Chapter Eleven
Alora
I woke up in a furnace, at least that was what it seemed like. Kreos’ body was completely glued to mine in a good old-fashioned “big spoon, little spoon” type situation.
Last night we’d showered separately, then climbed into bed without another word. When he’d dragged me into his arms, I had been too tired to protest.
That was what happened when a devastatingly handsome mafia boss gave you one of the best orgasms of your life. Thinking about it had me arching my back slightly, which pushed my ass back into him.
And his very hard cock.
I held my breath, waiting to see if he noticed, but his breathing remained even. This man was the definition of temptation. His muscular arms held me in a vice, bathing me in his scent, and all I wanted to do was rub myself all over him like a cat.
A familiar heat began to pool in my core, and I gently rolled my hips. The friction of his cock pressing against my ass was invoking all sorts of illicit images in my mind, and I moaned softly.
“Careful, kotic .” Kreos pulled me closer, nuzzling into my neck. “If you don’t stop that, then I’ll have to reconsider my plan of waiting until our wedding night to claim you again.” To emphasize, he rolled his hips and thrust against me, making me gasp.
My skin heated when I realized I’d been busted. I bit my bottom lip, squeezing my eyes shut. Maybe he would think I was doing it in my sleep. Sleep grinding had to be a thing, right? Like sleepwalking?
I yelped when he rolled over on top of me. He nestled himself between my spread legs, his cock pressed right into my panty-clad pussy. God, it was even better like this. His eyes were dark, half-lidded with lust as he gazed down at my lips. “Pretending to be asleep?” He quirked his eyebrow.
My mouth opened, closed and then opened again, but I couldn’t think of a single comeback. I scoffed, which turned into a slight laugh, making him smile.
He leaned back on his heels, and I did my absolute best not to look down. I’d been trapped by that Adonis belt once already, I wouldn’t—
OK, I looked.
It was impossible not to. The black silk pajama bottoms he wore did nothing to disguise how hard his cock was. And because he apparently had absolutely no shame, he stroked himself through the material, never taking his eyes off me.
He smirked as I leaned up on my elbows and watched him. “If you want something, kotic , just ask.”
I tapped my finger against my lips. “Do you think Vlad will make me pancakes? I kind of want some.”
His eyes darkened, and he leaned over me, caging me inside his arms. “A word of advice. Never say another man’s name when I’m between your legs.” Goosebumps erupted over my arms at his tone. It wasn’t the least bit playful. No, he was deadly serious.
Before I could respond, there was a knock at the door.
“Understood?” He quirked his brow, and I nodded.
He spoke to whoever was at the door, then headed into the shower. I took that time to give myself a good scolding. How had I gone from wanting to kill him just days ago to now grinding myself all over him in his bed? Was I really going to make it that easy for him? Like all he had to do was flash his muscular body, and I would drop to my knees?
Get a grip.
I knew it could be so easy to lose myself to him and this game we were playing. But I had to remind myself of the harsh reality of the situation. This wasn’t love. It was an arrangement with a powerful and controlling man who wanted to use me for his gain. Kreos didn’t love me, and I didn’t love him. I had to stop giving in so easily, otherwise he would eat me up and spit me right out.
There was only one way forward. Play the part of a willing fiancée while secretly planning my escape. I’d need to hide some money away, find evidence or some type of leverage to use against him in case he wouldn’t let me go, then get the hell out of here.
One day at a time. I could do it if I was patient and stopped losing sight of who I really was.
My little pep talk gave me a new sense of determination. Kreos came out wrapped in a towel, but I refused to look at him. I had to be strong and stop thinking with my body instead of my mind. I jumped in the shower and, even though I was forced to use his body wash, I didn’t let that deter me from my new plan.
When I came back into the room, I stopped dead in my tracks. Kreos was on the bed, my box on his lap. He was holding the card he’d given me all those years ago.
“What are you doing?” I stomped over to him. “Haven’t you heard of a little thing called privacy before?”
He chuckled and flipped the card over. “I thought you threw this away?”
