Chapter Twenty-Nine
Maro n
She looks fucking stunning.
From the top of the grand staircase, I watch Mindy emerge from the sleek black car, looking like a vision in the dress I handpicked for her. The fabric clings to her curves like a second skin, offering tantalizing glimpses of the treasures concealed beneath. Each step she takes sends arousal through my body, igniting a fire that threatens to consume me from head to toe.
My woman.
The chauffeur escorts her to the foot of the stairs, and she begins her ascent. The soft click of her heels on marble echoes through the foyer, like a countdown to the moment when she'll be within my reach. It takes every shred of my hard-earned self-control to not bound down those steps, sweep her into my arms, and carry her straight to my bedroom where I can worship her body and fuck her senseless.
But there’s a time and place for that. I force myself to wait, to savor this moment of anticipation. As she reaches the top of the stairs, I slip into the role of the debonair host, though my eyes betray my hunger as they devour her form.
"You look beautiful, lisichka ," I murmur when she reaches me.
A rush of warmth spreads across her face, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of innocence and desire. "Thank you," she whispers, her gaze boldly taking me in in my black suit. "You don’t look too bad yourself."
"You like what you see?" I tease with a smirk.
She bites her lip. “Maybe.”
My body reacts instantly, my half-erect cock shoving itself against the inside of my pants. I gently take Mindy’s hand and guide her into the dimly lit chamber where the party is taking place. The electricity between us is undeniable.
Upon reaching the bar, I uncork a bottle of champagne. The lid comes off with a satisfying pop. I pour two glasses of the amber liquid, watching in satisfaction as the bubbles dance inside. I hand her one glass. "Let's kick off the night."
"Wait," she says. "First, I've got something for you. I want to give it to you while I'm still sober."She reaches into her bag, pulling out a piece of paper. "Here," she says.
Finally.
Exactly what I’ve been waiting for.
I take the blue folder from her, the one holding the contract for our arrangement. I flip it open and look at the bottom where her signature is supposed to be. “Ms. Melinda Grace Williams,” it reads.
Good.
Better than good.
"Thank you." I smirk, leaning closer and speaking into her lips. "Best decision of your life." I hand her a glass of champagne. "To us," I say and raise my glass in a toast, locking my eyes on hers. "To my beautiful wife."
She smiles back. "I might need some time to get used to the term." She also raises her glass, her eyes never leaving mine. "Happy birthday, Maron!"
We sip the champagne, allowing the bubbles to dance on our tongues. The whole time, all I can focus on is the way Mindy's lips touch the edge of the crystal cup, and the way her throat moves as she swallows the sweet liquid. The same lips will be wrapped around my cock tonight. The thought alone makes me even harder in my pants.
I place my empty glass on the table and take her by the hand. "Come," I tell her.
I lead the way to the dining room where the scent of gourmet cuisine fills the air, mingling with the heady aroma of expensive wines and spirits.
"This looks amazing," Mindy says when she sees the buffet table. “Smells amazing too.”
She's not wrong. The chefs have outdone themselves, laying out a feast fit for kings. Every dish is carefully selected to tantalize even the most refined taste buds. There’s caviar from the depths of the Caspian Sea, its briny flavors perfectly paired with crisp champagne; foie gras from the hills of France with a rich and buttery flavor. We also have truffles from the forests of Italy, oozing a scent of earthy decadence.
But none of those things compare to the sight beside me - Mindy, dressed in her fiery red dress that clings to her, emphasizing every beautiful curve of her body. I fucking can't take my eyes off her. My desire keeps growing with each passing second.
Patience, dolboyob.
You’ve got the whole night ahead of you.
As we take our seats at the table, the doors to the dining room swing open, revealing a familiar face. It's Pavel. He walks over and nods in a silent greeting, his eyes flickering briefly to Mindy with a look of appraisal.
"Happy birthday, boss," Pavel says as he lifts a glass in my direction.
" Spasibo , Pavel," I reply, my arm draped around Mindy's waist. "You already met Mindy, my fiancée."
Pavel nods at her, extending his hand to Mindy like a true gentleman. Despite the fact that my second-in-command grew up on the streets, he’s doing a decent job at party etiquette. He can behave when I need him to.
Behind Pavel, my brother Timofey saunters in, a glass of vodka already in hand. He's flanked by a few of my Bratva comrades.
"Maron!" Timofey booms, clapping me on the shoulder. "Happy birthday, bratok !" He looks at Mindy by my side. "I see you've brought a beautiful guest to celebrate with us."
I grin, wrapping my arm possessively around Mindy's waist. "Timo, this is Mindy - my fiancée. Mindy, meet my brother, Timofey."
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mindy says smiling shyly.
“The pleasure’s all mine,” Timofey's eyes widen. "Fiancée?” He looks at me. “We need to catch up more often, Maron. I feel like I’m missing out on your life. What time is the wedding? Am I even invited?"
"Maybe if you behave well." I smirk at my brother.
Timofey lifts his glass to Mindy, before looking back at me. "You know well that’s not my strong suit."
There's a moment of silence before Timofey turns and raises his glass toward the crowd of guests. "It's about damn time you settle, Maron," he shouts. "We thought you'd never recover after Elena ran off!" His gesture is followed by a chorus of drunken cheers and congratulations.
Ublyudok!
My brother can never shut the fuck up. He also has a sixth sense to say the worst possible things at the worst possible times.
I chuckle, my grip on Mindy tightening slightly. “I was always going to. Just needed to find the right woman."
"Is Maurice coming?" Timofey inquires.
Chert voz’mi, Timofey!
Seriously?
I shoot daggers at him. "No," I respond curtly.
My brother’s expression turns serious. "Why not?"
