I pulled up in front of Misha Petrov’s mansion.
Originally, we were supposed to meet at our usual spot, but he changed plans at the last minute, texting me to come to his house instead.
I didn’t see it as a risk. Not because I trusted him blindly, his family had just launched an attack on mine, but because Misha and I went way back. We shared a history built on mutual respect. If he still valued that past, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to pull something here.
I opened the door for Anna, watching as she stepped out cautiously.
“This doesn’t look like a spot,” she murmured, scanning the grand estate. “This is a house.”
“Misha’s house.”
Her expression tightened with unease. I rubbed her back lightly, offering a small smile. “Don’t worry. Nothing bad will happen.”
Not while I was here.
My gun was tucked securely under my jacket, and I was one signal away from my men storming this place if Misha had really lost his damn mind.
The mansion’s large doors swung open, revealing two figures. One was Misha, smiling like an old friend. The other was a woman, slim, petite, but radiating a sharp, lethal energy. She was beautiful in a way that could cut.
Misha grinned as he approached, pulling me into a rough hug.
“Oh, my days, Gleb! It’s been too long.”
His gaze shifted to Anna, and his grin widened.
“And who is this beautiful jewel?”
“My wife,” I answered flatly, not liking the way his eyes lingered on her.
Before I could react, Anna stretched her hand, not to Misha, but to the woman beside him.
“Anna,” she said, offering a rare, warm smile.
The woman didn’t return it. Her icy gaze flicked to Anna’s outstretched hand before she finally responded.
“Luna,” she said coolly.
Misha gestured toward the entrance. “Come in.”
Anna hesitated, casting a glance at me.
I took her hand in mine, squeezing gently. She wasn’t alone. No harm would come to her here, I’d make sure of it.
Inside, we followed Misha and Luna through the lavish halls before settling into an elegant sitting room.
Misha barely got comfortable before turning to his wife.
“Luna, why don’t you take Anna for a walk?”
“She’s not leaving my side.”
My voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Misha exhaled, shaking his head. “Gleb, you think I’d invite you to my house just to harm your wife?”
“I think you breached our contract,” I countered.
His brows knit together in genuine confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?”
I leaned forward. “You attacked my shipments at the docks. Why?”
Misha’s expression darkened. “I would never do that.”
“Don’t play with me, Misha.” My voice was cold, measured. “If I didn’t respect our history, I’d already be retaliating.”
Misha cursed under his breath and reached for his phone. “Give me a second.”
“You’re wasting your time,” Luna cut in.
Misha froze, his grip tightening around the phone.
Luna leaned back in her seat, her smirk full of amusement. “Your father ordered the attack.”
Misha went pale. “My father has dementia. Why the hell would my soldiers listen to him?”
Luna’s smirk widened. “Because I told them you approved it.”
The silence was suffocating.
Misha’s jaw clenched, his knuckles going white around his phone. “What did you just say?”
Luna tilted her head. “I said… I’m just getting started ruining your life, husband.”
Ah.
So they were married.
Misha’s entire body went rigid. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply, visibly restraining himself. “Don’t tempt me, Luna.” His voice went low. “Or you might need clutches to walk for the next week.”
Luna’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Oh?” She crossed her legs slowly. “You want to start now? Right here, in front of our guests?”
Anna and I exchanged a glance, both equal parts amused and uncomfortable.
Misha turned to me with a look of exasperation. “I swear to you, this wasn’t intentional. My little wife has lost her damn mind.”
Luna scoffed. “Lost my mind? You know exactly why, so don’t paint me as the villain here.”
Misha pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just take Anna for a walk. I need to fix this mess you created.”
Luna didn’t move.
Misha’s tone dropped. “Luna.”
The way he said her name had an immediate effect. Her bravado wavered for just a second before she stood up.
She turned to Anna, flashing her a mischievous smile. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s leave these heartless bastards to their scheming. Birds of a feather.”
Anna hesitated, glancing at me again.
I let her go. Not because I trusted Luna, but because now I knew she was Misha’s problem. If she messed with mine, I’d mess with his.
As they left, Misha sagged into his chair.
“Gleb, you have to forgive me. I’ll pay for the damages.”
“In twofold.”
His head snapped up. “What?”
“You heard me. If I wasn’t smart enough to hold back, you’d have lost more than just some cargo.”
