Chapter 14 – Kostya
Chapter 13 – Madelyn
“No….” The single word escaped my lips as I sat on the toilet seat, a hand over my mouth, staring at the strip in my grip.
It felt like my whole world was crumbling around me, and there was absolutely nothing that I could do about it. My heart was broken, and I felt the nasty stinging in my eyes, hinting that my tear glands were charged up.
“This can't be happening,” I muttered, shaking my head with a palm over my belly.
The strip had two lines on it, and I knew exactly what that meant: I was fucking pregnant!
There was a baby inside— Kostya's baby. Fuck. I was so screwed.
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I thought about how terrible this was. The father of the child in my womb was my father's archnemesis—his current worst enemy. How would he react to this?
I slapped my forehead in dismay, feeling as the weight in my heart grew heavier by the minute. My breathing was frantic despite my attempts to stabilize it. I knew this had gone from bad to worse when the usual technique of breathing in and out through my nose didn't work.
Never had I been this anxious and afraid in my life—even the situation with Ethan wasn't as bad as this, and I now realized that it was just wrong to think that nothing was worse than that. Damn it!
Dad was going to be super disappointed, and I wasn't sure I was ready to see that look on his face. How could I have let this happen? Why was I so stupid to have fallen so deeply for some guy I barely knew?
I rose to my feet and headed to the mirror, glaring at the woman looking back at me. “How could you have been so careless, Maddie? You were supposed to know better!” Deep creases appeared on my forehead, and my face scrunched up into a frown. “You fucked this stranger and didn't even use a condom—no protection, nothing. Silly girl!” I struggled with the urge to slam a fist in the mirror as the rage of my stupidity and carelessness raced through my blood. “Fuck!”
My hands flew into my hair, combing it backward as I tilted my head, staring into space.
If only I had bothered to look into him after our first encounter, maybe all of this would have been avoided. Dad also had a part to play in this, yes; why the fuck was he in league with the Russians in the first place? Didn’t he realize that by starting a stupid war, he'd automatically made me a fucking target? He'd put a giant bullseye on my back the day he decided to go after Kostya.
Now the mafia boss had come after me in order to get back at my dad. He must have done his homework and realized that I was Brown's daughter. The bastard, however charming, had then decided to make his move—to put a fucking baby inside me.
“Arghh!” I groaned in frustration, slamming the bathroom door shut as I walked back into my room.
At the end of the day, there was more than enough blame to go around. I was silly to have fallen for a complete stranger and eventually made the mistake of letting him fuck me—I gave the son of a bitch my virginity, for goodness sake. What could be more stupid than that? Why did I not stop, even for a moment, to think this through? I knew things were moving way too fast, and I sure as hell knew how drawn to him I was. With that in mind, I could've at least tried to turn down his invitation, knowing full well what could happen. But what did I do instead? I drove to his place and got fucked.
Now, what used to feel like the best night of my life suddenly was the worst—my biggest mistake. Yes, the sex was amazing. I had a good time, but everything was ruined now because it wasn't real. He was only using me, and I was too dumb to realize that.
Kostya had played his cards right. He really fooled me, and the biggest joke was in my belly. He did a good job at praying on my naivety, toiling with my kind heart the first night we met. I regretted offering to help him that night—I could have let him bleed to death. But wait a minute. Did he know about me then? Was the wound self-inflicted to get my attention, or did he find out later?
Anyway, it didn't matter. What mattered was the fact that he used me.
And then there was my dad. If he hadn't gotten in bed with the Russian mafia, I wouldn't be in the mess right now. Or if he had at least told me about this stupid war earlier, I'd have figured out who Kostya was the moment he told me his name. He must really see me as a fool for not recognizing the dangers he posed, even when he told me his name. To him, I must be nothing but a cheap slut.
His feud was with my dad, and I was caught in the middle of it. I blamed them both for dragging me into this mess, but at this point, there was nothing I could do about it.
The deed had been done, but the fear that plagued me wouldn't go away, regardless of the anger I felt.
I paced around the room, fingers in my mouth as I absentmindedly chewed on my nails. My head was filled with a myriad of thoughts—voices that wouldn't quiet.
