24. Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Nikolai
A leksander glances around the room, his eyes hovering on the drawer I just closed.
“The man you sent me to kill said he worked for Damon. So, I wanted to see if he was new or if he showed up in any of our records.”
Alek’s face remains still. “And?”
“He didn’t show up.” I say curtly, hoping he doesn’t notice how uncomfortable I am. Alek glances at me before walking over to a drawer and pulling out a document.
“I need you to send me a copy of the marriage certificate for you and the Italian.”
The Italian?
“Isabella.” I growl, correcting him. Alek’s eyes flicker to mine, something shifting in them. “Is that necessary? It was enough hassle getting it sorted in the first place. Now you need me to go up there and get the paperwork too? I’m busy cleaning up your messes, unless you’ve forgotten?”
Sometimes Alek is so still it’s hard to tell if he’s breathing. Everything about him is controlled. How much longer will he last before he hits his breaking point?
“It’s necessary.” He repeats.
“Will you butt your nose out of my marriage when you have that flimsy bit of paper?”
Alek moves closer, so I lean into the desk to make sure Isabella is totally covered. Seeing her will confirm any twisted suspicions in his head, and he’ll think I’m a traitor. Alek takes his time to make decisions, but once he decides he’s fucking ruthless.
He places his hands on the table and leans closer to me. As he opens his mouth to speak, Isabella shifts under the desk, and I only just cover her noise with a cough. Alek pulls his head back, and I nudge Isabella with my foot under the desk.
Stop making noise. You’ll get us both killed.
Alek folds his arms and drums his fingers, rolling over a thought in his head.
“Boris told me what happened.” Says Alek through gritted teeth.
Idiot.
I lean back, letting silence fill the room. Alek waits, and I can see the decision in his head as he picks his next words carefully. “You had to take a detour to collect your wife?”
As if the reference to her has woken her up, I feel Isabella quietly shift under the desk.
“I picked her up, yes. What about it?”
Her hand brushes my calf before trailing up my leg. I grit my teeth as I realise what she’s doing.
Fuck. Are you insane? Not now.
My body tenses and I hold my breath as I feel Isabella slowly unzip my pants. Every movement she makes is slow, sensual, just enough to for blood to rush between my legs. Her fingers brush the material of my boxers, and my rock hard cock strains under the desk.
Alek’s eyes narrow. “Are you alright, Nikolai?”
“I’m fine.” I wave my hand. “Just feeling sick.”
The muscle in Alek’s jaw tenses, but he accepts my excuse. “I spoke to Boris. He seems to think it was more than picking her up.”
“Boris has two brain cells, and they never stop arguing.”
Alek chuckles, and Isabella takes the noise as cover to shift between my legs under the desk. Her fingers dance across my inner thighs, and all my pent up energy channels on her. I grit my teeth, barely holding back a groan as her hands find my throbbing cock. Fuck. I've been dreaming of her touch for so long, I didn't expect getting my wish to be so frustrating.
“Boris said she ran away, and you ran after her furious. Then, after she talks to you, you turned it on him and made him walk home.”
“He disrespected my wife. What else should I do? Nod and join in? He needs to remember she’s mine, and that means anyone who insults her deals with me.”
I let out a long breath, my heart thundering in my chest as the warmth of her breath pulls at my pulsing cock. Her fingers trail up and down. Just enough contact to build me up, but not enough to give me what I want.
You’re being such a bad fucking girl.
I make fists so tight my knuckles turn white. Alek glances at my balled fists and then up at me.
“I understand being protective of your wife, but I don’t like the effect she’s having on you.”
“And what effect is that?” I growl, as much out of anger as it was to stifle the groans building in my throat.
Isabella quickens the pace with her hands, but kept it slow enough to keep the noise down. Slow enough to torture me. I try to refocus on the conversation, but then her tongue finds the head of my cock and all the logical thoughts leave my mind. She needs to be flipped onto this desk, pinned down, and shown who the boss is. Her tongue trails up and down the shaft of my cock, and it takes everything for me to stay still. She never once puts it in her mouth, just teasing me, keeping me agonisingly on edge.
