Amirah gave the woman a polite smile. “Thank you, and it’s absolutely magnificent.”

Although rushed, his wedding day had been beautiful. With mama and Sofia’s help, they managed to make what would be a rushed wedding, into a grand affair. Of course, he’d invited everyone he knew. He had even extended the invitation to the Markovs. Seeing Maksim caused irritation to flow through him, but to his surprise, the other male seemed to only have eyes for Laila. That had been a surprise, since he knew the male to sleep around. He supposed he truly was committed to his best friend’s sister. The ceremony had been too quick, and while he wanted to celebrate all through the day, he wouldn’t force that upon Amirah. She still needed time to adjust to their marriage, and he would give her that. Eventually though, her anger would disappear and she would want him just as much as he did her. He wasn’t sure if that would even happen, but he couldn’t let his doubts put a damper on the day. Once they got back to the estate, they were greeted by his mother. He had to play the doting husband part, and so he’d held her hand while the women spoke. His mama had been worried about his decision to marry Amirah, yet she’d given her blessing anyway, and judging by how politely his new wife was interacting with his family, he had hoped that things would work out in the end. “Feel free to explore the estate, but since I’m here, would you like to do go on a tour? Mama could join us if you don’t mind it.”

Amirah wondered if his family was aware of how this marriage came to be so quickly. That seemed unlikely seeing as he was too smart to allow a third person into this plan he concocted. In truth, it didn’t matter. She came here only for the purpose of obtaining the video of her sister and once she found it, she’d plan her next move. Until then, she would utilize this chance to study her enemy, it was all she could do while she worked to find the footage. Although the thought of sharing a roof with the bastard left a bitter taste in her mouth, as she didn’t wish to be anywhere near him or see him. She didn’t want the tour either, but she had to be polite, not for Enzo, but for his mother who had been welcoming. So, she focused on Lucia Costa, a beautiful and graceful woman who studied her calmly though Amirah had no idea what was going through the woman’s mind. “Of course.” After she greeted her sister-in-law, Sofia, Enzo and her mother-in-law fell into step beside each other as they led Amirah through the estate.

Lucia trusted her son’s judgment as he never made a move without a good reason. While she had little knowledge of her daughter-in-law, she believed there must be something noteworthy about Amirah Raichand for Enzo to have selected her. So far, her daughter-in-law was well-mannered and quiet. “I understand this will take some time getting used to...given our families situation, but you’ll find that everyone is most welcoming.”

She turned to the elder woman, “my gratitude for arranging the wedding so quickly and for the warm welcome. I have no doubt I will come to appreciate this home and think of you all as my family.” That was difficult to wrap her mind around - the Costas being her family.

He counted his blessings that despite her hatred for him, Amirah hadn’t said a peep to anyone about the true reason behind their marriage. Perhaps she was afraid he would really release the video of Nadya that night. It didn’t sit well with him to know that she didn’t have a very high opinion of him, and yet, it could not be helped. He’d done what he’d done and there was nothing to he could do to change what happened. What he could do was prove to her that he would be a good husband to her. Amirah would never want for anything and he knew with time, she could grow to care for him just as much as he did her. He just needed to give her the time to warm up to him and the idea of their marriage. Luckily, mama hadn’t given the news of his union to Amirah much thought. She had always only wanted happiness for her children. This was what he loved about his mama, while life hadn’t been nice to her—after his papa was shot by one of his enemies when Enzo was ten—she had never used her plight as a crutch. Oh no, mama rose to the occasion, taking over the duties of her departed husband and raising two children. She raised Enzo and Sofia well, and had never given them reason to feel uneasy around her. As they strolled along the estate, he allowed two of the three most important women in his life to converse. Much to his utter amazement, Amirah was polite. Not that he didn’t think her capable of such a feat. It was just surprising since she seemed to hate him with every breath in her body. “Yes, mama. I have never been sure of anything else. Amirah is it for me.” He might be speaking to his mother, yet his gaze lingered on Amirah’s back the entire time. “She will fit in soon. What do you think of your new daughter-in-law?”

Lucia leaned into her son’s gentle embrace as he kissed her forehead. She was worried mostly because she was not blind to her daughter-in-law's look of indifference when it came to Enzo. Though she realized her son wouldn’t act so recklessly, and in the end she wanted nothing but his happiness and if this was it, then Lucia had faith this would turn out well. “Son, you have always my blessing. The truth is, you picked a strong, smart woman, but her reluctance is worrisome to me. However, I have faith in you and I know you’ll have the marriage you're seeking from her. I wonder how she agreed so easily though.” Much of how this came to be was a mystery to Lucia. She guessed this was both a business move and some personal reasons for Enzo. “It’s a good sign seeing you smile this way.” 

The petty side of Amirah wanted to be rude to his family just to prove her point that marrying her would not get him what he wanted. However, the sensible side that was here for a very important reason couldn’t act so rashly. Then there was the fact that she couldn’t bring herself to be rude to the two women who were so welcoming to her. His sister was beaming so kindly at Amirah earlier, for those moments she forgot her anger. Though she had no plans on getting close to him or his family, she realized she couldn’t bring herself to be so cruel towards them. So as Enzo and his mother showed Amirah around the grand home, she made small talk with the matriarch which helped because that meant she didn’t need to interact with her husband. It was an eerie feeling to be watched so closely by her mother-in-law, but no doubt as Amirah herself, she wanted to know this stranger in her home. They walked for about twenty minutes or so, before Lucia excused herself to give them some privacy, leaving her alone with him. She was exhausted and after a long day, she was ready to be retire for the evening. “Well, that’s about as much socializing I can handle for a day. I don’t believe this needs to be said, but I will anyway. Do not get any ideas about a wedding night. Show me to my room, as I will not be sharing one with you.” 

Tucking his mother in his arms, they strolled together. On outwards appearance, no one would ever guess that he had such a soft spot for his mama. Being a Capo, he was supposed to produce a certain image, and being soft wasn’t what was widely accepted. Yet, he wouldn’t change things for anything. He loved his family, and would do anything for his women which now included Amirah. “We will be fine, mama. As for how she agreed to marry me, let’s just say I have my ways.” His eyes gleamed, and a lopsided smile graced his features. “I just need your blessing. Everything else will fall into place. I promise.” The tour went on for a few more minutes until mama headed back into the house, leaving Enzo alone with Amirah. He expected for Amirah to return to her icy self, and he hadn’t been left hanging for long at all. As soon as they were given privacy, she went back to how she was with him again. He should be annoyed, yet he chose to feel amused instead. “I won’t force you, Tesoro. It’s not my style. When I do take you, you will want me and even beg for me.” He announced sounding cocky as hell. She might hate him now, but could she remain that way forever? He didn’t think so. Not when he planned on wooing her and making her fall head over heels in love with him. He had Nadya on his side, and if anyone knew how to win Amirah’s heart, it would be her dear sister. “I will show you to our room. We are married, Amirah, and therefore, we will be sharing a bed. You just have to get used to it.”

While Amirah didn’t think little of his family since his mother and his sister seemed nice enough, it would take some time for her to be comfortable around them, because at the end of the day they were equal strangers to her. Life had taught her to be wary of everyone and that was something that was ingrained within the brunette, they were her in-laws but she had every reason to be wary of people who had their allegiance to her husband. However, Amirah also had no intentions of being cruel or cold towards them, as that was only reserved for the man standing before her. Heavens, his smile alone rubbed her the wrong way, and knowing that the moment she had accepted his proposal, or blackmail as she’d always viewed it as, he went around bragging about their impending nuptials only irritated her further. She genuinely could not understand how a man had this immeasurable sense of arrogance, or Enzo’s own arrogance regarding Amirah. “If that’s supposed to impress me, you’re mistaken.” She remarked flatly, ignoring the way her insides reacted to his intense gaze. When his response came as smoothly, her eyes narrowed at his refusal to give Amirah her own room, but the logical side of her knew why they could not have separate rooms. No one knew the truth of this marriage and they both wanted to keep it that way. Arousing suspicion from his family wasn’t wise, “I will never get used to it, but clearly I have no choice in this matter so lead the way.” As bothered as she was with sharing a room with him, the exhaustion from the day left her feeling so drained she sounded impatient right now rather than angry. 

She was angry and rightly so because no one wanted to be blackmailed into marrying someone. Yet, this was the reality of it. Amirah could go on hating him, but it would only make her miserable, and he had a feeling she wouldn’t want to remain that way for the rest of her life. Because the reality was, he was never going to let her go. She was his wife, and he would do everything in his power to keep her. Being surrounded by women all his life gave him knowledge of what they liked. He knew exactly what to do to woo a woman and he wasn’t going to spare any expense where his wife was concerned. She was special. She had to know that she was. Enzo wasn’t known as a Casanova. He would have sex when the mood arose, yet he’d been careful to never promise anything beyond what he was willing to give. Sex was easy. There would be no complications, but when it came to the matters of the heart, now that was something the feat was trickier. And he had a feeling his new wife would be a challenge worth his while. “I didn’t say it to impress you. It’s the truth. You will want me.” She could deny it all she wanted, but he’d seen interest in her eyes. Even now, he could see it. He was just tactful enough not to point it out to her. Grateful that she hadn’t snapped at him for making her share a room with him, he pressed his right hand on the small of her back and ushered her towards their suite. “Come, it’s just down the hall.” He stated, ignoring how right it felt to touch her like this. It was as if she was meant to be there all along.

Had she not seen what she had of him, had he not been trafficking women, her reception to Enzo would be so much better. She had stayed away from him because he was her friends’ rival and by default hers, but the night she had caught him and his henchmen with those frightened looking women, Amirah felt pure, unadulterated hatred for him. She’d never hated anyone in her life before and witnessing what she had she wanted nothing to do with him. It confused her as to why Nadya thought Enzo was a good person. Paying for her sister’s trauma therapy services was the least he could do, but it did not make him any better. He exploited Nadya, and that was yet another reason why she had been right about him. It did not matter how charming or good looking her husband was, he was an ugly person and no amount of pretenses could erase that in her eyes. Either way, whatever he had hoped to accomplish by marrying Amirah, he would not get it. She was only here for one thing, to make sure he couldn’t use her sister against her. “As I said, so entirely delusional.” She remarked before she felt his hand on her back, and the soft touch sent a familiar tingle down her spine but she wasn’t about to look into it. Amirah moved his hand and put distance between them as he led her to their room. Amirah was not looking forward to sharing a space with him but lucky for her, she didn’t have to be in this room unless it was to sleep and dress. They arrived a few moments later, and the room was quite…nice. But given how grand his home was, she didn’t expect anything less of his room. It was spacious and so it worked in her favor. When he closed the door behind him, she spoke, “we need to establish some ground rules while we’re alone and in public.”

If he wanted to, he could taunt Amirah and tease her about knowing how much she wanted him, but that wasn’t his style. Also, he was not keen on pissing her off. He might have done a lot of wrong things, yet he also had patience in abundance. If she thought her words could deter him from making her his, she was wrong. Enzo was determined, and when he was determined, he would do anything to get what he wanted. Amirah’s heart was one of them. She hated him for the illusion he chose to show her. In her eyes, he was the bad guy who had used her sister’s near assault to force her into this marriage. He didn’t want her hating her sister for masterminding the entire deal, so he’d taken the fall, making Amirah believe that this was all his doing and that Nadya had not given him the permission to blackmail her. This was easier. Less mess for the woman who had already gone through so much—something he couldn’t yet forgive himself for not seeing Dario for the monster he truly was. “We’ll see who’s the delusional one.” He said before dropping the topic altogether in favor of showing her to their room. Why did the thought of them sharing a room pleased him so much? It shouldn’t, and yet, he found himself smiling as he ushered in the direction of their suite. He was in such a good mood, even when she moved away from his touch didn’t damper it. She would one day want his touch, he reminded himself. Once the door was shut behind them, he casually leaned against the wooden frame and addressed Amirah. “Go on, I’m listening.” If she thought she could make all the rules, she was wrong. He wasn’t going to bow down to her demands entirely.

Amirah was not blind to her husband's good looks, perhaps if they had been in a different situation, the one where he hadn’t manipulated her sister to get his way and he hadn’t been doing the despicable act of trafficking women, things could have been different. Enzo would have been the perfect cure to deal with her heartache over Max, but the fact remained he couldn’t be trusted. She believed her husband wanted her in some way, that he was attracted to her physically; though attention from men wasn’t surprising to Amirah. However, he was far too arrogant for his own good and delusion if he believed she would sleep with him. Well, in the carnal sense anyway. Sleeping in the same bed as him wasn’t avoidable but at the very least he’d keep his hands to himself. It was a shame that such a beautiful man, perhaps the most beautiful man she’d ever seen in her life, had to be such a sick person. Whatever these responses he seemed to induce within her left the club owner stunned but she was not going to look into them, because it didn’t matter. When they arrived in their room (that would take a lot of time to get used to), she wasted no time in speaking her mind, but the nonchalant way he was watching her left her unnerved. She met his gaze, “when we’re alone, keep your hands to yourself. When we’re in public, you may hold my hand or place your arm around me, but that is all. Do not kiss me, or take any more liberties than I’m allowing. I realize you don’t wish your family to know how this came to be, and I accept that. So long as you remain within your limits, so will I.”

Like any red blooded man out there, he would love nothing more than to strip every single stitch of clothing off his new wife’s body and have his way with her. But that would not be happening today or any time soon. Not when she looked at him with so much loathing. His only saving grace being the attraction she felt for him. She couldn’t deny it even if she wanted to try. He’d seen the interest in her doe eyes, and fuck if he wasn’t going to try exploiting it as much as he could. But first, she needed to set some boundaries. Dio, they were just married and already he could feel a headache coming. With his arms folded as he leaned against the door, he listened to her stipulations. For the most part, he agreed with her, but not on one thing. Pushing off the door frame, he walked across the room, towards the mini bar area. After pouring them both a glass of wine, he headed towards her, handing her the other. “You need a drink. Take it, it’s the finest wine our family vineyard produced.” She didn’t know yet how wealthy the Costas were, but she would learn after he added onto her stipulation. “I agree to everything, except the no kissing rule. If we are trying to portray a happily married couple, I should be able to kiss you at least in public.” He said after taking a sip from his glass. “Unless you’re afraid you might want more after kissing me, I don’t see it to be a problem.” Oh, he was going to milk this for all its worth if it was the last thing he did.

There were so many reasons why Amirah didn’t want his hands on her, not only because the way her body reacted that truly frightened and confused her. Then there was the fact that this man was so horrible, she didn’t want his hands on her anymore than was necessary. In public, they had to keep up appearances. She must keep up appearances for her own benefit, and it was why she hadn’t removed her hand each time he held it in public. It would raise suspicions and questions even Amirah didn’t wish to answer nor would she because this was about Nadya and it was no one’s business but her sister’s. When she was done listing her stipulations, Enzo didn’t speak; he walked over to pour them both wine and her impatience grew as he made her wait. She hesitated before taking the glass and taking a sip because she, in fact, did need a drink to relax. The wine was rather delicious, unlike any she had tasted before, “your family has a vineyard? Here or in Italy?” The question flew out before she could re-think it. It had to be from Italy, no wine in America could taste like this. His words about kissing made Amirah bristle, and her jaw tightened and she took another generous sip of the wine before meeting his cocky gaze. “You wish.” She rolled her eyes, “this is only about me not wanting you anywhere near me or on me.” She didn’t know if he was right about this or not, but she had no desire to humor him. “Fine, but keep it brief and keep your tongue out of my mouth.” With that she polished off her glass.

Enzo swirled the wine in the goblet before taking another sip and then he answered Amirah. “Yes, we have one in California and Italy.” He didn’t need to go into detail. She asked and he gave her the answer. The raven-haired male didn’t believe in bragging. He wasn’t the only one who had money. She did too, and she’d earned in through sheer determination. Maybe she didn’t know this, but he’d actually done his homework on her when he’d first set eyes on her. And from what he’d learned, he’d been really impressed. It had to be why he’d ended up growing even more fascinated by her. Fascination turned to obsession that led them all the way here. He couldn’t help but smile to himself at his sheer genius. Enzo had been lucky. While he hated what happened to Nadya, he couldn’t say he wasn’t happy to know that it brought Amirah to him. “It’s not nice to lie, Amirah.” The words spilled out with a lopsided grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he peered at his new wife. “But if it helps you sleep at night, go ahead and keep telling yourself that.” Oh, what he would do to pull her flush against him and feast on that smart mouth of hers. He would do a lot more, but that wasn’t in his stars at the moment. He could only take what she was willing to give him, and right now, he wasn’t going to push her buttons. “It’s not a kiss without tongues, Tesoro. You’re not my mom, you’re my wife.” He pressed, though he sounded light in his delivery.

The response was surprisingly modest for someone like him, or he finally realized that bragging around her was not going to gain him anything. Though in this case, speaking about wine or even something as mundane as that was far better than Enzo attempting to flirt with her. There were numerous reasons why she didn’t want to be on the receiving end of his suggestive comments, not only because her own reaction confused her, but also she was in no mood to even tolerate or respond to it. However, her relief was short-lived when he started this exhausting topic again. Although, why would it be any different? It was clear since that day he showed up at her club he was determined to sleep with her. She looked him in the eye, ignoring the way they sparkled so…incredibly and his annoying smile, “I will tell you what helps me sleep at night - being in my home and far away from you.” Amirah was tempted to tell him to get his rocks off elsewhere so he would finally stop with his suggestive comments but somehow she sensed he wouldn’t do such a thing. Whether it was for her benefit or some other reason. Why she thought so, she had no idea. Hearing Enzo state such a thing, as calmly as he did, did such strange things to her, it was becoming tiresome. “Too bad, chaste kiss or no kiss. You call yourself my husband, then a husband would respect his wife’s wishes.” She shrugged, “oh, but I forget, you're not a normal husband.” Although she didn’t sound peeved. 

If he wasn’t so confident, and was easily offended, she would have hurt his feelings with her acrid remarks. It was obvious she didn’t like him. She probably even loathed him. No man wanted to hear those words coming from their wife. But in this case, it could not be helped. She didn’t know what she meant to him, since all he wasn’t willing to divulge the true story. And he would rather keep things that way. There was a reason why Nadya did what she did and had sworn him to secrecy, and due to his guilt, he could not bring himself to go against her wishes—not after everything she had suffered. “This is your home, Tesoro. It’s where you belong. You’re angry now, but soon, you’ll see reason. As for being far away from me, you’re not always going to wish that. One day, you’ll want me and my touch.” His allowed his copper gaze to flicker throughout her figure, trailing her body as he drank in the sight of her. There was no use hiding the hunger he felt for her. She had to know he desired her, even if she refused to see how much she meant to him. Someday, she would, until then, he will remain patient. “We have to make it seem like we have a normal marriage, Amirah. I will keep my hands off you in private, but while we’re in the company of others, you will keep up with the appearances. You know what will happen if you don’t adhere.” He wasn’t going to spell it out. She should already know that he would use the recording to garner her compliance. Obviously, it was only idle threats, but since she was so determined to hate him, he figured why the hell should he not use this to his advantage?

She came so close to asking him why he addressed her as such, as close as she came to snapping at him to stop but then Amirah realized he’d do it just to annoy her so didn’t remark upon it. It was a true talent to sound so sure of oneself as Enzo was, but she only half-listened to his words because he sounded like a broken record. She couldn’t imagine any of it, feeling at home here with him or even wanting him. Perhaps if he hadn't blackmailed her or she hadn’t seen his ugly side, things might have been different but that ship has long sailed. Watching his eyes trail the length of her body made her spine stiffen, and still she couldn’t understand why her body responded this way. She should be indifferent to his distasteful gaze but the way her heart raced left her confused. It should have made her skin crawl but the sensation was something else entirely, something so foreign. “I won’t and this will never be my home. However, I don’t expect you to understand.” The breath nearly left Amirah as he delivered a threat so easily. But of course it was easy for him; it was like breathing for him. She hadn’t forgotten nor was she surprised that he would use it at every turn to get his way. “You truly amaze me. How can you confidently claim you’ll have me, and then threaten me in the same breath? It certainly takes a talent entirely out of this realm.” An odd laugh slipped from her, “is that how you hope to gain favors from me? Threatening your way to my heart, or in this case to sleep with me?” She gave him a look of genuine puzzlement. 

