Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Nikolai
It surprises me a little bit when Irina agrees to let me take off her wedding dress.
I thought she would fight it but it seems that she’s deciding to trust me.
Good. I worked hard to make her mine. Finding the theater where she was going to be sold off wasn’t easy.
The organization that runs it is always changing their location.
I could have easily lost her if I hadn’t made it there in time.
But she’s mine now and that’s all I need to focus on.
Irina’s breath hitches as I step right up behind her.
I have an effect on her and I like it. Power and status.
I’ve had it for a long time now. And yet, there’s something compelling about the power I hold over Irina.
It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.
More intimate. More… important somehow than the power I hold over my men.
I trace my fingers along her back, making her inhale sharply. She’s trembling. “You don’t have to be afraid of me,” I murmur, running my hands along her arms. Goosebumps break out on her skin.
“It’s hard not to be.”
“I understand that. But have I done anything to you to make you afraid of me?” I could easily make Irina afraid if I wanted to. I could easily discipline her. Control her. Make her respect me.
But then she would never love me. And I want Irina’s love. I want her utter devotion.
I will never stand for someone not respecting me so I will do what I have to do if it’s necessary. But for right now, I don’t want to intimidate Irina. I want her trust. And in time, her love.
She hesitates before she says, “No. You haven’t. But I’m still afraid. I don’t even know you.”
“I know.” I don’t show Irina mercy. I am going to take off her wedding dress tonight no matter what. My cock is already hard at the thought of making her mine but I know that won’t happen tonight. Irina is too afraid to let me fuck her. That will come in time. I know it.
I unbutton the back of her dress. She holds the front of it close to her chest but we both know she won’t be able to keep it there forever.
Once all the buttons are opened, I gently push her dress apart to see her bare back.
I place my hand on the ridge of her spine.
She’s so petite and tiny. I could easily swallow her whole but I want to protect her.
I’ve never had this urge before but the moment I saw her picture, I knew I had to be her savior.
No matter what it takes.
“What are you doing?” she whispers.
I remove my hand from her back. I promised not to touch her tonight. “You have to let go of your dress, Irina. Let go of it. You need to change into your nightgown for the evening.”
“I can’t move.”
I press my lips to her ear. “Yes, you can.”
She jumps slightly but then seems to relax closer into me.
Interesting. Slowly, she lets her dress go and it falls to the floor.
She doesn’t have a bra on since I didn’t provide her one but I was kind and provided underwear.
I would have loved for Irina to be fully bare under her wedding dress but I also didn’t want to push her too far.
She covers her bare breasts.
“You don’t have to hide your body from me.”
“Can you blame me?”
I only smirk. “You can put the nightgown on.” It takes everything inside of me not to touch her. I could make her feel so fucking good. But I know Irina has been through a lot recently so I’ll be patient. Besides, it will be sweeter this way.
She rushes to the nightgown on the bed and slips it on, which is a disappointing sight but it is what it is. I’ll have Irina in time.
She’s goes still again, clearly unsure of what to do. Her eyes dart back and forth from me to the bed like me and the bed are both monsters that are going to bite her. I know the bed won’t but I might.
“You can get in. Get some sleep. I’ll change into something more comfortable as well.” I take my jacket and tie off. Irina watches me with wariness which turns into panic when I take my shirt off.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“Undressing.” I throw my shirt onto the floor. “I usually sleep naked.”
“Naked?” she squeaks.
“Have you ever seen a naked man before? I know you’re innocent. A virgin.”
“So why ask the question then?” She turns her back to me as I unzip my pants.
“You could have seen pictures online. Or somewhere else.” If her dad lied to me about her being a virgin, I’ll be pissed. I want to be her first. I want to awaken her to all the pleasure she can experience.
“No,” she says. “My dad controlled what I was allowed to see on the internet. I never knew how to get past it.”
“So, you did try?”
Her shoulders tense. “Sometimes I was tired of being controlled all the time.”
“So you wanted to be a little rebellious then.”
“But I never succeeded. My dad’s control on me was too strong.”
“Well, he doesn’t have control over you anymore.”
“But you do.”
I shove my pants down and keep my underwear in place. I don’t need to scare Irina by showing her my cock.
After walking around to face her, I place my finger under her chin and tilt her face up to me. “I am your husband now, so yes, I do have some control over you. I expect respect and I’ll give it in return. But I have no desire to control everything you do.”
“So I’m allowed to leave? I’m allowed to go wherever I want?”
“No.”