Alek narrows his eyes in confusion as he watches me struggle to hold a straight face. He reaches into another drawer and pulls out some painkillers. “Take one of these. You look like you’re about to pass out.”
I am.
Alek hands me the pills and then folds his arms with a sigh. “She’s a distraction. I can’t have you running after her, into enemy territory, when we’re on the brink of the biggest war since Don Leonardo finished the other Italian families. We need to be united, not squabbling like fucking teenagers over a girl. Boris walked back. If he’d been seen and shot, that would be on you and your wife.”
Alek inches closer; barely controlling his voice as the stress cracked into his icy eyes. “Get her under control.”
You have no idea how much I want her under control right now.
“Boris exaggerates. Don’t worry, she knows her place.”
In protest, she grips my cock tighter and ups the speed of her hand on my cock, building me closer and closer to the edge. I can’t hold it. I shift back in the chair and, just as I begin to lose control, she pulls her hand away. I feel myself cumming but without her touching me it only leaks out in a ruined orgasm. All the frustration and pent up desire stays in my body, like a release without any of the pressure actually going away.
I 'm going to punish you the moment he leaves this room.
Alek eyes me as I bite into my cheeks to control my expression. “Alright. I trust you. Don’t let anything like this happen again.”
“It won’t.”
"Make sure you get some sleep, Nikolai."
Alek takes a document from a drawer before leaving the room.
I wait for his footsteps to echo out of earshot before pulling my chair back and glaring down at Isabella.
“What the fuck were you thinking? You could have got us killed.”
When she looks up at me innocently, her dilated eyes in combination with the edge I’m teetering on make it so very hard to stay mad at her.
Never argue with a beautiful woman when your cock is hard.
“I think you needed it.” She says with a grin, letting her fingertips dance across the head of my cock. I let out the groan that’s been pressing into my throat since she unzipped my pants.
“I like you doing as you’re told.” I snatch her wrists and pin them to her sides, drawing her into me. We breathe in unison, her full lips close enough to mine for me to lose the last of my sanity.
“I think you like being the big, powerful man.” She inches closer, her body relaxing into mine. “The man everyone is afraid of. Strong, silent, untouchable.” Her breath tickles my neck, and her scent makes the blood rush through my veins. “And I think you like having a woman who makes you melt.”
“You’re playing with fire, princess.” I grab a fistful of her hair and pull it, yanking her head back to remind her who owns her.
Our eyes lock. “So are you,”
I ram her into the wall with a kiss, tearing at her clothes, ripping them off like a starving tiger devouring its first meal in weeks.
“Fuck.” I groan as I take in her body, her soft skin, the lines of her curves. “If I get another taste, I’ll never be able to get enough.”
“What if I make you stop?” She teases with a smirk.
Before she can say another word, I silence her with a kiss, biting her lip and digging my hands into every inch of her I can reach.
“I’ll make you beg me to keep going.”
Isabella tugs at my shirt until the top three buttons rip open. The fire between us dims for a split-second as a look of shock invades her eyes. She glances at my scarred body, trying not to stare, trying to pretend she hasn't seen me. My heart pounds harder and harder as the seconds pass.
“What happened?” She whispers, finally meeting my eyes.
I swallow, the desire in my body suddenly fighting with the past.
I never should have let her see me.
“I made a mistake. I trusted someone.” I whisper.
Pain rattles through my voice as I reach for the buttons of my shirt.
“What are you doing?” She jerks forward, her delicate hand gently stopping mine.
I didn’t meet her eyes. “I lost my self-control. I shouldn’t have let you see me… I know what I am. I know it’s disgusting.”
“It’s not disgusting.” She says quietly. I avoid her eyes, because how can a monster like me ever be right for her? I pick up the button again to get my shirt back on. “It’s not disgusting!” She repeats it with so much force that my eyes snap to hers and my hands freeze. If it’s not disgusting, why did she stop? Why did her eyes lock onto the web of scars across my chest?
