8. Trust
Chapter eight
Trust
Jolie watched Adrik manhandle Katia, taking her to the side. It gave her belly a queasy feeling. She didn’t like to see him angry like that. It was a part of Adrik she hadn’t witnessed, and she didn’t want to. She leaned into Alexei, about to ask him what was wrong, when she felt Vincent’s stare. She tried to break the awkwardness. “It’s, um, good to see you.”
Vincent stuttered on a response. He couldn’t believe she was here. Out of all the places, how was it possible she ended up in this house, surrounded by these people? A desperation forced him to move, latching onto her arm. “What are you doing here?”
Alexei responded on instinct. He flattened his hand against the man’s chest and shoved hard as he took his place in front of Jolie. A guard nearby flinched toward him, but Alexei held up a finger. He didn’t need help with garbage.
Vincent stumbled but caught himself on the table. He quickly fixed his suit, glancing around, clearing his throat of the terrible embarrassment.
Jolie had a hand on Alexei’s intimidating biceps. “It’s okay. He’s a…” Jolie was going to say friend, but that didn’t sound right. “I know him.” She smiled softly in re assurance. Jolie stepped around Alexei and stood next to Vincent at the table. “I’m working for them as a tutor for Mr. Morozov’s daughter.”
Vincent glanced over her shoulder. Alexei’s glare made words in his throat sticky, and he had to clear his throat once more. “A tutor? Why isn’t that surprising? But here? With”—he gestured—“them?”
“They aren’t so bad.” She shrugged.
Jolie’s gaze shifted. Adrik had Katia by the face in a harsh grip. Would Adrik hurt her? Had Adrik hurt her already?
Alexei’s attention was also shifting, catching the fight between his brother and his wife out of the corner of his eye. He had no intention of letting Jolie be alone with her ex. The fact that Vincent was dangerous-looking, with arms as big as himself, confused Alexei. If Vincent was the kind of man Jolie dated, then Adrik wouldn’t be out of character for her. But then, what did that say about her? Was she not as innocent as he assumed?
Could Gil actually be on to something?
Alexei regrettably excused himself when whispers came from their family. He couldn’t let Adrik cause a scene.
The moment the giant Morozov left her side, Vincent closed the gap. “Your parents know where you are?”
Jolie snapped her attention back to Vincent. His nearness surprised her, and she shifted uncomfortably. He smelled like cigarettes and expensive cologne. “Yes.”
Vincent stared silently for a moment and shook his head. “It’s so crazy you’re here.”
“You too.” Jolie took the time to study him. He was always good-looking, but small tattoos now decorated his cheek and underneath his eye, taking away from his attractiveness. She wanted to wipe them away, like dirt off his tanned skin.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again. You never answered my phone calls or wrote me back.”
Her brows knitted. “I didn’t get any phone calls.”
There was a pause in his reaction as he tried to figure it out, but then it hit him, and he nodded. “Your parents,” Vincent realized, shaking his head. “They never did like me.”
Jolie didn’t want to believe her parents would do something like that. She had gone into an insanely deep depression, waiting for Vincent to call her, and he never did. Her mother had held her as she mourned. Had she kept Vincent from contacting her?
“So, then, everything I said to you in those letters, you don’t know about.” He chuckled awkwardly. “That’s good, I guess.”
The eighteen-year-old girl inside of her, who had never gotten over their destructive end, wanted to know. “What did they say?”
Vincent shook his head. “Stupid shit. Doesn’t matter now.”
“No, tell me.”
He bowed his head, shifting his feet, his gaze flicking everywhere else but her face. “I put you in a bad position. I didn’t blame you if you felt that way. And mostly, I was sorry it happened. ”
Jolie was speechless. She had wondered what Vincent thought of her. If he hated her for turning him in. And here he was, sorry she had been a part of it. If she had felt anything for him anymore, it would have been there at that moment. But thankfully, her gut was empty. She was over him. And the realization brought on closure. It was everything she needed to let the guilt of those years go. “I’m sorry, too,” Jolie said. She hadn’t dealt with the aftermath of his sins well. She turned him in to expunge her guilt. By taking a deal, she never saw a day in jail while he took the entire brunt of it. He should, by all means, despise her.
