herself with the tip of my cock.

“Allow me,” I whispered in her ear, taking the cock from her hand.

She held my gaze, steeled herself, and stiffened her body in anticipation. Her chest was rising and falling, her nipples erect—pink from all that sucking.

“Oh, my God,” she gasped, her pussy stretching out, accommodating me.

I pushed gently inside her, feeling the sweet pain of her nails digging into my flesh. She gripped my shoulders, anchoring herself to the bed as I penetrated her tight cunt.

Her eyes widened, a glint of pain flashing in their depths the deeper I drove into her. The mix of my drool and her wetness helped ease some of the pain. Her lips parted in a silent scream, her face contorting in pleasure and agony as she swallowed me slowly.

“Fuck,” she mumbled under her breath. “Is it all in?”

I wasn’t even halfway in yet.

This would take a while.

I moved gently, in and out of her pussy. The more I repeated the gesture, the more her body adjusted to my careful thrusts.

In. Out.

In. Out.

With time, the penetration became smooth enough to send jolts of pleasure across her body. Not pain. When I glanced down at my cock, there was blood on my cap, hinting that I’d broken her hymen.

I lifted her leg in the air, caressed her thigh, and kissed her lips while driving into her with gentle strokes. She wrapped her arms around my neck, moaning in my ear the further into her I drove.

My waist ground against hers, and with each thrust, I drew a soft purr from her mouth. She raked her nails down my back, her hips swaying with the same rhythm as mine.

“Harder,” she whispered in my ear.

At first, I wasn’t sure I heard right until she repeated it. “Harder—fuck me harder.”

She looked into my eyes, her teeth grazing her lower lip as if wanting more of me. Sprawled beneath me, she surrendered to my authority, her face a mask of pleasure.

Gradually, I upped my tempo, grinding faster as she requested.

“I don’t even know why I’m letting this happen,” she confessed. “But it feels so good.”

The room pulsed with hurried motion as I pushed deeper and deeper into her. My strokes were relentless, every move driven by something fierce and primal.

“Fuck!” she cried out, bucking her hips for deeper connection. “I hate how much I want you so badly right now.”

“Then tell me to stop, and I will.”

“Don’t you fuckin’ stop,” she warned me.

She was driving me crazy, and she didn’t even know. The faster I moved, the closer I drew to finishing, but I held it back in and kept going. The sound of her sweet moans was pushing me to my limit. With every second, I felt myself coming apart, close to climax.

I let out a guttural growl, burying myself deeper inside her. The tension snapped in one final, shuddering release as I filled her up with my load. The initial plan was to withdraw before the release, but the feeling was so good that it had glued to her.

Spent and breathless, I collapsed onto the damp sheets beside her, heart pounding in sync with hers. Neither of us said a word to each other, and I couldn’t help feeling a grim satisfaction.

There’s a really good chance that after now, she might hate me for this. And maybe hate herself too for letting a man like me between her legs.

Considering that we came from different worlds, I was definitely the last person on Earth she’d give her innocence to.

However, despite how much hatred she might have for me, she was never going to forget me. Never. I’d claimed her in every sense of the word—she belonged to me now.

She would be angry at me. Yes. But she would also crave more, and I’d be here to give it to her.

Chapter 13 – Blair

The next morning, I lay sprawled on my belly, the sheets draped loosely over my waist. My thighs were left bare—exposed, my hair a tangled mess, and my skin still tinged with his warmth. The intoxicating scent of his cologne lingered in the air, wrapping around me like silk.

I lay there, basking in the comfort and warmth his king-sized bed provided. The memory of last night came rushing into my head, those erotic images flashing in my mind, occupying every thought.

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment, my heart raced in my chest, but despite myself, I couldn’t deny the satisfaction I felt. My body was still aching, and my cunt was still a bit sore—but none of that could be compared to the fulfillment that coursed through me.

I heaved a heavy sigh, suppressing the smile breaking out of me. I should hate myself for giving in to the temptation of last night. I should beat myself up and feel nothing but repulsion toward him. But surprisingly, that wasn’t the case.

In all honesty, I’d never felt more alive in my entire life. It was like a veil had been lifted off my eyes, and I could see more clearly now. Crazy how I felt different—brand new, relished, and fulfilled.

Nik was the last person I ever thought I’d give my innocence to. And although I lost my virginity the way I always envisioned, the feeling was like nothing I’d ever felt before. I still couldn’t get over the fact that Nikolai Tarasov had it in him to be gentle at something.

His kisses, touch, and caresses were perfect! He knew exactly where to touch me and how, as if he understood the anatomy of a woman’s body. And indeed, he did. The experience was everything I expected—and more—the initial pain, followed by the sweet sensation that came after.

Until last night, I never realized how much I’d been missing out on all this time. I didn’t hold myself back because I had no one to do it with. Quite the opposite, I had lots of boys and men trying to get between my legs.

I just never felt ready—besides, I was too occupied with work to focus on insignificant and fleeting pleasures. I thought sex was overhyped and decided to save myself for the right man. Only to end up giving it to the wrong one.

However, as reckless as that decision seemed, I didn’t regret it as much as I thought I would. Instead, I felt embarrassed for wanting more, for craving the man I was supposed to resent.

Alone in bed, I closed my eyes, replaying the moment over and over again. He was gentle but possessive, skilled at inducing sheer pleasure and making a woman go mad. His tongue was enough to make me have an orgasm—how was that possible? I thought it only existed in books and porn, not in real life.

I felt my muscles relax as I reminisced on how he made a woman out of me without even trying so hard. Every cell in my body was alive, the burden in my chest was lighter, and my stress and tension felt like they had melted away.

Nik didn’t just claim me last night; he burned himself into my memory and left a lasting mark of ownership on my soul. Now I was left wondering whether he was the monster I thought he was, because the version of him with me last night was human. Not a monster.

“Good morning.” His husky voice stopped my heart for a second.

My eyes widened in shock. I thought he’d left for work already since I woke up alone in bed. Reflexively, I sat up with my back against the headboard, fingers clutching the sheets over my breasts.

He furrowed his brows, seemingly amused that I was trying to hide what he had already seen and claimed as his.

“Good morning,” I greeted him, my voice barely above a whisper, too shy to hold his gaze.

He was standing across the bed, all dressed up in his signature suit and expensive cologne. One hand was buried in his pocket; the other held a mug of freshly brewed steaming coffee. His gaze was pinned on me even while taking a sip.

However, something was different about the way he looked at me this morning. His expression was softer, and his eyes didn’t have the usual mocking glint that always flickered in their depths.

I struggled to meet his gaze, but the awkward silence between us wasn’t helping at all. The tension in the air was palpable, and with each passing second, it grew more and more intense.

I thought he was going to mock me or boast about how he’d finally claimed my body despite how much I hated him. I steeled myself, ready to be embarrassed by his demeaning words, thinking he might remind me of the wild things I said in the heat of passion.

He took my innocence and could easily laugh at me for being so cheap. But he didn’t do any of that—just stared at me like he was seeing me for the very first time.

A single knock startled me, and I clutched the sheets tighter, tugging at them to ensure my naked body was covered. Before either of us could respond, the door swung open, and one of Nik’s men walked right in.

“Morning, Boss,” he greeted him, eyes fixed on the iPad screen in his hand.

I lowered my head in shame, fingers scratching the back of my head while he spoke to Nik. I wished I could just disappear before he finally noticed me.

Too late.

He paused, his eyes shifting toward the bed.

I raised my head and met his gaze in time to watch a slow grin tug at his lips. “Well, look who finally found a way to keep the boss entertained.” A mocking chuckle fell from his lips. “At least now we know you’re good for something.”

My eyes narrowed, brows furrowing together, but before I could even speak, Nik intervened.

“Speak to her like that again, and they’ll never find your body.” His voice was calm but cold as ice, his expression dark with displeasure.

Even the man was shocked by Nik’s response.

“She’s mine, and you will treat her as such,” he added. “Do you understand?” The warning was strict and stern.

The man straightened, a flicker of fear in his eyes. “Yes, sir.” He quickly glanced at me and apologized. “Apologies.”

I honestly wasn’t sure how to feel about this; should I feel protected or owned? Whatever the case, though, he did stand up for me and put that arrogant prick in his place.

Now, I was totally confused.

But even in the midst of all that conundrum, a faint voice inside me still reminded me of the mission.

Don’t get distracted, Blair. Focus. We’re one step closer now. Nik’s starting to see you in a different light, and we can use that. We can weaponize it to get what we need.

***

Later that evening, he took me out again, but this time it wasn’t to a club. It was for a public unveiling. He got me another dress specifically for the event—a red, long-sleeved, off-the-shoulder silk wrap with a daring slit that revealed my thighs with each step.

My hair was piled up into a neat bun on top of my head, my natural makeup blending with my skin tone. Despite the heels that lifted me inches from the floor, I still looked relatively small walking by his side.

He locked my hand in his elbow as we glided through the guests, all dressed to impress. His black tux gleamed under the soft light, his polished shoes glinting as he moved. Heads turned in our direction—some stared in awe, others in confusion, probably wondering who the mystery girl with Nik was.

I caught glimpses of envy and jealousy among many of the women at this gathering tonight. They looked at me as though I stole their man, and a part of me kind of enjoyed the attention. I wasn’t always the spotlight type of girl, but tonight, I loved the attention I was getting.

However, this wasn’t just personal; it was work-related. I’d never been this close to the likes of Nik Tarasov before. Yet, here I was, surrounded by the group of sharks and vipers I’d been trying to take down for a long time.

Perhaps being bought by this man wasn’t a curse at all. It was a blessing—one I was determined to utilize.

The hall was packed with some of the city’s ‘most important’ figures: political leaders, so-called philanthropists and humanitarians, et cetera.

They were all in bed with Mafia organizations for personal gain. These bastards were the city’s real problem. They pretended to care about the people when, in actual fact, they only cared about their pockets.

This gathering was proof that those who had sworn to serve the people were making dirty deals with devils in suits behind closed doors. They knew what these Mafia men were doing—all the atrocities and crimes they were guilty of. But they’d all been bribed to look away. Assholes.

Waiters wove through the crowd in their black and white uniforms, each balancing trays of champagne and canapes. A live band in a corner played classical music, its gentle rhythm floating in the air.

Nik exchanged pleasantries with a couple of men briefly before leading me toward a private table near the balcony. A couple waved at us from over there, suggesting they were either friends, family, or possibly business associates.

At first, I was a bit skeptical about hanging out with them. But after we got the table and they received us with a warm welcome, I had a change of heart. These people seemed nice; they were Russians and most probably Mafia too. However, the energy at the table was so raw, natural, and fun.

Anton and his wife, Larisa, were an old, effortlessly glamorous couple who bickered like it was foreplay. Anton looked like he was in his sixties with gray hair and a well-trimmed beard. Larisa, on the other hand, a gorgeous blonde with amazing blue eyes, seemed to be in her late forties or early fifties. But she was so beautiful I couldn’t stop staring at her.

There was another man at the table, a younger one—maybe the same age as Nik. His name was Daniil, a sharp-witted associate with a great sense of humor.

Together, these three cracked me up even when I tried to hold back my laughter. I hadn’t seen Nik so free before. It was like with this company, he wasn’t the brute and monster that I thought he was. He was just an average guy having a good time with his folks.

He wasn’t laughing as hard as the rest of us, but his smile and occasional chuckles suggested that he was having a good time. I didn’t think he had it in him to be so casual. Yet here he was, proving me wrong once again.

While the others’ voices droned on in the background, my eyes locked on him. He was seated beside me, his lips curled into an authentic smile as he chuckled at one of Daniil’s silly jokes. At that moment, he wasn’t the criminal mastermind that I knew him to be. He was just a regular human being like the rest of us.

No mask. No filters. Just him. Nik Tarasov, enjoying the company of his folks.

The moment he noticed I was staring too long at him, I looked away, shifting my gaze to the beautiful old couple. My heart skipped a beat when his hand rested on my lap under the table. I glanced in his direction, but he was busy talking with the couple, pretending not to realize his hand was traveling up my thigh.

My eyes widened ever so slightly, a jolt of electricity surging through my blood. His touch sent shivers down my spine, and my grip on my cutlery tightened. I locked my jaw, struggling to stay composed as he dared to travel higher. My breath hitched, and a sudden heat began spreading across my body.

Nik didn’t stop until his fingers rested on my underpants.

Fuck.

At this point, my heart was racing like a galloping horse. And just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, he shifted my panties and swiped his finger through my folds.

What the fuck?

A sweet sensation coursed through me like lightning, prompting my legs to part slightly. Everyone else at the table was so engrossed in the conversation that they didn’t notice what was happening under the cloth.

I was soaking wet in no time.

The feeling was too much to bear, and I hated myself for enjoying it. My toes curled under the table, and my chest rose and fell with slow, uneven breaths in an attempt to hide my arousal.

My smiles and laughs became forced—almost dry—because while they were enjoying each other’s company, I was enjoying something else. I lowered my head and bit my lower lip, taking this fleeting moment to revel in the ecstasy washing over me.

I tried to stay as composed as I could, but his finger on my pussy was driving me nuts. My body was starting to shiver, betraying my quiet composure. His touch had lit a flame inside me, and the thrill had me losing focus.

My thighs brushed against each other in order to douse the bliss pulsing through me. And just like that, a quiet moan fell off my lips.

The table fell silent for a second.

“My dear, are you alright?” Larisa asked me, her voice tinged with concern.

It wasn’t until after she spoke that Nik pulled his hand from my tunnel.

I raised my head, rubbing my eyes with my fingers, aiming to feign feeling a bit under the weather. “Yeah,” I answered, stealing a glance at Nik. “I just had a migraine, that’s all.”

“Oh, dear, it happens to the best of us,” she teased, her lips curling into a faint grin.

I mirrored her gesture, shooting a quick look at Nik as he sipped from his glass like he hadn’t done anything embarrassing.

“So, Nik,” Anton called out. “You haven’t properly introduced us to the beautiful lady,” he said, his voice thick with the Russian accent.

“That’s right,” Daniil chipped in. “I’ve been waiting for an introduction.”

I reached for my glass, lifted it to my lips, and took a sip, anticipating his response. A part of me was eager to know how he’d introduce me to these people.

Yeah, Nik, who am I to you? I thought to myself, watching him over the rim of my glass.

“You silly geese,” Larisa said, smiling. “Isn’t it obvious, she’s his fiancée!”

The comment caught me mid-sip, and I almost choked on the wine. “Fiancée?” I raised my brows.

Larisa paused, then shifted her gaze between Nik and me. “Don’t tell me this is the part where you break my heart. You two look together.” She turned to her husband and Daniil for support. “Right?”

“Yeah.”

“Absolutely.”

She looked at me with a soft expression. “If you’re not his fiancée, then what are you to him? Because you are the first woman he’s ever brought to our table.”

Wait—what?

“Plus, he looks more relaxed and, dare I say, happier than he’s been in years,” her husband chipped in.

“That’s not true, Anton,” he said, his expression as flat as his voice.

“Oh, really? Prior to tonight, when was the last time you had a good laugh?” Daniil asked him.

A lot was happening in this short period, and my brain was reeling with questions. Why would they assume that I was his fiancée? What did they mean that I was the first woman he’d brought here? Was this some sort of matchmaking tactic or what?

“So, dear, who are you to him?” Larisa insisted.

I would’ve loved it more if she’d pressured Nik into answering this and not me. He was in a better position to describe our situation.

“Well.” I cleared my throat. “It’s um…it’s complicated. But for what it’s worth, he calls me his Dikaya.”

Silence.

They all exchanged glances amongst themselves.

“You must be a wild one then,” Larisa added amidst chuckles.

“So I’m told.”

“That’s why you two are perfect for each other,” Anton said to me. “Nik is a controlling son of a bitch who’s impossible to deal with. A stubborn and wild woman is exactly what he needs in his life right now.”

The others laughed. I did too.

“You’re right,” I said. “He really is controlling. And impossible to deal with.”

“Can you not talk about me like I’m not sitting right here?” Nik said, relaxed in his chair.

A scattered chuckle rose at the table, blending with the clinking of cutlery. As silence fell, Nik and I locked eyes, but neither of us said a word. My heart felt lighter, and the tension in my shoulders had evaporated into the air.

Honestly, I haven’t had this much fun in a long time. Before now, I thought there was nothing good about these Mafia people. I believed they were evil and could only be that way.

Was I wrong? Or was all of this just an act to fool me?

I was so confused.

“Excuse me, I, uh…I need to powder my face—I’ve laughed so hard,” I said, beaming at them as I rose to my feet. “Can you point me toward the female restroom?” I asked Larisa.

“Yeah. Down the hall, first door on your left,” she answered, gesturing toward the direction.

“Thank you.” I left my purse on the table and walked away.

I could feel his gaze on me as I walked away, my heels clicking against the polished marble floor. I rounded a corner down the hallway, completely out of his sight.

I’d barely taken two steps forward when I spotted a phone sitting on a nearby table. The screen was still alive, suggesting the owner might have just dropped it seconds ago and would return soon to pick it up.

My eyes narrowed, realizing this was my first and probably last opportunity to have access to the outside world. I glanced around to be sure that no one was watching. And when the coast was clear, I quickly snatched it off the table, my pace quickening as I rushed over to the restroom.

I swiped the screen to keep it awake, barged into the restroom, and locked myself in a stall. My fingers rattled across the keyboard as I typed the director’s number. I placed the phone to my ear and listened to it ring on the other end.

“Voss,” she answered, her voice curt on the other end.

“Director, it’s me,” I whispered.

She paused for a moment. “Blake?”

“Yeah,” I answered.

“Oh, my God! You’re alive—we were worried they got you,” she said, her tone laced with relief.

“I am, but it’s a long story, and I don’t have a lot of time.”

“Where are you?”

“I can’t tell you right now, but I’ve never gotten this close to breaking the case. He’s starting to trust me now—well, it’s still a work in progress, but he is.”

“I’m confused. Who are you talking about?”

“Nikolai Tarasov.”

Voss was silent for a second.

“The leader of the Tarasov Bratva?”

“Yes, him.”

“Damn, girl.” The shock and admiration in her voice were palpable.

“I don’t have much right now, but I’ll keep you updated.”

“Can you maintain cover?”

I thought for a while. “For now…I think so.”

“Be careful, Blake. Remember, these people are monsters.”

I wasn’t so sure about that anymore. But by all means. “Copy that.”

“Stay focused. Gather proof. We’ll extract you when we have confirmation. And Blake….” She went silent before adding, “You’ve done well.”

The call ended with a soft click, leaving only the sound of my pulse in my ear. I rose from the toilet seat, exhaled sharply, and deleted the call history, then walked out of the stall.

I returned the phone to the exact spot I found it and then headed back to the table. They were laughing at a joke when I took my seat and blended into the atmosphere like I hadn’t just snitched on them a few seconds ago.

Nik’s eyes narrowed as he watched me intently with a blank expression. I had to be more cautious because the last thing I needed was for him to grow suspicious. The game was already becoming too risky, and I was walking a fine line.

Chapter 14 – Nik

“These bastards are encroaching on Bratva territory. We must act now!” Mikhail declared, his deep voice laced with disdain.

“The longer we let this problem slide, the more we look like idiots,” another Bratva elite seconded, his gaze sweeping across our faces.

“Sergei is right. I say we act now—remind those sons of bitches whose turf they’re on.”

The dimly lit room was filled with the voices of the organization’s inner circle members, arguing over the best course of action. They were divided—some thought acting now was the better call. Others were of the opinion that they try a different approach, one our enemies would never expect.

Their inability to find common ground was pretty pathetic, to be honest. I didn’t come here to waste my time arguing about how to handle a simple situation. This wasn’t the first time the Bratva was dealing with problems like this.

But for some reason, tonight, these old devils couldn’t agree on anything. I had better things to do with my time than sit here watching the organization’s brightest minds behave like idiots. Both sides had their valid points, but it was just a matter of perspective.

If they could all calm the fuck down and actually listen to one another, they’d come to a reasonable conclusion in no time. I could easily say the word, and their voices would fall silent in an instant. But I’d rather give in to the thoughts of my Dikaya than school a bunch of arrogant old men.

They knew the right thing to do; let them do it.