As if reading my mind, Isabella touches her hand across my chest, trailing the maze of scars. I drag my eyes to hers, expecting horror but finding something so much softer. Something I didn’t expect.
“I saw your back once before, but I couldn’t see all the scars properly.” She whispered. “I’m not disgusted. It doesn’t change how I see you.” Probably because the man she sees finally matches the man I am.
“What? Now I look as monstrous as the man you know?”
Her brows furrow, and she shakes her head. “You’re not a monster, Nikolai.”
“Really?” I laugh. “You didn’t see what I did before I found you today. I’m not your average guy whose made a few mistakes and feels bad about it. I fucking torture people. I kill them. I lie, I cheat, I ruin people. If I’m not a monster, what is?” I shake my head. “The universe gave me these scars to make sure everyone knows I’m a monster. So they can run before I get my hands around their fucking necks.”
Perhaps it’s because she grew up surrounded by mafia men, but Isabella doesn't recoil at my confession. She swallows, her whole body trembling. The soft touch of her hands runs down my chest again. I let out a breath of forbidden ecstasy, giving into the warmth of her touch for a moment longer.
“You’re not a monster to me.” She whispers.
I almost wish she’d said anything else. I wish she’d turned away in disgust and demanded I never show my mangled body again. I wish she’d left the instant she saw me. Because that would be so much less terrifying than the words she just uttered.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Isabella.”
Her eyes flicker up to mine.
“Then don’t.”
I’ve promised that before. How can I bring myself to let someone rely on me again?
“I’ll keep you safe.” I whisper.
I pull her into me, cupping her gorgeous face, and kiss her. My fingers dig into her thighs as I lift her up onto the table. I hike up her skirt as I kiss her neck, and allow her intoxicating scent to consume me.
Fuck, I could die in this woman’s touch.
“You’ve been a bad girl.” I snarl.
“Only because you love it.” She moans as my teeth trail across her neck.
I grab her waist and pull her to the edge of the desk, so her face is brushing against mine. Our lips lock for half a second, before I draw back from her and drop between her legs.
Her thighs glisten with her wetness, which only gets me harder. I toy with the thin material of her soaked panties and then drag my tongue across her thigh and up to her quivering pussy.
“You were misbehaving under the desk.” I growl, my eyes flickering up to hers as I press my fingers into her panties.
She stifles a moan and nods with wide eyes. She wants the reaction; she needs to be put in her place.
“You were so hard. It was too tempting.” The smile on her face is worth dying for.
I drag her panties from her legs, exposing her pulsing slit.
“Don’t play with things you can’t handle.”
I slip my finger inside her and her whole body shivers. She bites down on her bottom lip and squeezes her eyes shut.
Oh princess, if you can’t handle my fingers, then the rest of me will break you.
She grips around my finger as I tease her with it, pushing up into a spot that draws a chorus of moans from her lips.
You’re mine, now.
Her irresistible scent draws me in, and I drag my tongue over her engorged clit. She shudders as I bury my face in between her legs and work my fingers inside her. It doesn’t take me long to get her to the edge of orgasm.
Now she gets to understand who she belongs to.
“I’m close, Nikolai.”
I know, princess.
Just as her body reaches the point of no return, I pull away. Isabella collapses backwards onto the desk, holding onto her orgasm. But I don’t give her a moment to regain any control.
“You need to know who’s in charge.” I growl as I flip her onto her stomach and bend her over the desk.
Her back naturally falls into a delicious curve, making her ass stick out in the air. I pull up her skirt, revealing all of her perfect ass, and push my straining bulge between her legs. Let her feel what she’s toying with, what I know she won’t be able to handle.
She lets out a desperate groan. “I’m sorry, Nikolai.”
If you think that submissive little voice will save you, you don’t know who you’re dealing with.
“Good girls get rewarded.” I unbuckle my belt, taking my time to make sure she hears.
“Nikolai, no. I’m not a child, you can’t just…”
I push her back down, pinning her against the table.
