Ivan
Iusually wake up at five in the morning, no matter what time I go to bed, but as the sun peeks through my blinds and my eyelids flutter open, I realize I’ve overslept for the first time in years.
Only Lily would be able to do this to me.
I look over at her pale figure. She’s still asleep, tangled up in the sheets but still exposed. She’s sleeping with one leg pulled up to her chest, and the other dangling down toward the foot of the bed.
Her torso is mostly covered by the blanket, but her ass isn’t, and I feel my cock stiffen as I sit up in bed to get a better look.
It’s unfair how attractive she is. Even though I spent the better part of last night filling her up with my seed, all I want to do this morning is climb on top and ride her again.
But doing so would require waking her up, and I need to make a phone call before she carries through on her promise from last night. Arrangements must be made to ensure her safety.
I still can’t believe she’s so hardheaded as to insist on only spending one night with me. She could have a new life here, with all the money, sex, and clothes she could ever desire, and I’d give it to her in a heartbeat.
But she chose to leave in the morning, and the sun of a new day is already shining, so the clock is ticking. Leaving the protection of my estate going to get her killed, no doubt, but I’ll do everything in my power to prevent that from happening.
Not the leaving part, unfortunately, but I do have plenty of security at my disposal. Now that I know the Red Hitters are back to their devious ways, security is going to be much tighter. Nobody comes into this estate, and nobody leaves unless they’re escorted by a dozen armed guards.
That includes Lily, whether she likes it or not.
Plus, I’ve decided she needs to be tracked by GPS. Not only will it satisfy my curiosity about where she lives and works, which she has declined to tell me, but it will make her easier for my security detail to follow her without being spotted.
I slip out of bed, my feet hitting the warm rug beside the bed with a muffled thud. I look over my shoulder at the divine female form before leaving, wishing things could be different. One night isn’t enough, but a lifetime in her arms wouldn’t be enough either. She’s so perfect that it’s painful.
Tearing my eyes from her delicate body, I walk carefully over to the dresser and pull my phone out of the top drawer. Dialing Donovan’s number, I slip out of the bedroom and walk down the hallway naked.
“Ivan, I was waiting for a call,” Donovan blurts the moment he picks up the phone. “What have you been doing?”
“Laying low,” I reply, leaving out crucial information on purpose. I don’t want him knowing I got distracted by a woman. That would make me look weak.
“Probably a good idea,” Donovan says, his voice relaxing a bit. “They’re looking for you. Everyone is, really. Make sure you have security turned up to eleven at your estate.”
“Already on it,” I assure him. “What I want to know is why they’re coming down so hard all of the sudden. It’s been six months since we heard from them, and now they’re doing drive-by shootings at public cemeteries? It’s awfully bold.”
“I’ve gotten intel that new funding was approved for the department. They’ve added an entirely new set of people, at least a dozen, and now they’re buying military grade weapons. Things are about to get a lot more dangerous.”
I ball my hand into a tight fist, cursing under my breath as I reach the staircase. I descend it at a rapid pace, heat rising to my face as I process what he’s just told me. “We need to take them down. It’s got to be fast, before they come rolling through my house in a tank.”
“There’s going to be blood,” Donovan warns. “We already had an innocent person get hit at the funeral, and the police are all over the place, claiming the Bratva is behind it. Everyone who gets hit by a stray is going to be blamed on us.”
“That’s always been the case,” I reply. “Let the media write their stories and get their clicks. We’re not going to let it interfere with our business.”
“Fair enough, but you want to make sure the public doesn’t turn against us. We have deals with a lot of people around the city that would sooner drop us than get mixed up in a situation that’s going nuclear,” he says, his voice tight with concern.
I shake my head. “Nothing we can do about it, unfortunately. Besides, the money we get from those clients is nothing compared to what we’re going to get once we finish what Dimitri was working on. Project G. Don’t forget about that.”
“Do you have the research yet?”
I grip the phone a little tighter. “No, but I’m going over to his house today to get it. Care to join me?”
“That place will be crawling with Red Hitters,” he replies, his voice drenched in reluctance.
“Don’t be a pussy,” I growl. “That research is the only thing standing between us and nearly unlimited wealth. Do you realize how powerful we’re going to be once we finish it and begin selling the finished product?”
There’s a long pause, and I can tell Donovan is having doubts. He’s always the more skeptical one, the guy who doesn’t believe in things until he sees them with his own eyes. He keeps me in check, but the Bratva needs visionaries as well. Dimitri was a brilliant dreamer, but now that he’s gone, I have to take his torch and move us forward with the research.
“Project G is still alive. You’ll see,” I say, breaking the uncomfortable silence as I enter the kitchen. “I want you to meet me there is evening, just before sundown. We’ll move quickly, and with few people.”
“And if the Red Hitters are already there?” he asks.
I laugh. “Then we shoot the bastards. This is war, Donovan. Blood will be spilt, and I’m tired of walking on eggshells around those motherfuckers.”
“I guess I’ll bring my vest, then.”
“Bring grenades if you must, but make sure you’re prepared to move quickly. All we need to do is get the files and get out.”
“Easy enough,” he replies, but I sense sarcasm in his voice.
I ignore it for now, switching topics as I pull a glass bottle of sparkling water from my fridge. “I have something else for you to do in the meantime, by the way. A special mission, if you will, but keep it secret. This is just between us.”
“I though Project G was the secret,” he replies, sounding curious.
I smile. “That’s the main thing, but I have something more urgent. Dimitri didn’t die without leaving something behind. He has a niece, a twenty-five-year-old woman named Lily.”
“You think she knows something about the research?”
My water fizzes as I pour it into a glass, taking a sip before replying. “It’s possible, but unlikely. She does have a connection to the Bratva, which means she’s likely to become a target for the Red Hitters, if she isn’t already.”
“They’d love to get their hands on a woman. They’re easy to get information out of,” he replies.
The mere thought of any of those crooked cops putting their hands on my precious Lily makes me want to throw my glass across the kitchen. She doesn’t deserve to be treated like a disposable pawn, and I’m not going to let them put her through that. She must be protected, no matter the cost.
“She’s in my care at the moment, but she wants to leave the estate,” I explain, trying to steady my shaking hand so I don’t spill water all over myself. “As you know, under Bratva rules, I can’t keep members of high-ranking family members against their will.”
“Is she that important?” he asks, doubt creeping into his voice.
I try to hide my emotions, but anger shines through my voice like the beginnings of a wildfire. It’s impossible to keep it under control. “She is part of the Bratva. She will be protected whether you think it’s important or not.”
“Oh… I, um, wasn’t aware she was sworn in. Highly unusual, considering her age.”
“Just get a team together that can track her without her knowledge. I’m going to hook her up with GPS, and she shouldn’t be hard to follow. I want to know where she lives, where she works, and more importantly, if any of the Red Hitters decide to pay her a visit.”
I throw back the rest of my water, hoping it will cool me down. I don’t want Lily to come downstairs and find me in such a furious state. She would immediately know something is wrong.
“I can get some people together, but this is short notice. Understand that it’s going to be difficult to keep her out of danger,” Donovan says, speaking slower and choosing his words more carefully.
“Don’t let it happen. This is more important than you realize,” I snarl. “If anything happens to her, there will be severe consequences for you.”
“Is… is that a threat?” he asks, his voice wavering a bit. I can hear the fear now, the uncertainty that comes from being called out so harshly. He’s confused as to why this is so important, but that’s not for him to understand. I need him following orders, not questioning them.
“It’s not a threat, Donovan, it’s a promise. Keep Lily safe from the Red Hitters,” I say, hanging up immediately after.