I sat at the head of the table, absently tapping my fingers on the table’s surface. Leaned back in my chair, I let my mind drift off into wonderland with one image in my head. Hers.

She still hadn’t told me her name yet, and I was okay with it. Besides, I wasn’t sure her real identity would matter that much anyway. This strange young woman had slithered her way into my stone-cold heart. She’d occupied my thoughts to the point where I chose to think about her rather than calm my associates down.

This was a fuckin’ distraction, and in my world, distraction was as dangerous as any physical weapon. I should take control of my mind and thoughts; I really should. But the more I tried to stop myself from replaying the images of her face, the more they came flashing in my head.

Things were different between us now. She offered me her innocence, and I took it. Ever since then, something had cracked open inside me. I hadn’t been able to control my own mind or push her out of my head.

What made her so special?

I’d had tons of women before her—more experienced and more spontaneous. However, none of them had lingered on the fringes of my mind more than the second after my release.

My Dikaya was different.

Despite how much time had passed since that night—just a few days—I still hadn’t gotten over her. The scent of her perfume clung to my sheets long after she left my room. The taste of her nectar lingered on my tongue through that fateful night. At this point, it’s safe to say that she had carved her face into my mind.

The crazy part was that I hoped this feeling was mutual. I hoped I occupied her head as much as she occupied mine. If this were a one-sided thing, then I’d feel really stupid. In fact, I already did because no woman had ever left me so distracted and mesmerized.

My Dikaya had broken the record of the first woman to spend this much time living rent-free in my head. She should be proud of herself.

And I should be ashamed of myself.

Part of me resented how much this strange woman affected me. I should be the one in control—I should be calling the shots. She was supposed to be the one craving more of what I gave her the other night, not the other way around.

The plan was to seduce her, toy with her emotions, and slowly watch her unravel before me. I hadn’t done my research on her because I thought this game would reveal all there was to know about her in due time.

I wasn’t so sure anymore. How could I when my head wasn’t in the game?

I found myself making up excuses and trying to defend her by thinking, maybe it wasn’t that deep. Maybe she was just an average girl in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Don’t be silly! a voice cautioned me. You know there’s something off about her. You should be more focused on finding out what she’s hiding, not getting entertained by her.

I tried to shove the voice to the back of my head, but it was resilient.

Remember the way she fought fiercely when you first saw her? Did those moves seem average to you? Did she not fight like a trained soldier?

My brows knitted together.

Then all of a sudden, after a few days at the mansion, she just magically lets her guard down and starts to act all nice and calm. You don’t find that suspicious?

I rubbed my eyes, refusing to ruin the image of her in my head.

Think about it; why did she leave the table the last time you took her to that event?

She said she went to powder her face in the restroom.

And you believed her? Come on.

There was nothing suspicious about her using the restroom. Besides, she had no way of contacting anyone, and she didn’t waste any time getting back to the table.

You’re not thinking, Nik, the voice insisted. You were at an event, a hall filled with people—how sure are you that she didn’t spot someone she knew and then pretended to use the restroom so she’d speak with them?

I thought about that for a moment while stroking my jaw with my usual blank expression. If even she did speak to someone, no one dared to make a move at the event. She still returned home with me at the end of the day.

My blunt voice of reason might be right, and I’d get to the bottom of this in due time. But for now, I’d just keep an eye on her and observe some more.

Whatever you wanna do, do it fast because you’re running out of time.

I finally was able to push the voice to the back of my mind. And although I knew I should be more careful, I couldn’t help finding comfort in the thoughts of this wild woman, strange and mysterious.

My lips twitched slightly at the sight of her charming smile and the way she laughed so beautifully. I caught myself fixating on small, silly details; the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when nervous, the defiance in her eyes when angry—how her silence could feel louder than shouting.

Each thought cut through my concentration, forcing me to lock my jaw in an attempt to mask my distraction.

“…isn’t that right, Nikolai?” Vladimir’s voice snapped me back to the present.

It wasn’t until after he spoke that I realized they’d stopped arguing and had already come to a conclusion. I didn’t catch anything they said, and now all eyes were on me, as though the question was a test.

I blinked once, shifting my gaze across the table with a flat expression on my face. The room had fallen silent, and these mean-faced men were staring with expectation.

“Nikolai,” Vlad called out, his deep voice steady. “You’ve been distracted during the meeting. Care to explain why?”

I looked him dead in the eyes and said a blunt, “No.”

His expression darkened, his brows furrowing into deep creases.

“I suppose the rumors are true then,” Sergei chipped in, his gaze pinned on me. “The girl from the auction has been keeping you busy.”

A soft murmur rose from amongst the others, and glances were exchanged.

“I guess everyone has an Achilles’ heel after all,” he added with a mocking smirk on his lips.

The room leaned toward laughter, but no one dared make a sound. He thought he had embarrassed me—he had no idea.

“Careful, Sergei,” I began, reclining into my chair. “I know your Achilles’ heel wears actual heels and carries a frying pan.” I let the words sink in for a moment so he’d get where I was going with this.

He swallowed hard, shifting in his chair.

“I know how she…‘keeps you in line,’ and her methods are quite efficient too.” I edged closer, placing both hands on the table. “Imagine what she’d do to you if she found out what happened six months ago while you were away on a ‘business trip.’”

Gradually, that ugly smirk on his lips vanished until all that was left was fear and embarrassment.

The others had no clue what I was talking about, but that son of a bitch did. And he’d do anything to hide his dirty little secret.

Sergei’s wife was an abuser who never missed a chance to beat him up. He once tried to fight back but ended up in the hospital. He claimed he was jumped by a gang of thugs from a rival gang.

Of course, that was the best lie he could come up with—the weak bastard couldn’t let people know his wife was the one who’d battered his face with punches.

He was so reckless that, despite fearing her, he still had the guts to sleep with her sister six months ago. He lied to her, saying he was going on a business trip, when in reality, the plan was to hook up with her at her in-laws’ place.

If she ever found out that he betrayed her in such a horrible way, she’d put a bullet in his fuckin’ head.

He must be wondering how I knew all of this, and at the same time, he pleaded with his eyes, begging me to spill his secret.

“What’s that saying?” I asked, a satisfied smirk on my lips. “A man who can’t control his own house shouldn’t speak of others’ affairs.”

His forehead glistened with sweat, his eyes blinking rapidly in a bid to appeal to my conscience.

I leaned back in my chair, eyes cold as ice. “Mock me again, and I’ll make you the next talk of the town.”

Silence swallowed the whole table.

“Anyone else wanna stick their noses in my business?” I asked, eyes shifting across their faces.

No one said a single word.

“Good.” I adjusted in my chair, grabbed my glass of vodka, and drained it down my throat in a single shot. “Now, what’s the conclusion?”

They shot hidden glances amongst them, and after a moment of hesitation, they filled me in on their plan to handle the trespassers.

Everyone at the table hated my display of power and authority, but none of them could question me. They knew that I’d just threatened Sergei with something personal—something only he was supposed to know.

They thought it wise not to get on my bad side in case I knew something personal about them—some dirty secrets they were willing to die with. They were right to think so because I knew everything about each and every one of them seated at this table.

I had them all in the palm of my hands and could easily crush them should they cross the line. That’s what power was all about—having something to use against those around you. It didn’t only command respect; it proved how high up the ladder I was above them.

And they knew never to mess with me.

Chapter 15 – Blair

I sat on my bed with my legs pulled up in front of me and my arms wrapped around them. I was wearing a V-neck that draped loosely over my body, with sleeves that swallowed up my hands. My hair was disheveled, my eyes looked dimmer than the lights in my room, and my heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

In my mind, I hoped this was some kind of nightmare that I would soon wake up from. But reality struck me like a dagger to the heart—this wasn’t a dream. It was a much bigger problem and also a game-changer—one capable of ruining my life for good.

So here’s the deal: I missed my period by a week. Yep.

At first, I didn’t panic at all because I thought it was just a normal shift in my body. I’d experienced these shifts a couple of times before, and they were caused by stress.

I figured this was the most stressed out I’d ever been my whole life—the kidnapping, the auction, the pressure not to blow my cover. It was too much, enough to have triggered this shift.

I mean, I’d experienced them under lesser stress before, so why would this be any different, right? Boy, was I in for a big surprise! And not the good kind.

As the days blurred by, I noticed the changes in my body: swollen breasts, mood swings, strange cravings, etc. Still, I thought it was just the normal signs of my red friend. My head was always aching, and my back was killing me. It got so bad that I had to ask the maid, Katerina, for some painkillers.

During this period, I made it my mission to avoid Nik like a plague. I just needed some time to myself—I needed space to think and get my shit together. Also, I was afraid to face him after snitching on him to the agency on the very night he took me to have dinner with his family.

I felt like a bad person for planning his downfall right under his nose. But I had to remind myself that if he weren’t guilty, then there’d be nothing to be worried about. My biggest concern wasn’t making a mistake with Nikolai Tarasov.

I couldn’t afford to get caught because there was no telling what the man would do to me. And I also couldn’t afford to develop some kind of attachment to him—nothing at all to link the two of us.

How ironic!

To keep my mind busy with something productive, I buried myself in some menial tasks around the mansion. I cleaned my own room about five times a day, and helped the maids with some chores around the house whenever I wanted to. It was always a tug of war between them and me because they’d rather jump off a cliff than let me help out with their jobs.

Of course, in the end, I always won.

They accorded me a lot more respect than I deserved, even though technically I was still a prisoner. Unlike them, my movements were restricted, and I wasn’t allowed to leave whenever I wanted. Plus, I wasn’t on the boss’s payroll every month.

I kept deluding myself into thinking that I was going to eventually see my period—that it had only shifted a few days further.

However, the day the aroma of roasted garlic upset my stomach so much that I had to rush to the toilet and vomit was the day it began to dawn on me. I might be….

I still didn’t want to believe it, so I pushed that thought to the back of my mind. Why would my first time having sex turn out differently?

My period shift had never exceeded five days, and on day six, doubt started creeping in. But I was still holding on to a fragile thread of hope. By day seven, it was impossible to deny anymore, especially after the head maid, an elderly woman, looked at me and my belly in a very suspicious way.

She didn’t have to say anything about what she was thinking. The message was crystal clear.

I secretly asked Katerina to get me a pregnancy test and told her not to tell anyone. She was shocked by the favor I asked, but she did as I instructed.

This morning, I took the test in the bathroom, and it was positive. I was pregnant. My whole world came crashing down around me, my heart stopped, and my pulse spiked. I wished the ground would open up and just swallow me.

As I sat on the bed, hugging my trembling legs, a million thoughts overlapped in my head. This was a very terrible situation I found myself in—terrifying and embarrassing too. I had no idea what to do now that the monster’s seed was growing inside me.

I hated myself so much for ever letting this happen. If I hadn’t given in to that temptation, I never would’ve been in this predicament in the first place.

Well, it was useless crying over spilled milk. The deed had been done already—the question lingering on my mind was, now what?

I thought about escaping this place—like really putting a lot of effort into finding a way out of here. But to what end? Even if I managed to run away, there was nowhere in the world that Nik wouldn’t find me.

He would come after me—if not for anything, for his unborn child. If I escaped this place, he’d question his guards and the maids about how I managed to pull that off.

Eventually, the head maid would tell him what she had noticed, and under enough pressure, Katerina might expose the little secret I had entrusted to her. Hearing this, nothing would stop Nik from traveling the world to find me.

The mere thought of what he’d do to me if he found me scared frightened me to my core.

I got out of bed and threw my hands on my head, my heart sinking into my stomach.

“This can’t be happening. No, no, no…it just can’t,” I murmured to myself, confused about what to do.

Obviously, running away was out of the equation; there had to be something else. I considered flushing it out of my system before it grew any bigger. However, I couldn’t bring myself to dwell too much on that idea.

I looked in the full-length mirror, watching my own reflection with a pale face framed by wide, frightened eyes.

It would take at least three months before my condition would be obvious. Hopefully, before then, I’d have cracked the case and sent him and his kind to prison for a really long time.

I placed my hand on my belly and blinked back the tears that welled in my eyes. I wasn’t ready for this. But it was here now, and I might as well just face it.

I’d played with fire, and I got burned.

But the game wasn’t over yet.

Chapter 16 – Nik

She’d been avoiding me like the plague.

At first, I thought it was just the aftereffects of being intimate with her “jailer”—the man she claimed to loathe so much. I made up excuses for her behavior, telling myself that she was probably too embarrassed to face me after what we did.

But weeks had gone by now, and each time she spotted me from afar, she’d look away and turn in the opposite direction. The plan was to ignore this attitude; however, it was becoming suspicious.

Her sudden behavior got me thinking, wondering if this withdrawal started after we had sex, or after she went into the restroom that night at the gala. If memory served me right—and it did—she was doing just fine at the table before she excused herself.

She laughed so hard that night, and even when I dared to be naughty and touch her secretly, her body didn’t reject me. We exchanged hidden glances and shared deep, unspoken words. I thought we had a thing—some kind of connection that night.

Everything turned sour after she returned from the restroom. Her smiles seemed forced—plastic. Her attention was divided, as if she had something on her mind, something powerful enough to keep her distracted. She tried so hard to mask it, but I caught glimpses of fear and guilt in her eyes.

I refused to read any meaning into all of those signs, and if she weren’t acting all shady these days, I wouldn’t have dug up that memory. She left me with no choice but to evaluate her behavior and keep an eye on her.

I had one of my most trusted men, Boris, monitor her movements in the house whenever I was away. And from his report, it appeared she’d been spending a lot of time with the maids—especially the one called Katerina.

According to Boris, she’d developed a habit of cleaning and helping out in the kitchen. As expected, the maids were against her involvement in their jobs, but she didn’t give them a choice.

It seemed like a harmless gesture at the beginning, and I thought maybe she was just bored and decided to pass the time. But when Boris mentioned the suspicious movements with the maid Katerina, it piqued my interest.

He said he’d seen Katerina sneaking in and out of my Dikaya’s room more than once. Boris claimed he suspected those two were up to something—he just couldn’t prove it.

That explained why the maid, Katerina, always seemed nervous around me these past few days. I used to think it was because I scolded her for spilling wine all over my document weeks ago. But it made sense now. Her nervousness in my presence wasn’t about the wine incident; it was because she was hiding something.

I could easily get the truth out of the maid—all I had to do was ask. The fragile little thing might faint at this point if I summoned her to my office. Out of fear, she’d snitch on my Dikaya and tell me everything she knew.

But where was the fun in that?

This was a game, and Katerina was merely a pawn—her role here was insignificant. If I needed answers, I knew exactly where and how to get them.

Tonight, I’d just gotten home from a late-night outing with my older brother, Roman. He’d been out of the country for a while, taking care of some Bratva business overseas.

Roman wasn’t just feared; he was seen as inevitable. He was the kind of man who didn’t need to raise his voice to command silence. The forty-year-old son of a gun was disciplined to the point of obsession, rarely letting emotion break through his iron control.

However, beneath his cold exterior was a fierce loyalty to family that no one had yet conquered.

Roman’s quiet laughter trailed off, his relaxed form sinking deeper into the couch. He lifted his glass of vodka to his lips and took a sip. “So, tell me, brother; the rumors about the girl…are they true?”

I heaved a sigh, crossing my legs as I leaned back on my couch across from him. “Depends on what you heard.”

He held my gaze, swirling the glass in his hand. “Nothing tangible,” he said, his voice low and even. “But it’s got people talking.”

“People always talk, Roman.”

We were relaxing on the rooftop of one of the tallest buildings in the city, surrounded by softly glowing string lights. Above, the full moon reached its peak, its ethereal glow illuminating everything it touched. Below, the city throbbed with a soft hum, the distant lights of buildings and cars blending into a stunning blur of color and motion.

“Do you know anything about this girl, Nik?” he asked me, his jet-black hair catching the moonlight.

“She belongs to me,” I answered. “I bought her.”

“I don’t doubt that. But did you run a background check on her?”

I reached for my glass and took a sip.

“You didn’t, did you?”

“I will,” came my response. “For now, I’m just enjoying this little game.”

“Don’t lose yourself in it, brother,” he said, those blue eyes pinned on me. “You might get carried away and let your guard down.”

“I won’t. I’m the one in control.”

He paused, watching me in silence. “No argument there. Just don’t underestimate her. She’s a stranger you know nothing about, and that makes her dangerous.” He let the words sink in for a moment. “Keep an eye on her. She might be up to something.”

Roman was older, wiser, and more experienced. If he thought it was necessary to look into her, then perhaps now was the time to do so. I’d played this game with her long enough anyway.

That night, I headed straight to her room and walked in without knocking. Her bed was empty, everything else was intact, and the scent of her perfume lingered in the air. But I couldn’t see her anywhere.

My eyes squinted, suspicion creeping into my gaze as I stepped further into the room. I scanned the cozy interior, wondering where she was when the sound of the toilet flushing caught my attention.

She stepped out holding something in her hand, and the second she spotted me, she flinched. “Oh, my God!” An abrupt gasp escaped her lips, her hands flying to her chest. “You scared me.”

My eyes flicked to the device in her hand, my expression dark and blank.

Quickly, she hid it behind her back and avoided my gaze.

“What’s that?” I asked, my voice stern, laced with suspicion.

“Nothing.”

The guilt on her face betrayed her composure, coupled with the fact that she couldn’t dare look at me. Her body was tense, and her hands trembled subtly.

With slow, measured steps, I approached her. “I’ll ask you again; what’re you hiding?”

Her chest was heaving, her breath caught in her throat. When she raised her head, I saw fear in her eyes—the kind she’d never shown before.

The door opened behind me, and the maid Katerina walked in. Even without looking back, I heard the sound of her gasp when she realized I was in the room. I could smell her terror.

I sensed her trying to sneak back out and called, “Stay right there, Katerina.” The authority in my voice was enough to make someone as fragile as her pee her pants. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Dikaya blinked a few times, her eyes flicking in the maid’s direction.

“You’re gonna tell me what you’re up to, what you’re hiding from me. Or else, I will punish your new best friend in ways you can’t even imagine.” The threat was clear, and she knew I wasn’t bluffing.

She looked at Katerina, then turned her tearful eyes back to my face. She hesitated for a moment, scratching the back of her head as if she was pondering her next move.

I stretched out my hand, a silent command for her to give up whatever was behind her back. Reluctantly, she reached out and placed the device in my palm. I looked down at it and froze at the double lines on the strip she’d handed to me.

My gaze flicked back to her face. This time, she looked right into my eyes like she was searching for something. “You’re pregnant,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

She locked her jaw. Her expression darkened as though this was a bad thing, and she hated it.

I glanced back at Katerina, who immediately lowered her head to avoid my eyes. “Leave us.”

She didn’t hesitate even a second before rushing out and shutting the door behind her.

Dikaya was carrying my baby in her womb, my legacy; that explained why she’d been keeping her distance. She was afraid, which was normal for most pregnant girls her age.

I stepped forward, closing the distance between us. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

She lifted her head to hold my gaze as she blinked back the tears that welled in her eyes.

“You’re never leaving me,” I declared, my voice deep and threatening. “So if you have any plans to escape this mansion soon, I suggest you abandon them. Because from now on, I’ll be watching you like a hawk.”

Her eyes widened in terror, and although she didn’t say a word, I could almost hear her cursing at me in her mind. That hatred she had in her eyes the first time I brought her here had returned. And this time, it was burning like a wildfire.

She could despise me all she wanted, but this baby was a game-changer. I would do anything to protect my legacy, my unborn child—even if it meant locking her up.

Dikaya didn’t understand that I was keeping her safe behind these walls. Now that she was carrying my child, if word got out, all my enemies would have their eyes on her.

This baby had just put a giant bullseye on her back, and it was my job to keep both her and the baby safe.

“Get comfortable,” I said to her. “You’re gonna be here a long time.”

With that, I walked away, leaving her to her thoughts and anger.

Chapter 17 – Blair

He knows. He fuckin’ knows.

My plan to hide the pregnancy until my mission here was accomplished was now busted. His possessive words of ownership still echoed in the back of my mind, and I hated how much authority he had over me.

I’d been too numb to speak last night when he stumbled onto me with the test tube in my hand. This was because he was the last person I expected to see in my room. He’d never come in before—for any reason—yet last night, he walked in like he was determined to find out what I was hiding.