“You have no right to look through my stuff. Why is this even here?” The words died on my lips as some of the house staff came through, their arms loaded with all the fancy new clothes he’d gotten me. They walked into another part of the room, which I realized must be the closet, and disappeared inside. Moments later, they came marching back out.
“I’m moving your things in here.” He flipped the card between his fingers.
“OK, fine, well, don’t snoop. This box is private and none of your business.” I made a grab for it, but he moved it just out of my reach.
“Everything about you is my business.” His eyes darkened, and he pulled out the blue envelope. “Is this a letter from a former lover, Alora?” His voice was laced with anger, but I wasn’t afraid of him. If anything, I was the one who was angry now. “Is this the reason you disobeyed me yesterday? You didn’t want to leave this behind?” He studied the envelope closely. Fear gripped me as I realized he might open it.
“Don’t.” I held my hand up. “Please. It’s—from my brother. It’s the last thing he left me before he died.”
His eyes softened slightly, and a look crossed over his face that reminded me of remorse, except I knew a man like him was incapable of feeling such an emotion.
“Tell me what happened to him.” He held the letter in one hand and patted the bed next to him.
God, this was not how I’d wanted my morning to go. But I knew I had no choice. If I didn’t tell him, he might open it. And I just wasn’t ready to face whatever was inside.
I sat down next to him, my shoulders slumping. “My older brother Jameson was my best friend and the closest thing to a father I ever had. Mom had him young, so he was ten years older than me. I could count on him for anything and everything: late nights helping me with homework, making sure we had food on the table because Mom was always gone at work, and being the loudest cheerleader at any of my school functions.
“He even encouraged my love for photography. He’d sneak me out late at night so we could explore the woods or abandoned buildings. With him, I wasn’t afraid of anything, because he made me brave and strong and independent. He taught me to see the beauty in the darkness. He was my everything, and then one day, he was just gone.”
Kreos remained silent as I let out a shaky breath. I never talked about Jameson with anyone. In a way, it was nice to confess my sins.
“He’s dead because of me.” I let Kreos wrap his arm around me, even though I’d just told myself not to fall into his trap so easily.
“I got really sick on my eighth birthday. A stomach bug, of all things. He’d planned this huge party for me, and we had to cancel everything. I was so disappointed. Nothing was making me feel better. His boss from the movie theater called him and asked if he could cover someone’s shift. Since I was sick, he said yes. He gave me this envelope and told me not to open it until he got home because it was a surprise.”
Kreos handed me the envelope, and I traced my finger over my name.
“An hour later, his boss called. Jameson never showed up at work. I was too young to fully grasp the situation, but I felt the panic in my mother’s voice, saw it in the crowds of people that filled our tiny apartment. Then, late at night, a police officer showed up.”
My body trembled as I recalled every single detail about him, from the bandages wrapped around his arms, to the smell of soot on his uniform, to the jagged gash just under his right eye. At nine years old, I’d known something wasn’t right about him.
“They found his bike and wallet in a burned-out drug den. The officer implied Jameson had been there to buy drugs, but we knew better. The fire destroyed everything—including any trace of my brother.”
I inhaled sharply, anger simmering deep inside of me. “Then the officer insisted on searching our apartment. He came out of Jameson’s room with a bag of drugs he claimed he found under his bed. But I knew that was a lie because I’d searched there the night before for birthday presents.
“In one night, my brother was gone, my mom shattered into a million pieces, and life was never the same.” I placed the envelope gently back into the box and shut the lid. “These are his last words to me, and I’m not ready to say goodbye yet. So yeah, that’s why I disobeyed you. ”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured and moved my hair behind my ear. “I’m sorry you’ve never gotten the closure you deserve.” His eyes burned into mine, and I hated what I saw on his face.
Pity.
“Don’t be sorry. It’s not like you’re responsible for his death.”
“Do you want me to look into it? I can attest that the police in this state are more than corrupt. If there was something going on, I’ll find out about it.”
