There’s a hitch in my plan to take over the world.
It’s not small or negligible, and it certainly can’t be ignored. The problem, however, is the solution I have to use to bypass this hurdle.
It’s been six months since the attack on me right before the drug shipment, and Juan has never fully trusted me again. In fact, he asked for another contact within the Bratva, and the Pakhan assigned Igor.
The in I got with the cartels that was supposed to be my ticket to the top has to be shared with Igor because he’s Sergei’s oldest and wisest companion.
Igor’s history with the Bratva is curious at best. Yes, he’s old, but he’s served under two different Pakhans who liked and appreciated him equally.
He’s also the one they like spending their personal time with, which I’m sure he’s used to give himself and his brigade more power.
It’s no secret that he’s one of the main reasons Sergei became the Pakhan after his brother’s death. He could’ve put himself in that position if he’d chosen to—my old man and the others would’ve voted for him—but Igor is playing the long game.
He had the organization’s best interests in mind when he nominated another Sokolov for the position, and as a result, he secured another powerful tool—Sergei.
The Pakhan is growing old, and he’s not as sharp as he was in his younger years. So guess who he consults with before making any decisions? Igor.
It’s a soft power that keeps growing with every passing day.
I’m almost sure he truly doesn’t want to be Pakhan, though, because after Nikolai’s death, he announced that he has no interest in the position and prefers to offer support instead.
Now that same Igor is strongly in my business. In fact, he’s been in my business since I got back to New York.
The reason for that became clear after the meeting he arranged for both of us at his house two days ago. No guards were allowed inside. Just me and him, and, later, the Pakhan himself joined.
The three of us sat there for hours. They laid out their conditions, and I put mine forward.
It wasn’t just words—we had to sign a contract in blood so that if one of us backed out, he’d be outed in front of the entire organization as a coward who doesn’t keep their word.
It’d be career suicide, basically. Sergei and Igor might be old, but they’ve spent decades in the Bratva, and they consider its values sacred.
Me? I want to be at the top. No matter what it fucking takes.
Even if it means selling my soul to the devil. If I’m at the top, I can bring that devil to his knees in front of me. I will be able to do whatever the fuck I please, and no one would dare hurt those close to me.
I sit behind my desk in the club, building the dozenth house of cards in the past hour.
Viktor is opposite me on the sofa with a laptop on his lap, probably watching some security footage. He likes to show small clips to the guards and remind them how sloppy they are.
It’s no secret that they prefer Sasha over him. She’s compassionate, more attuned to their needs than they are, and often goes out of her way to do their job if they’re feeling under the weather.
The air in the house has become lighter since the birthday party a couple of months ago. And it’s all because Sasha puts in the effort and gently pushes everyone else to do the same.
She even took Karina out to the nearby park for a whole fifteen minutes. She brought her back after she had a numbing panic attack; however, my sister was smiling soon after and talked to me about the air and the bees and even the children she saw there.
I still don’t like that Sasha is close to Konstantin. He’s an asshole who might use her against me, but the stubborn little shit doesn’t seem to think that’s the case and says nonsense like:
“I think he’s deeply misunderstood.”
“Have you ever thought that maybe he’s being corrupted by Yulia? Or that, when you left, you didn’t only abandon Karina but also Konstantin?”
“Can you consider giving him another chance? Or at least listen to what he has to say?”
“At this point, threatening and antagonizing him every time you see him is doing more damage than good. Can you try not jumping down his throat the moment you see him?”
I said yes to the last one if she’d think of him as invisible and never talk to him again. To which she glared and said, “No.”
I’m often tempted to grab her by the throat and drag her into the nearest dark corner whenever she does that. Her defiant side can be such a fucking turn-on.
Her whole presence is. I don’t know the reason, but she’s been becoming more and more beautiful. To the point where I often have these dark thoughts about locking her up where no one can see.
To the point where I’m on the edge whenever she’s not here.
Like right now.
She and the others are doing the rounds downstairs, but I couldn’t be bothered to show interest in that. Tonight, the Pakhan is throwing a party that no one knows the reason behind.