Misha groaned. “I can’t afford that.”
“Bullshit. You’re rich as fuck.”
“And so are you! You don’t need me to pay double.”
“You’ll pay, or I’ll treat this as an act of war.”
His eyes flickered with frustration. “I thought we were friends.”
“And who says we aren’t?” I smirked. “But business is business.”
Misha let out a long sigh. “I swear, I’m going to make Luna pay for this.”
I leaned back, chuckling. “Speaking of her… I didn’t know you were married. Keeping it a secret?”
He scoffed. “No. You just haven’t been paying attention.”
“She hates you.”
Misha smirked. “She should. But as long as she’s mine, I don’t care.”
I arched my brow. “You don’t hate her back?”
“It’s complicated. Her father is our main supplier in Colombia, and his shipments were grounded for months due to government policies.”
He continued, “he insisted that his protection needs be met at a higher level, protection only our cartel can provide. In exchange for resuming the supply, he required one of his daughters to marry me. We couldn’t afford to lose their goods, so we struck a deal: a temporary marriage alliance. As long as our union lasts, our cartel will guard them with the full force of our resources, and in return, we secure a continuous, reliable supply. It’s a win-win situation, a calculated and strategic alliance where both sides benefit, nothing more.”
“The marriage wasn’t exactly voluntary on Luna’s part. I killed her lover.” He remarked indifferently, lighting a cigarette.
I let out a low whistle. “I see why she feels like strangling you to death.”
I took a drag from my own cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
Misha smirked. “Still think I’m the one who’s lost his mind?”
I chuckled darkly. “You’re insane, but you’re not stupid.”
Misha and I went back a long way. We survived the same hell, built our empires in blood, and buried too many enemies to count.
And now?
Now, we were both married to women who might just be more dangerous than we were.
The school we attended wasn’t like regular schools. It was created decades ago by mafia men who didn’t want their children mixing with outsiders. Every son and daughter of the Bratva was sent there.
While we learned the usual subjects, math, history, science, we were also taught how to shoot, how to kill, how to extract a beating heart. We memorized the consequences of betrayal, the mechanics of smuggling, the coded language for drugs, trafficking, and territory control.
Misha, Jasper, and I were inseparable back then. But eight years ago, we each went our own way.
I took over my parents’ cartel and ruled Moscow.
Misha took Yakutsk, the coldest city in Russia. He spent most of his time in Moscow, though, visiting his dying father, who refused to leave the city where his wife was buried.
Jasper ruled over Saint Petersburg, the second-largest city in Russia. Our forefathers had signed an agreement to keep peace between our cartels, so we never had any reason to cross paths in conflict.
That’s why, when my shipments were attacked, I didn’t react in blind rage. I knew something wasn’t right.
Thank God I know how to control my anger.
Misha smirked and leaned back. “Enough about me, Gleb. It’s not like you’re innocent. Didn’t you torch your deal with the Italians over some bastard groping your wife?”
I frowned. “Where did you hear that?”
“Unlike you, I keep track of everything happening in the underworld. I doubt you even know if Jasper is alive or dead.”
“We got a supply from him eight months ago when my supplier had a setback. So yeah, he’s alive.”
Misha grinned. “We should pay him a visit. You know… rekindle an old flame.”
“That wouldn’t be a bad idea. I’ll let you know when I’m free.”
He stood, walked to the bar, and poured us both whiskey.
After taking a sip, he turned to me. “I thought the whole point of your marriage was to make babies.”
I exhaled slowly. “Yeah. But once she gives birth, my grandmother will send the baby to the Italians. In return, she gets back my mother’s multimillion-dollar asset and the opportunity to kill five prominent members of their cartel. She thinks I don’t know.”
Misha didn’t even blink. “So you’ve been stalling on purpose.”
I nodded. “Until I find a better way to fix this mess and finally end the war between our families.”
“But Anna doesn’t know, does she?”
“No. She’s frustrated I haven’t touched her. But do you think she’d still be asking for it if she knew that as soon as she has our child, they’ll take it from her?”
Misha’s gaze darkened. “They’ll take the baby… and then what?”
“They’ll kill her.”
He stiffened.
“Her family had only been acting nice to her because they need an heir. The second she delivers, preferably a male child, they’ll have no use for her anymore.”
Misha exhaled. “I know you won’t let that happen.”
