Their Vengeance: Siren's Revenge Book Two

12. Nikolai

Fyodor”s Rules #22 - Have a backup plan for your backup plan.

There had been a lot to plan before we left for the hotel—probable routes, vehicles, best ambush locations, weapon lists—it had lasted for hours. It felt good to do something, though, finally take decisive action. It satisfied me in a way I hadn”t felt in a long time. If I was being honest, probably since we bought the hotel. We were all working together toward a common goal, and it was something important to us. While the businesses were important, and so were the people who worked within them, there was something extra about family. Also, seeking vengeance soothed a part of my soul I hadn”t known needed peace.

Lukas had already done much of the planning, along with Fyodor. We all contributed, even Pasha and Yana, but Lukas was the tactician amongst us. It was his men we were going to be using for the major fight against Fiorenza. Pasha and Yana planned to track down the mercenaries who were being used against us so she could turn them to our side. Honestly, I wasn”t sure if their plan was going to amount to anything. Though it was good for them to have something to focus on.

We were going to hold the engagement party at the hotel rather than the nightclub. The idea of rushing ahead with the construction had been raised a few times, but there was too much to do to get it ready in time. None of us wanted to drag this out longer than necessary, however, we also were not rushing into it; the party would be held in three weeks. Sure, it left us open to more attacks in the meantime, and it risked people discovering Yana’s true identity, but we needed the time to ensure everything was right. Taking out one of these women would be hard enough. Taking out all three would be almost impossible.

We had vigorously debated exactly who we were killing. Lukas and I shared the opinion we only needed to take out the main three—Ksenia, Fiorenza, and Polina. Alexei was adamant, he wanted his sister and his cousin eliminated too. While we didn”t have any proof they had been involved, Alexei was difficult to deny. We all knew he deserved vengeance against his family. And if we could roll it into the vengeance we all wanted, then Yana seemed to think we should at least try.

I wasn”t sure how we would kill one witch, let alone three. They didn”t have any supernatural immunity, nor were they overly fast or strong. But they all knew curses and witchcraft, and that was a risky thing to mess with. A strong curse could take out all of us at once, and we would be powerless against it. Alexei could unweave it, but it would take time. Unfortunately, time was something we wouldn”t have in the middle of an ambush.

Fyodor was certain he could eliminate Polina, and I was happy to let him have the job. Fighting a werewolf was not something I wanted to do if I could avoid it. Their strength often rivaled my own, and those claws and fangs burned as they tore into your flesh. I would still back him up, though.

Lukas was going to have his hands full with Fiorenza. But if she spread her wings to run, he was the only one with the ability to follow her. Not to mention, none of us were keen to fight someone who may summon a flaming sword. As we were unsure exactly what sort of angel she was descended from, we planned to take no risks.

Pasha was going to be coordinating all of us. It was the best place for him to be. I knew he wasn”t happy about being sidelined from the fight, but we needed eyes on everything—just like we had a decade ago. It wouldn”t have worked without him guiding us then, and it wouldn”t now.

Yana was the only one we hadn”t assigned a role. She wanted to be everywhere at once, which was not possible. Fyodor talked her into waiting to see where she was needed. It was probably going to be with Alexei, as he took on his family. She could help him if the witches traveled together. Yana seemed determined to prove she could be as violent as the rest of us, though none of us doubted her. Only it wasn”t the best use of her abilities. We needed to keep the witches from getting the upper hand, and it’s where I felt sure Yana could be the key.

We got through the planning session without Yana and me ending up at each other”s throats, which was a miracle. I wasn”t sure if it was because Fyodor was there in person, or because Lukas was literally holding her back. I knew it probably hadn”t been his initial intention, but it worked, so maybe I would ask him to do it every time I had to talk to her.

I retreated to my office when we got back to the hotel. Pasha disappeared into his room, muttering something about traffic patterns and planning routes. Alexei hadn”t returned with us at all, as if all of this talk about his family had him on edge. I would be surprised if he was home before sunup. He might uncover some useful information, but I doubted it. He needed to vent, and it was better he found somewhere else to do it. I was sure there’d be an underground fight he could bloody his fists at, or some other more violent delight which would help settle his mood.

