Chapter 14 — Nial
Her golden-brown hair spilled over her face as she straddled me on the bed. I lay naked beneath her, my hands guiding the slow movements of her waist.
I caressed her smooth, pale skin, cupping and squeezing her gentle swells as she rode me with practiced ease. Her moans fueled my hunger, prompting me to buck my hips even higher.
My toes curled in response to the sensation coursing through my body. The sight of her nakedness made my pulse race as I basked in the expression on her face.
Her soft skin glowed under the light, her waist twisting and twirling on my cock. She threw her hands into her hair and tilted her head toward the ceiling.
I grabbed that ass, squeezing and spanking while watching her writhing in ecstasy. She looked down at me, her sharp green eyes boring into mine.
Her fingers clenched around my neck, and with her free hand, she smacked me across the face. “Say my name.”
I hesitated, groaning in pleasure.
“Say my name, Nail.”
I tried not to, but it slipped through my lips. “Kiera….”
“Yes…” she moaned, her voice sweet and enticing. “Again.”
Moved by the immense amount of pleasure sprinting through me, I did as I was instructed.
“Good,” she purred, molding her breasts. “You like that, don’t you?”
I nodded, squeezing against her ass.
Her expression turned cold in a flash, and her grip around my neck tightened. “Then why did you send me away?!” she growled, her eyes blood red.
That’s when I woke up, gasping loudly.
I sat on the bed in the middle of the night, sweating. My fingers combed through my hair as I let out a soft sigh, my heart still racing. I was horny as fuck, my hard cock poking from underneath my boxers.
It was a dream, one that left me craving every inch of her body. My chest was heaving with slow, controlled breaths as I sat there in silence. My mind was reeling with the crazy things I’d do to her if she were here with me. But she wasn’t—because I asked her to leave.
It had been two freaking months already, and I still hadn’t gotten over her yet. I thought that with time, I would get used to living without her; that everything would return to the way it used to be.
I was wrong.
Things had gotten worse.
Ever since she’d left, I barely focused on anything. I zoned out during important meetings, and now people were starting to talk. I couldn’t care less about what the fuck they were saying about me. I just hated how badly her absence was affecting me.
It was as though she were tattooed on my mind with permanent ink. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get rid of her. The images of her face always flashed in my head, reminding me of what I’d done.
I recalled the look in her eyes that day in my study. She was disappointed in me. For a long time, I told myself it didn’t mean anything. But deep down, I knew it did. It wasn’t just disappointment I saw in her eyes. There was also pain hidden behind her frown.
And that pain of hers had been haunting me this entire time. I’d come to realize soon after she left that the unfamiliar knot in my chest was guilt. And it had been gnawing at me ever since.
Was I too harsh on her?
Did I make the right decision when I asked her to leave?
Why did she hate the idea of regaining her freedom? Didn’t she hate it here? Was it possible she was starting to feel some attachment to me? Was she angry because I severed whatever connection we had?
These questions and more overlapped in my mind, keeping me distracted and unproductive. To make matters worse, for weeks, I hadn’t been able to answer even one.
However, despite all of this confusion, I knew for sure that at the time, letting her go was the only thing I could think of. If she had stayed, things might’ve spiraled out of my control by now.
I was already getting too attached to her emotionally. And that terrified me. So perhaps keeping my distance was the best for both of us.
***
A line of exotic cars parked beside the private hangar, the soft blue runway lights stretching across the dark tarmac.
The cool breeze brushed against my face as I leaned casually on the hood of my white Rolls-Royce. Above, twinkling stars dotted the night sky as the crescent moon hung somewhere behind a small cloud.
The wind from the cooling engines tugged at my tousled hair as I fixed my eyes on the looming aircraft in front of me. My men were scattered around—not too far and not too close—their watchful eyes roaming the tarmac.
I glanced at my watch, wondering what in the world was still keeping that dumb fuck inside his PJ. Did he not know that I was standing out here, waiting for his sorry ass?
Just as my face was about to turn ugly, a mechanical whir broke the stillness. The aircraft door opened, and a narrow set of metal stairs slowly unfolded from the side of the jet.
I raised my head and saw him standing at the head of the steps, a smug smirk playing on his lips. He locked eyes with me, dipped his hand in the pocket of his black coat, and began down the stairs.
Fuckin’ lunatic.
He could tell I was waiting for him. Yet the moron chose to take his bloody time at the expense of mine. How the fuck did I end up with that son of a gun as my baby brother?
The minute his polished shoes hit the tarmac, he laughed with open arms. “Hey, old man. Miss me?”
