Chapter 12
RENATA
Every second that passes is like a ticking time bomb. Every heartbeat that passes brings us closer to destruction.
God. Carlos is on the move. It sickens me to know I’m going to hear from him and terrifies me that I haven’t yet.
I have to get married. That’s the next step forward.
I find some toiletries and quickly wash my face, brush my teeth, and run my fingers through my hair. I hear the door open. When I go to exit the bathroom, Ollie storms in, looking murderous. Fury burns in his eyes like a storm about to break.
I face him head on. “Someone storm the castle? Attack the moat?” I tip my head to the side. “Has your armor rusted?”
“I told you I didn’t want the dog on our bed.”
I have to admit, there's something about clean, freshly shaved legs and minty breath that perks me up a little bit, so much so that I almost forgot that I have a steely-faced future husband right in front of me.
But whatever would've disturbed me quickly evaporates when I see my fluffy little fur-ball. He’s wagging his tail and licking Ollie's hand. Before he catches me looking at him, the tension between his brows softens just a bit. We’ll soften him yet.
“Well, Polina watched him, and then he fell asleep. Also, we need a name.”
He shrugs and mutters with a curl of his lip, “So dog isn’t original enough?”
“How about… Princeton? I like Princeton.”
He wrinkles his nose. “Sounds like he needs a stroller and a diamond collar.”
“I can arrange that.”
He grunts, turning away from me as he walks to the dresser and rifles through the clothes. “Yeah, somehow, I find that very easy to believe. Polina’s got a dog sitter and bought a bunch of shit for him.”
Aww.
"It’s time to go. You’ll wear a dress I pick out and nothing underneath.”
My belly flips, but I play it off with a toss of my head. "Oh, how original," I snap, which earns me a hard smack to the ass.
“Haven't gotten to the original part yet, Renata," he says with a growl. "I have another delivery of sorts that's on its way.” Turning me to face him, he brushes his fingers over my chin. “Be patient, little Renata."
I should be offended. It should feel demeaning, but I remember the man behind the fury—the one who saw me, not just the danger that presses in on us. I remember how he would occasionally let his guard down and talk to me, person to person.
I remember all of it. Sometimes, I wish that I didn't.
I lift the sleek, sleeveless dress he hands me and step into it. My breasts fill it out well as I smooth it down and slide on a pair of flats. The fabric is forgiving. It lifts and tucks in all the right places. "Nice choice."
I walk back to the bathroom and do a quick braid in my hair, bringing the thick plait to hang over my shoulder.
I snap on gold hoops, a gold necklace, and a little bracelet.
I'm pretty much feeling like myself already, even though I would really appreciate shopping for myself instead of relying on the charity of someone who hates me.
My stomach growls with hunger.
"We're going out to breakfast. I want to test something," he says.
I'm usually more confident than I feel right now, but my nerves are on edge. I'm not sure if it's because I'm about to have breakfast with a family that thinks I betrayed them or because I'm afraid my brother is going to find me. And if Carlos comes for me? For us? He’s chaos and has no mercy.
I release a ragged breath.
We arrive at a restaurant near the beach, and Ollie takes us immediately to the back, where there's a private room behind glass doors.
My stomach leaps into my throat when I see that everyone is there before us—Mikhail and Aria, his other brother Aleksandr and his wife Harper, all of the brothers and their wives, and even some of the children.
My God. I don't know what I'm going to do next.
I must look like a deer caught in headlights because before we enter, Ollie leans in and captures my gaze.
"Nothing matters except that you are mine," he tells me.
"It doesn't matter what you did, it doesn't matter who you were.
You'll be taking vows to me. You'll be my wife. You might think you don’t belong, but you do. Right here. With me.”
His vote of confidence does, in fact, give me a small measure of relief. I swallow and nod. "Yeah, of course," I tell him. "Are you going to tell me what you're testing?"
"You're a smart girl. What do you think?"
I frown. "Whether or not my brother found me.” A sudden realization dawns on me. “Why I have this cut on my arm that’s still hurting.”
Oh God. What did my brother do?
"Precisely." He leans in and kisses my cheek, but he's only trying to get to my ear so he can whisper to me.
"You can keep whatever's in your arm until tomorrow because I want whoever’s watching to see everything.
Then, on our wedding night, I'm taking that out of there, and we're escaping where nobody knows where we are. Do you understand me?"