It would take time for Amirah to adjust to being his wife, and to seeing this place as their home. And Enzo was willing to wait. Good things came to those who waited. Wasn’t that the saying? Well, he had an abundance of patience just for her. She didn’t have to worry that he would grow tired of waiting around, because he wasn’t going to ever going to do that. In the perfect world, he would have wooed her and asked her out like any other regular person. But since that was never a choice—given her association with the Markovs—he had to take act drastically. Nothing in his life was conventional, so why not woo his wife after their marriage? She would be his permanently, and he didn’t have to worry about any other man taking her away. “I’m not going to argue with you on this. If you think I’ll let you leave me, you’re wrong, Tesoro. I want you. I made you my wife because I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone having you, but if you’re just going to keep fighting me, then you’ll learn you’re fighting a losing battle. You are my wife, and this is your home. Nothing will change that.” He remarked arrogantly before dropping the subject because he couldn’t keep going around and around with no end in sight. It was tedious. “Don’t pretend you wouldn’t do the same if you were in my shoes. We are alike, Amirah, more than you’ll ever know, yet you still choose to fight me.” His thick dark brows arched as a condescending smirk crossed his features. “Dio, you’re stunning when you’re angry… But no, I’m not threatening to get between your legs. As tempting as it is, I don’t feel the need to do that. I just want you to play your part while we’re in public. It’s not too much to ask.”

Enzo Costa, along with the many unflattering things she thought of him, was also a confusing man. He made it sound as if he wanted Amirah, maybe he did, but that didn’t change the fact that he was clearly after something. For him to go through the trouble of marrying her, there had to be some ulterior motive beyond his infatuation, or whatever his fascination was with her. His words of not wanting anyone to have her certainly did strange things to her as did it puzzle, but she ignored that bizarre feeling and the thrumming of her heart. “I cannot leave, you made sure of that. What will you do when this fascination of yours is gone?” She met his gaze, the hope was that he would get tired of waiting around and finally let her leave. “You can’t stand anyone having me? Good God, do you hear yourself?” Her lips curled in distaste at the territorial remark. She shot him a look of sheer disbelief, “we are nothing alike. I cannot see the appeal in forcing someone to marry me. Yes, I would threaten someone who intended to harm me or my family, but I can’t imagine anything worse than tying myself to someone for life.” She never thought about marriage because her mind had been focused on her empire. Then Max came along, and Amirah despised the heartbroken version of herself. Oddly, this marriage seemed to rid the thoughts of her friend because something more important occupied her mind. She ignored his compliment, “There’s something incredibly wrong with you. Anything else I must do, dear husband?” She returned his condescending tone.

He didn’t see why he should beat around the bush. Enzo married Amirah for a reason. He wanted her for himself. If he merely wanted to fuck her, he could have seduced her, or better yet, blackmailed her into sleeping with him. But he didn’t do any of that. Why could she not see that as selfish as he might be, he also did the things he did for her benefit? He was giving her his family name. Why the hell would he do that if she wasn’t someone he felt deeply for? “I won’t. There won’t ever be a day where I wouldn’t want you.” He stated, his confidence apparent in his tone. Dio, what would it take to get his point through to her? He wanted her, and no one else. It was she who couldn’t seem to grasp the concept that he was trying to get through to her. “I do hear myself, and I think I’ve made my position clear. It’s you who has to get with the program, Amirah.” A brow arched and he tipped the glass in his hand, gulping down the wine that was left. “You don’t know that. The future is not set in stone. Just because you keep adamantly saying that you don’t wish to marry, it doesn’t mean it’s the truth.” By now, he was done with this conversation entirely. Enzo might be patient, but she was trying his last nerves, and after their wedding no less. Before he could say anything that would further harm their already fragile marriage, he figured the best thing to do was to walk away. Perhaps giving her time would be the best course of action for now. “Clearly, I’m the crazy one here, but even a crazy person can take so much before they break. So, I’ll leave you be. I have matters to attend to anyway.” After placing his glass down, he walked out of their shared suite, hoping beyond hope that her ire would cool when he saw her again.

That familiar voice made her still for a moment as her eyes moved upwards to find her rival, Enzo Costa, smiling at her as if they were friends. When she’d seen the shadow fall over her from her from her peripheral vision, Amirah hadn’t realized it was a random pervert, that it was him. His demeanor confused her. Why was he smiling like that? They weren’t friends; they weren’t anything other than enemies and rivals. Although they never spoke, Amirah had a particular distaste for him after observing him for as long as she did. Naturally, she also didn’t like anyone allied with the Yavuzs. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly one reason, but something about him always rubbed her the wrong way. Actually, she did know why - Enzo was the definition of an absolute brute. Considering they were rivals, they never needed to interact, they stayed within their own lanes. If they were under the same roof, the brunette would easily ignore him, as he did with her. So, his sudden appearance at her club puzzled her, as it did raise suspicion within her as she eyed him. Her lips were curled into a slight sneer at his words, “that wasn’t meant for you, and you would not be so foolish as to try something with me.” Not that Amirah believed for a second he would be flirting with her, nor did she wish for him to. At this moment, she didn’t want to entertain anyone, either. “Why are you here, Mr.Costa? Did you not get the memo that neither you nor your men are allowed into my club? Now, if you could leave.”

Enzo never really understood his fascination with Amirah. He had been around other beautiful women—although none was quite as stunning as she was—yet none of them caught his fancy as she did. Perhaps it was the thrill of the chase. After all, she was the only one who hadn’t tried to jump on his dick with just a flash of his smile. Of course, the fact that they were rivals could have also been a factor. What he never truly understood was her utter devotion towards Maksim Markov. The man was a tool. She should have seen it coming—that he would only want her to bed and would completely lose interest soon after. The thought of Max touching her, had anger rising from the depths of his soul and if given the chance, he would gut the male without a question. He couldn’t act recklessly though. No, their world consisted of strategies and now that Maksim had taken the woman Enzo regarded as a sister as his wife, it was his turn to retaliate. The corner of his mouth twitched as he thought about what he was about to do. While he took no pleasure in the knowledge that he would somehow be hurting Amirah, he had to do this. Only after this would he be able to have her all to himself. At last. “You’re correct. I wouldn’t try anything with you.” He agreed, snapping his finger and whispering his order to the awaiting waitress, while keeping his eyes on his beautiful brunette the entire time. When the waitress skittered off, he leaned in—his heart racing at Amirah’s intoxicating scent—before he lazily replied. “I did, but I have a matter to settle with you. Trust me, tesoro, you will want to hear me out.”

Had Enzo Costa not been her rival, he might have been of some interest to Amirah. One couldn’t deny he had a pretty face that every woman could appreciate, even she admired pretty faces in passing. The fact remained, he was by default her enemy, and what she had seen and observed of him didn’t impress her. Although that was putting it quickly mildly, considering what she’d seen so far honestly infuriated her in ways Amirah never thought was possible. She recalled that night a few years back when she was investigating a human trafficking issue, and she had caught him there. At first, she couldn’t believe her eyes, but Amirah should have known the sort of monsters that existed. While she was no saint, the knowledge of him being involved in such a thing inhumane business, left her sick. She would love to go the rest of her life without ever needing to see him, but that wouldn’t be possible. Right when she was at her worst due to the news of Max’s marriage, of all people, Enzo had picked the wrong time to darken her doorsteps. She was a creature who never allowed her anger or her emotions to rule her, but these recent weeks she was struggling, that she was growing sick of her own company. Amirah hated this version of herself, and she lost on how to shake this dreadful nightmare her life had become. She definitely didn’t want to look at Enzo’s smug face right now, so his words had her spine go ram-rod straight. She also didn’t appreciate him leaning into her space, “it’s Ms Raichand to you..” mostly because she didn’t know if that term was an insult or not. “I’ve seen and known enough of you to know nothing you could say will ever be of interest to me.” Her lips curled in disgust at her memory of him, “but if it gets you out of my club quickly, then talk and make it quick.”

She was going to hate him for what he was about to do, and yet, there was no hesitation on his end. Enzo had bided his time—waited until the opportune time to strike, and now he would bring out the ace. Sure, he was a son of a bitch for using her beloved sister on her, but what else was there to do? He’d wanted her for so long, and only a fool would turn down such a chance. The raven-haired male was not one. Though one could say his level of obsession over Amirah could be categorized as such. He would have put up a strong argument, however. Even if he pushed aside her breathtaking beauty, he could not turn away from her state of being. She was a strong woman with a great business sense. She and Nadya came from nothing, and built everything they owned now. If that wasn’t something to be admired, he didn’t know what was. That was the kind of woman he wanted by his side—to rule with. No one else would do. It would always be her. “Tesoro has a nicer ring to it.” Came his smooth response, his amber hues flickering toward her pretty features, an easy grin featured on his devilishly handsome face. “Oh, but you will be interested in this, mia regina. It has everything to do with your lovely sister.” Her acrid words amused him, and although it was inadvisable, he leaned closer, and slid his phone over to her. “Play it. I’ll tell you what I want after…” While he waited for her to play the video, he picked up the glass of rum he’d ordered and took a swift drink—just preparing himself for her angry response.

There was a sense of dread that filled Amirah at the self-assured look the bastard had on him. In all these years, they never spoke, and she intended to keep it that way after what she had learned that night, years ago. However, it looked as if that was coming to an end, but she was sure, whatever it was, she didn’t want to know. They had no reason to communicate, and if they needed to, she’d do it through her henchmen, not herself personally. She watched him long and hard, the underlying anger she always held for him glinting in her dark hues as he prattled on about nonsense. “I do not care. I prefer to be addressed by my name. Surname, in your case.” it was entirely because she had no clue what he was calling her with those Italian terms, though they didn’t sound insulting, but Amirah couldn’t be sure. It was the way he said them that had goosebumps spread along her skin or maybe the determined gleam in eyes that left her puzzled. Whatever it was, it didn’t bode well. When he uttered ‘sister’ Amirah went still, and fear shot through her, but she kept her face composed, her mind racing in a hundred different directions, ignoring how he leaned closer but taking the phone, he slid over. Her insides clenched as she played the video and the longer she watched and heard, her blood ran cold, and her heart squeezed at the sight of her sister in such a state. Amirah saw red as she closed the video because she felt as she was going hurl. God, Nadya. Who had done this? Why hadn’t she told Amirah? There was so much fury twisting face, she couldn’t control her anger, “you twisted, disgusting piece of shit.” She couldn’t get words out, “I knew you had little respect for women after what I saw that night, but going after my sister. Talk, because I’m seconds away from putting a bullet through you, and I don’t care if your family comes after me. Why did you do this? What has my sister ever done to you?”

Enzo wasn’t unfeeling. He didn’t take pleasure in the plight of others, nor would he ever consider using someone’s family member against them. But a guy’s gotta do, what a guy’s gotta do. And he wasn’t going to tell her this, however, he had taken care of the son of a bitch who dared to lay a hand on Nadya. He had been repulsed to find that it was his own man who had tried to exploit the Raichand sister. If it weren’t for Jax’s quick thinking, the woman would have been another victim to a sexual assault. If there was anything he loathed above anything, it would be men taking advantage of a woman who was intoxicated. Dio, if there was a way for him to get rid of them, he would do it in a heartbeat. Perhaps his close relationship with his mama—by far the strongest woman he had ever been around—made him the man he was today. He might be the scum of the earth, yet there were some lines he would never cross. Mama taught him that. Copper eyes traced Amirah’s stunning features, watching as her face contorted in horror before it ended in utter irritability. He knew he might as well have been dead for showing her that recording, yet it didn’t deter the male at all. “Now, Tesoro, that is no way to talk to your future husband, is it?” There was no tension in his words, his stance relaxed, though his eyes still burrowed in with hers. “I’m guessing you already know what I want, or should I get down on one knee now? I could if it’s more romantic for you, mia regina.”

Even after she had closed the video, she couldn’t forget the images that were now burned into her mind for eternity. She was sure she never would, but her concern right now was her sister. Why didn’t Nadya say anything? How did something like this happen under her nose? Amirah was supposed to protect her sister, and she had failed. There was no feeling in the world other than not being able to protect your loved ones. The fury and disgust that surged through her for this bastard still came in second for the heartbreak she felt for her sister. She felt ashamed, and for once in her life, she felt so beaten. Amirah pulled her wits together as she watched him with horror and disgust, and her mind began turning in all the ways she wanted to make him and that scum in the video she’d seen. Enzo wasn’t done with the bombs he was dropping on her, because his response had her fingers grip the edge of the table and her heart dropped to her stomach. Suddenly, all of it clicked into place for her. He wanted leverage to marry her, but why? Why would he want to marry his enemy? She cared not, she cared only for Nadya, and how she was going to get that video and make them all pay for exploiting her sister. “Fuck you.” Amirah managed to bite out in her anger, “you put my sister through hell for this?” Her voice rose. She didn’t care that several eyes turned to watch them. “Why do you want to marry me? What could you possibly gain from this?” She sounded equal parts frustrated and disgusted, “you shouldn’t have done this, you have a mother. I don’t know why I’m shocked, given what I know of you.”

Enzo was sure Amirah would loath him after this and while he knew he should back off, and not go on with his asinine plan, he couldn’t do it either. She was his, and while he’d been patiently waiting for her to forget about that tool, Maksim, he was also not going to pass up the chance to have her to himself now. Someday, when he explained himself—and what he felt for her, maybe she could bring herself to forgive him, but for now, he would just live with her ire until she chose to let him in. “Language, Tesoro. It’s a business matter. Think about it, as my wife, we would rule Chicago.” He released a tired breath, already knowing this was not a battle he would be winning. Amirah was known for her wicked tongue, and while he would much rather she used it in different manner—a much pleasurable one—he also knew he deserved every bit of venom that spewed from her beautiful mouth. His brows furrowed. So far, he had been rather gentle on his delivery, but perhaps being kind wasn’t going to win him any favors. Especially when his mama was brought up. “While I understand your frustration, do not talk about my mama. You can cuss at me all you want, but I will not tolerate anyone using my mother against me.” He said, his eyes now darkened to the color of the midnight’s sky, although just as quickly he relaxed his stance and his tone went back to a neutral one. “Now, where were we? That’s right, our impending marriage. When should that happen?”

“Did you suffer from a head injury? I cannot imagine how a smart man like you can be so delusional. What would marriage with me gain you? You cannot be so idiotic as to believe I’d shift my alliance.” Did he truly believe she’d shift her alliance from the Markovs’ to him? The matter remained. As long as Enzo held the footage, he could do so much damage with it, and she would not allow her sister to be exploited further. Nadya had suffered enough, and when it came to her, Amirah would do anything. She’d sooner give up her life than allow harm to befall on her sister. Nadya was all she had, and she was Amirah’s very life. Amirah never cussed at anyone. She had much more class than that, though it appeared nothing seemed to matter when Enzo was before her. Suddenly, at the mention of his mother, his smile vaporized, and he snapped at her instead. Though her words of his mother were meant to compel Enzo from doing this, she wasn’t holding her breath for that. “I do not know what game you play, but fine, have it your way. I will get that video from you, and when I do, you had better pray I feel merciful.” She swallowed her pride, as well her urge to reach over and strangle him. This was a battle for another day. She had to be smarter right now. “Since my wishes do not seem to matter. You might as well decide how this will go. You’ve secured my compliance anyway, so why ask now?” Amirah then met his gaze evenly. “The day I learn you allowed anyone to see that footage, I’ll kill you, and I don’t care if I die in the process.”

If this was anyone other than Amirah, he wouldn’t have put up with her lip. He might not be known for his explosive temper, but it was rare that he would let anyone disrespect him either. However, she was his only exception—other than mama and his baby sister, Sofia. He’d spend years in the distance, watching her, aching for her, and now that she was within his grasp, he refused to scare her away with his temper. Although, judging by that slick tongue of hers, he doubted she was the sort of woman who would be easily scared off. He could understand her anger. Nadya was her sister and from what he’d observed the two were thick as thieves. The duo rarely went anywhere without each other. It goes to show in some cases, familial bonds extended to more than just blood. The Raichand sisters proved that. When he found out what happened to Nadya, it sickened him. He would have killed Dario himself, but when Nadya came to him—her eyes filled with fury as she demanded to be given the privilege to end the bastard’s life, he couldn’t deny her. To add to that, she gave him a way in to finally secure Amirah’s hand—ultimately giving him permission to use the video. He knew he shouldn’t have accepted. This was something he would never do, yet he couldn’t deny the temptation. And so, he struck a deal with the smaller brunette before handing her the arsenal of torture tools to use for her vengeance.

“Never say never, mia regina. We have many years to come and who knows what the future hold.” He said, not allowing her words to irk him as he took a sip from his glass—watching her the entire time. The only time his disposition darkened was when his mama was brought into the middle of this discussion. While Enzo didn’t care what was said about him, no one had the right to disrespect his mother. Not even Amirah. “You really think I’m that slow?” The corner of his lip, lifted upwards as a wicked smile formed. “I have backup for the video, Amirah. There’s no way you’ll be able to get it from me.” He leaned in, his copper eyes meeting her angry black ones. “I will say, I love the fire within you. It’s a huge turn on, Tesoro…” His gaze trailed down, from her doe eyes, to her lips until he ended on the swells of her breasts. “Very well, we will make arrangements for a wedding next weekend. I would still like to give you the wedding of your dreams, so feel free to chip in ideas if you wish so.” She wasn’t going to. He knew that she wouldn’t. “While I understand your anger towards me, I also would like to assure you that I will never allow anyone to view this.” As a matter of fact, even he hadn’t had the stomach to watch the entire thing. What happened that night was between Nadya, Ajax and that son of a bitch who could no longer hurt another woman ever again. And it would forever remain that way.

“It will not deliver what you want.” If Enzo Costa believed by marrying her he could attain more power, then he was as delusional as she suspected him to be. She did not believe for a second that this marriage was out of fondness on his end, it was a power play because that’s exactly what men like him sought. She was sure he had sought Amirah specifically to gain her support against the Markovs. As he sat there, looking so arrogant and pleased with himself, while delivering such a blow to her about Nadya made her blood boil. Amirah never acted impulsively or irrational, yet all she wanted to do was to throw caution to the wind and get her hands on him. Only Nadya stopped her, because as of now her very livelihood hung in the balance and for that she didn’t give into her anger. Or pull out the gun she had hidden under her dress. Even the way he watched her unnerved her as he drank from his glass, and Amirah had the urge to grab his drink and throw it on him. What was with the names he addressed her by? She wanted to know what they meant but she refrained from asking. His wicked smile only made her want to slap it off of him. “Not slow, just a soulless conniving bastard, so of course you have back-ups. Rot in hell.” When he leaned in, Amirah watched him with cold dark eyes, until she realized he was checking her out and her spine stiffened. The oddest thing occurred, her heart reacted and a shiver raced down her spine at the intensity of his gaze. What the hell was that? “I do not care what you like or don’t like. Do not think for a second I’ll allow you to take liberties, do you understand? Husband or not.” She didn’t want him anywhere near her. “Do whatever you want, give me the time and place, I will be there.” He knew she had no desire to plan this wedding. Once Amirah got her assurance he wasn’t going to share that video with anyone, she could breathe better. “Your words don’t assure me, but I pray my compliance will give you some form of a conscience.”

He wasn’t surprised by her defiance. Amirah had all the reason to hate him. After all, he had used her sister to force her into this union. He wouldn’t have thought of such a scheme if it weren’t for Nadya. To her defense, she was only trying to seek vengeance for what happened to her, but did he have to take her offer? Obviously not. But he was greedy, and frankly getting tired of sitting around while the woman he wanted threw herself at a man that didn’t deserve her. He would agree that he was also in the same boat. Enzo did not deserve Amirah, but he would earn her forgiveness once he made her his wife. Until one day, her anger would be extinguished entirely. Till then, he would remain patient. “I’ll have you know, that sharp tongue of yours only make me want you even more, Tesoro.” The remark rolled out of his mouth smoothly, no signs of irritation to be sensed even after she tossed her acrid words at him. Copper hues trailed down her features, paying close attention to how her chest rose and fell as he zeroed in on the curve of her breasts. Dio, what he would do to taste her… Was it just him or was that a flicker of interest behind her eyes? “I will not force you, mia regina. But you cannot stay angry with me forever. One day you will want my touch, and when that day arrives, I will not be letting you out of our bedroom for a week.” He sounded cocky as hell, but it was her reaction—the tinge of interest in her eyes—that gave him the boost he needed. She didn’t remark about the wedding. Just as well, maybe someday, when she was no longer angry with him, they could have another ceremony. “Think what you want, Amirah. I’m a man of my words.” Nadya was broken, and it was partly his fault for not seeing Dario for what he was—a sick son of a bitch. He wouldn’t hurt her further, and even if Amirah would never know, he wanted to protect her sister still.