I met his gaze. “I will protect her with my life.”
A smirk tugged at his lips. “Damn. When did you turn into such a devoted husband?”
“She’s everything to me now,” I admitted.
Misha swirled his whiskey. “She’s got that innocent look. Untouched.”
“She is.”
He tilted his head. “And you think that lasts? A woman like that, young, restless, ignored, she’ll turn heads. You won’t stray, I know you. But her? Someone’s bound to try. And if they get to her first…”
His tone sharpened. “You’re sitting on a prize, Gleb, and every wolf in this game can smell it. Tie her to you, body and soul or they’ll take what you won’t.”
The words sank in, cold and heavy. I set my glass down, appetite gone.
I tensed.
Would someone dare? And if I gutted them for it, would it erase the fact they’d touched what was mine?
The thought drove me insane.
I stood abruptly. “Misha, we’ll talk later. Where’s my wife?”
He raised an eyebrow but gestured toward the back. “They should be in the garden.”
Before I could move, Anna and Luna came walking toward us, laughing like old friends.
I froze.
Anna never laughed like that. Not with strangers.
I walked straight to her and took her by the arm. “We need to leave.”
She smiled at Luna. “See you soon, babe.”
Luna waved back, her expression softening with something almost… sad.
Loneliness.
I didn’t dwell on it. I led Anna out of the mansion and into the car.
As I started the ignition, she sighed. “Luna has been through a lot. I feel bad for her.”
I barely hummed in response.
My mind was somewhere else.
I needed to make her mine. Completely.
She kept talking, lightheartedly telling me about the things she and Luna had discussed. I responded, but my thoughts were already running ahead.
I wanted to erase every trace of doubt. Every possibility of another man ever touching her.
The drive felt endless.
The second we pulled into the garage, I stepped out, walked to her side, and opened the door. She stepped down, still smiling, happier than I’d ever seen her.
Was it because of Luna?
For a second, I wanted to take her inside. Be gentle. But that wasn’t enough anymore.
I needed her now.
I slammed her against the car, not hard, but firm enough that she gasped.
Her eyes widened. “Gleb…”
I kissed her before she could finish. Hard. Desperate. Claiming.
She stiffened, caught off guard. Then melted.
I groaned into her mouth, my fingers gripping her waist as I deepened the kiss. Tasting the defiance and sweetness I had denied myself for months
My lips traveled down her neck. She shivered.
I lifted her onto the car, unzipping her jeans.
She gasped. Her eyes wide, breath shaky.
As if she couldn’t believe this was really happening.
Neither could I.
My fingers grazed the soft skin of her thigh. My pulse quickened, my jeans straining against the growing ache as I traced higher, brushing her inner thigh. She gasped, a sharp little sound that sent heat coursing through me. My hand slid toward her panties, and I felt the dampness there, undeniable, electric. I rubbed her gently with my thumb, locking eyes with her. Those seductive, half-lidded eyes stared back, pulling me in.
I leaned forward, capturing her lips in a slow, hungry kiss as my hand slipped beneath the fabric. Her fingers dug into my back, her voice breaking through the haze. “Gleb!”
My thumb found her clit, circling it with deliberate care, and her moan spilled out, raw and unrestrained. Her hips rocked toward me, urgent, like she couldn’t wait another second. I could’ve taken her right there, pinned her to the floor and lost myself in her, but it was her first time. I scooped her into my arms instead, carrying her to the master bedroom, her warmth pressed against my chest.
I shed my clothes in a rush, jeans and shirt hitting the floor. She watched, a flicker of nerves in her eyes, but no fear, just longing. “I’m big,” I warned, helping her peel off her top, her jeans already a crumpled heap.
She shrugged, a quiet defiance in the gesture, her need outweighing any hesitation. I slid her white panties down, my fingers brushing her gently. “It’ll hurt,” I murmured, voice low against her ear.
“I know,” she whispered back, steady and sure.
I dipped my head, intending to taste her, but her thighs snapped shut instinctively. “What’s wrong?” I asked, pulling back.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, cheeks flushing as she parted them again. “It’s just… reflex.”
I grinned. “First time, huh? Relax, baby, I’m gonna eat you out.”
“You don’t have to say it,” she groaned, hiding her face in her hands. “God, that’s embarrassing.”
