Chapter 13
Chapter
Thirteen
ANYA
“ S o, that went surprisingly well,” Erik comments as we step through the front door.
I slip my mask off and set it gently on the sideboard table. “What do you mean? Dante showed up again and threatened my sister.”
“But nobody was hurt. And you …” He settles his hands on my waist. “Didn’t leave.” His mask is still in place, making it hard to read his expression.
“I thought about escaping for a moment.”
“I figured you would. A crowded room. Easy for me to look away for a second, and then, you’re gone. But you never tried to leave. Why?”
“I’m starting to see it’s pointless. You’re always going to come for me. I don’t have any money of my own. I don’t have any power of my own. Where would I go?”
“So, you didn’t leave because you have no other option?”
I stare him straight in the eye. “Yes.”
His hands tighten on my waist, and he draws me in closer. “I’m not sure I believe you.”
“Believe whatever you want, but it’s the truth.”
“No, I think there’s more to it. You didn’t leave, not because you don’t have any other option, but because you just didn’t want to leave.”
“You think I like you enough to want to stay?”
He presses his forehead to mine. The edge of his mask digs into my skin. “I think you’re getting there.”
“I don’t like you, Erik,” I whisper.
“For some reason, I don’t believe you,” he whispers back. “Because if you absolutely despised me, you’d be trying harder to escape my grasp right now. You wouldn’t be leaning into my touch.”
I go still. “I want my freedom.”
“I know you do. But what makes you think you can’t have freedom with me?”
“Nadia—”
“This isn’t about Nadia. This is about you and me. No matter what happens to your sister, you’ll still be my wife. If you wanted, Anya, you could be free with me.”
“How?” My hands roam up his arms without even thinking about it. It’s just nice to touch him.
“You have power with me. Money. Status. You can travel anywhere in the world. You can buy anything you want. If you just give in to me, you wouldn’t be a prisoner.”
“I didn’t realize I was one.”
He gives me a pointed look. With his mask on, he looks particularly devilish. “Right now, I’m giving you the freedom to go where you want. But you’re always trying to escape. If you just gave in to us, you would be happier because you’d be free. I won’t hurt you, Anya.”
“You tortured me,” I whisper, gripping his arms tightly.
“I did. And I don’t want to have to do it again. If you just stopped fighting, you would be happier.”
“I can’t stop fighting for Nadia.”
“And what makes you think she wants you to fight so hard for her?”
His words are like a cold slap in the face, and I pull away from him. “Don’t talk like you know what my sister wants.”
“I’ve spoken to Nadia. She would do anything to see you safe, just like you do for her. I’m not sure she’s happy with you putting yourself in danger for her.”
“That’s because Nadia is selfless.”
“Your love for her will be your downfall.”
“Love can never be anyone’s downfall. Love can only make you stronger.”
He scoffs and leans back against the wall, crossing his arms. “Where did you learn that? On a Hallmark card?”
“But isn’t that what you want with me? For me to love you?”
“I said I wanted you to give in to us, but I never spoke about love.”
I shrug. “What’s the difference?”
“The difference is contentment. Being happy with me will make you content. But there doesn’t have to be love between us. There can just be … an understanding.”
“That’s romantic,” I mutter.
“It’s practical, and you know it.”
“You’re always so practical.”
“I am, and I’m going to say it again. With me, you’re in a position to keep Nadia safer than without me, and I think you know that. So, instead of fighting so hard to save your sister, if you just opened your eyes, you’d see you can save your sister from within the Bratva. Not against it. Something to think about.”
He heads toward his office without giving me another look. He never took his mask off.
I fill the bathtub with the heat all the way up until it’s practically scalding. I want to feel slight pain right now.
Erik’s words refuse to leave my mind. If I just gave in to him and the Bratva, I’d have the power to see my sister safe.
It sounds so easy in theory, but to put my trust into the people who have only betrayed me isn’t easy. Because putting my faith into Erik is putting my faith into my father, and he’s done nothing but hurt me time and time again.
I lean back in the tub and shut my eyes. If I could just shut my mind down for a moment, everything would be easier. I could feel peace for once.
The only time I ever felt my mind clear was after Erik gives me an orgasm. That thought makes my core clench.
My legs spread, and I ease my hand down my body and touch myself. Without meaning to, Erik’s face fills my mind. He’s the only person who’s ever touched me intimately. He’s the only person who’s awoken my body.
And yet he’s the man who’s making my mind a jumbled mess.
I press down on my clit, but it’s just not the same. I try rocking my hips a little. Still, nothing. Now that I’ve experienced Erik’s touch, my own touch just isn’t the same anymore.
With an exasperated scoff, I remove my hand from between my legs.
“Having trouble?”
I gasp and sit up. Erik is in the bathroom doorway, smirking at me. His mask is finally gone, which I’m grateful for. I much prefer being able to read his expressions. It’s the only way I can make sense of him sometimes.
