through my laptop screen, the slightly vacant expression on her face telling me she was reliving that moment between us at Arturo’s birthday party.
I’d been sleeping when she called. The panic that gripped me when I first heard her ringtone had been so severe, it had literally stolen the air from my lungs.
Tatiana hadn’t called me since the night our son died. She never texted, never tried to reach out to me. She actively ignored all of my attempts to get into contact with her.
So when I realised it was her calling, my first thought was that she’d been hurt. I thought that something must have gone so drastically wrong for her to contact me. It had been years of radio silence. Turns out, she just needed someone to talk to. And she’d chosen me.
It made a sliver of hope cut through my heart. Maybe there was still a chance that things could be mended between us, despite what she’d said the night before.
The subject of her mother was a touchy one. The conversation could go one of two ways: she could either laugh it off and switch the topic to something else, or she could just flip out and go off at you. It all depended on what mood she was in, really.
“Are you thinking about it, Tati?” I asked, lowering my voice.
I shifted on the bed, kicking one of my legs free of the blanket as I adjusted the position of my laptop. It had taken me all of two seconds to hack into their home security system. Even though she’d told me she was fine, I still needed to see it for myself, with my own eyes, to really believe it.
Tatiana jolted, her eyes flicking up at the camera. Despite the darkness surrounding her, I could see her perfectly. See those long, golden curls tied up in a messy bun, strands framing her beautiful, delicate face.
She cleared her throat, straightening her spine and standing taller. “No.”
“I am,” I breathed, my cock painfully hard at the memory of her taste. “I think about it every day. So, unless you’d like a repeat, I suggest you put that finger away.”
Her eyes darted to her hand in the air, middle finger still aimed towards the camera, like she’d completely forgotten she was holding it up. Her eyes came back to me and narrowed in defiance. She tucked the phone between her ear and her shoulder and then held up her other hand, giving me both middle fingers with a bright, beaming smile on her face. Tatiana knew very well what happened when she tested me that way, what it would result in, and yet she’d done it anyway.
Was she doing it for a distraction? Hoping that I could help take her mind off the drama with her mother?
I was conflicted. On one hand, I wanted nothing more than to take advantage of the situation and act on the burning, sexual tension still blazing between us. Lust was literally pulsing inside me like a level ten migraine, except instead of being restricted to just my head, it was my whole body. Specifically, my cock. But on the other hand, I was worried about overstepping her boundaries and pushing her away.
The thing at Arturo’s party had been different. I’d been completely consumed by jealousy, possessiveness and rage. The only thing that could have stopped me in that moment was Tatiana telling me to, which I was confident she would do if she didn’t want anything sexual to happen. She was very strong-willed. She had no problem telling someone to fuck off if it’s what she wanted.
I had to tread carefully. The last thing I wanted to do was compromise the little bit of progress we’d made so far. Luckily, I knew exactly how to find out if she was looking for a distraction only I could provide.
‘Ty khochesh’, chtoby tebya nakazali, lyubimaya?’ Do you want to be punished, love?
She stared up at the camera, completely unmoving.
Here we go.
What she responded with would determine where it would go. If she laughed and switched the subject, it was a flat-out no. If she gave me attitude and said something bratty…
She gripped the phone in her hand again, a smirk on her lips as she said, “What are you gonna do, Nicky? Grunt and growl at me over the phone? Ooo, I’m shaking in my boots.”
Excitement surged in my veins. I sat up a little straighter, taking a deep breath to try to hide the eagerness in my voice.
“What makes you think I won’t come down there and put you over my knee?” I zoomed in to her face, watching in rapture as her teeth dug into her bottom lip.
“I’ll just go inside and lock the door.”
I chuckled darkly. I was zoomed in close enough to see a shiver wrack through her body. Was it from the cold, or my words?
“You really think I don’t have a key to your house, Tati? Or that I wouldn’t kick down that door to get to you?” I tsked, enjoying the way her breath hitched.
“You can’t. My dad’s home.”
