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An eyebrow goes up as those golden eyes run over me. “I believe men are supposed to lie about how their wife is beautiful in anything she wears. I do not subscribe to that. Not when in the end it will hurt you more. While the clothes you wore of late were a step up from the sweats and hoodies, they are not befitting someone of your new status. You are now the wife of an extremely wealthy man. The women you will be among have lingerie that costs more than your entire new wardrobe. Therefore you must have the same thing. If you do not, other women will look down on you. That is not something I will permit.”
“Permit? Allow? Who do you think you are telling me anything? Are you serious about killing someone for seeing me wearing this? What do you mean you aren’t supposed to be killing?”
“I’m Aleksander Levin, your husband, and you belong to me. I will kill any man who touches you. I will make anyone who covets or upsets you bleed. While we were raised to kill and we have, it was decided long ago for me or my brothers to kill is stupid when we have men to do it for us. The statute of limitations on murder never ends. Us facing a murder case would be a disaster for not just whoever is prosecuted, but to everyone. There are others, employees who work in our legitimate business who could be negatively affected. However, as an extremely possessive husband, if anyone touches you or hurts you, I will kill them myself, slowly and painfully.” The words are a vow. A promise to me, to all the men who crossed my path in the future.
“You’re a psychopath.” I exhale.
CHAPTER20
Phoenix
His smile reminds me of a shark. “False, dear wife. I’m a sociopath. I know the difference between right and wrong, I choose to ignore it. And what is so wrong or bad, about protecting what is mine? I refuse to allow anyone to hurt or upset you in any way. How is that wrong?”
How does he do that? Make the insane shit he says sound reasonable, almost normal. It’s like he’s discussing the weather, not killing someone because they touched me. He’s genuinely surprised I’m freaked out by what he’s saying. “It just doesn't make sense. I’m not allowed to be touched by anyone? What about doctors and on a crowded street? You’re being ridiculous. No one can be protected from being upset from everything, that's not real life. Bad things happen and you have to accept it.”
“While the Bratva doctor is a man, he saved your life. The family doctors we have our women. You will never walk a crowded street again, as you will be driven. Everywhere you go, I or David will be at your side, ensuring no man will think of touching you. As far as the other, I disagree. My father created it for my mother and my brother created it for his wife. It is possible. I will do everything within my power to make it so. The problem with creating a new rule or boundary is that someone will always push and try to break it. When boundaries are broken, the payment required within my world demands blood. The blood needs to be on my hands for the utmost impact. In the future no one will think twice.” He explains all this slowly, as if he were spelling it out for a child.
And fuck him…I am.
I’m a babe in the woods when it comes to this world he dropped me into. I’m not just a babe in the woods—I’m too stupid to live. He didn’t drop me into this, I went stumbling into it and he managed to trap me here. I’m the idiot girl who wanders around like a complete fucking moron hoping she gets to the end alive, and if she does it’s not because of her, it’s because of him.
I was dumb enough to believe in everything I didn’t find on the Levins, even when I was told differently. Mafia, death, and destruction. So what if I couldn’t connect them to a single murder. They were mafia was all I should have needed to know. Of course they were willing to kill to keep power. I walked up to a wild fucking lion and poked it with a stick, certain I could take it down and come out of the encounter whole and intact.
It didn’t matter how many books I read or that I’ve been breaking up pedophile and trafficking rings and making a shit ton of fuckers pay for their disgusting deeds for three years. What I did was from behind a keyboard. They had no idea I was even there, lurking in their online footprints, tracking them. When it came to real life—none of it compared.
I don’t care about any of that. I can’t back down from his bizarre argument. “What, you’re going to hide me away from the world?”
He shakes his head. “Where did you get that from what I said? I told you that I or David will be at your side. No man will consider crossing us to get to you. Your clothes are so you can be at my side. I don't want to hide you away from the world. People can look. They just can't touch. They will understand all they can do is look. They will appreciate it in the moment and move on.”
“Like some piece of art in a museum?”
Air is trapped in my lungs at the way he steps close. “Zhena, you willneverbe only looked upon. I will touch you every moment of the day you allow me to. Why should anybody else be allowed to come within ten feet of you if they don't truly understand how amazing and wonderful you are?”
I’m a sociopath too because I melt a little at his words. He sees me as something precious, valuable, and he’s treating me like it. All he wants is to keep me safe and happy. Aleksander is saying no one who doesn’t see me the same as him should be allowed around me. I’m reminded of the way people treated me in my old neighborhood after I gained weight. How they looked through me, treated me as if I was less than because I was no longer a size six. I give in, like he was giving me a choice. “Fine. I’ll get new clothes.”
“If it was simply you being a brat and not wanting to wear the clothes instead of dissatisfaction, I will update the information with the shopper. She is available tomorrow. Today, we are getting out of the condo. Amaya should be here soon to help you bathe. We stay in or I help you and I’ll tear my stitches again,” he mutters.
Before I can argue, the doorbell sounds and Aleksander disappears to answer it. I guess. I’m surprised the doorbell went off if it was Amaya. She usually just appears inside. Then again, maybe it’s because Aleksander is here. The doorbell didn’t ring once until Aleksander was back again.
Amaya appears and helps me wash my hair and dry it. Once I’m dry we go into the bedroom to find a dress on the bed. It’s a pretty long maxi dress in electric blue. I normally hate sleeveless anything but with my broken arm, an empty sleeve at home is fine—out in public I’d look like an idiot. This sleeveless dress is almost halter style with the neckline all the way up to my throat. What surprises me most about the dress, besides how comfortable I am in it, is the built-in support for my breasts. It isn’t as supportive as some bras, but enough I don’t worry everything is showing or bouncing around.
Amaya giggles. “Mr. Aleksander will be happy.”
I shake my head as I follow her out of the room.
Aleksander is sipping vodka, leaning against the wall of glass. When he hears me he turns. He throws back the rest of the liquid and pushes away from the window. “If I make it even the seven days the doctor has commanded for me not to tear my stitches, I will deserve a reward. Amaya, thank you for coming in. I appreciate it.”
I blush as Amaya nods with a knowing smile before leaving. Waving goodbye to her, I turn to find Aleksander offering me a small flat box.
“Is this underwear? I still can’t believe you forgot underwear.”
“Do I really seem like the type of person to forget anything? Especially something as pleasurable as picking out your underwear.” His voice is so smoky I swear the temperature around us goes up by twenty degrees. “Besides, I already told you, you’re wearing those boxers from here on out. Open it and find out for yourself.”
Curiosity sends me to the long leather couch with the box. I open it to find a small pink and silver…what in the—no freaking way. “This is a remote-controlled sex toy?”
Aleksander chuckles. “Do you know why they are called toys?”
I’m blushing at the idea of it. Even as I tell myself I should be outraged, not wet. I guess Aleksander takes my silence as my answer.