“You like it rough, princess?”
She turns her head to meet my eyes, and tries to hold my gaze, but she can’t. She wants to say no but can't bring herself to. A part of her wants it. Her eyes drop to the floor, the hot sting of embarrassment flooding her perfect features. Begrudgingly, she settles back into place, bent over the table. Maybe she doesn’t know if she likes it rough. Well, I’ll teach her.
If I were crueller, I’d make her lick up the ruined orgasm she dared to give me.
The leather is soft in my hands, so I pull it taught. The sound it makes brings a smile to my lips.
Isabella’s breathing is slow. Braced.
“Bad girls,” I crack the belt against her ass, “get punished.”
Isabella yelps, her knuckles going white against the table.
“Quiet. We can’t draw any attention while we’re in this room.”
“It hurts.” She moans.
“Good.” I spank her again, leaving red belt marks across her quivering ass.
Blood rushes to my cock as I gaze at her. She’s caught between the pain of my discipline and the edge of orgasm I left her on.
I spank her again and she yelps, louder than before.
Perhaps she needs some help.
I snatch her panties and lean into her, letting my straining cock press into her gorgeous ass, before reaching around and shoving the panties into her mouth.
“Do as you’re told.” I growl, sending another crack of the belt across her ass cheeks.
She winces, biting down on the panties in her mouth.
“If you obey, you might get a reward.” I drawl, dragging the belt between her ass cheeks and sending a shiver up her spine.
I tap her clit with the belt and she lurches forward, her back arching up and her legs threatening to give way. She quivers, gasping into the scrunched up panties in her mouth, but she doesn’t get up. She doesn’t run. After a moment, she settles back into position; her ass up and ready for her punishment.
“You love being mine, don’t you?”
She gives me nothing.
I spank her hard. “Don’t you?”
“Yes, Nikolai.” She moans through the panties gagging her.
Fuck, she looks so good.
My cock pulses against the material of my boxers, begging me to take her right now. I need her skin on mine. I fucking need her.
I spank her pussy with the belt again.
“You love it, don’t you?”
"I love it." She moans her agreement into the panties filling her mouth.
I spank her pussy, over and over, until she’s a quivering, dizzy mess, limp on the table in front of me.
“Please don’t stop.” Her words are mumbled, but it turns me on so much.
I pause, squeezing her ass and dragging the belt up and down against her pussy.
“Don’t stop what?”
“Please.”
She pushes her ass back, trying to get any stimulation for her throbbing clit.
“Beg.” I grab onto her waist and pin her in place.
“Please, let me cum.”
“Why should I?”
She scrambles for answers, desperate for anything to get over the edge I’m keeping her caged on. She’d agree to anything right now.
“Because I’m yours.”
“Say it.”
“I belong to you.”
She moans as I rub her pussy with all the pressure she’s been desperate for this whole time. She collapses, ass in the air, totally helpless and exposed, as I force her into an orgasm.
“Good girl.”
Isabella convulses against my fingers, letting out little moans into the room. How will I ever be able to keep my hands off you, princess?
After a breathless moment, I take her panties from her mouth and help her back to her feet.
“Are you keeping those?” Her eyes flicker to the soaking wet panties.
“You can earn the right to wear underwear by behaving. Until then, I want you like this.”
Her eyes light up, and for once, there’s no argument from her.
We reach our room door to find one of the servants in Greyson’s team nervously standing outside. He locks eyes with me and quickly looks away before approaching us. Maybe he heard everything and wants to reprimand us? He can’t be that stupid. I laser my gaze into him and he averts his eyes. No, he’s too nervous. I grip Isabella’s hand tighter. Something is going on, and this poor bastard drew the short straw to tell me.
“Mr Ilyin, Mrs Ilyin.” His voice cracks and his pale features flush red.
“What is it?” I snap.
The boy’s eyes widen at the tone of my voice, and his next few words crash into each other like someone just hammered into a full tube of toothpaste.