Vincent stepped closer. “You know, now that I think about it, I’m not surprised you’re here.”
“Oh?”
“Your parents never knew you like I did.”
“And what do you know that they don’t?”
Vincent leaned in, and whispered, “I know about your bad side.”
Jolie blushed and stepped back, only to bump into someone else. Adrik rested a hand on her hip, the touch causing a wave of shivers up her spine as she instinctively curled into him, then she realized what she was doing. She stiffened, straightened like a soldier, and looked past Vincent like he wasn’t even there. The smell of Adrik’s cologne swallowed her in a cocoon.
Adrik leaned into her ear as he glared at Vincent out of the corner of his eye. “Helina is looking for you. She’s in the theater.”
Jolie bowed her head. She was relieved to have an excuse to get away. Having her ex-boyfriend and current boyfriend in the same space was too much to mentally handle. “Excuse me.”
Vincent chewed the inside of his cheek, but before she left, he called her name, and she turned with wide eyes. “I’m gonna be heading out soon. Want me to take you home?”
“I live here.”
He nodded, and Jolie gave him a soft smile before she left. A guard dutifully followed after her.
Vincent faced Adrik. He had heard rumors for the last ten years of his life what the Morozov family represented. The talk of their power lingered in every decision the gang made, and the fear that traveled in whispers was common. To see a skinny ass weakling in an oversized suit made Vincent disgusted by his family's pathetic mentality. But that's why Vincent was taking over. There would be no more suppression. He was going to catapult his family to the top. “I take it your wife got me out without your approval. Didn’t know you were the bitch in the marriage.”
Adrik slipped his hands in his pockets. The words were like a barking chihuahua—annoying but without bite. “A man from the Toxins attacked Miss Bell in her apartment.” Vincent’s shock told him his theory was wrong. “Broke her ribs. But you don’t know anything about that?”
Vincent chewed his cheek, and answered frankly, “JoJo’s the only one that knew about the bank. With my parole hearing, I could have gotten another couple of years if she testified. My cousin must have done it and didn’t tell me. I’ll deal with him.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Which is why you cut our funding. I get it. Now I’m out, things like that won’t happen.”
“It is a sign of a weak leader when you can’t control your people.”
“What does it say when you can’t control your wife?”
He slapped a hand on Vincent’s shoulder. “Get out of my house. ”
“Sure thing, boss.” As Adrik stepped around him, Vincent grabbed his arm. “Word of advice: JoJo’s sweet but watch out for teeth.”
Before Vincent could move, Adrik had him by the back of the head and slammed him into the table, pinning him in place. Guests jumped and gasped, but Adrik paid them little attention as he leaned over to speak into the man’s ear. “Fight back,” Adrik provoked. “Try to hit me.”
Vincent fisted the tablecloth, and he clenched his teeth, staring out at the people around, watching him, waiting. They all had guns, and some reached for them. His pride burned in the back of his throat, but he wasn’t an idiot. Vincent’s hands flattened, and the fight drained out of him. “My apologies, Mr. Morozov. I misspoke.”
Adrik was disappointed. Killing him would have been a wonderful birthday present. “In the morning, tell your father to expect a phone call. All of his distributors will have found someone else. Every ally will be against him. And as he goes bankrupt and the police arrive on his doorstep, tell him it is because you have a big fucking mouth.” Adrik pulled back but then remembered something and shoved him down again. “Oh. And I like it when she bites.”
Adrik left him, bypassing the annoyed look from his father. This whole party was bullshit. There was no one here he wanted to see or talk to. No one but one.
Adrik went down to the theater, dismissing the guard, Vargo. Jolie and Helina were snuggled in a big lounge chair, watching an animation in Russian. Helina was teaching her words, and Jolie was trying to speak, but her accent was terrible. Adrik suppressed a smile and leaned against the doorway .
Adrik thought Katia was a good mother because she was caring for Helina, but it was a different type of care from Jolie’s. Katia’s method was more about making sure Helina ate, had new clothes, and kept her on a sleep schedule. But there was no bonding between them, not like this. Katia didn’t play with her. Barely spoke to her. Adrik hadn’t put much thought into it, but now it bothered him more than he wanted to admit. He should have seen the signs for what they were. Katia didn’t love her nearly as much as Adrik did.
