Chapter 13
Prime
My mouth was set in grim lines, and my fists were clenched to keep me from pounding the walls when the rest of the Sinners arrived in what we used as a conference room.
Usually, it was a room reserved for secret betting and other less than lawful purposes.
But it was the only room available that was large enough to hold us all.
I tried not to watch for Zoe, but I knew without looking exactly when she stepped into the room.
The air in it changed. A soft buzzing, like an electrical current, ran across the empty space and straight into my body.
My nails dug into the palms of my hands and the muscles in my cheeks clenched tightly.
I looked up and all eyes were on me. Slowly, every head revolved to where Zoe stood.
I cursed silently. It was obvious that everyone was aware of what went down last night.
I could ignore her forever and it wasn’t going to change anything.
The deed was done. There was no going back or denying it.
I wasn’t going to be able to say Petrov’s claims were false. Truth was all I had left.
“I called you all here to play a message left by Drago Petrov. Our already unstable relationship with him is now teetering on the edge. Most of the responsibility for the difference is on my shoulders. However, I wouldn’t change my actions even if I could.
I stand behind every decision I made. Hell, I’m proud of how I’ve dealt with an unscrupulous situation.
No one’s value as a human being should depend on their status, nor should they be imprisoned to keep that value. ”
“Petrov says he’s not into selling women, but that’s what he was going to do to Zoe,” Sweet cut in.
“That’s true. And he would still like to according to this message. Zoe come up here so you can hear it plainly. It’s for everyone’s ears, but he meant it mostly for you and me,” I stated.
She appeared nervous yet defiant as she walked to the front of the room, collecting hugs and pats on the back as she walked among the Sinners. She was accepted by them despite her heritage because she was mine. They would defend her with their lives for the same reason as I would.
My gaze remained on her now that I had nothing to hide.
My eyes burned with the desire that rushed through me.
This proud, stubborn and intelligent woman had given herself to me freely.
She knew the consequences even before this message arrived.
Still, she’d chosen me. It was mind boggling.
It screwed with my head in a way nothing else ever could.
I lifted her chin and placed a light kiss on her lips. She was startled by my actions, but the Sinners let out a roar of laughter and applause. With that one small gesture I’d claimed her and sealed our fates.
“Take a listen,” I ordered, silencing them with one look. I held Zoe’s hand in mine while the recording played. Petrov’s words weren’t going to break us. But the more he spoke the harder her hand trembled.
“Prime, your betrayal will not go unpunished. You have taken what belongs to me and ruined it,” the recording began.
“I cannot trust you ever again. You are nothing to me.
We could have been strong allies but now you will only be a tolerated business acquaintance until our contract is finished.
Soon, you will be of no use to me, then I will make you pay dearly for what I have lost, in family and monetarily.
“Zoe, you are ruined. You are not the treasure I valued for years.
You are spoiled, tarnished and unworthy of your inheritance.
Everything that I dreamed of for you was thrown back in my face.
I take some of the blame. I indulged you, allowed you to stand at my side the way I would have a son.
It was a mistake, one that is being tossed in my face by the other leaders.
I was too soft hearted. You have chosen to become less in the eyes of the world by taking up with those who have less value.
It saddens me. Your fate will be the same as theirs unless you take the deal I am offering.
“Zoe, my only child, I will take you back if you come crawling to ask for forgiveness.
Mathias Nikolaev does not care that you are tarnished.
He will take you as his wife and honor you as I wish.
It is he who will stand at my side and take my place once I am gone from this world.
You do not have to suffer and possibly die along with those beside you now.
We may never fully trust you again, but you will bear the children who I can train and trust.
“Prime, you will honor the contract we made and assassinate Aguilar.
Otherwise, more of your men will die than is necessary for payment of your betrayal.
I demand the return of the money that was loaned to you for the auction.
You must find another way to entrap Aguilar. My help will be extremely limited.
“Choose wisely, my daughter, and live.”
Angry outbursts followed the final pronouncement. I shouted for silence, but no one heard me. I put my thumb and middle finger between my lips and let out an ear-piercing whistle that ended the tirade.