I stared at him. Really stared. I’d spent almost eighteen years haunted by the ghost of my brother. Not knowing what truly happened to him had eaten me alive, and the guilt? It had never gone away. And now this man, who was supposed to be the monster everyone was afraid of, had offered to dig up the past to ease my suffering.
Was I ready for that? To face the truth, no matter what?
“I’ll think about it.” I offered him a small smile, his arms squeezing me tight. The heat from his chest warmed me, and I sighed, relaxing into him. After a few moments, I pulled back. “There’s something else you need to know about yesterday.”
I didn’t know why I hadn’t told him about Agent Greene. Really, it should have been the first thing I mentioned. “I know Grig and Tash told you Agent Greene was in my apartment, but they didn’t hear what she said.”
His face was a blank mask, no emotion showing as he listened.
“Well, this is kind of your fault, since you wouldn’t let me use my phone.” I tried to stand, but he gripped me to him.
OK, maybe I didn’t need personal space after all.
“Solene called her, worried something bad had happened. Agent Greene checked whatever FBI database they use, and apparently they know that we’re engaged.”
His face didn’t change expression, he just nodded. “What else did she say?”
Why did I get the feeling he knew she’d propositioned me to get evidence against him? Even worse, why did I feel guilty knowing I wouldn’t tell him that part? “Um, I think she said you were a monster in a suit, but that’s about it.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “No need for concern. It’s handled.”
“But Kreos, isn’t that a problem? How could they know about us already? Does that mean they’re watching you all the time? Is it safe?” I dumped my worries in his lap, a knot tightening in my stomach.
“I have people on the inside. The FBI can’t touch me, no matter how hard they try. And the only reason they know we’re engaged is because of this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue box.
My breath caught as he opened it, revealing a diamond that glittered unlike anything I’d ever seen. He slipped the ring on my finger, the weight of it unexpected.
“There,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine, “now it’s official.”
He wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, weaving his fingers into my hair. My eyelids fluttered closed as he pulled me to him, his lips meeting mine. They were soft, yet demanding; tender yet possessive. For a moment, I let myself get lost in his kiss, tasting the desire on his tongue.
But as soon as it started, it ended. He pulled back, leaving me breathless.
Okay, remember, we’re supposed to be playing happy fiancée, not actually enjoying any of this.
“I have some business to attend to, so I’ll miss our dinner tonight.” He still had his fingers weaved into my hair, and he tugged gently. “Are you going to be a good girl while I’m gone?” I nodded, even though I knew I’d probably break his rules again.
He adjusted his tie, then slipped on his jacket. It seemed such a shame this man was a criminal mastermind when he should have been a model.
“One more thing.” He beckoned me to him, and I followed into the room where the staff had brought my clothes. A narrow hall led into a giant dressing room. It was easily bigger than my apartment back in Brooklyn, with gleaming white shelves reaching toward the vaulted ceiling. On the left side were Kreos’ clothes, all organized by color and clothing group, from suits to T-shirts to a million pairs of those black workout pants that clung to his muscular body.
On the right were racks and racks of designer clothes, some of which I knew came from my room. Further down was a wall of shoes with names like Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, and Jimmy Choo. There were heels, flats, and tennis shoes. Had he gotten these all for me? Because I was more of a T-shirt, jeans, and boots kinda gal.
Apparently not anymore.
In the center was a glass island filled with jewelry that probably could have funded a small country—diamonds, pearls, you name it, it was in there. An array of perfume bottles were on display, and there were baskets filled with makeup. My camera was also there among the items.
Dove would go crazy in here. I’d have to bring her so we could play dress-up. Although this wasn’t really dress-up. This was my new life.
The wife of a mobster.
“I wasn’t sure what you would like, so I got a little of everything. But you can buy whatever you need. Don’t worry about the cost.”
“Thank you. This is—too much. You shouldn’t have.”
“I know. I wanted to. But that’s not why we’re here. I wanted to give this back to you.” He pressed a cleverly hidden button on the wall, the panel opening revealing a safe. He punched in a code, not trying to hide it from me.
