Page 15 of Devil's Bride

“That’s what the Phoenix wants, for her to be their spy.”

“And you don’t want that?”

He shakes his head. “She doesn’t even know the Phoenix exists, and I’ll never drag her into this.”

I snort. “You dragged her into it when you made us get married. So much for being a good father.”

The lines on his face deepen as he frowns. “I know what I did, you don’t have to rub it in.”

I ignore the anger is simmering in my own stomach and say, “Because you asked nicely, I’ll see to it that no harm comes to your daughter. In return, you’ll grant me a favor whenever I ask.”

“What favor?”

“You’ll find out when it’s time.” I stride off before he can ask more questions. I’m too disgusted by him to even stand next to him for long. I stop next to Mikhaila and Nikolai. “Have you gotten anything?” I ask quietly, keeping my gaze on Irina. But it’s not because I suspect she’ll run or do anything stupid, I want to make sure she’s safe.

“Nothing, Pakhan,” Mikhail answers. “But we found a list. Something about embezzling funds.”

“We’ll talk about that later.”

***

Hours later, we’re home. I show Irina to the bedroom. Tomorrow, the housekeeper will show her the rest of the house.

“Can’t I have my own room?” she asks, folding her arms over her chest. “We’re strangers, we shouldn’t be sharing a bed.”

I shrug off my suit jacket and throw it onto the chair in the corner, then I take off my tie and do the same. “We’re married, wife. Married people share a room, don’t they?”

“My parents don’t,” she argues, taking in the large bedroom. “And this is not my idea of what a bedroom should look like. It looks like a funeral home.”

I scoff, but a part of me agrees the décor is lacking. My eyes travel from the gray walls to the bed with its white sheets. The only thing she might find interesting in here is the glass wall overlooking the city. “I have no problem with you redecorating this room.”

A wicked smirk forms on her beautiful lips. Static shimmers up my spine at the thought of kissing her again, with my hands buried in her luscious hair as she moans into my mouth. But that’s the least of the things I want to do to her. Even backing her up against the wall and pinning her hands above her head as I fuck her won’t satiate the primal hunger growing inside me.

This woman is intoxicating me in way I hate and like at the same time.

“Something tells me you’ll regret that decision,” she drawls, lifting a brow. “Don’t complain when you come home one day and don’t recognize your room.”

I cup her cheeks, biting back a smile as her breath hitches. “I’ll be looking forward to that, wife.”

She’s still frozen as I leave the room and join my brothers downstairs. Dimitri followed us home as well. “What was that about embezzlement?”

Dimitri is the first to answer. “Looks like Matteo is keeping a list of politicians who’re involved in shady businesses.”

“It means one of two things,” Mikhail says. “They’re either part of the Phoenix, or they are about to be initiated into the Phoenix.”

I rub my jaw, thinking of the possible ways I can put the list to good use. “If they’re already part of the Phoenix and he’s digging dirt on them, we can use the list to our advantage.”

“What if they’re not?” Nikolai asks.

“Then we’ll find them before the Phoenix does.” I turn to Mikhail. “Did you get the list?”

“I’ll sent it to your email,” Mikhail replies. “We also checked the CCTV footage. There was nothing suspicious besides Matteo being away from home on the same day every single month.”

My brows knit. “What date is that?”

“Fourteenth.” He shifts his weight to one leg. “I think it’s the day they all meet.”

“Find out whatever you can about where he goes to on those days,” I say to Mikhail. I take my attention to Dimitri. “Find the people on that list and watch them closely. Make sure to report to me if anything out of the ordinary happens.”

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