Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Maxim
Dmitri hangs from the chains in the basement, covered in blood and bruises, barely conscious. The irony is almost laughable. Usually, he’s the one standing on this side of the room.
He’s been down here since last night, after everything came to light. I’ve spent hours breaking him, extracting every plan he made with Adrian, every secret he sold, every person he snitched to.
He’s told me everything. No one else was involved. It was just him and Adrian. They were planning to kill me, to take over my empire. Adrian would have controlled everything from the shadows, and Dmitri would have run the day-to-day operations, reporting directly to him.
Watching him now, broken and hanging like a piece of meat, it still hurts.
Even though he deserves this, even though he betrayed me and tried to have my wife killed, it fucking hurts.
This man was like a younger brother to me. I condoned his antics, treated him like blood, gave him power and loyalty most men would kill for. And he threw it all away.
All through last night, I couldn’t believe it. The fact that he would have killed me if he’d gotten the chance… that betrayal cuts deeper than any knife.
I step closer, gun heavy in my hand. Dmitri lifts his head weakly, one eye swollen shut, blood dripping from his split lip.
“It’s unfortunate it has to end this way,” I say quietly.
He tries to speak, but only a gurgle comes out.
I raise the gun, take a deep breath and shoot him once in the head.
The sound echoes in the basement. His body jerks once, then goes limp.
That single shot ends more than just his life. It ends the little boy I befriended at the orphanage. The kid I protected. The brother I chose.
I turn and see Viktor standing in the corner, a sad, heavy look on his face.
“I’ll clean it up,” he says quietly.
I nod once, unable to speak, and walk away.
I should feel lighter now that it’s done. The traitor is gone. The immediate threat is eliminated. But there’s still this ache in my chest, a hollow, heavy pain that won’t leave.
I walk upstairs to our bedroom, and the moment I see her, it starts to melt.
Calina is curled up in our bed, sleeping peacefully, her hair spread across the pillow, one hand resting where I usually lie. The sight of her, safe, warm, mine, eases something deep inside me.
When I saw her last night at the orphanage, I think I lost half my life in that instant.
My blood pressure must have shot through the roof. I couldn’t believe her brothers would be so foolish as to bring her into that chaos.
For a split second, all I could think about was getting her safe. The fact that she’s back home, in our bed, is the only thing anchoring me right now.
I want to go to her, wrap my arms around her, breathe her in so she can calm the storm inside me. But I’m covered in blood, Dmitri’s blood, and I can’t bring myself to taint her with it.
I head to the bathroom, strip off my clothes, and step under the hot spray. The water turns pink as it washes away the evidence of what I did. I scrub my hair, trying to wash away the night.
Then I feel a pair of familiar, soft hands wrapping around me from behind. Calina presses her soft body against my back, her lips kissing the center of my spine.
I turn around slowly. She’s completely naked, her wet hair clinging to her shoulders, breasts pressing against my chest. I pull her into my arms and kiss her slowly, deeply, like I need her to remind me I’m still human.
“You should be in bed,” I murmur against her lips.
“I heard you come in,” she whispers. “Is he… gone?”
I nod. “Yes.”
She looks up at me with those beautiful eyes full of understanding. “I’m sorry. I know how important he was to you.”
“There’s no need to be sorry,” I say, my voice rough. “He had it coming the moment he chose to betray me.”
She doesn’t say anything else. She picks up my shower gel and starts washing me, her hands gentle as they glide over my chest, my arms, my bruised knuckles.
She cleans every trace of blood from my skin with careful, loving strokes. I close my eyes and let her take care of me. No words are needed. The silence between us is heavy but comforting.
When we’re both clean, I wrap a towel around her first, then dry myself with the same one. We move to the closet, dress in comfortable clothes, and return to the bedroom.
She brings out an ointment from her nightstand and carefully applies it to my swollen knuckles. “This will help with the swelling.”
I watch her, my chest tight with emotion. “You need to get back in bed.” I don't think I can get any sleep tonight, or even the nights to come.
She smiles softly and climbs under the covers. “Will you join me?”
I slide in beside her, pulling her into my arms. She rests her head on my chest, her hand over my heart, her damp hair cool against my skin. I slide my fingers through it slowly, savoring the softness, the way she fits perfectly in my arms.
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” I murmur against her temple. “When I saw you at the orphanage that night… I thought I was going to lose you.”
We haven’t had time to talk since we got back. I’ve been busy interrogating Dmitri and trying to undo whatever damage he and Adrian caused.
She lifts her head, eyes soft but serious. “I'm sorry, but I couldn’t just stay back when I knew you were going up against Dmitri and Adrian by yourself. The thought of losing you made me almost go crazy. I’m sorry I called my brothers.”
