Chapter 12
Nikolai
I n my haste to get away from Aspen, I failed to grab my boxer briefs before leaving our suite. Cold tickles my skin where sweat beads linger as I briskly walk down each corridor. My shadows cover my lower half, allowing me to partially save face as I approach my father in his office.
Fuck.
I said I wouldn’t touch her and I turn right around and kissed her.
But her lips were too alluring for me not to plant mine on top of hers.
I melted right into that kiss, right into her as if she was some kind of drug I need to be weaning off of.
It took all the restraint I could muster to not put my head in between those luscious full thighs and lap up her juices.
It took even more for me to suppress the urge to suck on the spot in the sheet where she came.
I bet she tastes like candied strawberries.
And her body—
Her body reacted to my every touch as if it had been craving me, as if it was calling out to me like my personal ballad that I could play on repeat. I felt her wetness through my shadows like it was my second skin and her moans reverberated deep in my bones.
Shaking the thoughts from my head, I burst into my father’s office. My father, Sergei and Igor look me up and down, taking stock of me. They all stand in front of my father’s many screens. There are more images of humans but now on cargo ships.
I see the trafficking has increased.
“Where the fuck are your clothes Niko?” My father asks, placing his drink on his desk.
I toss the sheet Aspen and I were just making love on towards them.
Making love?
That was far from what we did. I’m not sure what we did, but it was not that.
And yet it was damn near close to it. I’ve never experienced that type of intimacy before.
I’ve never done something like that with my shadows before either.
I thought I had all my firsts with Helana.
This proves otherwise and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to digest this new discovery.
On one hand, I feel like I betrayed my wife with my new wife. On the other hand, I feel like I can breathe again because of her. Both are devastatingly true and both are killing me. The guilt laced with anxiousness of what’s new lies ahead for me. A second chance. A future.
I don’t deserve any of it.
I point at the linen in front of the men of my family. “That’s your proof that we did what had to be done.”
My father picks up the sheet, examines it and nods. “Consummation confirmed.”
Reducing what Aspen and I just did for my father’s approval turns my stomach. But this is our world, our rules and we must abide. I knew this and she now knows this.
“Where is the bride?” Sergei starts. “You know both of you are supposed to be here for validation. ”
My father’s eyes darken. “Sergei, now is not the time.”
My left eye twitches and my nails elongate along with my fangs. “What the fuck did you say?” I move towards his direction. “I’ll remove your head from your shoulders if you ever see my wife in her afterglow. Family or not, you will be a dead man.”
He steps right up to me, right up to my face.
“You better draw that line and make it crystal clear who you’re committed to. I’d hate to see you ruin her like you did Quinn,” he sneers, tension and animosity dripping off him in waves.
I lean forward, leaving just our breaths between us. “You know nothing, cousin. Stay out of my business especially all things concerning Aspen if you want to keep your head.”
“Alright, alright boys.” My uncle gets between us.
Sergei raises both hands. “Got it. Got it. Sorry cousin, maybe I’ve overstepped. It’s unusual to see you,” he pauses for effect. “Unsettled.”
Damn right you did. And of course, I am. For a split second, I didn’t see the firecracker that looks at me with murderous eyes every second of the day. I saw—
Choosing to ignore my cousin and my thoughts, I look at my father to tie up business. “Roman?”
“The blood infusion worked. He’s being sedated until tomorrow. We couldn’t afford him waking up, lashing out and potentially posing a threat to this wedding. He’ll be released tomorrow.”
“She would want to say goodbye.”
My father nods his head. “We can set up a video call in the morning.” Before I exit the room, my father continues, “Niko, she’s special. Protect her. She’s worth more than anyone in this family could ever comprehend.”
Tilting my head, I try to register what he just said.
What is the worth of a showgirl? And how is that worth comparable to the Bratva?
I don’t waste time trying to decipher his new riddle, I simply walk out of his office.
By the time I get back to Aspen, she’s already asleep in our bed. She replaced the sheets, she ditched the nightgown, and she put my clothes back on.
A low chuckle escapes my lips.
Lying right there in the center of the bed is my fucking wife. I will admit, there’s something about seeing her dressed and sleeping in my clothes. It feels like acceptance and ownership.
The air around the room smells of vanilla and jasmine— her dangerously enticing scent. Already she’s staked her claim on this room.
And if I’m not careful, she’ll stake her claim on me too.