3. Rik #2
I’ll own her body and soul either way, but I’d like it better if I don’t have to break her spirit as I claim her.
We’d both enjoy ourselves more if she accepts the terms of our relationship willingly.
My cock hardens, and to hide my erection until I get it under control, I turn away and deposit my empty glass on a nearby gilded pedestal.
There’s way too much fucking gold decorations in this room.
“Mr. Kedrov,” Mrs. Gahr says, “We simply must have you join a small gathering at our house next week. There are several stake-holders you should meet.”
There’s a test in her invitation. A measure of how much she and her husband can manipulate me.
Maybe to use my presence and large donation to drum up more money from other donors.
I don’t fucking care. Ego and posturing are common in my world.
The only thing I’m interested in is getting closer to their niece. “I’d be honored.”
The senator grabs Perl’s wrist. “Why don’t you walk Rurik around the ballroom and introduce him to some people? You know whom he should meet.”
I want to rip his hands off her and have to stuff my hands in my pockets again to stop myself.
The Mrs Gahr’s eyes flicker with annoyance or jealousy. Hard to say, but I don’t care.
Perl’s shoulders tense, a fraction away from resistance. I offer her my arm and calmly watch as she battles with herself over what to do.
For a heartbeat, I wonder if she’s smart enough to run from me.
Finally, she slides her hand onto my arm, her fingers trembling. A shock of electricity runs up my arm at our first contact. Her eyes widen and her lips part. She felt it too.
The senator beams, pleased with the little show. Mrs. Gahr just watches, her mouth tight.
We step away and start walking around the room. Perl’s voice is careful. “Are you enjoying yourself tonight, Mr. Kedrov? Do you attend a lot of glamorous events in your business?”
“Please call me, Rik. My business is rarely glamorous,” I drawl. “But I’m definitely enjoying myself right now.”
She frowns. “I thought your first name was Rurik.”
“It is, but my friends call me Rik.”
She chews on that for a while and then switches back to our original topic. “Exactly what is your business?”
“I look for opportunities that offer large profits. Often that requires me to get my hands dirty, hence the lack of glamour.”
She glances up. “And what opportunities are you pursuing tonight?”
I want to answer honestly. You . You are tonight’s opportunity. But out loud, I keep it civilized. “New alliances.”
Her forced laugh is brittle. “You’ll have plenty, here.”
I stop near a window, letting the light frame her.
With her coloring, she should wear bolder colors.
I want to drape her in red, deep violet, and cobalt blue.
The black dress is stunning but chosen to make her blend in with the background when she belongs in the spotlight.
“Your uncle says he takes pride in you. Do you feel like he’s proud of you, Perl? ”
She’s silent. I feel her shifting, wondering if she can trust me, if my attention is worth risking more exposure. “I feel his expectations,” she says finally. “It’s not the same, is it?”
“No,” I say gently, “it isn’t.”
On the other side of the glass, far below us, the city lights appear like constellations. I think of my men, my Bratva brothers, who are waiting to hear what I accomplished tonight.
Back home in Moscow, we made deals inked in blood. But that’s not the life I want for them anymore. I want them to live a life with less violence. Lives where they can have families without worrying that their loved ones will be killed or used as bargain chips by our enemies.
I need the senator for his power and his reach. It’s easier to buy politicians than to slaughter enemies to expand my territory.
And I want Perl as part of the bargain. Although I had researched the senator and his family before buying my way into tonight’s event, my reaction to her is unexpected. But I know how to turn it to my advantage.
She stands beside me, wary.
I lean to speak low. “This life, Perl, does it fulfill you? Does it give you what you need?”
She’s quiet for so long, I wonder if she’ll answer. “No. But it’s what I have. It’s what I owe.”
I nod. “When you are in debt, you often feel you don’t have any power, but that’s not always true.”
She glances up, something like hope skimming her gaze. “What do you mean? How can owing someone not mean they have all the advantages? How do you claim back your power without repaying?”
I want to say you look for someone to buy your debt. Someone who makes you theirs and turns weakness into allegiance. But all I say is, “You make new terms.”
We continue our walk, and Perl introduces me to a few people. I make inconsequential small talk, but pay no attention to their names or what they’re saying. Instead, I watch Perl as she charms them all.
Eventually, we bump into the senator and his wife again. Perl’s fingers tremble on my arm as we approach them. I put my hand over hers and squeeze gently. She throws me a grateful but puzzled smile.
The music swells as the band plays its last song of the evening.
Mrs. Gahr’s gaze scans my face, searching for a weakness. She won’t find one.
The senator glances at Perl and me. “We’ll see you next week then, Rurik. Bring some of your business partners.”
It doesn’t surprise me that he’s using me to gain more donors. I smile to hide my thoughts. “I’ll think on that.”
Mrs. Gahr’s mouth tightens.
Perl is silent, but her eyes blaze as studies me.
I let the mask of a wealthy entrepreneur and high-powered donor settle on my face.
Eventually, I’ll show them my true self. When I have the city and the senator, and Perl, where I want them.
But for now, I am content to play their games. When the time is right, I will take what I need, claim what belongs to me.
And at the top of that list is Perl.