Chapter 2
Chapter
Two
ALEKSANDER
S he tries to speak around the ball gag in her mouth as she shifts on her knees, her hands tied behind her back. I stand over her, the surge of power going through my body, knowing I am in complete control of this moment.
“I told you,” I say. “You can’t speak right now. You will do as I say, yes?”
She nods.
I place a kiss on her head, then step back. “Good.” Then I grab the paddle off the wall and smack it against my hand. “Now, bend over, face against the floor.”
She does exactly as I tell her, and I step up behind her and bring the paddle down hard on her ass.
I’ve been practicing as a dom for about five years now. I was introduced to it by my boss, Mikhail Ivanov.
As a guy from the slums of Moscow, I was never a part of extravagance and luxury. Never someone who would join an exclusive club just to fuck women and control their bodies. I know what it’s like to not have food on the table. What it’s like to scrimp and save for every ruble. I never had the chance to partake in anything fun—not when I was striving hard to care for my parents so they didn’t end up on the street.
But then I met Mikhail Ivanov. A man more powerful than anyone I’d ever met. He saw my potential when I tried to steal from him. Instead of killing me on the spot, he offered me a job.
Since then, I’ve been living in an entirely new world.
I lean against the bar of the BDSM club. Despite how rigorous a place like Moscow can be, people will always find a way to have some fun. My eyes land on Katya, the woman I just had a scene with, as she walks past. We give each other a nod and go our separate ways.
I’m not a commitment type of man when it comes to the submissive women of the club. If anyone wants a dom to have some fun time with, I’m your man. It’s purely casual.
I do make sure the women I’m with are ok after we’re done. Pushing a woman’s body beyond her limits is thrilling, but I’m not in the mood to abuse anyone. No woman has ever complained. In fact, the many times I’ve returned to the club, I’ve had some of the same women ask to spend time with me for the evening. Katya is one of them.
I pay for my expensive vodka and take a sip. Never in a million years would I believe I’d be here right now, drinking vodka that would have cost more than my rent growing up.
I’m a free man now, no longer bound to poverty. A self-made man who’s worked my way up from the bottom to the top.
Nothing could be sweeter.
When my phone rings and I see it’s Mikhail calling, I finish my drink and step outside to do my job. It’s never-ending.
That’s the price of working in the Bratva.
VIKTORIYA
I stare at Gleb over the kitchen table. His handsome face stares right back. Mila shifts in her seat without saying anything. It’s up to me.
“So, what do you want?” I ask him.
Gleb cracks a smile, and I hate it even more. “As I said, it’s my job to make sure you girls are protected. Boris instructed me to care for you in case he died.”
“We’re not girls. We’re women.”
I can tell instantly Gleb hates that I just said it. Good. That’s why I said it in the first place. “Boris warned me about you, Viktoriya. Always with the attitude.” He speaks casually, but there’s an undercurrent beneath his words. Anger. I do tend to make men angry.
“I’m just stating a fact, Gleb. I’m twenty-five, and Mila is eighteen. We’re not girls. We’re women.”
“All right. Well, it is my duty to make sure you women are protected.”
“Protected from what?” I ask. “The person we needed protecting from was Boris, but he’s dead now. Mila and I are safe here. No one is coming after us. We don’t need your protection.”
“But you do need a husband.”
I tense. “Are you offering?”
Gleb’s smirk deepens as he chuckles. “Heaven’s no. I said to think of me as a father figure. I have no desire to marry either of you. I want you to trust me. I’m here to help you both find a husband. That is all.”
“You can’t blame my sister or me for not trusting you. We’ve been through a lot since our parents died.”
“And that’s why I’m here to help. I know Boris tried to marry Mila.” He gives Mila a soft smile that I don’t like one bit. It’s not jealousy. It’s anger on my part. Mila quickly averts her gaze before Gleb turns back to me. “But I can assure you, I would never do that. I will make sure you’re safe and cared for. That is all.”