His presence in my room was proof that my avoidance had sparked something in him. I had unintentionally drawn his attention, giving him reasons to suspect my behavior. He’d come around with one goal: to make me talk. In his head, he was already thinking the worst, suspicious of my every move.

The truth was, the only thing that saved me from his wrath last night was this pregnancy. It diverted his attention and focus from the real deal.

The second he found out I was carrying his child, his dark expression lightened. His mask of fury slipped, replaced by something that looked a lot like delight. He was pleased with the revelation, and because of that hidden joy, he didn’t push—didn’t ask questions about anything else.

He likely assumed that my strange behavior was tied to the pregnancy. Good. That meant that he was still in the dark about my true mission. I was grateful that I wasn’t caught—that my cover wasn’t blown. However, there was just one problem now: one big problem.

The twenty-four-hour surveillance over me.

I didn’t need to see the guards watching me to know I was being monitored. I felt their presence everywhere around the house—shadows in the garden, in the hallways, and even outside my window.

It was like he’d doubled the security around my room just to make sure I wouldn’t try anything stupid. Like attempting to run away again. I felt more like a prisoner now than I had in a long time.

I couldn’t so much as walk around the house without sensing someone’s unwavering gaze. And each time I looked back, I’d always spot a guard standing in the distance. I missed the days when I could roam the halls and the vast estate without worrying about anyone breathing down my neck.

I’d lost that freedom now, and it was so frustrating. I felt trapped: unable to run, and unable to complete the mission with all these eyes on me.

Angered by this new order, I stormed into his study that morning, furious. I pushed the doors open and stormed in, ready to cause trouble. My confidence was based on the fact that I was carrying his child; he wouldn’t dare hurt me in this state.

“What is wrong with you!” I barked, my chest rising and falling with uneven breaths.

Seated in his swivel chair, he gave me the look that said, God, not this again. “Good morning to you, too,” he said softly, brows raised in shock.

“Why are you watching my every move? Why are your men always breathing down my neck?!” The words burst out of my mouth in an angry rush. “Everywhere I turn, I see them. I need some space, for Christ’s sake. Stop suffocating me!”

He leaned back in his chair, his cold eyes never leaving my face. “You need space?”

“Yes!” I blurted out. “I need some time to think, to process things, and I can’t do that within these walls.”

His eyebrows arched, and a small mocking grin crept across the corners of his lips. “You can’t think within these walls?”

Oh, girl, that’s a trap. He’s mad, a voice whispered in my head.

I panicked when he slowly rose from his chair and walked around his desk. My jaw tightened as I watched him approach me with menacing steps, his black suit gleaming in the soft light. The closer he drew to me, the faster my heart raced in my chest.

Nik halted before me, his imposing frame towering over me. “How long do you think you’ll last in the outside world?”

My eyes narrowed, scowl deepening. “I was doing just fine on my own before I got dragged into your world. Or did you forget?”

“You weren’t pregnant with a Tarasov baby at the time,” he said, his voice calm but disturbing. “That child in your womb is a blessing. But it’s also a curse because now, it’s made you a potential target for anyone who has a grudge against me.”

Shit. He’s got a point.

“Would you like to guess how many people have a grudge against me?”

I swallowed hard, glaring at him.

“These walls you hate so much are the only thing keeping you alive right now. So, show some appreciation.”

I seethed in silence, my blood boiling with anger as I looked into those cold, hollow eyes of his. He stood there like a statue, exuding an air of authority and control. And I hated it. God! I hated it so much.

His calmness in this situation infuriated me even more, especially because he had me exactly where he wanted me: in the palm of his fuckin’ hand.

“I’d rather take my chances out there than spend another minute in this cursed place,” I began, leaning toward his face with blazing eyes. “You’re not fit to be a father.”

His expression turned dark immediately, his brows furrowing into deep creases.

Um. I think you’re starting to cross a line now, that voice in my head warned me. But I wasn’t done yet.

“You’re cruel, ruthless, and your life revolves around nothing but death, chaos, and destruction,” I added with a low, venomous tone. When emphasizing the last sentence, I poked his chest on each word.

He grabbed my hand mid-air, squeezing my wrist. “You will watch your tone.”

“Or else what?” I challenged him. “You’ll hit me?”

The shock in his eyes was subtle—faint—but I could see it. I forced my hand out of his grip and held his gaze as if daring him to do his worst.

“I will not jeopardize the life of my unborn child just so that you can enjoy ‘freedom.’” He air-quoted the word, his voice low and dangerous. “You will remain within these walls for as long as I want you to.”

I clenched my fists tightly, fury rushing through my veins.

“Try to defy this order, and you’ll realize quickly that there are a million ways to make you suffer without raising a hand against you.”

His threat struck me like a dagger to the heart, but I refused to show fear.

Nik turned around and returned to his desk. “That’ll be all. Shut the door behind you.”

His cold demeanor and the way he concluded the conversation with a boss-like attitude were as impressive as they were irritating. His maturity made me feel foolish, and it only increased my anger.

And for the first time, I snapped, shoving books off his table in a fit of rage. My chest heaved with uneven breaths as I glared at him with trembling hands. Not out of fear. Anger.

He didn’t say a word to me. He just sat there, watching in silence.

“I hope you rot in hell someday,” I growled, irritated by the smirk on his face.

With that, I stormed out of his study, angrier than before. I went back to my room, slammed the door shut, and let out a frustrated groan. My eyes landed on the flower vase sitting on the nearby table. Without thinking, I grabbed the damn thing and threw it against the wall.

“Argh!” I yelled out my frustration, fingers swiping through my hair. “I hate him, I hate him—I hate him!” The words flew out of my mouth like bullets from a machine gun.

I tossed myself on the sofa, my feet tapping rapidly against the floor. Nik had gotten under my skin, slithered into my mind and thoughts, and I despised the level of control he had over my life.

But despite my fury, there was absolutely nothing that I could do at this point. As much as I hated to admit it, he wanted what was best for the child, too. In his own twisted way, he was securing his child’s life. Of course, mine didn’t matter because to him, I was just a container—the vessel carrying his legacy.

I let out a heavy sigh, leaning into the sofa as a flood of thoughts swirled in my mind. It was clear I was outnumbered and outsmarted—fighting Nik wouldn’t lead me anywhere. I still had a mission to finish, and I’d need to come up with a plan to gather those pieces of evidence without getting caught.

Anger and frustration wouldn’t get this done; I needed to calm the fuck down and replan. The game was still on, so maybe if I played it right, I could just maybe make it through.

Chapter 18 – Nik

I’d seen her angry countless times before; in fact, that anger was exactly what drew me to her like a moth to a flame. But today’s rage was different. I couldn’t understand how or why. There was just something about the way she reacted to my authority that didn’t feel right.

I spent the whole day replaying that scenario over and over again in my head, trying to make sense of why she was so furious. Perhaps it was the pregnancy hormones—I heard pregnant women usually had those in abundance.

Beneath all that rage, though, was a glimmer of pain she tried so hard to mask. She definitely was not ready to be a mother yet, so she projected her fears and insecurities onto me.

“You’re not fit to be a father….” Her words echoed in my head, stinging me like a fuckin bee.

I should be furious. I should hate her for this statement and even punish her. She’d crossed a line and deserved whatever I’d throw at her. Yet that pain in her eyes, that fear and confusion, crippled me. I couldn’t bring myself to hurt her, knowing she must be losing her mind right now.

She was only human, and in her condition, craziness was an order of the day. Dikaya was stubborn as a mule, and exerting authority over her would only mean waging war. She was a strong-willed little devil who wouldn’t go down easily.

Treating her poorly would send the wrong message, and she’d want to fight back. Dikaya was a smart woman who knew I’d never raise my hand against her. That said, she would definitely use that as leverage. It wouldn’t matter what punishment I gave her; as long as I didn’t take her life, she’d endure it and fight back even harder.

We’d just keep going back and forth because neither of us would be willing to yield to the other. At this point, I didn’t think I had the mental capacity to deal with such an insignificant war within the walls of my house.

I’d rather walk straight into Richard Kane’s den and fight all his men with my bare hands than deal with an angry, pregnant Dikaya.

A part of me hated how cold I was toward her and how I dismissed her from my sight. But in my defense, she’d crossed a line and needed to be put in her place.

Perhaps if I came up with a better way to handle this situation, we would experience some peace in this house. The two of us couldn’t be angry at the same time, and for the sake of our unborn baby, I’d have to be the reasonable one here.

Have you noticed how you now treat her like a wife? my inner voice asked, and the question sliced through my thoughts. Is that what she’s become? You fuck her once, and all of a sudden she gets wifey treatment?

I frowned at myself for entertaining disrespectful thoughts about her. But the more I tried to avoid the question, the more that voice persisted.

Who exactly is she to you? The mother of your unborn child, your potential wife, or your prisoner?

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples in a slow massage motion.

You’re confused because you haven’t defined your relationship with her, the voice added. She breaks more rules than anyone else in this house and always gets away with it. She’s the only one in the world who can stand up to you and question your authority.

I grabbed the bottle of vodka on my table and poured myself a glass.

Let’s face it; she’s not your prisoner anymore. She’s not your plaything, either. And she’s most certainly more than just the woman carrying your child.

I lifted the glass to my lips and drained it in one shot. I’d had enough of the pesky voice and its unwanted analysis. So I closed my eyes and shoved it to the back of my mind. Whenever I was ready for that breakdown, I’d bring it up again.

The voice was right about a few things; she was now more valuable to me, and that was the problem. I knew deep down that I was starting to get attached to her, and in my world, attachments were dangerous.

If word got out that she was carrying my child, all hell would break loose. Those fucking bastards who couldn’t lay a finger on me would target her as leverage. Honestly, the mere thought of anybody harming her made my blood boil. I’d rather burn the world than let that happen.

That instant, her voice cut through my thoughts, snapping me back to the present. I looked out the window behind me and saw her in the garden. She was talking to her new best friend, Katerina. Her voice was sweet and angelic, her expression soft and gentle—a stark contrast to the angry woman in my study hours ago.

Katerina had been such a good companion to her recently. And although I didn’t approve of her mingling with the staff, I knew better than to speak up about it.

She wouldn’t listen anyway; instead, she’d give me a heartfelt speech about how we were all human beings, blah blah blah. Not at the moment, though; there’d be nothing heartfelt about her speech this time. She’d end up attacking me, reminding me of how ruthless and cruel I was.

A small grin tugged at the corners of my lips as I watched her laugh with her hands on her belly. I hadn’t seen her like this since that dinner. Beautiful. Blissful. Deep down, I wished she’d always be like that around me.

I walked out of my study and headed to the garden with steady steps. The closer I got to them, the louder their voices became. I rounded a corner behind a neatly trimmed hedge, my eyes settling on Katerina.

As expected, she shrank beneath my stare, and her laughter trailed off. Her breath hitched in her throat, and her eyes dropped to the floor.

Dikaya knew that there was only one man Katerina feared like that. And with a deep scowl on her face, she turned around to look at me.

Katerina gave a curt nod, then excused herself silently.

“Why do you always have to be such a buzz kill?” Dikaya asked, arms crossed over her chest.

I stepped forward, a twig snapping beneath my shoes. “You shouldn’t be out here.”

She raised her brows. “Really?” Disbelief laced her tone. “I’m not allowed in the garden. Is that what you’re saying?”

“I’m saying it’s dangerous for you to be out here on your own,” I answered, halting a few paces from her.

She raised her hand in frustration, then clenched her fingers into a fist before lowering her hand. “Okay, first, I wasn’t alone—thanks for scaring away my friend, by the way.”

Friend is a loose term. But by all means.

“And second, what could possibly happen to me in your garden? This place is a fuckin’ fortress. It’s crawling with your watchdogs who won’t take their eyes off me for a second!” she snapped, her words spilling out in a frantic rush.

I didn’t respond. Honestly, I was speechless. She was doing fine before I arrived and took away what little happiness she had in Katerina’s company.

She looked me dead in the eyes and said with a much calmer voice, “I’m not your prisoner, Nik. Stop treating me like one.”

After a moment of hesitation, she walked away from me, heading back into the building.

Indeed, she wasn’t my prisoner anymore. She wasn’t just the vessel carrying my baby, either. She was something more, something I was not yet ready to name.

Later that night, I found her asleep on the living room couch. And instead of waking her up, I took a seat across from her and crossed my legs in silence. I watched the innocent look on her face, the gentle curve of her body, and the rising and falling of her chest. Even in her sleep, she was gorgeous.

Mine.

In the dim glow of the table lamp, my gaze was unwavering, my mind reeling with the different possible ways to keep her safe. Her and the baby in her womb.

When she woke up a few minutes later and saw me seated across from her, she didn’t move. Even when we locked eyes, and neither of us looked away, nobody said a word.

However, in the quiet moment, something felt like a fragile truce we were both forced to accept.

Chapter 19 – Blair

Ever since he found out about the pregnancy, Nik had been watching my every move like a hawk. Everywhere I turned in the house, he was there—in the garden, at the gym, in the foyer. I couldn’t go anywhere without sensing his presence.

He’d made himself my personal bodyguard, observing me from a distance. At first, I felt suffocated, but as the days blurred by, I grew used to seeing him around more often. The only problem was that with all that attention on me, it was difficult to do my job.

So far, I hadn’t found anything linking him to the disappearances in the city. He’d once told me his organization wasn’t involved in such activities, and although I wasn’t sure whether or not I believed him, I still had nothing on him. Yet.

But just because he wasn’t guilty of human trafficking didn’t mean he wasn’t guilty of other crimes. Nik Tarasov was a bad man, and bad men deserved to be locked up for all their atrocities. At least that’s what I kept telling myself each time a part of me was starting to see him in a different light.

I’d broken his rules and defied him more than anyone else ever had, yet this monster had never hurt me. If he was the beast I thought he was, I wouldn’t still be alive now—especially after all the stubbornness I’d shown.

Why would someone as cruel as Nikolai Tarasov be so lenient with a girl like me? He was right when he said there were a million ways he could make me suffer without ever touching me. But why hasn’t he punished me yet?

I wasn’t eager to get on his bad side; I just needed some answers because things weren’t adding up anymore. The man whose name struck fear into the hearts of many across the street was gradually becoming someone I could hardly recognize.

In all sincerity, deep down, I liked this new version even though I hadn’t admitted it yet. This child in my womb must mean everything to him, given the lengths he was willing to go to keep it safe.

Tonight, I was seated in the library, struggling to concentrate on the novel in my hand, but my eyes kept darting toward him. His presence was a welcome distraction, offering some sense of safety and peace. He was lounging on the couch across from me, cradling a glass of wine in his hand as he skimmed through a book.

Nik had been sitting here with me for the past thirty minutes, and he hadn’t said a single word since then. I was bored in my room and decided to feed my mind with a book. However, I hadn’t spent ten minutes alone in the library before he arrived.

I pretended not to have noticed him, thinking he would just check on me and then leave. But he didn’t. Instead, he grabbed a book from the shelf, poured himself a glass of wine, and sat down at a distance, minding his own business.

It had now been over thirty minutes, and there was still no sign of him leaving anytime soon. I honestly wanted to ignore him for as long as possible, but from the look of things, I was the one distracted by his commanding presence.

He seemed to be doing just fine on his own, acting like I didn’t exist, even though he was the one who encroached on my space. The sweet aroma of the wine he was sipping drifted into my nostrils, blending with the scent of his expensive cologne.

His physique was highlighted by the table lamp beside him, his muscles rippling beneath his V-neck shirt. He sat with his legs crossed, his posture radiating confidence and style. My eyes flicked to the jagged scar along his jawline as I wondered how he even got it in the first place.

His short black hair was slightly tousled, slicked back effortlessly as he sipped from his glass in peace.

Unable to endure the silence anymore, I lowered the book from my face. “Don’t you have someplace better to be—some important meeting to attend?” I asked him, my voice tinged with a hint of frustration.

Without taking his eyes off the pages of the book, he answered, “No.”

My brows furrowed, accentuating the frown on my face. “Well, I’m pretty sure you’re stressed out from the day’s work, and your body needs rest.” I paused, my gaze unwavering. “Your bedroom is across the hall.”

“Why are you trying so hard to get rid of me?” he asked, still not bothering to look in my direction. “Does my presence bother you?”

“As a matter of fact, it does,” I answered, my voice rising a little higher than average.

“Why?”

“Are you kidding me?” I set the book on the nearby table and rose to my feet. “You’re always in my space—you won’t let me go, and you won’t let me breathe,” I rambled on, words flowing rapidly.

Finally, he lifted his head and faced me, his expression soft but unreadable. “It is my duty to protect what’s mine.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “You think spending a million dollars at the auction to ‘buy’ me somehow gives you authority over my life?” I asked, my tone low and venomous. “You think you own me because of that? Well, newsflash, I belong to no one.”

He set the book aside and quietly rose to his feet, his imposing six-foot towering over me. “You know,” he began, taking silent steps forward, “I couldn’t figure out why you disliked being around me. I thought it was because of your so-called hatred for me.”

He halted in front of me, his lips curling into a faint smirk. “But now I know why.”

I swallowed hard, struggling to be unaffected by how close he was to me. His scent was intoxicating—traces of sweat, his cologne, steel, and expensive tobacco. The sight of his muscles and rugged physique caught my eyes, stirring emotions I’d tried so hard to bury.

He reached out and ran the back of his hand along my arm, his touch awakening the passion in my heart. And just like that, something sparked inside me—dark and primal. I hated how much my body betrayed me around him and how easily he set my soul on fire.

My gaze dropped to the floor, my heart pounding loudly. Nik lifted my chin, his cold, hollow eyes staring into mine. The hunger in their depths fueled the flame burning inside me, and although I tried to hide my arousal, it was clear he could see right through me.

“You don’t avoid being around me because you hate me,” he said softly. “You do that because you’re afraid.”

I clench my jaw, my breath catching in my throat. “I’m not afraid of you,” I said, my voice weak and shallow.

“No, you’re not.” He let out a faint scoff, his eyes never leaving mine. “You’re afraid that what happened the last time will repeat itself.” Nik leaned in, his hand traveling down my lower abdomen.

“It was a mistake,” I said, trying to sound confident despite my aching heart. “One I’m not willing to make again.”

His lips curled into a sly smile. “I doubt that,” he whispered in my face, his hand caressing the edge of my waistband, enough to make me shiver.

My body stiffened when he dared to dip below, a slow and deliberate test of boundaries. A soft gasp escaped me, my chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. “Nik, we shouldn’t…” I breathed, my voice trailing off, betraying more confusion than command.

“You don’t mean that,” he added, his fingers teasing my underpants.

“I do.” My heart was warm with desire, my wetness proving his claim.

“Then push me away,” he dared me, his hand sliding lower, closer to my throbbing cunt.

Everything was happening so fast, and I barely had time to think. The atmosphere shifted from calm to hostile, then to charged with sexual tension in a matter of seconds. That’s how powerful his effect was on me. Also, he was right; this was the reason I’d been avoiding being alone with him in a closed room.

He gently lifted my chin and looked deep into my eyes. “I don’t care what you think about me. I’ll never take you without your consent. If you’re not enjoying what I’m doing, then tell me to stop.” He slid his finger through my slippery folds.

A cold shiver ran down my spine, and I bent slightly in response. I reached for the table behind me and gripped the edge, anchoring myself. The feeling fanned the fire burning inside me, leaving me vulnerable.

“Go ahead,” he added, watching my resistance gradually dissolve. “Tell me to stop.”

My grip tightened around the table’s edge as his touch sent jolts of electricity coursing through my blood. The sound of his deep, husky voice only fueled my hunger—and the more I tried to resist, the weaker I became.

I wanted him so badly, but hated how he could easily get between my legs at will, without even trying. I should push him away, I should say the words, and since he was a man of his word, he’d leave me alone. But how could I reject him when everything in my body craved him?

His touch had stirred up emotions I could no longer control, and with each thrust of his finger, I felt myself unravel. He teased my wet cunt with practiced ease, caressing the right places at the right time.

“Say it,” he whispered in my ear. “I promise to step away if you do.”

My eyes rolled back, my teeth grazing my lower lip. He looked at me as if he enjoyed the mask of pleasure on my face. I grasped the edge of the table more tightly, bracing myself for whatever might come next.

