Page 50 of Cruel Russian Pakhan
The woman in front of me might’ve looked like Katya, but they weren’t the same. Not even close. Vera was docile and refined, trained to say the right things, to keep the peace. It felt like she was telling me what I wanted to hear. But Katya? She was unfiltered, raw. Her words didn’t just land, they ignited something in me. And once they did, that fire only burned hotter, making me crave her more than I was willing to admit.
The more I listened to Vera’s voice, the clearer it became. This would never work. I felt nothing. When I placed my hand on her back, there was no spark. No desire to pull her into me, to feel her body against me. Her voice didn’t stir a damn thing inme. There was no challenge in her words, no defiance in her blue eyes that pulled me in without warning, like Katya's. Nothing about her seeped into me and lingered. Not one fucking thing.
Vera was a stranger. The only woman I wanted was Katya.
God! Fucking her was supposed to tame my urges, release her from my system. But, the more her voice and laughter drifted to my ear, the stiffer my cock became.
Vera’s the one you’re marrying. She seals the alliance, the key to leveling up your entire faction. She's the power play your family needs. Don't let feelings fuck this up. This isn't about desire. It's about power.
My mind was splitting in two when Artyom’s cold voice cut through the laughter and the chatter of Katya and the others.
“Katya, you won’t be leaving with Lev. You’re staying here with us.”
What the fuck did he mean, Katya was staying here?
Nonchalantly, I looked toward him, barely able to contain the anger rising in my chest. His eyes were fixed on Katya.
“W-what do you mean?” Katya’s voice cracked, trembling. “Lev never told me…”
I hadn’t told her because I didn’t know. Or maybe I hadn’t wanted to believe that Artyom would take it this far. That he’d decide to keep my wife here without so much as a fucking word to me.
My wife.
I felt a heat rush to my chest at the recognition of who Katya really was.
My wife. Mrs. Katya Safin.
Had Artyom lost his damn mind? What made him feel he could hold Katya hostage? And I'd be a silent bystander?
Katya looked at me, wide-eyed, desperate for an escape. After what Artyom said to her earlier, everything in her body language told me she wasn't comfortable around him. And to be honest, I wasn't comfortable with her around him, either.
My jaw clenched.
But Artyom was her brother, her Pakhan. The head of their faction. She’d have to learn to stomach his behavior. Just like the rest of us.
But she’s your wife!
She was a mistake that needs to be rectified!
I sat there, barely restrained, listening to his justification for keeping my wife under his roof.
“Lev’s not in charge of you anymore,” Artyom said lazily. “You were a mistake. Somehow, that seems to be the story of your life, doesn't it?”
Katya froze, her hands curled into balls on her lap as she looked at Artyom.
“Now that Lev and I have settled things and he's making friendly with the woman he was supposed to marry in the first place—” Artyom tilted his glass to me and smirked before he turned back to Katya “—you have become obsolete. But I’m giving you a chance to be useful, for once in your life. I’ve already found you a husband.”
I went cold.
“He’s a trusted ally. Fifty-five. Lost his wife last year. He’s ready to move on with a young, sweet wife. He would've preferred a virgin, of course. But I told him you'd only been withLev briefly, so at worst,” Artyom’s grin twisted into something cruel, “you’re just a bit damaged. And after seeing your picture, it was something he was easily willing to overlook. He's even talking about having you get surgery, to tighten what Lev tore right open.”
What the fuck? Would Artyom really be this callous?
Why are you surprised?
Artyom leaned back, satisfied. “You’ll be wed as soon as the annulment is finalized.”
A thought slammed into my skull before I could stop it.