Something tells me kicking Gleb out of my house isn’t in my best interest. “Fine. We appreciate the care and safety. Now”—I stand up— “Mila and I have a busy day. So, let me walk you to the door.”
“Oh, no.” Gleb leans back in his seat. “I’m not going anywhere. Since I will be a father figure to you both, I need to live here. Keep an eye on you.”
“Live here?” Mila whispers.
“No,” I say bluntly.
“No? Viktoriya, I’m here to stay. I would suggest you keep that attitude in check.”
“This is my house. It went to me after our parents died. I have the right to tell you to leave.”
He doesn’t move an inch.
“I’ll call the cops,” I tell him.
Gleb only shrugs. “And tell them what? I work for the Bratva. We own most of New York and the police. I’m here to stay. Now, I would love some dinner.” He looks at me expectantly.
It doesn’t seem to matter where Mila or I go. We’re hunted by Bratva men, keen on hurting us. Gleb may say he wants to protect us, but he must have an ulterior motive. I know Bratva men. They don’t do anything out of the kindness of their hearts.
“I don’t cook.”
“That’s a shame.” He turns to Mila. “Can you cook?”
“Mila, don’t answer,” I snap when she opens her mouth. She quickly shuts it. “I’ll order something.”
Gleb nods once. “Sounds good.”
I grab Mila’s hand and hurry into the hallway. “What are we going to do?” she asks.
“We’re going to call Sofiya. She wanted us back in New York because she thought we’d be safer here. But Gleb proves we’re not.”
“So … what does that mean?”
“It means,” I say as I press Sofiya’s name in my phone, “we’re going back to Russia.”
SOFIYA
When I get the call my sisters are once again in trouble, I immediately tell Mikhail we need to bring them to Russia.
“But the last time they were here,” he says, “they almost died. Do you think this is wise?”
“I think they’re always going to be in danger. I’d rather them be here and in danger where you can help protect them than in New York in danger all on their own. Apparently, Boris had it in a clause for some other man to come in and be in charge of my sisters. We need to help them, Mikhail.”
He smiles down at me, making me feel instantly at ease. “Of course, we’ll help them.”
“Help who?” Aleksander asks, walking through the front door. Mikhail invited him over to discuss business. Aleksander is younger than Mikhail by at least ten years. But despite being in his thirties, he gives off the energy of someone much older. Harder. That’s it. Aleksander has a hard disposition.
“Sofiya’s sisters are coming back to Russia.”
Aleksander’s face doesn’t change, but there’s a slight lightening of his eyes. “Oh? I remember them. The quiet one.”
“Mila,” I offer.
“And the not-so-quiet one,” he continues.
“That would be Viktoriya,” I say with a sigh.
“I remember Viktoriya, all right.”
It puts me on edge the way he says that. The last time Vik was here, Mikhail threw a party, and Aleksander told her to dance, even though she still had a hurt ankle. She refused, and things became tense. I’m not surprised he remembers her—he seemed to have set his sights on her before.
“Aleksander,” I say, “I am asking you to leave Vik alone. She’s seeking safety here.”
He inclines his head. “Of course. I have no intention of making Viktoriya uncomfortable. I just don’t take too well to people with large egos.”
If there’s anyone I know in this life who has a large ego, it’s Viktoriya.
“Viktoriya doesn’t need to worry about me,” he says.
For some reason, I feel like he’s lying.
VIKTORIYA
The moment Gleb goes to bed, Mila and I start packing. “I can’t believe he’s sleeping in our house,” I whisper to her as I shove my clothes into my suitcase. Normally, I’d take better care of them, but right now, we just need to leave.
“It’s weird,” Mila admits.
“Creepy, more like it. Now, hurry.”
We finish packing and head downstairs. Mikhail sent his private jet to take us to Moscow. All we need to do is get to the private airstrip.
My hand is on the doorknob when I hear Gleb behind us. “Where are you two going?”