Driven by passion, I closed my eyes, anticipating his lips on mine. The second he kissed me, my cells came alive, and when his tongue invaded my mouth, it sparked my desire. I could taste the wine on his lips, my head tilting to the rhythm of the passion between us.

He ended our kiss and locked eyes with me, his hand retreating from my body. We looked into each other’s eyes, the air heavy with tension, and my heart kept racing. I was aroused, soaked through—desperately craving more.

“Fuck it,” I murmured, rushing to reclaim his lips.

The kiss was hotter and more fervent, with our hands exploring each other’s bodies. Breathless, our heads moved in perfect sync, his hands fondling my breasts. Driven by our hunger, we started undressing each other, hands moving quickly.

My fingers found the hem of his shirt, and I helped yank it off, revealing his masculine physique. My crop top was next to go, leaving my chest bare. I moaned in his mouth as he deliciously squeezed my gentle swells, his touch firm and possessive.

Next, he grabbed the waistband of my baggy jeans, undid the zipper, and tugged it down my thighs. He lifted me in his arms, then set me on the table before completely taking off my pants. I spread out my legs, pulling him closer by the belt. His hands caressed my skin, his kisses fanning the flames of my passion.

Nothing else mattered to me at that moment; all I wanted was to feel him inside me again. His hands cupped my face while I struggled with his belt until I was triumphant. I tossed it to the floor, unzipped his pants, and dipped my hand to withdraw his shaft—hard as a rock.

I would regret this action later. Yes. But for now…fuck it!

He cradled the back of my neck with one hand, and with the other, he squeezed my breasts. When he took his lips off mine, I let out a soft moan, basking in the euphoria of his hands all over my body.

He positioned himself between my legs, his lips pressed to my neck before taking my nipple in his mouth.

“Oh, yes,” I moaned softly, fingers wrapped around his cock.

With his shaft in one hand, I gently circled my palm over his cap, smearing his precum over it. He pulled me closer, teasing my entrance with the tip of his cock. And then with one slow push, he penetrated my wet pussy.

I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to have him inside—the feeling was so good it sent shivers down my spine. He drove in deeper, stretching me out with his powerful thrust.

I locked my legs around his waist with my arms around his neck as he rammed my pussy with vigorous strokes. His waist moved rapidly against mine, each thrust deeper than the last. He reached for my chest and palmed my breasts while driving into me mercilessly.

My face was a mask of sheer pleasure, my moans growing louder by the second despite my attempts to keep them down. He was rough and gentle at the same time, his relentless strokes sending waves of ecstasy crashing through me.

He quickened his pace, hitting my G-spot with a steady rhythm.

I loved the way he touched me, the way he made me feel so good—alive and like a woman. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell him that. I couldn’t get enough of him, and the more he drove into me, the more I craved more.

My legs were dangling in the air, my brain had completely shut down, and I was drowning in a sea of ecstasy.

Harder. Harder. Go harder, I thought to myself, casting a lustful stare at him so he’d enjoy the look etched in my gaze.

As though he heard my thoughts, Nik increased his tempo, ramming me so hard that the table creaked loudly beneath us. The legs scraped against the floorboards with each relentless thrust.

I gripped the edge of the table for support without breaking eye contact with him. His deep groans and the mask of pleasure on his face hinted at his arrival. He moved harder and faster, sweat glistening on his skin as he held my gaze. My breasts were bouncing up and down in response to his rough cadence.

He fucked my pussy like a hungry beast devouring its prey, and I loved every bit of it. His intense pace set my fuckin’ soul on fire, my heart burning with desire.

I expected him to come any moment now, but he didn’t. Instead, he knocked the books off the table with a single sweep of his hand. Before my brain could process what was happening, he pushed me down flat on my back. I hadn’t registered that action yet when he placed my legs on his chest and lifted my hips a few inches off the table.

“Oh, my God—fuck!” I cried out as his first thrust in this position hit the right spot.

My legs stiffened in response to the feeling coursing through my blood. He slung his left arm over my thighs, as if securing them in place. And with his right hand below my hips, he positioned my waist for more thrusts.

His strokes were desperate, a demanding rhythm that left me screaming in ecstasy. He moved over me with a feverish pace, and I felt myself coming apart, surrendering to his control. I threw my hands into my hair, fingers massaging my scalp as if trying to soothe the pleasure rushing to my brain.

He fucked me so hard that I didn’t realize I was already moaning his name until it was too late. “Fuck, Nik—oh, Nik, yes– yes– yes….”

My legs were trembling, but his arm over my thighs kept me in place. The feeling was too much to bear, and when I tried to pull away, he pulled me back, maintaining his wild tempo.

Nik didn’t stop; I didn’t want him to, nor did I want him to slow down either. His wild rhythm rattled every nerve inside me, and his caresses served as a constant reminder that he owned my body. By now, I had surrendered myself to him, accepting that I belonged to him.

I’d deny it later on. But at this moment, he left me with no choice but to accept it as a reality.

“Right there—right there—” My eyes rolled backward, hands groping for the nearest edge of the table to hold.

“You like that?” he asked, his breath ragged from all that exercise.

I nodded, looking into his lustful eyes.

“Say it,” he demanded. “I wanna hear you say it.”

“I like it,” I moaned, cupping my bouncing breasts.

“Sir,” he said, instructing me to add it.

“I like it, sir.”

His lips curled into a self-satisfied smirk, and an even deeper growl announced his arrival. Nik’s pace grew more desperate and then, boom!

Fuck yeesss!

A small smile spread across my face as he released his essence inside me. My pussy closed around his cock, accepting every drop until his sac was empty.

He withdrew his cock and took a step back, watching me come undone. My legs were dangling in the air, and I was shaking like a leaf. I’d never experienced something as mind-blowing as this, hence the reason why my body wouldn’t stop convulsing.

I was having an intense orgasm. My muscles were contracting, my eyes were rolling backward, my toes were curled, and my hands were thrown into my hair. My chest was dampened with sweat, my breath ragged and shallow.

It took me a while to finally regain my composure, shock and awe flickering in my eyes as I looked at him. He was seated in the nearest chair, his eyes wandering over my body with a spark of passion.

We stared at each other in silence, breathing in unison while I tried to process what had just happened. It felt like he took me to heaven and back, a feeling I was unfamiliar with.

I should feel used, but I didn’t.

Guilt was gradually creeping into my heart, along with a feeling dangerously close to longing. I wanted more, and that hunger twisted in my chest, leaving me confused about everything.

I wasn’t sure whether I had just surrendered a part of myself or if I was beginning to lose this game completely. Whatever the case, it wasn’t good for me at all.

Chapter 20 – Nik

I waltzed through the small crowd of powerful men and women, dressed to impress—Mafia leaders, dirty politicians, and businessmen who preferred blood to contracts.

This was a gathering of wolves, apex predators looking to close one shady deal or another. Nobody here was innocent—nobody. To the rest of the world, some of the people in this room were regarded as heroes. But in reality, they were the true villains.

Every man in the hall wore power like a second skin, from the gleaming watches on their wrists to the veiled threats on their lips. No two people in this gathering were friends—we were all liars, cheaters, and fucking manipulators. Everyone was out for their own personal gain, no more, no less.

A good number of us hated each other, yet these fucking hypocrites moved about wearing plastic smiles like they gave a shit about their neighbor. They collectively hated me around here because I didn’t indulge them. I refused to fake a smile or entertain meaningless conversations.

Why smile with someone who loathed me enough to put a bullet in my head if they got the chance? We were rivals from different organizations, fighting for different reasons.

I could’ve brought my Dikaya along to keep me company. But this was a dangerous place where words could buy loyalty or start a fuckin’ war. The men in this room were some of the world’s most ruthless beings.

One wrong move, and this whole place would go up in flames. It was to be expected, considering the number of deadly gangs present here tonight—Russian Bratva, Chinese Triad, Irish syndicate, Italian Mob, et cetera.

There was no way I was going to bring her, especially since she could’ve declined my invitation anyway, given all the drama between us lately.

I helped myself with a glass of champagne from a waiter’s tray, and while taking a sip, my lips curled into a faint grin. Images from last night flooded my mind, reminding me of our time together in the library.

The sound of her sweet moans echoed in my head—a welcome distraction from this boring event. I glanced at my watch, counting the hours until the meeting was over.

There was still a lot to be addressed at home—words unspoken, feelings unshared. I had no idea what was happening to me or why I couldn’t seem to concentrate on anything other than her.

She had slithered her way into my heart, my mind, and my soul. Now, it was next to impossible to get her out. Dikaya had tattooed her face on my heart and was living rent-free in my head.

After our second night together, I began entertaining some crazy thoughts about starting a family with her. Why not? She already belonged to me and was carrying my child. So, why not make it official?

I brushed it off as nothing serious, even though deep down, I knew it was my heart’s desire. She was everything I wanted and more—gorgeous, smart, resilient, stubborn, and fuckin’ determined. Perhaps the sex played a bigger role in fusing us together because I was more drawn to her after both times.

For some reason, I felt complete around her, and now that she wasn’t with me, it was like a piece of me was missing. Did I really allow myself to get so attached to a woman whose real name I didn’t even know?

Roman was right. I should do my homework on her; I should find out who she was and why she was so fierce. According to her, she was chasing down a lead on her friend who had gone missing, and then she went missing herself.

But why would an ordinary girl embark on such a dangerous journey? I didn’t want to believe that if I dug deeper, I might not like what I’d find. Was I even ready for the truth, or was I just stalling because I was afraid of facing it?

“Well, well, would you look at that?” a familiar voice cut through my thoughts. “If it isn’t Nikolai Tarasov himself?”

I turned toward the speaker, and there he was, approaching me with a smug smirk on his face. It was him, the bastard behind the attack on my nightclub weeks ago, Richard Kane.

He was dressed in a white tux, his gray hair slicked back, and his trimmed beard gleaming in the warm glow of the chandelier. Next to him stood a young girl, no older than my Dikaya. She wore a fine white gown, with her red hair spilling in soft curls over one shoulder.

She looked poised, polished, and well-put-together at first glance. However, when I took a closer look, I couldn’t help seeing the truth hidden in plain sight—the cracks beneath the varnish. I spotted a faint bruise along her jaw, barely concealed by makeup.

The hollow gleam in her eyes told a story she dared not speak about. Despite her polished exterior, she was just a scared little girl doing her master’s bidding. She wasn’t Richard’s date; she was his property.

This bastard was behind all the major human trafficking across the city and beyond.

He halted before me with a quiet chuckle. “You know, you’re the last person I thought I’d run into tonight.”

“That makes the two of us,” I answered, my voice flat, expression blank.

“Come on, why the cold shoulder?” he teased, that pesky smirk still playing on his lips. “Surely, you’re not still mad because of that…incident.”

The bastard was referring to the attack on my nightclub.

I raised my brows. “Incident. Is that what you call it?” My expression darkened, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper. “You should be grateful I haven’t put you down where you stand.”

“Is that a threat, Nik?” His brows furrowed. “Because I don’t like threats.” He drew closer, his eyes pinned on me.

I took a casual sip from my glass. “Unlike you, Kane, I don’t make threats. I act without warning.”

A flicker of irritation and unease passed through his eyes, and he locked his jaw.

As the words hung in the air, eyes turned toward us, the tension between us growing by the second. I could feel my blood boiling, and if Kane didn’t take caution, he might force my hand. One wrong move, and things could quickly escalate, especially now that my men were already reaching for their weapons.

Kane looked around. Our little confrontation had drawn unnecessary attention to us. He knew it was useless to start a fight right here, right now. He’d lose and would most likely not make it out of this building alive. A few of his guards stood gallantly behind him, ready to defend their boss. Idiots.

“You can tell your men to stand down, Nik,” he said, his expression softening. “I’m not looking for trouble. Just stopped by to say hello.”

I didn’t respond, but my eyes never left his face.

He nodded once, tugging on the girl’s arm. “Come on, Maria.” And with that, he walked away with her by his side.

Kane hadn’t gone far when he turned back and added, “Oh, I almost forgot.” His eyes locked with mine. “Congratulations.”

I squinted, unsure of what that meant until he clarified.

“I have no doubt you’ll make a good father.” He winked at me, then proceeded to mingle with the crowd.

My heart skipped a beat.

He knew. He knew about the pregnancy.

It wasn’t public knowledge yet, but he somehow got the information. My jaw tightened as I realized how much I’d underestimated this bastard. Now that he’d found out that Dikaya was carrying my child, there was no telling what he’d do with that piece of information.

However, I wasn’t going to make the mistake of underestimating him again. This wouldn’t be like the attack on my nightclub; if he tried anything funny, I would come for him with everything I had.

Just the mere thought of my Dikaya and our unborn baby being in danger fueled my rage. My fingers curled into a fist, and my brows furrowed, accentuating the frown on my face.

If Kane wanted war, then I’d be damned if I didn’t give him one.

Chapter 21 – Blair

“Alright, dear. We’re gonna take a quick look and listen. Is that okay?” the doctor asked, pulling on a pair of gloves, her voice gentle and soothing.

I gave a curt nod, lying on the examination table, the faint scent of antiseptic and disinfectant invading my senses. The low hum of medical machines filled the room, harsh fluorescent lights spilling from above.

Doctor Chan, a blonde woman in her mid-thirties with amazing hazel eyes and a charming smile, rolled a stool to my side. She sat on it and squeezed a small amount of clear gel on my lower abdomen.

I flinched and let out a soft wince when the coolness met my skin.

“Sorry,” she whispered, maintaining her bright smile. “I should’ve warned you about the cold.”

I mirrored her grin. “I’ve endured worse.”

Doctor Chan pressed the ultrasound probe against my abdomen and skillfully moved her hand. Her eyes were fixed on the beeping monitor next to us as her hand moved in a slow, circular motion.

My gaze shifted to my new bodyguard observing from a corner beside the door. Nik’s arms were folded across his broad chest, his cold eyes never leaving me for a split second. He watched the whole process like a hawk, trusting no one else around me but himself.

I didn’t plan to come to the clinic with him today; however, this stubborn man insisted on tagging along. He claimed he was never letting me out of his sight, and he would either come with me, or I wouldn’t leave the house at all.

In fact, he asked me to stay back, saying he would call the doctor to come to the mansion and perform the procedure.

“What?!” I snapped. “Hell no! I’ve been trapped in here for weeks; going out will do me a lot of good. It’s what the baby wants.” The last sentence fell from my lips, and my voice trailed off.

His brows rose in disbelief, and something that resembled a small smile lined the corners of his lips. “The baby wants to go out?” he asked, trying to point out how ridiculous it sounded.

My eyes darted across the living room, fingers scratching the back of my head. “Yes. That’s right.”

He turned to the housekeeper and Katerina, who were present, as if asking them to back him up.

Katerina avoided his gaze altogether, and the housekeeper just shrugged her shoulders.

“If she says the baby wants to go out, then the baby wants to go out,” the housekeeper said, her voice thick with the Russian accent.

Shocked, Nik replied, “It’s just a few weeks old. How’s that even—”

“You are not a woman; I do not expect you to understand,” she added. “The mother and her child…they are connected.”

“Thank you, Rosa,” I said to her, beaming.

Nik stood there, completely stunned, unable to believe his ears. He looked at us as though we’d conspired against him.

“So, you’re taking her side now, is that it?” he asked the housekeeper.

“It is not about sides. It is about what the baby wants.”

“See? She gets it,” I said teasingly.

He drew a deep breath, fingers rubbing his eyes, his expression softening by the second. “Fine,” he said to me. “But I’m coming with you.”

“There, that’s the heartbeat,” Doctor Chan’s soft voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

My eyes shifted to the screen where a soft rhythmic sound cut through the static. My heart warmed, and a bright smile lifted my mood. “It’s so cute,” I murmured, listening to the small, steady beat.

Nik drew closer and towered over me, his gaze pinned on the screen. He didn’t say anything, but the look on his face told me all that I needed to know.

This man would cherish his child and wouldn’t mind going to any length to keep them safe. He had the look of a father in those cold eyes of his, and it sparked something inside me.

At the moment, a fierce instinct kicked in, and I knew that just like Nik, I would burn the world to protect this baby. I placed my hand on my lower abdomen, my heart melting with delight as I stared at the blurry image on the screen.

This child was the one thing linking Nik and me in ways I never wanted. But this was my reality now, and the sooner I accepted it, the better. I glanced up at Nik, but his eyes were fixed on the screen. I didn’t realize that he’d been holding my hand this whole time until he squeezed gently against my fingers.

I felt a strange warmth spread through my body, as if his touch had stirred something inside me. My mission was getting tougher and tougher by the day because now I was stuck between survival and duty.

How could I bring myself to destroy the father of my unborn child? Was it really worth it?

I had yet to find anything tying him to the human trafficking crimes in the city. He told me himself that his gang didn’t partake in such activities. Wasn’t that enough to make the Bureau look away?

I knew my emotions were starting to cloud my judgment since I began entertaining this thought. Nik might not be guilty of this particular crime, but he sure was guilty of others. Drug dealing, racketeering, money laundering, et cetera. But I still didn’t have any proof of these crimes.

How could I work effectively while under twenty-four-hour surveillance? The only reason I made it this far was because I hadn’t been caught. If I ever got sloppy and Nik found out my mission was to bring him down, there was no telling what he’d do to me.

The thought of it alone scared the shit out of me.

The soldier in me wanted to complete the mission because Nikolai Tarasov had destroyed countless lives. He deserved to be locked up behind bars for all his atrocities. However, the emotional side of me— the part that knew I was about to become a mother—thought differently.

There was more at stake here than just my life. One wrong move might land me in so much trouble, and if anything happened to me, the baby would be affected. It was too big a risk. I couldn’t take it.

This mission now felt like a chain rather than a purpose.

Maybe I never should’ve reached out to the director, promising her the evidence she needed to put Nik away. Perhaps if I hadn’t made that call, I would’ve just simply abandoned the mission without feeling guilty or pressured.

Besides, the Bureau hadn’t even known I was still alive until I made that call. Now I regretted it. I should’ve just kept my mouth shut and accepted my fate at the mansion.

Nik was already changing into a version I never thought possible. And deep down, I knew he had the potential to be more—for his child and for me.

Calling the director was a big mistake; I saw that clearly now.

I’d never been more trapped and more confused in my life. This game was getting out of hand, and my chances of survival were growing slimmer by the day.

If this went south, and I somehow survived, it would only be because Nik would want me to give birth to his baby. Then, I’d be his prisoner for real, and the second the child was born, he would end my life.

Fear crept into my heart, and I swallowed hard, realizing just how much trouble I was in.

I’m fucked.

Chapter 22 – Nik

The sex of the child was irrelevant right now; all that mattered was that a baby was on its way. It was my responsibility to ensure everything was in order before the delivery day.

I must be prepared for the likes of Richard Kane, who would seek to make a move on my Dikaya and the child we were expecting. In my world, enemies would do anything just to prove a point. If he could come after me in my club, he would go after those I cared about.

Before Dikaya and this child, I never had to worry about any loose ends. I was invincible—untouchable because I had no weaknesses. But now, I was responsible for not just one but two lives.

My mind was caught in a storm, especially after seeing the little creature’s form on the screen. Its faint heartbeat still lingered at the back of my head, reminding me of the life in Dikaya’s womb—my future. My legacy.

Ever since the visit to the clinic, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the baby. I’d been quieter than usual and found myself reflexively withdrawing from Dikaya and everyone else. I needed some time to myself to process and plan my next move.

I was doing the same thing I once criticized her for. How ironic!

I finally understood why she demanded some space—the pressure was overwhelming. It had been a few days since the ultrasound, and we hadn’t had our usual banter, let alone a decent conversation. I found no peace or relief at the bottom of the bottle. So, I resorted to the one thing I was good at.

Violence.

Hitting things had always been therapeutic for me; that was why I locked myself in the private gym for hours, burning some steam.

I stood in front of the punching bag hanging from a steel chain in the middle of the room. The air was thick with the smell of leather and sweat, blending with the soft jazz playing in the background.

My white singlet clung to my body, damp with perspiration, the fabric hugging me like a second skin. With a heaving chest, I carefully wrapped a white cloth around my palm, each tug precise and deliberate. I flexed my fingers to test the tension, my breathing steady and controlled.