“I’m taking a bath.”
“I can see that.” His eyes make a point of roaming over me. That familiar flutter hits me between my legs. Damn him.
“So … go.” I wave my hand at him in a shooing motion.
“If you want me to.”
“That’s why I said ‘go.’”
His lips quirk up. “So feisty. Like always.”
“I thought you liked that about me.”
“Oh, I do.” He makes no move to leave.
“So, why are you still here, then?”
“Because I want to look at you. In the bath. Looking fucking delectable. You look so good I want to taste you again.”
I swallow. My body loves his words. It’s instinctual, this reaction. My mind wants to fight it, but the rest of me doesn’t.
“Do you still want me to go?”
I don’t say a word as I lean back against the tub.
“Just tell me, Anya,” he practically whispers. “Tell me to touch you, and I will.”
I still don’t speak as I open my legs. The soapy water makes it impossible to see below the surface, but he knows what’s there. He knows exactly what I look and taste like.
With a smirk, Erik enters the bathroom, looking way too handsome in a simple white button down and black slacks.
“Tell me, Anya,” he says more firmly as he kneels beside the tub.
I shake my head. It’s easier to just not speak. To speak means I’m giving him permission. If I don’t speak, then I don’t have to feel guilty about him touching me. I can just enjoy it.
“What do you want?”
I only look at him, which is answer enough for him.
Erik slips his hand under the water. I gasp when his hand finds my upper thigh. “So, you do make noise.”
I narrow my eyes, making him laugh.
His fingers skim along my inner thigh without ever moving closer to what I need the most.
I arch my hips slightly, but still, Erik keeps his hand on my inner thigh.
“If you want me to give you what you want,” he murmurs, “then tell me. I want to hear you say it.”
I shake my head.
“Then we’re just going to stay here like this.”
“Why does it matter to you?” I whisper.
“It matters because I’m not going to take you against your will. This isn’t a torture session. This is me wanting to share a moment with the woman I married. So, tell me you want this, or I’ll go.”
I could let him walk away. I’d be disappointed, but I’d survive.
Or I could just force my mouth to work and tell him I need him to touch me. I need him to give me pleasure all over again.
My lips part. “Touch me.”
His only response is to smile.
I moan softly when his fingers find my clit. He spends time rubbing it gently, going slow like he has all the time in the world. But I need more.
“Erik,” I gasp out, rocking my hips against his hand.
“Tell me what you need, Anya, and I’ll give it to you.”
He doesn’t want me to let him take the lead because letting him take the lead means I get off scot-free. I don’t have to take responsibility for this.
But I have to.
“I need release,” I muster up the strength to say.
“Then I’ll give it to you.” His fingers press down onto my clit with perfect pressure. I grind my hips against his hand. Just a few weeks ago, I’d be embarrassed over moving like this around Erik, but it feels more natural now. Even though I’m still filled with conflicting feelings, I’m more confident in my body.
And that’s thanks to Erik.
My head tips back, and my lips part; breathy sounds come out of me. I roll my hips around, and Erik returns the favor, using his fingers on me perfectly.
His index finger moves down to my entrance, but he doesn’t put it inside me. Instead, he just lets it linger.
“One day, this will be my cock.”
His words light me on fire. The thought of Erik truly claiming me is more of a turn on than I ever thought it could be.
And it does the trick.
With one more touch of his finger against my clit, my release comes.
I moan softly as I stare up at the ceiling, my body trembling and shaking.
“Look at me,” he murmurs.
I do as he says, and the look in Erik’s eyes is so intense and consuming, I could give in to him at this very moment. I consider it. Letting him take me to our bed. Letting him make me his.
And then he pulls his hand out of the water, and I’m brought back to reality.
“Think about all the pleasure you can experience if you just let yourself feel.”
“It’s not easy,” I say back.
“I know. You think of me as the villain, but Anya, you’re the only one standing in your way.”
“You speak like you’re not actually a villain.”
His laugh is tinged with darkness. “I know I’m not a good man. I’m not pretending to be. But I’m also not the monster I think you want me to be. If I were like your father and beat you, you could hate me. But I’m not your father, and you don’t know how to handle a man who isn’t him.”
“Don’t psychoanalyze me.” My tone is weak, though. There’s barely any fight left in me.
“I’m just stating what I see. If I’m wrong, then tell me.”
No words come out of me because … he’s not wrong.
Erik nods like he knows what I’m thinking; then, he stands up and heads for the door. “It doesn’t have to be a battle between us.”
“It’s a two-way street, Erik. If you want me to open to you, you have to let me in, too.”
His smile is strangely sad as he gives me one last look before leaving me alone. I don’t know what to make of it at all.
ERIK
With Dante closing in, I call a meeting of my men to the house to make sure they’re all on board.