“Pakhan Aleksander wants to speak with you. It’s urgent.”
“What’s going on?” Asks Isabella, wrapping her soft hands around my arm.
The boy’s eyes flick around to everything but us. “It’s about your father.” He glances at Isabella for half a second as her touch stiffens against my body. “They’ve organised a meeting to discuss the terms of your marriage. He feels disrespected that he wasn’t consulted. He’s arriving tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow!?” I bark, making the boy flinch back. “Why wasn’t I told?”
The boy looks around helplessly. “I-I-I don’t know. They just told me to tell you now. Please don’t hurt me.”
Having a million different stories about you tearing off fingernails and killing families has it’s uses, but sometimes it makes simple interactions a nightmare.
“Then get out of my way.” I don’t even put any effort into my words and he scampers off like a shaken hyena.
Before I can do anything, Isabella rushes into our room and slams the bathroom door behind her.
“Isabella, wait.” Why did I let her out of my grip?
The lock starts to turn, but I crash into the door before she can keep me out. Isabella holds out her trembling hands, forcing space between us.
“Nikolai, get away from me.”
Her bottom lip curls back like a starving tiger ready to pounce. I know she’s got issues with her family, but I didn’t expect her father’s presence to cause this much panic.
“Isabella, listen to me. It’s okay. There’s nothing he can do while I’m here.”
“You don’t know him.”
My eyes darken, and I see her anger falter for a moment. “I’ve been in the Bratva since I was a boy. I know all about Don Leonardo.”
Her jaw tenses. I can’t tell if she’s about to cry or grab something to attack me with, but I can feel the energy pulsing out from her. Calmly, I take up the space between us and take her hands in mine. She jerks back, but I hold her firm. Her body screams back off, but her eyes aren’t so sure anymore.
“What are you afraid of?” I pull her closer.
“I’m not afraid.” She buries her head into my chest, hiding her face.
She’s putting on a brave face, but who for? I don’t need her to be brave. I don’t need her to be anything but Isabella. How can I help her if she won’t let me in? I wrap my arms around her, surrounding her in a protective embrace.
“I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” I meant the words to be comforting, but they come out like a guttural, animalistic vow.
Her body relaxes an inch, and she takes in a long, rattling breath. Then the stiffness returns, and she draws back from me.
“I won’t let my dad take me back. I’m not living for someone else ever again. I was going to run away on my own. I can handle them on my own.”
She always wants to take the world on by herself. I don’t know what went on in her home growing up, but I can see it’s shattered her sense of trust in others.
“You don’t have to handle them alone.”
We stare into each other’s eyes, and a thought seems to hover on the tip of her tongue. She swallows and averts her gaze, breaking contact and pushing past me back into our room. I watch through the open bathroom door as Isabella takes her space in the bed and turns onto her side, away from me.
Maybe I’ll kill her bastard father and rid her of his evil fucking spirit.
My problems are usually solved by threatening to kill someone’s family, or breaking a few ribs. I’m not used to dealing with emotions, and it’s driving me fucking insane.
“You can’t just shut down when things get hard.” I growl, almost instantly regretting it.
Her body stiffens under the covers, but she doesn’t say anything. It’s like she only has two modes of attack - shutting off completely or swinging for a knockout. I glance into the mirror, taking in the frown plastered across my face. I’ve hidden away from women for years, and dealt with every other issue with violence. Am I really that different?
I flick off the light switch and settle into the makeshift bed and let the night swirl around us. Half an hour passes without a movement from either of us. The only sound is a brief break in the silence when Anton trots over to me and curls up at my feet.
The duvet moves with her breathing, slow and steady. I wonder if she’s asleep. Her soft voice answers my question. Despite everything, she upholds her end of our deal, even with the prospect of her family tearing it apart tomorrow.
She sings a lullaby, and she sings so softly it’s almost impossible to hear, but it’s there.
I won’t let them take you, Isabella. I’ll never let anyone take you.
Her voice floods me, takes away the pain in my heart, and guides me into a deep, nightmare-less sleep.