All the hope in her eyes disappears. “But you said –,”
“I know what I said. But I have enemies, Irina. People who would hurt you to get to me. You can’t just wander off on your own now. For your own safety. But if you ever want to go somewhere, just ask and I’ll go with you. Or a guard. Is that fair?”
She thinks on it for a moment before she nods. “All right.”
“Good girl.” I press a kiss to her forehead, unable to stop myself. I just need to taste her. Any part of her. When I pull back, she stares at me with an expression I can’t decipher. “Now, get some sleep. It’s been a long day.”
I grab a pair of sweatpants from the suitcase I packed for tonight and slip them on, all for Irina’s benefit. I don’t need to traumatize my wife on our wedding night. Not when I want her to trust me.
Irina slowly gets into the bed and pulls the covers up to her neck. It’s cute. She’s cute. It only makes her more delectable.
“You look like I’m going to kill you,” I comment as I get under the covers with her.
“You did tell me you’ve killed people so it’s not out of the question.”
“I know what I’ve done. But you still don’t need to be afraid of me.”
“Easier said than done,” she breathes out.
I can’t help but chuckle. “I know.”
Her eyes flick over to me and down to my bare chest before flitting away.
“It’s ok,” I tell her.
“What’s ok?”
“You can look. I’m not ashamed of my body. I work hard for it. You can look.”
“No, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
She sighs and still keeps her eyes glued to the ceiling. “Because it’s too intimate. Too personal. I’m not ready for this.”
“I could make you feel so good, Irina. Show you pleasure you’ve never even dreamed of.”
“You don’t know what I’ve dreamed of.”
“Then tell me.”
Her hands tighten on the covers. “I don’t have to tell you everything.”
My hands itch to move but I push the urge to touch her down. I can’t force Irina to trust me. She needs to do it in time. “Fine. In time you can.”
“Thank you.”
“We should sleep. We can talk more in the morning. You’re my wife now. We have a lifetime to get to know each other.”
She doesn’t say a word to that. Her eyes never leave the ceiling, even after I turn off the light.
Irina
I know I have to try and trust Nikolai but I just can’t. I’m too scared and he’s too powerful. The fact that he could have had his way with me tonight is terrifying. Yes, it’s great that he didn’t touch me. But the point that he has the power to do something to me is what I can’t stand.
My dad controlled me my entire life. Dictated what I could and couldn’t do. What I could wear. What I could eat. What I could watch. It became a sort of hell over time.
And now, I’m terrified Nikolai is going to do the same to me. I have to leave. This is my chance.
I’m in a hotel. I can ask for help. Get to a woman’s shelter or something like that. I can get a job. Work my way up. Move out of New York where it’s somewhere cheaper.
Where it’s safer.
When hours have passed and I know Nikolai is sound asleep, I ease out of bed. If he catches me, I’ll just tell him I’m getting up to use the bathroom. I’m allowed to pee. At least, I hope I am.
He doesn’t stir as I stand up. I tiptoe over to his suitcase and rummage around until I find a few dollar bills. One of them is a hundred. This can take me out of the city.
I don’t have any other clothes except for my wedding dress but there’s no time to put it on so all I do is grab the high heels I wore with my dress and sneak out of the room.
I run barefoot down the hallway until I reach the elevator.
My heart is pounding the entire time. So much, I’m scared I’m going to die before I can get help.
I slip the high heels on. I can do this. I can do this.
Once I reach the lobby, I go over to the front desk. Someone can help me.
Since it’s two in the morning, the lobby is dead, which can be a good thing but right now, the silence and the clacking of my heels makes everything louder. Puts me more on display.
The woman behind the front desk smiles at me. Her nametag reads Doris. “How can I help you?”
“I need help,” I whisper.
Her eyes widen before she nods. “What can I help you with?”
“My husband. He’s… dangerous. I need to get out of the city. I need a safe place to go to.”
Without hesitation, she reaches under the desk and pulls out a pamphlet. “Here. This is an emergency number you can use for a woman’s shelter. I can call for you, if you’d like?”
“I would like that. I… don’t have a phone. I have some money.”
“Is your husband here, at this hotel?”
“He is. Upstairs. Sleeping.”
“Ok. I can call the police for you as well.”
I hesitate to answer her… when someone else answers for me.
“That won’t be necessary,” a man says behind me. It’s not Nikolai.
Whirling around, I come face to face with a very handsome man. Almost as handsome as Nikolai but not quite.
“I can help her, Doris,” the man says, giving her a charming smile. “I’m a friend.”
Except, I don’t think this man is a friend at all.