I chuckled, shifting up to her chest instead. My lips closed around her breast, sucking gently, teeth grazing her nipple. She gasped, then moaned, “Damn, Gleb!” Her voice trembled with every flick of my tongue.
I kissed a trail down her body, between her breasts, over her belly, pausing at her navel, until my mouth hovered above her. Her pulse thrummed beneath my lips as I descended, tasting her at last. She was soaked, and her moans grew louder as my tongue slid inside, relentless, savoring every shudder. “Oh my fucking… days.” Her hand tangled in my hair, gripping tight like it was all that kept her grounded.
Her body started to quake, jerking beneath me, and I knew she was close. I pulled up, aligning my lips with hers. “Like how you taste?” I teased, kissing her deeply.
She nodded, a breathless laugh escaping as I positioned myself, my cock brushing her center. Her eyes met mine, a silent nod giving me the green light. She was ready, had probably dreamed of this as much as I had. I eased in slowly, watching her face. She gasped, biting her lip hard, pain flickering across her features. I pulled back, then thrust in again, harder this time. The pleasure hit me like a freight train. Fuck. She felt good, and I wanted to take it slow, but she was unraveling me.
I gripped her breasts, full and perfect in my hands, and let go, pounding into her with a rhythm she’d craved in her quiet fantasies. Tears streaked down her cheeks, mingling with her moans, my name a broken chant on her lips. I kept going, relentless, sucking at her breast as I drove deeper. “Oh my…” Sweat beaded on her skin, on mine, as I pushed us both to the edge.
My body tightened, a warning, and I thrust harder, ruthless now, leaning in to kiss her with bruising force. I was close, too close, and the years of pent-up hunger roared through me. I bit her lip, tasting blood as I came, spilling into her with a groan that tore from my chest. She took it all, her nails raking my back, her lips sucking mine with fierce passion. I felt her clench around me, her own release crashing through her, her moans echoing off the walls.
“Yeah… that’s it, baby girl…” Her cries peaked, then softened into a heavy exhale. The room was cool, but we were drenched, slick with sweat and each other.
I started to pull away, to lie beside her, but her arms tightened around me. “Don’t go,” she mumbled, voice thick with exhaustion.
“I’m not,” I said, burying my face in the crook of her shoulder. “I’m right here.”
“Lay on me instead?” I asked, shifting some of my weight off her. I was bigger, heavier, she couldn’t take me crushing her for long.
“Just leave me,” she said softly, her grip firm.
I wouldn’t leave, not now, not ever. She was my first in a way that mattered, and I’d damn well be her last. I pressed a soft kiss to her neck. “Don’t worry, babe. As long as I’m breathing, I’m yours.”
She didn’t answer, just held me closer.
“It hurt, right?” I asked after a beat.
“A little,” she admitted, “but it’s fine. You made my fantasy real.”
I smirked. “What else you dreaming about?”
She hummed, shy again. “Too embarrassed to say.”
I laughed, the sound rumbling between us. We fell quiet, her breathing evening out against my chest. When it grew labored, I eased out of her embrace, catching the soft peace on her face. I rolled onto my back, pulling her fully onto me, her bare breasts pressed to my chest, her warmth against my stirring cock. Fuck, she was getting me hard again.
But I didn’t act on it. Not yet.
She stirred, shifting to straddle me, her thighs parting over my hips. She guided me back to her entrance and slid down, slow and deliberate. “Babe…” I groaned, stunned.
“Yeah…” She winked, rocking her hips, her ass slamming against me with a rhythm that stole my breath. I hadn’t expected her to take me like this, not so soon.
“There’s my girl,” I growled, hands gripping her ass, guiding her as she rode me. Her moans filled the room, wild and unrestrained, and I matched her pace, pleasure coiling tight. My hands slid up to her breasts, squeezing gently as she moved faster.
“Gleb, I’m almost…” Her voice broke, desperate, and she slammed down harder, a scream tearing from her throat as she came, nails carving into my chest. She collapsed onto me, spent, and I wrapped her in my arms, staying inside her as her breathing slowed.
Minutes stretched on, and I realized she’d drifted to sleep, still wrapped around me. I didn’t pull out, couldn’t bring myself to. I hadn’t felt this alive in years. She was my missing piece, the certainty settling deep in my bones. Everything about her, her softness, her fire, was perfect.
