Page 62 of Ruthless Vows

“Did I really just make you speechless,milaya?” I ask on a laugh.

She punches my arm, a playful smile on her lips. “You’re awful, Ivan. And while I’d like very much for you to do all of that. You need to find your brother. If you’re good, maybe I’ll let you fulfil those fantasies tonight.”

“I’ll have to do my best to be good, then,” I murmur, leaning down and kissing her.

It’s slow and sweet. I take my time memorizing the feel of her lips, the way she tastes, until we’re both gasping for air.

“You need to go,” Lucia says, moaning into my mouth.

“I know,krasavitsa,” I mutter. “What will you be doing all day?”

“I’m going to see my sister, remember?”

“Oh, right,” I say on a frown.

In light of recent events, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for her to leave the villa. I don’t know what Alexei’s plotting or who he’s plotting it with.

“No,” Lucia says, pointing a finger at me. “I know what you’re thinking and I am not staying locked up in here. You said I wasn’t a prisoner, Ivan.”

“You’re not,” I assure her. “But I need you to be safe.”

“I will be. I’m just going to see Aurora. My family’s home is the safest place I could be.”

I sigh. “Alright. I’ll ask Ruslan and a couple of men to accompany you.”

“Ruslan?” she says in confusion. “Isn’t he your personal guard? I’m not taking him away from you. I’ll be fine with Mika.”

My jaw tightens at that. “Unfortunately,milaya, Mika’s unavailable today. He’s currently receiving punishment for what happened yesterday.”

“What? It wasn’t his fault,” Lucia exclaims. “How was he supposed to know Alexei would attack me like that? He went outside because the guards at the gate told him that your brother was around. He was going to ask Alexei what he wanted when he was knocked out. He did his best.”

“Uh-huh,” I say blankly, barely listening to her. “That doesn’t really matter me. He let you get hurt. He failed.”

She must see in my face that I’m serious about what I’m saying. She crosses her arms over her chest, her expression stubborn.

“What are you going to do to him?”

“Right now, he’s cooling his ass in one of the cells. Tonight, I’ll let Ruslan loose on him in the ring.”

“Ring?” she asks, brows furrowed.

“A fighting ring. We have one at the building in the back. It’s where the men train and occasionally fight against each other. I fight as well, sometimes.”

She smiles. “Now, that I’d like to see. I bet you look really hot when you’re fighting. Are you good?”

“No one has beaten me yet,” I tell her.

“Not even Ruslan?”

I shake my head in reply and her eyes brighten.

“Now I really have to see.”

“Maybe one day I’ll let you,” I assure her.

She shakes her head, probably remembering our previous discussion. “Wait, stop distracting me! You can’t let Ruslan fight Mika. Ruslan’s a hulk! He’ll decimate him.”

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll make sure he doesn’t kill him.”

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