“Vlad Draco’s moving cargo through the east dock again,” Yuri said, his voice deep and gruff, eyes darting across the men seated at the long table. “If we don’t mount pressure on that route, we could lose another slice of the coastline.”
Desmond adjusted his tie and leaned in, his voice sharper. “Yuri’s right, and it gets worse. I got word this morning that Demyan’s men were spotted near the old power plant—our territory.” He paused, shifting his gaze across our faces. “These bastards are messing with us. They’re testing us.”
“Then, I say we test back. We fuckin’ shove harder and show them who’s boss,” another chipped in from the far end, his voice dripping with venom. “No one’s stepping over our coastline unless they want their boats sunk.”
Silence fell for a brief moment, glasses raised in grim concurrence as men muttered under their breaths.
Viktor, the most reasonable of the men here, chimed in, his voice calm and collected. His blue eyes held a glint of composure that reminded me of myself, and his facial hair was styled to perfection. Aside from Pakhan Artem and me, Viktor was the only other man here who actually thought before he spoke.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” he said, his tone low and even. “We can’t afford a full-scale retaliation right now.”
“Oh, come on, Viktor, enough with the self-righteousness,” Yuri grumbled, slapping a hand on his forehead. “Can’t you see what they’re doing? They’re messing with us, overstepping their boundaries. For now, it’s Vlad and Demyan testing us. The longer we wait, the more they think we’re weak—the more others start to step on our territory. Is that what you want, Mr. Righteous Man?”
Again, silence fell, and as glances were exchanged, I met Pakhan Artem’s gaze—steady and unreadable. He just sat at the head of the long mahogany table, leaned back in his chair, watching everyone with his sharp eyes.
Viktor responded to Yuri. “Everyone in this room knows the Tarasov Bratva is everything but weak.” He looked right at Yuri, his fingers drumming on the surface of the table. “Strategic thinking and planning were how Nik ruined the Romanos and burned their empire to the ground. I’m merely tearing a page out of his book.” He paused for a moment, eyes flickering in my direction before continuing, “We cannot afford a full-scale retaliation right now, not with trade talks coming up next week.”
A glint of pride flickered in Pakhan Artem’s gaze as he listened to Viktor, impressed by the man’s way of thinking.
“We need to move smart. Quiet. Send a message without bloodshed,” he concluded.
“In case you’ve forgotten, Viktor, the only message that works in this world comes written in blood,” Yuri insisted.
Someone else started speaking, taking Viktor’s side, supporting the motion. And while these men were busy discussing territorial disputes, my mind traveled far. My thoughts were occupied by Alessia Romano, the woman who’d slithered her way into my heart without warning.
It happened again. We had sex the last time we were together, and it was great—mind-blowing. Alessia had surprised me in ways that no one else had. That wasn’t the outcome that I was expecting, but she shocked me to my bones. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she had spent a lot of time wishing for an opportunity to display the skills she’d buried this whole time.
She must have been intimidated by the way I made her cum with my tongue the other night. Hence, the reason she pulled that stunt in the kitchen. It felt so personal, like she was trying to make me feel the same way I made her feel—good. Really good.
I’d been with many women before her, but none of them had ever pleased me sexually the way that she did. I didn’t realize just how great she was with those tiny hands of hers until she showed me. Alessia’s blowjob and handjob skills were next to none—completely off the charts.
She’d proven to me that she could be anything I wanted: a good girl, a bad girl, or a nasty little devil. Whatever character I wished to see her display, she’d proven to be up to the task. She took her time that night in the kitchen and made sure that she returned the favor; she guaranteed that I had a blast. A part of me felt that was done on purpose so that after it was over, I’d have something to think about.
If that was her plan, then it worked because ever since that night, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. I hadn’t found a way to stop reminiscing about the way she handled me.