“Probably should have thought about that before you gave me that bratty attitude you know riles me up so much. Bad girls get punished, remember?”
Was that a moan?
I swear I could come from the sound of her moaning alone. I wouldn’t need anything else, not even to stroke my cock.
I was about to say something else when my bedroom door swung open so fast, it banged into the wall. I reached for my gun sitting on the bedside table and had it aimed at the doorway in under a second.
“For fuck’s sake, Lukyan,” I growled, glaring at my idiot younger brother. “How many times have I told you to fucking knock?”
Lukyan gave me his signature mischievous smirk. His eyes flicked to the laptop sitting in my lap and back to my face. “Oh, my bad. Did I catch you at an inconvenient time?” he asked, pumping his eyebrows up and down.
“Get out,” I snapped, putting my gun down.
“Oo, is that Tatiana?” He stepped up to the side of the bed and squinted at the screen. “Is she about to do some sort of strip show or something?”
“What did he just say?” Tatiana shrieked in my ear, her face turned up at the camera, brows snapped together in an angry glare.
“Shit, is this live?” he smirked. “Kinky. Can I watch?”
“That’s it. I’m hanging up now.”
“Tatiana, wait—”
Beep, beep, beep.
I cursed, pulling the phone away from my ear to scowl at the screen. Damn it.
Tatiana spun and marched into the house without so much as a glance back at the camera.
I slammed my laptop shut in frustration. It wasn’t even the fact that we’d been interrupted before things got sexual that bothered me. It was that it was an opportunity for us to progress forward and it was cut short, due to the idiot standing next to me. My scowl moved from my laptop to Lukyan. His hands flew up in surrender.
“Whoa, don’t shoot the messenger. I’m only here because Aleksandr sent me to get you. If you wanna blame someone for interrupting your little ‘phone sex’ session, it’s him.”
I sighed, placing my laptop on the bedside table next to my gun. “What does he want?”
Any trace of playfulness vanished from his face, the Volkov anger we all possessed quickly taking over. “It’s about Dominik. Fucker’s on the phone. Right now.”
I needed nothing further. As hard as it was for me to do, I put Tatiana and our chaotic relationship out of my mind and raced to my brother’s office.
“You’re not going to trick me into this, little nephew. Hand over control, or your father suffers.”
I stared at Dominik and the men at his back, anger pulsing in my body. I’d told Aleksandr the night Dominik made contact with us that the chances of him agreeing to a one-v-one were slim. “Beyond slim,” I believe was the phrase I used. Not only that, but that letting him anywhere near the house was a mistake. That we should have arranged the meet somewhere neutral. The last time Dominik was there, half of our house had been blown to pieces. I didn’t trust him not to try and pull a similar move.
But my brother was adamant about presenting a united front to our uncle, about showing Dominik that his attempt to take us out had done nothing but bring us closer together, make us stronger.
The atmosphere was tense. Lukyan and Illayana stood at my side, their usual playful and mischievous attitudes replaced with complete seriousness—a word I would have never used to describe those two.
Aleksandr’s new wife was standing a few feet behind him. Dark protectiveness radiated from her as she stared my uncle down, her fingers gripped tightly around the knife in her hand, like she was having trouble refraining from stabbing him in the chest. Aleksandr didn’t respond to Dominik’s words, his posture remaining stiff, eyes hard.
“Fine. Remember that I tried to offer you a way out. You’ve made your bed, now you’re going to have to lie in it. What happens next is on you.” Dominik spun on the balls of his feet and stormed out of the room, the four MC men who came with him following him out.
Aleksandr looked to Lukyan. “Follow him,” he commanded.
Lukyan nodded, taking off after Dominik. The chances of tracking him to where he was staying weren’t great. He would assume we’d send someone to follow him once he left, and he’d take the proper precautions to ensure he wasn’t leading us to his base of operations.
“Can you believe the nerve of that fuckwit?” Illayana growled, glaring after him. “Did he honestly think you’d agree to just hand everything over?”
