Page 141 of Tarnished Queen

“A little family reunion,” Xena burbles. “You two know each other, don’t you?”

She knows we do. The only reason Makar is here is because Xena, for some ridiculous reason, thought I’d give a fuck that one of my men left me for her. If Makar is stupid enough to think Xena is a good leader, then I’m happy to let him go.

“Careful there, Xena. Your little stooge there broke his vow to my Bratva. I’m not sure I’d put him in charge of the captives.”

“Only because you turned your back on us to make vows to her,” Makar hisses, tightening his hold on Belle.

“And unlike you, I take my vows seriously,” I tell him. “Which is why I’ll tear your head off with my own hands if you hurt a hair on hers.”

I can feel Belle’s eyes boring into me, but I can’t look at her right now. Xena brought her out to distract me. I won’t let that happen.

“Promises, promises,” Xena purrs.

She walks in a circle around Makar, her finger dragging across his shoulders. He looks over his shoulder at her, a small smile on his face. If the two of them haven’t fucked already, I’ll fall over dead.

“That’s the problem with you, Nikolai,” Xena continues. “You talk and talk, but there’s no follow-through.”

“When are you going to get over the fact that we didn’t get married?” I fire back. “It’s pathetic to hold a grudge this long. Especially when it’s clear you’ve got a good fuck buddy in Makar here.”

Makar’s face hardens, but Xena’s expression brightens. Right there is my answer. “Jealous?” she asks.

"Hardly. I'd rather cut my dick off than let it anywhere near you."

Slowly, Xena's smile drains away. Her dark painted lips twist into a frown. "I think it's time to see if you're a man of your word, Nikolai."

I snort. "Are you gonna say I have to fuck you or cut my own dick off?"

"You're not so far off," she says. "I'll give you a choice: fuck me right here, right now, and I'll let you leave with your bride. Say no, and… well, I’ll let you fill in the blanks."

Belle snaps her attention back to Xena, absolute murder in her eyes. If Makar wasn’t holding her back, I think Xena would have her hands full fending off Belle.

But there’s no need.

I bark out a laugh. “God, you’re desperate.”

“You’re the one preoccupied with who I’m sleeping with.”

“Only because you’re paying for loyalty with your pussy. I’m trying to gauge how dedicated the man next to you is. Thus far, my read is ‘not very.’”

“Come and find out, Nikky.”

I roll my eyes. “None of this matters. I’m not touching you. Why would I put myself through that kind of hell when I could just kill you and leave with Belle instead?"

"Because you'll have to go through Makar," Xena says, pushing the man towards the middle of the floor.

Makar stumbles forward, taking Belle with him for a second before he lets her go and turns around to face Xena. “What is—I was here to deliver the girl. I thought—”

“I thought you were loyal to me,” Xena interrupts flatly. Whatever kindness she’s usually able to piece together is gone from her expression. She’s cold as ice. “You came to me after you left the Zhukova Bratva. You told me you admired my ferocity.”

“I did,” Makar says quickly. “I do. But I didn’t think I was coming here to fight.”

He didn’t think he was coming here to fightme,more precisely. And he’s right to be hesitant. I’ll fucking kill him.

“Life is war, baby. You have to be ready all the time. If you want to work for me, you have to fight for me.” Xena steps forward and drags a seductive finger down Makar’s chest. “Can you do that?”

The man practically moans at the slightest bit of contact. It’s pathetic. In one touch, his uncertainty falls away.

He turns to me, shoulders back, chin high. “I can do it.”

---