I lie back on the bed and pull her on top of me, her soft, warm body draping over mine.
She rests her head on my chest, and I press slow, lazy kisses to her forehead, her temple, the top of her head, little touches I never knew I needed until her.
She lifts her head after a while, eyes soft and searching. I can’t resist. I cup the back of her neck and kiss her again, slow, deep, savoring the taste of her.
Kissing Calina has become one of my favorite things in the world. I could do it for hours. It comes second only to eating her sweet pussy and burying myself deep inside her. In no particular order.
We kiss for a long time, lazy and unhurried, tongues stroking, lips brushing, breathing each other in. When we finally pull apart, she’s looking at me with that knowing little expression.
“There’s something on your mind,” she says softly.
I chuckle, the sound low in my chest. “Are you a mind reader now?”
She smiles faintly. “No. But I can tell.” She traces a finger over my collarbone. “A penny for your thoughts?”
I raise an eyebrow. “You already said my thoughts cost more than a penny.”
She waits, patient and quiet. I let out a long breath and stare at the ceiling for a moment.
“There’s a rat in my organization,” I admit. “I’ve been trying to sniff them out for weeks. The man I interrogated said the betrayer is closer than I think. But he died before he could give me a name. Now I’m left wondering who the fuck it is.”
She’s quiet for a moment, then says carefully, “Have you checked all your closest people?”
I tense. “What do you mean by that?”
She shrugs slightly. “Viktor and Dmitri… they’re the closest to you, right?”
Anger flares in my chest. I sit up, forcing her to shift off me.
“What the fuck are you implying? Those two are like brothers to me. They would take a bullet for me before they ever betrayed me.”
She doesn’t back down. “The man said the betrayer is closer than you think. I’m just saying…”
“Enough.” I swing my legs off the bed, standing up. “I don’t want to hear this shit.”
I pull on my slacks, not bothering with a shirt, and head for the door. She calls after me, but I don’t stop. I slam the door behind me harder than necessary, jaw clenched tight.
She has no idea what she’s talking about. Viktor and Dmitri are family. Blood or not, they’ve been with me through everything. They would never turn on me.
I storm downstairs, anger and frustration boiling under my skin. The rat is out there somewhere, and now even Calina is making me question the only people I’ve ever trusted.
I need to find the traitor.
And when I do, I’m going to make them suffer.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Calina
I sit in the bridal suite of the private island villa, staring at my reflection in the large mirror while the makeup artist puts the finishing touches on my face.
Outside, the turquoise ocean sparkles under the sun, waves gently kissing the white sand beach. It’s exactly the kind of beach wedding I used to dream about as a little girl.
This is an intimate ceremony, only thirty carefully chosen guests. No big crowd, and no media. Maxim and my brothers didn't want to take any risks. The location was kept secret until this morning for security reasons.
My brothers and Maxim handpicked every single person from both sides of the families. Everyone here is either trusted or powerful enough that crossing us would be suicide.
I should be grateful. This is as safe as a wedding in our world can get. But all I can think about is the man waiting for me at the end of the aisle.
