Then I must be the exception because as I lie at the end of the bed with my feet on the floor, the only woman on my mind is Grace. I was lying in this position when she rode me that first time. I had the perfect view of her ass as she impaled herself on my cock in front of the mirror. I want more of that.
“This man is ready for his reward,” I say to Katarina.
“Anything for you, moya lyubov.”My love. “Our men are on standby. I’ll get them to put the call through now.”
I heave myself back up to sitting. “Thank you.”
“Anything else I can do?” she asks, hearing the defeat in my tone. When I’d left her apartment, I’d told her I was going to try and repair some of the damage to my relationship with Grace. And now she knows I failed.
“Speaking to my brother is enough for now.”
I’m pouring a whiskey from the minibar when a request for a video call comes through. I prop my cell on the dresser as a face fills the screen. A brutal buzz cut, pockmarked skin and a pair of soulless eyes.
“Jesus, Fitz. Who beat you with the ugly stick?”
I hear my brother chuckling in the background, but the Bratva soldier scowling at me doesn’t so much as blink. “Youhave three minutes starting now,” he says, but he doesn’t move the camera immediately.
After wasting ten precious seconds, he smirks and Fitz’s familiar features finally come into view. “Hey, Duke. How’s life treating you?”
“Could be better,” I admit. “You look well.”
I can only see a portion of his upper body, but Fitz doesn’t appear to be any worse for wear from his ordeal. If anything, his deltoids look more defined through his tight-fitted khaki t-shirt.
Fitz flexes his biceps. “This has been the push I needed to work on myself. Tell Meri I’ll be ready for her next time she challenges me to an arm wrestle.” I try to fake it, but my smile convinces neither of us. “Still not speaking then?”
“I did see her today,” I offer, but don’t expand. The more information the Bratva gather, the easier we make it for them to use it against us.
“How’s everyone else? Are they missing me?”
I give Fitz a wry smile. “As much as anyone can miss a royal pain in the ass.”
He nods, reading between the lines. I haven’t told the others about our predicament. “How are the wedding plans going? Managed to get an upgrade on the bride yet?”
“Watch your mouth, pretty boy,” the guard out of camera shot says.
Fitz sees the flash of concern cross my face. “Ignore Vlad. He’s sore that I’m still top of the leader board on Mario Kart.” He’s laughing when he adds, “He stabbed Alexei in the hand with a butter knife the other day just to topple him from the top spot, not thinking I’d be the one to claim it.”
My brother looks off camera when someone mutters, “I stabbed him because he has a smartmouth too.”
“Fitz,” I say, bringing his attention back to me. “Time’s ticking. I just wanted to make sure they were treating you right. Please don’t make me worry that you’re going to provoke your captors over a stupid fucking video game.”
“Sorry,” my little brother says. “I’ll behave, promise.”
How many times have I heard that?
“But the wedding’s still on?” Fitz asks, the question the first indication that his captivity isn’t agreeing with him as much as he wants me to believe.
“Plans are being made,” I say pointedly. “In fact, we’re throwing a twenty-first birthday party for Katarina the day before the wedding so it’s going to be a full weekend of celebrations.”
The biggest will be when Katarina is out of my life.
“Am I invited to her party?” asks Fitz.
“My beautiful wife-to-be wants all our family there,” I say sounding sincere. I need to make it believable so that Katarina stands a chance of persuading Vasili to agree. Once Fitz is safe, everything else should fall into place. Katarina gets away from her uncle and I win Grace back, or spend the rest of my life trying.
Fitz leans forward, eyes narrowing on my goofy expression. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re in love.”
There’s no play-acting involved when I say, “I am.”