Jolie turned when she felt his heavy stare, and she found him spying. He nudged his head and backed out. She joined him in the hall a few moments later. The tension was thick, and he had to fight himself from touching her, but with an impulsive desire, Adrik snatched her wrist and pulled her through the next doorway. It was a candy shop, and though Jolie was about to go on about its extravagance, Adrik gripped her face between his hands and kissed her.
“You look good,” he said between kisses, kicking the door closed behind him.
Jolie snorted. “I look like I belong in a strip joint.”
He smirked, nodded, and shrugged. “I do like your panda pajamas better.”
Jolie shyly met his gaze, her cheeks flushed, the excitement impossible to hide. He nudged her cheek with his nose, sinking closer and closer till Jolie couldn’t stand it. She pressed her lips against his, clinging to him now with no control. His hands fell to grip her ass cheeks, squeezing the fat and pushing her hard against him. Their lips parted, and he traveled down her jaw, kissing as he went. Her nails dug into his shoulder, her breath fast and heavy .
“You said Katia looks good next to me. But so will you.” He leaned back to meet her gaze. “I talked to my father. He’s leaving tonight.”
Her brows knitted; guilt so heavy she felt the breath knock out of her. “Adrik, I have to tell you something.”
“What? Did he come after you?”
She smoothed the worry on his brow. “No, no.” Jolie cupped his cheek, and he leaned into it, closing his eyes. The movement would have brought her to her knees if he hadn’t held her up. His adoration at this moment was consuming. He was willing to take a chance with her, even knowing what it could cost him.
What if Adrik never found out?
It was a life-altering thought. “I—” The words died on her lips. She didn’t know what to do. What if telling him would destroy this? He trusted her. He was vulnerable in her presence. Would he ever be so blatant with his affection again if he knew what she had done? “Gil hates me,” she revealed, with a bland smile, disappointment tight in her chest.
Adrik barely paid attention, touching her everywhere. “He’s protective. Once he sees what I see, he’ll let it go.”
A sweet, eager smile stretched her lips. “What do you see?”
Adrik kissed her once. “Perfection.” He took her lips with his again before he bent down, gripped the back of her thighs, and lifted her, forcing her legs around his waist. She sank into him like quicksand, her thoughts dissolving, and her desire for one more kiss—one more touch—knocking down her resolve. Her dress did the only thing it could do; it rose past her hips. When he set her down on the counter, he pulled back to take a glance at what kind of panties she wore. To his delight, they were black lace. He hadn’t been ready for it. He had simply wanted to make out with her and play with her, but now, being able to access the most intimate part of her, he lost all his drive to make this quick.
Adrik kneeled on the floor between her legs. He kissed her knees, her bare inner thighs. She tried to close her legs and cover her apex with her hands, but he batted her away, biting her fat. She hissed but surrendered and bit her lip. “Adrik,” she moaned.
“Just a taste,” he promised.
“We have to get back.”
He knew she was right. This was his party; he would be missed, but the only present he wanted was within his reach. Didn’t he deserve to at least see it?
“We need to go.” She wiggled in a desperate attempt to close her legs. Her lack of self-esteem was trying to stop this, but nothing in the world would keep him from what he was thinking.
“It’s my birthday,” Adrik reminded her. “What present do you have for me?” He pressed his nose against her pussy. Her panties were wet, and it only fueled him. He bit it, making her gasp. “Show me,” he demanded. She tried to give him another excuse, but he bit her pussy again. “Show me.”
Her excitement was evident by her heaving chest, panting as she did nothing but sit there imagining what he could do to her. Jolie lowered her quivering hand and pulled her panties to the side.
Adrik was full of pride at how well she obeyed. “Good girl,” he praised. Her shyness, her hesitation, was devoured by such a statement. She wanted to impress him, to see how brave she could be. He licked her once, a taste that sent his cock into overdrive. Jolie’s legs automatically widened. Putting her feet up on the counter, she pulled her panties further out of the way. He licked her like licking an envelope, a long, thick pull from the bottom to the top, and she bucked against him. He claimed her hips to keep her still. He couldn’t risk getting any juices on his suit.