Aleksandr didn’t answer, the inner turmoil he was going through lying deep in the depths of his eyes. Drea offered him comfort and, much to my surprise, Aleksandr didn’t balk at it.
I knew my brother well. If something happened to our father, he would blame himself, regardless of the fact that it wasn’t his fault. He would just see that he had the chance to save him, and he didn’t take it.
Illayana huffed, hands on her hips. “We should have killed him. Or at least captured him. Letting him go was a mistake.”
“No amount of torture would have gotten Dominik to talk,” I said.
“You don’t know that. I’ve picked up a thing or two from my time in the Cosa Nostra. I could have gotten him to talk. Maybe.”
I doubted it. Dominik might be a self-centred, backstabbing, arrogant asshole, but he had the Volkov resilience. We could have taken him apart piece by piece and I don’t think he would have said a damn word.
“Speaking of Cosa Nostra,” Aleksandr began, giving Drea a small smile of appreciation before turning to face Illayana. “You should probably head back soon, don’t you think? You’ve been gone for nearly a week.”
Arturo returned to New York a few days ago to handle business. Illayana had chosen to stay behind to help search for Father, but she couldn’t stay forever. Her place was by her husband’s side, helping him in his fight against The Outfit.
“Nope.” Illayana stretched her arms above her head, her bones cracking. “I told Arturo I’m staying until we find Father. It’s okay, though. Tatiana is going to help out until I get back.”
I tensed, my eyes snapping to her in shock. “What did you just say?”
“Tatiana.” She said her name like I didn’t fucking know who she was. “She’s going to New York early before her classes start, to lend a hand with The Outfit.” Illayana frowned. “What? What’s with the face?”
Anger ran red through my brain. Tatiana was going to do what? It’s not that I didn’t believe in her. She was smart, capable. She had a unique ability to see things other people might not notice. Her skills weren’t the issue. The fact that she was putting herself in danger was what made rage run rampant in my veins.
My hands balled into fists, teeth grinding.
Aleksandr glanced at me nervously. “Give us the room.”
Illayana frowned again, this time at Aleksandr. Her eyes darted between the two of us as I began to pace. I couldn’t stand still. The thought of Tatiana in danger filled me with such fear and restlessness, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. It was like a huge, heavy weight was sitting on my chest, smothering me.
“Why?” Illayana asked, confusion in her voice.
“I need to talk to Nik alone. Go. Now, Illayana.”
Her lips pursed in agitation but she didn’t ask anymore questions. Drea gripped Aleksandr’s shirt and yanked him down to her level, planting a kiss on his cheek. My brother rolled his eyes, acting as if he didn’t enjoy the display of affection, but the small smile on his face said otherwise. She whispered something in his ear before letting him go. She nodded to me in farewell and then walked towards Illayana, looping her arm through hers.
“We haven’t really had a chance to talk. Let’s get to know each other. Aleksandr tells me you like to spar when you’re annoyed. Want to go a round?”
Eagerness sparkled in my sister’s eyes. She did love a good brawl, especially when she wasn’t in a good mood.
After Drea lead Illayana out of the room, Aleksandr closed the door and turned to face me.
“Don’t. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Tough,” he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. “You need to go.”
I stopped pacing, surprised by his words. “What?”
“I know you, Nikolai. There’s no way you’ll be able to focus on anything except Tatiana, now that you know she’s involving herself in dangerous business. You’ll be of no use to me so distracted.”
“I can’t just leave.” Just the idea of it made a ball of guilt lodge itself deep in my stomach. I’d feel like I was abandoning my father if I did that.
“There’s nothing you can do here that you can’t do there. Take all the shit you need with you. See what you can find out about the MC gangs Dominik has under his thumb and send the data back to me. I can have Lukyan do all the groundwork. You keep telling me I need to give him more responsibility.”
“You do. But I—”
“Plus, I need you to vet some new potential clients in New York. So it’s a win-win situation.”
My brows lowered. “That’s Valentino’s territory.”