I did warn you against him. I told you there was darkness in those blue eyes of his. Yet, you chose to ignore the signs. You knew he was lying about being a cop from day one, yet you chose to ignore that, too. Things were moving too fast back at his place, yet you….
At that instant, I dispelled the accusing voice in my head. I was already beating myself up about this mess. The last thing I needed was more depressing thoughts. There had to be a way out of this. Sadly, I couldn't think of any right now.
The knock on my door startled me, causing me to flinch at the sudden sound.
“Maddie, honey, it's me.” Dad's voice came from outside.
My breath hitched in my throat, and my eyes widened in fear. I was so confused, and once again, my brain abandoned me in time of need.
I ruffled my hair, thinking of what to do.
Calm down, it's just Dad, and he doesn't know what is going on yet, I thought to myself, letting out a soft exhale. Just breathe.
“Sweetheart, you in there?” he asked, knocking a couple more times.
“Yeah, uhh….” I glanced around, as if looking for something, but I had no idea what it was. “I'll be right there.” It was now that I realized I'd been holding the strip this entire time. “Shit.”
I rushed over to my pillow and buried it beneath. I didn't know why I hid there, but in my defense, I was disoriented.
Heaving a sigh, I smoothed down my hair and tried to appear as composed as I could before going over to open the door. “Dad, hi.”
He stared at me, eyes squinted and brows knitted. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Why?” I asked, rapidly blinking at him. It wasn't intentional, just something I did whenever I was nervous.
“I don't know,” he said, his gaze fixed on me. “You seem…out of sorts.”
“Oh.” I chuckled, masking my unease. “It's nothing. Just girl stuff, you know.”
“Okay,” he said, brushing the subject aside to introduce a new one. “Just came by to remind you of the family dinner we're having tonight with the Foxes.”
“Oh, alright.” I cleared my throat.
I'd actually forgotten all about that with everything that was happening at the time. We were supposed to meet with one of Dad's business partners for a family dinner at a restaurant. Although he made it seem like a harmless gathering, I knew better; it was a matchmaking meeting.
“Sweetheart, are you sure you're alright?” He watched me closely.
I forced a smile. “Yeah, I am.”
I hated lying to my dad, but I didn't have a choice. It wasn't like I could just tell him that I screwed his archnemesis, and now I was carrying his baby.
Fuck! This was more messed up than I thought.
It was obvious that he wasn't buying it, but then again, he didn't want to pry.
“Okay, then. I'll leave you to whatever you were doing.” He smiled faintly and walked away.
***********
The past forty to forty-five minutes felt like an eternity as I sat there with the Foxes, faking smiles every now and then. Jeremy Fox was sitting across from me at the table, and although he seemed like a cool guy, my head wasn't particularly in the game tonight.
Jeremy was handsome—Dad was right about that. The young man, who seemed to be in his late thirties, had blond hair and hazel brown eyes that shimmered in the lights above. He was charming and cute. But he wasn't my type. Jeremy was really good-looking—nice, funny, and kind—yet in spite of all these qualities, I was not intrigued at all.
Tonight, he was dressed to impress, wearing an impeccably tailored suit that complemented the color of his eyes, along with a properly knotted tie, a Rolex watch, and a fine pair of designer shoes. So far, he'd made attempts to crack me up, but none seemed to be working, although I didn't let him know that, as I would just flash him a smile.
I hated it when he mirrored the gesture because then he'd reveal the green stuck in his teeth, and that always threw me off. On several occasions, I came so close to bringing it to his attention but never did. I was too distracted by the thoughts of Kostya anyway.
“So, your dad tells me your research paper was nominated for a presentation by MedFuture Summit,” Mr. Fox said, his eyes darting toward me.
“Yes,” I replied, raising my head to look at him. “Yes, it was.”
“Remarkable. Absolutely amazing accomplishment,” he declared, chewing on his vegetables. “You must be very proud.”
I beamed a forced grin at him, digging my fork into the roasted chicken on my plate.
“She doesn't seem like a proud woman,” Jeremy said, taking a sip from his glass of champagne. “Honestly, Maddie, your humility is quite humbling,” he added, throwing the statement at me.