Overwhelmed by my present situation, I swung the first punch, and it landed with a sickening thud. The bag jerked from the force, the impact doing little to ease my stress. I struck again, harder this time.

Again. And again. And again. Each punch came sharper, faster, and harder than the last as my shoulders coiled with lethal precision. The more I struck the bag, the lighter I felt—the tension was easing off me bit by bit.

I kept going, my breath coming in ragged gasps, sweat beading down my collarbone and flowing onto my chest. My heartbeat has spiked, adrenaline coursing through my veins. The white cloth I wrapped around my knuckles was supposed to protect my knuckles, but my blows were too forceful.

My thoughts became quieter with each strike, the thought of anything bad happening to my child fueling my rage. I found solace in the horrible things I’d do to whoever was unfortunate enough to come after my loved ones. They’d wish they were this punching bag because they’d suffer a fate worse than death.

At this point, the bag was already swinging wildly, the chain creaking at the impact of my skull-crushing blows. The room was filled with the sounds of my thick grunts as I pictured the bag as an enemy. My knuckles hurt, but I didn’t stop. I embraced the pain, striking even harder. My heavy punches left traces of blood on the bag with every blow.

I swung more aggressive punches, pissed at myself this time because, for the first time in a really long time, I had no control over a situation. This girl had awakened something in me, ignited a fire that wouldn’t quench, and stirred up the emotions I once buried.

I knew the right thing to do was find who she truly was, but I was afraid of the truth I’d find. Fear was a feeling I was unfamiliar with, yet with her, it seemed to creep into my heart so easily. And hated it—I hated how confused I was—how vulnerable I felt around her.

It felt like I was turning into someone I hardly recognized, someone driven by the emotions he had once suppressed. Why? Because of a woman.

I threw my hardest punch yet, and the bag swung so wildly that I thought the chain was about to snap. Struggling to catch my ragged breaths, I caught the swinging bag with one hand, stilling its movement.

My jaw tightened, eyes narrowing at the blood stains on the bag. My bruised knuckles ached, but it was worth it in the end, considering the calm I felt within. It wasn’t peace, but it wasn’t rage either.

I stared at the bag, my shoulders rising and falling with steady breaths as I reveled in this small sense of calm. Then it hit me: If this were having such an effect on me, it would be worse on Dikaya.

Perhaps avoiding her these past few days was selfish and thoughtless. She shouldn’t be alone right now.

I let out a soft sigh and rubbed my eyes, thinking about my next move, but my mind was blank at that moment. The only thing on my mind was finding my Dikaya and keeping her company, even though I had no idea what to say to her.

It was clear by now that we needed each other because we were both worried about our child’s future. Fighting this battle separately would only make it more painful, and although I could handle the pain, I didn’t want her to go through all of that.

Quietly, I stepped away from the bag and left the gym to take a shower.

Later that night, I found her at her favorite spot in the house—the balcony on the east wing. She was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall. One leg was stretched out, and the other was pulled up toward her chest. Her eyes were fixed on the stars, and her expression was soft, with a faint grin tugging at her lips.

Her soft curls were pulled into a messy ponytail, her skin glowing under the moonlight. She looked so beautiful and innocent that just by looking at her, my heart melted like ice cream.

I leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over my chest as I silently watched her, taking in the details of her incredible body. She was wearing a worn, checkered shirt with baggy jeans, like a character from one of those adventure movies.

“Did you know that a star is twice the size of the Earth?” she asked without turning to face me. “Yet, millions of light-years away, they look so small—like tiny dots in the celestial canvas.” A soft chuckle escaped her lips. “Isn’t that fascinating?”

I figured it was rhetorical, so I didn’t bother responding.

“Sometimes the precision of the universe makes me wonder if there’s….” She paused and continued, “If there’s really a designer behind all of this, you know.”

“You mean God?” I asked her.

She turned to face me and then nodded. “But if he is out there, then he must really hate me.” Her voice dropped to a low whisper, tinged with traces of pain.

Silence.

She continued, “He must hate all the girls that were kidnapped and shipped off to God-knows-where. I mean, look at me; my life sucks—I was bought like a piece of property by a man who cares little for me. And now I’m stuck in his violent world with his child in my womb.”

Her words hurt more than bee stings, and when she looked at me, all I saw in those stormy eyes was pain.

“You think your life sucks?” I asked her, my voice calm and gentle. “Why don’t you ask your best friend, Katerina, to tell you the story of her life?” I drew closer without breaking eye contact. “The housekeeper is like a grandmother to you, isn’t she? Ask her what she’s had to endure all her life.”

She blinked back the tears that welled in her eyes, her chest rising and falling with even breaths.

“When you hear their stories, Dikaya, you’ll realize just how lucky you are.” I towered over her.

She shook her head, wiping the tears that streamed down her cheeks. “I don’t feel lucky, Nik.”

My heart broke when I saw those tears in her eyes. “May I?” I gestured to the space beside her.

She nodded.

I sat on the floor beside her, my gaze sweeping over the horizon. “You’re wrong, you know. You are lucky.” I glanced at her. “You think he doesn’t care about you, that he’s a monster, cruel and heartless.”

“Is he not?” she asked, looking right into my eyes.

“He is,” I answered. “But not to you.”

Her expression softened, warming my heart. And she wouldn’t stop staring as if she were searching for something—a lie, perhaps.

“He cares about you. More than you think.”

She blinked a few times, then glanced away. “Well, he sucks at showing it.”

“Men like him aren’t trained to be emotional. They’re monsters, remember?” I teased.

And for the first time, she smiled at me—raw, genuine, and unrestrained. Her eyes sparkled like a thousand sapphires, lighting up her mood. I felt good about myself for bringing that beautiful smile to her face.

For the longest time, all I did was piss her off and bask in her anger because I saw this as a game. But things were different now—I no longer delighted in her pain. All I wanted was to see her happy. She’d been through a lot already; a little happiness would do her a lot of good.

Her gaze flicked to my bruised knuckles. “What happened to you?”

I glanced down at them. “Nothing you should worry about.”

We stared at each other for the next few seconds, and although neither of us said a word, we could feel the spark in the silence. Strange how my heartbeat escalated quickly, then gradually steadied the longer I held her gaze.

She broke eye contact, and we both redirected our focus to the night sky. My heart was warm with affection. And when her hand touched mine, it stirred something inside me, something that made my breath hitch.

“It’s Blair, by the way.” She glanced at me.

My brows rose subtly.

“My name,” she added. “Blair Blake.”

My lips curled into a faint, self-satisfied grin. “You’ll always be ‘Dikaya’ to me,” I teased, grateful that she finally trusted me enough to disclose her name even without me asking.

She drew a deep breath and returned her gaze to the sky. “Sometimes I can’t stop thinking about Maria and all those trafficked girls.”

Maria?

I’d heard that name recently. But where?

That was when it hit me: That was the name of the girl Richard had brought to the gathering the other night.

“Maria is the friend you said you were looking for when those men jumped you?” I asked her.

“Yeah.” She nodded, clueless as to why I asked.

I paused for a second, trying to connect the dots here. “Is she a redhead?”

Dikaya turned to face me, suspicion sneaking into her gaze. “Yes.”

“Tall, hazel brown eyes, no older than you?”

Her brows knitted together, her head tilting to the side with a solemn expression on her face. “Nik, did you see her somewhere? Did someone buy her? Who?” She stared at me with desperation, her words tumbling out in a rush.

I contemplated my response.

“Nik, tell me who.” She pressed her hand against my fingers, her eyes fixed on mine.

“Don’t worry,” I said to her. “I’ll handle it.”

She paused, shocked by my words. “You’ll…I don’t understand.”

“Maybe it’s too soon,” I answered, “but I need you to trust me when I say I’ll handle it.” My voice was low, calm, but laced with confidence.

Her gaze lingered on me, as if to be sure she interpreted it correctly.

If Maria were her friend and she was the reason Dikaya ended up in this mess in the first place, then Richard Kane wouldn’t know what hit him.

Her lips parted like she was about to press on, but no words came out. She just watched me closely with a glint of gratitude in her eyes.

Chapter 23 – Blair

I lay in bed that night, clutching my pillow to my chest as I remembered the way he sat next to me on the balcony. Our conversation was brief but full of emotion because, for the first time, I intentionally unloaded my burdens on him.

I complained to him about what was bothering me as if he were a stranger in a park. He didn’t get mad; he didn’t snap or yell at me for talking about him badly. Instead, he played along, replying like a total stranger offering advice.

It was one of the very few real conversations we’d had since arrival at the mansion. For some reason, this one hit me differently—in ways I wasn’t ready to admit yet. Nik had made it his life’s mission to prove to me he wasn’t the monster I thought he was.

The way he looked at me, the sound of his gentle voice, and the fact that he sat with me on the floor all painted a different picture of the Mafia boss wanted by the Bureau. I couldn’t find that monster I hated so much; all I saw was a human being—a gentleman.

Those cold eyes weren’t as empty as they used to be; they had something flickering in their depths. Not rage. Not dominance. Not condescension.

Affection.

That was what I saw in his eyes—pure, undiluted affection, the kind that made my heart skip. He spoke to me like a reasonable person, not a wild beast who used to delight in my pain. Even now, his words still lingered on the fringes of my mind.

He never said it directly, but he insinuated that he cared about me more than I thought. And that alone melted my heart like ice cream. He was right: Men like him weren’t trained to be emotional or to be true to their feelings. Yet, he found a way to chip it in that I wasn’t just another name he’d crossed off the long list of women he’d lured into his bed.

I might have been silly or even stupid to have felt special, but I couldn’t help feeling that way. And when my hand accidentally touched his, it stirred up something inside me, something I had bluntly refused to name. Not yet.

I felt safe and at peace that night on the balcony. There was nothing sexual between us, and the force pulling us together was proof that whatever we shared or felt was beyond physical attraction.

Despite not speaking for long that night, we were both in sync, connected on so many levels. Like when he mentioned Maria, when he said he’d handle it. Nik didn’t have to go into details to buttress his point; the confidence in his voice and the firmness of his tone were enough to convince me.

When I looked into his eyes, I saw the determination of a man willing to find Maria at all costs.

Maria wasn’t my best friend, but she was close to me. I was already on the case when she went missing; her disappearance only pushed me to work harder. I was determined to find her, bring her home, and expose the criminals behind her kidnapping.

Now Nik had taken it upon himself to finish my mission of freeing Maria. As touching as that act was, it was also quite concerning. If, for any reason, he discovered the truth about me, I’d lose everything in an instant.

The fear of Nik realizing the truth and what he’d do to me kept me awake late at night. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was on the right side of this war because if anything bad happened—if this mission went south—I was the only one who would be directly affected.

Nik wouldn’t harm the entire Bureau; he wouldn’t target Director Martha Voss. No, I was going to be the one he focused on, the one to take the fall. Was it really worth it?

Even if, by some miracle, I managed to pull this off and survive unscathed, would I be able to live with myself? What would I do with the baby in my womb?

Men like Nik had eyes and ears everywhere in the city. So, even if he was to rot in jail, there was no guarantee that I’d still be safe. I would have to go to bed with one eye open every night. I’d have to be on the lookout all the time—on the streets, in the supermarket, on the bus; nowhere would ever feel safe.

Did I really want to live like that with an innocent baby? Hell no.

Maybe I should just call it quits and come clean—tell him about the NCIB’s plan to find enough dirt on him and put him away for good. However, every time I ran the scenario in my head, it never ended well. In all the possible outcomes I imagined, I was either dead or miserable.

I wasn’t sure he had it in him to forgive me if he learned the truth. These Mafia men were keen on loyalty, and the one thing they never forgave was betrayal. Nik would accuse me of being a spy—and let’s face it, he wouldn’t be wrong.

In my defense, it didn’t start out with me being a spy; he wasn’t the target, not particularly anyway. The Bureau didn’t put me in his life to spy on him. It was a sudden idea that struck me when I realized my captivity might have helped me get closer to solving the case.

If I had known things would turn out the way they did, I never would’ve considered the idea at all. I thought I was doing my job—getting rid of the bad guys and doing the world a favor. But I was focusing on the wrong man.

Nik wasn’t behind Maria’s kidnapping; his organization wasn’t involved in human trafficking. He did me a solid by buying me during that auction because, in his own twisted way, he was trying to save me from those pigs.

Right now, I couldn’t even imagine belonging to any one of them. My life would’ve been hell, but the only difference would be the fact that I wouldn’t hesitate to bring them down. I wouldn’t feel guilty about it either.

Nik, on the other hand, had been lenient with me; dare I say, he’d been kind to me. He didn’t deserve to be betrayed, especially because he was never the target in the first place. Overwhelmed by guilt, I got out of bed and buried my face in my palms.

After rubbing my tired eyes, I strode out of the room to get some fresh air outside. I needed to clear my head, and the four walls of my room were suffocating me.

As I wandered the halls tonight, I noticed something strange: The mansion was unusually quiet. At first, I didn’t think it was something worth considering, but the more I walked around the house, the more the building seemed empty. Like the Mary Celeste.

No guards, no maids. Nobody except me. Even if all the maids were asleep, what about the guards? At this point, I realized something was off. On a normal day, I wouldn’t take two steps forward without sensing their watchful eyes on me. But tonight, it was different. And not in a good way.

I stopped in my tracks when I spotted a figure standing across the hallway, shrouded in the darkness of the corner. At first glance, I thought it was one of the guards. And I was about to ask him why the whole mansion was quiet tonight.

However, something seemed off about this figure. He stood like a statue in the shadows, looking right at me.

My eyes squinted, sensing something was wrong, but I dared to call out anyway, “Hello?!”

Silence.

“Are you one of the guards? Where’s everyone else?” I asked him, already mapping out my exit plan, should this be what I thought it was.

Again, no answer.

“If this is some sick joke, it’s not funny.”

The figure stepped out of the shadows quietly, revealing their masked face and the bloodied knife in their hand.

My eyes widened in fear. “Shit.”

He matched toward me like fuckin’ Jason from that popular Hollywood horror movie. I turned around, ready to run in the opposite direction, and my reflexes kicked in immediately. I ducked, dodging a powerful blow that could’ve knocked me out within a second.

My second attacker’s hand whooshed past my face, his fist slightly grazing my forehead in the process. Before I could get a grip on myself, he swung another punch. I trapped his arm between my hands and twisted hard, snapping it like a twig with a sickening crack.

He wailed in agony.

I kicked him hard in the neck, the impact denting his head into the wall. By now, the other figure had caught up with me and was violently swinging his blade with practiced ease. I weaved his advances, retaliating with a straight punch to his jaw, and before he could register the pain, I rammed my knee into his ribs.

He staggered backward, groaning in agony.

With lightning speed, I knocked the knife out of his hand, caught it midair, and jabbed the blade into his thigh. Sensing another movement behind me, I pulled the knife from the man’s flesh and threw it at the newcomer. The blade streaked through the air, flipping multiple times before catching in my attacker’s chest.

Two more appeared out of nowhere and rushed at me at the same time. Their strengths and tactics matched mine as we fought, throwing dangerous kicks and punches. They marveled at my skills, but unlike the others, they didn’t underestimate me.

The fight was intense as I fought with everything I had just to keep my baby safe. I wasn’t thinking about myself at that moment—I didn’t matter. The baby did.

Their blows were as heavy as their kicks, but I refused to back down, refused to give in. I wondered where Nik was now that I needed him the most. However, at this point, the only thing on my mind was survival.

After a while, I successfully knocked one down with a punch so powerful it almost snapped his neck. The last man standing was a pain in my ass, and I was sure I would’ve knocked him out, too, if he hadn’t cheated.

He let me get close enough to him, only to inject a needle into my neck. The effect was almost instant; my vision became blurry, my head was heavy, and my legs felt too weak to carry my weight. My hands flew to my temples as I staggered backward, the world swirling around me.

“Nik,” I called out softly, my body thudding to the floor.

A pair of boots came toward me with heavy footsteps, the sound echoing in my head. As I lay there, struggling to stay awake, I watched my attacker tower over me. My eyes closed, and my vision worsened by the second.

“Go to sleep now,” he said, his voice a gentle echo. “You’ve fought well.”

My heartbeat slowed down drastically, my eyes shut, and the world went dark.

***

“Blair…Blair,” a soft, familiar voice called out, their hand caressing my face. “Blair, wake up.”

A faint wince fell off my lips as I finally came to, blinking a few times to clear my blurry vision.

“Blair…” the voice called again.

A girl’s face hovered above me, her red hair cascading down her shoulders like a river of blood. She looked really familiar, and her voice sounded familiar. And it wasn’t until after my vision cleared that I realized who was staring at me.

“Maria?” My brows arched.

A sound escaped her mouth, somewhere between a chuckle and a sob, as she nodded her head. I sat up immediately and pulled her into my embrace.

“Oh, my God—it’s really you.” I held her tighter.

“How did you end up here?” she sobbed, wrapping her arms around me. “This is a horrible place, Blair. You shouldn’t be here.”

I looked around, noting the horrible sight of other women in this cramped space. They seemed exhausted, malnourished, and all I saw in their eyes was despair—complete and utter despair.

My jaw locked, fury coursing through my blood as I seethed in silence. I rose to my feet, my eyes sweeping the surroundings, searching for clues about where we might be. The air reeked of smoke and metal, the high walls were damp with just one window, a few inches from the ceiling, where none of us could reach.

“There’s no way out of here, honey,” one of the women said to me.

“There has to be one,” I replied, trying to be optimistic.

“Trust me, there isn’t,” she said, the conviction in her tone hinting that she must’ve tried and failed.

“She’s right, Blair,” Maria chipped in, her voice laced with hopelessness. “We’re trapped.”

I thought for a moment, my spirit refusing to break. “No, we’re not. We’re gonna get out of here. I promise.”

Just then, the metal door creaked open, and a man in a white tux walked in, a cigarette perched between his lips. Two other men flanked him as he stood before me. Every other woman in the room pulled away, scared half to death by his presence.

“It’s unwise to make promises you cannot keep,” he said to me, raising his head to look at my face.

I knew that voice sounded familiar—the bastard was wearing the same tux from the night his men kidnapped me months ago. “You,” I breathed, my expression dark with fury.

“Ahh, she remembers me!” He spread out his arms and laughed.

“I never forget a face,” I answered, my scowl deepening. “Especially if it’s a monster like you.”

“I can’t say I’ve missed your wits.” He chuckled, then gestured his cigarette at my face. “But I did miss that fire in your eyes.” He stepped forward. “You know, when my men told me that Nik’s most prized item was a fighter, I never expected it to be you.”

“I’m not his item,” I growled.

He slapped his forehead. “Oh, right! My bad. You’re the mother of his unborn baby.” He laughed. “Wow! It really is a small world. What a crazy turn of events.”

“What do you want?”

He raised his brows, a glint of confusion flickering in his gaze. “With you? Or with them?” He gestured at the other women. “Because trust me, you don’t serve the same purpose.”

Silence.

He dragged on his cigarette, released a puff of smoke, and added, “You see, they’re here to work for me. You, on the other hand, are here as bait.”

“Bait?” I raised my brows. “You want to use me to lure Nik out here?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“You’re wasting your time,” he said, looking straight into his eyes. “He won’t come.”

“Oh, trust me, sweetheart, he will.” A mischievous grin tugged at the corners of his lips. “I kidnapped his baby mama, endangered the life of his unborn child…. He will come.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “In the meantime, make yourself at home.”

He laughed like a movie monarchical villain and headed back out.

“I hope you’re ready for him,” I called out, my voice stopping him in his tracks. “Because if Nik is half the monster I think he is, you’re in for a big surprise.”

He glanced over his shoulder with a corny smirk. “I’m counting on that, sweetheart.”

I watched him walk out of the room, and his men closed the door behind them. Even if I wasn’t sure before, I was now. Nik would come for me; I could feel it in my bones. But at the same time, I was afraid for his safety. Whoever this man was, he seemed to want him dead, and the mere thought of that made my skin crawl.

At this point, I could only hope and pray that Nik found us on time and that he put a bullet in that bastard’s skull.

Chapter 24 – Nik

“Incompetent!” I bellowed, my blood boiling with rage. “All of you!”

None of my men dared look me in the eyes; their faces were masked with shame, guilt, and fear. They knew they messed up, and I was pissed at their negligence.