“Listen up! We need to be ready for whatever he has in store for us. His anger may have him striking before we have the chance to uphold our side of the contract. His new alliance with Nikolaev is bad for all of us, including Petrov. He will push Petrov to retaliate sooner rather than later. He doesn’t care who lives or dies because he has no stake in any of it.
We’re all strangers to him, even Zoe who he dares to claim to want as his wife.
“We’re forewarned so that will help us find a defense.
We’ll be on guard every minute, day and night.
But we’ll honor our side of the contract despite Petrov breaking his.
Not just because we don’t work that way, but because Aguilar needs to be taken down.
I don’t give a fuck what he’s doing to Drago anymore.
It’s the women and children who are suffering I’m standing for. I expect the same from all of you.
“If you need to look somewhere for your passion against him to rise, then look at Vikki. Talk to her. Remember how and where we found her and the dead body that lay at her side.
“Specs, return his damn money. We’ll find another way. I don’t want to feel like he’s paying me for Zoe. We aren’t perfect. In fact, we’re the bad guys in most of the world’s view. But we don’t buy and sell humans,” I explained. “Go, do what needs to be done to protect us.”
“I can get you the money,” Zoe told me as the others filed out of the room.
“I can get my uncle to give it to me. He would think it was funny to go against my father in that way. He would be thrilled to shove it in his face. Their rivalry has grown to deep hatred since Dominik’s death.
The greed and desire for power is overpowering any family connection. ”
“You’re not putting yourself at risk, Zoe.
I won’t allow it. Hell, the Sinners won’t allow it.
It would be too easy for Damien to use you for leverage.
If not him then this piece of shit Drago’s allied with will grab you.
It’s not about purity anymore. It’s just power and control with you in the middle,” I replied.
“I can do this without getting caught up in all the rest. Damien has nothing to do with Aguilar or Nikolaev. He will give me the money. I swear it,” Zoe argued.
Frustrated and worried that she’d ignore my warnings I grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at me. “It’s too damn risky. Promise me you won’t be that foolish. I can’t deal with Drago, Aguilar, the auction and keep an eye on you too. It’s too much for even me.”
I didn’t get to hear her promise. I just had to assume she’d understand and obey. Instead, Rod rushed back into the room to announce some news.
“Aguilar’s been sighted again. He was in Corpus Christi. He has a ship at the docks and was seen supervising the offloading of shipping containers onto trucks. He may be getting ready for the auction. It has to be near or in Corpus,” Rod proclaimed with excitement.
“Or it’s a trap. Check the status of the auction through your contacts instead of using our connection just in case they’ve caught on to us and are setting us up,” I ordered.
“Will do, boss.”
Zoe slipped away while I was talking to Rod.
I was too caught up in dealing with questions about Aguilar and the threats from Petrov that it never occurred to me she was avoiding me.
With everything else going on it slipped my mind that she was sneaky and intelligent, or that she never liked following orders from anyone.
Hadn’t she defied her own father several times for the Sinners, for me?
I didn’t see her again until late into the night.
Aguilar wasn’t on my mind when I saw her naked body lying across my bed.
My mind emptied of everything except her.
She was on her back, spread eagled. The display nearly brought me to my knees.
Her blonde hair streamed over my pillow.
Her firm breasts pointed toward the ceiling, begging to be suckled and nipped at.
She was beautiful from head to toe, all creamy skin and curves, but it was the soft triangle between her widely open thighs that made me hard and had me tossing my clothes off as I moved to the bed.
My mouth watered. I wanted a taste so badly my chest ached.
I gently drew her legs over my shoulders and used my fingers to open her center for my eager tongue.
She woke as I feasted on her. Salt, heat and her unique flavor coated my tongue. She moaned as her eyes opened in surprise and grabbed at my hair. When she tried to stop me and pull me up her body I turned my head and bit her soft thigh just hard enough to end her demands.
I drank her in, savoring her flavor and the heat that went with it. My tongue lashed inside her and she shouted out, “Now! I have waited long enough. Now!”