“Not anymore. He got sloppy and got himself caught by an undercover cop in his ranks. He’s been charged with arms trafficking, murder, racketeering and about a dozen other offences. He and everyone in his organisation are going away for life. That frees up his territory, and I want to claim it before anyone else does.”
“Is that wise? With everything going on with Father and Dominik, we’re stretched pretty thin right now.”
“Grandfather is already sending men to replace the ones we’ve lost, as well as a new round of supplies. As my second, I need you to go and vet these new clients.”
Another round of shock blasted through me. I swear, at that rate, my heart was liable to give out with all of the fucking surprises people kept throwing at me.
Aleksandr blinked. “Don’t tell me you’re surprised? Who else would it be if not you, Nik?”
“I thought maybe Ivan? Or Vladimir?”
He shook his head, mildly amused. “I swear, it baffles me how someone so smart can also be so colossally stupid.”
I narrowed my eyes.
Gripping one side of his desk, he gestured with a flick of his head for me to grab the other as he said, “They’re both capable, sure.” We lifted the desk together and moved it back to where it belonged. “But I trust you more than anyone, and there’s no one else I’d rather have as my second. Once we get Father back, everything will go back to normal. He will return to being Pakhan, I’ll be second again, and you can go back to the comfort of your tech. Until then, I need you on the ground floor, setting up for new clients. You can organise the meets so you can work it around Tatiana’s schedule. That way, you know she’s okay while you’re out handling business.”
I huffed air out through my nose in a snort as I picked up one of the chairs. “I know what you’re doing. You think that sending me to New York under the guise of Bratva business will make me feel better about leaving. It won’t, but I’m going anyway. You’re right. I’ll be completely fucking useless to you while I’m worried about Tatiana’s safety.”
Aleksandr began organising and tidying his desk as I placed the last of his furniture back in place. “There is another option. Tatiana is only getting involved in Cosa Nostra business because Illayana is here. We could just tell Illayana to go back. That way, neither of you have to go.”
I’d already considered that, and it wouldn’t work. Tatiana planned to move to New York anyway. She was already set to leave within the week. Even if Illayana returned, I feared it was already too late. Tatiana would want to help regardless. She would offer her services even if Illayana was there. She was going to involve herself no matter what, which meant I needed to be there to watch her back.
Thudding footsteps echoed around us. Aleksandr and I looked at the door just as it swung open, Lukyan panting and breathless.
“You…guys,” he huffed out, holding his side like he had a stitch from running so fast. “Come…quick. Illayana…Drea….they’re…” he shook his head, as if he couldn’t find the words. “Just come!”
The warehouse was in an uproar. Imagine yourself in a crowded stadium. Thirty seconds left on the clock. Tie-score. Everybody was screaming, cheering for their side to win.
That’s exactly what Aleksandr, Lukyan and I walked into.
There was a mob of people surrounding the ring in the centre of the warehouse. All the gym equipment was sitting idle, not a single machine in use. Everyone was far too focused on the spectacle taking place; the fight between Illayana and Drea.
Aleksandr and I shared a look with one another, one that said, “This can’t possibly end well,” before we rushed forward. We pushed our way through the throng of people until we got to the front, catching sight of Illayana throwing a brutal right hook that made Drea’s head snap to the side.
The crowd groaned as a collective, the sound echoing all around us. Aleksandr winced at the blood trailing down Drea’s chin from her now-busted lip.
I dug into my pocket and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill, holding it up. “On Illayana.”
Aleksandr glared before matching my money with his own. “Drea,” he grunted.
Of course he’d bet Drea. She was his wife, after all. It was still crazy to even think about. Aleksandr…married. Fucking crazy.
“You’re both wasting your time,” Lukyan said, pointing to them. “Look at those two. There’s no way either of them are tapping out. The only way this fight ends is by KO.”
