Page 70 of The Pakhan

Did that make me a reprehensible man for destroying what was left of her virtue? Probably, but damn, was it delightful.

Time ceased, the need continuing to build and as Caroline was driven into another orgasm, I could barely breathe. There was no sense of control, nothing left I could do.

Her screams egged me on, her wetness and incredible scent pushing me to an undeniable point.

Claiming her was ridiculous but what was done was done.

She wasn’t my weakness. She was my greatest strength and in truth, she would also become my most powerful weapon.

Every sound we made seemed to echo as I erupted deep inside of her. The joy was fulfilling, the need never abating.

This woman, this beautiful breath of life was everything I needed.

And nothing I deserved.

But God help me, there was no turning back.

CHAPTER 18

Caroline

“The man will destroy you. He doesn’t deserve you.”

“You’re wrong. I know him,” I huffed, barely finding my voice.

“Yeah? Why don’t you ask him what he did to his wife?” He laughed and dragged me down the stairs, the sound of his horrible voice echoing.

One I would never forget.

I jerked up, terror racing through me. Darkness. Oh, God, there was total darkness all around me. I felt suffocated, clawing my neck. The bastard who’d kidnapped me had laughed as he’d whispered that into my ear. What was happening? Where was I?

Close to hyperventilating, it took me several seconds for my eyes to become accustomed to the darkness. I’d been saved. I’d been rescued by Vadim. I was…

Safe.

As my breathing started to calm, I folded my arms over my naked chest, slowly turning my head. He was still here. My hero. My… lover.

The man who’d told me he owned me.

That was almost as shocking as what had occurred earlier. He appeared to be sleeping, the limited light from the moon allowing me to see the rise and fall of his chest. I longed to reach out, to stroke his skin but I dared not wake him. He was hurt and yet so damn stubborn.

But the time we’d shared had been unexpected, the beauty of our passion something I would never have believed I’d want. But now? I wasn’t certain I could see living without him. It was a crazy thought really. I’d never wanted this life. Sofiya had told me enough that I’d promised myself I would never be trapped in something so horrible.

Vadim was a brutal man, powerful in every way. There was no way of sugarcoating his horrible deeds or his lust for blood. He was a murderer. But violence encompassed his world. Did that mean he shouldn’t have a normal life aside from the business he’d been born into? He’d done everything to make his two daughters’ lives richer, wanting for nothing while giving them a sense of purpose.

Maybe I was one of the few who’d been allowed to see his soft underbelly.

Maybe I was dreaming that what we were sharing was more than what it really was.

As my kidnapper’s ugly words filtered back into my mind, I shifted into trying to remember what Sofiya had told me about her mother’s death.

Very little.

At first, I’d believed her mother had died in childbirth but that wasn’t the case. There was a gorgeous photograph of her mom holding her when she was a baby.

The woman had seemed so happy.

Later, Sofiya had said something that I found difficult to remember. Something about… An enemy. Was it possible one of Vadim’s enemies had taken the woman’s life? The thought made me shudder, but it was the assailant’s accusation that left me cold inside.

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