I paced back and forth, seething, with my hands on my waist. “I was gone for just a few hours, and you idiots couldn’t keep her safe in my absence!”

They stood before me in silence, looking like prisoners awaiting execution. The air was thick with tension, and I could almost hear their heartbeats. The stench of their fear filled the room as they had no idea what I’d do to them.

I paused in my tracks, my gaze sweeping across their miserable faces. “The mansion is a fuckin’ fortress. How the hell did a group of strangers waltz in here, take her, and vanish like smoke?”

Before anyone could respond, my right-hand man, Boris, who was with me when the incident happened, stepped into the room. “Boss. You might wanna see this.” He walked over to me and handed me an iPad.

My eyes fixed on the screen where the footage of the incident was playing. I watched in awe as my Dikaya took down two trained assassins with tactical moves. I’d always known she was a fighter, but there was something different about the way she moved in the clip.

Her stance, her blows, and kicks were those of a skilled fighter—a soldier. I watched how she broke bones like mere twigs, a testament to the fact that this wasn’t her first rodeo.

Every punch she threw was calculated, and her strikes were more powerful than those of an average girl her age. She wasn’t struggling to run for her life or survive an attack. Dikaya was beating the crap out of those men, her strength and skills matching theirs.

My brows rose when she pulled a stunt that shocked even Boris, who let out an instinctive wolf-whistle.

Dikaya had kicked the knife from her attacker’s hand, caught it midair, and jabbed the blade in his thigh. Without hesitation, she yanked the knife free and hurled it into the chest of the guy sneaking up behind her.

“Damn, nice shot,” Boris murmured under his breath, his voice laced with surprise.

I was so engrossed in watching the fight that I almost forgot she needed saving. The way she dodged those knife attacks and knocked out her opponents was rather remarkable.

From what I’d just watched, the only reason the last man standing was able to get her was because the bastard cheated. He injected her in the neck and picked her up after she passed out.

At this moment, a million thoughts raced through my mind. But the most prominent one was how she was able to fight like that. These people were assassins—trained killers—yet she faced them head-on as if it was just another Tuesday in the park.

Something wasn’t adding up because there was no way an ordinary girl would be so skilled. Dikaya had some explaining to do; however, all of that would have to wait. The most important thing right now was to find out who took her and where they were keeping her.

I was sure that she was still alive. If those guys wanted her dead, they wouldn’t have drugged her—they would have put a bullet in her neck, not a syringe.

My eyes squinted as I noticed a familiar ink on the arm of the man who took Dikaya. Only one gang in the city had those Phoenix tattoos. Richard Kane’s men. The son of a bitch was behind this. I wasn’t surprised at all.

“Where were you when she was fighting these men?” I asked my guards, frowning at them.

“We checked and found there was something in the ventilation system that knocked them out cold,” Boris replied on their behalf. “This was a coordinated attack.”

“Richard Kane is behind this,” I said, my gaze sweeping across the faces of my men. “Find out where he’s keeping her. Now.”

They nodded and dematerialized, leaving Boris and me.

“You know this is a trap, right?” he asked. “He’s using her as bait to lure you out.”

“Kane’s been trying to get my attention for the longest time.” I turned to face him. “Well, now he has it. Now he has my full attention.”

It didn’t take long before my men were able to pinpoint his exact location. I had no idea how they did it in such a short while, and I honestly couldn’t care less. We wouldn’t have been in this mess if they’d done their jobs to begin with.

We tracked him down to an abandoned warehouse at the outskirts of the city and raided the building without a second thought. Chaos erupted immediately we arrived, the sound of rapid gunfire filling the air.

His men fought back, but the idiots were no match for my gang and me. I led the invasion, holding up my rifle in front of me as I moved like a shadow in the dark. For each round I squeezed, a man dropped dead. The screams of terrified women came from behind a closed door up ahead.

The shooting ended as quickly as it began, with all of Kane’s men sprawled across the floor. My eyes squinted as I scanned the surroundings, sensing that something was off.

“Is it just me, or is this too easy?” Boris whispered to me.

Just then, a device rolled out from a corner.

“Grenade!” Boris roared, pushing me out of the way.

The blast whisked me into the air and hurled me back against the wall. Covered in dirt and smoke, I coughed, struggling to stand. I winced at my aching body and the loud ringing in my ears. Most of my men were down—some dead, others injured.

Before the dust could settle, more of Kane’s men appeared out of nowhere, pelting bullets in the air. I hid behind a pillar as it absorbed the blasts, my eyes scanning the surroundings. Through a reflective surface a few feet in front of me, I spotted a container marked as highly flammable behind the shooters.

I waited for the right moment, and when the shots ceased for a split second, I fired at the container. And then, boom!

The explosion was wild, its flames consuming the enemies. They screamed at the top of their lungs, their bodies catching on fire as they ran around like headless chickens. The air was filled with the smell of smoke and burning flesh.

More armed men revealed themselves, firing wildly.

“Go find her!” Boris yelled in my direction. “We’ve got this!”

He and a few of my men covered me as I ran toward the closed door. While in motion, bodies dropped around me, none by my own bullet. I reached the entrance and knocked the door down with a single kick.

The women in the room gasped in fear, hid their faces, and hugged each other.

“Please, don’t kill us!” one pleaded with me, tears streaming from her eyes.

I looked around the room, but my Dikaya was nowhere to be found. My heart skipped a beat, and my scowl deepened. “Where’s Blair?” I asked them.

“He took her,” one of them replied, rising to her feet.

I recognized the redhead—it was Maria

“Where?” I demanded.

She lifted her eyes toward the high ceiling. “Upstairs.”

“Wait here,” I said to them, then stepped out and closed the door behind me.

I found a staircase leading to an upper floor, and I raced up the steps. With my rifle in front of me, I walked down a deserted hallway under a single flickering bulb. My boots were silent on the dusty floor, each step leaving a footprint behind me.

My eyes were fixed on the red door ahead, my fingers hovering over the trigger as I drew closer. I grabbed the handle and slowly pushed it open, the stench of oil and iron invading my senses.

The room was spacious, and shadows flickered across the walls, cast by torches burning low. In the center was a pit lined with deadly steel spikes—cold and ruthless like a monster’s fangs.

Above was her. My Dikaya.

She was hanging over this horrendous scene with her wrists bound in coarse rope. Her body swayed slightly, and with every strained breath, the tension in the fibers creaked.

My jaw locked, and my heart sank into my stomach. The rope had frayed thin in the middle, warning that it could snap at any moment and send her crashing onto the unforgiving spikes below.

“Nik,” she called out softly, fear flashing in her eyes.

“Save your breath,” I answered, masking my own fear as I cautiously stepped further into the room.

“It’s a beautiful scene, isn’t it?” Kane appeared from the shadows, his pistol aimed at me.

“You son of a bitch!” I growled

“Yes, I’m the son of a bitch who’s about to end your entire generation.” He laughed, spreading out his arms.

“I swear to God, I’ll kill you.” My eyes flicked toward the fragile rope.

“Maybe. Maybe not,” he replied. “But either way, you’ll lose because this right here is that masterpiece that will break you!” He gestured toward the hanging Blair.

My blood was boiling with rage as I aimed the gun at him while calculating my next move.

“Tell me, Nik, how does it feel to be powerless?” he asked. The mockery in his tone couldn’t be more glaring. “All that strength of yours…and you still can’t do a damn thing to save her. How pathetic!”

The rope loosened, and she dropped a few inches lower. “Nik?!”

I glanced at her, adrenaline pumping through my veins as I took off. Kane did the same, rushing toward me while firing his gun. I dodged his bullets and fired back until we met halfway.

The fight was intense—gunshots filling the air at close range, fists colliding, and boots scraping stones. The blasts were deafening, tearing through the silence with the sounds of our thick grunts. I fought him like a mindless beast, struggling to get to my Dikaya.

However, the bastard was determined to stand in my way. He stood his ground even when we were both out of bullets. Blows were exchanged, and bone-crushing kicks were thrown as the brawl intensified.

“Nik?!”

The sound of her voice fueled my rage, and I managed to knock him down. But before I could sprint toward her, he grabbed my leg tightly.

“You’re not going anywhere.” The bastard laughed, revealing the blood smeared over his teeth.

The fibers split again, prompting a gasp from her lips.

“You’re gonna watch her fall, Nik—you’re gonna watch her fall!” he taunted, spitting blood from his mouth.

The mere thought of losing her and our unborn child boosted my adrenaline. I roared like an angry beast and slammed my boot in his face. One. Two. Three. On the fourth strike, he was forced to let go, and that was when it happened.

Snap!

The rope gave way, and she dropped.

“No!” I bellowed.

Time slowed down.

My feet barely touched the floor as I moved swiftly toward her. She was screaming, her voice echoing in my mind as she fell, arms flailing in the air.

The wind brushed against my face, and my heart stopped for a moment. The world narrowed to just the two of us.

I leaped, high and calculated, arms stretched out in front of me as I flew toward her. In a heartbeat, I caught her mid-descent and wrapped my arms around her. “Gotcha.” The impact drew a gasp from her mouth and pulled the air from my lungs.

Seconds later, we collided and tumbled to the other side of the pit with her on top of me. Breathless, I checked her body to make sure she was okay.

“Are you okay?” I asked her, my heart racing in my chest.

She nodded, her whole body shaking in fear.

“No, no, no, no, no—no!” Kane cried out, struggling to his feet. “She was supposed to die, and you were supposed to be miserable!”

Blair’s face contorted into a frown as she got off me, her gaze sweeping across the floor. I watched her expression shift from fear to raw rage. She grabbed a long steel spike lying carelessly on the floor, covered in dust and grime.

With a raw, primal grunt, she threw the damn thing with all her remaining strength. The steel hissed as it cut through the air and then hit its target.

Kane’s eyes widened in shock and fear as the impact slammed his back against the wall with a sickening force. The steel was deeply embedded in his chest, pinning him there with his eyes and mouth open.

“That’s for my unborn child, you son of a bitch,” she murmured under her breath, her shoulders rising and falling as she glared at his dead body across the room.

“Nice throw,” I said to her.

She turned around to face me, and before I could say another word, Dikaya wrapped her arms around my back. “You saved me—you saved us,” she whispered, her head resting on my chest. “Thank you.”

Just as I held her close and kissed her forehead, the sound of heavy footsteps pounding on the floor shattered the silence. At first, I thought it was Kane’s men again, and I quickly pushed my Dikaya behind me, ready to defend her.

But I was wrong. It wasn’t more of his men; it was the authorities. They stormed the place in a heartbeat, armed with tactical gear.

“Stay close; it’s me they want,” I said, shielding her with my arms. “They’re not gonna harm you.”

A woman in a black suit stepped forward, waving her badge at me. “Nikolai Tarasov, you’re under arrest for human trafficking, kidnapping, and the murder of Richard Kane.”

I tilted my head to the side, shocked by the allegations. I was guilty of many crimes—but not any of these.

“Cuff him,” she ordered her men.

Four of them, all armed to the teeth, stepped forward and pinned me to the ground. They secured my wrists with the cuffs and then forced me back up.

“Good work, Agent Blake,” she added, her voice softening as she looked behind me. “I never doubted you for a second.”

Agent Blake? I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces when Blair walked past me and hugged the woman in the black suit.

Fuck.

“Are you hurt?” the woman asked her.

Blair shook her head.

My eyes fell on my Dikaya, her betrayal cutting deeper than any knife I’d ever been stabbed with. I was speechless, shocked to my bones, and weak-kneed. Overwhelmed by her own guilt, she couldn’t look at me—couldn’t lift her head to face me.

Why?

Why did she do this to me?

So, this whole time, she’d been working for the Bureau? This was all just some performance?

I felt like an idiot—a really big one at that.

It finally clicked: her fighting skills and fiery attitude—she was a damn agent sent to ruin my life. And I was stupid enough not to see through her. Turns out, I was right about this being a game—one I lost.

It wasn’t the arrest that hurt me. It wasn’t the betrayal that would haunt me for life. It was the one who did it, the one I was beginning to trust.

Blair Blake.

Chapter 25 – Blair

“You saved me,” I said, staring into his eyes before wrapping my arms around him. “You saved us. Thank you.”

His grip tightened around me, gradually suffocating me. “Then why did you betray me?” he asked, his voice deep and laced with hatred.

“What?” I pulled away from him, confused by his words.

That’s when I saw the blood spilling from his lips and the wound in his stomach. My breath ceased, my heart skipped a beat when I glanced down, only to realize I was holding a bloodied knife.

“Why?” he asked, his voice weak and strained. “Why did you do this to me?”

I shook my head, confused by the scene unfolding before me. Just a second ago, I was thanking him for saving my life and that of our unborn child. So when did I stab him with a knife—and where did the knife even come from?

“I trusted you,” he said, rage flashing in his eyes as he reached out and grabbed my neck.

“Nik.” My eyes widened in fear, my palms slapping his strong arms. “I can’t—I can’t breathe.”

He grew horns on his head, and I watched him transform into a black monster with red eyes and a bald head. His grip tightened around my neck, his deep voice sounding like a thousand people were talking at the same time—it scared the shit out of me.

“You’ll rot in hell for your betrayal!” He raised his other hand, ready to attack, his demonic claws glinting in the moonlight.

“Nik, no, please, don’t!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

That was when I woke up in my bed, panting as though I’d just run a marathon. My dress was damp with sweat, and my shoulders rose and fell with uneven breaths.

My hand immediately flew to my chest after I woke up from the nightmare, as if to stop my heart from escaping. I sat there on my bed, scared and miserable, overwhelmed by my own guilt.

It was just another dream—the same one I’d been having for the past three nights. I buried my face in my palms, hating myself for my sins. The image of Nik being dragged away in handcuffs still lingered at the edge of my mind.

The look in his eyes when he found out the truth would haunt me for the rest of my life. It wasn’t anger, nor hatred. It was pain—raw, pure pain. He believed I betrayed him, that I was the mastermind behind his attack.

But that wasn’t entirely true, and I wished I had the opportunity to explain myself. In all honesty, I had no idea how the Bureau found me—if I knew they were coming that night, I would’ve warned him beforehand. But they chose to show up unannounced, ruining my plans.

How could I live with myself after what I’d done to him? The Bureau had accused him not only of Richard Kane’s death but also of human trafficking and kidnapping. Nikolai Tarasov was guilty of many crimes, but not these ones.

This man risked everything for me. He literally leaped into the air, flew over a pit filled with merciless spikes just to save me. Yet, he was bundled away like a criminal. His only crime was buying me during that auction—if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been in this situation.

The Bureau needed a scapegoat, and he just happened to walk right into their trap.

I was praised by my colleagues and superior for a job well done. They said that I helped put a monster away and that I was a hero. But I didn’t feel like a hero. I felt like the villain in this story—a manipulative bitch who took advantage of a man’s niceness.

The more I thought about it, the more I drowned in a sea of guilt. I lay back on my bed, my eyes wide open as I stared blankly into space. I replayed our time together on the balcony, the banter we used to have, and how he always had that smug smirk on his lips.

I never thought that I would miss him—that I would miss the mansion. Yet here I was, unable to blend back into my old life. Nothing in my room felt familiar; a testament to how attached I’d become to the Tarasov household.

I clutched the hem of the sheet and pulled it over my body as tears stung my eyes. In the silence of my room, I let them flow like a river. My heart was broken, shattered into a million pieces, the pain charging my tear glands.

He must hate me now, and the mere thought of that alone sent shivers down my spine. Although everyone in the bureau idolized me for my impeccable act of deception, I couldn’t help but loathe myself for the same act.

Was I just as bad as he was? What was the difference between me and the monster I claimed to have brought down?

My thoughts kept me up at night, my conscience constantly judging me. The voices in my head called me a bad person—soulless and ruthless. I tried to tell myself that I did the right thing here, that he was a monster. But the only monster here was me.

In my defense, I was going to come clean; I was going to tell him the truth. But I was afraid of how he would react to it. Maybe I should’ve damned the consequences and just spilled the beans. Perhaps I would’ve done so if those idiots hadn’t kidnapped me just to lure him out.

Maybe if Director Voss hadn’t arrived with her team when she did, I would’ve summoned the courage to tell him when he returned home. But her timing sucked!

Clearly, there was enough blame to go around, and dwelling on that would solve nothing. The deed was done, and now the cat was out of the bag. The million-dollar question remained: What’s next?

The following morning, I returned to work like nothing had happened. I hadn’t sent an innocent man to jail. Well, he was hardly innocent—but you get the gist.

Later that day, the director called me into her office and asked me to take a seat. I did. I sat in the chair in front of her desk, my hands on my lap.

She stared at me for a moment before asking, “Agent Blake, is there something you wanna tell me?”

My breath hitched for a second, wondering if she’d somehow found out about the baby in my womb. However, I kept a straight face and answered, “No. Why do you ask?”

“You’ve been acting weird since you got back,” she said, reclining in her chair.

I scratched the back of my head and cleared my throat. “Maybe it’s because I’ve been through a lot and almost died on several occasions.” The image of myself falling into that pit came flashing into my head.

“I understand the trauma,” she answered. “I really do. But I need you to find comfort in the fact that you did the right thing.”

“Did I, though?”

She squinted her eyes, her head tilting to the side. “What do you mean? Because of you, all those girls are safe and are reunited with their families. That’s a win in my book.”

I said nothing, but the look in my eyes told her that I didn’t share her opinion.

She leaned in, elbows on the table. “Blair, tell me the truth: Do you feel guilty for putting him away?”

I clenched my jaw and let out a soft sigh. “I don’t know…. This just doesn’t feel right.”

“Oh, my God,” she grumbled under her breath, fingers plucking off her glasses. “He got to you, didn’t he?”

“I don’t—I don’t understand.”

“You developed some kind of sympathy for him because you saw a side of him that seemed human,” she went ahead to add, “Blair, listen to me: Nikolai Tarasov is a monster who has destroyed more lives than you can ever imagine. You did the world a favor by putting him away.”

“See, Director, that is exactly the problem,” I said, gesturing with my hands. “We put him away, yes. But can you sit there and tell me the method we used wasn’t extreme?”

Silence.

I continued, “We framed him for crimes he didn’t commit. How are we any better than he is?”

“Maybe he’s not guilty of this one. But you and I both know he’s guilty of plenty more. Weapons. Racketeering. Extortion. Money laundering—you name them.” She let the words sink in for a moment. “His hands aren’t clean, Blair.”

I paused a bit, then murmured to myself, “Neither are ours.”

She heaved a sigh and put her glasses back on. “I understand your skepticism, Blair. But sometimes, to beat someone at their game, you have to play dirty.” She looked me straight in the eyes. “In case you’ve forgotten, this is war—and in war, we do anything to win. Anything.”

This was where I drew the line because, unlike Director Voss, I wasn’t willing to part with my humanity just to bring down a criminal. The fact that the Bureau was ready to do anything and cross any line to bring down men like Nik was proof that they were exactly what they claimed to fight against.

Martha Voss knew that he was innocent of these crimes; I told her everything. I told her that he was there to save me. Nothing more, nothing less.

She knew Richard Kane was a human trafficker and also knew that I was the one who killed him. But she chose to change the narrative and pin it all on Nikolai Tarasov.

She did that because we didn’t have enough evidence of the other crimes he was involved in. This was the only way she could trap him, and she already had our people working tirelessly to tie everything to him.

“I need you to pull yourself together, Agent Blake,” she said, her voice shifting from soft to professional. “Because you’ll testify against him in court.”

“What?”

She continued, ignoring my shock. “You will tell the judge how Nikolai Tarasov kidnapped you and the other girls and turned you into sex workers.”

“But Director—” I tried to object, but she wouldn’t have it.

“That’s an order, Agent Blake.” The finality in her tone left no room for further debate. “You’re dismissed.” She returned her gaze to the laptop on her table, fingers rattling across the keyboard.

I hesitated for a moment before rising to my feet and leaving her office. It felt like my whole world had just crashed around me as I headed back to my desk. My heart was bleeding in my chest, and this guilt kept gnawing at me.

Hadn’t I done enough already?

Was this really necessary?

This was the worst period of my life, and it happened to be the most difficult task I’d ever faced. How could I testify against the man who saved my life? How could I look at him and lie to the judge when I knew he was innocent of the crimes he was accused of?

