Chapter Fifteen - Akim
“How did she do with the dresses?” I ask Borisya when she meets me in my office for a recap. She’s right on time. I’ve just gotten off the phone with the wedding planner to tee up the formalities for our “arrangement.”
Borisya lets out a wispy sigh. She’s long been the wedding dressmaker for many of the Utkins, and like them, some of the marriages were arranged, but each of them has blossomed in their own way, none of them divorced and all have children.
I’m one of the last to walk down the aisle, and if my cousins did it, so can I. This is the way of the Bratva, and it’s tradition. Sometimes we use these tactics for peace treaties with other Mafia families, but it’s been a long time since we’ve had to do that. We supply too much weaponry in Chicago for any other factions to want to try us.
Until now, Akim. Until now.
“As well as expected, Akim. I will say she has this strong bond with her father, and her asking him to walk her down the aisle was tear worthy. She might be sweeter than you think she is.”
Falling for the bait, she captures my attention. “Her father’s willing to walk her down the aisle?” He’s a brave man. I might have spoken to him, but he has no idea I’ve held his daughter captive in my penthouse. As far as he’s aware, he believed the lie of me telling him that she was staying with friends until we sorted our differences out.
Borisya chuckles. “Yes. Imagine my surprise! I suppose it’s an honorable look for you. We are family-oriented as well. I would say, with that in mind, you already know what you’re doing with her.” She winks, fishing around the edges for information. I narrow my eyes at my sneaky cousin because it’s likely anything I spill will end up as Friday night gossip with my aunts who I rarely keep company with.
“Yes.” A smile graces my face as Borisya hangs over my every word, hoping for the scraps. “I do have plans with Kiara. And I do thank you for your help. Your check is in the mail.”
“Good to hear.” She pauses for a second as I wait for her to ask more invasive questions. And she doesn’t fail me. “Do you have any feelings for Kiara?” Borisya stands, lingering near my desk.
“I think any deeper reasons I have for marrying Kiara are Bratva-related, and that’s all we need to discuss. Feel free to see yourself out.”
“Don’t be so uptight, cousin. I want to believe in love again,” she jokes as I scoff and Luka enters, changing the direction of the conversation.
“No. You don’t. You have a long-time boyfriend. Marry him. All you want to do is gossip with the gang of aunts.”
Borisya giggles saying hello to Luka on the way out, but giving me a longing look as she opens the door. How I feel about Kiara is none of anybody’s business but mine.
“Fine. Fine. Keep your secrets, Akim. See you at the wedding. I’ll be back to fit Kiara when need be.”
“Great.” She quietly shuts the door behind her as I examine what I think “as well as expected” really means. That’s likely code for she didn’t take it well at all. I don’t think anybody forced to marry would feel good about it, but Kiara will come around. I’ll make sure of it.
“Ah, the big wedding. Are you ready?” Luka asks.
I grin at him, excited about claiming a prize that’s finally mine. And one that fell right into my opportunistic lap.
“More than ready.”
The day is long with many meetings and spot fires to put out, including retaliatory tactics from the American Mafia over Kevin’s death. Another tedious warehouse hit, but they haven’t learned yet that the Bratva run this town.
As Boris and I drive home, all I can think about is a long, strong vodka and a hot shower. “I can’t believe they came after us for shooting Kevin. So what they lost one soldier? Now they’ve lost three more due to their stupidity. Who is their capo?”
“Andrei Genovese. He’s pushing hard to move up the ranks, and he thinks by stealing from my warehouse instead of sourcing his own guns is going to win him favors with the Don.”
Boris chuckles as I pull into the underground parking lot, oddly looking forward to seeing Kiara. “ Glupyy. The Don over there will kill him by his own hand.”
“That would save us having to move our warehouse, which I don’t plan on doing. As long as they keep trying to break in, we will keep killing them. It’s handy having an insider.” Smiling, I park as we head to the escalator.
“Yeah. Sure is.” Once inside, I find myself wanting to go to Kiara’s room to check in on her. She has free rein of the penthouse during the day. I don’t see a reason to keep her cooped up. Especially now I’ve gotten what I want from her. All that’s left is for us to seal the deal.
Grabbing myself a vodka, I loosen the tie I chose to wear for the day, slowly walking down my tiled hallway to her room. I’m in luck and bump into her as she emerges from the suite bathroom. Taken aback, I have to look at her twice. Today she’s not wearing her hoodie. She’s wearing one of the long slinky dresses I left hanging in her closet and her hair is freshly curled, giving me the urge to touch it. I can’t see any makeup on, but there’s perfume and it’s got my cock twitching in the right direction.
“Wow. You look beautiful. Thank you for trying one of the dresses I left in the closet for you on. Suits you. Very classy,” I drawl, vodka in my hand. I take a sip, waiting for her response.
Her pretty, icy blue eyes glower enough to freeze me. “You are pathetic. I’m not wearing this because I want to. You took all my hoodies and sweatpants.”
Grinning, I lean on the doorjamb, touching my thumb to her lip. Reflexively, she swats it away, the glacier of ice building its own ice wall between us.
“It’s going to be a fun ride working you up over the years. But we had a thing once. We can build on it, can’t we?” I question softly, lowering my voice, enjoying being so close to her again. If I were feeling nostalgic, I would have my men retrieve the lavender dress I met her in for the wedding reception, but I figure the union itself will be enough.