“There is something so incredibly wrong with you.” She gazed at with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. Amirah didn’t know why she bothered to waste her breath on him. Nothing she said appeared to faze him, but then why would it? He was as soulless as they came, so how can a person without a soul be affected by anything or anyone around them? As disgusted as she was with him, his sharp gaze on her not only unsettled her, but it induced such a peculiar, and unwanted reaction from her. The gleam of interest in eyes left her entirely confused, but the club owner didn’t think much of it. She had no desire to know or linger on it because she had no intention of being his wife, other than legally. Amirah was also no stranger to male interest, even though it was a nuisance and entirely unwanted by her, his interest left her stunned. Perhaps because he’d never shown such an interest in her and she would never imagine her rival to be so foolish as to be interested in his enemy. However, Enzo Costa was not above playing mind games with his opponent, which is exactly what he was doing now, she was sure. She rolled her eyes, her lips curling into a sneer, though she was unsure why her heart reacted as it did at his arrogant statement. “you are truly demented if you believe that will happen. I’d rather remain celibate than bed the man who sought to exploit my sister. Do tell me, what makes you believe threatening my only family will win you any favors from me?” There was genuine puzzlement in her tone. “I’m sure you understand why assurances coming from someone like you do not mean a thing.” 

“I have been told that once or twice.” To be in this world, to be the heir of the Costa empire, he needed to be brave. Not only that, his soul was tainted by all the cruelty he’d seen and the pain he inflicted on his enemies. It was the way of his world, and he was not going to shy away from it. Out of anyone, he was sure she understood the darkness within him. She too had faced such inhumanity. Maybe that was where his attraction laid. He needed someone like him—though a little softer for her case—to chase away his demons. Perhaps with her, he would find his humanity somewhere. “You say that now, Tesoro, but you have yet to see how well I am at seduction.” He grinned like the Cheshire Cat as he noticed her catch of breath. It might have been slight, but it was still there.  “Although, I do believe I wouldn’t have to do much to get you. You’ll soften eventually, and when that time comes, I’ll fuck you so well, you’ll forget any other man who’d touched you in the past.” The remark might be arrogant, but it was also laced with bitterness. He didn’t like thinking about anyone else touching her. Since the first time he laid eyes on her, she had been his and now that she was about to be his wife, he would be damned if anyone would ever touch her again. “Think what you want. I’ve done what I’ve done, and have said my piece, I refuse to keep trying to reassure you.” Obviously, she didn’t know the truth. He hadn’t exploited Nadya, they merely struck a deal that would benefit them both. "Now that I've said what I needed to say, I will leave you." He said before standing from his seat, though he made it a point to lean down and inched his face closer to her. "I will see you soon, mia regina." And with those last words, he left her—a lopsided grin accompanying him out into the night.

Amirah had no doubt he had charmed and seduced countless women, but she would not be one of them. If those women had known the sort of man he was, they would perhaps regret dallying with him to begin with. Objectively he was attractive - perhaps the most striking man she had ever met. She had never seen such eyes that were so vibrant and intense as his. Despite her feelings for Max, in physical features alone, her friend…paled next to Enzo. The difference was, Enzo’s good looks were soiled by the ugliness inside of him and nothing could erase that. After using her sister’s trauma as leverage, how does he expect Amirah to forget and forgive? There was truly something not right in his mind, but with a soul as twisted as his, that wasn’t surprising. “You’re getting on my nerves now.” She didn’t understand why her body was reacting the way it was to his attempts at seduction, but she ignored it because if he thought for a moment she would allow him anywhere near her, then he was mad. It was his remark of Amirah forgetting the men she had dallied with in the past that shocked and intrigued her as well as it confused her. Why did he sound so…territorial? She veered away from the thought and gave him a blank look, “don’t hold your breath.” Was all she spit out before he disappeared. However, Amirah was out of her seat and striding to her car to get to her sister.

The footage that Enzo had shown her forty-minutes before had left the brunette so shaken, she wondered how she’d driven to see Nadya in one piece and without incident. She had wanted to run to her sister the second he showed her the video, but she couldn’t because he had taken the chance to use something so vile to his own advantage and blackmailed Amirah with it. That wasn’t her worry, her situation with him was a nuisance after what she discovered about Nadya. God, her sister. Why had this happened to her? In a lot of ways she blamed herself, it was her job to protect Nadya but she had failed. Now, that bastard held her sister’s trauma as if it were some commodity. Had he no compassion, for a man had a sister and a mother? But she was hoping for too much. How long had Nadya carried this on her own? Why did she not speak to Amirah about it? Damn it. It hurt Amirah that her sister kept that to herself, when she should be leaning on her sister, she should be letting Amirah help her with this. She drove like a lunatic, breaking every speed law known to man to reach her sister and when she arrived, she had barely parked the car before she out of the vehicle and was striding through the doors before she spotted her beautiful sister. The sight of her sister looking so serene and peaceful made her heart clenched painfully in her chest. Now as Nadya rose at the noise, Amirah caught her alarm and her fear flashed through her dark eyes, and that fear was one Amirah recognized. That look made her want to tear through the streets of Chicago and hunt down the piece of shit who had exploited her sister and tear them from limb to limb. Enzo was on the list, because somehow he’d play a role in this, too. She had never experience this sort of bloodlust before, because despite the people she was surrounded with, Amirah did not have murderous tendencies. For Nadya? It all came tumbling. The depths of her rage shocked Amirah, too, but she had to fight it. Right now, she needed her sister, and her sister needed her. All that mattered now was Nadya. When Nadya stood from her yoga matt, giving Amirah the most beautiful, bright smile, that never failed to brighten her day, Amirah’s face contorted into an array of emotions before she was pulling Nadya into her arms and burying her face into her sister’s soft locks. Her arms had a death-grip around Nadya, and Amirah, who never cried, could feel liquid pooling in her eyes before they spilled down her cheeks. “Why didn’t you tell me? Have you grown up so much you stopped coming to your sister, or do you just no longer need her?” Her voice cracked despite her effort.

Hiding her emotions became second nature ever since she found herself in foster care. That was where she met Amirah—the sister of her soul. The two were a lot alike, yet different in so many ways. Nadya had always been the one to hide her struggles behind her bubbly smile, while Amirah was the mother hen who needed to be there to fix everything. The brunette refused to put that kind of pressure on her sister’s shoulders, though. Nadya didn’t want Amirah thinking that she had to take care of her. She could take care of herself, and therefore, a lot of the times, she found herself hiding what she was feeling. Only Jax knew the full extent of her trauma. Somehow, they’d become unlikely friends. Not that she gave him much of a choice when she would blow up his phone with text messages late at night with insomnia keeping her up. She didn’t want Amirah worrying. So, each day would go on as if nothing of consequence ever transpired. As if she had never been exploited. As if she hadn’t been soaked from top to bottom with the bastard’s blood when she inflicted pain onto him until he begged for death.

Amirah didn’t have to know that, and she would continue to remain in the dark if it weren’t for Enzo. She might have been suspicious of the Italian mafia boss at first, but now—after his act of compassion—she couldn’t be more certain that her sister would be treated like a queen as Enzo’s wife. He certainly made for a better match than Maksim Markov ever would. Nadya still didn’t understand why Amirah was so intrigued by him? He was good look, but in no way shape or form was he hot enough to Nadya’s eyes… When her sister walked into their shared penthouse, Nadya was in the middle of a meditation session. Normally, Amirah wouldn’t be back until much later. This threw Nadya for a loop. She was certain an intruder had broken in. It wasn’t until she peered into her sister’s face that she finally relaxed. What happened next surprised her, Amirah had tugged her in for a hug and was she crying? She swallowed hard, trying to keep the tears at bay, but with her sister finally in the know, it felt like the weight on her shoulders finally lifted. Her hands tugged at Amirah’s shoulders, sobs wrecking her lithe frame. It felt like she had been holding this in for far too long. Her heart ached, and with Amirah here, she was safe enough to just be herself. “I didn’t want to bother you, Amirah. I refused to make you worry.” She confessed, still tucked in her sister’s embrace.

The thought of her sister carrying this burden left a poisonous taste in her mouth, and it was made worse the second her future husband (she spat the word out in her mind) would use it as leverage to his own benefit, had left her entirely sick to her stomach. Yet, nothing left her so heartbroken than the thought of her sister in that position. That Nadya felt the need to hide it from her sister. Amirah knew why Nadya hid it from her, it was her reasoning that didn’t want her to worry about her. When would Nadya realize that all of this they had was nothing to Amirah if her sister wasn’t alright? All of this meant nothing if she didn’t have Nadya by her side. As she held an iron grip on sister while tears spilled down her cheeks, a moment later, her sister was shaking as her sobs filled the space. She stroked her sister’s hair, hauling her closer, and honestly if she had her way she would never allow Nadya out of her sight. Although she did not forget, even for a second, that her sister was strong, and this would not break her. “Don’t you dare.” The brunette chided her gently, her voice as raw as Nadya’s, “how are you able to say you’re bothering me?” She pulled back enough to cup her sister’s face, allowing their gazes to meet, “I will always worry because you’re all I have. You are my life, you do know that, don’t you? You cannot make that excuse with me. How can you call me your sister and not share your burdens with me? I know you don’t ever wish to make me worry, and as proud as you and I are, we must be able to lean on each other. If not with each other, then who, Nadya? You can’t take away my right to be there for my sister.” 

The first time she had cried over this incident was on the very night, in Jax’s arms. He’d sat with her, rubbed her back and urged her to cry it out. The tears never stopped until she got her vengeance. Since then, she’d buried her feelings. Wishing never to think about that incident again. Meditation helped, talking to her therapist helped to. Yet, the wound felt deep. It wasn’t healing, despite her efforts to do so, she was still hurting. When Amirah tugged her into a fierce hug, it was as if the damp she had been trying to hold together broke open. Her tears and cries came with relief. In all the years she’d known Amirah, she knew she could always come to her sister for anything. It was her pride and her unwillingness to burden her sister which led her to hold back. She figured she could take care of the problem herself. She wasn’t alone. She had her therapist, Jax and even Enzo, but none of them could compare to Amirah’s compassion. “You do so much for the both of us already. You shouldn’t have to shoulder everything.” She said, wiping away her tears. “You’re my sister and you’re all I have too. I wouldn’t be a good sister if I make you worry.” This was them at the very core. Each fiercely loyal to the other. They might not have been real sister, but they were definitely closer than most would be to their own flesh and blood. They’d gone through hell together, and yet, they were still able to build an empire. That was something most wouldn’t be able to do. “I’m guessing Enzo blabbed?” She asked, though she had been the one who gave him permission to marry Amirah.

“It’s hardly anything, Nadya, and you say that as if you don’t contribute. Last I checked, you were equally involved as I am in all of this, our clubs would not be successful as they are without your own brilliance.” Amirah couldn’t stop the disbelief from entering her voice, because she didn’t know what to make of her sister’s words. They made the perfect team because they achieved all this with both of their capabilities. She always believed they told each other everything, there were no secrets between them, but maybe she had been wrong. “Work is never an excuse to not come to your sister for these things. Shouldering my sister’s pain is never work, you cannot say that about yourself and you do us both a disservice by that thought.” Her voice was gentle but it was firm, leaving no argument because Nadya couldn’t go on like this, shutting Amirah out and dealing with this trauma on her own. Though she would never claim to understand what her sister was going through, she shouldn’t have to go through this alone. The brunette gathered her sister's hand in hers, before using the other to wipe Nadya’s tears, keeping her own gaze eye level with hers. “You’re the most incredible sister anyone can have, I’ll worry anyway because that’s what siblings do. Perhaps I will worry less if you don't keep things from me. Promise me, from now on you will come to me for these matters - for everything.” She kissed Nadya’s forehead, before sighing at his name. “He did more than that, that twisted bastard had the audacity to use your trauma for his benefit.” A look of sheer pain crosses her features, “he has it on video Nadya, and I saw it.” She swallowed, squeezing her sister’s hand, “he’s using it to blackmail me for marriage, I agreed because I intended to obtain that video and destroy it.” She cupped Nadya’s cheek, “I cannot tell you how sorry I am that I couldn't protect you from this, but I’m going make sure he can’t exploit you further with this.”

Amirah had been right, she did pull her own weight in the business, but it wasn’t their wealth that she was talking about, it was everything else. “I know I do, but I’m not referring to our business. You already know you’re the mom between us. You’re always worrying, always trying to protect me. You shouldn’t have to do that. I should be able to shoulder my own demons.” She returned, trying to reason with her sister. While Nadya appreciated everything that Amirah did, at times, she wished her sister would understand that some things were out of her control. Pulling away from the embrace, she wiped her tears away before a chuckle left her. “Stubborn as always. Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you.” It was her way to lighten the air. Nadya was good at that, masking her hurt behind laughter. Better that than showing everyone her vulnerability. “I will try. You know me, I’m like Fort Knox. I don’t think I can ever really change, but if it will make you feel better, I promise I will try to be more open with you.” When Amirah kissed her forehead, she wondered if she would ever be that way with Enzo. Nadya hadn’t liked him at first, but now, her opinion was beginning to turn. He didn’t owe her anything, yet he’d chosen to show her kindness. It had been why she’d been willing to let him marry Amirah, although not before she threatened to cut off his dick and feed it to the dogs should he hurt her sister. After witnessing her fury, she had a feeling, he knew that he should never underestimate her. “Wow, that’s shitty of him,” She had to act like she didn’t know, otherwise Amirah would find out the reason behind the deal she had struck with—to get her hands on Dario. “-but the man is not as heartless as you think him to be.”

“I will always want to protect you, Nadya. That’s what it means to be a sibling. It’s not out of obligation, it’s because I want to and because you mean the world to me. It’s not about what I should or should do, it’s that I wish to.” Amirah told her gently, but still with sternness. She was aware of her tendency to control everything around her, but it was a trait born out of desperation more than anything else. Where Nadya was concerned, it was difficult to tone it down because it was an ingrained need to protect her. Her dark hues remained on her sister as they broke the embrace, wiping Nadya’s tears. Her lips twitched slightly, “Do not forget even for a moment.” It was a frustrating tendency her sister had to hide all of her pain. But deep-rooted habits were hard to break, Amirah understood this as evidenced by her own habits. She also understood not wanting to show vulnerability, something she was struggling with due to recent events. “That’s all I ask. I am not saying you need to share every private thought, Nadya, but this is something I would like to know. You are so strong, but it’s alright to want to lean on your sister every once in a while.” Amirah also never wished to burden her sister, but she never wished to hide things from her either. She had an arm around her even after she had planted a soft kiss on Nadya's forehead before she spoke of Enzo. “Shitty? No Nadya, It’s disgusting.” The remark caused her to give her sister a genuinely astonished look, “how can you say that about him after what you’ve heard? He used your trauma to get to me, how is that a man with a heart?” 

She knew it was fruitless to argue with her sister. Amirah should have been born a mom. The way she instinctively protected her and sometimes coddled her even, was enough to convince anyone of the fact. She never made a fuss over it, obviously. That was how Amirah showed her concern, and Nadya would never be the one to burst her bubble. “I do too, but sometimes you need to let me stand on my own. I can take care of myself, Amirah, I promise.” For a moment, she wondered if Amirah would look at her differently if she ever found out about Dario and how she’d ended his life so ruthlessly. There were times where she felt almost looked passed. As if she wasn’t good enough. When she killed Dario, she had done it not just for vengeance but also as a bid to win back her dignity. She wasn’t as weak as others perceived her to be, and she’d proven that. Yet, at this point, only Enzo and Jax knew. “I swear I’ll try harder.” She said once her tears had dried. Trying to convince Amirah that Enzo wasn’t the monster she thought him to be would be nearly impossible. If she could only tell Amirah everything… But she couldn’t. For now, this was all she was willing to divulge and nothing more. “It is, but I’m serious, he’s not all bad. When he found me, he took care of me and even forced me to seek help. Don’t tell him this, but he’s been insistent on paying for my therapy. A heartless man wouldn’t do that, Amirah.”

“I know you can, Nadya. My point is only that you’re allowed to lean on your sister when you need to, you don’t need to deal with everything on your own. This is your battle, but I’m here by your side if you need me.” Amirah did realize this was not something she could fix, this was something Nadya would have to work through, her trauma through this is something she would have to work through on her own, but she wasn’t alone. Nadya was strong, there was a reason they had achieved all they had, the sisters had will like iron, nothing could break them just as her sister’s trauma would not break her. It was disheartening to know that her sister felt as if she had to hide her pain to not burden Amirah when it should never be that way. She wondered did Nadya believe that Amirah thought she was weak? That thought left the brunette even more troubled, when nothing could be further from the truth. When Nadya told her what Enzo had done for her, it surprised Amirah somewhat, but it didn’t change the fact that he had exploited her sister. Her gaze didn’t move from Nadya’s, “one thing I’ve learned is that he’ll do nice things with the pretext of being selfless, but there’s always some self-serving purpose behind his actions. Paying for therapy might have been…nice” her lips curled into a sneer as she thought of him, “but you don’t know what I know of him. He’s doing this for his own motives. I don’t plan on telling him anything. I will marry him but not because you think he’s nice but because I intend to find out what he’s planning.” 

“You’re right. But it’s hard to lean on people when all I want to do is hide.” That was what she was good at. Hiding her emotions was a lot easier than facing them. “For you, I’ll try.” She vowed, deciding that she needed to give her sister a little more room to understand her, and to protect her, despite knowing that achieving the feat would be a lot harder. Right now, she was more invested in Amirah’s happiness. If she gave it a chance, Nadya knew that her stubborn sister could be happy with Enzo. A part of her wanted to reveal everything, but when the deal was struck, they each agreed that Amirah was not to know the entirety of their pact. Nadya didn’t want her sister to see what a monster she had become in order to seek revenge. “You’re intent in seeing the bad in him.” She said with a sigh, knowing that she was not about to win this argument. “What do you mean by that? What would he be planning?” As far as she knew Enzo had only wanted Amirah and nothing else, but could she be wrong about everything?

“It is easier to hide, but how long can you keep hiding?” There were days where Amirah was tempted to do the same, but that would mean giving up and quitting was now how they made it this far. Nadya had demons to face from her trauma and once she did, if she gave herself the time, she would conquer them. Amirah ceased her pushing, she had gotten her point across but she couldn’t very well force her sister to open up, it would have to happen on her own accord. Amorah could only hope one of these days her sister wished to do so. Her sister’s defense of Enzo did nothing to sway the brunette, one nice deed hardly erased the sort of misdeeds that followed the Costa Mafia leader, but she didn’t wish to argue with her sister. “What I intend is to learn his dirty secrets.” She met Nadya’s gaze, “I don’t know but a man like that has hundreds of plans in place and this marriage is not out of good intentions. He wants something from us and I intend to find out what it is.” She hadn’t told her sister what she’d discovered of Enzo that night a few years ago yet. “Enough about Enzo, I have a week before this marriage and I don’t wish to talk about him.” She kissed Nadya’s cheek, “it’s been awhile since you and I have spent some time together. Let’s order in from that place you love and have a binging marathon. What do you say? Unless you wish to go out?” 

“For as long as I wish to, I guess.” Nadya returned, her shoulders lifting and falling into a shrug, knowing that talking about her nature wouldn’t lead them anywhere. It was just best for them not to talk about it any longer. Amirah’s confession caused her brows to lift and her heart to pound. Dear God, she felt bad for Enzo who would have to deal with a defiant Amirah. She could only hope that he would have the patience of a saint, because he would have to. “Just be careful, Amirah. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. You have to remember; he is a Costa. He’s capable of anything.” Nadya didn’t want Amirah to make an enemy out of her soon to be husband. She was worried if her sister tried to pry too much, she would only end up hurting herself in the end. “Okay, we don’t have to talk about him. You’re a free woman for an entire week, so let’s go crazy and live it up.” She flashed the other a wink, her dimples appearing as Amirah kissed her cheeks. “No, let’s stay in. I like that idea better. I’m going to shower and change into pjs. You order the food since you already know what I like.” The rest of the day were spent in their pjs, both women gorging on their favorite meal in front of their big screen television.