Zero, eight, two, seven.
He pulled out my knife, the one I had stabbed Dario with, and held it out in his palm. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted this back. It has a lovely design. I thought it might have been a gift.”
My hands trembled slightly as I grabbed it from him. For some reason, I’d figured they had burned it with his body. That was what Gavriil had told Dove when she wouldn’t stop asking about what had happened.
Holding it in my hand, I felt—nothing. No anxiety or fear about what I had done. Did that mean I was a psychopath too?
He left a moment later, leaving me in the closet. Some distance between us would be good. I couldn’t keep getting tangled in his sexy little web and forgetting my end goal.
As the hours stretched on without Kreos’ overwhelming presence, my mind began to clear from the last few days. Reality came rushing back, and I started to feel more like myself before Kreos had stormed into my life like the god of lust and violence.
I couldn’t keep letting him seduce me so easily into forgetting that I wasn’t here by choice. The marriage, the designer clothes and handbags, it was all just one beautifully wrapped-up prison.
Freedom. That was all I wanted. And the way I was going to get that was by playing nice and pretending I was on board with this marriage.
And getting leverage.
My heart hammered in my chest as I pretended to sift through all the designer clothes and handbags. Really, I was scoping out the closet for cameras. When I was sure there weren’t any, I punched the code into the safe and swung it open.
It seemed too easy. Was it a trap? Because it certainly seemed like it. Or maybe he didn’t think I would ever try to cross him. Either way, I needed to see what was in there.
My hands shook as I looked through the contents. There was some jewelry, more expensive than the pieces on the glass island, apparently. A watch stand that held a Patek Phillipe caught my eye, and I pulled it out to admire it. The watch had to be over a million dollars, but so were some of the other watches on his side of the glass island. I wondered what made this one so special, but just ended up putting it back.
There were some old photos, university diplomas, credit cards, his passport, and about fifty thousand in cash. I grunted with frustration. These were all things you would find in a normal person’s safe.
On the bottom shelf was a box. I pulled out a stack of different-colored folders and laid them on the glass island. Some of them were property deeds, insurance policies, and legal contracts. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, but what the hell did I know about property deeds and contracts?
I grabbed my camera and snapped photos of most of the documents. Maybe they would be useful, or maybe I was taking an unnecessary risk and Kreos would kill me if he caught me. I’d have to find a really good spot to hide my SD card.
Otherwise, it could be game over for me.
*** ***
Kreos was many things, but patient was not one of them. I’d figured I would have months before he would want to get married, but he wasn’t even giving me weeks.
Six days.
He was giving me six days before he stripped me of all my freedom. And that really put a damper on my escape plan. Because it seemed like half of New York was downstairs in the massive ballroom, waiting to see the woman who had melted the monster’s heart.
At least that was what Tash said she’d overheard on her way up to check on me. Now I stood hidden behind a pillar as Grig pointed discreetly into the crowd at the monsters wearing designer suits.
“Roman Lomanovich.” He nodded at the man with the shaved head. “The extortionist. He can strip a man of everything—dignity, wealth, even his suit— without even raising his voice.” His eyes shifted to the right. “And there next to the Pakhan—Cheslav Zatori. Tech genius. You can’t hide anything from him.”
There was no way I was going to remember any of this. I took a deep breath, attempting to calm my nerves. “Who else?”
“The man in the bright red suit, that’s Ezo. He’s the weapons guy—buying, selling, smuggling. He’s got a temper that makes a bomb look stable. Stay away from him. Then over there with the redhead on his arm, that’s Leonis Riska. Those mangled ears are from his underground death matches. And he’s talking with Aleksandr Petrov, who once killed a man for spilling his vodka. He’s in charge of making sure things run smoothly in Toronto.”
I studied Kreos’ inner circle, his Vors, trying to commit each of their faces to memory. They were a group of men in their late thirties who looked like they should be on the cover of GQ magazine, but in reality they would destroy your entire life if you crossed them.