Sergei arrives with Ivan, who’s in crutches.
“How are you doing?” I ask him.
Ivan gives me a distrustful look but, at the encouragement of Sergei, answers, “It’s better. It’ll heal cleanly. But I’m still not exactly fond of you right now, Erik. You threatened my daughter the last time we spoke. I’m not ok with that.”
“I need you on our side, Ivan. I’m sorry I said I would marry Elena off to a man of my choosing. That’s for you to decide. But I need you to not be angry with me. Dante is coming for us. Come, sit down in my office so you don’t have to stand on the crutches.”
Ivan lets out a loud groan as he takes a seat in front of my desk. Sergei remains standing, a pinched expression on his face as usual.
“Sergei told me Dante approached you at your charity event.”
“He did, which is dangerous. Dante thinks he has the power to approach me like that without consequences.”
“Have you dealt with those hitmen he hired?”
“Not yet. I don’t want to take the risk by drawing them to my home.”
Sergei’s eyes widen. “That’s a shock. The Erik I know is not afraid to take risks.”
“I’m a married man now, Sergei. Don’t you want me to keep your daughter safe?”
His only reply is to purse his lips harder.
Ivan leans forward in his seat, drawing my attention back to him. “I know we need to be a united front right now. I don’t want my Elena to be hurt. But I’m not a fighter like you are, Erik. You’re in the trenches. I’m not. I’m not sure how much more I can help other than give you more money. But if I don’t see results soon, I’m not going to have any money left to give you. You have machine guns now. Use them to take Dante down.”
“Is that your advice?”
“Yes! Find out where he lives and kill him.”
“That’s a problem, seeing as I don’t know where Dante lives. Same as me, he’s kept his home location hidden, and he doesn’t go anywhere without guards.”
“So?” Sergei says. “If you can find him, have a gun on you and take the chance.”
“Even in public? Where anyone could see? Where anyone could get hurt?”
Sergei leans on my desk, glaring at me. “I never knew you to be afraid of hurting anyone. That’s why I wanted to work with you. You’re the boogeyman. So, act like it.”
“I may not be afraid to torture people, Sergei, but I’m not stupid. If I find Dante in a public location and start shooting at him, people will call the police, and even I couldn’t stop myself from being sent to prison. I own a lot of police, but I don’t own everyone. If I’m caught killing someone other than Dante—an innocent person on the street—then I’m fucked. I’ve grown my reputation by sticking to the shadows, and that’s where I’ll remain. I’ll find Dante and kill him, but we have to be smart about this. We have to get him in an isolated location that can’t be tracked back to us. Don’t be na?ve, Sergei.”
“I’m not na?ve. But I made a deal with you to become the most powerful men in this city, and Dante could ruin that plan for us. I just lost a drug shipment that was supposed to come in, and I’m pretty sure I know who stole it from me. That is unacceptable. Dante thinks he can do what he wants, and we need to show him he can’t.”
I look between the two men, one full of anger and the other distrustful. “You know what’s interesting? Before I met you Sergei, my life was going smoothly.”
“You think it’s my fault that Dante is your problem? He’s been your problem before we even met each other.”
“Yes, but because we made a deal, he’s doubled his efforts to come after us.”
“What are you saying?” Ivan asks.
“I’m saying, don’t threaten me. Don’t pressure me. We will get Dante. And in the meantime, we need to be a united front. We cannot let him win. If we’re not strong together, he will win.”
“So, what do you suggest?”
“I suggest you come back over here for a party. Bring your daughters. Ivan you can bring your wife, too. I’ll invite James and some of my other men. You invite your closest men. We show that we’re united. That we’re here for each other. A sense of loyalty is needed among all of us.”
“And you think a party will do that?” Sergei asks, sneering.
“I think we need to celebrate any time we can. We need to remember why and who”—I pointedly look at Ivan— “we’re doing this for. That’s why you should bring your daughters. It’s because of them you want to take down Dante.”
Ivan slowly nods. “True.”
I turn to Sergei and raise an eyebrow. “Isn’t it true, Sergei? You want to keep Nadia safe, now, don’t you?”
It’s clear he wants to object by how his eyes narrow, but he nods instead. “Fine. I’ll bring her.”
“Good. Let’s have a party.”
The truth is, this is the best way I can convince Sergei to bring Nadia with him so Anya can see her sister. Call it a truce between my wife and me.
This is my way of throwing her an olive branch. This is my way of opening my heart a little bit more.
ANYA
When Erik tells me he’s hosting a few men over for a party, I expect a room full of men again.
Instead, several women are among the guests.
Ivan Romanov arrives with his wife, Viktoriya, and daughter, Elena. The sight of the woman and young girl instantly puts me at ease.
“You didn’t tell me you were inviting them,” I murmur to Erik.
“Is that a problem?”
“No. I’m just curious why.”