She didn’t like being around Eren. Even after he’d helped her out when her car broke down, she still felt uneasy around him. He made her feel things that she didn’t want to feel. Things that she swore she would never feel again after Hamza threw her away after finding out that she was pregnant with Andrei. It didn’t help matters that he was also friends with the other man. She couldn’t see past his kindness. In her eyes, he was not to be trusted. That didn’t mean she didn’t grow breathless around him though. The scent of his cologne and the confident way he carried himself drew her attention, and today was no different in spite of the blizzard outside. When he noted that he saw her car, she suddenly wondered if he’d taken a mental note of her license plates. Sure, he’d helped her that night, but she also thought he would remember the numbers. Even she didn’t know what they were. “I’m okay. I was just waiting out the storm. You really didn’t have to stop, but thank you for checking up on me.” She returned, offering him a small smile. This was awkward as hell. The situation was something she wouldn’t even dream of conjuring. Honestly, who would even begin to think of such a scenario, being snowed in with someone who was supposed to be your enemy… Wishing not to look nervous around him, her gaze directed itself ahead of her where the snow was still falling rapidly. “How long do you think this storm will last?”

Eren visibly relaxed when she said she was fine, and her car was also warm and running. However, seeing as the storm outside was only looking like it would get worst half the cars parked along the roads already being buried under a thick cover of snow. His mind whirled at the best course of action. He pulled out his phone to look at the weather app once again, there was no end to the storm at least for the next twelve hours. “The storm looks like it’s going to be raging all night. The way things are looking staying here doesn’t seem like the best idea. You’re going to get trapped when the snow buries your car overnight.” He said his gaze still on the phone screen as he searched up lounging near them. “There’s a hotel about two miles from here, do you think your car can get us that far?” He asked, looking up at her.

Mahi didn’t like the answer he gave her. She wanted to go home to Andrei, but looking at the conditions outside, she had a feeling he was right. There was no way she would be able to get home safely tonight. His idea about getting a hotel room seemed to be the most sensible outcome of them all—even if made her feel a little skittish, but then again, when was she never skittish around Eren Yavuz. “I have enough gas to get us there.” After typing in the address, she drove them to the hotel. When they got to the check-in counter, she asked for two rooms, and was told that they only had one Queen sized bed room left. Hearing that, Mahi nearly bailed it out of there, yet her logic talked her down from making such an idiotic move. Now, here they were in room 233. The room was nice enough, but as she sat on the bed, her heart raced as she thought about spending the entire night with the man who she was supposed to stay away from. “Which side are you taking the left or the right?” She asked, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

Eren considered offering to drive though he thought better of it and stayed quiet letting her get them there. The two miles went by a lot slower with the amount of snow on the road and lack of visibility but thankfully they soon reached without incident. When the approached the front desk at the hotel he hung back as Mahi went straight into asking for two rooms, only to be told there was only one room left for the night. He watched the woman take in the news process, and if he wasn’t mistaking there was momentary panic before she seemed to make peace with the situation and requested the room. Eren pass his black card to the woman at the counter and completed the formalities before they were heading up to their single room. The room while warm and well furnished was bare except for the one bed and two desk chairs, with very little room to move around. While this wasn’t much and an issue for the mob boss, she could practically feel the nerves radiating off the woman as she sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t have a preference you can decide where you’re more comfortable.” He said as he took off his wool coat that was soaked with the melted snow. He peeled off his sweater as well that wasn’t much better, thankfully the while muscle tee he wore underneath was dry. “You should get out those wet clothes. There’s a bathrobe in the closet if you don’t have any dry layers.”

As a Doctor working for the Emergency Room, Mahi had been in many awkward situations. She’d seen it all and could write a full-length novel even. But none of that could compare to the pickle she was in now. While she’d been trying to get home to be with Andrei, she was now caught in a snow storm and stranded in a hotel room with Eren. Out of everyone she knew in Chicago, why did it have to be him? Why couldn’t it be her neighbor from next door or eighty-four year old Mister Jones who ran the flower shop at the hospital? She wouldn’t be nervous if he wasn’t someone she knew she should steer clear of. His association with Hamza was enough of a red flag for her. She didn’t need another reason to pile on to that. “I’ll take the right side then since you don’t mind.” Came her response, though she kept herself from moving and staring at him as he peeled off his damp clothes. The coat came off first, and then sweater. A part of her was a little disappointed he hadn’t pulled off the t-shirt underneath. Stop it, Mahi, he’s the enemy… Her back straightened and she cleared her throat before she stood up to take off her coat. Thankfully, she wasn’t soaked to the bone since she was wearing black thermal underwear underneath her scrubs. Still, since the fabric was skin tight, she felt a little naked even though her skin was fully covered. “Do you think the mini bar is stocked?” She asked, looking at the small fridge directly across from her.

Eren was keenly aware of Mahira and her every movement. It was like his eyes just couldn’t help follow after her growing more enamored by her angelic aura by the minute. He didn’t care about what side of the bed she chose, his mind was on how they’d lie together through the night and how hard it was going to be to keep his hands to himself. Eren ducked his head so she hopefully wouldn’t see his amused smile when she cleared her throat before straightening herself to start briskly taking her clothes off. And then the moment of hesitation in her before she took off the scrubs. And fuck perhaps he should’ve been more gentlemanly in that moment and averted his gaze but he knew she wasn’t going to completely undress in front of him. And fuck if he wasn’t thinking about it now. Though the skin tight thermals she was wearing definitely hid none of her soft curves. The sight of her tight ass when she turned to set her scrubs aside had his cock aching. He cleared his throat when she turned to inquire about the mini bar. “Let me check,” He said his voice a tone deeper perhaps due to his growing desire for the woman. Eren leaned down to take out several half side bottles of liquor which he set down before some glasses. “What’ll you have?

If Mahi was gutsy enough, she would have seen Eren checking her out, and that the attraction she felt towards him was not one sided. But she couldn’t give herself the permission to look his way for too long. It was bad enough that she wanted him to take off the t-shirt he had on—needing to see his no doubt defined muscles hidden underneath—if she continued to leer at him, God knows what she would end up doing. She found it irritating that she couldn’t just ignore his presence, like she did all the other men who crossed her path. There was a reason she did that, her heart had been shattered into a million pieces by a man she thought loved her, and she wasn’t keen on continuing down that route. Never again. From now on, she would live for her son. Andrei was her center. Her pride and joy. That was enough. Once she had left her clothes aside to dry, she took notice of the mini fridge. Perhaps a drink or two would help to not only warm her up, but also loosen her nerves a little. A few miniature bottles were laid before her, and she took the vodka, cracked it open and downed the content. “Vodka of course, I am part Russian after all.” She said after that, flashing him a warmer smile. “What’s your alcohol of choice?”

Eren shook his head at her response, chuckling lightly for a moment as he uncapped the small grey goose bottle emptying into a glass for her before passing it along to her. “I’d nearly forgotten, though clearly your Russian half doesn’t have the best taste in alcohol.” He said picking up a bottle of whiskey and reading the label before pouring it into a glass for himself. “Bourbon, though this’ll do.” He said tossing out the two bottles before sitting down with her, his much larger frame taking up more of a presence on the small bed. He watched as a notification dinged on her phone and her sudden look of worry, which slowly calmed when she say it wasn’t a message. “Did you get in touch with your babysitter?” He asked after a moment of considering what could be on her mind. For a mother it was not hard to assume her child would be at the center of that. He’d seen the care and compassion in her that first time they’d crossed paths at the wedding, if you could even call it that seeing as they hadn’t spoken. She’d looked radiant that day. Now he couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t spoken to her that day, why he hadn’t gazed upon her longer. Looking at her now, he wanted nothing more than to pull her closer and have a taste of her soft lips. Taking a swing of his whiskey he relished in the path it burned down his throat distracting him for a moment from his wandering thoughts of all the things he couldn’t have.

It was odd to hear laughter ringing from the Turkish mafia boss’ mouth. It almost felt like he was just any regular man, and not someone who did a lot of bad things in his life. The most surprising part in all of this was that she liked seeing him that way. Inhibited and relaxed—even if she knew she shouldn’t feel comfortable around him at all. “What? Vodka is a great alcohol. Why else would it be so famous?” She couldn’t stop herself from retorting, clearly proud of her Russian heritage. “How American of you. I would think you’d prefer something more Mediterranean?” Was she teasing him? Her answer never came because soon her attention was on her phone. When she knew she wouldn’t be making it home tonight she had informed Yulia. Thankfully, with the storm covering the entire city, Yulia had nowhere to be, so she’d agreed to stay. She had texted to send an update on Andrei along with a photo of him. Her son was asleep in his bed. It tugged her lips into a smile, and her worries that Andrei wouldn’t be taken care of drifted away immediately. “Everything’s fine. His nanny is staying the night with him.” She explained, tucking the phone away. Just as quickly though, her brows furrowed. How did he know she had a son? She never spoke about Andrei. “Should I be freaked out that you know that I’m a mother?”

Eren’s laughter had surprised even himself, and made him realize he was completely relaxed in the presence of this woman. He didn’t have any guards up, he wasn’t rigid nor tense. It was such a reprieve from the tension the man usually carried within him. He even found himself smiling indulgently at her question. “That region of the world isn’t known for it consumption. Besides I’ve lived In this country my whole life, it was bound for my tastes to land elsewhere.” He said his gaze drifting to her mouth as he did, once again the desire to taste her delicate lips struck him and it took everything in him to not pull her into his lap and satiate his curiosity. The woman was sheer perfection and she didn’t even seem to know it. “Also vodka barely has any flavor to it, I never understood the appeal.” Not holding back his honest opinion. Eren nodded when she let him know everything was okay with her son, taking another drink of his glass before glancing over at her  unusual question. He set his glass down fixing her with a firm look. “Why would you have to worry about me knowing that at all? Who do you think I am, Mahira. Someone capable of hurting a child? I saw you with your son at Maksim and Laila’s wedding, that is all.”

“Excuses. Excuses.” Mahi stated, her head shaking and maybe it was the alcohol, but for once she was felt more relaxed around Eren Yavuz. If she could forget the attraction she felt for him, she could go on speaking to him as if he was someone of no consequence. She did not know yet how big a role he was about to play in her life. For now, she remained oblivious to what was about to occur in the future. “Says you. I happen to like Vodka.” Then again, she didn’t spend her days testing out other alcohol. She didn’t have the luxury to do that. Her time was consumed by her duties as an Emergency room Physician and her son. The text from Yulia alarmed her for a moment, but once she’d seen her son safely tucked in his bed, she felt relief washing over her again. It didn’t mean she didn’t have questions though. How in the world did Eren Yavuz find out about her son? And should be concerned? “Because of who you are. I never said you were capable of such atrocity, but thank you for putting that into my head.” She countered, knowing how harsh she sounded, yet she brushed it off as her mama bear instinct. “I’m sorry.” She added, a beat later with flushed cheeks when she realized that he wasn’t doing anything wrong at all. She should have known he would have seen her and Andrei at her cousin’s wedding. “I didn’t think about that.”

A small smile played at the corner of the mafia bosses mouth, it seemed that the alcohol was allowing her to lower her guard with him. It had not been missed on Eren that the woman always tried to maintain a certain decorum around him, not truly relaxing ever. He wondered why that was, was it only because their families had been enemies for sometime until the union between his sister and her cousin, or something else? “Perhaps it’s better we agree to disagree on this one.” He finally said with the shake of his head, though the relaxed smile didn’t slip from his face until she began to question him whether she should be concerned why he knew about her son. He could understand her maternal instinct, however he couldn’t help but feel…hurt over that being something that would even cross her mind. Was that the impression she had of him? “I’m no different than your cousins, Mahira. Yes, my hands are covered in blood however I still have a code. I have never harmed an innocent, I hope you can get that through your head as well.” He said his voice a bit sterner now though that was due to the lingering hurt despite her quick apology. “I would never harm you, in anyway.”

“Probably best that we do.” Mahi wasn’t keen on debating about their choice of alcohol, not when she had other things going on in her mind. Like how much she longed to be home with Andrei. Being a single parent meant that she had to learn to balance out her time between motherhood and her career. Times like these, she wished she had a loving partner who would help lessen the burden of being a working parent. But there was no time for her to throw a pity party. Her life was what it was, and she would carry on like she normally did. She flinched at Eren’s words, knowing she had offended him and feeling heat rising to her cheeks for her accusatory remarks. “I understand that, but you also have to remember that I’m a mom. I wouldn’t be a good mother if I’m not wary of people. There’s a reason why I became a Doctor. I wanted a different life. One that’s away from criminal dealing. I don’t want to end up like my family. Just because I’m a Markov, it doesn’t mean that I want to be in this life.” She said, coming to her defense. Just as quickly, she lowered her tone. “I know you won’t and I’m sorry for my insinuation earlier.”

Eren could imagine the difficulty she faced raising a child all by herself, and could even respect her maternal instincts that seemed to go into overdrive at the simple mention of her son. However, Eren felt it important to impress upon her that he meant no harm to either of them. He simply nodded as she explained herself further, it was as much as he’d suspected. The man had never cared for what others thought of him, an healthy amount of fear was necessary in the role he occupied within the criminal underworld. The women who usually flocked to him expected the darkness, delighted in it even, however faced with this brutally soft woman, who was nothing but light and life he almost wished he could rid himself of all of it. “I don’t need you to apologize, Doc. Just remember that.” He said, as he straightened to refill his cup, though he didn’t offer her the same not wanting to get her drunk, nor give off the impression that was his intention.

While Mahi felt bad for unintentionally hurting Eren’s feelings, she wasn’t going to apologize for protecting Andrei. It was her job to look out for her son. He was defenseless, she wouldn’t be a good mom if she didn’t try to shield him from the cruelties of the world. Maybe if Eren wasn’t the leader of the Turkish Mafia and had no associations with Hamza, perhaps she would be more willing to let her guards down around him a little easier. It wasn’t that simple, however. She suspected, nothing about their friendship would ever be simple. A sigh left her chest when he finally dropped the topic. She merely murmured a quick, “I will,” before grabbing another small vile of Vodka and downing it. She definitely needed it with the sudden change in topic. Feeling relaxed again, she sat back and peered up at him, another remark she didn’t expect leaving her lips. “You know you’re not at all what I think you’d be like. Aren’t mob bosses supposed to be intimidating?” And yet, he wasn’t. Not with her at least.

Some of the tension eased from Eren’s shoulders as that conversation as behind them, the remaining tension went a few more sips of his drink finally the cold winter that seemed to seep into his bones was easing away. He raised an eyebrow with the way she began, he was somewhat surprised by that actually considering no one had ever told him he wasn’t intimidating. It usually went the other way around, not that he minded considering that only meant she was more at ease around him. Captivated as he was by her his eyes followed the movement of her glass as she brought it to her lips, and while he didn’t care for the taste of vodka he would happily drink it if it was from there perfectly rosy lips. “You might be the first person whose said that to me. And here I always thought I was filling the role as intended.” He said setting his glass aside once he’d downed the rest of his drink. “Are you hungry at all? It shouldn’t be too late to order something to the room.”

Mahi could blame her abrupt remark on the alcohol, but she knew better. She wasn’t even tipsy at this point, just a little more relaxed. She stood by her remark though, Eren Yavuz didn’t intimidate her. Not in the way she though a mafia boss would. The only hesitance she ever felt with him was when she was first acquainted with him. Yet, as the days passed and they kept somehow bumping into each other, she realized that he wasn’t as bad as what she thought he would be. Did he do bad things? Yes. She was sure as a mob boss, he had to do that on a daily basis. But for some reason, he was always so much kinder to her, even going as far as to tell her that he would not harm her or Andrei. “Maybe you’re just soft with me.” Came her response, her lips actually curving into a smile as her eyes gleamed. Clearly, she was pulling his legs here. With the air cleared between them, and a few shots of Vodka in her system, she felt more relaxed than she did earlier. Her head shook at his offer for a meal. “No, I’m fine. I had dinner at the hospital before I tried to drive back into the city, but if you’re hungry, by all means order something…”

At her response, a soft smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. It wasn’t until she said it that Eren realized how true that actually was. For years now Eren had kept up walls between himself and most people in his life, and most of all other woman. Perhaps a part of him had been trying to pay respect to the memory of Seher, or perhaps that was his excuse to placate his own grief and despair over losing the woman he’d loved with his whole heart, his way of letting the grief consume him. However, Seher had not been on his mind for some time now, not since he’d met the woman sitting beside him. Somehow Mahira had slipped past his walls, and he hadn’t even noticed. “You would be the first in a long time.” He said with a quick smile before he moved off the bed to retrieve another small bottle of liquor emptying it into his glass before he returned. “No I’m alright I had dinner earlier as well.” Honestly the only reason Eren had asked was because food would be a distraction, a distraction from his growing desire to throw caution to the wind and kiss her. “Now that I think of it, I remember you getting pretty skittish that day at the hospital. When you were fixing my shoulder. Were you intimidated then?” He asked.

His remark surprised her. Why would she be the exception? Technically, they weren’t even supposed to be friends. So, why was he choosing to be kind to her? Considering that their families were known rivals until her cousin and married Eren’s younger sister, she would think he would be worried about getting chummy with her. After all, she could be feeding information to her family. Not that she was doing that, nor was she interested in involving herself in the criminal world, but shouldn’t he be a little more wary around her? “That’s a surprise.—We’re both set then. No need for dinner.” She merely responded and began tinkering with the empty bottle of Vodka and nibbling the corner of her cheek. Mahi had to distract herself. Otherwise, she would be staring at Eren’s face for far too long and thinking about things she shouldn’t be thinking about. When he spoke again, that was when she lifted her gaze, a rather sheepish smile settling upon her features. “I was nervous.” She admitted since there really was no need to lie. “But wouldn’t you be too? That’s what I popped your shoulder into place really quickly. I wanted to get you out of my way sooner.” She smiled again, her dimples appearing as she did so. “I’m bad, aren’t I?”

Eren watched as surprise registered in her face, and he grappled with what to make of it, more often then not he felt at a lose to what she might be thinking. The woman held her emotions in very well making it difficult for Eren to gage just what she might be feel when it came to him. So far she’d given him no indication as to whether or not she found him appealing in any way, what he wouldn’t do to be able to read her mind and see if this pull he felt towards was mutually reciprocated. Eren smiled at her admission to feeling nervous, though was that because of his proximity that day or his reputation he couldn’t be certain of. However it was the sight of the sweet dimple on her cheek that had his heart seizing in his chest. “I can’t say I’ve met too many men I find to be intimidating but I suppose you wouldn’t be the first woman whose gotten nervous around me. Though I suppose not in the way you’re describing.” He said with an almost teasing smile. “Would you have that same reaction now?” He asked watching her intently for her reaction to his question.

Mahi’s brow rose before she furrowed both and tilted her head to peer at Eren with suspicion. “Don’t tell me that I’m the only woman who’s ever gotten nervous around you. I can’t be.” Could she? But as she peered at his handsome face, her thought flipped entirely. Women probably wanted him thanks to his good looks. But Mahi was not so naïve. She had been once upon a time, until the man she thought loved her, tossed her out of his life once he found out that he’d impregnated her. Since then, she’d kept everything she felt locked up tight—never allowing anyone inside. But why was it that she was tempted to let Eren in? Why did he make her feel safe when she should be running away from him? That smile he was sporting didn’t help matters at all. After so many years, she felt butterflies in her stomach—something she thought would never happen again. She shook her head at his question, gaze down on her hands, her cheeks flaming a bit and her smile was still bright on her lips. “No, I find you easy to talk to now. Maybe it’s because you’ve saved me twice now.”

Eren couldn’t hide the smirk that came at her question. That was most definitely not the case. Plenty of women got nervous around him, in the good way. And that had Eren wondering if now she perhaps she too found him as attractive as he found her. Eren had never aches for any woman the way he did for Mahira. No one had ever seemed so aloof and resistant to him as she was. But still the sight of her soft cheeks dimpling and the way she seemed to almost be fidgeting, he was curious and he intended to satiate his curiously sooner rather then later. In fact at the moment he watched her fair skin slowly grow rosy. His gaze didn’t waver from her as he leisurely stood from the bed. Stepping right in front of her as he took her hand and in one swift motion had her flush against his chest, the slight smirk he wore almost mischievous. “How about now?” He asked his voice had gone huskier as he held her against him his hand lingering at her waist, though he longed to explore more of her lithe frame. But first he wanted to know whether or not she was also drawn to him.