I freeze. Normally, I always know what to say, but right now, I have nothing.
“Moscow,” Mila admits.
“Mila!” I hiss.
“Sorry.”
Gleb walks down the stairs and approaches us. “Why?”
“To visit our sister,” I say. “We haven’t seen Sofiya in a month. It’s time.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving? I will go with you.”
“No. You don’t have to. Mila and I have this covered. Just go back to bed.”
“It’s my duty to care for you girls, remember?”
Women . “Our brother-in-law sent us a jet, so we’re leaving now. See you later, Gleb.”
“I’m coming with.” He steps in front of me, blocking my way.
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am. Viktoriya, you don’t seem to understand that it’s my job to see you’re taken care of. So, I’m coming with.”
“Will you step out of the way if I agree?”
“Yes.”
I exchange a glance with Mila. Neither of us wants Gleb coming with us, but there’s no choice. I’d rather have Mikhail’s protection than Gleb’s. If it means Gleb is coming, then hopefully, I can just ignore him in Moscow. “Fine.”
Gleb nods and steps out of the way. “I think you’ll see you made the right decision.”
I resist the urge to sneer at him and open the door.
Moscow is just as I remember it—dreary. Fall is starting to creep in, and soon, the cold will come with it.
Sofiya and Mikhail greet us at the airstrip as we leave the jet.
“I missed you,” Sofiya says, drawing Mila into a hug first. Then she steps back and smiles at me. “Both of you.”
“I’m sure.” Awkwardly, we hug each other.
“Who is that?” Mikhail asks, nodding at Gleb as he gets off the plane.
“That’s Gleb,” I say with fake cheer. “Our new daddy.”
Sofiya snorts. “What?”
I sigh and throw a look at Gleb. “He insisted on coming. We tried to leave before he could come, but well, he’s here now. Just make sure Mikhail will protect us this time.”
“I will,” Sofiya promises.
Gleb meets my eyes and smiles in a way that makes me hate him more. I turn away from him, ready to begin my life again in Russia. It feels one step closer to losing everything I worked so hard for. My dance career. If I couldn’t cut it in New York, I definitely won’t be able to make it work in Moscow.
When I step through the front door of Mikhail’s penthouse, I’m struck by the number of people there.
“You’re throwing a party?” I ask.
“I had this event already in motion,” Mikhail tells me. “I couldn’t change it just because you were coming.”
Looking around, I take in all the faces of the men present. Because that’s the thing—it’s all just men. I remember Mikhail’s parties. They were usually just attended by men, which always made me uncomfortable. All those eyes on me, and none worthy to even look in my direction.
“Sorry about this,” Sofiya says, pulling us to the side. “I asked him if he could change it, but you know Mikhail. Once he has something planned, he sticks to it. I’m just glad he agreed to let you both come back.”
Gleb saunters up to us. “Are you girls all right? Tired from the trip?”
Sofiya raises her eyebrow at “girls.”
“We’re talking to our sister now,” I tell him.
He doesn’t walk away.
“I think what my sister means,” Sofiya says, “is that we’d like to talk alone, if you don’t mind.”
“All right. Just be careful.” He joins the fray of men and, fortunately, leaves us alone.
“He’s something else,” Sofiya says.
“You can say,” I mutter. “He’s so insistent on treating us like we’re children. He thinks he can find me a husband.”
“I take it you haven’t found a husband yet.”
I flip my hair over my shoulder. “No man is good enough. Trust me. I’ve met with a few, and all of them were utter disappointments.”
Sofiya opens her mouth, closes it, then shakes her head. “Never change, Vik. Never change.”
“I’m worried Gleb might force us to marry someone we don’t want to marry,” Mila says. “He says he’s not like Boris, but … I’m not sure.”
“Well, you’re here now,” Sofiya says to her. “Mikhail will make sure you’re safe. Whatever Gleb is up to, he can’t hurt you here.”
