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Before I could move away from the window, the curtains were pulled away and a smiling Valerie greeted me. “Hi.”
She was always so beautiful and sexy. But sometimes, she was just so fucking cute. Never thought I would admit that, but damn, she was the cutest thing I had ever laid my eyes on.
The panic and fear that had been weighing heavily on my heart melted away, replaced by the warmth Valerie’s smile brought. She took a step forward, bringing our bodies closer into each other.
“I need to go, baby. It’s already so late into the morning. This is dangerous,” I explained. Her shoulders slumped, and her pretty smile disappeared.
I fucking hated it.
My arms found their way around her waist, and I placed a kiss on her forehead. My lips lingered there, not wanting to move away yet. I had to force myself to leave her embrace. Valerie sighed in contentment at my kiss. She soaked it up and I let her. I inhaled her scent and she breathed me in at the same time.
When we pulled away, she nodded. “I have to let you go.”
I observed the way her shoulders were now straight, strength shining in her posture. She was perfection in every single fucking way.
“I will come back tonight,” I said. She looked satisfied with my promise. With another kiss on her lips, I walked out of her bedroom.
As I walked away, a sudden realization dawned on me. I hadn’t been scared for myself when I thought someone was coming into the room. I had been scared for her. I was only worried for Valerie.
I told her I was a selfish man. I took what I wanted; I took what wasn’t mine. Too late, I’ve realized how this could hurt my Valerie. She was innocent, yet she was trapped in the game between two monsters.
Valentin wanted to own her.
I thought I wanted her body at first. I had wanted something forbidden, a taste of something that wasn’t mine. I wanted to own her, maybe to prove I could have whatever I wanted.
It was my rule. I see it. I claim it. It is mine.
I couldn’t claim Ayla, so I wanted to own Valerie in a way no one else could.
But in return, she owned me. And now, I simply just needed her. Like I needed my next breath of air. I inhaled her and exhaled her. She was the air that fueled my survival.
I guessed I was just as weak as Alessio. My lips curled and my fists clenched at the thoughts. I never thought a woman would become my weakness, but I fell down the rabbit hole. I wanted to lie and say I hadn’t been willing—a victim. I wanted to believe that it was Valerie who tempted me, but who the fuck was I kidding?
I seduced her, tempted and played…until we both had fallen down the rabbit hole.
Halfway down the hall, Yegor appeared in front of me. He looked behind my shoulders, toward Valerie’s room. His gaze hardened, and I groaned at his serious-as-fuck expression. “Don’t give me a lecture. I don’t want to hear it.”
His lips were set in a straight line, and I knew it was killing him not to say anything. I saw the frustration in his eyes. Yegor made a strangled sound at the back of his throat, but he wisely stayed quiet on the topic.
Yegor might have been Solonik’s man for years, but he was one of us—an Ivanshov. He was fucking tired of Valentin Solonik, had been for a long time. When he realized what a real asshole Solonik was, he had pledged his loyalty to us when Alessio had taken over as the Pakhan. He had been our eyes for many years.
And now he was my second in command. For every mission, there was an Alpha and a Beta. That was me and Yegor.
“Valentin wants to meet you in his office,” Yegor finally said.
Well, fuck. “He is back?” I growled. I sounded like I was strangling on every word.
Yegor nodded. “He came back about an hour ago. You would have known if you hadn’t been spending your time in Valerie’s room,” he grunted under his breath.
I leveled him with a look. “Watch it, Yegor. There is a line—don’t cross it.”
I started forward, not waiting for his answer. But his words stopped me in my tracks. “You haven’t been careful enough. Do you understand that you are not just putting yourself in danger, but also Valerie? The poor girl won’t even know what hit her when Valentin finally unleashes his anger at your betrayal.”
“One more word and I will fucking knock you out,” I warned in a low voice. A murderous rage boiled inside me at the mention of Valentin hurting Valerie. Turning to face Yegor, I let him see my eyes, the darkness—the evil rage that was hidden perfectly underneath and just waiting for the right moment to attack.