Perhaps she shouldn’t have admitted that. What would Eren think? Then again, why should she hide it? The truth of the matter was, she wasn’t nervous around him anymore. Well, at least when they were in a public setting, with everyone watching them. For now, she couldn’t say that she felt the same. Even sitting on the same bed made her heart pound like it never did before. She was attracted to him, even though her being never responded in this manner with anyone in the past. To think that she knew better than to feel this way about Eren Yavuz… Her face was flush—something she hoped she could excuse with the Vodka she had been consuming—and yet her lips curved as she peered at him. Then, something unexpected happened. Before she could even blink, she was watching him stand and just like that, he'd grabbed her hand, yanking her flush against his chest. Her doe eyes flickered to meet his darkened gaze, her breathing ragged when she realized he’d pinned her in place with his hand on her waist. “I-” She stuttered and then suddenly, her attention was on his lips. The next thing that happened was inadvisable, yet she’d done it anyway. Without another word, she stood on the tip of her toes before allowing her lips to meet with his.

Eren could feel his heard thundering in his chest, as he looked down at her beautiful face, so serene and soft that it seemed to make his whole being sigh at the sight of. Each time Mahira appeared before him by coincidence he was more and more drawn to her presence for the calming effect the woman seemed to have on his senses. It was the sort of peace that he’d been missing in his life for a long time, and holding her in his arms now he realized that he would do just about anything to keep her in his life, that he in fact wanted her beyond the physical need for her, he wanted her by his side. Yet the woman was still in some ways still a mystery to him. She was so different from the woman around him, what she wanted from life, her self assuredness, she as a breath of fresh air and he felt at a lose how to approach her in a way that wouldn’t alarm her. Then the unexpected happened, her gaze traveled downward and she leaned in to kiss him, Eren’s whole body relaxed in that moment loosing the tension his been holding on to, in the matter of seconds his surprise gave way to hunger, he’d wanted to do this for so long and finally he had her in his arms. Though perhaps tomorrow they would both realize how the alcohol had a hand to play in this, but right in that moment his mind was entirely consumed by the warm feel of her in his arms, the taste of her sweet mouth and nothing else. Erens hand left her waist to hold her face, fingers sinking into her soft hair as he deepened the kiss his desire clear in the passion with which he kissed her. “I’ve never tasted anyone so sweet.” Eren muttered against her lips, his other hand snaking up her back to bring her even closer.

Mahi was not known for her recklessness. If anything, she always thought everything through before acting. After the unfortunate events with Hamza, she never got to close to the opposite sex. Her main priority in life was Andrei. To bring him up in a loving environment and her duties as a Doctor. Life was perfect, or at least as perfect as it could be until Eren came into her world. She knew better than to get too close, and despite her efforts, Fate seemed to keep throwing him in her path. Why? That was something she could not understand. He wasn’t the sort of man she wanted to be around. And yet, here she was so drawn to him, there was nothing she could do to fight that attraction. When he pulled her flush against him, she acted before she could think—allowing her curiosity to get ahold of her. As their lips met, she felt the sparks between crackled into life. Her heartbeat picked up and while the kiss was meant to be chaste, he deepened it, earning a soft whimper from her lips. Her body reacted, her tongue entering his mouth where it swirled with his in a dance of passion. She should stop. She wanted to, and yet, when he spoke about how sweet she tasted, she moved her own hands to his face, cupping it in order to kiss him better. “Eren.” Was the only word that could escape as she lost herself in him. For once, she wasn’t running from affection. Just this once, she embraced it wholly, drowning in it even.

It felt like the universe had conspired for this moment to pass, with the way the two of them kept crossing paths in compete coincidence. That day of all the doctors he was seen by none other than Mahira Markov. Then seeing her car broken down by the side of the road, and finally the coincidence tonight, when he happened to traveling down the door where she was parked on the side of the road, him even being able to see her plate number with all the snow was nothing short of a miracle. She felt like an angel put into his path to bring him back to life. And in this moment with the sound of her whimper traveling straight to his cock, Eren would just about anything to keep her. His cock bulged painfully in his jeans, just one taste and he was hooked. However, he had no idea how far she wanted to take this tonight, nor would his conscious condone it knowing she’d been drinking and perhaps not in the best frame of mind to make such decisions. But fuck if he didn’t want to throw caution to the wind. Hearing his name spilling from her lips — voice breathless and lustful, drove his desire further his hand traveling to her pert bottom and squeezing, as his tongue explored her sweet mouth. He could kiss her like this for hours.

This would not end well for Mahi. She knew that it wouldn’t. Eren Yavuz wasn’t the sort of man she should want to be around, let alone make out with. He might not hurt her or Andrei, but at the end of the day, he was still a mafia boss. Their ideology didn’t match at all. She wanted to do good things in the world, while he was the opposite. Still, in spite knowing all this, she was still drawn to him. It wasn’t just his looks—although she admit it did help with her attraction to him—it was just how he was. He made her feel alive, and he was kind to her. All of those qualities brought them here, to this place, where they were sharing this scorching kiss. Her heart thundered within the confines of her chest and as the kiss grew hotter—his hand now squeezing her ass—she felt her arousal igniting still. She moaned against his lips and for the next few minutes, she allowed her desires to sweep her away, until she remembered where they were. Embarrassment forced her to pull away from Eren and with her cheeks flaming, she apologized. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have attacked you like that.” God, he must think she was easy or worse yet, that she went around kissing men like she did him when that was furthest from the truth.

Eren’s mind devoid of thoughts of anyone or anything other than Mahira, the taste, feel, and warmth of her was all that was, and Eren could not get enough, his need for her was only growing more pertinent, he should’ve been the first one to pull away, ask her what he wanted, what she was comfortable with, but he didn’t want to break the spell the woman had cast over him, and before long she was the one pulling back. The lose of her softness, was like being dowsed in ice water, and fuck that was probably for the best considering just how turned on he was by her. Before he could say anything however, she was apologizing which left him pretty confused. Why was she apologizing when he’d been the one to pull her into his arms, too breech her personal space and make his intentions known. He wanted her, and that had been painfully obvious in the passion with which he’d kissed her. “I was the one who pulled you into my arms, I wanted to kiss you long before you ‘attacked*’ me, .” He clarified, however, he wasn’t going to apologize for that. Not when he didn’t feel an ounce or regret over that fact.

Mahi had never been more mortified in her life. Who was she? She didn’t do these sorts of things. And by that she meant, attack a guy and kiss him without much of a warning. Sure, Eren had pulled her into his arms, but it didn’t mean he wanted her to kiss him. Of course, she was overthinking all this. He’d kissed her back, and judging by the boner he was sporting—she felt it pressed against her stomach when she was practically mauling the mafia boss—along with the feverish way he’d returned her advances, it was clear he wanted to kiss her too. However, Mahi was not in a state to be making decisions. While she wasn’t drunk, she was tipsy and she felt guilty for allowing her desire to take charge. His confession didn’t shock her, it only left her feeling even more embarrassed for her actions. He’d wanted to kiss her. This wasn’t just a one-sided attraction. Instead of feeling giddy, she felt her cheeks reddening. Her mouth opened and close like a fish out of water. Then, when she finally realized she could not form a response, she peered up at him shyly and said, “I think we should go to bed.” Not yet realizing how that sounded like.

As Eren watched her fumbling, red faced and flustered after just one scorching kiss he couldn’t help find her so goddamn adorable, he wanted to reach forward and stroke his thumb across her reddening cheeks and kiss them. However, he had a feeling she’d grow even more skittish if he tried to touch her again. It was clear to him now that she was in fact attracted to him, however she was not the kind of woman who gave into her desires so readily. Eren wondered about her past, about the her sons father and why they were no longer together, Had he hurt her in anyway? The mafia boss felt his chest tightening in rage at the mere thought, she wasn’t even his and yet he felt this intense need to protect her, to fix all her problems and keep her he away from anything that might cause her harm. When she finally said they should just go to bed, the corner of his mouth quirked up at the implication of her words though he chose not to comment so she wouldn’t grow anymore skittish. He instead glanced over at the small bed, and barely surprised a groan as he knew the night would be tortuous, to be so close to her yet not touch her. But alas he needed to deal with the hard on he was currently sporting otherwise he knew he wasn’t getting any sleep that night. “You go to sleep, I’m just going to take a quick shower first.” And with that he disappeared into the bathroom, to relieve his aching cock.

Eren straightened when he sat on the hospital bed rolling his good shoulder though wincing as his muscles tensed where he’d dislocated his left shoulder. He gestured up the shoulder and arm he held close to his side. “I’ve dislocated my shoulder,” He said, not mentioning that he’d also tried to pop it back into place himself causing him further discomfort really the true pain had come after that attempt. For a moment he could not help but look at her and wonder what made her come into this line of work when she was born into a world of violence, where causing injuries was the norm not healing them. He also did not miss the sparkle in her eyes, he wondered if it was her work that was the cause or something else. When she came close to check on the close he moved closer to the edge of the bed for her ease widening his stance to allow her more space to maneuver.

Being a Physician meant that she would care for her patients regardless of who they were. While Mahi would admit she made it a point to stay far away from drama, mainly the rivaling mafia families, she also couldn’t turn down anyone who needed her help. She took an oath and so far, she’d been able to keep to it. This had to be one of the outlier instances. Certainly, her encounter with the head of the Yavuz family would be a one-time thing, right? Pushing all thoughts aside, she scooted closer, while also asking what brought him to the ER. She nodded at his response before pulling the lever at the bottom of her chair—raising her up so he wouldn’t completely tower over her. When their gazes locked, for some reason her heart raced. Odd. She shoved the peculiar feeling aside before saying. “Can you roll up your sleeve for me?” Then she stood and made her way towards his side. After sanitizing her hands, she went towards the injured shoulder, running her hands along it to feel for any signs of injury. He was right, it was dislocated. “Is this a recent thing?” As soon as the question left her, she popped the shoulder back into place with an audible crack. This was a tactic she used in order to distract her patients. “Sorry, I figured this would be easier on you.”

When her chair rose, and she swiveled closer, Eren caught the scent of the fragrance she work, it was a clean fresh scent with a hint of sweetness. And as their eyes met briefly, Eren decided it suited her perfectly. He couldn’t help but watch her as she moved about the room, following her request he pushed up his sleeve revealed his muscled forearm to her as she came around to his side. “Just this-“ Though before Eren could even complete his sentence he felt the momentary pain of his shoulder popping back into place, the relief afterwards was almost instant. Eren rolled his shoulder slowly before relaxing his stance. He went to stand however he accidentally    kicked the rolling chair that knocking it into the back of her legs causing her to loose her footing. Reaching out her catches her immediately with an arm around her waist helping her straighten. “Are you alright?” He asked, unable to look away from her delicate face.

Perhaps there was another reason why Mahi had acted quickly. The man before her unnerved her. She shouldn’t feel intimidated by him—after all, she did grow up around violence. Yet, there was something about him that sent blaring warning signs to keep away. He wasn’t someone she should be around and she wanted to be rid of him quickly. Or at least that was her wishful thinking until she felt her chair hitting the back of her legs and she was sent tumbling to the…arms of the man she wanted to stay clear of? Her eyes were closed and she had no doubt, she looked foolish right then, but hey, she was bracing for impact. No one could fault her acting the way she did. Her eyelids popped open when she heard his question and hell, she might as well be sitting on his lap. Why was he looking at her like that? “Yeah,” she squeaked, before scrambling off him and straightening her stance. “I’m fine. You didn’t dislocate your shoulder again, did you?” Came her fumbling query.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Eren’s mouth, as he watched her face, her eyes scrunched closed as it look like she readying herself of impact. She felt nearly weightless in his arms, and he was surprised to find himself disappointed when she opened her eyes and seemed to panic as she scrambled off his lap. She was beautiful there was no denying that, her every feature was delicate and soft she looked almost breakable. What Eren couldn’t figure out was why he was taking so much notice of this woman, he was surrounded by beautiful women, yet he never paid anyone more than a glance, even when he had the occasional one night stand, there was a disconnect between him and the women he was with. While he never disrespected any woman on principal alone, he also wasn’t particularly kind or sensitive to their feelings. It was almost like a wall came up when he came in contact with the opposite sex, he simply refused to let anyone past. He absently touched his shoulder at her inquiry, and shook his head. “No, it’s all good. You’re pretty light.” He commented though absently due to several thoughts swirling around on his mind. He stood without incident that time, towering over her unsurprisingly. “Thank you for your help. I’ll be on my way.” He said assuming he was free to leave now.

She didn’t like feeling off center, especially with Eren Yavuz around. But perhaps she was being unfair to judge him so quickly. In her defense, she knew of his reputation and the fact that he was friends with Hamza did not sit well with her either. It wasn’t fair of her to think that both men were the same—heartless and uncaring of the plight of others—but how else should she perceive the man who nearly married his sister off to her ex-lover. They had to be close for him to do so. It was for that reason she knew she shouldn’t be around him and scrambled to get back on her feet. “Oh, good then.” She commented rather quickly. Her gaze trailed to his shoulder, needing to ensure that he hadn’t reinjured himself. When she was reassured that he was fine, she took her clipboard—holding it close to her chest like a shield—before excusing herself. “You’re good to go. Take care, Mister Yavuz.” And then she was off, fleeing the man whose presence unnerved her. May we never meet again.

When Damien dismissed his own problems in lieu of reprimanding Max, he took a sip of the whiskey he had sitting next to him. This was expected, yet he still didn’t like hearing it, if only because he couldn’t yet admit out loud that he hadn’t been thinking at all. He’d only acted because he could not tolerate any harm coming Laila, because the thought of losing her sounded more painful than any physical injury he could suffer. “I was there I saw what was about to go down so I intervened. But that’s not what I wanted to discuss brother.” Shutting his laptop he leaned back into the chair his face giving away no emotion other than absolute resolution. “I ran into Hamza Demirci the other week.” He began pausing to let that sink in as the two men had always equally hated the Demirci, Hamza had ruined Mila’s life and had yet to suffer for it. “He and Laila Yavuz are engaged to be wed in the coming months. I plan on not letting that happen.” And with that he moved on to explaining just what he had in mind from the way he was going to get dirt on Eren, to how he planned to have Laila abducted. When he finished he realized even to his own ears there was a big question left unanswered, why Laila? And that wasn’t a question he was willing to answer honestly, to himself or his brother. “Laila and I have a score to settle, and this is how I plan to make that happen. She’ll tell her brother exactly what I want her too. Eren won’t do anything to jeopardize his sisters happiness.” Well anymore than he already was with Hamza.

If there was anything Damien valued more than the price of his own life, it would be his family. He would do anything for them, lay his life down for them. But what he could not stand by was utter stupidity. What business did Maksim have to put his life in danger like that? The Yavuz’s family dealings was none of their concern, and like he’d expressed in the past, they were not to stick their nose in matter which did not to pertain to them. His brother clearly had lost his good sense. “Since when have you become a fucking martyr?” He ran a frustrated hand along his blond locks before settling back in his seat. At the mention of Hamza Dermirci, his fists clenched, jaw ticking in anger at the bastard who ruined his cousin’s life. He kept his mouth shut, listening to each word that was spoken until his brother expressed his wish to kidnap Laila Yavuz. That one had him standing, his hazel eyes meeting his brother’s black ones. “I’ve kept my mouth shut. I understand getting back at Hamza. That son a bitch doesn’t deserve to live another second, but why involve the Yavuz girl? What is your fascination with her?”

Maksim could see that Damien was not getting it, and to some extent he could understand why his reasoning the way he’d explained it was tenuous at best. Why did he think that would be enough to convince his brother to let him en act this plan that could lead to considerable bloodshed. Maksim had always been the man with the plans, his conniving ways had profited the Bravta by numerous means. Even when now what he was doing was purely for his own gain to satisfy his own ego and want for the Turkish mafia princess, he was considering all the contingencies to ensure things went down the way he wanted without an all out war between the two organizations. Perhaps being more forthcoming with his motivations with his brother would yield his desired outcome. “It taking Hamza off the board was so simple, we’d have done it back when we found out what he did to Mila. Taking Laila away from him will deal a sizable blow to his ego and reputation, though rest assured he will pay in blood one day but all the pieces have to fall in place first. As for why Laila…” Maksim paused to choose his words very carefully, the answer was so simple yet so convoluted. “Well because I cannot stand the thought of that bastard getting anywhere near her.” The thought of Hamza manipulating and abusing her the way he did their cousin burned him up and he would sooner set the world on fire than allow that to happen.

Damien needed a stiff drink in order to get through this conversation. So, he stood, poured himself a shot of Vodka and downed in one swift gulp. Of all the stupid things Maksim could have planned for or done, not in a million years did Damien thing it would ever be about a woman. His brother was too pragmatic. They both were. Yet, he’d been proven wrong—much like Sana had done a number to him. But this wasn’t about him. This was about his family, and keeping them protected. If Maksim were to go through with his ridiculous plan, two families who had always been their rivals would be gunning for them. And he’d be damned if he would allow that to happen. “You’re setting up for an annihilation of our family, Max. The Yavuz, not to mention the Dermirci’s will be gunning for you. If you don’t give a shit about yourself, think of mama and Lia.” He wouldn’t normally raise his voice or use their sister and mother to knock some sense into his brother, but he had no choice now. He had to do something before it was too late. “Be damned with Hamza. His lot will come, but do not tell me that the Yavuz girl is more important than your own family. You disappoint me, brother.”

Maksim knew his brothers reaction was not entirely unwarranted, knew the words he spoke to be true at a cursory glance. Though bringing their mother and little sister into this was a low blow. And the thought of them did give him pause. However, he then thought of Laila. And her sweet smile, on the rare instances he was able to put it there, and the fire that danced in her eyes every time their wills clashed. He could picture her in her wedding dress even, and thought of Hamza being the man who stood at the end of that aisle made the decision pretty clear for him. Was was she more important to him than his family? No. But perhaps she was just as important. “I understand your concerns brother, however I’ve given this decision plenty of time and looked at it from every possible angle. The Demircis we can handle, because Eren will put a stop to any move he plans to make against us. Because they wouldn’t just be coming after us but also Laila once she becomes a part of the Bravta as my wife.”

A part of him wanted to shake his brother until he saw a semblance of sense. There was clearly something not right with him to be thinking about going through with this crazy scheme. But he decided a subtler way to go about it was to remind him about his allegiance to their family. If Max didn’t care about his own safety, or Damien’s, then at least he would care about Lia and their mother. Much to his chagrin, nothing would move his brother. His mind was set, and frankly, Damien was sick of trying to talk him out of it. “I can see that you’ve made up your mind, and there’s nothing I can do to sway your decision.” He exhaled a tired breath, a hand running—more like gripping his blond locks—before he addressed Max again. “Make sure you have all your contingencies covered, Max. I don’t want any blood to spill on our side. Do you hear me?”

Finally Maksim felt at ease, with his brother on his side — albeit apprehensively, Maksim could fully divert his attention to putting all the pieces in motion. Starting with obtaining his leverage, doing all the things that would inevitably lead to perhaps his own loss. Maksim never wavered in his trust in himself to get just about anything he set his mind too. His plans never failed him. Yet one thing he could never do was be honest about his own feelings, that was his one failing. He would have Laila, but she’d still be miles away. But he would work on rectifying that when the time came. Maksim stood and patted his brother on the arm. “I’ve got everything covered. You have nothing to worry about.” And with that he walked out of the room.

Sana mewled in pain as his grip o her hair tightened, the strand aching in protest as she tried to avoid his leering face. Sergey had always made her uncomfortable with the way he looked at her, and she was realizing she was right to be afraid of him. Right to be afraid of anyone associated with organized crime. It was ironic really that she was paying off the Russian Bravta when she herself was entering into a profession that sought to reduce crime in the city. Her panic was surging and she franticly grappling with her bag to find the pepper spray she kept on her, however before the man had a chance to do anything else there was a wall of hard flesh between them. Sana stumbled back as his grip on her finally released, heart race still racing it took her a moment to get a hold of herself. Seeing Damien however, all her panic faded away leaving only relief and a sense of security she was so grateful for. However when she was finally thinking clearly she realized she couldn’t let Damien hurt him she didn’t want him getting into any kind of trouble with the Mafia on her account. She reached out to grip his arm to get him to look at her. “Don’t please, it’s not worth it.” She said finally looking at the grimy man once more in open disgust. Though he seemed to be…more distressed than even she had been his attention solely directed towards her boyfriend with…fear? And he was struggling to say something though with Damiens grip on his throat he couldn’t really make anything out all she heard was ‘Pah, Pah, Pah’.

