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Somehow, I muster the strength to grab his cheek and push, digging my nails into his skin. He hisses into my mouth but doesn’t relent, molding his lips to mine with such fervor that I drown.
No kiss has ever been like this.
I can feel darkness taking over, like a poison pulling me under. I’m swept away by it, powerless as I’m dragged further away from life and closer to death.
Andrei tastes like whatever waits on the other side. A promise of power and possession, wrapped around me like satin ribbons. Soft at first, tempting me into submission, until he grasps the ends and pulls, cinching them so tight that I bleed.
The longer the kiss lasts, the more I succumb. One kiss turns into many, and I lose myself in them. They become familiar. They become wanted.
A kiss will never be the same again.
When he finally pulls back, he breathes just as heavily as me. My nails left half-moon indents across his cheek, one of them pricking with blood. He licks his lips and takes a step back, admiring the sight of me disheveled, lips swollen, throat red, gasping for air.
He stretches his fingers in front of him. Like the past few minutes never happened, he starts talking business. “You will spend the next few weeks reacclimating to life within these walls. Additionally, I will be taking you out into the city for various social events. Mikhail and Ezra will be doing the same. I’m sure you remember the duties of a pakhan’s wife?”
My brain struggles to keep up. I stare at Andrei, the man I once loved, and barely recognize him. Maybe the man I loved was never real, after all. Maybe this cruel version of him is the truth.
A single tear rolls down my cheek. Maybe this is exactly what my mother was trying to save me from before she died.
Andrei lifts his finger and claims the teardrop before it falls. “By the time our wedding comes around, you will have reclaimed some of your old duties and taken up new ones. We will rekindle relationships with prominent families within the city, and everyone will be reminded of our strength. There will be no room for doubt.” He cups my cheek. “Will there, moya zhena?”
My heart clenches as the familiar Russian phrase passes his lips. I used to love the way he called me his wife.
Now, however, I’m not so sure.
I don’t respond, to which he sighs. “Come, now, Valentina. I asked you a question.”
This is part of the role I’m meant to fill. Speak when spoken to. Say yes, sir. Follow orders.
It’s tempting to slip into the role. It would be much easier for me to submit. Less painful than if I fight.
But I didn’t spend five years away to come crawling back to him. I’ve learned a few things while I’m gone. One of them being malicious compliance.
If he wants a queen, I’ll give him a queen worth remembering.
“I understand.”
He takes my hand and leads me back to our seats, seemingly placated by my acceptance of my fate.
But as we dine together and he rattles off plans for the next few weeks, I make my own. A queen, after all, has power and influence just as much as her king does.
If there’s one thing I learned from my mother, it’s how to command respect within a crowd. To gain power by means other than fear.
I’ll give Andrei his queen, but he may regret choosing me when our vows are made in blood.
Chapter 10
Valentina
My first week in the estate is spent monitoring its schedule. The staff moves as one cohesive unit, each person having their purpose within the well-oiled machine. It’s nothing new, since the estate has always been professionally run. My mother used to manage the household, and my grandmother before her.
Now, it’s my turn.
Many faces recognize me, though few seem thrilled with my return. Most are passive and polite. I’m not sure how Andrei has been running things in my absence, but the lack of warm fuzzies within the staff leaves much to be desired.
I find our head chef Louis elbow-deep in planning a weekly menu. “Thank you for the steak last night,” I tell him quickly, not wanting to take up too much of his time. “It was delicious.”
“When I heard you were back, I knew it was the perfect welcome.” He winks at me. “You’ve always been a meat and potatoes girl.”
