Chapter 48
Nikolai
The sound of her scream when the bullet tore through him stayed with me. It was jagged and made me question if something cut deeper than the shot itself.
Her face in that moment—tears cutting through the blood, sweats sliding off her hips, bare skin trembling—it destroyed me and completed me all at once. She hated me. God, she hated me. But hate meant she felt me. Hate means she won’t be able to erase me.
I probably should’ve shot her too, that’s what my father would have done. It would’ve been cleaner. Viktor will demand explanations. My men will whisper. But I don’t care, if they want to die too, I will gladly assist with that.
I’ve been preparing for her all along. Every detail in my—our—room, every item I brought in, all so she would never need anyone but me. And still… she used someone else to fulfil her need.
Adrian wasn’t strong enough to keep her alive. But I am.
I’m the only one who can.
The second she stepped into my life, she was mine.
And I’ll keep killing until she finally admits it.
I left her in the room to cool down, her eyes still wide from what she had witnessed. She tried to speak, tried to throw words at me, but I ignored them. She didn’t need to understand yet. She wasn’t ready.
The fit she threw after I walked out was loud, messy, and human.
And I let her. I knew she needed it, needed to feel out the chaos I had left in her life.
I let her scream, let her throw what little control she had against the walls.
It didn’t matter. She would calm eventually, and when she did, she would realize that everything that had happened wasn’t random.
Her world had shifted, and I was at the centre of it.
I move through the halls with silent authority, my men parting instinctively as I pass, their eyes lingering on the room behind me.
My father would be expecting me in the council room. He would demand reports, explanations, and, of course, loyalty.
I had delivered on my tasks, cleaned up the mess, and secured my position—but now it was time to play the larger game. The Orlov empire wasn’t run by emotions, not entirely. Decisions had to be made, deals brokered, and threats managed.
I could smell the smoke from the office down the hall before I entered. The men seated at the long mahogany table looked up briefly, acknowledging my presence, and then returned to their discussions.
I swallowed my thoughts of her, of the screams and blood, and took my seat. The larger issues had to be handled first. Aurelia could wait for now.
My father’s men—the older, scarred veterans of the Orlov empire—shifted in their seats, papers and ledgers spread in front of them. The sharp scent of aged wood and ink filled the room.
“Report,” Viktor demands, in a way that made men squirm even before he finished speaking.
I lean back slightly, letting him wait a beat longer than necessary. Timing was control, and control was power. “Sergio is dead,” I say simply, watching eyes flicker around the table. “The prisoner is secure, and Ivan is tending to Adrian’s bullet wound.”
Viktor’s gaze sharpens. “Secure?” he says slowly. “And you were not given permission to shoot Adrian, you know his value.”
“Adrian needed to be reminded of his place,” I reply. “And yes, she is secure, I’m handling the details.”
A low chuckle ripples around the table. One of the older men, scarred across his temple, leans back and spits tobacco into a crystal ashtray.
“Hah, your son is just as described, Viktor. But she’s just a girl, Nikolai.
There isn’t much to her besides her pussy, so when will we get the taste we were promised?
” He winks at another man across the table, sharing laughter as the other adds, “If she’s any good, we’ll make sure she’s useful. ”
I should fire a round into each of their skulls for the way they’re speaking, but I hold my composure for her sake.
This was what they were, men who saw women as tools, prizes, and bargaining chips.
If they see that I want her even more than I’ve already shown, they will only press harder for Viktor to give the order.
But he doesn’t intervene, only nodding slowly, the lines in his face deepening.
Another chimes in, “Why are we letting Nikolai have a turn when we can just go up and fuck the girl ourselves?” And I break just enough to ensure that these limp-dick bastards get the message, pulling my gun and slamming it on the table.
Viktor chuckles from his seat. “You have so much anger, my boy.” He smiles, looking around. “It’s good. Keep it that way. But she’s the leverage. Don’t forget that.”
Another man, older and bald, leans forward, tapping a gold ring against the table.
He looks as though he’s about to speak when Viktor interjects, “Let’s move on from Miss De Luca. What about the girls for our meetings this week? We can’t have these operations without… incentives.”
The meeting continues in the same repetitive manner, but I tune it out as Viktor takes the lead, discussing shipments, territory negotiations, and security breaches.
Their laughter and crude jokes follow me down the hall, echoing off the stone walls.
It all means nothing.
Not when I’m on the way to see my girl again.