I felt my tear glands charging up again, and instead of going back to my desk, I hurried into the ladies’ room. Locked inside one of the stalls, I sat on the toilet seat and let the tears flow. I wept like a child, unsure of why I was so emotional all of a sudden.

Maybe it was the pregnancy. Or maybe it was just my humanity taking a toll.

Whatever the case, I knew I had to do something about this. Because if I didn’t, things would get ugly much quicker than I expected. A lot was at stake here, and if I didn’t tread with caution, I’d be the only one to lose in the end.

But regardless of my fears about how this could turn against me, I couldn’t play a part in destroying Nikolai Tarasov for a crime he didn’t commit.

I hated liars, and I couldn’t see myself lying to testify against the father of my unborn child in court.

Chapter 26 – Nik

I should hate her.

She lied to me for months—pretended to be a helpless girl and sneaked her way into my heart, all while working for the Bureau. I couldn’t understand how someone could be such a good actor, good enough to fool me.

I let my guard down around her, refused to do my homework on her because I thought I had the upper hand in this game. I was wrong. I never should’ve underestimated her—never should’ve overestimated myself.

I lay on a small bed in my prison cell, arms under my head as I stared at the ceiling. My thoughts kept drifting back to her every now and then, distracting me from the real issue: how to get the hell out of here.

Each time I tried to think of anything else, her face would flash in my head, a constant reminder of her betrayal. As crazy as all of this was, a part of me was impressed by the fact that she actually pulled off a stunt like this.

I wasn’t the type to be so easily manipulated, but she fooled me without even trying at all. I thought that I was in control when I bought her during that auction. However, it turned out that I was the target all along.

She let me think that I was in control—let me bask in the idea that I was ten steps ahead when, in fact, I was ten steps behind. Everything she did since the day she arrived at the mansion was carefully orchestrated. She owned the game from the very beginning but pretended to be nothing more than a pawn.

Her performance was flawless, and she honestly deserved an Oscar for that. It took the best of the best to take down someone like me; she just proved to be that best of the best. Her genius was off the charts, and it revealed how dumb I was compared to her.

I saw the signs but chose to ignore them. Why? I had no idea. The only reason she won against me was because she found a way to keep me from digging into her life.

A quick search would’ve revealed her identity. However, since she was undercover, nothing might have come up on her even if I checked. But at least that would’ve been enough to point me in the right direction.

Agent Blair Blake must have paid rapt attention during Manipulation 101 because she nailed the act.

I was torn between hating her guts and being intrigued by her skills. It took her less than two months to do what many had tried and failed at; she was a record-breaker.

This whole situation was a huge mess that could’ve been avoided if I hadn’t been so nonchalant.

Although a part of me was impressed by her, another part was still pissed—not just because she betrayed me, but because these accusations could potentially keep me away from my unborn child for a really long time.

If things didn’t go my way, I could end up behind bars while my child grew up without a father. That thought alone fueled my rage. My blood boiled, and my fingers clenched into fists on both hands.

At what point did she stop pretending? a voice whispered in my head.

Initially, I wanted to ignore it, but on second thought, I decided to entertain it.

The night I was arrested about two weeks ago, she couldn’t bear to look me in the eyes. At first, I thought it was fear, but thinking about it now, I realized that I had missed something. It wasn’t fear. It was guilt. Remorse.

She might have been on board with the plan from the beginning, but at some point, her loyalties shifted. Why else would she feel guilty after completing her mission? If she truly was proud of what she’d done, she would’ve looked me in the eyes and condemned me.

Yet, she couldn’t even lift her gaze off the ground.

She was obviously a great actress for successfully fooling me this whole time. But the guilt on her face that night was not part of the performance. It was real. Blair didn’t seem to have enjoyed the scene.

Maybe her time at the mansion changed how she saw me. I might not have known her well enough, since it was all just an act. Still, I knew for sure that she wasn’t the type to make false accusations about people.

She knew that I was innocent of these allegations. I’d told her before that my organization and I had nothing to do with human trafficking. I couldn’t take the credit for ending Kane’s life either.

Until this day, though, I still marveled at the way she hurled that steel spike like a fuckin’ javelin. That was one of the greatest throws I’d ever witnessed.

The turmoil within me was real. One minute, I was angry with her, and the next, I was intrigued by her. Most nights, before going to bed, I would reminisce on our time together, and somehow, I always found comfort in those memories.

A few times, those memories appeared as dreams where I saw myself making love to her. I had almost forgotten what her lips tasted like and how it felt to be enveloped in her warmth.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching my cell.

“Tarasov,” a guard called, his voice deep and raucous. “You’ve got visitors.”

I rose from the bed, my face devoid of emotion, and locked eyes with him. There were two of them, tall and huge, with blank expressions.

One of them unlocked my cell, and I stepped out quietly, dressed in my prison uniform. They cuffed my wrists, the cold steel biting into my flesh, but I didn’t flinch.

These men led me through a long, empty hallway illuminated by flickering pale lights, humming like dying bees. We reached the visitor’s room, and one of them opened the door while the other escorted me inside.

“You have five minutes,” he said.

The two guards stepped outside and closed the door behind them. My eyes caught the camera in one corner of the room, but the most important people here were my lawyer and my older brother.

“You don’t look so bad for a prisoner,” Roman said to me, a hand buried in his pocket.

“Nice to see you too, brother,” I replied, a faint smirk tugging at my lips as I took a seat at a small table.

There were two other chairs across from me—Colton and Roman occupied them.

“How’s the business going?” I asked, my eyes darting between the two of them.

“You should be more concerned about your situation,” Colton said to me, his voice low and even.

“It’s a false allegation against me—we all know that,” I answered.

“We do,” said Roman. “But the rest of the world doesn’t.”

“The case is not looking good, Nik,” Colton added, flipping a file open in front of me. “They’ve tied your name to Richard Kane’s trafficking operations—”

“Like I said, false accusations,” I cut him off.

“Will you just listen?” Roman blurted out, displeased by my interruption.

Colton continued, “Whether or not you’re involved in such activities, they made it look airtight. Off-shore accounts, wired transfers, shipment manifests—they’re all under alliances connected to your company.”

I was quiet, my jaw tightening to accent the frown on my face.

“That Blair girl did you dirty, brother,” Roman said, brows furrowing.

My fingers curled into fists on both hands. “Now what?”

Colton glanced at Roman, then cleared his throat. “They’re saying you’ll be held indefinitely until trial.”

“The Bureau’s pushing harder than we thought. They wanna make an example out of you.”

Let them try.

If those bastards thought that they’d take me out without consequences, then they had something else coming. It didn’t matter the outcome of the trial; I would certainly get out of jail at some point. And when I did, I would have my revenge on everyone who was behind this.

I would find Blair and make her pay for her betrayal, then take my child from her. But for now, let the judge and jury decide my fate.

***

The day of the hearing arrived quicker than expected. The courtroom was filled with whispers, quiet hostility, and unspoken tension. Murmurs rose from the crowd as I walked in, bound by the cuffs on my wrists.

Two huge guards flanked both my sides—not to protect me, but to protect the crowd from me.

My boots pounded against the floorboards as I waltzed in with my head held up high, my self-esteem still very much intact. At the back wall, I spotted a group of reporters with their pens and notepads, eager to witness the downfall of the Mafia kingpin, Nikolai Tarasov.

Once the hearing began, the prosecutor, a tall woman in her late fifties, rose from her chair. She stepped in front of the court, laying out the charges, dragging my name through the filth.

“Your Honor,” she said, “we’re dealing with a monster who partnered with Richard Kane to build an organization whose sole purpose was kidnapping young girls.”

“Objection, Your Honor.” Colton rose from his chair.

“Overruled,” the judge said, casually dismissing him.

The prosecutor continued, “Evidence places Mr. Tarasov at the center of the trafficking ring where he locked up those innocent girls. Mr. Tarasov is a liar and a fraud who built his business on the exploitation of weak, vulnerable girls.” She paused, letting the words sink in.

I clenched my jaw to control my anger. It would’ve been better if I were here because of a crime I actually committed. This was a low blow, even for me.

“Men like him shouldn’t be allowed to freely walk the streets of our beloved city. Not after funding and profiting off of human misery,” she ended her case.

The courtroom fell silent.

Colton adjusted his tie and rose to his feet. “Your Honor, my client is being falsely accused,” he began. “His business is legitimate, and there is no evidence whatsoever linking him to Kane’s traffic ring.”

At this point, I stopped listening. It didn’t matter how good Colton was; these people were determined to bury me, and they would do anything to make sure I didn’t escape the “wrath” of the law.

As the argument between Colton and the prosecutor began to escalate, the judge’s voice caught my attention when he said, “Enough. Bring the witness to the stand.”

Witness?

The sound of her heels clicking on the floor echoed in my head as she walked toward the stand, accompanied by a bailiff.

I rose when I saw her—Blair Blake.

She was the witness called to bury me, like she hadn’t done enough already. Her eyes flicked toward me for a fleeting moment before she faced the court. She was dressed in an impeccably tailored black blazer, her soft brown curls cascading down her shoulders.

This was the first time I had seen her since the arrest, and I couldn’t help the emotion swelling inside me. A mix of hatred, anger, and affection.

Blair swore the oath to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. I noticed how her stormy green-gray eyes were duller than before and how her hands wouldn’t stop trembling.

She avoided my gaze, but I refused to take my eyes off her. I wanted her to look at me while she lied to the judge and the court.

In my whole life, no one’s betrayal had ever cut deeper than hers. I hoped she was proud of herself, the good job she’d done.

“State your name for the record,” said the prosecutor.

She cleared her throat and leaned closer to the microphone. “Blair Blake.”

“Just to be clear, you’re one of the trafficked girls, correct?”

“That’s correct,” she answered, her voice soft but steady.

“Miss Blake, can you tell the court your experience with your kidnapper?”

“It was horrible,” she answered almost immediately.

My heart shattered at this point.

She continued, “He kidnapped me, locked me up with some other girls. He starved us for days and then put us up for sale like vintage cars.” Her tone was laced with disdain and pure hatred.

I couldn’t believe how quickly she turned so cold.

“You must’ve been afraid,” the prosecutor added, nudging Blair in the direction she wanted her statement to go.

“I was terrified. We all were,” Blair said, pretending to wipe a tear from her eye. “He was a monster, and he subjected us to things I cannot freely reveal to the court—horrible, horrible things.”

I lowered my head, fingers rubbing my eyes. She was doing it again—she was performing for an audience, and everything she said was believable.

The prosecutor stepped closer to her. “When you say ‘he,’ you’re referring to the defendant, Mr. Nikolai Tarasov, correct?”

Blair, for the first time since this hearing began, turned to face me, her eyes locked to mine. “No,” she said.

A low murmur around me as tension and confusion hovered over the court.

“I’m talking about Richard Kane,” she clarified. “He was the monster who kidnapped us—he was the owner of the human trafficking ring. Not Mr. Tarasov.”

The murmurs grew louder this time, chaos slowly rising from the crowd.

“Order!” The judge slammed his hammer on the pad.

Blair shocked everyone when she went ahead to add, her voice bold and audacious, “Mr. Tarasov had nothing to do with our kidnapping. In fact, he was the one who saved us all.” She looked right into my eyes, and her expression softened. “If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be alive today.”

Voices fell silent. The judge’s brows lifted, and the members of the jury exchanged glances.

I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. The woman I thought was going to bury me for good ended up burning her bridge to save me.

She spoke the truth regardless of the outcome. And right now, I wasn’t sure whether to damn her for her deception—or thank her for retracing her steps.

As the noise in the courtroom faded into the background, time seemed to slow down. My eyes were narrowed on her, and when her lips parted into a small smile, I felt something spark inside me.

Despite my confusion, one thing was certain. She’d done the right thing. She told the truth and cleared my name.

Chapter 27 – Blair

Outside the courthouse, I hurried to my car, got in, and slammed the door shut behind me. I reached for my keys with trembling hands, started the engine, and drove off immediately.

The last thing I wanted was to be spotted by anyone at the Bureau or worse, the press.

My grip tightened around the steering wheel as I sped up, my mind racing from what I’d just done. The plan was to testify against Nickolai Tarasov and finally put an end to him. But when it came down to it, I just couldn’t do it.

The man was innocent and wasn’t going to be a part of the people who conspired against him. There was no going back; I’d crossed a line and pissed off a lot of my superiors. Maybe I was even in a bigger problem now because I just made the Bureau look stupid in the courtroom.

I glanced at the buzzing phone dashboard console—it was an incoming call from director Martha Voss. “Shit,” I murmured under my breath, my heart pounding like a drum in my heaving chest.

The phone kept buzzing incessantly, and I couldn’t bring myself to answer it. I knew what the conversation was about, and I wasn’t ready to have it yet. At this point, I was as good as fired already.

I floored it, and the car surged forward with a fierce growl. I wasn’t sure where I was headed; I just wanted to get away from this madness as quickly as possible. My phone’s screen kept lighting up with calls from my colleagues at the Bureau.

Nobody saw it coming. Nobody thought that I would betray my own and choose a criminal over them.

I wiped my palm across my face, ignoring everyone’s calls as I drove on. My heart was hammering in my chest, and a thousand thoughts were tugging at my mind, threatening to rip it apart.

The city blurred past me in a jiffy as the vehicle hurtled down the road. I swiped my fingers through my hair, unable to quiet the voices in my head. I just needed some peace, but that seemed impossible to find.

The car surged forward with reckless abandon, and I almost knocked down a cyclist.

“Hey, watch it!” the man yelled as my vehicle sped past him.

I was too caught up in my thoughts to apologize or feel guilty about nearly hitting him. The car sped down the highway with my eyes fixed on the road ahead. It felt like I was running away from myself, but the faster I went, the emptier I felt inside.

First, I betrayed Nik; now I’d betrayed the whole bureau. Was there something wrong with me? Did I make the right choice by letting a man like him walk free? What if he came after me? What’s the guarantee that he’d forgive me for the trouble I put him through?

Would it even matter to him that I retraced my steps and refused to testify against him? Was I safe? What’s going to happen to me now?

Nik would come for me, and the Bureau would also do the same. The million-dollar question now was: Which one of them would find me first?

That question had barely registered when the sound of screeching tires behind me caught my attention. I looked in the rearview mirror just in time to see a black SUV make a dangerous swerve around a truck.

The car sped past us in an instant. The next moment, its bumper hit the back of mine, causing my car to jerk.

“Shit.” I switched gears and gunned the engine, my vehicle accelerating with a deafening roar.

I sped up the highway, the speedometer needle climbing up to three digits. The vehicle behind was unrelenting, the driver hitting the accelerator hard. It wasn’t until I looked more closely in the rearview mirror that I realized Nik was the one chasing me in that SUV.

My heart skipped a beat, and I slammed on the gas, my vehicle weaving through traffic like a rocket. He followed, chasing me through the city—every turn, every reckless swerve.

I refused to slow down, and neither did he. This man was determined to catch me, never to let me slip through his fingers. The closer he drew to me, the faster my heart raced. I wasn’t sure why he was hell bent on catching me, and I wasn’t ready to find out either.

I took a sharp turn down a lonely street, my tires screeching loudly against the asphalt. And just when I thought I had lost him, his car appeared behind me again. This time, faster than ever. I struggled to maintain a safe distance between us, but his car shot off and overtook mine in a heartbeat.

Nik swerved his vehicle to a stop, cutting me off with perfect precision. To avoid a collision, I had to slam on the brakes, bringing my car to an abrupt halt.

I watched him get out of his car and rush toward mine with hurried steps. By the time I looked out the window, he was already standing outside.

“Open the door,” he demanded. “Open it, now!”

Driven by fear, I unlocked it.

He yanked the door open, grabbed my hand, and forced me out of the car.

“Let go of me!” I blurted out, squirming out of his hold.

He left my hand and grabbed my jaw, his voice low and venomous. “I should end you right now.”

“For what, clearing your name?” I asked, masking my fear with anger and arrogance.

“My name was ruined because of you in the first place!” He raised his voice a bit higher than usual. “You betrayed me! You used me!”

I knocked his hand off my face. “That’s rich coming from the man who locked me up in his mansion for weeks!”

“I was trying to keep you safe, and you paid me back with betrayal!” he snapped, his tone tinged with more pain than rage. “You lied to me for months, used me, pretended you cared when in actual fact, you were just playing a part.”

His words cut me deeper than a knife.

My voice dropped to a low whisper, my eyes locked on him. “Is that what you think?” I began, calm and gentle. “That I was just playing a part?”

He stared at me in silence, his expression softening by the second.

“Was I playing a part when I gave myself to you twice?” My voice rose higher than his. “Was I playing a part when I got pregnant for you, huh?” I pushed against his chest. “Tell me, Nik, was I?”

“I don’t know. You tell me!”

“I wasn’t!” I yelled in his face, my heartbeat escalating.

“You expect me to believe that, after all you did?”

I shook my head, my voice breaking under the weight of the emotions crushing me. “You don’t understand! I was confused—I had only one job, and that was to expose you as the monster that you are!” Tears rolled down my cheeks, my chest heaving with even breaths.

He paused for a second, his eyes never leaving mine. “If you think I’m a monster, then why did you change your testimony?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

“Bullshit!” he snapped again. “You moved from standing with the rest of the world against me to standing with me against the rest of the world. Why is that?”

And that’s when I lost it and yelled, “Because I love you!”

A loud thunder roared overhead as flashes of lightning streaked across the clouds. Seconds later, it started pouring, soaking us to the skin. My hair was damp, and my clothes were soaked, as were his.

Nik looked speechless, his expression softened by my confession. For the next few seconds, he only stared at me, confused and unsure of what to say to me.

I broke the silence that followed my outburst. “I’m supposed to hate you, Nik—and trust me, I tried. But I can’t.” I shook my head, the rain pelting mercilessly on me. “I can’t hate the father of my unborn child—the man who saved my life on multiple occasions. I just can’t.”

Still, he didn’t say a word. Yet his eyes wouldn’t leave my face.

“I changed my testimony because you’re not the man they painted you to be,” I continued, my voice calm but laced with pain and regret. “I couldn’t sit back and watch them ruin you for crimes you didn’t commit—especially since you weren’t even my target to begin with.”

Silence.

“Look, you don’t have to believe me—and if hating me or punishing me would make you feel better, then go ahead, have at it. All I know is I’ll never….”

I was still talking when he fisted my jacket and pulled me close to himself. Before I could say another word, his lips crashed against mine, devouring them with an intense fervency.

Breathless, I kissed him back, tasting the rainwater slapping against our skins. Our heads tilted to the side, fueled by desire and pent-up rage. The kiss was hot and fervent, mirroring the hunger within us.

That familiar flame was once again burning so wildly, threatening to consume me. I’d almost forgotten what his lips tasted like, and there was no way I was pulling away this time.

Under the rain, we held each other close, tongues invading our mouths. His touch awakened emotions in me I hadn’t felt in weeks. My heart was swelling with passion, my knees were weak, and my legs had turned to jelly.

He kissed me like he was about to undress me any second—right here, right now—on the deserted street. His hands caressed my breasts, and mine slipped beneath his jacket, then traveled down to his groin.

I traced the print of his cock underneath the fabric of his pants, my hand feeling his hardness beneath my grip.

Fuck, I missed this!

I missed it so badly!

He pulled me closer, grazing his cock against my thighs while cradling the back of my neck in his palms. His mouth wouldn’t leave mine, and even though I could barely breathe, I enjoyed every second of his lips devouring mine.

I broke the kiss, panting, watching with lustful eyes as rainwater streamed down his handsome face. “Fuck me,” I said, my voice firm and final.

Chapter 28 – Nik

The tension between us was thick, like a pull neither of us could fight.

She straddled me in the backseat of her car as her lips devoured mine with a kind of hunger that matched my own. She shed my jacket off, and was busy with the buttons of my soaked white undershirt while I ripped the buttons of her blazer apart.

Her soft brown curls were damp, the strands clinging to her wet face as I took off her blazer. We still didn’t break the kiss despite how breathless we were. I tossed her soaked blazer aside and grabbed her ass, pulling her closer to me.

Driven by lust, I yanked her blouse off her, revealing her fancy red bra and glistening skin. I pulled on her wet hair, forcing her head to jerk upward while I kissed her chest and the nape of her neck.

