16. Titus #2
And I’m falling, lost in her embrace as my cock goes deeper inside her. Her ankles lock across my back as she bites my lip.
I’m going to come. It’s inevitable. I moan into her mouth and I try to pull back. Her thighs stiffen around my waist, keeping me inside her.
“Let me come,” she moans. “Oh, Titus, please. I want to come with you. Let me come all over your dick, Daddy.”
Her pussy tightens around me and her eyes roll up again. Dear God, what has this woman done to me?
We come together… hard. She digs her nails deep into my back as I moan so loud, I’m sure I can be heard for miles around.
And we kiss again. The taste of her lips starts me up again and I’m fucking her slowly as she whispers my name over and over…
And I’m lost in her. Completely.
Last night, I had Sofia for hours. The sky outside her window was changing, signaling the coming dawn. The punishment I’d planned for her turned into something else… and I can’t reconcile it.
After the last time, I ran her a warm bath to soothe her body. While she bathed, I put on my clothes and left, locking the door behind me.
My sleep last night was restless. I don’t want to consider what it means, this change, but I have to acknowledge that there has been a change. In how I see her and how I feel about her. Whatever it is, it’s a problem and we’ll need to address it.
All I know right now as I get dressed for the day is that this little game of sex torture is done. I have to spend the rest of my time figuring out what’s next for her.
I leave my room and decide to wake Luka up and have breakfast with him. I need some perspective. Being with Luka helps me remember it.
I don’t take two steps before I’m stopped by one of my staff. “Mr. Malkin?”
I turn to see her standing on the landing before the staircase. “Yes?”
“Mr. Nikitin is here to see you?” she says. “He is insisting.”
Of course he is. I should have expected his appearance. “See to my guest, please. Make sure she gets up and dressed for the day.”
She nods and walks past me toward Sofia’s room. I go in the other direction toward the stairs.
Ignat stands in my living room, hands behind his back as he regards one of the paintings hanging there. “Ignat,” I say, and he turns.
“Titus,” he says. He’s not looking at me, a sure sign that he’s troubled about something. “Sorry to bother you so early… but it’s important.”
“Yeah,” I say. “I guess Cyril told you what happened yesterday.”
Ignat nods. “I’m hoping you’ll tell me that he was exaggerating. That what happened was just a misunderstanding.”
“Did his face look like an exaggeration?”
Ignat winces as if I’d struck him. “Dammit, Titus.”
“If you came here to lecture me about how you were right about her, I’m not in the mood.”
Ignat sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’m not here to lecture you, but I am here to let you know that because of what happened yesterday, you may have bigger problems than an unruly ward on your hands.”
“What do you mean?”
He sighs. “Cyril is the best you’ve got in terms of enforcers. He trained most of the boeviks under his brother and under most of the other brigadiers. He’s garnered a great deal of respect in this Bratva over the years.”
“Yes, I am aware.”
“And yesterday, a woman who would have been better off as a casualty of this war beat his ass. For the third time. I can let you guess what kind of firestorm it’s caused among the brotherhood.”
I consider that for a moment. “He’s really pissed, huh?”
“No disrespect, sir, but do you blame him? I think he and Cyrus are starting to drum up dissension about the whole thing.”
I frown as I look at him. “What are you saying? He wants to try and overthrow me over what happened?”
“It’s not just about what happened yesterday.
” He stammers slightly, then, “There has already been talk about what it means that you have Aristov’s daughter living with you now.
At first, most of the brotherhood largely approved of the idea that you were using her to fulfill your baser needs.
There were only a few people looking down their noses at the idea. ”
I cross my arms defensively. “And now?”
“Now, thanks to Cyril, there’s a lot of talk about you trading in your manhood to a woman. As tough as she might be, if anyone had ever laid a hand on any one of us the way she did yesterday, you’d have had their nuts in a sling before noon.”
“She was punished for what she did to him,” I say, and he rolls his eyes.
“I sincerely hope that by that you mean that she’s in pieces floating in the river. Or at the very least, back at the warehouse in chains.”
I don’t respond. Ignat scoffs.
“Titus… Her father killed your son’s mother. The whole reason we wiped out his Bratva and are currently trying to wipe out the rest of his line is because of what he did to you. Your vengeance is just. It always has been.”
“I know,” I growl at him. “Jesus, you think I don’t know understand that? I realize that if I’d just put a bullet in her head in the first place, you probably wouldn’t have to tell me any of this now.”
I stop and he leans into me. “But…?”
“There is no but. I made a mistake.”
He nods. “It’s not too late to correct that mistake.”
He’s right. I know he’s right. This is textbook shit. Sofia should not have been allowed to live.
And yet the idea of killing her makes me sick to my stomach. Even though it’s a debt that I’m owed. Even though it is what I had planned to do from the very beginning.
And then last night happened. Fuck.
“Just tell me what to do, Titus,” he says, “and I’ll do it. If you can’t take care of her, I will be happy to step in—”
“No,” I say. “No one’s laying a hand on her.”
He frowns deeply at me. “Titus…”
“And if anyone dares to slander her name again, I want them dealt with. Is that understood?”
He blinks at me in confusion. Then, “Of course. What… whatever you want. But you should know that if you try and protect her. If you make this stance now, Cyril and Cyrus will take action. Against both of you.”
“Yeah,” I say to him. “I know. Let me handle this situation with Aristov’s daughter. In the meantime, I need you to have a little faith in me and be prepared to handle those who show their true colors.”
He takes in a deep breath and says, “I’ve followed you since before you were Pakhan. I’ll follow you now. Whatever you need, I’m here.”
“Good. Thank you.” He goes to leave and I stop him. “Tell no one of this conversation. Just watch them and report back to me anyone showing disloyalty. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” he says. With that, he leaves. I stand in my living room and look up the stairs toward where Sofia is likely still sleeping.
This all just got so much more complicated.