I had expected Lukas and Yana to disappear into his room together, so I was incredibly surprised when there was a knock on my door as I finished pouring myself a drink. “Come in.” I knew it had to be Yana. None of my brothers would have knocked and then waited for an invitation to enter. In fact, I would have been shocked if any of them had knocked at all.

As she entered the room and made her way to the bar, I couldn”t keep myself from taking the chance to really look her over. While Yana hadn”t always been this perfect; it didn”t mean she hadn”t always been appealing. It was like she had always been a gemstone, but her time away had cut her into shape and helped polish her edges. I wasn”t sure where her vintage style had come from, probably wherever they’d been hiding, but it suited her. It was equal parts femme fatale, and demure woman. And like everything about her, it made my fangs itch.

I didn”t speak as she poured herself a drink. Or as she sat across from me and took a sip from the glass. She was the one who sought me out, so clearly something was on her mind. Anything I had to say would likely annoy her, then we would argue, and I would never know what had brought her here in the first place. Curiosity was something I hadn”t felt in a while, and I enjoyed it.

“You”ve been avoiding me.” Her voice was smooth, musical almost. She had always had the prettiest voice, even when we were children. I could have listened to her read anything. Maybe it was a Siren trait, but maybe it wasn”t. I was just happy to hear it again, even if I didn”t agree with what she was saying.

“Have I? I run a series of legitimate businesses, not to mention our criminal activities, Yana. You may not have noticed, but we each play a role here. This is mine. It keeps me busy and I don”t have as much time to play as the others.” That wasn”t fair, and I knew it. But there was something about the way she had spoken which goaded me. It hadn”t been a question. No, it had been a statement. Like she had already decided I was avoiding her, and thus it was fact. It didn”t matter if she was right, I would not give in to her. Even if it meant she rolled her eyes at me like she was right now.

“Really, Niko? You can”t be honest with me? You have an excuse for everything. A deflection.” She sounded hurt, but I wasn”t giving in to her manipulations; breaking at the first sign of an actual emotion from her. I had watched her enough since she’d returned to us to know she could put on any emotion she wanted, it didn”t mean she actually felt that way. And I was sure nothing I said could hurt her.

“What do you want from me, Yana? Between running everything and sorting out my engagement, I have a lot on my plate. And it”s not like you lack for attention. If you need something, ask Lukas or Pasha, I am sure they can get it for you.” Okay, maybe I was letting her provoke me. Or prick my pride, at the very least. I was so used to my brothers coming to me if they needed something, now it felt as if they were relying on each other more.

I could see the moment her annoyance flared. She may have been able to keep her frustration off her face, but I could still see it in her eyes. The way they narrowed slightly, like she sized me up looking for exactly where she wanted to strike next.

“If you feel everything is on your shoulders, Niko, it”s a problem of your own making. You”ve been like this since the day I met you. So sure, because you are the eldest, you must be the one to shoulder every responsibility. But maybe you are the one who needs to ask for help for a change. And honestly, you can”t still be planning to go ahead with this farce of an engagement, can you?”

I wasn”t sure why she had such a bee in her bonnet about my engagement. I didn”t appreciate her meddling so much. There was no need for her to be having drinks with my fiancée. After all, Yana had been the one who argued she didn”t want to be out in public in case she was noticed, yet she made time for drinks and girl talk.

“I gave my word Yana. Maybe your word can be easily broken, but mine means something!” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I knew instantly it was the wrong thing to say. She didn”t look hurt or frustrated. She looked angry. Was it wrong I thought she had never looked more beautiful?

“She doesn”t want to marry you, Nikolai! If you had ever spoken more than twelve words to her at a time, rather than just treating her like a trophy or an accessory, maybe you would know that! Are you so egotistical you would doom a young woman who has done nothing to you to a lifetime of misery, all for the sake of your pride?” Her words cut me as much as mine had wounded her. This conversation was quickly getting out of hand, but I found myself unable to pull away.

