“Please,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “Dmitri, I need you inside me.”

“Not yet,” I cut her off, my tone firm but gentle. “I decide when you come,moya lisitsa. When I let you fall apart, it will be because you’ve earned it.”

She whimpers again, her hips arching up toward me, seeking friction. But I deny her, my hand sliding down her stomach to hook her panties and pull them down her legs.

She’s completely naked now, her thighs parting instinctively as my fingers brush against her wetness.

I stroke her slowly, teasingly, watching as her breathing becomes more erratic. She’s close—so close—but I stop just before she tips over the edge, earning a frustrated cry from her lips.

“Be patient,” I murmur, climbing up her body until my face is level with hers. Her eyes are pleading, desperate, and I can’t help but smile. “You’ll get what you want. But first, you’ll do exactly as I say.”

I guide her hands to my belt, her trembling fingers struggling to undo it. I take over, stripping myself down until I’m as naked as she is.

I position myself between her legs, my tip pressing against her entrance. She’s tight, unbelievably so. But I also know she’s ready to give herself to me completely.

“Take a deep breath,” I instruct, and she does, her chest rising as she inhales. Then, in one slow, deliberate motion, I push steadily inside her, feeling her walls tighten around me. She gasps, her nails digging into my back, but I don’t stop until I’m fully buried inside her.

Her body adjusts quickly, her moans growing louder with each thrust. Her hips rise to meet mine, her hands clawing at my back as she clings to me.

“That’s it,” I growl, my own pleasure building as I feel her walls begin to flutter around me. “Let me feel it, Elena. Let yourself go. Come for me.”

Her orgasm hits, her back arching off the bed as she cries out my name.

I follow her over the edge, burying myself deep inside her as I come deep inside her pussy.

When I finally pull out of her, she collapses onto the bed, her chest rising and falling rapidly. I lay beside her, pulling her into my arms, and she nuzzles against me, her warmth seeping into my skin.

49

DMITRI

This place is a strange choice for a morning meeting—an overgrown park with twisted iron benches and a crumbling fountain that spews nothing but air.

It’s public but Peter’s perhaps getting nervous. The men who took Veronica didn’t seem like Lombardi’s men to me. They seemed like Peter’s.

I spot him near the fountain, tossing breadcrumbs to a flock of fat, cooing pigeons. His tailored overcoat and cashmere scarf don’t match the grime of the setting.

“Dmitri,” he says without looking up, his voice cutting through the frosty air. “Do join me.”

“I thought you hated pigeons.” I approach slowly, every nerve in my body on high alert. He knows something. He always does. I can feel it like a blade hovering over my neck.

“Slow acting poison,” he replies with an icy smile. “They’ll be dead within an hour.” He tosses more breadcrumbs. “You know, these birds remind me of people. Always scurrying about, fighting over scraps, oblivious to the larger predator watching from the shadows.”

I say nothing, waiting. He’s building up to something.

He turns to me, his dark eyes sharp beneath the brim of his hat. “Speaking of predators and prey, let’s discuss you for a moment.”

I stiffen, but I hold his gaze. “What about me?”

“Marriage,” he says casually, brushing crumbs from his gloved hands. “Such a sacred institution, isn’t it?”

The word hits me like a bullet, but I don’t flinch. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, come now, Dmitri. You didn’t think I’d remain ignorant, did you? A girl like Elena doesn’t just stumble into a man like you. You married her to keep her safe from Lombardi? How noble.” He smiles, but there’s no warmth in it. “And yet, your job involves killing her. What’s the plan? Fuck her then kill her? That’s cold, even for you.”

A cold wave rushes through me, but I keep my face impassive. “I’ll finish the job.”

He tilts his head, studying me like a specimen under glass. “So loyal. That’s the image you like to project, isn’t it? But loyalty is easily tested, Dmitri. And now it’s your turn.”