“Well, thank you.” I shifted my gaze in his direction.
“Jer, why don't you tell Madelyn about your recent accomplishments?” Mr. Fox shot a glance at his son. “I'm sure she'll love it.”
Oh, I'm sure I will not, I thought to myself, knowing this was a conversation I didn't want to get involved in.
“Pay no attention to my father. He can exaggerate stuff sometimes,” Jeremy said, his eyes locked on me. “I recently graduated summa cum laude from Harvard Business School. No biggie.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“Ahh. He's just being modest.” Mr. Fox laughed, tapping his son's shoulder. “My boy's been instrumental in expanding our company's portfolio, securing high-profile deals.” He beamed with pride.
“Wow, congratulations, Jeremy. That's impressive,” I said, trying to sound intrigued when I wasn't. “I'm pretty sure that's a lot of work.” I picked up my glass and took a sip. “Couldn’t be easy.”
“Nothing worthwhile is,” he replied. “But thanks anyway.” He raised his glass at me.
I glanced at my dad, and he discreetly shrugged his shoulders. He knew I wasn't comfortable with this meeting, and he probably thought that it was because I didn't like the Foxes. But he was wrong. It wasn't because of them; it was because of the situation I found myself trapped in—the web of trouble I was entangled in.
It was almost impossible trying to stay composed with everything going on in my life at the moment, and thoughts of the truth eventually revealing itself scared the shit out of me. Dad adored me so much—he held me in such high esteem—and I couldn't bear the thought of breaking his heart with this news.
I looked at him as he ate his food, smiling at Mr. Fox's words.
He'd be so disappointed in me. I was already disappointed in myself anyway. Just a few weeks ago, I'd managed to escape the situation with Ethan and the nudes, but I knew there was no way I was going to escape this one—not when a baby was involved.
I tried to focus on the people at the table with me, but the more I tried, the more I found myself zoning out. Dad already suspected something was wrong, and if I continued to be so absentminded, he'd interrogate me on our way back home, and I didn't need that right now.
Before I could make up my mind to concentrate on our company, my phone vibrated on the table. The moment I saw the caller ID, my heart skipped a beat, and my breath ceased for a moment. It was Kostya.
Immediately, I snatched the phone off the table lest my dad see the name on my screen. I suddenly felt hot on the inside, and my pulse quickened. I lowered my hand beneath the table, forcing a chuckle at Jeremy's dry joke as I hit the power button and ignored the call.
He called again, and this time, I cut it. But Kostya was persistent, and the more I continued to act suspicious, the more Dad wanted to pry. So, I finally decided to take it. “Uhh. Excuse me.” I rose to my feet. “I have to take this.” I stepped away, heading toward the back.
The door opened, and I walked into a garden, staring at the buzzing phone in my hand. I wanted to answer it, but I wasn't sure what to say or how to react. Should I let him know that I knew the truth—that he'd been playing me all along? Or should I simply act like I was still in the dark and see what happened?
My heart was racing so fast that I could almost hear it beating. By now, my legs had turned to jelly, and my hands were trembling so badly that I struggled to swipe my screen and take the call.
My body jerked in rapid response to the firm grip on my shoulder from behind, which prompted me to swivel in fear. I was right to be afraid because the one who had touched me was Kostya Tarasov, and he seemed really upset, with eyes blazing with fury.
“I trusted you,” he said, glaring at me. “Yet you chose to play me this whole time.” In his eyes was a mix of anger and disappointment.
It was almost as if he’d had no idea that I was Gabriel Brown's daughter, but if that were true...
What the fuck is going on here?
“What?” She backed away from me, her brows furrowing to accentuate the puzzled look on her face.
“Don't play games with me, Madelyn Everly.” I glared at her, taking menacing steps forward that caused her to cringe. “Or should I say, Madelyn Brown?” I halted in front of her, seething silently.
There was fear in her, but there was also something more sinister— rage. She seemed really upset, and now I was left to wonder why. I was the angry one, the one who’d been used—she had no right to cast that stern look at me.