He was right. With the way Drea and Illayana were laying into each other, it was very clear they both had zero intention of stopping until they were unable to fight any longer. They were both spattered with bruises. Illayana’s eye was swollen shut. Drea was favouring her right leg, trying to keep weight off it, making me think my sister had gotten her into some sort of hold that was now causing her pain. Their knuckles were stained with blood, droplets of it on the floor beneath their feet. It was clear that neither of them were pulling their punches.
Drea threw a punch and Illayana caught it, her fingers wrapping around Drea’s wrist and holding tight.
“Shit,” Aleksandr cursed, face filled with unease.
I could understand why. Between the two of them, Illayana held a slight advantage with her long limbs and longer reach. Drea’s skill was her speed, her ability to dart in and out, delivering quick and decisive blows before her opponent even realised what happened.
Now that Illayana had a hold on her, it meant she couldn’t use her speed.
Illayana struck with a high kick to Drea’s head. She blocked, bringing her free arm up and then charged, knocking Illayana down in a running tackle.
Illayana’s grip loosened, giving Drea the opportunity she needed to yank her arm free and start pummelling into her with alternating punches from each hand.
The crowd roared at the brutality being unleashed. The viciousness.
One thing I’d noticed about Drea when watching her fight previously was she had this “brawler” type of attitude. She knew that, with her smaller stature, she had to be quick. Not allow herself to get too close to her opponent. But when she had them pinned, her fighting style changed from deadly and cautious to fucking animalistic.
Illayana did her best to deflect Drea’s blows. When the opportunity presented itself, she went on the offensive, leaning forward to wrap Drea up in a headlock.
Drea struggled, ramming her fists into Illayana’s side to try and get her to let go, but my sister held strong, gritting her teeth through the pain. Drea had only seconds left before she passed out. There was no way out. This fight was over—
Drea’s hands ran frantically down Illayana’s body, as if she was searching for something. Then Illayana cried out in pain, her back bowing. Breaking out of the hold, Drea scrambled away, hand to her throat as Illayana moved to her hands and knees, one armed wrapped around her side.
“What was that?” I whispered to Aleksandr.
He watched them closely. “Drea has a thing for pressure points.”
“Ahh.”
They glared at each other from across the ring before they rushed forward, starting all over again. You could tell they were both in pain and beyond exhausted, but it was like neither one of them wanted to be the first one to concede. As they went back to trading blow after brutal blow, Illayana’s guards, Christian, Luca and Lorenzo made their way through the overflowing crowd, coming straight towards us.
“Heads up.” I nodded to the Cosa Nostra men.
Aleksandr groaned, running a hand down his face. Like me, he knew exactly why they were approaching us. Also like me, he wasn’t remotely interested in hearing it.
“You need to stop this,” Luca, the more level-headed of the twins hissed.
“Do I?” my brother drawled, eyes never straying from the ring.
“Yes! Look at them! You need to get in there and break it up, or they’re going to kill each other!”
It was a very reasonable assumption, considering how hard Illayana and Drea were going at each other. They were fighting like they hated one another, when really, it wasn’t about that at all. It was about who was better. Plain and simple.
“I thought Christian was the dumb twin,” Lukyan butted in, a smirk on his lips.
“Hey!” Christian barked, affronted, at the same time that Luca growled, “What?”
Lukyan pointed to the ring. “You never, never get in the middle of a chick fight. Not unless you want to lose an eye.”
“Arturo will take my eyes if he finds out I just stood here and watched her get hurt like this.’ He looked at Aleksandr. ‘Either you get in there and stop your wife, or I’ll—”
“Careful.” Aleksandr’s voice dropped dangerously low, his eyes snapping to Luca, full of anger.
“Excuse my brother.” Christian laid a hand on Luca’s shoulder, pulling him back as he took his place. “After the last punishment we all received, you can understand why we’re all a little nervous. Arturo has given specific instructions for Illayana not to be harmed and, well,” —he gestured to the ring with a wave of his hand, Illayana and Drea locked in a grapple—“I’d say this constitutes as ‘harmful’, wouldn’t you?”
