“Pig!” she yells angrily. “I’ll kill you if you lay your filthy hands on Henry! I swear it on my life.”
My brows knit instantly. “Pig? As if you haven’t been thinking of all the ways I could fuck you since you got here.”
“I haven’t.” Her tone is more defensive than angry now. “I’m not…attracted to you.”
My fingers dig into the skin around her jaw. “Little liar. I’ve seen the way you act around me. The way you gasp for breath when I’m near you, the way your cheeks flush.”
“You…” Her voice falters, and I see the way she’s struggling to hold my gaze as uncertainty sets in. “You saw wrong.”
“Lie to me one more time and I’ll make sure your little friend dies with a bullet in his head,” I growl. “Don’t think you can escape me, little bird. If you say another man’s name in front of me again, I’ll find him and make sure he doesn’t live to see another day.”
“You’ve lost your mind,” she whispers. “You’re insane.”
“You bet I am.”
I’m losing my fucking mind from jealousy, possessiveness, and rage. I’m going crazy because of her, and I’ll die before I let another man touch her, or even come within an inch of her.
“Go back to your room. Now!”
Knowing Elena, she’s most likely boiling with the need to retort. But for some reason, she does as I say and heads down the hallway that leads to the basement.
As I watch her walk away, I can only think of one thing—how to make her mine forever.
Keeping her a prisoner and making threats will only keep her in my control for a while. But it won’t be long before she calls my bluff, which isn’t really a bluff because I meant it when I said I’d kill any other man who goes near her.
I need to find another way. A way that’ll bind her to me forever. I tug on my tie, slide it off, and toss it onto my desk.
Marriage.
How didn’t I think of that earlier? Marrying Elena is the only way I can have her forever. It’s also the only way I can protect her from whoever set her up to be on the docks that night.
If someone used her as a distraction, they’ll surely go after her the moment she’s out of my sight. I can’t let that happen.
The door swings open, and Igor marches in. Mikhail and Artem are right behind him. The three of them stare at me cautiously, as if trying to decide whether it’s safe to approach.
“Jesus Christ,” Mikhail drawls from the door, shaking his head with what seems to be pity. “You look like a mess.”
I ignore him and sit back behind my desk. “When did you return to Miami?”
Igor has been on a mission in Russia for over a month, and that wasn’t supposed to end until next weekend. I’m surprised to see him.
Igor opens his arms wide. “I completed the mission last night. I missed my favorite cousin, so I booked the earliest flight back to Miami this morning.”
Relief ripples through me. With everything going on, I need an extra pair of hands I can trust. “It’s good to see you, man. Welcome back.”
He nods and smiles. “Spacibo, brat.”Thank you, brother.
Mikhail and Igor sit on the chairs across from mine while Igor leans against the wall to my right.
“What’s up? You don’t look like your usual self,” Igor mentions, shooting a pointed look at the bite mark on my neck.
“Other than his romance with some girl he brought home,” Mikhail starts, “I think we may have to be on the lookout for Vasili from now on.”
We’d been talking about him before I caught Elena eavesdropping.
Artem nods. “Call logs from Henry’s phone show he received a call from Vasili’s residence. I’m certain he’s behind all of this.”
Just like I thought.