I straightened from the hood of the car, a suppressed grin struggling to break free. “You’re late, you dumb fuck.”
“Better late than never, am I right?” He chuckled lightly.
I stepped forward, a quiet laugh spilling from my lips as I embraced him. We thumped each other’s backs, chuckling.
“Welcome to Chicago, brother.” I tapped his face.
Karik was my younger brother, and he’d just arrived from Russia for a personal errand. He stood just over six feet with broad shoulders and a pair of cold steel-blue eyes. The man’s brown hair was kept short, always neatly combed. Unlike mine.
He had a permanent stubble along his jaw. A thick scar cut across his left knuckle, and a faint one grazed his collarbone. Dressed in black, he wore his tailored coat to conceal his weapons as easily as his intent.
Karik was discipline made flesh. The man was brutally efficient, emotionally guarded, and dangerously patient.
We hadn’t seen each other in over two years. So seeing him standing before me was like a breath of fresh air. His presence was the distraction I never knew I needed.
Even though he was only going to be in town for a few days, I figured that was more than enough time to catch up.
To officially welcome him to my city, I took him to my favorite nightclub. At the VIP area, we lounged on the plush couches, surrounded by half-naked women.
Bottles of vodka stood tall on the table between us, half-empty glasses perched beside them. The floor beneath my feet was vibrating as the DJ’s hypnotic beat filled the space.
A sea of writhing bodies dominated the dance floor below, singing along with their hands in the air.
I sat back on my couch, legs crossed, as I cradled a glass in my hand. Although surrounded by sexy women, none of them caught my eye. I was just focused on talking with my brother.
We made jokes and laughed while drinking—anything to get my mind off the woman living rent-free in my head. This was the first time I’d felt like myself since she left the mansion two months ago.
“So tell me, brother,” Karik said, changing the subject to something more personal. “How’s the girl?”
My brows knitted together. “What girl?”
“The one you told the council you were going to take care of,” he answered, his gaze unwavering. “You assigned yourself as her handler, remember?”
He wasn’t present in the meeting when I said that—he wasn’t even in the city at all.
“Don’t look so surprised.” He lifted his glass to his lips. “Word travels fast.”
“She’s all right,” I answered, my tone flat and dismissive.
“Still under your protection?”
I stared at him in silence, swirling the alcohol in my glass. Just when I was about to respond, a noise from the staircase leading up here caught our attention.
“Sir, you can’t be here,” a lady was saying, trying to stop a young man from joining us. “This place is reserved….”
“Get the fuck out of my way!” He pushed her to the floor, barking over her like a wild dog. “Do you know who I am? I can buy this damn place if I want to!”
The second we realized who the noisemaker was, Karik lowered his head in shame. He rubbed his eyes, mumbling under his breath, “Oh, I almost forgot this asshole still exists.”
“Unfortunately, he still does,” I replied.
It was our cousin, Vika—the bastard who’d tried to force himself on Kiera.
My expression darkened when we locked eyes, and his lips twisted into a self-satisfied grin. His men flanked around him as he walked over to us, rubbing his hands together.
“Well, would you look at that?” he began. “If it isn’t my favorite duo in the family.” Vika stopped before us, laughing. “You know, when they told me the VIP area was taken, I never expected I’d run into you two.”
We exchanged glances but said nothing.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in Russia?” he asked Karik.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in prison already?”
Vika let out a sarcastic laugh. “Very funny.”
“What’re you doing here?” I asked him.
“Why, you wanna hit me again?” He glared at me, then scanned the area for a moment. “I don’t see your little whore around.”
My jaw tightened, triggered by his insult. But before I could react, Karik caught my eye, signaling me to let it go. For now.
“But to answer your question,” he continued, his eyes locked on mine. “I’m here to cool off because some stupid lawyer chick is dragging me to court. She’s dug up an old case I buried long ago and is suing me for human trafficking.”
My heart sank. The look in his eyes and the evil grin on his face made my pulse race. I knew exactly who the lawyer was and why he had that smug smirk on his lips.
“She has no idea who she’s dealing with,” he added, staring right at me as if trying to get a reaction out of me. “I’ll bury her before she takes me to court.”
“Who’s the lawyer you’re talking about?” Karik asked him.
“Why don’t you ask your brother?” he replied, still holding my gaze. “I’m pretty sure he knows her better than anyone else.”
My fingers clenched into a fist, and my grip tightened around my glass. Vika was pushing too hard, forgetting that I was the last person he wanted to make an enemy of.
My face twisted into a frown, my mind reeling with unanswered questions.
What the fuck did he plan to do to her?