“Just let the girl go, Nikolai! She deserves so much better!” Yana was on her feet now, tilted across the table, her hands pressed into the wood.

And at that moment, I couldn”t help myself. I leaned forward to meet her, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. The touch of her skin on mine was scorching. Her scent wrapped around me, like it had a grip on my brain and was digging its claws in, refusing to let go. When her teeth savagely bit down on my lower lip, drawing blood, the last of my control snapped.

I pounced across the desk before my brain registered I had moved. My hands both sunk into her perfect hair, gripping it tightly as I forced her to make room for me. Whether she had realized how much trouble she was in was debatable, yet her instincts told her to back up when I moved. But I would not let her escape from me now. For every step she took backward, I took one forward. Crowding her, looming over her. Until her back hit the wall and there was nowhere left for her to run.

And the whole time, we were locked in a kiss. A struggle back and forth. Like all our frustrations—our anger—was pouring out. I felt my fangs slice her tongue, but I didn”t pull back. As the salt-laced copper of her blood hit my tastebuds, there was no chance; I needed to be closer. Sliding my hands free of her hair, I palmed her ass, lifting her enough so she could wrap her legs around my waist. It forced her tight pencil skirt further up her thighs, but it was a benefit to the position. She didn”t need the fabric covering her, anyway.

Once I had pinned her against the wall with my hips, one hand went to her throat. It gripped her tightly enough I could feel her pulse racing beneath my fingers. But she wasn”t letting me do whatever I wanted to her without a fight. Her fingers dug into my shoulders so hard I was sure I would have the indent of her fingernails there forever. She panted into the kiss, each breath a struggle as she fought against me, even though I had her pinned.

The taste of her blood and the feeling of her pulse draw every instinct to the fore. It screamed at me to bite into her perfect skin. To take what I wanted and feed until I was sated. I wasn”t sure how long I could restrain my desire. Rather than giving me satisfaction, the taste of the blood from her tongue—though long clotted—teased me. I needed a distraction.

Still holding her throat, my hips ground between her perfect thighs as I kept her pressed to the wall, and slid my other hand up the back of her thigh. Her skirt was basically a belt now, gathered around her waist. She must have been wearing a thong because my hand cupped the bare skin of her ass. It only took a couple of seconds to check and my fingers met with lace as I dipped them further inward. I groaned as I ran them along the damp fabric, teasing her slit.

Fuck, it had been far too long since I had wanted someone this badly.

Hooking my fingers in the delicate fabric, I easily ripped it to shreds, even without my vampiric strength. The brutal bite I suffered to my lip was really just icing on the cake, and a good excuse to thrust two fingers inside her, making her cry out in return. It felt like she was trying to climb my body. Her thighs pressed tightly to my sides as she pushed her body into mine, fingers clinging to my shoulders for dear life. Every little sound she made went straight to my cock.

She gripped my fingers tightly, but it didn”t stop me from sinking them into her pussy over and over. She was so wet and eager. No matter how much fight she gave, her body could not lie. The thought she wanted me as much as I wanted her was a heady one. It pulled at the last remnants of my self-control. And those snapped when she pulled back from our kiss and sank her blunt teeth into the side of my throat.

All bets were fucking off.

Any thoughts of this turning in a more gentle direction were driven from my mind. I wasn”t sure I could even move us from where we were standing. My fingers pulled back from the tight heat of her pussy and wiped against her thigh as I tugged my zipper down. It only took seconds to undo my trousers enough to lower my boxer briefs, letting my cock press between her thighs.

“Fuck, Yana.”

She hadn”t stopped. Wasn”t even giving me a second to get my head straight. In between the kisses to my throat were those fucking teeth, sinking into my skin so hard I was surprised she hadn”t drawn blood. If she wouldn”t give me any ground, I wouldn”t give her any either.

I let go of her throat—not wanting to risk dropping her—but that was fine, it would make room for my fangs. I couldn”t bite her yet. One thing at a time. I held her hips steady while I speared into her, smirking in satisfaction as her head fell back.

