Page 64 of Ruthless Bonds

Chapter Twelve

Kreos

The basement air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and fear. Ivan sat slumped in a steel chair. His eyes opened slowly, then widened when he realized where he was at. The rope dug into his wrists, and no amount of twisting and yanking was going to set him free. I’d made sure of it.

The memory of his hands on Alora burned through my mind, igniting an inferno of rage. He was going to be more than punished. He was going to be a message to anyone who dared touch what was mine.

“Kreos, please,” Ivan slurred through his split lips, drool running down his chin. “We’re family.”

I stalked over to him. He blinked furiously as I got closer. “Family?” The word put a sour taste in my mouth. “That’s exactly the reason you should have known better.”

Sago came over with a hacksaw, a twisted smile on his face. He was the walking embodiment of “love the work you do.”

I took a long drag of my cigarette, the ember glowing in the dimly lit room. “Killing you would be too merciful. Instead, you’re going to serve as a living reminder of what happens when someone touches what belongs to me.” I nodded to Sago as Ivan began tosob. “Gag him. His pathetic cries annoy me.”

My jaw clenched at having to be down here instead of upstairs with Alora. But after tonight, everyone would know not to ever lay a hand on her again lest they lose it, like Ivan was about to.

Ivan’s muffled screams echoed through the basement. I wanted to pluck his fucking eyes out, but Gavriil had been the voice of reason.

It was hours later when I returned to my room, Alora sleeping blissfully in bed.

Our bed.

I sat in the chair in the corner, elbows on my knees as I watched her. She was so perfect I could sit here for hours just admiring her. And now she had my ring on her finger, marking her as mine. The thought of her trying to remove it stirred something dark inside of me. I would spank her ass bright pink if she dared, and then worship her body right after.

I wanted her to be as obsessed with me as I was with her. We weren’t there just yet though. Did she think I was falling for her eager fiancée act? It was almost believable. Her body didn’t lie though. The way her pulse quickened when I touched her, or the brightness in her eyes when I entered a room.

She’d kept my card, the one I had given to her all those years ago, even though she’d claimed she had thrown it away. My beautiful little liar.

I would just have to work a little bit harder to get her on the same page as me. The last thing I wanted was for her to hate me the way my mother hated my father for forcing her into this lifestyle. The difference was, Alora was made for it. She possessed everything needed to rule by my side—loyalty, strength, and afierce protective instinct.

I hadn’t been upset when I’d caught her on camera taking photos of the items in the safe. That was exactly the reason I’d showed it to her in the first place. I needed to see where she was at mentally—was she going to take up the FBI’s offer and provide them with evidence? Maybe she thought she was, but I knew she would never really betray me. It just gave her a little bit of power over me she was craving. I was more than willing to give it to her until she realized that we were meant to be together.

I sold my soul to the Devil a long time ago. And I would do it a million times over, because it led me right to Alora.

And now that I had her, I wasn’t giving her back.

*** ***

The next morning, I stumbled upon quite the scene in the kitchen.

“Kuritsa!”

Alora held a piece of steak in one hand and was using the other to push a drooling Sasha down.

Dove sat on a barstool, tears of laughter spilling down her cheeks at the sight of her sister. If I had to take a guess at what I’d walked into, I’d say that Alora was trying to get Sasha to like her.

“Why are you calling Sasha a chicken?” I chuckled and reached for the coffee.

Her bright green eyes landed on me, her cheeks turning pink as her gaze traveled down my bare chest to my abdomen. I’d noticed how much she admired my body when I didn’t wear a shirt. She was like a feral kitten when she got a peek at my Adonis belt. Which was why I’d made it my mission to wear very littleclothing around her.

“A chicken?” Her mouth fell open. “Fucking Gavriil, I’m going to strangle him. He said it meant darling.”

I let out a deep rumbling laugh, which seemed to anger her. She put her hands on her hips and scowled at me. That was all Sasha needed to grab the steak and run out of the kitchen.

“My apologies.” I stepped closer, pushing until her back was against the counter and she braced her hands against my chest. Caging her in with my arms, I brushed my lips against her ear. “I didn’t mean to laugh at you,kotic. Forgive me?”

She shivered, her body reacting to my closeness even though she didn’t even realize it. “OK.” She cleared her throat, and I stepped back. “But only if you teach me some bad words in Russian to call Gavriil.”

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