Page 40 of Devil’s Reign

Even after I shut the water off, the heat inside me refuses to fade. My skin is still buzzing, my mind still locked on him, replaying the moment again and again. Shame coils tight in my stomach, but it does nothing to dull the hunger. If anything, it feeds it.

I just came screaming his name, and he has no idea. And I know I’m fucked, because it won’t be the last time.

22

IVAN

I wake up pissed. My cock is hard enough to break through steel. Aleksei’s warning about not getting tangled up with Melani rings through my head like a damn bell—too fucking late.

I can’t stop replaying the moment she picked up Viktor’s picture. That innocent question: “Your dad?”

I’d forgotten I even had that in there. If I’d remembered, I never would have started that fucking game.

When I first moved here, I used to look at that photograph every day to remind myself of the kind of man I don’t want to be. Needlessly cruel, greedy, and selfish. That’s Viktor Petrov in a nutshell.

I had every intention of fucking Melani last night. She was more than receptive—flushed and trembling and so goddamn eager. But it turns out nothing kills the mood faster than seeing your bastard father’s dead eyes staring back at you.

My phone pings with a text as I roll out of bed. It’s Dima, reminding me about the meeting at his office this morning. I drop my phone without replying. He knows I’ll be there. I drag a palm over my chin and make my way to the bathroom. The rough scrape of overnight stubble rasps against my skin. When was the last time I trimmed this? I frown, unable to remember, then grab the trimmer and get to work.

When I’m done, I brush my teeth and step into an ice-cold shower that does absolutely nothing to soften my erection. I refuse to use my hand. I have more self-control than that, even if my body is doing its best to prove otherwise. I get dressed quickly. And as I leave my bedroom, my gaze automatically drifts towards Melani’s closed door.

I wonder if she’s faring any better than I am. Is she still turned on? Still aching? She doesn’t strike me as the type to masturbate, but I can’t help wondering if she made herself come after I left. I hope not. I want her to suffer as much as I am.

“All ready?” Luka asks, tugging on his jacket. He’s going to Zvezda to oversee the arrival of a new shipment of drinks. Otherwise, I’d have sent him with the men going to pick up Linda Fontana, Melani’s mom.

“Yeah,” I answer, and we step out of the suite together.

Since Luka has other matters to handle, I decide to drive myself. I don’t trust anybody else behind the wheel except him. We get into separate cars, and he gives his horn a quick hit to say goodbye before pulling out with a few of my men in tow. I follow shortly after, another car carrying three of my men falling in behind me. Unlike my brother Aleksei, I usually don’t like going around with an entourage, but today, precautions are necessary. Can’t be too careful when the pakhan, his successor—me, until he marries and produces offspring—and the spare—Dima—are meeting in one location.

Dima has his office in the heart of downtown Manhattan. Even though he runs a security company, it doesn’t mean the place is always teeming with guards. Most days it’s just him and a handful of staff. I tap my index finger on the steering wheel as I drive, wondering what could be so important that he demanded this face-to-face meeting.

Could he have discovered a break in the missing men case? Nobody disappeared last night, but that doesn’t mean this shit is finished. We aren’t the only ones getting our men snatched.

I pull into the parking spot in front of the skyscraper that houses Dima’s office, and my men pull in next to me. We step out together and head for the entrance. The doorman nods respectfully as we pass, and one of the building’s security guards hurries ahead to call the elevator. The doors slide open, and I incline my head in thanks as one of my men presses the button for the 45th floor.

When we arrive, I recognize Aleksei’s men strategically positioned around the lobby. Wordlessly, my own security spreads out to join them, and I give them a curt nod as I walk down the hallway towards the office. Dima is seated next to Aleksei on one of the sofas he has in front of his desk, two glasses of whiskey on the coffee table between them. They both glance up as I enter.

Aleksei gives me a pointed look that I ignore. I will decide what to do with Melani without his interference.

As I take the sofa across from them, Dima reaches for the bottle. “Drink?”

“I’m good.” I raise a hand to stop him. “I’m driving.”

“Luka didn’t come with you?” Dima sounds surprised. We’re rarely separated during business.

“I have some shipments coming in at Zvezda this morning, so he went in my place.” I slap my palm against my thigh, impatient now. “Let’s get on with it.”

Dima pulls his phone from his suit jacket and taps the screen a few times. Another recording, then. My lips tilt into a slight smile despite my foul mood. Because of how in-demand his security services are with top celebrities and politicians, he’s often privy to information long before it reaches mainstream media. And he takes full advantage of it. His men always carry listening devices, and with his software, he somehow manages to monitor everything, constantly watching for anything that would benefit the family.

The recording starts, and I recognize the voice. Goddamnit. Daniel Salvi. He’s speaking with someone I can’t yet identify about his plans to ditch the Democratic Party and run independently. My brows lift in surprise. That’s a bold move.

“Democrats rule the city, Dan. This isn’t a wise decision at all.”

“Believe me, I know. But the past two elections have been won by independents brought forward by the Petrov family, so why can’t I win as an independent as well? There’s no way I'm getting the Democrat ticket.”

“They said as much?” the unknown person asks, their tone caught between shock and disbelief.

My brows pinch together. I can't quite put my finger on who it is, but I know I’ve heard that voice before.