Everyone is expected to be there, though, including our families, and if anyone misses it, there will be repercussions.
So I actually have to put up with Yulia’s presence. The look on her face after everything falls in place might be worth it, though.
“Boss.” Viktor’s voice breaks the silence as he stares at me.
“Hmm?”
“Are you still not going to tell us what went down in the room with Igor and the Pakhan two nights ago?”
“No.”
“Since when do you hide things from me?”
“You’re not my wife last I checked.”
“That’s nonsense. You don’t have to tell your wife everything. But you have to tell me.”
I smile, but I don’t say anything.
“Boss.”
“What now?”
“Remember when you told me Lipovsky likes men?”
The card I’m holding remains suspended in midair as I lift my head and look at Viktor. “I do. What about it?”
“I think the man he likes is you.”
It takes superhuman strength to stop my lips from curving into a smirk and, instead, speak in a casual tone. “Oh? What made you come to that conclusion?”
“He watches you all the time.”
“You watch me all the time, too. Does that mean you like me, Viktor?”
His solemn expression doesn’t change. “This is different. He has this weird look on his face, and he does it when you’re not paying attention.”
Interesting.
“I’m sure it’s nothing.” I place two cards together.
“Or it is something, and you need to be careful.”
“Me? Careful of Lipovsky?”
“Well, he’s the night guard. Maybe I should take over for now.”
“Nonsense.” I wave him away.
Just in time, the door opens, and Sasha walks inside with Yuri and Maksim on either side of her.
Would it be possible to send those two on a holiday for the next two years?
Actually, make that ten years.
“We should go back to the house so you can get ready for tonight’s party.” She speaks in her calm ‘manly’ voice.
Her hair is growing longer again and reaches below her ears. It’s like she does it on purpose to feel like a woman again, but then when she starts looking too feminine, she cuts it off.
“Everyone but Lipovsky out.”
Yuri and Maksim nod and step out. Viktor, however, narrows his eyes before he does the same.
Once the door closes behind them, Sasha releases a breath. “You really need to stop doing that, or they’ll suspect something is going on.”
“I don’t give a fuck what they think.” I tap the desk in front of me. “Come here.”
She sighs and turns the lock before she walks in my direction. Ever since that time Rai caught us, she doesn’t take any chances.
Once she’s within touching distance, I clutch her by the wrist and pull her so that she’s caged between my thighs and her back is against my desk.
Her hands instinctively fall on my shoulders, and she inhales deeply. I love how her neck becomes a light shade of red whenever she’s embarrassed or horny. Right now, I’m going to bet on the second.
I start to slowly remove her pants, and she grabs onto me harder. I’m being a tease, and she hates it as much as she loves it.
My hand slides up her inner thigh and stops right above her core as I whisper, “Besides, Viktor already suspects you.”
Her face falls, and she stiffens. “W-what?”
“He told me you look at me weird, and since he knows you’re gay, he thinks you like me.”
“Wait. How did he assume that I’m gay?”
“I told him that over a year ago when he warned me that you might be a threat to Karina.”
“You told him I’m gay?”
“I told him you’re attracted to men, which is true. He concluded the rest on his own.”
Once I rid her of the pants and boxer briefs, I lift her so that she’s sitting on the desk, then I throw her legs over my shoulders.
“Kirill! How can you think about sex when we have this situation?”
“It’s nothing.”
“But—”
“He’s Viktor. So when I say it’s nothing, I mean it.” I slap her inner thigh when she starts to wiggle free. “Now, stay still so I can have my dinner.”
Her whole body stiffens, but it soon loosens as I stroke my fingers over her folds and clit. “So wet and ready for me, Solnyshko. Your cunt sure knows how to welcome me home.”
And then I’m diving in. I tongue-fuck her fast and hard the way she likes.
Her moans echo in the air, and she slaps one hand on her mouth while the other holds her steady on the desk. I stop now and again to look up and see the ethereal view of her head thrown back in the middle of the ruined house of cards, legs shaking and lips parted.
The symbolism of the picture doesn’t escape me. Sasha is the ruin of my house of cards, and there’s nothing I can do to change that.