She ground her waist against me, as if reveling in the feeling of my cock grazing the print of her cunt. I wrapped my arms around her hips, and she arched her back, seeking a deeper connection. Blair rocked her hips back and forth, her movements fast and almost furious.

She helped take my shirt off, kissed my chest through to my torso, and then grabbed my belt. With the car doors slammed shut, the pouring rain and the hum of the city faded outside, leaving just the two of us.

I caressed her body, my hands tracing her curves and contours. She unbuckled my belt, unzipped my pants, and dared to dip her hand inside. A second later, she withdrew my cock, and while still holding my gaze, she stroked it with practiced ease.

“Fuck,” I murmured, looking into those stormy eyes of hers.

Blair got off me, and in that small space, she managed to get on her knees before me. With both hands, she stroked my cock like she was determined to make me feel good.

My face was contorted in pleasure, my muscles contracting as a sweet sensation sprinted across my body. I watched her pile her hair into a messy bun on top of her head in a matter of seconds.

“Oh, shit!” I let out a deep groan when she took my cock in her mouth.

Her warmth enveloped me as she moved her head back and forth with a steady rhythm. She sucked my cock, taking my length deep in her throat. Blair gagged and choked, her teary eyes looking up at me.

A loud gasp escaped her as she pulled back, still holding my gaze. Her hands worked their magic on my cock as she drooled over my cap. Before I could register the nerve-wracking sweetness, she dipped her head again, her lips wrapping around my shaft.

It was rough. It was sloppy and nasty.

She tapped my dick on her face, held it vertically, and then licked me all the way through to my sac. She fisted my cap, smearing her drool over it while simultaneously sucking my balls.

“Damn,” I whispered to myself, throwing my hands into my hair.

She was great with her mouth and her hands, the intense sweetness catapulting me to different realms of ecstasy.

She kept going, as though the sound of my deep groans and the mask of pleasure on my face were encouraging her. She sucked my cock so well, her teeth never grazing my skin. With each second, I found myself drawing closer and closer to the edge.

I let out the deepest groan yet, my legs shaking beneath me as she took her mouth off and focused on using just her hands. She held my gaze, the small smile on her lips hinting that she was basking in my pleasure.

Blair’s handjob was breathtaking—literally. I gripped the edge of the seat, bracing myself for the impending explosion.

“Come for me, Daddy,” she whispered, teasing me with strategic strokes.

“Oh, fuck!” I groaned, my body stiffening, legs trembling as I shot my load in the air.

She watched me come undone, the smirk on her lips spreading to her ears. Once satisfied with the outcome, she rose to her feet and reclaimed my lips. Her hair spilled over her face, indicating that the bun was not strong enough. She stroked my length, smearing my load all over it.

I reached for the waistband of her pants while she unbuttoned them. And with a single tug, I yanked it down to her thighs, revealing her red panties. We struggled for a moment in that cramped space, but soon got her out of those black tailored pants.

She straddled me again, shifted her panties to the side, and inserted my cock inside her wet pussy. A soft, satisfactory sigh escaped her lips as she began twisting and twirling on my cock.

I spanked her ass, my hands resting on her waist, guiding the movement of her hips. Her hands flew behind her back, and with one flick of her fingers, she unhooked her bra, letting it slide down her body.

I caressed her skin, fondled the perfect curve of her breasts, and lowered her closer to me. Her hands traversed my torso, fingers tracing the ridges of my abs. Our kiss deepened, my hand sliding to the back of her neck while the other squeezed her gentle swells.

Blair rocked her hips against mine. “Nik, oh, fuck, Nik,” she moaned in my ears, her arms wrapped around my neck.

She held on tightly as she quickened her pace, her waist colliding with mine at a dangerous speed. Clearly, she was just as hungry as I was and couldn’t get enough of me. My hands explored her amazing body, my lips kissing every patch of her skin I could reach.

Blair rode me so intensely that she began sweating despite the rain outside. She fucked me hard and fast, like a hungry lioness devouring her prey. The harder and faster she moved, the more the vehicle rocked back and forth.

Exhausted, she slowed down, and that’s when I flipped her over, positioning her on all fours. I yanked her panties down to her knees and spanked her ass.

She winced at the sweet pain, placed her palms against the misted glass, and moaned my name as I hit her from the back. The car bounced on its tires as I rammed her with relentless strokes.

“Fuck, yes, yes, yes…!” she cried out, her moans drowned out by the rain hammering on the car’s roof. “Right there, baby—don’t stop. Don’t you fuckin’ stop!”

I didn’t plan to.

I grabbed her waist, holding her in place as I drove into her without mercy.

“Punish me,” she whimpered. “Punish me, Daddy.”

I grabbed a handful of her hair and tugged on it—not too hard to hurt her, but enough to get a louder moan.

A part of her ass turned red as I spanked her over and over while driving deeper inside her. She placed her forehead on the glass, her legs trembling as she knelt on the seat, begging me to destroy her pussy.

“Ruin me, Daddy! I’m all yours! I belong to you!”

I couldn’t recognize this woman—this lioness who wasn’t holding back at all. But I like it, I liked this version of her; wild, spontaneous, free, and unapologetic.

The more I hit her from the back, the more she cried out my name. The sound of her moans was music to my ears, fanning my lust.

“Harder, baby!” She glanced back at me. “Fuck me harder. Fuck me like you own me!”

Those words fueled my desire, pushing me beyond my limits.

I’d missed this—I’d missed her. And I didn’t realize that until now.

I let out a guttural growl that announced my arrival, and with one last push, I drove deeper inside her.

“Yesssss…fill me up!”

I exploded inside her, my legs shaking beneath me.

“Give it to me—gimme all of it.”

Her pussy closed around my cock, accepting every single drop of my essence. Drained, my body collapsed on her back before I slid off to the seat, breathless.

She released a sigh of satisfaction, then quietly turned around and slipped into my embrace. I wrapped my arm around her as she lay on my body, her head resting on my chest.

In that position, she could hear the sound of my beating heart. Blair exhaled sharply and held me tighter like I was her safe haven.

As we lay in silence with our hearts beating as one, I knew for sure that nothing would ever be the same again.

We’d both crossed a line now, and there was no going back.

Chapter 29 – Blair

Nine Months Later

I lay on the hospital bed, my eyes fixed on his face as he sat beside me with his large hand resting on my swollen belly. The room was silent except for the soft beep of the machines and the muffled voices outside the door.

The scent of antiseptic and disinfectant drifted through the air, mingling with the aroma of his cologne and my perfume. My lips curled into a small smile as I stared at the man who had not only stolen my heart but had also been by my side through these past months.

Nik had done right by me shortly after the courtroom drama. He figured there was no need to waste time when his mind was already made up. Nik shocked everyone when he proposed to me—it wasn’t public—but when the news got out, a lot of people were stunned by his decision.

Saying yes to him was the best choice I’d ever made in my life. These past few months were proof of that. Nik was still the ruthless businessman that he was—feared and respected. But at home with me, he was a completely different person. He was loving, kind, and did everything in his power to make me happy.

We both agreed to leave the past behind and forge ahead, together as a couple. All was forgiven, especially because I cut all ties with the Bureau. I didn’t want anything to do with them anymore—all I wanted was peace. And I found that with Nikolai Tarasov.

Our wedding was small, rushed, but classic. Only a few invited guests were present, mostly his friends and family. Some might argue that it was the perfect definition of simplicity.

Ever since I officially became Mrs. Tarasov, my life had been easier in more ways than one. I was happier and never felt more alive. Nik was the best thing that happened to me. He was the best version of himself around me, and I had no doubt that he would make a great father.

I glanced at the ring on my finger, my heart filling with gratitude for how my life had turned out in the end. What started as a dangerous game ended as something worthwhile, an inspiring story of the power of true love.

It was crazy how our fear and resistance quickly grew into trust. And from trust to something much deeper. Something unique.

He held my hand, his fingers intertwined in mine as he murmured softly. “I love you.”

My smile broadened, my heart melting at his words. “I love you too,” I replied with the same tone.

That instant, the baby kicked in my belly, and a sharp pain surged through me. My face contorted in agony as the contractions grew sharper.

Confused and worried, my husband rose to his feet, fear glinting in his eyes. “Are you alright? Should I call the doctor?”

I nodded, groaning as my fingers tugged at the sheets. “The baby’s coming, Nik!”

“Doctor!” he roared, glancing at the door, unsure of whether to go find one or keep standing by my side.

Luckily, before he could call out a second time, the door burst open, and a doctor rushed in with two nurses.

Their hands moved quickly and confidently as they got me ready for labor. Most of the time, I was busy fighting to survive, struggling through unimaginable pain. Nothing could have prepared me for this. It was worse—much worse than I expected.

The doctors and nurses were talking to me, but I could barely make out what they were saying. My heartbeat had escalated, my eyes were wide with fear, and every joint in my body was aching.

Nik never left my side. He held my hand and spilled words of encouragement. “I’m right here, Dikaya. You can do this.”

I screamed at the top of my voice, unable to bear the pain anymore.

“Ma’am, we’re gonna need you to push now,” the doctor said to me, his voice urgent but steady.

I groaned deeply, feeling the vein throb in my forehead. My fingers tightened around Nik’s hand as I pushed with every ounce of strength remaining. My husband’s presence and his voice steadied me amid the chaos.

“Push!” the nurses encouraged me. “You’re doing great.”

“Breathe with me, Dikaya,” Nik said, his eyes boring into mine. “Breathe with me.”

I held his gaze, fixing all of my attention on him as I followed his instructions. In through my nose, out through my mouth. I repeated the gesture over and over again until I summoned the courage to push harder.

The doctor clapped once. “Almost there, ma’am, almost there!”

“I can see the baby’s head,” said a nurse.

Their words boosted my adrenaline, and with an even louder cry, I pushed with every bit of strength I could muster.

My muscles stiffened, my breath caught, and my whole body shook. It was like time had stood still, and the harder I pushed, the more distant the voices around me became. My vision blurred, and my heartbeat was slowing down as the room began to swirl.

The distinct cry of a baby echoed in my head, my husband’s distant voice drawing nearer by the second. “Dikaya, stay with me—stay with me!” He frantically tapped against my face.

His voice was the anchor between the other side and my reality. I had no idea what was happening at the time, but in a flash, I snapped back to the present with a loud gasp. My head dropped onto the pillow beneath me, my heart pounding like a drum.

My body was coated with sweat, and I was breathing too hard to catch my breath.

“You did it,” Nik said softly, his hand caressing my face. “You actually did it, Dikaya.”

It was then that I clearly heard my baby’s cry, and it warmed my heart. I was so exhausted, but I still had the strength to carry my child. Tears of joy stung my eyes as I watched one of the nurses approach with the baby wrapped in a thick white cloth.

“It’s a boy,” she announced, smiling at me.

My hand covered my mouth as I let tears flow like a river. Gently, she placed the baby in my arms and stepped away. A sound that was somewhere between a chuckle and a sob escaped my lips as I stared down at the adorable little creature.

“Nik, it’s so tiny,” I said, sniffling.

He placed his supportive and protective palm on my shoulder and leaned in to kiss my head. “I’m so proud of you, Dikaya.”

I looked up at him with a radiant smile on my lips. “Thank you.”

He stared at our baby in awe, a proud grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Look at him…” he began, his voice soft and gentle. “…so small and yet so great.”

“He’s the symbol of our love,” I said without taking my eyes off the adorable little thing. “The future of our family.”

“Alexei,” Nik said.

I raised my head and met his gaze. “Alexei,” I repeated, letting the name register in my head. “I like it.”

In that moment, nothing else mattered but the three of us. I’d always known that I would do anything to protect my child. But looking at him now, I realized just how far I was willing to go to make that a reality.

I closed my eyes, envisioning the life we would build together, finally free from the shadows that once haunted me.

Epilogue – Nik

~Two Years Later

I stood at a distance watching my boy run through the grass in the manicured garden, his tiny laughs filling the air. The maid, Katerina, was playfully running around, and he was chasing her with a stick in his hand.

Alexei had his mother’s soft curls and her stormy green-gray eyes. But facially, he was my spitting image—same grin, same nose, and the same jawline. No DNA needed; at first glance, even an idiot would know he was my son.

My boy’s laugh was like a balm to every scar life had carved into me. He was my pride, my legacy, and the future of my empire. Sometimes, I wondered what exactly I’d done right to deserve such a happy and fulfilled life.

I had the best woman in the world as my wife, and together we were raising the world’s most handsome kid. Everything was falling into place despite all the craziness we’d had to endure in the past.

A mansion that once had no life, no traces of love at all, had now transformed into a happy home. A place worth raising our boy. With my hands in my pockets, I watched him play with the maid while his mother sat on the bench, wearing a bright smile on her face.

She was working on her laptop, shifting her attention between our boy and her assignment. I couldn’t be prouder of her and the woman she’d become in such a short period of time. Blair had quit her job at the Bureau two years ago, but last year, she found her own path.

Since solving mysteries was her hobby, she started a small institute for other investigators who shared her passion. She guided their minds in the right direction and hired professionals to train them on the job.

I admired the woman she’d become, the balance she’d carved in her life. Blair Tarasov had managed to turn her once-dangerous drive into something nurturing yet purposeful.

She spotted me across the garden and waved, her warm smile still melting my heart even after all this time. I mirrored her gesture, wondering how I ended up with such an amazing woman.

These past few years, I climbed higher in the Bratva ranks, closing deals and building my reputation. To the outside world, I remained that ruthless brute feared by many, respected by all. But at home with my family, I was a completely different person.

Soft. Gentle. Happy.

“Dada!” Alexei screamed when he set eyes on me. He left the maid and ran toward me with his tiny legs and his bright smile.

“Hey, buddy!” I leaned down and picked him up in a single sweep.

He cackled in my arms, stretching out his small hands to touch my hair.

“How was your day, Alexei?” I asked him, my eyes boring into his.

“Fine!” he called out and kept rambling on and on.

Honestly, I had no idea what he was talking about, but I indulged him anyway, smiling and nodding my head. His mother was laughing at me from across the field, and even Katerina was doing the same.

Later that night, it was my turn to tuck our little boy into bed, and I happily did it. I laid him down in his crib, never taking my eyes off his face as I brushed the back of my hand over his soft skin.

“Good night, buddy,” I mumbled, watching him fall asleep.

Quietly, I straightened, hovered over him for a minute, and then walked out of his nursery. I turned the lights off and closed the door behind me. My fingers combed through my hair as I strolled across the hallway to our master bedroom.

I slowed when I heard music coming from behind the closed door. My brows knitted together, accentuating the suspicion on my face. Unsure of what was happening or what my wife was up to, I grabbed the door handle and slowly pushed it open.

The soft classical music drifted lazily across the room as she stood beside a table, cradling a glass of red wine in her hand.

“Hello, handsome,” she said, her voice sweet and seductive.

My brows rose instantly at the sight of the goddess in my room. She was wearing red lingerie, the see-through fabric revealing her underpants and the curve of her breasts. The hem of the dress grazed her upper thighs, a tantalizing sight that made my cock swell in my pants.

I closed the door behind me and waltzed into the room, my lustful eyes fixed on her. “You look amazing—edible.”

“Oooh, edible…I like the sound of that,” she replied, seductively lifting her right shoulder while sipping from her glass.

I watched her raise her left leg and then place it on the nearest stool, teasing me with a glimpse between her thighs.

“You, Dikaya, are looking for trouble tonight,” I said softly, halting in front of her, my eyes roaming over her body.

“Tell me, Mr. Tarasov.” She bit her lower lip, slowly lifting the hem of her dress inches higher. “Will I find what I’m looking for?” Her fingers clutched the waistband of my pants, and she pulled me closer.

I traced my hand up her thigh, my movement slow and reverent. “It depends,” I whispered in her face, watching her body react to my touch.

“On what exactly?”

“On how badly you want it.” My hand found her panties and settled over her cunt.

She flinched in response, a soft gasp escaping her lips. “Dip your hand inside and tell me if I want it badly enough,” she whispered, staring directly into my eyes.

My lips twisted into a faint grin as I slipped my fingers underneath her panties.

She let out a quiet moan.

My middle finger slid through her slippery entrance—nice and easy. Her wetness was a clear indication of how badly she wanted me. “You naughty little devil,” I teased, driving my finger deeper inside her.

Her teeth grazed her lower lip as she gripped the edge of the table. “I’m naughty for you, Daddy,” she moaned in my face, her breath warm against my skin.

I slipped my free hand to the back of her neck and pulled her closer. We stared into each other’s eyes as I watched her break down before me. Her breath was shaky, and her grip tightened around the edge of the table for support.

“God, you know how to touch me.” She rolled her neck in a massaging motion, her legs slightly spreading apart for better access.

I slid my fingers up and down her pussy, her juice making the movement slippery and sweet.

“Fuck, that feels so good,” she whispered, letting out a series of soft purrs.

She ground her waist against my fingers, her tongue tracing the curve of my mouth. “Yeah.” A breathy moan fell from her lips. “Just like that….”

I kept the same rhythm, using only my fingers to make her feel like a woman. Unable to hold back anymore, she reached out and claimed my lips.

The kiss was tender and gentle, matching the pace of my finger inside her. Heads tilted sideways, tongues explored our mouths as we enjoyed the euphoria of our passion.

The deeper the kiss, the deeper I pushed inside her, reveling in the way her body writhed against me.

“You’re so beautiful,” I said, enjoying the look of pleasure plastered all over her face.

Her response was a sweet moan and a seductive stare.

I inserted a second finger, and her pussy stretched out to accommodate both.

“Oh, Nik, I love how you make me feel.”

Her words and the sound of her voice fanned the flames of my desire.

“Uh, yes.”

I dared to push three fingers in, and her eyes widened in ecstasy. Her mouth dropped open, and her hand snapped out to grab my shoulder. I looked into her eyes while finger-fucking her cunt and enjoying every moment of it.

“You’re killing me, Nik,” she moaned, her legs trembling subtly beneath her. “I’m all yours. My pussy belongs to you.”

I sealed her mouth with yet another kiss that she couldn’t resist while simultaneously fingering her cunt. Effortlessly, I lifted her into the air and carried her to the bed, where I laid her flat on her back.

She removed her panties and spread her legs, balancing on her elbows. Her eyes fixated on me with a seductive smile as I pressed my face between her thighs.

She let out a breathy moan, her hand reaching out to press my head further in.

I licked her entrance and sucked on her swollen clit while holding her thighs in place.

“Oh, my God—yes,” she whimpered, tugging at the sheets with her other hand.

I cleaned her plate, enjoying the taste of her juice in my mouth. My tongue worked its magic down there as I ate her pussy with a slow and reverent rhythm.

She arched her back in response, her hips rising to meet my mouth as if seeking more and more.

I ate her. And ate her. And ate her.

Blair’s legs trembled in the air, and her whole body was starting to shake like a leaf. “Oh, fuck, Nik, you’re gonna make me come.”

I ignored her announcement and kept eating, basking in the sweetness of her pussy.

Her fingers clutched the sheets tighter, and her back arched higher than before. “God, I’m coming!” she stressed the whisper, raising her waist more intently.

I still didn’t stop eating.

Even when her dam exploded in my face, I didn’t stop. I kept eating, feeling the warmth of her juice in my skin.

She cried out, her body shaking violently, but I still didn’t stop.

“Fuccckkk!”

Once I was sure that she was satisfied, I took my mouth off her cunt. Her back dropped to the mattress, and her thighs pulled together in an attempt to douse the sensation down her tunnel.

I rose to my feet, watching her tremble from an overdose of sheer pleasure.

“Fuck! That felt so good!” she exclaimed, laughing lightly.

“Did you like it?” I asked, joining her on the bed.

She looked at me with a radiant smile. “I loved it.” Her eyes bore into mine, her hand sliding under my shirt.

We held each other’s gaze for a moment until I broke the silence. “I love you, Blair.”

Her grin widened. “And I love you.” A playful laugh fell off her lips as she climbed on top of me. “You made me feel good. Now allow me to return the favor.”

She pulled down my pants and withdrew my cock, her seductive eyes locked to mine.

Even after all this time, our fire still burned as bright, and our love never grew cold.

Would it always be like this between us?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

But whatever the future might hold for us, we would face it together. As a couple. As a family.

*****

THE END