A contemptuous laugh escaped her enticing lips as she drew closer to me, her anger overshadowing the glint of fear in her eyes. “Games? You're one to talk. You're the one who played me, Kostya.” She pushed her finger against my chest. “So don't you fucking stand there and turn this around because now I know the truth. Now I know about your stupid quarrel with my dad.” As she spoke, her forehead creased, and her jaw clenched. “I know that that's the only reason you sought me out. Fuck! All of this was just for what? Payback?” Her mood switched immediately, and her voice began to break.
I could see how hard she was struggling to keep the tears in her eyes from falling. Puzzled, I stood there in silence for a couple of seconds. She was either very good at acting, or she truly had no idea what was going on.
I narrowed my eyes, cocking my head. “What're you talking about?”
“Now, who's playing games?” She gently swiped a finger underneath her eye.
“No, no.” I clicked my tongue, shaking my head. “I won't have you turn this around,” I began. “You sought me out because your father asked you to do so—this is just one of his plots to bring me down, and he used you as a weapon. Fucking admit it.”
I seized her hand in mine, looking deep into her eyes.
“I won't because it's not true!” She broke out of my hold and stepped away from me.
“Oh, so that night just happened to be what, a coincidence?” I turned back to face her.
“I don't know, you tell me.” She shot a glare in my direction, folding her arms across her chest. “You're the one who drove to my house and preyed on my kind heart, knowing that I was going to offer to take you inside.” She took a pause and added almost immediately, “You're the one who played me, Kostya.”
I stared at her, unsure of what to think because she spoke with so much disdain and resentment toward me. Did she truly have nothing to do with her father's plans?
“You know, for a minute there, you sounded believable,” I said, studying the expression etched upon her face for any subtle signs of deception—any hints of insincerity.
“That's because I'm telling the truth, goddamn it!” She threw her hands into her hair, frustrated.
“Then why did you lie?” I questioned, thinking this was the point I'd use to get the truth out of her.
“What?” Madelyn's eyes widened in surprise, her brows instinctively shooting up as her head leaned toward me.
“You heard me.” I advanced, my gaze locked on her. I wouldn't want to miss the slightest switch in her expression. “Why did you lie about who you were if you truly had no idea what your father was up to?” I halted in front of her, gritting my teeth.
This was it. I had her now, and I was disappointed because deep down, I was rooting for her. I was hoping to be wrong.
She took a sharp breath, her lips parting slightly as if to speak, but no words came out.
“What’s the matter? Can't find your voice all of a sudden?” I let out a dismissive laugh, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
“That's not it.” She shook her head, her gaze unwavering and her jaw clenched in determination.
“But you lied about your name,” I pushed on, infuriated by her ridiculous resistance, feeling my blood rush and my pulse quickening. I was on the verge of an outburst, and one more lie from her lips would force me to lash out.
“No, I didn't,” she cut me off with a firm voice, her chin jutting up in defiance.
“Damn it, Maddie!” I lost my temper, barking in her face as she flinched at my reaction. “You told me your name was Madelyn Everly.”
“It is!” she replied with the same tone, her eyes still locked to mine, blazing with intensity. Her nostrils flared, and her cheeks flushed with anger.
“But you're Gabriel Brown's daughter!” I declared, ignoring her balled fists and white knuckles as I jabbed my finger at her.
“I am!” she shot back, fury flickering in her gaze.
“Christ! Does that make any sense to you?”
“Yes, it does! And if you'd just shut up and listen, maybe you'd understand!” The words burst out of her like a pent-up explosion as she glared at me, her eyes flashing with irritation and her chest heaving with rapid breaths.
I could tell that she was upset, and honestly, no woman had ever stood up to me the way that she just did. Clearly, we were both mad at each other, and one of us would eventually have to calm the fuck down if there was going to be any chance at all that we'd hear each other out. She didn't seem like she was ready to be calm, meaning that ball was now in my court.
I heaved a deep sigh, slapping my forehead in frustration as I stepped away from her, fingers pinching the bridge of my nose. Sniffing, I mustered the courage to set aside my fury and said with a much calmer tone, hand on my waist, “I'm listening.”