Lukyan frowned. “Okay, is this like a Freaky Friday kinda situation? Since when are you” —he pointed to Christian—“the voice of reason? And you”—he pointed to Luca—“the hothead?” He pursed his lips in obvious distaste. “It doesn’t suit you. I don’t like it. Switch back.”
Aleksandr and I rolled our eyes.
“Look,” I began, taking charge of the conversation. “You guys remember what Illayana did to Rayna, right? You were there?”
All three men winced.
“That’s nothing compared to what she will do to you if you try to stop her from fighting. You, on the other hand,” I said, looking at Aleksandr.
There was one man in the world my sister would listen to without a shred of hesitation. He wasn’t here, but Aleksandr was a very close second. He sighed, glancing at the ring uncertainly. I had a feeling that he was more worried about his wife’s wrath than Illayana’s.
“Lukyan’s right,” I pressed. “Those two aren’t going to stop until one of them gets knocked out. Best put an end to it now.”
Aleksandr’s grunt of agreement made Illayana’s guards almost drop to their knees in relief. He walked the few steps to the ring and slammed his hand down on the canvas floor. “Enough, Drea. End it.”
Illayana froze, looking his way with a frown on her face, her arms up in a boxers pose.
Drea pouted.
“Now,” Aleksandr said firmly.
She stuck her tongue out at him. “Party pooper.” She rushed forward, her new burst of speed taking Illayana completely by surprise. Drea did what could only be described as a “soccer tackle”, her foot smashing into Illayana’s shin and making her drop. Drea capitalised, scrambling onto Illayana’s back and locking her into a rear naked choke, her arms curling tightly around her neck. Her legs wrapped around her torso next, and then she pulled back. Hard.
Illayana thrashed, rolling from side to side, doing anything she could to get free, but it was no use. There was nothing she could do. The hold was air tight.
“Tap out, Illayana!” Luca yelled.
Lukyan scoffed. “She’s not tapping.”
Sure enough, not even three seconds later, Illayana’s head started to droop forward, her arms falling limp at her side. Drea instantly loosened her hold, guiding Illayana’s head down to rest softly on the floor.
The crowd went wild. Screaming. Clapping. Cheering.
Luca’s mouth was wide open. “You’re telling me she could have done that this entire time?” he growled as Christian and Lorenzo jumped into the ring to check on Illayana. “Why didn’t she just do that to start with?”
“Because Drea likes to fight. She doesn’t want it to end quickly,” Aleksandr grunted.
“This family is crazy. You’re all crazy. Look at your sister. Oh, fuck. Arturo is going to lose it. I’m fucked. We’re fucked. He—”
“Relaaaax,” Lukyan dragged out, cutting him off. “She’s fine. See.” He pointed to Illayana, who was slowly starting to sit up, a slightly dazed expression on her face. “You Cosa Nostra guys need to chill the fuck out. Women aren’t the fragile little creatures you think they are. They’re capable of so much more than you give them credit for. That sheltered box you keep them in does nothing but put you at a disadvantage and waste all that untapped potential.”
Aleksandr arched an eyebrow at me in surprise.
Every now and then, Lukyan would say something…wise. It didn’t happen very often, because for some reason, he liked to act like he wasn’t as smart or insightful as he actually was. But when he did say something profound, it always took everyone by surprise.
Illayana shrugged off Christian and Lorenzo’s attempt to help her stand and got to her feet.
My sister was a sore loser, so it surprised the fuck out of me when she broke into a full-blown smile, her teeth stained red with blood.
“You were holding back,” she said to Drea, offering her hand.
“Barely,” Drea responded, shaking her hand. “You’re very good.”
“So are you. And quick, too, so fucking quick. How do you move so fast?”
“Being barely five feet tall has its perks. You learn to take advantage of being smaller than almost everyone else.”
Illayana laughed and then gripped her side, groaning painfully. “I’ve never been so jealous of someone’s height before. You know I want a re-match, right? No holding back this time.”
Drea smiled, opening her mouth to respond, but she was cut off when Christian, Luca and Lorenzo all screamed, “No!”