“Well, there’s a surprise coming for you. You just have to be patient.”
Just a few weeks ago, I would’ve hated Erik for saying something like that, but now, I’m actually sort of excited for what he has planned.
“Erik,” Ivan says. “Anya. This is my wife and daughter.”
“Nice to meet you.” The first thing I notice is that Elena looks so tiny, even for fourteen. Brown hair covers her eyes. Her chin is tucked in her chest. She reminds me a lot of Nadia. Small and young, in need of tending to.
“Elena,” her mother says in a cold voice. “Say hello back.”
“Hello,” Elena mumbles.
“She’s shy,” Ivan explains, fixing his tie.
“My sister is shy, too,” I tell her. “So, you don’t need to worry.”
Her eyes finally lift off the ground to look up at me. “Really?”
“Really. Why don’t we sit down and chat? We can leave the grownups to discuss business.”
Elena looks at her dad for permission, and he nods, giving me a grateful look. When I glance at Erik, I notice he’s watching me with an open expression. Part surprise, part … proud.
I don’t know why he would be. I’m nothing if not protective of young girls in need.
“So, I heard you’re fourteen,” I say as we take our seats. “I remember being fourteen. My favorite thing to do was rebel against my father.”
Her lips quirk up just slightly. “I wish I could do that to my mother, but she’ll only lock me in my room if I act out.”
“Your mother’s tough, huh? So is my dad. I get it. Do you have any friends to help you?”
“I have one. Her names Inessa. But I only see her at school. My mom doesn’t like me leaving the house much. She only let me come here because my dad insisted.”
“Well, I’m happy you’re here. I don’t like being alone at these things, so it’s nice to have a friend.”
Elena eases back onto the couch, getting more comfortable. Her eyes slide past me toward the front door, and she shudders. “I don’t like that man.”
I turn around to see who she’s talking about and freeze. It’s my father. “It’s ok. I don’t like him either.”
He steps into the house and behind him is …
“Nadia?” I gasp, standing up. “Elena, give me one second, ok? I’ll be right back.” I hurry over to Nadia’s side, completely ignoring my father. “Nadia, what are you doing here?”
“Why do you sound so surprised?” Father asks. “Am I not allowed to bring my other daughter around?”
“You just never do.”
“It was my idea,” Erik says, coming over to us. “I wanted us all to get together. Show we’re a united front.”
“It was your idea to have Nadia come?” I ask him.
Without a word, he inclines his head, resting his hand on my low back. I find myself leaning into his touch.
“Thank you,” I murmur.
“Sergei, let’s go discuss business and leave the girls to it.”
“Uh, Erik, I’m not sure that’s wise. I don’t trust Anya. She might try to kidnap Nadia again.”
“I won’t. Nadia is safe here.”
He scoffs. “Like I believe you.”
Erik clamps his hand on my father’s shoulder. “Everything will be all right. Anya, I know you won’t run off with Nadia.”
“I promise.”
“Ok, then. Come on, Sergei.”
“You believe her just like that?”
“I do.” Erik’s steady voice fills me with a calmness I’ve never felt before. He smiles at me before he walks over to Ivan with my father in tow.
“Come on.” I take Nadia over to the couch where I left Elena … except Elena’s not there anymore.
“Where is she?” I ask.
“Where’s who?”
“Elena, Ivan’s daughter. She was right here.”
“Maybe she wandered into the kitchen. It’s pretty crowded in here with so many men.”
Nadia isn’t wrong. Erik has invited a lot of his men over again, along with the men of my father and Ivan. A few other women are around, wives of the men, but it’s mostly a meat market in here.
“I just want to make sure she’s safe.” Something tells me a young girl shouldn’t be alone in a place surrounded by men. Ivan is here, but he’s busy talking with Erik. The fact that no one else notices Elena missing goes to show just how invisible a lot of us Bratva women are.
Nadia and I head into the kitchen, but Elena isn’t there. Edith, Erik’s housekeeper is preparing food, and I ask her if she’s seen Elena, but she says she hasn’t.
“The bathroom?” Nadia suggests.
But when we check all the bathrooms on the first floor, we find them empty.
“Upstairs,” I say.
After checking more rooms, we finally find Elena in one of the guest bedrooms, lying on the bed, curled into a ball.
“Are you hurt?” I ask her.
She sits up with a frown. “No. Why?”
“Why did you leave?”
“I prefer being alone. It was too much downstairs.”
I relax slightly. Nadia places her hand on my arm, reminding me everything is ok. It’s not a situation like we’ve been through with our father.
“You know, we could just stay up here,” Nadia says.
Elena perks up. “Really?”
Before I can answer, I hear footsteps behind us and turn around to see a man coming into the room. Alek Lipovsky. I met him at the last party Erik hosted.
“It looks like a party in here,” he says, shutting the door behind him.