Tonight was supposed to be a good one for Damien. He was going to pick Sana up, head back to his penthouse, get her to change her into the dress he’d picked out for her for their date night, and spend the rest of the time pampering her. Nowhere on tonight’s agenda included his brunette being manhandled by some prick. As soon as he saw what was happening, all of his common sense flew out the window and he reacted before he could stop himself. In an instant, he had the man trapped, with his hands wrapped around his neck. Perhaps if he was thinking clearly, he would have reconsidered acting this way around Sana. She still had no clue about his dealings with the criminal underworld, and watching him like this must be scaring the lights out of her. The male was trying to say something, however, he couldn’t hear anything past the fast beating of his heart. It would take very little effort to squeeze the life out of the other man. “You hurt what’s mine!” He snarled, releasing the hold he had on his neck in order to shove him back against the wall. “You don’t get to put your disgusting hands on her.” If it weren’t for Sana’s pleading, he would have ended the man’s life without a second thought, yet her words pulled him out of his rage, where he finally let go of the other. “Get the fuck out of here before I finish what I started.” He snarled like a feral animal and watched as the other ran off. It was only then did he relax, his gaze softening as he cupped Sana’s face in his hands. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” His heart was still beating like a race horse, though this time it was out of concern for his girlfriend.

As Sana watched Damien squeeze the man throat she couldn’t help but step back a little startled seeing him this angry. It was nothing like she’d every witnessed in the year and a half that she’d known him. She was almost worried for Sergey with the way his face was growing beet red indicating just how firm Damiens grip on him was. She jumped a little when he yelled into his face backing away a few steps her heart beating rapidly not able to comprehend the situation that was unfolding fully. On the one hand she was beyond relieved that he was here to intervene before Sergey could do anything, just the thought had her stomach churning with disgust. Sana had a bit of a dazed look on her face when he finally sent the other man skittering off, the whole time Sergey looked at Damien with such fear she had been confused by it, it almost spoke of familiarity. The feel of his big warm hand on her face were incredibly calming and she tried to focus her attention back to him and take stock of how she was. Her head throbbed where he’d yanked at her hair she reached up rubbing at her scalp absently, though even as she did so she said, “I’m fine,” As her daze lifted, and she finally snapped out of her brain fog. “Damien, while I’m glad you’re here, you shouldn’t have done that. He’s part of the mafia, I don’t want you getting involved in anything with people like that because of me.”

It was sheer fucking luck that Sana was here, because if she wasn’t, Damien would have throttled the male to death and left his corpse to rot in the back alley. He’d done it before and gotten away with it. He could get away with it again. Having lined the authorities’ pockets with cash made it easy for the Pakhan to get away with murder and all his other shady dealings. But in this case, he couldn’t go there. Did he want to? Fuck yes. But as it was, Sana had no idea who he was, so the rat who’d had the nerves to put his hands all over Sana would be dealt with at a later time. That meant he had every intention of making his men finish the job. If he didn’t end up dead somewhere, a few broken bones was necessary to teach the waste of a humanity a lesson. Right now, his heart was still racing as he accessed Sana for injuries. Jesus Christ, thinking about her being hurt brought on his anger once again, and the need to rip the coward from limb to limb escalated. A whoosh of breath was expelled from his lungs when she assured him she was fine. Still, he kept her close, pressing a kiss on her forehead as he tried to slow the rhythm of his heart. Her remark nearly had him bursting out into laughter. Oh, if she only knew… “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” He stated piercing their gazes together while cupping her face. “Why are you involved with the mafia?” The question came out before he could stop himself. Was she in trouble somehow?

Sana’s panic gave way to slow relief as he brought her closer, holding her in his arms. His warm solid presence made her feel safe, in a way she didn’t know to be possible until now. Sana was used to not having anyone in her corner. Growing up her parents had never really known how to show support, and they never tried to understand her side of things. Not when she tried to tell them she didn’t want to get married at just twenty two, not when she told them she was unhappy in that marriage, and definitely not when she decided to divorce Ayaan. Sana hadn’t felt like she had someone to lean on in a long time. Sana let her eyes fall shut for a moment as he kissed her forehead, she found the gesture so incredibly sweet and comforting. Standing as close as she was to him she could feel the rapid rise and fall of his chest and she brought her hand up to rest just above his heart. Hoping to help him calm down too. His question made her tense, a part of her didn’t want to tell him because she didn’t want him to make it his problem in anyway. Yet she knew at this point she had no other choice after what he had just witnessed. “I owe them money, well…not exactly. My dad took a loan from the Russian Bravta, he was paying it back for years before he died. And then when they came around to harass my mom about it I told them I would pay it back.” She explained with a heavy sigh, watching him nervously for his response.

Maybe he should have been paying better attention in the happenings of Sana’s life, yet because he was stuck in his own happy little bubble, that never became a priority. Then again, did he want to snoop around without her knowledge? As it was, he was already playing a dangerous game by not telling her the truth about himself. He didn’t need to give her another reason to be distrustful of him. It might sound stupid to some, but he thought of this process like chess. There were moves and strategies involved. He was in for a long game and in order to win her, he had to play it smart. He stopped the smirk that was threatening to bloom across his features when she chided him. Damien found it incredibly amusing and not to mention adorable that his girlfriend was worried about his safety, when it was she who should be watching out for herself. Anger rose again as he thought about the other man manhandling her like he did. However, he was quick to ignore his anger in favor of asking her why she was dealing with the scum of the earth like that one. He listened, his cerulean eyes gazing intently into her worried features. When he finally got the answers he sought, the gears in his mind began spinning. “How much did you owe him?” He asked, though before she could answer, he went on, “I want you to listen to me very clearly. Those are not the sort of people, you should be owing money to, and you’re going to fight on this, but I’m not taking no for an answer. I will be paying off your debts for you. You can pay me back. It can be a loan, but I don’t want you to have to deal with that man ever again, you hear me?” Damien was also planning on teaching the male a lesson he would never forget, but Sana didn’t need to know that, did she?

It had been a blissful few weeks together, the two of them were so wrapped up in each other, in more ways than one that they hadn’t really done much talking, about their lives outside of each other. And Sana was almost content in that because there were no worries in their little bubble, no problems, no conflicts. However, even she knew things couldn’t stay that way forever, nor should they otherwise they would only be living a fantasy. Yet she also hadn’t wanted to tell him this one thing, because Sana knew what his reaction would be. He would want to help, to solve the problem because money wasn’t an issue for him. His reaction to her admission proved her right and she sighed softly already shaking her head even as he was saying she would fight him on it. Of course she would, the last thing she wanted was to take so much money from it felt wrong. “I believe me I know their dangerous I’ve been dealing with them for the past three years now. I told you I don’t want this to become your problem, I’ve been taking care of it all this before you and I am still capable of taking care of it now.” She said pulling back from him and soothing down her dress and hair realizing she probably looked like a mess. “Do you want to come upstairs, I wanted to get out of my work clothes and freshen up a bit before we go…unless our plans have changed?” Clearly she was trying to get him off the earlier topic, not wanting to continue to talk about money.

Damien knew Sana would fight him on this. She wouldn’t be her if she didn’t let her pride get in the way. Even when she knew fully well that it was safer for her to deal with him than the others, she refused to allow him to help her. If they weren’t in a public place, and if he wasn’t trying to placate her to give in to him, he would put her over his knees and spank her until she relented. But force was not the proper approach here. He needed to be gentler in his delivery, and so, he ventured ahead—equally unrelenting in his quest to get her to listen to reason. When she pulled back, he took ahold of her hand, pulled her back to him—gently of course. “We’ll talk about what we’re doing tonight later, but first I need you to listen to me.” He flashed her the most pathetic looking pout he could muster—Christ, the things he would do for his woman—before he spoke again. “I’m not saying you can’t take care of your problems. I’m asking you to let me handle it. It’s a loan, Sana. I know you’ll pay me back. In fact, if it makes you feel better, we’ll draw out a contract. That way you can bring me to court, if I back out of our agreement.” The entire thing was ridiculous. Who in their right mind would sue someone over money they owed to the defendant? No one would. But this was Sana, and he had to try appease her somehow. Perhaps this way, she would listen to reason.

Sana had nearly forgotten how stubborn he could be when he wanted something, so really it wasn’t much of a surprise when he didn’t drop the subject at her prompting. Sana sighed softly as he pulled her back to him, her fingers wound into his glancing down at their joined hands for a moment as she considered how best to navigate this situation. While she knew what he was saying was true, and that it would be safer to deal with him than someone from the mob but she still didn’t feel right taking so much money from him. If he wasn’t in her life she would’ve continued to deal with this on her own, and there was comfort in that, knowing that she had a handle on things, that those people weren’t harassing her mother over, and that she didn’t need anyone to be okay. That had been the worry that consumed her when she had been getting her divorce after all. She’d always been taken care of first by her father, then by her husband she had worried about being on her own and having to handle everything by herself. But she’d done a good job of things so far. “Damien, I understand what you’re trying to say, but you have to try to see it from my perspective. I don’t want to bring that money between us, especially that much money. But how about…I think about it some more, and then let you? Is that okay, and can we please go upstairs now?”

It wouldn’t be easy for him to get her to relent. Sana was prideful, just like he was. But above that, she was stubborn as they came. Damien understood her, since he too was the same way. However, it didn’t mean he would simply allow her to talk him out of this deal. If she thought she was the only one who wouldn’t yield, she was wrong because he too could be stubborn as a mule. The only difference was he was trying to reason with her. If it were up to him, he would take her back to his apartment, strip her naked and fuck her until she gave in. There was also the thought of spanking her plump ass, but he wasn’t going to go to that extreme—yet. “It’s not going to be.” He said, still trying to make her understand where he was coming from. The stubborn woman was going to be the death of him, he swore it. “But fine, you can think about it.” She could think all she wanted; he was still getting his way. For now, he wasn’t going to try pushing her. Not when he had other plans in mind. “I’d rather we head back to my place. There’s something waiting for you there.” Mainly a beautiful dress, and the dinner date he planned for them, but for now, he chose to let it be a surprise. “Unless you have something you need to get from your apartment?” A brow rose, though a moment later, he had pulled back and twined his fingers with hers, pulling her flush against his side—his eyes turning clear now that his anger had abated.

Sana knew the conversation would not be over so soon, they were both stubborn, however, she knew he was used to getting his way and making him see her reasoning would be very difficult. Yet she would think on it some more like she’d said and consider some better arguments, or perhaps he would simply forget about it, that would be the best outcome so they could avoid arguing about it some more. “Thank you.” She with a small smile when he agreed to talk about it later. “I wanted to grab my overnight bag since I’m guessing I’m spending the night again?” She asked, cheeks flushing at the mere thought of what they usually got up to when she did spend nights at his place. “Go wait in your car I’ll just go grab it.” She said kissing his cheek before untangling from him to head into the building. Once upstairs, she put away her work bag grabbing a smaller purse. She locked up and went back down crossing the street and getting into the car. “So are you going to tell me now what we’re doing tonight?”

There was nothing Damien could do at this point but to give Sana the time to think about his offer. Just like with their relationship, he couldn’t force her into allowing him to help her. It was hard for him to force himself to sit back. However, in order to keep the peace—and not jar her even more than she already was—he was willing to concede, for now. He still made a mental note to teach the other male a lesson though, but now was not the time to focus on his anger. He had a date to take her on, and he planned on going through with it. “Your guess is right.” His bright blue eyes sparkled with mischief as he peered at her pretty face. Was she thinking the same thing that he was? It felt like it. A part of him wanted to go up with her, if only to ensure her safety since his paranoia from what happened just minutes ago was still nagging at him. But before he could protest, she’d planted a kiss on his cheek and walked away from him. His gaze was on her being and then the entrance to her apartment building the entire time. It was only after she came out and was by his side did he realize he had been holding his breath. An arm immediately went around her shoulders, tugging her close, the corner of his mouth hitching upwards. “I could tell you, but I’d need an incentive first.” As a clue, he tapped at his lips as amusement danced along his features.

Watching him as she entered the room, and came to lean over his desk, she could see him taking her in, see the way his eyes darkened as his gaze drifted down. It had her heart fluttered, breasts staining against her bra each time her chest rose. Breath growing shallow at the sound of his voice having gone low with arousal. The sound seemed to travel straight to her sex, already getting wet for him. “Of course. Here let me…” She trailed off as she went around to the other side of her desk so they could both look at the file. “Caleb Ellis,” She said leaning into him more so she could point to one of the two resumes in front of him. “He’d be a great fit, he has great experience, and I’ve already verified all this references.” She said, looking over to him now, her chocolate brown eyes gleaming, as he took in her deep blue eyes that always made her breathless. Her gaze drifted to his lips before she blushed and looked away but a small smile teased at the corner of her mouth, as she continued to pretend she was here for something work related, when the things on her mind couldn’t be further away.

If he didn’t know any better, he would think Sana was trying to tempt him. Ever since the day he jumped down her throat for taking off her cardigan, she had gone back to dressing normally. In his defense, Colin Murdock was at the office that day, and he didn’t want the other male to be leering at her. Today seemed to be the exception as she sauntered in looking like a wet dream come true—her tits on display for his ravenous eyes. Jesus, he wanted to pull her close and bury his face in her cleavage before having his way with her. But she wasn’t here for that. Instead, she was talking about her replacement—like he could even think about that with her standing nearby. Then, as if it wasn’t torturous enough, she moved from where she stood where seconds later, she was next to him. The smell of her perfumed had his cock stiffening in his pants. He couldn’t think about anything else then what with his dick screaming to be buried inside her tight heat. “If this Caleb Ellis is the best candidate, I’ll interview him.” It amused him that she was picking a guy to replace her, but he chose not to address that. Especially not once he caught her staring at his lips. His mouth hitched into a smile, and he tilted his head—voice sounding playful as he teased her. “Is there something on my mouth? You keep staring.”

There had been plenty of applicants to choice from in the last two weeks since the job posting had gone up. Her short list had both men and women, though she would be lying if she said Caleb didn’t feel like the perfect also because he would have no interest in his would be boss, whom she was very much interested in. She smiled at his response, “I’ll email HR and let them know to set it up.” She returned, closing the file though before she could decide what her next move would be he was asking her if there was something on his mouth. A shy smile started on her lips at the question and she straightened leaning back into his desk as she looked at his lips openly. “No…I just couldn’t help myself.” She said with a small shrug. Then glancing down at her blouse she toyed with one side as she looked back up at him, “I suppose I could ask you the same about my shirt…” She pointed out, not having missed how many time his gaze had wandered to her cleavage.

“You do that.” Damien concurred with a nod, though his eyes danced with mirth as he peered at her pretty face. While he didn’t think that she had dressed up to seduce him, his thoughts veered as he noticed the way she was staring at his lips. He was a really neat man, and even when he ate, he was careful not to get food on himself or his face. That look she was giving him, it spoke of her arousal and when she tugged at the blouse she was wearing, revealing even more of her milky breasts, like any red-blooded man he reacted. “Then you can scold me for acting the same.” After all, just like her, he couldn’t help himself. With the last words uttered, he tugged her onto his lap and claimed her mouth in a kiss that not only had his cock twitching, but his heart racing too. One hand cradled her cheek, while the other made its way to the bust of her top, squeezing the perky flesh. “You wore this outfit to drive me crazy, didn’t you?” He asked as if he needed her answer. Normally, he would have ripped the shirt off her and maul her, but they were still at the office and he didn’t want tongues to be wagging—in case there were people still milling about after he’d had his fill of Sana. So, he unbuttoned her shirt, and helped her to shove it off before he moved on to her bra. Once she was topless, he admired her tits—pinching a nipple teasingly and watching it hardened. “You’re fucking stunning, did you know that, sweetheart?” He threw out the question before his mouth replaced his fingers.

His response had light laughter trickling from her, swallowed by a light gasp as he pulled her into his lap, his lips on her in an instant. And it was everything she was look forward to all day long. It was such a good thing today was her last day because the last two weeks were terrible in how distracted she was from work with him in an office just beyond her desk most of the day. When he wasn’t in the office, all her time was spent in wondering after him, and the fact that she was constantly smiling seemed not be missed by those around her. She was getting looks, and she didn’t even care. She was breathless when their lips finally parted, and when he started unbuttoning her shirt revealing more of her bare skin, while they were in his office had her cheeks flushing. “I did…I’ve been thinking about this.  I waited until everyone left then came in here.” She admitted, clearly it wasn’t about the candidates, though that did happen to be relevant too and she would have to remember to email HR when they were done. A shiver ran up her spine at when he finally had her topless, mewling softly as he teased her nipple, the sensitive flesh aching for his attention. “So you keep telling me,” She muttered, her back arching pushing her breasts out for him more, her own fingers fumbling between them unbuttoning his shirt so she could feel more of his warm skin, and the taut muscles of his abdomen.

Sleeping with just one woman wasn’t something Damien was used to doing. He never grew attached to anyone and he definitely never wanted to make one his conquests his wife, but things were a lot different with Sana. With her, he wanted everything, and because of it, he had to plan his moves. Today, seemed to be a huge step forward seeing as she had come to him. Now, did he fantasize about fucking her in his office? Abso-fucking-lutely. Any man who wouldn’t admit to the fact were lying through their teeth. When their mouths met, he kissed her like he was dying for her. Because let’s get real here, he fucking was. “I knew you did, you little minx.” He smiled against her mouth and nicked at her bottom lip, a hum of approval leaving him when he was told that they were alone. “You should have told me sooner, I would have ripped that top off you as soon as you came into my office.” He couldn’t think past his desire. His cock was painfully hard and it begged for release. Still, he chose to go slow as he captured her nipple into his mouth—his tongue lashing around the pert bud. Damien could feel his heart pounding, and a growl escaping as her hands grappled with the fastening of his shirt. He shifted then, moving her onto his desk and stripping the shirt off before his mouth came in contact with hers again while he shoved her skirt up unveiling her lacy panties. “Jesus Christ, you’re really trying to kill me, aren’t you?” The rumble in his chest came out hoarser as he moved the crotch of her panties to the side, his fingers rubbing the silky wet flesh of her pussy.

Being this consumed by her desires was something entirely new for Sana, never before had she wanted any man so much. Just the thought of him was enough to ignite her need, she wanted to be with him constantly. And that too was new for the woman considering she had spent the last three years content in her solitude having shut down her heart after all the drama drama in her life with Ayaan. But Damien was getting past all her walls, and it was a little terrifying. But for now she was content to let it just be about sex, she more than content in fact. She was thriving, she couldn’t remember a time when she stayed this happy for so long now. And it was all because of him. And how he touched her in ways she didn’t know she needed to touched. Sana’s fingers tangled into his hair as his tongue did wonderful things to her nipple, the pleasure, and her own excitement for this making her so wet she could feel how slippery the flimsy fabric of her panties was against her folds. She moaned as his teeth nipped her tongue, gripping the front of his pants to bring herself even closer to him. “No! You can’t keep ripping my clothes. Do you know annoying shopping for clothes I like is! No more ripping my clothes…or else.” She warned though pretty weakly considering she was thoroughly distracted by his touch. When she he sat her down on his desk she She pushed away the computer and papers around his not wanting things to get messed up though her hands returned to him pretty fast the things forgotten about. She laughed melodically at his reaction to the lacy black thong. She didn’t love wearing thongs but she’d worn it today for that very reaction. Sana moaned his fingers slid along her fold her hips lifting, so needy for more. Her hands then retuned to her belt tugging and starting to undo it. “I want you inside me right now, please Sir?” She begged as her looked up at him through long lashes remembering how he’d reacted to her calling him sir before.

Even as he was moments away from fucking Sana to kingdom come, when her heard her outburst, a chuckle escaped. Did Damien give a rat’s ass about here clothing? No. Because in his eyes, he could replace it. When money was not an issue, he could do whatever the fuck he wanted without having to worry about consequences. Still, he found her adorable as she ranted. “You do know I could bring you to a boutique and close off the entire store just so you can shop, right?” He asked with a raised brow—amusement still dancing on his features. “But fine. I won’t rip your clothes off anymore.” Not that he was worried she might let him ravish her again—he could seduce her easily if she tried—but he didn’t want to ruin the moment by arguing with her. With the matter shelved, he went on to place her on her desk—shaking his head when she pushed all the items aside carefully. Only Sana would worry about such trivial things when all he could think was fucking her until they couldn’t stand straight. His jaw practically drop as he peered at her lingerie she had on and she had the cheek to laugh. This woman was going to kill him, he swore it. “This is not a laughing matter, sweetheart.” Came his response, as he tried his best to sound stern and probably failing. All humor left him as he rubbed her silky cunt, coating his fingers with her juices. Then a growl followed at the way she had addressed him. “Jesus fucking Christ.” He heaved before pushing her hands aside and drawing his cock out of his pants before he was entering her tight heat—her thong still on, the crotch of it pushed to the side for easy access. “So tight.”

