Page 39 of Ruthless Serenade

Timofey nods, his expression shifting from tough to annoyingly empathetic. He furrows his brow and looks at me with childlike innocence in his eyes. Normally, I’d give him shit for that or punch him in the face, but I’m just not in the mood right now.

"Listen, Maron." he begins, seemingly mulling something over. "You’ve been through hell since the Shirkov fiasco. But you can’t keep living in the past. You’ve got to move forward somehow. Maybe reaching out to Mindy isn’t the answer, but you need to do something. Join a club, go on a date, hell, adopt a dog or something. Just… live a little."

I run a hand through my sweat-soaked hair, considering his words. "It’s not that easy."

"Nothing worth doing ever is," Timofey says, tossing me a towel. "Now come on, let’s get home and hit the showers. You stink worse than your attitude."

As I follow him out of the ring, feeling like a piece of shit, I can’t deny how true his words ring. Maybe these last seven yearshavetaken a toll on me and I’ve become a distant asshole. Maybe it is time to come out of the shadows and do something with my life.

But first, I need to figure out what to do about Mindy.

I pause at the gym’s exit, my hand on the door. The cool air from outside seeps in, contrasting with the stuffy warmth of the gym.

"You coming, or what?" Timofey calls, already getting into his Bentley. The engine of the car comes to life, purring softly.

"Yeah," I murmur, tossing my gym bag into the trunk before sliding into the passenger seat.

The city lights blur past as we drive through the winding roads leading to our family estate. The silence between us is comfortable, filled with unspoken understanding. But as we approach the wrought iron gates of the mansion, I still can’t stop myself from thinking about Mindy. Does she live in a place like this now? Or is she still struggling to make ends meet? Is that little girl hers? If yes, is she raising her alone? Or is there some guy in the picture?

The gates open silently, the guards recognizing the car. As we pull up to the grand entrance, I spot a light on in my mother’s wing.

"Thanks for beating the shit out of me today,bratok." I say, looking at my brother.

"Any time." Timofey grins.

Exhausted but wired, I make my way to my bathroom, desperate to wash away the day’s sweat and tension. As I remove my clothes, thoughts of Mindy flood my mind once again, and I can feel myself becoming aroused. My erection is hard and insistent, demanding release.

Quickly, I strip down completely and step into the shower, turning on the water. It cascades over my naked body, warming my skin and soothing my muscles. My throbbing cock feels heavy and urgent in my hand.

I let the water pound against my skin, each drop igniting a fire within me. I grip my shaft with one hand and let out an animalistic moan as I begin to stroke my dick. Mindy’s image continues to swirl in my mind, her curves and softness driving me wild.

I glide my hand up and down my length with fervent strokes. The pounding water echoes in sync with my rapid movements. Each thrust of my hand is like plunging into Mindy’s core, imagining her gasps and moans as I fuck her. My pace quickens as I keep stroking until, finally, the pressure becomes too much.

"Blyad," I groan as I throw back my head, feeling the waves of ecstasy approaching. My orgasm comes fast, nearly tearing through me. It’s savage and leaves me even hungrier for the woman on my mind. My cum shoots out in thick waves, and with a deep, guttural growl, I erupt into my palm.

But even as I bathe in the warmth of my ecstasy, I know it can never compare to the real thing.

As my breathing begins to return to its normal pace, I press my back against the cold, tiled wall, letting the water stream over me. This is so incredibly fucked up. Even after all this time, after all the shit that’s happened, I still crave her with every goddamn fiber of my being. Seven fucking years have passed, and Mindy Williams still has me in her grip. She’s etched into my skin, coursing through my veins like a drug I can’t get out of my system. All I have is the memory of her body when I jerk off.

You’re a joke, Korolev.

As the last waves of pleasure subside, I step out of the shower and grab a towel to dry myself, feeling like a pathetic piece of shit. I move closer to the mirror and stare at my reflection there: the man that stares back to me seems broken. Torn between the past and the present.

With a grunt, I force myself back to reality. I must pay a visit to my mother. I push thoughts of Mindy to the darkest corners of my mind, locking them away until the next moment of weakness. I know it will be back soon. Her image is always there, just beneath the surface, ready to emerge whenever my guard is down. And frankly, fighting it is getting fucking exhausting.

Maybe Timofey and Pavel are right.

Sure, Mindy betrayed me, and our relationship ended up being a fucking catastrophe. But I can’t keep going through life like this, with her image haunting me every hour of the day.

I must do something about it.

Chapter Fifteen

Mindy

Today is the big day and I feel like crap.

I’m all dressed up in my fancy high heels and tight black skirt, ready to rock my presentation at the office. I just need to drop Sharon off at school first.

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