“You okay?” he asks, voice raw, and it’s the closest I’ve seen him come to unraveling. I nod, but I’m shaking, not just from the warmth flooding my chest—does he actually care?—but from a gnawing fear. This wasn’t just a creepy pickup line. Something’s off, and I’m caught in the middle.
28
Konstantin
Blood’s still hot in my veins, knuckles throbbing from where I smashed that bastard’s face, but it’s not enough to kill the rage clawing my chest. That smirk—like he’d stolen something right under my nose—burns worse than the sting.
I don’t know him; I’ve never seen his slick grin at any Summit, and that’s a problem. In my world, strangers aren’t accidents; they’re knives waiting to cut. And he was too damn close to Bella,my wife, her blue eyes wide with a fear she tried to hide. I can still feel her trembling under my hand, her nod saying she’s okay when we both know she’s not.
I put her in this viper pit, and now I’m wondering if the biggest threat’s not the creep I hit but me, dragging her into my chaos.
She’s pressed against me now, her curves soft under that red dress, my hand splayed low on her hip to keep her mine in this sea of sharks.
The silk’s a fucking taunt, no panties beneath—my fault, my obsession—and my cock’s hard as steel, screaming to pin her against the nearest wall and claim her until she’s gasping my name.
One year, play the wife, raise Alya, Nikolai, Lev, no love. Bullshit. Every shiver she gives me, every glance from those sea-blue eyes, chips at my control. I want her—body, fire, all of it—but it’s her trust, the way she leans into me despite this madness, that’s got my heart pounding in ways I swore I’d never feel again.
“Konstantin,” Bella murmurs, voice low, a mix of nerves and that sarcasm I crave. “You’re gonna bruise me.” Her eyes flick up, defiant despite her shake, and I loosen my hold—just enough.
“Stay where I can see you,” I say, rougher than I mean, my thumb brushing her hip. “This place is a trap.” Not just for her but for me, with that stranger’s “I’ll be seeing you” ringing like a warning shot. I need to know who he is… now.
Timur’s weaving through the crowd, his sharp face unreadable, but I know he’s on edge—same as me. I nod him over, keeping Bella close, her scent—jasmine, heat—hitting me like a drug.
A woman in a sequined dress, some tech heiress with a laugh like breaking glass, nudges her friend, eyeing Bella like she’s a cheap knockoff. My blood spikes.
“Find somewhere else to gossip,” I snap, voice low, deadly. The heiress freezes, her friend tugging her away, and they vanish into the crowd.
Bella stiffens, her breath catching, and I feel her embarrassment—she’s not used to this, my world of knives and power plays. She’s a queen in her own right, closing deals, fighting for her brother and sister, but here, she’s raw, a flame in a storm, and I’m the bastard who’s got to keep her burning.
Timur reaches me, his eyes flicking to Bella before settling on mine.
“Boss,” he says, voice tight. “Crowd’s stirred up. You want us moving on this now?”
“That guy I hit,” I cut in, keeping my tone low, my hand still on Bella’s back, her pulse racing under my fingers. “Who the fuck was he? Never seen him here—not once. No Summit vet moves like that, sniffing around her.” My jaw clenches, a dark churn in my gut.
This wasn’t some drunk chancing his luck. That glint in his eyes—hungry, too knowing—screamed intent, and I don’t have a name, not yet.
He slipped through my fingers, gone before we could grab him, and that’s not a mistake I let slide. Nobody gets that close to Bella, asks about her or my business, and walks free. Not in my world, not when she’s wearing my ring.
Bella shifts against me. “He…” she starts, voice soft but clear, cutting through my thoughts. She glances at Timur, then me, her blue eyes wide with something between fear and defiance. “He knew I was with you, Konstantin.”
My blood turns to ice, then fire. Knew she was with me? The words hit like a trigger, and my fingers dig into her hip, not enough to hurt, but enough to feel her gasp, her heat pulling me back from the edge.
I want to tear this ballroom apart, find that bastard, rip answers from his throat, but Bella’s here—soft, fierce, trusting me despite the chaos I’ve dragged her into.
“What else?” I growl, locking eyes with her, then Timur, who’s gone still, his ice cracking at her words.
“Nothing,” she says, swallowing, her lips parting. “Just… he was too sure. Like he’d been watching us.” Her voice shakes, and I see it—her world of open houses and sibling fights crumbling under my reality of blood and betrayal.
“Enough to target her,” Timur says, voice flat but heavy. “Could be a scout, someone’s eyes. We’re checking staff, security feeds. If he’s here, he’s not alone.”
“Find him,” I snarl. “And anyone he’s with. Nobody gets near her again.”
Bella’s looking at me now, her lips parted, and there’s something in her eyes—fear, yes, but a trust that hits like a fist. She’s in my world, blind to its rules, and I need to keep her whole.
For Alya, Nikolai, Lev, I’m steel, but for her?
I’m fraying, and it’s treacherous.