“Please,” she begged, leaning back awkwardly. She had no space to lie down, so her body formed like the letter C .
Knowing their time was limited, Adrik wasted none of it. He concentrated on her clit, starting off slowly before increasing the circles. He wagged his tongue over her with a brutal pace, getting her all over his face. She was soaking wet, and he drowned in her. He wanted her to grab his head, to push him harder against her, but she kept her hand to her side, clenching the edge of the counter.
It was the shortest pussy-eating session he’d ever done. She came in five minutes, with a groan and curse, slapping the counter as her body stiffened and quivered. Jolie squeezed her legs tight, forcing him out as she rolled off to get her feet on the floor.
Adrik took out his pocket square and cleaned up his face as he watched her hanging over the counter, simply trying to catch her breath. Coming up behind her, he pressed his erection against her ass cheeks, and to his delight, she pushed her body into his. Now she was the one begging. “No time, baby.” He pulled her up, and she leaned back against his chest, her head on his shoulder. He balled up the napkin and tucked it in between her breasts, deep in the cavern. “Tell me,” Adrik nudged her ear. “Did he eat your pussy? ”
Jolie knew Adrik would want to talk about Vincent’s appearance, but she was still rolling in ecstasy. “I didn’t feel anything, seeing him again.”
Adrik smirked, nuzzling her skin. “I didn’t believe you did.” Adrik gripped her jaw, forcing her to tilt her head so she could see his eyes. “You think I’m jealous?”
“Maybe.”
His tongue teased the skin of her neck. “Do you want me to be?”
A smile drifted on her lips. “Maybe.”
His hands slid up her body till his thumbs were grazing the tight nipples beneath her dress. “If I were jealous, you’d be tied to my bed, and he’d be dead.”
She stiffened in his arms, and he knew he had said the wrong thing. Adrik sighed as Jolie slipped out of his arms. Their intimate moment was brutally over. “We should get back.”
Adrik watched her fix her dress as he shoved his hands in his pockets, leaning against the counter. He wasn’t going to make excuses for his life. This was something she was going to have to understand. He did kill people. That’s just the way it was.
Jolie went for the door but stalled and turned to him. “I didn’t like how you gripped Katia by her face.”
Adrik clenched his cheek muscles, trying to think of a way to discuss this without him looking like an ass. “She threatened my daughter.”
“I don’t care. You don’t hurt women.”
“Katia is not a woman to me anymore. She’s an enemy.”
“Do I need to be worried about you hitting me one day? ”
He stared blankly at her, annoyed by her constant feminist shit. “Depends. Are you planning on becoming my enemy?”
“Adrik—”
“Katia almost killed my daughter. To compare yourself is ridiculous.” Adrik walked up to her, impressed that she didn’t step back this time. He stood before her, keeping his hands in his pockets so she wouldn’t feel threatened.
“Would you ever hit me?”
Adrik hesitated. He didn’t want to lie to her. “Not willingly.”
“What kind of answer is that?”
“An honest one. If you were to disrespect me in front of my men—”
“If you hit me, I’ll hit you back.”
He smirked. God, he loved when she threatened him. “Promise?”
Jolie scoffed and turned to leave, but Adrik grasped her arm and waited for her to stop bucking like a horse. She needed to be tamed, and he had all the desire to be the one to do it. “Listen to me. The society I am in is very different from how you were raised. I will protect you from it. But you must trust me. Can you?" He paused, waiting. "I suggest you make a decision before we continue.”
Jolie didn't hesitate. “I can.”
“Good.” Adrik kissed her cheek before slipping further in to whisper in her ear, “Because there are still plenty of bad things I would like to do to you. And I don’t want you to be afraid of me when I do them.” The way she closed her eyes and leaned into him encouraged him to place a hand on her hip, to bring her back into the room and give her just a tiny sample of what he hoped to do to her one day. But a sudden bark of laughter from down the hall brought reality back in. There was still a party to attend. He stepped by her, leaving her wanting in the doorway, enjoying the disgruntled scoff that followed him.