Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CAMILLA
It’s been two agonizing weeks since Maksim put the mansion on total lockdown. No one is allowed in, no one is allowed out, and the guards have doubled at every perimeter, standing like motionless black sentinels at every corner of the esta te.
I have tried to be patient. I have tried to remind myself that he’s doing this because Viktor is circling like a vulture, waiting for a single crack in his armor.
But as day fourteen bleeds into the night, the walls of this grand, marble fortress are beginning to shrink around me, suffocating me inch by inch.
It feels too much like the auction. It feels like being locked in a cage by powerful men who think they can make every decision for my life under the guise of keeping me safe.
To keep from pacing the halls like a trapped animal, I’ve been spending my afternoons in the mansion’s massive library with Nastya.
"How are you liking that one?" Nastya asks softly from across the room, peering over the top of her own book.
I look down at the heavy hardcover in my lap, the words blurring into meaningless ink. I’ve never actually been much of a fan of books, only picking this one up out of sheer, soul-crushing boredom. But Nastya is so sweet, so genuinely kind, that I force a warm, polite smile onto my face.
"It's really nice," I say, keeping my tone gentle.
Nastya offers a soft, contented nod before dipping back into her pages.
I know she’s technically trapped in this house too, but her cage has a much longer leash.
Over the past two weeks, she’s been allowed out of the mansion multiple times, as long as Dmitri is with her to guard her.
But for me? Maksim has been so suffocatingly strict that I haven't even been granted that simple leeway. I am grounded, completely and entirely.
I hold it together for another two minutes before my patience completely snaps.
Slap!
I slam the book onto the leather couch, the sharp sound shattering the quiet room. Nastya blinks in surprise, but I’m already on my feet.
“Excuse me, Nastya.” I smooth down my clothes, my pulse humming with a hot, restless irritation as I march straight out of the library and down the grand hallway toward Maksim’s study.
If he thinks he can keep me locked in here like a golden prisoner while everyone else comes and goes, he has another thing coming.
I push open the heavy double doors of the study, ready to confront him, but the high-backed leather chair behind the oak desk is empty. Only Dmitri stands by the side cabinet, pouring a glass of amber liquor.
"Where is he?" I ask, my voice sharp, crossing my arms over my chest.
Dmitri pauses, setting the decanter down, his face as unreadable as ever. "Maksim went up to the bedroom a short while ago, Camilla," he replies smoothly. "He’s had a long afternoon with the elders."
I don't wait for him to finish. I turn on my heel, my jaw set, and march up the grand staircase toward the master suite, annoyance fueling every single step.
I throw the heavy wooden doors open without knocking. The loud bang against the wall echoes through the room.
Maksim is standing near the edge of the bed, his dark suit jacket already discarded, his tie loosened around his collar. He’s holding a glass of amber whiskey halfway to his lips. He freezes at the sudden intrusion, his dark brows drawing together as a deep, tired frown settles onto his sharp face.
"What's wrong, princess?" he asks, his voice low. Hearing the endearment almost derails me, but I stand my ground.
"What's wrong?" I echo, storming into the center of the room and shoving the door shut behind me. "I am losing my mind, Maksim! It’s been two weeks. Two weeks of standing at windows, watching armed guards walk the perimeter like I’m a high-security prisoner!"
"It's a lockdown for your safety," he says calmly, taking a slow sip of his drink and setting the crystal glass on the nightstand. "Viktor and your father are waiting for a single mistake. My job is to make sure they don't get one."
"Nastya gets to leave!" I snap, crossing my arms, my breathing quick and ragged. "Dmitri takes her out. She gets air. She gets to exist outside these four walls. But me? I can't even step out onto the patio without three snipers adjusting their scopes. Protection without trust is still a cage!"
Maksim steps into my space, his towering frame casting a long shadow over me, his gray-blue eyes flashing with a dark, dangerous intensity.
"I am keeping you alive!" he growls, his voice echoing off the high ceilings.
"Do you have any idea what they will do to you if they catch you outside these gates?