I shake my head, pulling her closer. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. You actually helped. I’m proud of you. But you have to promise me you’ll never put yourself in danger like that again.”
She hesitates, then sighs softly. “I can’t promise that. Especially if you’re in danger. I can’t just sit still and do nothing.”
I tilt her chin up, forcing her to meet my gaze.
“No. You’re never putting yourself in danger like that again. Do you understand me?”
My thumb brushes her cheek.
“Promise me, Calina.”
She searches my face for a long moment before nodding. “I promise.”
“Good girl,” I whisper, kissing her deeply.
“And you’re going to make me a promise too. Don’t ever do that to me again. I begged you not to leave, and then you snuck out the second I zonked out.”
I pull back slightly, guilt twisting in my chest. “I’m sorry I had to drug you to leave.”
Her eyes widen. “You drugged me?”
I realize my mistake too late. I could have kept that to myself. But I can’t keep secrets from her. I love her too much.
“Yes,” I admit. “That’s why you fell asleep so quickly. I’m sorry. It was the only way I could leave without you trying to stop me.” A small smile tugs at my lips. “Though, if I’d known you were going to assemble an entire army and come after me, maybe I wouldn’t have bothered.”
She stares at me for a second, then a small, amused smile tugs at her lips. “That was bad, Maxim.”
“I know,” I say, kissing her neck, trailing my lips down her skin. “I'll make it up to you.”
She shivers under my touch. “You have to.”
I smile against her skin. “Let me show you just how sorry I am.”
I help her out of her nightgown and kiss my way down her body, slow, deliberate kisses across her collarbone, her breasts, her stomach, savoring every inch of warm skin, every soft gasp she makes. She arches into me, fingers threading through my hair.
I can’t get enough of her.
When I settle between her thighs, I spread her open with my hands and just look for a moment, her pretty pink pussy glistening, already dripping for me. The sight makes my mouth water.
“Fuck, look at you, baby,” I groan, voice rough. “So wet and ready for my tongue. My perfect little wife.”
I lean in and drag my tongue slowly up her seam, tasting her sweetness from entrance to clit. She jerks, a broken moan escaping her lips.
“Maxim…” she breathes, her voice trembling.
I do it again, slower this time, savoring her like she’s my favorite meal. Because she is. I could eat her out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and never get tired. She’s my five-course feast, my midnight snack, my everything.
I wrap my lips around her clit and suck gently, then harder, flicking my tongue over the sensitive bud while sliding two thick fingers inside her tight heat. She cries out my name again, her hips bucking against my face.
“That’s it, baby,” I growl against her pussy, the vibrations making her tremble. “Say my name louder. Let the whole fucking house know what I’m doing to you. Let them hear how good I eat this sweet cunt.”
I devour her like a starving man, licking, sucking, fucking her with my fingers and tongue in a relentless rhythm. Her juices coat my chin, my tongue, and I groan into her, addicted to the taste. She’s whimpering, crying, her thighs shaking around my head as she gets closer.
“Maxim… please,” she begs, voice breaking. “I need you inside me. Please fuck me.”
One of my favorite things about my wife is how she's grown bolder over time. She's no longer shy about telling me what she wants during sex, and I can't get enough of it.
I give her one last long, slow lick before crawling up her body. I flip her onto her side, spooning behind her, and slide into her in one deep thrust. She moans loudly, pushing back against me. I fuck her like this, slow, deep strokes, one hand gripping her breast, the other rubbing her clit.
Then just before she comes, I pull out, turn her onto her back, and push her legs wide open. I slam back inside her, watching her face as I fill her completely. Her eyes roll back, lips parted in pleasure. I fuck her harder, the sound of our bodies slapping together filling the room.
“Ride me,” I rasp, flipping us so she’s on top.
She sinks down on my cock with a gasp, taking every inch. I grip her hips, guiding her as she rides me, her breasts bouncing with every movement. I sit up, sucking one nipple into my mouth while she grinds on me, her moans turning into desperate cries.
We move together, frantic, hungry, completely lost in each other, until I feel her start to tighten around me.
“Come for me, malyshka,” I growl, thrusting up into her. “Come on my cock like the perfect wife you are.”
She shatters with a scream of my name, her walls pulsing around me so tightly it drags me over the edge with her. I bury myself deep and come hard, filling her with pulse after pulse of my release, groaning her name against her neck.
We collapse together, breathing hard, bodies slick with sweat. I pull her into my arms, holding her close as we come down.
I’m so fucking glad I married her. Not her sister. Not anyone else.
Just her. Calina Orlova. My wife.
I can’t even imagine a life without her anymore. She’s become my everything, my peace, my fire, my reason.
And I’ll burn the world down before I let anyone take her from me.