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“Productive day then?” I ask as I pull my hands away from him, the blood sticking to my palms. His only answer is a grin and then to wrap me up into his chest, kissing me firmly. I can feel the length of him digging into my stomach. Bastard. If it weren’t for the gore that he was covered in, I might be tempted to wrap my legs around his waist.
Hell, who am I kidding, I’m still tempted. Very tempted. But, given that we are technically fighting right now I’m not going to. I push away from him with a half-assed complaint about my now ruined outfit.
“You look good with a little blood on you, I’m not going to apologize for that.” Nikolai breezes with an arrogant smirk before turning me loose.
The kiss left me a little weak in the knees, so I stagger a bit.
I didn’t think that the conversation was over but he’s already jogging up the main stairs toward his office.
“Wait, Nikolai…” I call after him, rubbing the blood from my hands off onto my shirt as I go. He doesn’t stop until he reaches his office where Horus, his new right-hand man, is standing in wait. When had he even gotten here? The bastard moves impossibly silently. I like Horus, but I can certainly see why so many people find his nearness so unsettling.
“Report.” Nikolai demands as he grabs an imported cigar and drops heavily into his leather desk chair.
Horus starts to give a report, and then pauses to look at me like neither one of them even realized that I am standing right here. Clearly, Nikolai doesn’t want me overhearing.
“Do you need something, pet?” Nikolai asks.
The moniker is starting to feel like a leash instead of something sweet that he calls me in the bedroom. It’s starting to make me feel more like property than I’m strictly comfortable with.
“Yes!” I say firmly. “I need to talk to you.”
“I’m busy, maybe later? We can order in dinner from that Thai place that you like?” Nikolai offers.
Any other day it would be enough to shut me up. I would take the crumbs that I’m being offered, but not today. I’m not going to be pushed away as something that he only has to deal with when he feels like it. I’m not going to be just another object in his house.
“I don’t think that this can wait.” I say firmly.
Something flashes across Nikolai’s face. Something that I’ve never seen before.
“Who is Lilian?” I ask. Even just speaking the name that I’ve been obsessing over for the last day makes me feel nauseous.
Nikolai’s lip curls upward like I’ve insulted him.
I just want to know if he’s going to tell me the truth. I just want to make sure that this isn’t all for nothing and that the man I love is still in there. I want to make sure the core of him, his heart, is still with me and that he hasn’t already slid back into the version of him that I… the version he was before we had become what we are now.
“I was wondering when you were going to ask.”
Now that pisses me off. If he knew, then why didn’t he just tell me? Why wouldn’t he choose to be up front with me so that there would be nothing to worry about in the first place? I’m tempted to say as much, but he speaks again.
“Don’t you see that this is what he wants, pet? That man is a monster. I told you that. I thought this was settled. Do not listen to a damned thing a dying man says, Anya, he will say anything for his freedom. Do you really think that it doesn’t benefit him to have you doubt me? To play with your mind like this?” Nikolai looks at me with clear disapproval. “You are better than this, Anya.”
Guilt and anger swirl inside of me in equal measure.
“Then why would you not–”
“Is this what we are doing now?” Nikolai leans forward with his elbows on the desk. It’s a little intimidating. Damn him and the fact that he’s conditioned me to be so damned fucking horny the moment he gives me that look. “Have I ever given you any reason to doubt me?”
Well, no. Not technically. But the doubts still linger anyway.
“I know that you’re confused. I know that you want answers, Anya, but I do not have the luxury of time today. Do you understand that? You must be patient with me. As I would be with you. Can you do that for me?” Nikolai asks.
How can I deny him that?
I bite my bottom lip and nod reluctantly.
“Good. Then be my good girl and run along.” He says in the tone that always makes my toes curl. I know what that means. Be patient and then tonight I will be rewarded until I can no longer remember my own name. I do want that. Nikolai always knows how to make me cum so hard I see stars. Maybe I’m overreacting.
Nikolai gestures to Horus to remove me from the room. He crowds into my space until I have two options: leave willingly or be forcibly removed. I don’t tolerate anyone manhandling me but Nikolai.