They won't just kill you, Camilla. They will use you to tear everything I've built to the ground.
I am not locking you up out of spite; I am doing it because I refuse to put you in a fucking ground! "
"And I refuse to live like a ghost!" I yell right back, stepping flush against his chest, refusing to back down an inch.
"I didn't escape my father's prison just to be kept in a more expensive one by you!
You taught me how to shoot down in that range.
You saw what I can do. But when it comes down to it, you still view me as something fragile that needs to be locked in a box! "
"You are not fragile!" he roars, his large hands coming up to grip my shoulders, his pulse hammering beneath his warm skin.
"Then stop treating me like a prisoner!" I shout, my eyes blazing into his. "If I have no freedom, if I have no say, then this isn't a partnership. It's just another auction, and you're just the man who bought me!"
The words hit him like a physical blow.
Maksim flinches, his grip on my shoulders tightening for a fraction of a second before he abruptly lets go, stepping back as if I had burned him.
A heavy, suffocating silence settles over the room.
His chest heaves as he stares down at me, his jaw clenching and unclenching, a storm of fierce emotion crashing behind his eyes.
For a long moment, I think he's going to turn around and walk out.
Instead, Maksim reaches into his pocket, pulls out a sleek, black keycard, and strides over to the hidden digital terminal near the suite's private exit. His thick fingers quickly punch in a complex, seven-digit security override sequence.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Click.
The green light on the panel flashes, signaling the master lock disengaging.
He turns back to me, his voice dropping into a rough, quiet rumble that vibrates straight through my chest.
"Four-eight-two-nine-zero-one," he says, staring directly into my eyes. "That is the master security code for the estate perimeter, the armory, and the garage doors. It overrides the main gate locks."
I freeze, my chest heaving, completely caught off guard as I stare at the keypad, then back at him.
"Why are you giving me this?" I ask quietly, my anger suddenly wavering.
"Because I am trying, Camilla," Maksim murmurs, taking a slow step toward me, his hand coming up to gently cupped the side of my face, his thumb tracing my cheekbone with an incredible tenderness.
"I have spent my entire life controlling every single variable around me to survive.
Controlling everything is the only way I know how to keep people alive.
But if keeping you safe means making you feel like my captive... "
He pauses, his dark eyes vulnerable in a way I have never seen before.
"The code is yours," he finishes softly. "You can leave whenever you want. Just... let me send Dmitri with you when you do. Not as a guard to control you, but as a shadow to protect you."
His words are so soft, so completely stripped of the ruthless Pakhan persona, that I feel my heart squeeze tight in my chest. All the hot anger that was burning through my veins seconds ago completely evaporates, leaving behind a deep, aching warmth.
Without a word, I rise onto the tips of my toes, sliding my hand around the back of his neck, and slant my lips over his.
Maksim lets out a low, ragged groan, his arms instantly wrapping around my waist like iron bands to drag me flush against his hard body.
He deepens the kiss instantly, taking my mouth with a fierce, demanding hunger that burns straight down to my toes.
He pulls back just an inch, his tongue sliding out to lick the seam of my wet lips, his breath hot and ragged against my skin.
"I want you, Camilla," he growls, his gray-blue eyes dark, blown-out, and blazing with pure possession. "Right now."
I don't say a word. I step back out of his grip, reaching behind my back towards my zipper. With one swift motion, I pull it down. The silk fabric glides off my shoulders, rustling softly as the dress pools at my feet, leaving me in nothing but black lace.
Maksim’s eyes darken to absolute pitch. A primal rumble vibrates deep in his chest, and before I can even catch my breath, he is on me again.
He closes the distance instantly, his large hands gripping my hips to lift me cleanly off the floor.
I wrap my legs around his waist, my back hitting the heavy wooden door with a solid thud as his mouth slams down on mine once more.
His hands are everywhere—squeezing my thighs, tangling in my hair, pulling me as close as humanly possible, as if he’s trying to brand my skin with his own.
"You're going to be the death of me, princess," he murmurs against my throat, his lips trailing hot, heavy bites down the line of my neck while his fingers dig into the lace at my hip.