She exhaled sharply, still glaring at me with those eyes, red with anger. “I didn't lie when I told you my name,” Madelyn began, her words falling out with a low, even tone. “Yes, Gabriel Brown is my father, but I'm descended from a bloodline of independent women who have passed down the Everly last name through generations. That's why I'm Madelyn Everly, not Madelyn Brown.” She crossed her arms, her expression unyielding.
That makes sense. Shit. She just might be telling the truth .
“I didn't lie to you, Kostya,” she said, clenching her jaw. “ You're the one who lied to me.” Her face scrunched up into a frown. “Telling me that you're a cop, inviting me over to your place over false pretenses. Wow! You really are a good liar.” She applauded me with palpable sarcasm. “And I really am a dumb idiot to have believed you.”
She turned her back on me in an attempt to leave.
“We're not done yet. Don't you walk away from me.” I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to myself, feeling the softness of her breasts against my chest.
“Let go of me!” She struggled to squirm out of my hold, but my grip was firm. “I said, let go , you liar!”
“I didn't know who you were at the time,” I stated, still holding on to her. Her perfume filled the air around us, and I sensed a sexual tension slowly creeping in on us.
“But you lied anyway,” she said, looking into my eyes, her lashes battering at me as her chest heaved with heavy breaths.
This wasn't because she was mad, no. It was something else, something more sensual.
We stared at each other, and I gently brushed my erection over her. Despite the anger in her eyes, a sparkle was still in there, hinting at the desire she was masking.
I pulled her closer, and her body jerked at my action, her gaze locked to mine. “Doesn't this look familiar?” I flashed her a grin.
“Son of a…!”
She was still talking when I rushed at her lips, sealing them with a deep kiss fueled by the adrenaline pumping through me. She kissed back with equal intensity as our breaths mingled, her palms roaming over my face.
God! I'd missed her. I'd missed this .
Madelyn pressed her hand against my chest, pulling away from the fervency of the kiss that almost consumed us both. She stared at me with a mix of hatred and desire coloring her eyes.
“You don't get to do that.” She swallowed, wiping the back of her hand over her mouth. “Not anymore.”
My brows knitted, creasing my forehead and accentuating my displeasure at how she wiped her lips as though disgusted by my kiss. “I'll do that whenever I want, wherever I want, and you will not stop me.”
I dragged her back and kissed her again.
She let herself feel the kiss for a moment before pulling away again, but this time with a little wince at the mild cut on her lower lip. I'd bitten her and made her lip bleed so she'd actually have something to wipe off her mouth.
“You're a psycho.” She looked at me scornfully, running her thumb over her lower lip.
I smirked, leaning forward with a low, possessive whisper. “A psycho who owns you.”
“No, you do not.” She shook her head in denial, her frown deepening.
“Oh, but I do,” I countered, my tone calm but intense, laced with conviction. “I owned you the night I became your first.” A wicked grin spread across my face.
“I'm not some piece of property to be owned, much less by a maniac like you,” she spat, her voice low and venomous as her face reddened, her eyes blazing with indignation.
“You'll lose that attitude soon enough,” I said, my eyes glinting with amusement. “Look over there.” I pointed at the building opposite the restaurant. “Top floor. There's a sniper up there who's locked on your father as we speak.” I watched her breath hitch in her throat, and with a smirk, I continued, “One word from me, and your old man is history.”
She jerked her eyes toward the building but couldn't see anyone, just some shadowy figure. “You're bluffing,” she said, turning to face me.
“Am I?” I showed her the screen of my phone where the sniper's crosshairs had captured her father's face through the window. He was laughing and chattering with his guests, oblivious to the dangers around him.
Her hand flew to her mouth as her eyes widened in fear.
“Now, I have your attention.” I tucked the phone back in my pocket, staring at the fear-stricken woman in front of me. “You're mine, Madelyn. You belong to me.” I seized her hand, my voice dripping with possessiveness. “Henceforth, things will go my way if you wanna keep your old man alive.” I drew her close to me, our eyes locking in a fleeting moment. “Do you understand?”
She swallowed, nodding in affirmation, and I smirked, knowing I had her exactly where I wanted her to be: in the palm of my hand.