They weren’t the only powerful men in the room. Grig pointed out several senators, judges, millionaire businessmen and women all mingling together, getting off on their power and wealth. And blending into the background was a sea of security and bodyguards, all focused on making sure no trouble erupted.
My gaze traveled back to Kreos, who stood out like a wolf among his sheep. His dark blue eyes surveyed the room with a calculating coldness. From up top, I could see how others instinctively created space around him, like they knew they were too close to a predator.
Except for one dark-haired woman in a red dress who kept finding reasons to put her perfectly manicured hands on Kreos. She’d touch his arm, lean in too close, laugh way too loud to be genuine. It wasn’t like I was jealous. But come on, this was my engagement party, and she was acting like a dog in heat. Well, we’d have to put a stop to that now, wouldn’t we?
“I’m ready.” I nodded to Grig and Tash who escorted me to the top of the staircase. Once there, they stood behind me as I walked down the red-carpeted stairs. The champagne-colored gown Dove had picked out shimmered with every step, thousands of tiny little crystals catching the light.
The crowd murmured and parted for Kreos, who came to wait for me at the bottom of the stairs. He was devastatingly handsome in his black tux. His eyes darkened as they swept over me, a possessive look in them making my pulse quicken. When I reached him, he took my hand, pressed a kiss to my knuckles, then another to my cheek. God, he smelled good. I hadn’t seen him since yesterday in the closet, but for some reason, it seemed like weeks.
He turned to address the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present my fiancée, Alora.”
Applause surrounded us, with some wolf whistles thrown in the mix, making me chuckle. Not everyone was happy, though. The dark-haired woman glared daggers at me, and I smiled brightly in return.
I let Kreos walk me around the room and introduce me to everyone who was important. It was surprising how nice everyone was. Maybe I was a fool who was easily manipulated, but not everyone seemed like a monster. I’d have to ask Gavriil, since he was the secrets expert.
Dove was sipping on a glass of champagne next to Gavriil, and I made my way over to her. I’d told her she didn’t have to come, but she’d insisted she wasn’t going to miss out on dressing up. Her white dress clung to her, a complete contrast to her tattooed arms. She wore a silk scarf braided into her hair like a crown that reminded me of a Greek goddess. Gavriil had insisted on babysitting her, which was driving her insane.
A man came to talk to Gavriil as Dove and I stood off to the side so she could complain about him hovering over her. She didn’t think it was as funny as I did though, her fingers typing faster than ever about how he was the Devil.
When the man with Gavriil rolled up his sleeves, all my attention focused on the tattoo on his arm. It looked similar to the design on the coin the dead man had given me.
As soon as the man left, I asked Gavriil what his tattoo meant. He quirked his eyebrow at my tone, but told me it was a family coat of arms—a group of symbols dating back to medieval Europe that reflected a family’s descent and alliances, among other things.
My thoughts raced as I tried to figure out what it all meant. Why would the dead man give me a coin with a coat of arms on it? What had he been trying to tell me? I nibbled on my bottom lip, cursing myself for not telling Kreos about it. It was too late now, though. I didn’t want to face any type of punishment he would force on me for lying to him.
I lost sight of Kreos for a while and went to the back bar area to grab a drink. I surveyed the crowd looking for him, and my eyes landed on the dark-haired woman. Obviously she was beautiful and sophisticated—polished was more like it. If I had to take a guess at who was a mafia princess in this room, all my money would be on her. She’d probably be a better match for him. When my gaze clashed with hers, I found her glaring at me, and I let my smile drop from my face. She was lucky I didn’t have a place to hide my knife in this fancy dress, otherwise I might stab her in the eye.
“Now that is an excellent resting bitch face.”
I startled as a petite woman with curly dark hair stood next to me. She looked about my age, and had the same eyes as Kreos, except less threatening. She took a sip of her champagne, her gaze traveling around the room.
“Thanks. I’ve been practicing for twenty-five years.”
She chuckled and held out her hand to me. “I’m Bela Zokrov. Your new sister-in-law.”
“Alora.” I shook her hand, noting the firm grip. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. I hear you’re keeping Kreos on his toes?”