I tilt my head back, gasping as his touch ignites every nerve ending, my hands gripping his broad shoulders to hold on as he carries me across the room toward the bed, completely consumed by the fire between us.
He brings us down onto the mattress in a tangled rush of heat and desperate touch. He is in a hurry, his hands and mouth moving frantically over my skin—kissing my jaw, my collarbone, my ribs, leaving a trail of fire everywhere he touches.
Within seconds, he hooks his fingers into the lace of my bra and panties, peeling them away and tossing them blindly onto the floor.
He pushes up onto his knees, stepping back just enough to tear at his own clothes. His heavy silver belt buckle clinks loudly, his zipper rasps down, and he shoves his trousers and briefs off his hips. His cock springs free, thick, fully erect, and heavy with intent.
Before I can even take in the sight of him in, he settles his massive frame over me once more, his full weight pressing me deep into the soft mattress. The fiery, crown tip of his shaft aligns perfectly with my wet entrance.
He cups my cheek, slanting his mouth over mine in a deep, intoxicating kiss.
"You feel so good, Camilla," he groans against my lips, and with one heavy, fluid drive of his hips, he thrusts all the way inside me.
A gasp breaks from my lips, instantly swallowed by his mouth as he buries himself inside me to the hilt.
He sets a punishing, relentless pace—fucking me fast and hard, his hips snapping against mine with heavy, rhythmic force.
Yet even amidst the raw power of his thrusts, his hands are impossibly gentle.
One large hand cradles the back of my head, locking me to him, while the other traces tight, possessing circles against my hip.
"You're mine, Camilla," he whispers against my lips, his breath hot, heavy, and ragged. "Everything I do... every choice I make... it's all for you. I just want to make you happy, moya zvezda."
The warmth of his words hits me harder than the physical pleasure. Tears prick at the backs of my eyes, a lump forming in my throat. Why is he being so soft with me? The ruthless Bratva Pakhan is looking down at me with pure, unshielded adoration, undoing every defense I’ve ever built.
What does his words mean?
Do I dare to hope?
He shifts his weight down, trailing burning kisses over my throat, down the dip of my collarbone, down to my bare breast. He takes my nipple into his warm mouth, drawing it in with a slow, heavy suction while his thumb stroking my hip sends a sharp, electric shock straight to my core.
The coil in my lower belly snaps instantly.
A loud cry tears from my throat as a wave of intense, blinding orgasm crashes through me. My walls pulse, gripping him tightly as tremors rack my entire body.
Sensations shatter through Maksim at my release. He lets out a guttural roar against my skin, driving into me one last, deep time as his body goes rigid, pouring his own climax into me as we burn out together in the dark.
We lie tangled in the damp sheets, our chests heaving in unison as the frantic pounding of our hearts slowly begins to settle into a lazy, steady rhythm. His massive arm is wrapped tightly around my waist, keeping me pinned against his warm, slick chest.
"Let’s go on a date," he says quietly, his deep voice vibrating through his ribcage against my cheek as we slowly come down from our high.
My eyes fly open. I pull back just enough to stare up at his profile in complete disbelief.
"Huh?"
Maksim tilts his head down, a dark eyebrow arching in amusement as he studies my bewildered face. "You don’t want to go out with me?"
"No—I mean, yes," I stumble over my words, still trying to process the shift from a heavily guarded lockdown to a casual date. "I'll go."
A low laugh rumbles in his chest. Before I can even react, he brings his palm down, delivering a sharp, stinging slap right over the curve of my bare butt.
"Ow!" I squeak, jumping in place and shooting him an indignant glare.
Maksim just smirks, completely unbothered by my murderous expression as he rolls off the bed and plants his feet firmly on the floor.
"Go get ready," he commands smoothly, standing up in all his broad, naked glory.
"Now?" I ask, sitting up and pulling the sheet to my chest.
"Yes, now, princess," he says, flashing me a rare, devastating grin as he heads toward the dressing room. "You said you were bored. I'm going to take you out."