Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
“Not like you to make a personal visit.”
He hummed, running his eyes over my half-naked form. Closing his eyes, he drew in a deep breath and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Do not fucking tell me your idea of teaching your boy a lesson was to fuck him?” he growled.
I smirked. “I mean, it worked.”
His sigh was weighted with annoyance before he stepped past me and into the hotel room. Malik was tugging his shirt over his head when Anatoly stepped in, and he quickly tugged it down the rest of the way, every single one of his shields going up against the Pakhan.
Which meant, more than likely, they were going up against me, too.
Fuck.
“Anatoly,” he said quietly.
“Find some shoes, Shadow,” Anatoly ordered. “You and I have a dinner reservation.”
“The fuck?” I blurted, instantly suspicious. Malik cast me a questioning look, and though I was sure Anatoly wouldn’t pick up on it since Malik hid it well, there was a hint of trepidation there, too. My man just couldn’t hide a fucking thing from me. “What game are you playing at, Balakin?” I snapped, calling Anatoly by his last name.
“Shadow and I just need to have a talk,” Anatoly told me as Malik worked on finding his socks and shoes.
“If you fucking—” I growled, my temper spiking and my mask slipping. Anatoly knew I’d slaughter anyone who harmed Malik. He was mine.
And family or not, I’d slit Anatoly’s throat if he tried anything funny with him.
Anatoly held up a hand, his brow arching in a warning to bring myself back under control. I drew in a deep breath, forcing myself to breathe so I could recenter myself and slip that mask back on. The mask that hid the demon. The monster.
“I will not harm him, Rurik,” Anatoly promised me. “But I want to make him aware of some rules. Remind him of his place. If it makes you more comfortable, you can send some of your own men with us.”
I looked at Malik as he stood from the bed, his shoes now on. His muscles were tight with tension as he met my gaze, his eyes hard and flinty.
“Give us a minute?” I asked Anatoly. But he knew as well as I was that I wasn’t truly asking.
Anatoly inclined his head to me and then left the room, shutting the door behind him. My hand snapped out and wrapped around Malik’s throat, and surprising the fuck out of me, he leaned into me, letting me take control of him all while that tension bled out of his shoulders.
Good boy.
“If you don’t want to go with him, I’ll put a stop to this,” I promised.
Malik shook his head. “I’m good, Rurik.” He sighed. “How much trouble am I in?”
I snickered and drew him closer until our lips brushed. His shaky exhale fanned over my mouth, and I barely bit back a groan.
“You actually care about being in trouble, baby?”
He cocked his head to the side just the tiniest bit. “Only if he might take me from you.”
So last night really had been all you needed, huh, Shadow?
“No one is taking you from me,” I promised him. I kissed him hard, reopening that bite mark on his lip. I lapped at the blood there, groaning as the coppery taste of him exploded on my tongue. “I’ll be here waiting.” Releasing him, I grabbed my burner phone and pressed it into his palm, since he no longer had one. “Call me if you need me.”
He nodded once. “I will.”
17
Malik
“You’re quieter than I thought you’d be,” Anatoly commented as his driver slowly navigated the evening traffic. I just grunted. I knew it was disrespectful to not verbally answer him, but I was in a mood. I’d been woken up from the best bit of sleep after the most earth-shattering orgasm I’d ever had, and now, I was being forced away from the one person in the world who could make my head go silent, just so Anatoly could have fucking dinner with me.
“You can speak openly with me,” Anatoly tried again.
I snorted. “Trust me, you don’t want that,” I muttered.
Anatoly hummed. “I used to wonder what Rurik’s obsession with you was. You nearly killed one of my soldiers who was gathering intel for me. I was ready to have someone take you out, but the moment Rurik laid his eyes on you on that security feed, he ordered protection on you. Made you untouchable, even to me. But now…” He cocked his head to the side as he regarded me.
“Now?” I grated, becoming increasingly annoyed.
“I think I see it. You’ve got a nasty temper, Mr. Carter. But if controlled properly, you’d make a damn good weapon, I think.”
I sneered at him, my temper spiking. “I’m not a fucking weapon,” I growled. “I’m a goddamn person.”