“Well, he’s practically kidnapped me and forced me into marriage, so”—I shrugged my shoulders—“can’t take it too easy on him.”
She chuckled, the sound light. “My brother can be extreme, but his heart is in the right place. He protects what’s his with a ferocity that can seem cruel, but it’s done out of love. I should know.”
“He’s protective of you, I take it?”
“Very.”
I took a sip of my drink, noticing that she wasn’t wearing her wedding ring. “And your husband? Is he just as crazy as Kreos?”
Her smile slipped for a moment, but if I’d blinked, I would have missed it. “Oh, I’m a widow, actually.”
My face heated, and I wished for the ground to open and swallow me. What an idiot I was. “I’m so sorry. Kreos never said. How long were you married for?”
She cocked her head to the side, scrunching up her nose as if she was deep in thought. “One hour and forty-three minutes.”
My eyes widened, which only made her burst out laughing. Did I even want to know what had happened to her husband? Probably not.
“Listen.” She motioned to the crowd in front of us. “These men will be threatened by you, by the power you’ll have as the Pakhan’s wife. You don’t need their approval, just their respect.”
“And how am I supposed to do that?”
“The same way you handle rowdy people at your bar who are all ego and bravado. Carefully, and always stay one step ahead.” She gave me an assessing stare, nodding in what seemed like approval. “You’re about to become a queen, so start acting like it. That means the next time Katia over there touches Kreos”—she pointed with her chin to the dark-haired woman—“you break her fingers.”
I laughed so loud a few people around us turned to give us a questioning look. The weight in my chest lifted a little bit. It seemed like Gavriil was right. We probably would make good friends.
“Is that your sister over there looking like a virgin sacrifice?” She pointed at Dove who was typing something on her iPad and shoving it in Gavriil’s face.
“Yeah, that’s Dove with the modern-day Satan. ”
Bela threw her head back, laughing, slapping her hand against her thigh. “That’s what I call him, too.”
“Well, well, who’s this pretty little thing? Too bad I didn’t meet you first, otherwise I’d be the one calling you wifey soon.” A man with black hair tied back into a ponytail leered at me, his drink spilling as he stumbled into my personal space.
“Ivan, get lost,” Bela grumbled as she rolled her eyes. “Our cousin from our mother’s side.”
He leaned in close, his breath reeking of Scotch. “Don’t be rude now. I’m family, after all.” His hand slid inappropriately low on my back, sending a chill up my spine.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop as Kreos appeared next to us in an instant, his expression terrifyingly calm. He gripped Ivan’s hand and twisted it behind his back. Leaning in, he whispered something into Ivan’s ear. Ivan turned pale. A second later, Grig and Tash appeared and took him away.
“Are you alright, milaya ?” Kreos wrapped his arm possessively around my waist, pulling me against him.
“Yeah, I’m OK.” I offered him a smile, patting his chest. The crowd around us were staring, watching us closely to see what would happen next. Maybe it was the champagne, or the look in his eyes, but I couldn’t help myself as I reached up on my tiptoes and placed a kiss on his lips.
It’s all for show. None of this is real.
“What was that for?” he murmured, his grip on me tightening.
“I don’t know yet, but I’ll let you know once I figure it out.” I chuckled and turned to see Bela with her hand over her heart, making puppy dog eyes .
The rest of the party went smoothly. I hated to say it, but it was more fun than I’d thought.
By the time we got back to his estate, I was exhausted. Kreos disappeared somewhere with Gavriil and I took the chance to grab my phone. I was tempted to text the group chat, but didn’t know what I was allowed to say to them. It was a little lonely only having Dove in my corner tonight. I’d have to talk to Kreos about letting me see my friends before I ended up breaking his rules and going to see them without his permission.
There was one missed text on my phone, and my heart sped up in hopes that it was Dylan finally texting me back.
But it wasn’t.
It was from an anonymous number.
Chills ran through me as I read the text over and over again.
Stay away from Kreos Zokrov or you’re dead.