"Excuse me," I tell Mindy. Understandably so, there’s confusion on her face as she looks at me. She still has no idea that Maurice and I are related. I was going to tell her later, but I wanted her to sign the contract first. Now, Timofey is fucking up my entire plan and I don’t like it.
I yank my idiot brother aside, making sure Mindy can’t see us. "Listen, Timo. I purposely left Maurice off the guest list. We had a major fallout over his behavior. He's been acting like an irresponsible asshole. You know he's always been the family fuck-up, but recently, he exceeded his worst self. He has no place here."
"I thought you two had smoothed things out," Timofey says with eyebrows raised. "From what I've seen, Maurice has been on his best behavior lately. Even made an effort to visit Mom."
Blyad.
I need to shut him up before he says something even more stupid in front of Mindy. I lean in closer to his ear. "Alright, I’ll drop the bomb, Timo. Maurice is Mindy's ex-boyfriend. They split up not too long ago because Maurice fucked up."
Timofey's jaw practically hits the floor. "Holy fuck. Maurice’s ex? Talk about a shitty love triangle, bratok !"
"Whatever," I growl. "I don't want Maurice here tonight, you understand? I don't even want him to know about this party. And you better keep your mouth shut unless want to get your ass kicked!"
“Fuck. Does Maurice know that you’re screwing his ex?” Timofey shakes his head.
“Hey!” I bark. “You keep your fucking mouth shut, alright? Show some respect, especially in front of Mindy!”
Timofey wheezes out a laugh and he holds up his hands. "Alright, alright relax, bratan . I won’t say anything." He motions with his right hand, showing me that he has his mouth sealed.
I realize I’ve been grabbing the neck of his shirt as I was talking to him. I relax my grip and let go of my brother. Giving him a cold glare, I pat his shoulder. “That’s more like it.”
***
As the night drags on and the drinks keep flowing, Mindy's inhibitions start to slip away. Her laughter is louder now, her face flushed with a mixture of alcohol and excitement. And through it all, she remains insanely sexy. As much as I try, I can’t stop my mind from being consumed with fantasies about her. I can't wait for everyone to fuck off from my house so I can slam that bedroom door shut, and fuck my new fiancée until she screams my name.
In a sudden burst of boldness, she leans closer to me, her warm breath tickling my ear. "I brought a few songs with me, Maron. I want to sing it for your guests." she chuckles, whispering to me. "But mainly for you. Consider it a part of your birthday gift."
I raise my eyebrow, intrigued by her idea. A possessive part of me flares up at the thought of sharing her singing with my party guests, especially since we have some pretty prominent Bratva people present tonight. The idea of those fuckers’ eyes leering at my Mindy makes my jaw tense.
But I also like that Mindy is letting loose. She smiles at me with a mischievous glint in her eye. She's clearly tipsy, and that makes her even more attractive. Maybe I should allow it. It would make it even more satisfying to have her in my bed afterwards, knowing that I’m the only one who can have her.
"I handpicked the tune just for you," she encourages, trailing her fingers down my chest.
“Fine.” I nod in approval, giving her an appreciative grin. Only a few minutes later, she’s walking up to the small stage in the rear of the room, her hips swaying seductively with every step. As soon as the crowd notices her on stage, they fall silent, their eyes glued to her every move.
Mindy stands behind the microphone with confidence in her posture. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," she says, scanning the room before her gaze lands on me. She winks at me playfully. "I have prepared a few songs for our host, who also happens to be the man of the hour." She sweeps an arm out, keeping her eyes on me.
Then, she begins to sing. Music also comes through the speakers, following her low, smoky voice. It comes out as if she’s trying to caress the microphone, filled with a raw sensuality that sets my blood on fire. She closes her eyes and lets the music wash over her, her body gently swaying to the rhythm.
Holy mother of God.
She is beyond special.
I can't take my eyes off her. She looks almost as if she’s becoming one with the song, melting into its rhythm. Her face is a portrait of pure passion, dragging me along with her into the moment.
I saw her perform before, but I still can’t believe her talent. How is it that my former chief accountant is capable of something like this? She should have pursued a career in music instead of fucking around with boring numbers.
Beside me, Timofey leans in, his breath tickling my ear. "You're one lucky motherfucker, you know that Maron?" he murmurs, his voice laced with equal parts envy and admiration. "Elena was a keeper but this girl... she's next level."
I nod, my eyes never leaving Mindy. "I know," I murmur. My voice comes out low and rough with desire. "She's in a league of her own."
As the song builds to a crescendo, Mindy's voice soars. The emotion in her is palpable. At that moment, I know with a bone-deep certainty that I would do anything just to keep her by my side. My cock is painfully hard as I anticipate the sex we'll have once all the guests leave.
When the final note hangs in the air and her set comes to a close, the room erupts into applause. Mindy opens her eyes, a slow, sensual smile curving her lips. She takes a bow, and as she straightens, she briefly glances at me.
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen," she says with a sweet tone. "I hope you enjoyed the music." She turns towards me with a smile and adds, "And once again, happy birthday to our wonderful host, Mr. Maron Korolev."
But as the applause dies down, I notice a sudden shift in the atmosphere.
Mindy's still standing on stage, basking in the afterglow of her performance. But she must also feel the shift because her expression changes. Her eyes are wide open and her smile disappears, replaced by a look of shock and disbelief. She’s looking towards the entrance of the hall we’re in.
I turn around to see what caught her attention. When I finally see it, my blood runs cold in a mix of shock and anger.
Blyad.
Behind the crowd of people, stands a man. Scratch that, a manchild. A swaying manchild. And the very last fucking person I want to see tonight.
My wayward brother, aka. Mindy’s ex, aka. the new COO of my organ trade business.
My half-brother, Maurice.