Page 16 of Defiled Innocence

“Where are you taking me then?”

He leans into me, brushing his lips across the shell of my ear. “I’m taking you home,moyo dikoye plamya.”

“What does that mean? What you keep calling me?” My nervousness makes me interrupt him. He’s called me that a few times, but he’s always saying outrageous things that distract me from asking.

“Moyo dikoye plamya? It means my wildfire. Now get in the car, so we can get home. Then you can have your first lesson of being my wife.”He nips my earlobe, sending a shockwave of arousal through me.

I swallow past the moan fighting to get out. “What—what lesson is that?” The words squeak out.

He stands tall, leveling his darkness on me. “Obedience.”

Dmitri

He had his fucking hands on her. The markings on her arms were bright pink. Had I stopped him from hurting her more with my arrival?

I grip the steering wheel tighter, wishing I had the prick’s throat there again.

“Dmitri.” Amelia says my name with a sweetness I’m sure she’s acquired since realizing I’m not taking her to her apartment.

“Amelia.” I clench my teeth. “Why did he grab you like that? What was his intention?”

“Christian?” She feigns confusion. “It was nothing. He was upset about Lucas?—”

“Lying to me will only make things worse. Tell me the truth.” As I pull up to a red light, I swing my gaze at her. She’s worrying her bottom lip.

“Fine. He had a harebrained idea about us getting married and contesting the will. I said no, and well, like I said, he was upset. He didn’t mean me any harm.”

I should have killed him.

“He wanted you to marry him.” It’s not a question. “You’re engaged to me.”

She sighs.

“I can’t keep going over this. I’m not marrying anyone.” She leans her head against her window. “It’s like talking to a brick wall. You just refuse to hear me.”

Before I can correct her, my phone rings with Boris’ number popping up on the screen. I take the call.

“I’m not alone,” I say as the call goes live through the car’s Bluetooth function. In Russian, I add, “She’s with me.”

Amelia pulls her own phone out and scrolls through it while Boris tells me about a problem at Velvet Tower.

“You’re busy, Dmitri. You can drop me here. I’ll catch a cab back to Christian’s and get my car,” Amelia offers with a fake sweetness meant to persuade me.

“You’ll come with me, and we’ll have our discussion after.” I pause a beat. “And you’re never going back to Christian Sendell’s home again. I don’t want you alone with him.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. He’s been a good friend for a long time.”

“He’s not now.”

“You can’t tell me who to be friends with.” She’s going to be disappointed when she realizes there’s very little in this world I can’t do. Keeping her away from that fucking prick is definitely one of the things I can and will do.

He had his hands on her. He tried to get her to marry him? I should have pulled his tongue out. Gutted him and left him to bleed out in his own fucking hallway.

“That’s just it, Dmitri. We don’t need to have any discussion. I’ve decided I’m going to contest the will. No judge is going to force me into a marriage.”

“You’re wrong about that.” I come to a stop at another red light. “Not only will a judge not rule in your favor, but he would probably perform the wedding ceremony right there for me.”

Her eyes narrow on me.

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