Page 9 of Drama Queen

“Having fun.” He places the tip of the blade against the hollow of my throat and drags the blade slowly over me. It’s coolagainst my heated skin as it trails towards the strap of my dress. He hooks the edge of the blade under my strap, dragging it up and down the thin piece of material. Teasing it.

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

But he just smiles as he pulls the blade through the material.

“You asshole!” I scream. “Do you know how difficult it was to get my hands on this dress!”

“I don’t give a shit, princess.” He slices through the other strap and the heavy, jewel encrusted material slinks to the ground, pooling at my feet.

“Holy fuck,” he breathes, and I’d be flattered if I wasn’t seething at my ruined dress.

“Pick it up off the floor, or so help me God, I’ll?—”

“What?” He interrupts. “What are you going to do, Echo? Run and tell daddy? Get all his big bad men to come and teach me a lesson?” His eyes darken and he brings his hand up to wrap around my throat again. But it’s not threatening. It’s more like he’s just resting it there. “Well, I’ve got fucking news for you, princess. You’re in my house now and your daddy’s throne isnothingcompared to mine.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m surprised it’s taken you this long to ask. I’m Maxim Volkov.”

Well, shit.

Four

MAXIM

Recognition hitsher like a freight train. There’s a small flinch and her eyes widen a fraction. It’s a small reaction, but it’s there.

“You’ve heard of me then?”

She scoffs and rolls her eyes. “My father runs the Irish mob, of course I’ve heard of you.”

“And yet, I haven’t heard of you.” I’m not surprised Rory Quinn kept his daughter hidden and away from this life. If I ever have a daughter, I think I’d probably do the same. Well, maybe not quite the same. This pretty little princess in front of me was no better than a spoiled little girl. Throwing a hissy fit because of a ruined dress? Fuck me.

I can’t take my eyes off her. Her dress was hiding a glorious set of curves, and not only that, she’s in a strapless sheer black lace corset that leaves very little to the imagination. Her dusky rose nipples are hard beneath the fabric, and I want to sink my teeth into them.

The door slams open and I’m not surprised to see Niki striding in. He’s probably been watching our whole interaction on the cameras. He’s always had a thing for watching. I pretendthat I don’t know about the camera he’s placed in mine and Angel’s room, but in reality, it kind of turns me on that he watches. And he knows that I know, but we’ve never confronted it. Never said anything about. It simmers between us, a dirty little secret, and I often wonder if he’ll ever do anything about it, or if watching us is as far as his interest goes.

He stops behind Echo, and I can just about make out his hands moving in the light. When I found out what had happened to Niki, I was the first to learn sign language. He’s my brother, my family and there was no way I was leaving him to face the world alone. He’s a brute, and a pain in my ass most of the time, but when I thought I’d lost him… Christ. It didn’t even bear thinking about.

“I want her. You have your Angel. She’s mine,”he says furiously, his eyes dark with obsession.

“She’s not a possession, Niki. You can’t own her.”

“Max,” he snaps, baring his teeth.

“Nikita,” I warn, using his full name. He hates it when I do that because it reminds him that I’m in fucking charge.

He folds his arms over his chest and stares at me.

“Can someone explain to me what’s going on?” Echo says, her brows drawn down in a cute little frown.

Ah. She can only hear one side of the conversation. I forget sometimes. It’s been so long that communicating with Niki is just normal for me, for us, that I often forget people aren’t always as understanding.

“Niki can’t talk.”

“But you’re not signing, so either he can read your lips, which would be very impressive in this rather low lighting, or he can hear you perfectly well.”

My, my she’s smarter than she seems. “Correct.”

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