In the last two weeks since the first night they slept together, they’d been together many times, Sana had gone to his apartment straight from work on two occasions in fact, yet she didn’t want him any less. It’s exactly what he’d said, she wanted no one else. And as much as she craved his touch, she also craved his company. Sana liked being around him, he made her feel seen in a way she’d never experienced before, she liked how well he treated her, she even liked his possessive side. Even if she didn’t know what to make of it. It was intense and spoke to feelings she was not yet ready to confront. At his mention of shutting down a store for her the woman shook her head immediately. That was too much, Sana was not attracted to Damien because of his money, not in the least when there was plenty about the man without all that that drew her in. “No, I don’t think that’s necessary,” She quickly said,  really hoping he wasn’t going to get the idea in his head that that’s something he should do for her. Sana could not imagine that experience being anything but awkward, with all the attention on her she would want to disappear into the racks of clothes not shop without a care. “Thank you, it’s good to know you’re so agreeable when you’re seconds away from fucking me.” She said then was surprised by the words having left her mouth almost right after. Sana rarely said dirty words, yet it had just slipped out. Perhaps he was having more of an influence on her than she knew. Sana only laughed more at his words finding his attempts to sound stern incredibly    amusing but also endearing to her. It was clear how much he wanted her her and it made her all the wetter for him, she wanted nothing more than for him to take her in all the ways he wanted because she knew how good it would be. He knew how to do the most amazing things to her body, and Sana was beyond denying herself the pleasure, far far from it. In fact she was really starting to regret waiting two whole months before she talked herself into starting this. What this was…the practical reasonable side of her brain was telling her she should be more concerned with just what this thing between them was but in anticipation of what was to come she really could not care. Sana lifted her hips for him as he drew out his cock, moaning loudly in relief as he entered her, not even having bothered ripping off her panties this time. Watching the flimsy strip of fabric sliding along his cock as he began to fuck her, Sana bit down on the corner of her lip as she moaned again her body arching back, eyes closed as she became completely lost in the sensation of him filling her, her walls clamped around him squeezing harder each time he thrust back into her. “Oh god, that feels so good, harder. Damien, harder.” She gasped out, one of her hands landing on the small stack of papers she’d brought for him, as this point she didn’t even care and just fisted her hand into them, she would print another set.

There was a lot her brain had to process after her lunch with Mahira. When she’d invited the Doctor to lunch, it was solely so that she could get to know the other woman. Unlike all the other Markovs, Mahira was quiet and she’d managed to escape the criminal lifestyle, and ended up in a profession that was helping society at large. That was something truly admirable about the lithe framed brunette. Along with that, she was also a single parent. The information she was given regarding the identity of Andrei’s father had come as a surprise to Laila. But was she truly shocked by the revelation? Max had tried to warn her, though at the time, she thought he was just being spiteful. However, she knew better. For all his flaws, her husband had always tried to protect her. Why should this be any different. That evening, when he picked her up, her mind was still reeling. He’d explained that he would be taking her to Mackinac Island and despite being touched by his thoughtfulness, the events of that afternoon still reeled in her subconscious. “That's sweet of you. I’d like that.” She said, smiling at him politely, yet the smile never touched her eyes. Meanwhile, she never stopped spinning her engagement ring. “I had an interesting talk with Mahira earlier.” She broached the subject after a moment’s pause. “She told me everything. You knew about Hamza, didn’t you? That’s why you didn’t want me to marry him?” There was no accusation in her tone. This time, she kept her voice even. If anything, she was a little embarrassed for not having listened to Max’s warning.

Maksim was hoping some time away from their everyday routine would do them some good, their relationship hadn’t progressed normally with them spending a lot of time getting know the small little things about one another that might bring them closer. Maksim would admit he hadn’t taken away enough time for his new wife, not when things were so tense among the ranks in the wake of his marriage to Laila and what that meant for relations between the Russians and the Turks. So with things finally settling down, he took the opportunity to plan this getaway. He glanced over at his wife in the seat beside him briefly before returning his attention to the road, it felt like she was deep in thought over something and thankfully she spoke up before he even had the chance to ask. As soon as she mentioned his cousin his grip tightened on the steering wheel, knowing exactly what topic might be weighing on her mind in connection to Mahi. When her next words came calmly without any lingering annoyance or grudges some of the tension left him. “Yes, I learned about it after the bastard had already gotten her pregnant, it’s some small miracle we let him live.” He said his anger and disdain for the man clear in his voice, though he tried to temper his rage as he spoke to her, he also didn’t want any mention of him to put a damper on his mood, and the sentiment of this trip. “Do you understand now why I did what I did?”

All this time, Laila had read the situation wrongly. She thought Max wanted her because she was the unattainable. The sister to his family rival and therefore, a forbidden fruit. He’d allowed her to think ill of him for all this months, which ultimately had her keeping him at bay. Yet, he’d proven her wrong. He hadn’t married her out of spite. He was protecting her from a monster. Would she have liked to be told the truth? Yes. But she also understood that the information was not his to share. He was protecting Mahira. Looking down at her hands, the sparkling engagement ring she chose to wear today told her everything she needed to know. The man who had taken a bullet for her, was willing to save her from a dreadful future by marrying her. He might not be perfect, but he was a far better man that she chose to give him credit for. When she lifted her head, her attention directed at Max and although he tried to hide it, she could see the disdain and anger he held for Hamza. As if by some magnetic force, she took his free hand and clasped their fingers together before she finally spoke. “I do.” Realizing that she had wronged him, she was more than willing to bow her head and apologize. It was after all, the right thing to do. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. I didn’t know. It’s not an excuse. You’ve always tried to protect me. I should have known that’s what you’re trying to do all along.”

The relief hearing her say those words was astronomical, how could it not be when this secret had finally after so long unraveled, clearing up so many things between them. Maksim has considered so many times to go to his cousin and beg her to either give him permission to tell Laila herself, yet he hadn’t wanted to seem insensitive nor did he want to face the question of why that was even important when Laila was supposed to be madly in love with him. His patience this time around had served him well with the two woman coming together on their own and discussing the matter without his interference. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as she held her hand, he closed his fingers around the small hand content, yet containing his joy for the time being. “I haven’t always made my intentions, or motivations clear. And given what you think of me,” His womanizing ways, and lack of heart. “I can understand why you reacted the way you did.” He said, as happy as he was his guards were done, and he was speaking from the heart. Lifting her hand he brought it up to his face kissing the back of her hand gently before returning their joined hands to his lap. “How was the rest of your day?” He asked settling into the long stretch of journey ahead of them.

Max cared about her more than he led on. Her husband wasn’t just someone who was heartless. Whether she knew it or not, he always had Laila’s best interest at heart. She simply wasn’t seeing it because like he admitted, he had never made his intentions known. Expressing himself was hard. She didn’t understand it, and wished that he would change if only to avoid more miscommunication between them, yet this was the reality of it. For all his shortcomings, however, she did feel fondly for him, maybe even loved him—though she stubbornly chose not to think about it for fear that he might not feel the same. “I know, but it’s not an excuse when you’ve always wanted what’s best for me.” She said, her heart pounding as he squeezed her hand before he kissed the back of it. With his gaze mainly on the road, he has yet to realize that she was wearing his engagement ring. So, when he questioned her about the rest of her day, she lifted their joined hand from his lap and placed it by the steering wheel, as to not impede his line of vision. “It was fairly uneventful, but…” She paused to inhale a breath before continuing. “I wore your ring today. It fits perfectly with my wedding band, don’t you think?” Along with that, Max fit perfectly into her life, as if he was meant for her all along and if she had opened her eyes, perhaps she would have seen it sooner.

Maksim could understand Laila’s frustrations with the way they’d gotten married, she was after all like any other woman who expected romance, courtship, and a proposal leading up to a grand wedding. However, from the day she invited him to that coffee shop to announce to him that she was engaged, any small chance they may have had at that being the trajectory of their relationship went away. Smothered further by her refusal to heed his warnings that Hamza was not the right guy for her. But here they were now, all of that in the past. “I’m glad you understand that now, everything I’ve ever done has been with you in mind, darling. Remember that.” He said with a content sigh, for the first time he felt like he could breathe easy with her not upset with him over something. His gaze drifted to her hand as she went to place it on the steering wheel, the addition of the diamond on her finger catching his attention, his heart seizing for a moment in his chest at the sight of the ring he’d picked out for months ago now, sitting perfectly on her finger. “It look perfect on you.” He said smiling over to her for a moment before the road demand his attention again. The next few hours went by better than he could’ve hoped for they stopped for a quick meal on the road and then reached the hotel pretty late at night. He got them checked in and their language brought up to the room. When they were finally alone in the room he took off his jacket tossing it to the corner or the room before sitting down on the bed and rubbing his sore neck, stiff from driving for six hours straight. Looking over at Laila he smiled reaching for her hand bringing her over to stand between his legs. “So Missus Markov, what shall we call it an early night to wake up early to catch the ferry to the island early tomorrow night, or would you rather sleep in?”

Everything made better sense now. Max’s hatred for Hamza, and why he’d taken her away on her wedding day. He might not be able to express his feelings for her, but his confession, and everything he’d done for her sake, it all spoke of his sincerity. This wasn’t just about attaining the unattainable, this was him trying to take care of her. Whatever he felt, it went deeper than the superficial. It wasn’t lust, or mere attraction, it was infinitely more. Laila wished she was daring enough to question him, to make him admit to what he felt. Yet, she chose not to go there. For now, this was enough. Knowing that he wanted her and had risk war in order to have her, that was enough. “I know now.” She concurred, her eyes sparkling with admiration and the emotion she has yet dare to name for her husband. When she saw the happiness playing along his handsome features as he took note of the engagement ring she chose to wore, her smile deepened. More than ever now, she was sure she had done the right thing by choosing to put it on. Today would be the start of a new chapter. “You did a great job picking it for me.” Then, she leaned in to press a kiss on his cheek and before long, they settled for the start of their weekend getaway. Six hours seemed to pass by in a breeze. They made a few stops for fuel and dinner, and by the time they got to their suite, it was already late. Seeing Max rubbing his neck, she went to him willing, her hands replacing him as she stood between his parted thighs. “Sleep in, but first let me take care of you.” Moving away, she settled on her haunches on the bed behind him—her hands kneading away at his neck. “Better?”

Seeing his ring on Laila’s finger was more comforting than Maksim could even begin to express. It almost felt like she’d put aside the last of her anger over how they’d come together and was finally settling into his life, as his wife. The car ride to their destination passed in a breeze in her company, though after the long drive his muscles felt stiff and he was restless to get to their hotel room when they did get to the hotel. Bringing him into his arms when they were finally settled in, Max rubbing slow circles on her sides where he gripped her waist, relaxing into her touch when her hands came up to rub his neck. When she left his arms he watched her shift before she was out of his line of vision as she settled in behind. And when her slender figures began massaging the taut muscles in earnest his eyes briefly fluttered shut ad he groaned in pleasure and relief at her warm touch. “That’s perfect, darling.” He muttered, leaning into her touch. He let her work her magic touch for a few minutes before he caught her hands in his, he glanced at the ring on her finger kissing her knuckle just above it before tugging her close as he reached around bringing her onto his lap. His eyes were soft as he looked into her beautiful face a moment, his hand reaching up to rest at her jaw, thumb gently running along her jaw. “Thank you, for the neck rub, and for wearing the ring.” He said with a soft smile.

Laila could still remember her defiance all those months ago when Max was trying to scare her away from Hamza. To be perfectly fair, he hadn’t been honest with her. So, how was she to know the reason behind his hatred for her than fiancé? She couldn’t, but she supposed, she should have taken a harder look at Hamza. The other male had been rather good at covering his tracks since even Eren hadn’t known of his sordid past. As high handed as her brother might be, she couldn’t imagine that he was the sort of man who would marry her off to a man of low character. At least by his standards. She felt so much regret over her past behavior towards Max, however, there was nothing she could do about it now. Moving forward, she would just have to be better to him. With her sitting behind him, she gently massaged his neck—working the knots away. The act might not be enough to right all her wrongs, but it was a start. Minutes passed, and when he stopped her by bringing her left hand to his lips, a warm smile settled across her features. It was uncharacteristic of him to be so gentle with her, and yet, here they were and soon, she found herself on his lap as he thanked her for the massage and for wearing his ring. “Don’t thank me. I wanted to.” She said, being equally gentle. Then, she lifted her head to press a chaste kiss on his lips, but before long, the softness gave way to arousal as she cupped his cheeks and deepened the kiss. Oxygen caused her to pull back and when she did, her lust darkened gaze met his. Without preamble, her request slipped out, “Take me, Max. I’m ready.”

There was a time when it would’ve been laughable to think himself capable of being so completely wrapped up by a woman that he saw and heard no one else. Laila lived in his mind constantly yet, as happy as he was he was also incredibly dense over just why that was. He simply hadn’t stopped to think about it, to check in with himself and come to the realization that there was a very critical reason behind the way he was behaving these days. No the man was too distracted by the need to be present in the moment as he held her in his arms. Laila was clearly in different spirits today, the woman had never been this gentle and docile with him since they’d met. Max found it to be so incredibly enticing, his eyes hazing over with desire, desire that he saw reflected back in her own gaze. One of his hands cradled her spine, as the other buried itself in her silky hair, holding her face as they kissed. Seeing as his desire for her was never truly satiated, having her lithe body in his arms had his cock instantly stiffening between them. He kissed her slow and deep, relishing on her soft lips and the taste of her as he explored her mouth.

When they finally parted for air, he still held her face close resting his forehead against hers, “You don’t know the weight that’s lifted off my shoulders, hearing you say that sweetheart.” He said as he gazed into her beautiful face in complete revery. It was however her next works that had his heat racing, blinking slowly as he absorbed those words, words he’d been wanting to hear for months now, fuck no, he’d wanted to hear those words come out of her mouth for years now. “Fuck I was dying to hear you say that.” He growled as he lifted her and flipped them around so she could lie back in the bed, sitting back before he joined her he lifted his shirt up and off tossing it to the side before his body covered herself finding her lips as his hands reached beneath her camisole lifting it as his hands traveled squeezing her breasts over her bra. Though quickly the need for her skin took over and he pulled back to grab the hem of her top and helping her out of it, while a hand snaked beneath her unhooking her bra and tossing that in the way of his shirt. His dark eyes drank her in as he sat back, hands trailing down her sides before he hooked his fingers into the waistband of her pants tugging them off her. He didn’t even bother with her panties ripping them away. “You…are exquisite.” He said as he watched her sprawled out bare for him.

For months now, all Laila had done was think of ways to keep Max at bay, yet satisfy him enough so that he would never think of straying. She felt embarrassed by her actions. Embarrassed that she hadn’t considered what he truly felt for her. He wasn’t good with words. God knows, the man was stubborn as hell too, but he had always only wanted her. Why else would he gravitate towards her if he wasn’t attached? When she was around, it almost felt like all he could see was her and the feeling was mutual. It was why she couldn’t truly hate him for kidnapping her and forcing her to marry him. Because at the end of it, she wanted him to be hers. Tonight, she would finally relent and make her his in every sense of the word. A sound akin a chuckle and a whimper escaped as he took charge, where soon she was under him. His hands made quick work for removing her clothing, their lips meeting, tongues clashing in a lustful dance. Her body grew hot, the folds of her sex dampening as he explored her body and then again when his coal colored eyes took her nudity in. “And you’re not naked enough.” She whimpered, tugging at him so their mouths could meet again—hands grasping at the seam button and zipper of his slacks. “Take it off. I want you inside me.” She didn’t even care that she sounded needy. She was. In the wake of the revelation she just discovered, she knew what she wanted. Max. All of him, claiming her as his wife.

Maksim had been hooked long before he even got his first taste of this women, he’d been taken by her breathtaking beauty, but also her sharp tongue, Laila was perfect for him every way. The way she’d handled herself as the face of her families legitimate business ventures, was admirable. Where most of the woman in their world were content to live in the shadows, and simply act the part of the dutiful partner, Maksim know that Laila would not be content with the same, nor did he want that for her. He planned on carving out a place just for her in the organization, as he had in his life. And tonight he would finally have all of her. Maksim chuckled lightly at her little whimper of protest, though the sound was lost against her mouth as he returned the fevered kiss his hand joining hers and kicking the pants and the boxer briefs off until they were both bare. Maksim pressed another kiss to her lips before he lifted off her again, “Not yet, sweetheart. As much as I want to be buried inside you finally, it’s your first time so we have to go slow.” He said, his cock aching painfully in protest at those words as it stood too attention, desperate to be buried in her wetness, yet Max didn’t want her first time to be completely miserable. His fingers brushed over her belly before traveled further down where he slowly parted her slippery folds with them, letting one finger sink into her entrance before his thumb came up to slowly rub circles around her clit. “Let me take care of you,” He said as he moved before her parted legs spreading them wider as he slowly trailed his tongue along her slit, before it dipped into her entrance groaning around her fold at the sweet taste of her on his tongue. His fingers teased her clit steadily as he ate her out.

Laila would have never guessed this outcome a few months ago. When she was told that Hamza wanted to marry her, she had been apprehensive, yet willing to go along with her family’s plan. He’d charmed her, however, it had never been enough because her attention had always been on the man who infuriated her yet also made her heart leap at his presence. Now that she was here, and everything was out in the open, she knew what she wanted. It would always be Max and she wanted him to be the first and last man to touch her intimately. He’d pleasured her with his mouth and hands, but now she craved to have his cock inside her. Was she nervous? A little, but her eagerness overshadowed any doubts she might have had. When she whined about him having too many clothes on, he helped her shove off his pants—though she swore she felt him laugh against her lips. Feeling too worked up to chide him, she ravished his mouth and moaned in protest as he drew back and told her that he needed to go slow. “But-” She began, however, the words died on her lips as his fingers and then his mouth worked her where she truly ached for him. “Fuck, Max. Don’t stop, baby…” Threading her fingers into his thick locks, she threw her head back and gyrated her hips already chasing her climax.

No matter how turbulent things had been between them after the way he’d blackmailed Laila into agreeing to marry him, Maksim wouldn’t take any of it back. Because that decision had brought her into his life and he would tear the world apart if meant keeping her. No amount of blood or grief would keep him away from her. Not now after he knew what it was like to have her in his arms whenever he so desired it, her face the one he fell asleep to every night, and woke to every morning. Maksim knew that part of the reason she was ready to finally have sex with him was because she had finally learned the whole truth about why Max despised Hamza so much and why he hadn’t let her get married to that prick. Yet none of that mattered not when he’d been dying to finally have all of her. In the past Maksim had always made it a point to avoid virgins, not wanting the complications of someone getting overly attached after that first taste of intimacy. But in Laila’s case she was all his, and part of him liked knowing that only he would ever have the privilege of seeing her like this, stripped bare and flushed with pleasure, her body responding to his every touch in kind, experiencing all the ways in which he could pleasure her for the first time. He loved how she was getting bolder in bed, not hesitating to tell him exactly what she wanted, and how. Maksim hummed in response to her imploring, his tongue dipping in an out of her pussy as his fingers continued to tease her clit as it stood to attention, pinching, flicking and teasing it with his fingers before he moved to suck on the bud, while his fingers replaced his tongue at her entrance. Pumping two digits into her, curling his fingers up to stroke the sensitive bundle over nerves inside her. And as he felt her wall tensing around his fingers, growing wetter still in as her orgasm approached he sucked on her clit harder, “Come for me Laila, let go darling.”

While in the throes of pleasure, everything else became inconsequential. All the drama between her and Max—in the way he’d forced her to become his wife. The distrust she felt for him, always wondering if she would ever be enough for him, or if he would stray. And the question of whether or not they could ever have a normal marriage. Each of those topics did not matter to her before tonight, and now that she finally understood the depths of his desire for her—even if he had never told her the three words a wife deserved to know—she could only think of one thing; being his finally. With his mouth on her sex, tongue and fingers working her into a frenzy, her heart thundered as more of her juices spilled with her growing arousal. The room was filled with their moans as stars danced before her eyes. Seconds ticked into minutes and before long, her flushed body began showing signs of climax. The hold she had on his hair tightened, fingers tugging at the strands as her hips shifted. When he finally told her to let go, she felt like a rubber band snapping and with her back arched up, she allowed the waves of pleasure to consume her. His name was all that escaped as the euphoric feeling trickled throughout her body. “Max!”

