Page 32 of Viripotent

I take measured steps to hide the way my heart is pounding and sit primly on the other side of the island. I’m totally fucked in the head because I have to bite my cheek to stop from laughing at the way Vlad drags his father around the kitchen. He doesn’t let him go as he opens the drawers looking for something. The man who felt compelled to choke me has nothing but fear in every part of his features, facing off the monster he created.

Dragging him back to stand on the other side of the island, he holds Len’s hand against the granite. I can’t see what’s in hisother hand as his eyes flick to my neck and then he pins me with his stare making everything else disappear.

Without looking away from me, Vlad raises his hand, smashing a metal meat mallet into Len’s hand. The usually blunt spikes come away bloody under the force but there’s no loud scream, it’s muffled as though Len is keeping it in his chest.

Bones breaking and squishy flesh being mangled bounces off the walls until there’s nothing but blood against the stone. Holding the back of Len’s shirt, Vlad pulls him away and orders. “Pack your things, you have 5 minutes before I change my mind.” Len stumbles as he’s pushed away, and my chest shakes from my laugh as he scuttles away like the rat he is.

My silent laugh dies when Vlad takes a step closer to me. He abruptly stops, his eyes go to the discarded knives on the floor. I know the vow of never bowing for any man, but he takes it too seriously, kicking the handles so they fly up and catching them without lowering in any way. Slapping the knives on the granite, he fixes back on me, and my gulp is audible, vibrating around my skull.

I can’t breathe properly with my heart trying its hardest to escape my body at the monster coming closer. The chair scrapes against the floor as he drags me backwards and turns me to face him. My knees are touching his thighs and he moves back half a step, erasing the contact. His body doesn’t touch me as he gently holds my jaw, tilting my head up and examining my neck. Stroking the marks with his thumb has me forgetting why they’re on my skin to begin with. My eyes close automatically and he continues tracing the harsh red lines left behind from his father’s fingers.

He’s still in his suit and the cold metal point of the V insignia cufflinks brushes the column of my throat. He’s barely touching me, but my thighs are clenched together, and his scent fills my senses as he moves closer. Why does he have to smell so goodand look the way he does? It’s unfair to the rest of the population and my hormone-riddled brain. Making it worse, his lips ghost across my neck as a shiver of excitement and lust snakes up my spine. The rough, deep voice in my ear has my eyes rolling behind my lids, ignoring the asshole commentary.

“The next time you hold a knife to someone’s throat, you do not hesitate.”

My voice comes out low at the feeling of his stubble against my jaw.

“I didn’t.”

The little scrapes add to my stupid senses, and he hums deep and low, the sound vibrating through his chest as his warm palm glides up my thigh.

“Would you kill, meelaya?”

I nod, I’m not capable of anything else with my entire body engulfed in Vlad. Soft lips gently touch my jaw and I slowly turn to meet them when awareness slams back into me at the sound of heels clicking against the floor. Dress shoes drag beside them and my eyes open. Vlad takes a step back and his hand lingers on my jaw, only being removed when his parents turn the corner coming into view.The hand on my thigh remains there, and he squeezes three times before his entire face hardens and he steps away fully, leaving me cold.

FOURTEEN

Vlad

There’s going to be dirty fucking fingerprints marring Inessa’s neck tomorrow and the mallet glitters under the light asking for me to pick it back up again. He couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut and my punishment for leaving Len to his own devices is going to stare back at me tomorrow.

I don’t give them time to argue and march them out. My biological founders are lucky, the jet that was fueled to go to Sankt Peterburg is more luxury than they deserve, but I’m not torturing myself by fucking accompanying them on their journey. Dima looks down fighting a smile as he holds the door open for me as we leave the house. He hates Len like the rest of us for what he forced him to endure while he was living on the streets, and he purposefully leaves their doors and bag for them to get.

I’m not their fucking maid to open shit for them, especially after he put his fucking hands on my wife. If he didn’t have the one thing that could ruin all my decades of planning in his slimy grip, I’d happily kill the cunt. But I’m not ready yet and he’s added another sin to his long list for when the time is right.

Changing the destination while we drive towards the airfield, anger fills the backseat as Dima can’t hide his joy at Len’s pain.He’s a miserable bastard usually, but I’m sure he’s fucking humming to himself as he looks in the mirror and sees the dressing turning red. I’ve seen him do any number of things, humming is a new one and I let him enjoy himself as I send Grigory a message that I won’t be arriving tonight.

Reaching the airfield with the tumultuous tension swirling around us, I stay seated. I’ve already shown more kindness than they’re due by allowing them to live. I don’t move and neither does Dima as we leave Len and Anika to see themselves out. My laugh is hidden as I scratch my jaw as Dima rolls the window down shouting toward Len.

“Do you need a hand with your bags?” There’s no response and he shrugs turning to me, putting the car in drive, and becoming a sarcastic prick. “Think it was something I said?”

I can finally relax without them fuckers eating away at my thoughts and the confirmation of them taking off has my breathing coming easier. The miserable bastard returns and his observation sounds like an accusation as he drives.

“You care about her.”

There’s no emotion in my voice as I prove otherwise. “No one will disrespect me by putting their hands on my bride.”

I don’t care about Inessa; she’s linked to me. If someone disrespects her, it’s the same as them doing it to me. She won’t weaken what I’ve built and there isn’t a reality to exist where I’d allow anyone else to.

Dropping the topic, he takes the turn towards the safe house we keep and turns serious. “Found the house, there’s five of them and they’ll be moved tomorrow.” I nod and ignore who we’ll find. If I focus on the who I won’t be able to get my residual rage out and my eyes close waiting for the peace to come. It won’t be found in sleep or silence, but blood and screams.It’s theonly thing that will allow me peace and my crown touches the headrest as I organize my thoughts to lock them away.

He speeds up and I only drop my head once we’re parked. The house is, for all intents and purposes, a normal home that attracts no attention. The frontage is kept up to date to match the neighboring properties and the only difference is that we own every property on the street between the three of us. I don’t know who comes here every day to make it appear like the street is occupied, but the lights must be on a timer as they all turn off at different times of the day to mimic each individual family routine.

Dima doesn’t speak as he gets out of the car and his entire body is tense, knowing that the worst of the night is about to come. Each step he takes fills him with more anger while I get calmer. He’s my direct opposite and I attempt to get him to calm the fuck down before he makes a stupid mistake.

“Are you upset because you feel like you’re being replaced?”

He pauses and nearly snaps his neck to look at me. His lips twist into a grimace at the reminder of my brothers and his sister continuously giving him shit saying that we’re a couple. He should be honored to think he could ever stand a chance with me. But his grumbling starts as we enter the house through the side door.

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