Not even a little.
Not even close.
And maybe, I’ve finally come to terms with that.
My fingers dig into her thighs to hold her in place as I bite down on the Luchik’s right above her mound, adding one more mark to the bruises and hickeys I’ve left there since she got the tattoo.
I’ve never liked my birthday. It’s always reminded me of how Yulia tried to kill me and the black dresses she wears on that particular day as if she’s mourning the event of my birth.
But that was before this fucking woman celebrated it with me.
Her fingers clench in my hair as her pussy contracts over my tongue, and then she’s coming all over my face.
Fuck.
She’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted.
I pull back, and she gasps when I bite her tattoo again, but her face is a masterpiece of undeniable lust.
My own masterpiece.
She’s leaning on both hands, her shirt crumpled and her legs still shaking from the orgasm. However, she watches my every movement as I let her legs fall, then stand up and unbuckle my pants.
She swallows when I fist the belt over my hand and run the metal tip between her thighs, over her stomach, and then wrap it around her throat.
I pump my already hard cock twice, and her lips part, lust and desire shining in her green eyes.
This isn’t the first time she’s done that. Sasha loves it when I’m touching myself. I might have started to do this regularly just to trigger that look.
“You’re going to take my cock like a very good girl, aren’t you?”
She nods, her chest rising and falling in a frantic rhythm. I part her legs further, fingers digging into the sensitive flesh of her thighs, then I ram inside her in one go.
Sasha moans, “Oh, fuck.”
“You’re welcoming me home again, Solnyshko. That’s it. You’re swallowing my cock so well.”
Her face is tinted red, even though I’m not applying much pressure on the belt.
“More,” she whimpers. “More, Kirill.”
“Not Kirill. Call my other name.”
She bites her lower lip and then whispers in the most erotic voice, “Fuck me harder, Luchik.”
I’m a goner.
There’s no way I can last when she calls me that.
I throw the belt aside, lift her in my arms while still inside her, and slam her against the wall.
I fuck her as if I’ll die without her. I fuck her harder and faster, in rhythm with her moans and screams of pleasure. Then I shove a palm over her mouth and nose. “Shh, you’re too loud.”
She moans against my grip, even as I suffocate the shit out of her. Thing is, I’m not the only one who enjoys breath play. The more I take away her oxygen, the harder her cunt clenches around my cock.
But the part I love the most?
It’s the way her gaze remains on me, trusting me not to actually kill her.
Her pussy tightens, milking me for my orgasm, and her eyes start to go out of focus. I remove my palm, grab her face with both hands, and force her eyes to meet my own. They’re more green than brown, glittery with tears.
These are her pleasure tears, her ‘give me more’ tears. The tears that I want to see on her face for eternity.
I pump into her harder. “Tell me you’re mine, Sasha.”
“I’m…yours.”
“No matter what happens?”
She shudders, her heels digging into my ass as she holds on to me for dear life. “No matter what happens.”
“You can’t change your mind later. You can’t take these words back, and you certainly can’t, under any fucking circumstances, leave me. Do you understand?”
She nods a few times. “I won’t… Oh, God!”
Her head falls on my shoulder, and she sinks her teeth into it as she comes with an erotic moan that triggers my own orgasm.
I fuck her through it before I empty my load inside her. It lasts so long that I’m completely spent.
We remain like that for a few minutes, breathing harshly against one another’s necks.
Sasha pulls back, her big eyes watching me with…fear.
What the fuck?
“I love you,” she whispers, the sound so low that I almost can’t hear it.
But I do.
And my chest feels as if it’s grown wings and is currently flying among the fallen angels.
“You can’t take that back either,” I say with more authority than necessary.
She smiles a little. “I won’t.”
“I mean it, Sasha. Your feelings for me are not allowed to change. Not even a little, not even close. If you feel they will for whatever reason, take the words back right now.”
“No, I won’t.” She strokes my hair, my cheek, and my lips. “No matter what.”
My lips find hers, and she whimpers as I kiss the living shit out of her.
They’re not allowed to change.
No matter what.
Especially after the storm that’s coming our way.