“You said that before about Boris, but he still found a way to kidnap you and almost kill me,” I remind her. “I’m not sure anywhere is safe.”
Sofiya doesn’t answer because she knows I’m right. When you’re a woman stuck in a world full of powerful men, you will never be safe.
I go into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Champagne is being passed around, but I’m not about to get drunk in a house full of men. I have standards.
Mikhail is in the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. He glances over at me and nods. “Viktoriya.”
“Mikhail.” I open the fridge and grab one for myself. “So … nice to see you again.”
“Being polite this time. How novel.”
“Don’t you know? I’m always polite.” I stare at him harder. “I have to ask, Mikhail. I need to know you will protect Mila and me. I know you love Sofiya, but Mila and I don’t have anyone else.”
He takes a sip of his water. “I know. I also know you and I haven’t always gotten along. As long as you don’t try anything stupid, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”
“You say that, but you invited us into a house full of men the second we got here. How can I know for sure?”
“I invited you into my house. You should learn to show some respect, Viktoriya. You wouldn’t want me to marry you off to any of these men, but I can, and I will if you piss me off.”
“How would I do that?” I’m keeping a brave face on, but my heart is beating a mile a minute.
“You tried to make Sofiya leave me once before. Don’t let it happen again.”
“I swear. I have no intention of making Sofiya leave you. I just want …” What do I want? To make my own choices. To not be ruled by men. To find a man who is my right match. To not be mortified I can’t dance any longer. To not be upset that no man wants me.
Mikhail doesn’t press me for more. He just nods and leaves the room. I slump against the counter and stare at a plate full of lobster balls. I grab one and stuff it into my mouth.
As soon as I swallow, I regret it.
I rush over to the sink and force myself to throw it back up. It stings, but it feels good. It’s a relief. If I can lose the weight, I can dance again. Then everything will be all right in this world. Gleb won’t be a threat. I will find the man who’ll make me happy.
I can do this.
I rinse my mouth out when I hear someone behind me.
“Ate something bad?” a man asks.
I gasp and stand up and whirl around, subtly wiping at my mouth. “Yes, I—” I stop abruptly.
I know him.
I don’t know him well, but I’ve met him before.
Aleksander.
He was one of Mikhail’s party guests. I distinctly remember him trying to force me to dance when I didn’t want to. He also told me I should be careful what I say around the men in the other room. Of course, I didn’t listen.
No man will ever tell me what to do.
I’m struck by how handsome Aleksander is. I think I forgot. Dark hair that falls slightly into his eyes. A mischievous grin. Tall and broad-shouldered.
He looks down at the lobster rolls on the counter. “I guess I should avoid eating those, shouldn’t I?”
“Why are you talking to me?”
“Why shouldn’t I talk to you?”
“Because of …”
He raises an eyebrow. It makes him more handsome, which only makes me more annoyed. “Of …”
Ok, Vik , I say to myself. Don’t let him get under your skin. You’re better than him in every way .
I push away from the sink and walk up to him. “What gives you the right to talk to me? I don’t like you.”
“I’m allowed to walk into the kitchen and grab a drink.” He walks around me, grabs a bottle of vodka off a shelf, and pours himself a glass. “Mikhail is stingy with his alcohol, but that doesn’t stop me from indulging.”
“Well, drink your drink, then leave. The kitchen is my domain.”
“Oh, so you’re saying you like being in the kitchen? Are you going to make me a sandwich?”
My jaw drops. “I cannot believe you just asked me that.”
Aleksander slowly approaches me, almost like a big cat going in for the kill. “You don’t like being told what to do, do you?”
“No. I don’t.”
“Maybe you need a man who’ll tell you what to do. Get rid of that attitude of yours.”
“Why does every man think I have an attitude? I’m just a woman who knows what she wants.”
“And what is it you want?” He’s standing so close to me; I can smell him. Like sandalwood and smoke.