She cursed at me as it hit the wall, but it served her right. There was no gentle easing in, or letting her get used to the stretch of my cock. She had pushed my control over and over, and it was time for her to bear the consequences of her actions.

My fingers gripped her hips hard enough to bruise as I slammed into her, rocking her into the wall. The frames rattled on the wall, and books fell over on their shelves. I heard the bottles in the bar cart shaking against each other, but the tinkling was background noise to the sounds Yana was making. Her voice was beautiful when she was speaking, but that was nothing compared to the sound of her moaning and cursing. The way her breath caught in her throat each time I drove into her was mesmerizing.

She wasn”t looking at me; her was head thrown back, throat bared. Now there was an invitation I couldn”t refuse. I usually tried to be as gentle as I could when I bit into someone, but there were no traces of tenderness here. My fangs tore into her flesh, and her blood spilled into my mouth and over my lips. Her clothes would be ruined, but I didn”t give a fuck. She would be lucky if she had any blood left. Each of my siblings had an intoxicating taste all of their own, but the taste of Yana on my tongue—running down my throat—felt better than any drug. I couldn”t imagine ever not craving it.

The bloodlust had its hooks deep into me. I rarely let myself get like this, except with Pasha, who I knew enjoyed the pain. She wasn”t struggling though and hadn”t tried to push me off her. My fangs dug deeper and my thrusts grew faster. My hips slammed into her repeatedly, as deep as I could get each time. Feed and fuck. The two biological imperatives were the only things my mind could process. I couldn”t have heard her cries over the sound of my growling.

Her thighs trembled against my hips as she tried to lift her head. My hand gripped her by the hair and drew her head back sharply. I wasn”t done, and I didn”t care that her orgasm made her sensitive. Didn”t care that the sensations overwhelmed her. I wasn”t done with her, and she would take everything I had to give her like a good fucking girl for once.

My other hand dug into her thigh and lifted her leg higher, letting me slam deeper inside her with each thrust. The drive for pleasure was overcoming my hunger. Not that I pulled my fangs out. It was going to be hard to stop feeding, but if there was going to be any hope of gathering enough self-control, I needed to sate my other craving first.

I felt her hand as she slid it between our bodies. She may have been overstimulated a moment ago, but she was as enthralled in this as I was, so deep in chasing her pleasure the rest of the world didn”t matter. I didn”t stop her from rubbing her clit. It made her pussy clench around me in a way which had me gritting my teeth. A part of my mind already imagined all the ways I could have her and Pasha together. Or the things Alexei and I could do to her. Lukas wasn”t absent either. Chasing her down with him? A race between us? It made my blood sing with hunger.

This time, when her orgasm slammed into her, it pulled me along for the ride. I slammed into her as deeply as possible, rocking my hips as I ground her into the wall. My brain felt like it was short-circuiting, as each rope of cum was pulled out of me until I was empty. Mind fuzzy, it was the sound of a heartbeat which drew me back to the surface. My heart thudded in my chest, but this one was slowing a little.

Lifting my head, I looked at Yana, wanting to make sure she was okay. My hand slid from her hair to her throat, there I pressed down on the wound to slow the bleeding. It took a few seconds for her to open her eyes, and a few more to make the glassy orbs focus.

“You okay, little siren?” My throat was thick, but as she nodded, I felt the creeping concern ease.

“Need to see Pasha, but nothing a good night’s sleep and a soak in the tub won”t fix.” Her voice was raspy, like it hurt to talk. And I was sure it did, I hadn”t been gentle on her throat.

She was right about needing to see Pasha. Now that my bloodlust was fading, common sense kicked in. I took a couple of seconds to fix my pants and lower her skirt a little. I wasn”t setting her down, though. Her legs couldn”t be trusted to hold her, and I didn”t want her far away from me. Pasha could do his work while I cradled her or better yet, held her in bed. I may have had my fangs in her, but she had her hooks in me. And surprisingly, I wasn”t mad.