“We have nothing, Akim,” she retorts with the fire of a dragon. “You are living in some kind of warped fantasy about us. Why would you choose to marry me?” she begs in disbelief.
Sighing, I tap the edge of my head against the door, contemplating how much of an answer I want to give the hidden beauty. “I’ve got many reasons why I want to marry you.”
“Come on, Akim. This isn’t fair. I asked you to release my father, and you didn’t tell me you were going to do this. You can give me more of an answer than that.” Kiara folds her arms over her breasts forcing them upwards, drawing my eye to her heaving cleavage. Fuck. I want her and the bulge in my pants is taking precedence over this conversation.
Smirking, I keep sipping as I stare at her, and truthfully, I could gaze into those blue eyes for the rest of my life just fine. “Okay. What do you want to know about my choice?” I ask, taking great pleasure in dragging it out, knowing she’s going to get angry. I like the icy fire in her eyes, and all the better if I’m the cause.
“I just asked. Quit playing games. Are you marrying me because you have a soft spot for me or something?” she guesses. “Is that why? I can’t think of any other reason. I heard you do horrible things to people who disobey your orders, so maybe that’s it.” Her voice trails off as I take a step, closing the short distance between us, slipping a hand around her slender waist.
I feel her tense up as I lightly kiss her neck, enjoying the ripple of her shiver. I grin.
“You’ve guessed wrong. I’m not marrying you out of pity. Oh no, no. I’m marrying you,” I tease, taking her hand down to the bulge of my cock and rubbing it over with her cupped hand. Her eyes stay on me as I torture myself a little wanting her to feel what she does to me. What I have to hold back from.
I’m going to delay gratification until the wedding night, but this can’t hurt either of us. Her breath expels in a wheezy pant, the ice in her eyes visibly melting. I fully expect her to draw her hand back, but she doesn’t. She leaves it there, her fingers extending, feeling, as I grind into her hand with mine on top, my cock swelling.
“I’m marrying you because I want you, Kiara. Do you like that? Do like touching me like this?” I whisper, her breath hitching. “Because you can have this for the rest of your life. Won’t that be fucking sweet?” I tease, nuzzling the side of my face with hers.
Letting go of her hand, just as I feel the heat of her getting worked up, I place my hand above her head near the door, her cheeks flaming red, her denial for me completely derailed.
“I don’t think you’re sweet.” Her voice cracks, her eyes looking anywhere but at me. “You’re poison.”
“I believe poison is your game,” I quip with a wry smirk, her game of hating me not working.
“Why do you want me, Akim? We only spent a night together, and it wasn’t real. I wanted to save my father.”
Chuckling, I inhale her sweet strawberry-scented shampoo. “And I commend your courage, but that night we started something, and you can’t tell me you didn’t feel something, virgin.”
Startled by me bringing up her virginity, her eyes show fright. Good. I’ve got her right where I want her.
“Y-you… you’re delusional.” To prove a point against her, I catch her off guard, letting my eyes drop to her heart-shaped mouth. I hold my position and keep staring, breathing heavily, my cock hard enough for her to feel as I grind subtly into her leg. Her body stays rigid, but her panting gives her desire away.
“And you’re mine.” Her eyes stare back at my mouth, her blue eyes blowing my mind. Up close I want to lose myself in the lake they form. I smile, feeling her swaying ever so slightly, her mouth parting as her face tilts towards mine. I let her come to me. Our fatal attraction cannot be denied. Tugging on her bottom lip with my teeth, I kiss her lightly, igniting her with the swirl of my vodka-soaked tongue as a tiny moan escapes from within. A grin marks my face in victory. Realizing what she’s doing, she puts a stop to it, and a firm hand on my chest, her eyes blazing.
“Akim.” Panting myself, I like that she stopped me from going any further, just like our first night. I don’t want her taking it easy on me. Nothing I’ve ever had in life has come easy to me. Maybe it’s because of my father’s strict rule. Besides, I’ve had easy women, and they bore the absolute shit out of me. This, I like. This I’m willing to work for, and right now, Kiara is the only thing lighting me up.
Thrilled by all she is, I chuckle darkly, giving her some breathing space. “I think I proved my point. Once you take my name, there’s going to be no more escaping. You’re going to belong to me in every way possible. And when I say every way….” I pause, undressing her with my eyes. “I mean every way.”
“Akim,” she flutters as I thrust myself into her and she gasps as I take her mouth possessively, breaking down her walls, her tongue forced into a two-way tango with mine. I fist my hand through her honey-colored locks, tempted to haul her inside the bedroom and show her who she’s marrying and how I’m going to make her howl.
Drawing back, I leave her wanting. “Oh, we are going to be so good together, you and I, wait and see. We already are and I thank your father for leading me to you. Maybe Michael fucking up was leading me to a bigger and better payday in the long run.” I grin as Kiara winces in hurt, the ice reforming.
“Is that how you think of me? A payday, Akim?” She wipes her mouth, icy fire back in her crystal blue eyes.
“You’re my property, and your father’s sins are being atoned for through you, so in a way—yes.”
“I hate you,” she declares, but all it does is fuel my open flame of desire to claim her even more.
“You can hate me all the way down the aisle if you want, but enjoy your last days as a Jane, because soon enough, you’ll be an Utkin, and that name is going to burn right into your innocent soul and turn it to the poison you claim to hate.”
Kiara slams the suite door behind her, but I stay standing in its doorway knowing I’m going to be masturbating tonight, thinking about owning her in every way I can.