“I want a man worthy of me. So far, I haven’t met him.”
“And what kind of man is worthy of you?”
“The kind who’s wealthy and of high status.”
Aleksander’s eyes darken, which makes me want to shiver. I don’t, of course. No man will ever have an effect on me. “I’m wealthy and have high status. I’m Mikhail’s second in command now. Though, I had to work for it. I wasn’t born into wealth like you were, princess. So, does that put me out of the running?”
“Where are you from?”
“The slums. I grew up poor.” He doesn’t say it with an ounce of embarrassment. If it were me, I’d be mortified to tell people that.
“You’re right,” I say, standing up straighter. “You’re not worthy of me. I don’t want your poverty rubbing off on me.”
When Aleksander smirks and steps back, it’s like I can breathe again. “You really do have an attitude, Viktoriya. I would watch it if I were you.”
“Why? Because you want to put me in my place?”
“Oh, I’d love to put you in your place. But alas, I promised your sister I wouldn’t bother you. I’m only telling you to be careful because the men here don’t like a woman with a big mouth.”
“I just say what’s on my mind. That’s not a crime.”
“Here it is,” he says darkly. His eyes look me up and down. I could slap him for his audacity. “Just be careful, Viktoriya.” With a last glance, he walks away.
What is with men? First, Gleb thinking he can be the boss of me, now Aleksander? I didn’t ask for his opinion. Mikhail will protect me. I’m fine here.
I leave the kitchen and reenter the party, expecting to be bombarded with male attention … except none of the men look in my direction.
No, they’re all looking toward the foyer where a man is standing. Another handsome man in a suit that exudes more power than most. A quiet murmuring fills the room.
I find Sofiya and grab her arm. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure.”
It’s then I see Mikhail storming across the room toward the new guest. “What are you doing here?” he demands.
“I’m here to offer peace,” the other man says. “I’m not here to cause any trouble.”
“Get out,” Mikhail seethes. “Get out!”
The man takes a lazy look around the room, his gaze stopping briefly on Mila, before settling back on Mikhail. “Fine. I’ll leave. But truly, Mikhail, I hold no ill will toward you.”
“Why would you? I never did anything to your family. It was all your father’s fault. Now get the fuck out of my house.”
The man nods once and leaves without a fight.
Mikhail is breathing heavily as he walks over to us.
“Are you ok?” Sofiya asks, rubbing his arm.
“No.”
“Who was that man?”
Mikhail drops his head and sighs deeply. “That was Damien. Damien Petrov.”
The name doesn’t ring any bells. It’s obvious from Sofiya’s expression she doesn’t know either.
“His father was Ivan Petrov. The man who …” He doesn’t finish. Sofiya gasps.
“Oh, Mikhail. I’m so sorry.”
“I just need a minute.” He heads toward his office, ignoring all the looks his other guests are throwing his way.
“Who?” I ask Sofiya.
“Mikhail had a wife and son long before he met me.”
I go still. “You never told me about that.”
“It was his news to share. Well, his son was killed by a man named Ivan Petrov. The man who just walked in is his son.”
“Jesus,” I murmur. “I don’t …”
“I know,” Sofiya adds. “I wonder why he showed up? Mikhail told me he never got to have revenge on Ivan because he died of a heart attack soon after, and his son, Damien, went into hiding after the incident. He was a kid himself when it happened. So, he’s not to blame for Mikhail’s son’s death. But I’m sure seeing him wasn’t easy for Mikhail. I should go check on him.”
“Yeah, go.”
Sofiya hurries away, leaving me standing there and looking out into the sea of male faces. Coming to Russia, I was trying to escape my problems. But it seems I’m not the only one with problems.
My eyes land on Aleksander. He raises his glass to me before taking a sip.
I quickly look away. If Mikhail is dealing with his own issues, then how can he properly protect Mila and me?
I thought coming here would be a better option, but I’m starting to wonder if I was wrong.