Page 4 of Shadow

Rurik had owned me from the moment he realized I existed.

“Now, we start playing my games.” Abruptly, he released me, and then, he stomped out my cigarette with his shiny, expensive shoes. I clenched my jaw but kept my mouth shut. “Get up and get inside that chapel.”

With that, he turned and walked off, adjusting his suit jacket as he did so.

2

Rurik

Malik fucking Carter alone was a testament to the patience I held. He knew exactly what buttons to press to irritate me, but I held impeccable control. He would never see me snap. Never see me lash out.

Not at him, anyway.

Not at the man I had plans of making mine. And today was step one of that.

Hyram had gotten word of a neighboring club getting a bit pissy over territory. It happened, especially in this line of work. The Oregon charter of the Ghost Born MC was still a pretty fresh club. They’d only been around about a year, which meant this charter still had to make a name for itself and establish dominance.

But Shaw, the president of the mother charter, was concerned the Oregon charter couldn’t handle this properly without bringing on trouble. Not with Malik and his hotheadedness onboard. Had it been up to Shaw and Hyram, Malik would’veneverbeen part of this club. He ran his mouth too much. Preferred to throw his fists instead of working things out civilly. And he had a problem with authority.

It was because of me he was here. After he’d damn near killed one of our soldiers who was inside those prison walls to gather intel for us, I’d kept a close eye on him. There wasn’t a damn thing about Malik Carter I didn’t know. I pulled strings to keep him from getting a longer sentence, and whether he realized it or not, it was because ofmehe didn’t end up with a severed artery at the hands of one of our men.

I made him untouchable.

When he got out, I knew I wanted him to be close to me, but I knew I couldn’t bring him into the Bratva. Anatoly, the Pakhan and my best friend, would never allow what I wanted. The man trusted me, but it was everyone else he didn’t trust, which I understood, especially after it’d come to our attention that one of our own men had been involved in the sex trafficking ring we’d worked to take down five years ago.

So, to keep Malik as close as possible, I’d had Anatoly talk to Shaw and Hyram about bringing Malik into the club. The day he’d been released, Chet and William had been sent to fetch him. Of course, he hadn’t come immediately. He took his fucking time.

But that was fine because he still ended up exactly where I wanted him. Right under my damn nose where I could keep an eye on him.

Normally, I kept my distance from him. Malik, from what I knew, was straight. He’d never given any hint that he wasn’t, andI wouldn’t make a move on a straight man. Butfuck, the way he’d so angrily bowed down to me in that garage had my blood pumping hotly in my veins and my cock thickening in my slacks.

He’d beenfurious. But he’d stayed on his knees, and he hadn’t fought me.

I could bring him to heel. I’d never doubted that. And now, it was time for me to do so, and this whole situation worked right into my favor.

We had a conflict brewing, and Malik, if left to his own devices, could damn well tip us over into a war. And I couldn’t have that. Shaw and Hyram wouldn’t either. I’d gotten a phone call late last night from Anatoly telling me I would be in Oregon for the foreseeable future, and he was sending four of our soldiers with me.

And my orders were to keep Malik under tight control.

I couldn’t fucking wait to watch him break under my control so I could rebuild him into the perfect machine.

Myperfect machine.

“Rurik,” Malik barked from behind me. I paused and slid my hands into the pockets of my slacks, but I didn’t turn to face him. I knew it’d just piss him off more, andGod, I loved it when he got angry with me. “Turn around and fucking face me.”

I looked up at the sky, taking my sweet time in giving him what he wanted. The sun was beaming down, wispy white clouds lining the blue expanse. The weather was almost taunting his foul mood into worsening.

I heard him approach and braced myself for his closeness. When his massive fingers curled around my shoulder, my lips twitchedwith an aborted smirk. I allowed him to spin me to face him, and I tilted my head up a little to look into his handsome face.

“Your beard needs a trim,” I noted, reaching up to run my fingers over the dark scruff. I was mostly trying to annoy him, but it wasn’t a lie. His bearddidneed a trim. He usually kept it well-maintained.

Malik blinked, a frown pulling at his lips. Dropping my hand, I slid it back into my pocket again, my fingertips tingling from our contact. I so desperately wanted to feel more of his skin beneath my fingertips.

“You wanted something?” I prompted. “We need to get inside. I’m sure Hyram isn’t in the business of waiting on others.”

And there was that pretty scowl again. “I’m not in the business of someone putting their fucking hands on me,” he retorted.

I arched a brow at him. “Touch me, and you’ll fail, Shadow,” I warned him, using his club name again as a warning. He knew I didn’t go anywhere without guards. And while my men were under strict orders tonevertouch him, Malik didn’t know that.

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