Does he think there’s a tracker in my arm?
My heart thunders in my chest. How exactly does he plan on taking it out of me? And where exactly is he going to take me?
I nod and swallow hard. "I understand."
"Good," he says with a smirk. "Go to the ladies' room and wait for me there."
What the actual fuck is he planning on doing? "Excuse me?"
He smiles, but the smile doesn't quite reach his eyes. "You heard me, wife. You've been around my family long enough to know what I expect of you, haven’t you?" He leans in and captures my gaze with his.
"Is that right, sir?" I ask him, fire in my eyes. He excites me and infuriates me. “Do you do everything your family tells you? Or is that just for me?"
He cups my jaw in his large, warm palm, and his eyes hold mine. "I'm an old-fashioned man, Renata. My wife does what she's told. You know what it means if you don't."
The vision of him overpowering me, my wrists trapped in his, my eyes locked in his, makes my pulse race. I swallow and nod.
"I do."
The tension between us has shifted again, palpable and electric. His protective instincts have always been intense, but now, there's something in his eyes that makes my heart race with fear, excitement, and anticipation. A shiver runs down my spine when his hand comes to my back.
"What are you going to do?" I ask, my voice a whisper.
"Trust me," he replies, his eyes dark with a mix of desire and determination. "Now go."
I nod, my pulse racing as I move toward the bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I stand in front of the mirror, my breath shallow. He enters behind me, carrying something in his hand.
I look down. It's a silk blindfold. "Ollie. Here?"
Obviously here.
"Turn around," his voice a command that leaves no room for disobedience.
My hands trembling, I face the mirror. I watch his reflection as he stretches the silk between his fingers.
He steps behind me, his body pressed against mine as he ties it over my eyes.
I'm immediately plunged into darkness, acutely aware of his heat behind me, his breath on my cheek.
The faint scent of lavender and vanilla fills the air.
Somewhere in the distance, I hear laughter and the sound of running water.
"Can you see anything?" he asks, his breath in my ear.
"No," I whisper, heightened senses taking over.
"Good girl," he murmurs, his hands sliding down my arms.
My pulse races, my grip on the cold sink the only thing keeping me from falling completely under his control.
"Hold still," he whispers. "Don't you dare disobey me. Not here. Not now."
My thoughts are a tempest.
I’m old-fashioned.
My wife will obey me.
You know what happens.
Good girl.
Little Renata.
I grip the sink as his hands roam over my body. He lifts the hem of my dress, fingers brushing against my thighs. Pleasure surges through me. He takes his time, his touch disarming, tender, and teasing, building me to a fevered pitch.
I remember last night in vivid detail. Ollie Romanov will take control of me in more ways than one.
I hate and love that he does. "You're so beautiful," he whispers in my ear, his voice reverent. "And so strong. You're going to be mine, Renata, and you're never going to lose who you are. Do you understand me?"
No. I don't understand that at all. How the hell is that gonna work? I shake my head, biting my lips as his hands move higher, caressing my hips, my body arching into his fingers as they move over my bare skin. "Stand still," he growls in my ear, his breath hot against my neck.
His family is right outside the door. My brother is somewhere out there, too, his eyes always on me. Anybody could come in here at any time. He wants me to surrender, and he's pushing me to the brink.
Obeying, my body trembles with a mixture of desire and need. When I feel his hands on my hips again, my heart races. My pulse skyrockets when he presses his lips to my shoulder, his kisses slow and deliberate, a stark contrast to the urgency I feel inside. Why is he being so slow and deliberate?
Uuuuggggh.
He’s the quiet one, the patient one who’s learned to wait for what he wants.
Lucky me.
"Ollie," I moan, my voice shaky.
"Patience," he whispers, his hands moving to the front of me.
Slowly, he trails his fingers up my stomach, brushing against my breasts before moving to unbutton me.
The fabric falls away, leaving me exposed.
He trails his fingers up my stomach, brushing against my breasts before moving the fabric away.
"Hold on," he commands. "Did I give you permission to move? "
My breathing hitches as I feel him drop to his knees.
What is he…? Oh my God. I grip the sink so tightly I think it's going to snap.
His hands trace the curve of my back, his touch reverent and possessive.
When he spreads my legs slightly, his fingers graze the sensitive skin of my inner thighs, and a wave of pleasure consumes me.
All he's done is touch me. "Oh my God," I gasp. "What are you—"