Chapter 23 #2
“Looks like I have two brats on my hands.” Hunt sighs, and I roll my head on Roman’s shoulder to look at upside down Hunt, who looks at us both with an exasperated fondness.
“You cut her?” Nik’s angry hiss has my head snapping back, my brows lowered to find him crouched in front of me, his glare on Rowan.
I hiss a sharp breath when Rowan reaches out and traces a thin red cut that’s on the top of my breast. Blood trickles from the slice, but it’s not deep.
My breath stills when Rowan, ignoring the seething Russian next to him, brings his finger up to his mouth and sucks it clean, and a small moan falls from my lips at the erotic sight.
“I–I don’t mind,” I whisper, tearing my gaze from Rowan’s to stare into Nik’s brown eyes. “I–I enjoyed it.”
His nostrils flare as he looks at me, and I’m not sure if he also likes the idea of cutting me or if he’s still annoyed that Rowan did.
“It will probably leave a scar, Kotenok,” he tells me in a measured tone, and I swallow again. The idea of having a mark permanently on my body that Rowan has given me leaves butterflies fluttering around my stomach, my core heating as something in my solar plexus settles.
“I don’t mind that either,” I say, turning my head to face Rowan as they are all still around me. “I like the idea of carrying your mark.” One side of his lips lifts in a half smile that is blinding, giving me the confidence to say the next thing. “But I want to leave one on you too.”
His gaze turns molten, and he’s pulling down the neckline of his vest in the next second, holding out the knife that still has a little of my blood on it.
With trembling fingers, I reach forward, taking the blade and placing its keen edge against his pec, a mirror of the place he cut me. Swallowing, I press it into his flesh.
“Deeper,” he rasps out, and my gaze darts to his, to his clenched jaw as he stares at me with fire in his amber eyes.
Nodding, I look back down at the blade, pushing it deeper into his skin, ruby blood welling as I drag it along, parting his flesh.
My heart beats fast inside my chest, but my hand is steady as I cut him, pulling the blade away when I think it’s about the same size as mine.
Hands tangle in my hair, Rowan pulling me to his lips with a feverish intensity, and my grip tightens around the handle of the blade as he destroys me with his kiss. He tells me everything that he doesn’t say out loud with his lips and tongue, and having the others here too just feels so right.
Sudden tears spring to my eyes, knowing that this can’t last, that Nik will have to go and we will be incomplete once again. Rowan pulls away when a small sob falls from my lips, and Roman’s arms tighten around me as I take a shuddering inhale.
“I don’t want this to end,” I confess, looking into Rowan’s eyes, which soften as he registers my meaning. I see the way people look at him like he’s a psycho, like he doesn’t feel things, but he feels so keenly. He always knows what I’m thinking, sometimes before even I do.
He turns my face back to Nik, releasing his grip on my hair, Roman unwinding his arms so that I can go into Nikolai’s.
I bury my face against his neck, breathing him in deeply as if I’m trying to stock up, and I am, because who knows when I’ll get to be in his arms again.
And I fucking hate it, hate that we have to be apart when all of us being together feels so right.
“It’ll be okay, Moye Solntse,” he soothes, kissing my head and pulling me closer. “We’ll be together one day, I promise.”
“It’s almost time for your set, Roman,” Hunter says, and the grief that was threatening to drown me eases as curiosity filters in. “And you two should clean those cuts, put a plaster on them or something.”
Roman sighs, getting up along with Rowan, and then Nik helps me to my feet, still holding me as the feeling returns to my legs after kneeling for so long. I turn in his arms so my back is to his front, but I keep them wrapped around me for a little while longer.
“What set?” I ask, taking a deep inhale when Nik kisses the side of my neck.
“You’ll see, Princess,” Roman teases, a twinkle in his eyes. “You staying?” He nods to Nik, who shakes his head against me.
“I have other business to attend to tonight.” His hot breath pebbles my nipples when he sighs. “I just wanted to see Iris. I needed to see her.” His voice is soft against my skin, so I’m not sure the others heard his last words.
“And Sergi?” Hunt asks, though it’s more of a demand as he looks at us, his jaw clenched. I can’t tell if it’s the mention of Nik’s father or seeing us wrapped together, though he seemed okay when Nik was fucking me.
“Will be pissed when he discovers the estate empty,” Nikolai states, and all the guys tense, my pulse racing.
“He won’t stop. He sees Iris as belonging to him and only misplaced for a short time.
He’s planning something. He’s here tonight, so he knows you came, though I don’t know if he knows you brought Iris. ”
Ice coats my insides at his words, at the fact that Sergi is keeping such a close eye on us. At the fact that he’s here, somewhere, waiting like a grim reaper, ready to steal me away.
“We won’t let him get to you,” Roman tells me, his tone fierce. “And maybe the news of your nuptials will help,” Roman hedges, and Nik freezes behind me.
“Fake nuptials,” I amend quickly, glaring at a smirking Roman. “It was a joke that kinda got out of hand.”
“It might add another layer of protection, make him hesitate,” Nik muses, his body relaxing slightly against my back. “But he’s taken men’s wives before, so I wouldn’t count on it.”
“We’ll keep her safe,” Hunt assures him, his green gaze hard as he looks at me. “Provided she doesn’t keep running off.”
“I won’t,” I rush, shaking my head. “Not again.”
“Good. Let’s get back out there. The sooner we finish up here, the sooner we can go home,” Hunt states, holding out his hand, and part of my heart sinks at knowing I have to take it and walk away from Nik.
Before I can reach out, Nik spins me, slamming his lips onto mine and kissing me senseless.
My fingers grasp his skin, tracing over the lines of his muscles as he kisses me, his tongue demanding entry, which of course I give him willingly.
It’s bittersweet and full of longing, tears springing to my eyes at knowing that once it ends, I’ll have to leave him for fuck knows how long.
He ends the embrace slowly, reluctantly pulling away and pressing our foreheads together.
“Soon, Solnishko,” he whispers, then with a sigh, he lets me go, stepping back. Fingers tangle with mine, and I look to the side, my vision wavering, to find Hunt there, his expression soft as he looks at me.
“We’ll take care of her,” he assures Nik again, who takes a deep inhale and loosens his grip on me.
I swallow the lump in my throat, biting my lips to stop the sob that wants to rip free as I allow Hunt to pull me away. Rowan opens the door and checks, stepping out before Hunt pulls me through, Roman following us.
I glance over Roman to see Nik still standing there, shirtless, his jaw tight as he watches me leave, and my heart cracks, pain radiating across all my limbs and in my very soul. Soon is too far away.