Page 33 of Reclaimed Crown

I grimace, scouring the edges of my memory for any time I’ve ever heard that name, but come up empty. He can’t be that high level if I don’t know who he is. And if he isn’t that far up in the power structure, then he can’t be the person who masterminded the attack against my father.

“How can I find this Arkady?”

Her eyes search the cement floor ahead of her before she looks back up at me. “He comes to the cafe once a week to collect money…” she says before thinking further, “…my father only spoke to him through burner phones.”

That’s not surprising. Bratva soldiers typically don’t cozy up to the business owners they extort.

I hang my head and nod in acceptance. I believe Tatyana is telling me as much as she can, and it could be enough to look for the people behind the assassination attempt on Vadim and me.

I also decide her honesty has won her a small privilege.

I turn to the cart where her father’s body lies, grimacing at what it’s evolved to. The ventilation system carried away most of the stench, but when I approach, the distinctly sweet, gamey smell of a corpse invades my nostrils. I wrap my hands on the edge of the cart and unlock the wheels. Tatyana turns her head to the side as the cart with her father’s body rolls towards the doorway of the cell.

When I get into the hall, I roll the metal cart towards the incinerator. The fire has been blazing since I came in, helping to warm the cells, but the air is still uncomfortably cold.

When I reach the front of the incinerator, I look inside and see what appears to be the remains of another body.

This oven must see a lot of action.

I hook my arms under Pyotr Ivanov’s arms and lift his torso against me, pulling it onto the metal table at the front of the oven. The heat pouring from it feels good at first but becomes intolerably hot just seconds later. I work fast, pulling the rest of the body onto the metal slab. Once his feet drag onto the new table, I lower his torso, leaving him to rest on it. I pull the ice pick out of his chest and see a bubble of congealed blood appear and leak to the side of his body in clumps. I release the safety latch at the front of the oven, pulling the lever down and stand over the body as the table slides into the mouth of the enormous oven. It usually takes a much higher temperature to fully destroy human remains, but burning these bodies is mostly for hygienic purposes, not evading the law.

The oven hums as fire inside roars. The entire floor of the oven is a bright red from burning coals.

When I’m satisfied that the fire will take care of the body, I step away, feeling relief when the cold air hits my skin. On my way back, I find a stack of military-green wool blankets and grab an armful of them. The fire helps, but it’s not enough to stay warm overnight.

When I come back into Tatyana’s cell, I find her head hanging forward as she remains tied to the cross. There is a pool of Pyotr's blood in the area where the cart stood. I grab a water hose and turn the valve until water runs, washing away the blood from the floor. I aim the water stream so it flows to the gutter and drains away. When I shut the water off, I hear Tatyana’s weak voice.

“Please let me go,” she says. Her head trembles as it rises to look at me. “I’ll do anything for you.”

Her words have a powerful effect on my body. As cruel as I’ve been to her, I know deep inside that I still want her to be mine. My cock grows at the idea of Tatyana offering herself to me. When I walk back to her, Tatyana watches the fabric of my pants pull forward with my forming erection. My eyes fix on the clamps I applied to her nipples, studying the way the red skin of her clamped breast contrasts with the paleness of her skin beyond the clamp.

I cup the bottom of one of her breasts in my hand and gradually squeeze the end of the clamp so it opens. She winces with the new sensation but relaxes back once I remove the clamp from her nipple. I move my attention to the other breast and do the same. Tatyana lays back against the cross as her head lolls to the side with her eyes gently closed, making me think of only one thing.

She is my property. I told her father as much as he was dying, and I intend to fulfill my promise to him.

My lips surround her nipple and my tongue moves in gentle circles along the skin that was clamped off. I pull my head away, watching as the skin returns to its original color, and bring my mouth back to suck the tender skin. My hands busy themselves by removing Tatyana’s skirt and panties as I continue to suck at her breasts. My fingers slide along the seam of her mound, feeling her wetness coat them as they pass over her entrance.

“Yes,” I hiss as the wet sounds from her pussy fill the room. Even after what I put her through, Tatyana’s body still craves mine.

The noises coming from Tatyana grow as I continue to use her body in whatever way pleases me. At first she was wincing and groaning, and now I hear little moans escaping between her protests.

“I told you,zaychik, you’re mine.” I say as one of my fingers enters her. Her thigh muscles tense and she braces herself against the cross, making me want to see more from her. I slip a second finger inside and hear Tatyana gasps and moan in response. I close my eyes, savoring her noises and the scent of her pussy.

My thumb circles her clit as my fingers continue to pump into her. Wetness runs down my fingers and forms a trail on my hand. I work my hand into her faster, rolling my wrist and changing the angles of my fingers. Tatyana’s chest and neck are flushed. Her face is glowing pink. The breaths coming out of her are uneven, some long and drawn out, others short and clipped, changing in response to the way my hand fucks her. My cock presses at the fabric of my pants, needing to be inside her, but I hold back, wanting this moment to be hers.

Tatyana’s breathing slows and quiets to an almost imperceptible level before she breaks into waves of contractions. Her moans echo through the cell as she bucks her hips at the sensation of my hand penetrating her. Her head presses back against the cross as she continues to let out moans of pleasure, then slows until she’s quiet. She rests back against the cross with a look of relief on her.

I withdraw my hand and suck the juices coating my fingers, taking in her sweet taste. I leave her to recover, taking the stack of green blankets and laying them on the floor in a rough shape of a bed and pillow. A few blankets are set aside to cover her.

Tatyana's body is slumped, and she struggles to keep her eyes open. When I release her restraints, her arms flop onto my shoulders. I carry her off the cross, laying her down on the bed. I cover her torso with my jacket and shirt, use the rest of the blanks left over to keep her warm, and watch her fall asleep the instant her head rests on the pillow.

As I walk to the door, I can hear the hum of her soft breaths float through the room. It makes me wish she were in my bed so I could always hear that noise, but Tatyana needs to face consequences. I take one last look at her before shutting the cell door.

I have broken Tatyana, but this is just the beginning.

Chapter11

VIKTOR

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