CHAPTER 18 #2
I hauled her against me, twisting my hand in her hair, pulling her head back until her neck arched.
Her cry was muffled as my mouth descended on hers, a brutal, punishing kiss that was pure rage and desperate possessiveness.
I wanted to consume her, to silence her, to possess her so completely that no other thought, no other man, no other secret could ever penetrate her mind.
My tongue plunged into her mouth, tasting her fear, her defiance, her reluctant arousal.
I plundered, devoured, tearing at her lips with my teeth.
She struggled, her small hands pushing against my chest, but I was stronger, fueled by a primal need to dominate, to claim.
My other hand ripped at her sweater, tearing the soft fabric, exposing the delicate skin beneath.
Her nipples beaded, instantly hard, a traitorous response that only fueled my rage.
“You want to play games, kitten?” I snarled against her mouth, my breath hot and ragged. “You want to dig into my secrets? You want to risk your pretty little neck trying to uncover my traitors? Fine. You want to know what my world is truly like? I’ll show you.”
I swept her up, throwing her over my shoulder like a sack of grain.
Her muffled protests were lost against my shoulder as I stalked out of the studio, through the silent hallway, and into the master bedroom.
My fury was a living thing, pulsing through my veins, demanding release.
And she, my fierce, defiant Rose, was the only thing that could satiate it.
I threw her onto the massive bed, the plush mattress swallowing her small form. She scrambled back, her eyes wide with terror, her torn sweater barely covering her breasts. But there was nowhere to run. I was already over her, my body a dark, imposing shadow, caging her against the sheets.
“Get on your knees, Rose,” I commanded, my voice raw, laced with venom. “And tell me everything. Every single fucking detail.”
Her eyes flashed with a fresh wave of defiance, even as a tremor ran through her body. “I won’t,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“You will,” I countered, my hand reaching out, grabbing her hair again, pulling her head back. “Or I will make you beg.” My gaze swept over her, taking in her exposed skin, the fear in her eyes, the subtle tremor of her lips. The sight only intensified the knot of desire and rage in my gut.
I leaned down, my lips brushing her ear, my voice a low, dangerous growl.
“You put yourself in danger today, moya roza. You flirted with my men. You poked at secrets that could get you killed. You think I’m going to let that go unpunished?
You think I’m going to let you hide things from me, when your very existence is tied to my fucking empire? ”
My hand ripped at the remnants of her sweater, tearing it completely, then tearing through her leggings, leaving her naked, vulnerable, exposed beneath me.
She gasped, a small, choked sound. The sight of her naked, trembling body, her pale skin against the dark sheets, ignited a fresh wave of possessiveness. This was mine. All mine.
I moved between her legs, pressing my hard cock against her wet heat, a silent promise of what was to come. Her eyes fluttered shut, a whimper escaping her lips.
“Tell me, Rose,” I demanded, my voice rough, urgent. “Tell me everything. Who are you talking about? What proof do you have? Don’t hide a single thing from me, your defiant little whore.”
She shook her head, tears starting to fall from her tightly shut eyes. “I can’t...”
My hand slapped her ass, a sharp, stinging crack that echoed in the silent room.
She cried out, her body arching. “You will, suka,” I hissed, pressing deeper into her, tormenting her with my proximity.
“You will tell me every single thing. And you will like it. You will learn that my pleasure and my answers are intertwined. You will learn that your body is a conduit for my control, for my truth.”
I drove into her then, a hard, brutal thrust that stole the air from her lungs.
She cried out, her back arching, her nails digging into the sheets.
My own grunt was savage, raw. This wasn’t gentle.
This wasn’t tenderness. This was a claiming, a punishment, an interrogation fueled by betrayal and fear.
I moved, a relentless, punishing rhythm, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand, her hips beneath me, grinding into her. Her cries mixed with my growls, a symphony of rage and desperate pleasure.
“Speak!” I commanded, each thrust punctuating my words. “Tell me about Valentin. Tell me the fucking proof. Tell me the cipher. Tell me about Volkov.”
Her head thrashed against the pillows, tears streaming down her face, but her lips were tight, her eyes shut. She was still fighting. Still defying me. The stubborn bitch.
I leaned down, biting her neck, sucking hard until I heard her whimper. My teeth scraped her sensitive skin, sending shivers through her. “You think you can keep secrets from me? You think you can withhold information, when my empire is at stake? When your life is at stake?”
My words were cold, brutal, even as my body plunged deeper, faster, harder. She was tight, so incredibly tight, gripping me with an intensity that threatened to unravel my control. The anger and the raw lust were a potent, volatile mix, blurring the lines between punishment and desperate need.
“The ledger,” she finally gasped, her voice broken, desperate.
“Morozov Holdings, 1948-1952. The crescent moon cipher... it’s a secondary cipher, old, but new dates.
Waterfront properties... it’s Valentin, Liam.
He’s been diverting resources. He’s been in contact with Volkov.
My father’s journal... it mentioned him, ‘The Serpent’...
an old faction, allied with him... Valentin is V.A. ”