Alessia was eating deeper and deeper into not just my head, but also my heart. It was almost like I couldn’t spend a few minutes without thoughts of her crossing my mind. No matter how hard I tried to stop myself, I just couldn’t.
No way I was starting to get super attached to this woman. But the truth was, I was. I tried to stop myself; however, all of my attempts proved to be futile. She’d registered deep in my heart and soul, inked like a friggin’ tattoo. With each passing day, I felt more and more drawn to her.
Ever since that hug in the garden the other day, I knew she’d unlocked something in me, but I’d yet to name it. I couldn’t because the moment I did, there’d be no going back. The sound of her moans still echoed in my head, her soft purrs and labored breaths filling my mind. I could feel my erection swelling within my pants as images of her face contorted in pleasure kept me busy.
I was distracted, unable to focus on this meeting, and even though I’d been trying to pay attention, I just couldn’t. I would always find myself replaying the sex from that night. The mere thought of her lips on mine, her skin, smooth and soft beneath mine, was electric. My jaw tightened in an attempt to shake her from my thoughts, but the more I struggled, the more I failed woefully.
Zoning out during a meeting like this, especially with the Pakhan around, was very disrespectful. I shouldn’t be doing that; every man seated here should have my undivided attention.
“…Nik…?” Pakhan Artem’s voice cut through my thoughts like a fucking knife.
Shit, I cursed in my mind, realizing that wasn’t the first time he’d called out my name.
“Are you still with us?” he asked, eyes squinting as he watched me.
I cleared my throat, adjusting subtly in my chair, fingers rubbing my eyeballs. “Yes. I am.”
“I bet he’s thinking about his fiancée.” Yuri chuckled, lips parting to reveal his whites.
A soft chuckle rose amongst the others, their gazes fixed on me.
“If I had a woman that gorgeous, I’d be thinking about her right now, too,” another said, sipping his vodka.
“Dmitry, you’re married,” Viktor said to him, gently reminding him with a faint grin flashing across his face.
“It’s a marriage of convenience, Viktor,” he replied, his tone sharp and witty. “We don’t love each other. Our union is for the greater good of both our families.” He leaned in, his voice dropping to a low whisper. “If I’m being honest…I’m fucking miserable.”
The others laughed lightly.
“I’m serious, that woman is out to kill me,” Dmitry added, tapping his fingers on the table.
“Come on, it cannot be that bad.” Yuri chuckled.
“Easy for you to say. You’re happily married,” came Dmitry’s response.
“Speaking of marriages.” Pakhan Artem leaned in, his eyes fixed solely on me. “When do you plan on settling down, Nik?”
I was silent for a moment, holding his gaze with a blank expression.
“Pakhan’s right, you know,” Yuri said to me. “You’re getting old. Not to mention, your fiancée won’t wait forever.”
Helen Orlov was nothing more than a strategic alliance, a piece of the chessboard that meant absolutely nothing to me. I did not want her. And now, hearing Dmitry’s ordeal with the wife he married under the same context, I was determined that wouldn’t be my fate.
Why take in another woman and discard the one that my heart beat for—the one carrying my child, my son? It didn’t make any sense to me whatsoever.
I leaned back in the chair, maintaining my blank expression, eyes still locked with Artem’s. “I’ll handle that when the time is right.”
Artem didn’t press further, but the look in his eyes made it clear that he wouldn’t let the topic drop forever.
My cousin, Sergei Tarasov, who’d been silent the entire time, finally spoke, changing the subject. “In light of recent events….” He stared at me, his piercing gray eyes boring into mine. “I’ve received word that Dante Romano is working on clearing his name. My sources tell me that he’s making moves for a comeback.”
“We all knew he wasn’t going to stay hidden forever,” Viktor said, his gaze shifting across the rest of us.
My jaw clenched in anger, fingers balling into fists on my sides. The bastard should have just stayed in the shadows where he belonged. If he thought he could crawl his way back into power, he was a bigger fool than I had given him credit for.