With his fingers still pumping inside her Max watched as her her body bow and clenched as she rode out her orgasm, the body flush and gleaming with a thin sheen of sweat, glowing brilliantly on the stark white sheets of the bed. He had never seen anyone so beautiful, never been so enraptured by a woman as he was his wife, and never had she looked as beautiful as she did now. Perhaps on the sight of her coming undone around his cock would top this. Maksim continued to his ministration until her body finally relaxed into the bed, pressing a gentle kiss to her mound, then her belly, the valley of her breasts than finally reaching her lips he kissed her deeply, the taste of her still on his tongue. When he broke up away from the kiss he shifted to the side and grabbed another pillow placing it behind head gently before he positioned himself between her legs. With the extra pillow she would have a better view of their bodies finally coming together, for the first time. Max wanted this moment to be one that she never forgets. Taking his cock in he slowly rubbed his head against her opening, growing breathless at the sensation, stiffening further if that was even possible. “I’ll go slow, you let me know when you need me to stop and give you a moment, don’t hold anything back, alright?” He asked, running a had over her head brushing away the hair from he face, pressing a kiss to her lips once before he slowly eased the head of his cock at her opening, she was so fucking tight it took all his control not to push in further seating himself in her warm heat. “You feel fucking amazing darling.”

Everything seemed to explode, bright lights sprinkling around her vision. Her fingers and toes curled tightly as the euphoric sensations hailed down upon her. She could hardly breathe, her heart racing so fast, she was sure she would pass out. There was something about this climax that beat out every single one she had ever experienced. Perhaps being on the same page after all the unnecessary drama was the catalyst. She didn’t know, and she didn’t care. Right now, she only wanted one thing—Max. She didn’t want to hold back anymore. It was time she gave herself to him fully. When their mouths met, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and returned his kisses passionately. Once more, her arousal returned as she tasted herself on his tongue and suddenly, she wanted him inside her with a vigor that nearly knocked the wind out of her sails. The man who had infuriated her for so long was different tonight. He was taking care of her every need even without prompting and that had Laila’s heart racing—although this time it was for a completely different reason. She knew this would hurt, yet she also knew that Max would make this an enjoyable experience. “I’ll be fine. I trust you.” She said gently, sucking in a breath as he entered her—his cock stretching her pussy with every inch. It felt odd, having him inside her, yet for now it didn’t bother her as much. That clearly wasn’t the case when he tore through her innocence. A hiss escaped, and her nails dug into his forearm. “Give me a minute.” She murmured, pulling his neck down and uttering. “Kiss me.”

Hearing her say she trusted him, mad his heart expand in a way he hadn’t experienced before. And in that moment Maksim promised himself he would never let that trust waver, in anyway. Color explored across his vision as inch after inch of his cock entered her tight seat, the way her pussy gripped his cock was unlike anything ever before, it had him dropping his head into her shoulder and groaning against her neck pressing a soft kiss there before he lifted his head again to watch her face to see how she was doing. One of his hands lightly caressed her breast with his hand, teasing the nipple with his thumb to stimulate another part of her body to make this more pleasurable for her. When he felt her digging her nails into his arm he stopped right away, his cock pulsing within her desperate to be buried in her to the hilt though he stayed still to allow her to adjust to the sensation. “Take as much time as you need.” He said his voice coming out hoarse laced with his intense arousal, obliging without a second thought to her request. Kissing her sweet lips gently with care, tongue flicking out for her to part her lips so he could taste more of her.

Trust was a word she didn’t throw out lightly. In the world she lived in, she was constantly kept on her toes, always wary of people. Yet, she couldn’t feel the same about Max. He’d proven to her that he was worthy of her trust on multiple occasions, and tonight being the most important time as she willingly gave herself to him. No one could prepare her for the pain, but like he promised, he was taking care of her. Even when she knew he could have just taken what was rightfully his, he still cared enough to make this pleasurable for her. His kiss and his tenderness, helped and before too long, she felt arousal filling her once more. “You can move now.” She finally told him once their lips were parted, and with her gaze locking in with his—her left hand cupping his cheek. A part of her still wondered if this was even a reality? For years, she’d been forced to keep him at a distance, but now…now she was his wife and he was all hers. Happiness and possessiveness mingled within her, and she knew then she would never be able to walk away from him. This was where she belonged, and he too with her until her last breath.

There was something so deeply intimate in this moment that Maksim could feel the weight of it in his chest. Aside from the fact that he’d never taken another woman virginity, he’d also never been so tender and careful with any woman. There was always only the promise of mutual satisfaction, but on his terms in all his previous relationships, if you could even really call them that. But Laila was his wife, she would be by his side for the rest of his life, his and only his. And now finally after more than a decade of knowing her, of wanting her she was going to be his, truly. When their lips finally parted and she gave him permission to continue, he nodded, slowly slipping another inch of himself inside her watching her face, pressing kisses to her cheek, the intimacy of peering into her eyes as he slowly suck into her to the hilt steadying there letting her once again adjust, though he couldn’t help but groan at the way her walls clamped around his dick in a vice like grip, “You feel amazing, baby. So tight so fucking perfect.” He said as he slowly drew back then rock his hips forward again.

Laila didn’t know Max was capable of tenderness. He’d shown her kindness—even if he didn’t see it that way, yet tenderness wasn’t something he gave out readily. While she had been jealous in the past, whenever a woman would throw their attention towards him at an event or party, she could also see that none of them mattered. In fact, once he spotted her, they would be left in the dust in favor of holding a conversation with her. Most were polite, other times heated as he infuriated her with his words. Only he could burn her ire without much effort. Tonight, he was burning her desire as he took her gently, his lips peppering kisses all over her face. The iciness of her heart—a barrier she’d created in order to protect herself from being hurt by him—melted completely. She felt open and vulnerable, yet she didn’t care. Not right now. Not when she could see her husband clearly for the very first time. Pain made way to pleasure as he canted into her—his cock brushing her sweet spot, which had her moaning before long. “God, baby, more.” She managed to eke out, her legs going around his waist, thighs tightening as she pulled him closer.

This level of control was surprising in himself, Max never had to exhibit such patience when inside a woman before. His bracing arms was trembling, his entire body was trembling in fact with restrain. Each inch of cock slipping further into her tight soaked cunt was euphoric for him with how tight she felt around his cock. The intimacy of the moment was something else however, he’d never felt this connected to another person then he did with her in that moment, and going slow was not all that hard when it would only make the experience more pleasurable for her. Maksim continued to rock slowly inside her, merely a taste of what it would be like when he started fucking her in earnest. He dipped his head into her shoulder, then looking down to where they’re joined he groans, the right of his cock spearing into her tight cunt almost too much. Looking back at her face he watches for how her face eases a bit from the discomfort that was there before, and hearing her asking for more, as she wraps her long legs around his waist bringing him closer does he increase his pace, watching her face the whole time to let him know how she’s doing, should there be any sign of pain or discomfort and he’d ease up. His free hand slips under her squeezing her ass as he shifts the angle of his hips to sink further into her. “How are you doing darling, are you okay?”

Experiencing the amount of care Max was showcasing now, it made Laila grow even more fonder of her husband. He didn’t have to, not when he had already won her over. He could take her hard and fast, be damned her comfort—and she would have allowed it. But he refused to go there. Where did the egoistical Maksim Markov disappear to? The man currently taking her was not at all like the man she first met. He was kind and gentle, and her traitorous heart fell even deeper for him. She kept her gaze locked with his, watching him as her body relaxed to his touch and with time, her pussy welcomed his intrusion. Her juices spilling free, wetting his cock as he thrust into her. When his dark hues traveled down towards where they were joined, her own followed before a moan escaped as she watched him filling her. It had to be the hottest sight she had ever beheld. Her nipples pebbled and her body grew hot with need for him. “I’m fine. You can move faster, Max. I won’t break.”  She promised, her hips canting which had him sinking even deeper inside her. Laila dug her nails into his back, her moans soon filling the room as she felt her peak coming close. Before they were married, she had often pleasured herself with thoughts of him, but never in her wildest imagination had she dreamed that it could be this hot to be taken by Max. She wanted him more than she did before, and she no longer wanted him to hold back his passion.

Maksim watched Laila intently as he continued bucking into her at an increased pace now but he was nowhere near close to fucking her quite like the way he wanted to. But they would get there, he didn’t want to rush this and give off the impression he was only seeking out his own pleasure. In a way he was actually, considering he derived just much pleasure in seeing and hearing her moans of enjoyment. The sight made his cock ache all the more for her. The woman was sheer perfection in his eyes but it was when he had her under him, completely bare and spread out for him that he found her the most stunning. And he could never get enough of her. The feel of her pussy pulling him in tighter, squeezing around him almost painfully was nearly too much for Maksim but he was intent to come with her for the first time inside of her. At her words of  encouragement he pressed a firm kiss to her lips. “Good because you feel so fucking amazing around my cock, I want to fuck you raw.” He said shifting so they could begin for real. He was braced on one arm beside her head,  his other hand slaying out over her mound so that his thumb can run soft circles around her clit while also pressing down on her womb so with each hard stroke of his cock her could kiss her sweet spot. She’s so tight, so beautiful, so fucking perfect as she moans and whimpers as he fucks her into the bed in deep hard thrusts. “Fuck, baby you feel like perfection.” He groans as cants his hips harder with each thrust.

More than ever now, Laila was positive that Max was who she should have ended up with all along. Was he perfect? No. But he was perfect for her. He understood her even despite their differences and she couldn’t be happier than she was in this very moment. After finding out the truth about Hamza, she was glad he took her away. Her wedding day came with much trepidation, and if she was being honest, a part of the reason was Max. She wanted him even when she shouldn’t. It had always been him. What started out as flirtation turned into something infinitely deeper—in spite of her fears to admit her feelings. Pleasure began to fill her—the pain of his initial penetration disappearing altogether now. She was having a harder time controlling her moans as her climax began to peak. With each thrust, the tip of his cock brushed her womb and with it, stars sparked every time. “Yes. Harder. Fuck me, baby. Take what belongs to you.” She encouraged as she chased her climax. Focusing on his handsome face became a chore with her eyelids drifting shut as he circled her clit with his thumb. Laila could feel her cunt pulsing, gripping him tighter as more of her nectar spilled free. Her nails dug into the flesh of her husband’s shoulders the closer she came to nirvana. “I’m close.” She warned him, knowing her inevitable release was coming to a close and with it, she bucked her hips—pleading for more of him.

Lately it felt like all roads led to Laila and Maksim didn’t mind that in the least. The woman had come into his life, and making space for her had felt effortless like she had belonged there all along. There was a comfort in coming home to her every night that Max hadn’t expected. Waking up to her in his bed, getting ready for the day with her was his favorite part of each day. Some mornings she’d lazily lie around with nothing going on in her morning to get up for. Other times they’d be getting ready together. The best mornings were those where they’d shower together, or lie in bed together before getting going. Maksim was simply happier these days, and it was like his happiness was bleeding into his surroundings things were calm, no fires that he needed to put out, and that was in part why this weekend had been possible for him. A shipment had been delayed and he’d seized the opportunity to get away with his beautiful wife. He’d planned everything, and packed both their bags during lunch the day before. It had been difficult keeping the trip a surprise even if was simply for a day. But it had all worked out. They were together, they’d made it to their destination and somewhere along the way, even if took weeks in the making they were truly coming together as husband and wife. Wave after wave of pleasure coursed through Max, amplified both by the fact that he’d been semi chaste for so long, and the fact that wife was a virgin. Though the words leaving her mouth were far from virginal, and made him groan in approval. “Fuck, darling you killing me.” He said as he sat back on his haunches and lifted her bottom, and held her hips as he slammed into her hard her pussy gripping him each time time he plundered into her driving him towards his release, her tensing body, and the way she gripped him let him know she was close before she even had to say it. “Come for me darling, fuck I’m close too.” He ground out as returned a hand to her mound, circling and teasing her clit again to help her along until they both came crashing together, Max bent down kissing her hard as he came deep inside her.

With all the misunderstandings sorted out, Laila knew more than ever now that this was where she belonged. With Max. It was funny how life worked. They went from being strangers meeting in college and somehow becoming unlikely friends. She should not have wanted him, nor should he have wanted her. She had seen every side of him. The good… The bad… And even the ugly. Yet the caring side to him did not come until the day after he was shot. When she had cried in his arms, afraid that she had lost him after the nightmare she was awoken from, he showed her that there was a heart underneath that hard demeanor. Maksim Markov wasn’t as heartless as she thought he was. Tonight, he showcased his tenderness yet again as he patiently waited on her to get used to being one with him. It was that gentleness that helped her body to relax. And before long she felt pleasure raining down on he. Laila’s back arched, as more of her natural juices leaked out of her with each thrust. She moaned loudly and even pleaded for more. Using crude words that would have never passed her in a normal setting, but now that she was so close, she could careless about the implication. Besides, this was Max. He would never judge her. Not when he never shied away from saying crude remarks in the past.

He didn’t disappoint her; giving her everything that she pleaded for. Lila was unsure how long she would be able to hold back as the pleasure continued to peak and her stomach filled with butterflies as her peak edged even closer. She knew she would get there, but she needed Max’s help in order to accomplish the feat. He knew how to play her like a guitar. Stroking her where she needed to reach the inevitable end. Finally, she found heaven as her climax claimed her and along with that Max as well as he released inside her. The sensation was odd, yet not unwelcomed as it pushed her over a bit further. She was out of breath by the time she pulled her mouth away from his. Her eyes were shining in the aftermath, hands cupping her husband’s handsome face. “If I had known it would feel this good to be taken by you, I would have done it sooner.” She lifted her chin to nip at his bottom lip. “Please tell me we can do that again in a few minutes. I’m not done with you yet.” She murmured against his mouth.

“Why?” Mahi frowned, peering at Laila with open curiosity.

“It can’t have been easy to be a single parent at such a young age, and juggle a career.”

While Mahi appreciated the kind words, she also didn’t think she was anymore special than the other single parents out there. She just so happened to be lucky to have a huge support network. To add to that, having money helped too. She wouldn’t be able to do everything if money was an issue.

“Having family helps.” Mahi merely stated, before leaning in and tilting her head. “You know, I’m surprised you became a part of our family considering it was announced that you would be marrying Hamza Dermici.” She winced at having to mention the other male. “But marrying Maksim is probably the best choice you could make.”

Laila who had kept her questions at bay for all this time couldn’t stop herself from spouting the queries that had been plaguing her mind for all this time. Why was everyone so against Hamza? It was as if she’d dodged a bullet, and yet, she had no clue why?

“Is something wrong with Hamza?” She asked, but quickly added, “I mean, I do love Max,” was she telling the truth? Perhaps. At this point, she wasn’t sure what was the truth and what was make belief anymore. “But why is everyone so against Hamza?”

Mahi frowned and for a moment, she looked away—her gaze going glassy as she peered out into the horizon. She swore she would never tell anyone about the circumstances of her son’s birth. But, Laila was family now. She deserved to know. Resolved to tell the truth, she turned to look at Laila before everything she’d been holding back came spilling free.

“Hamza and I dated for six months. At the time, I thought he loved me.” Sarcastic laughter spilled from her lips before she continued, “I was stupid, and thought he was the one for me. Until I fell pregnant and he shoved me aside like I’m no better than a roach. He wanted me to abort my pregnancy, but I refused. He blamed everything on me. As if I purposely got myself pregnant. When I left that day, I swore I would never ask him for anything. Andrei is my child, not his.”

Laila’s heart plummeted to her stomach and her throat grew tight. She didn’t know what to say, and so, she grabbed a hold of Mahira’s hand and grasped it tightly. “Thank you for telling me. I didn’t know.”

“You couldn’t have.” Mahi said through a tight smile, squeezing Laila’s hand. “You dodged a bullet, Laila. I’m glad you did.”

“I know.” Laila admitted.

Her mind reeled with the new information. How was she supposed to process all this? And what did this mean for her marriage? That was something she had to figure out on her own.

Maksim walked out of the bathroom when he heard his phone going off where he had it on the charger the man stood shirtless, with a wet towel in hand absently wiping at the blood on his neck and torso. This was not the first time he’d come home covered in blood and likely would not be the last. Maksim pressed the phone to his ear barely giving the man on the other line any kind of greeting before he himself just proceeded to update Maksim on the aftermath of the confrontation at the docks. Maksim committed to memory each of their own that had been harmed as Yuri filled him in. He looked after the men that would bleed for the Bravta. It was then that Laila appeared in the room like a storm cloud and before he could say anything to either her or the man he was talking to her lips were on his and though he kept his phone pressed to his ear and Yuri on the other end kept talking he returned the kiss.

Maksim let the towel drop on the nightstand so he that he could hold the curve of her waist bringing her flush to him, returning the kiss but not deepening it right in that moment. It was a wonder he could even drag himself out of this room, when she tasted so sweet despite the in fervor with which her lips currently moved against his own. Despite his distraction he was disappointed at the lose of her when she finally did pull back. Once again before he could motion for her to stop, or say anything she was already talking, a muscle in his jaw worked as he brought the phone away from his ear a moment to show her that she needed to be quiet. His mind was racing at her words but fuck he needed to get off the phone first. “Yuri, I’ll call you back.” Was all he said before he ended the call tossing his phone into his bed. “When have I had the time, to even be thinking about anyone else, Laila?” Was his response shaking his head. “Why are you so worked up? What did you even talk about, and why? Whatever I had with Amirah is in the past.”

In her annoyance and jealous state, she didn’t take note of Max’s appearance, nor did she pay much mind to the fact that he was on the phone. Laila was seeing red and green. She needed to have this talk, and to demand answers from her husband. The brunette hadn’t been joking when she warned him of her departure should he choose to touch another woman. He’d forced her into this marriage, and she at least deserved his loyalty. The kiss she pressed on his lips was of a possessive nature. She was still highly irritated by Amirah’s words and while she knew Max wouldn’t have the chance to screw the other woman—not since he was always with her, where he would give her lessons of seduction every night—still his track record didn’t help with her confidence. Her dark gaze pinned his, brows furrowing as she waited for him to get off the phone. If she wasn’t so annoyed, she would see the remnants of blood on his naked chest—splotches of it imprinted on her designer blouse as she hastily kissed him.

“You’re not with me twenty-four-seven, Max. For all I know, you could be screwing a million women behind my back.” She spat back, his response not at all helping to cool her ire. Did he even hear himself? Sometimes she wondered if he was purposely trying to antagonize her. He might be innocent here, and she could be overreacting, yet the tone he used wasn’t helping his cause. “She was at the spa, the moment she saw me, she was on me. I don’t go seeking trouble with any of the women you’ve slept with. So, if you think this is my fault, think again.” Truly, she wasn’t the confrontational kind. She always minded her own business. But when trouble came, what should she do? Was she expected to stand down? Un-fucking-likely. “It better be in the past or I swear I will leave and you will never see me again.” She reiterated, needing him to know how serious she was.

Maksim could only begin to imagine what the scene at the Spa had been like. Both the women were head strong, and pretty damn high strung. Max didn’t doubt they were like both as culpable in that confrontation refusing to back down or allow the other even the slightest mercy in wake of their own pride. A part of him wished he could’ve been there to witness just what Laila had so say to the other woman, he could already picture her looking incredibly sexy getting possessive and territorial over him. Though perhaps it was better that he wasn’t because he’d like have to deal with a much greater headache than even the one she was currently causing him. Though it was not simply her accusations but also the events of the day that had him drained and reacting in the way that he was, not treading lightly in the way of his angered wife. Someday he would catch on that perhaps a more placating tone was needed to quell a woman’s ire in situations like this one but for the time being he knew nothing of how not to further antagonize your furious wife.

Max ran a hand over his face sighing heavily before he tried again. Though he was now convinced this woman would on day be the death of him in one way or another, should he even consider any transgression she deemed unacceptable she would show him no mercy. He took both her wrist tugging her closer placing her hands on his chest before he took a hold of her waist keeping her in place flush against him as he peered down at her, dark eyes intense and insistent. “I may not be with you all day every day, but you’re on my mind at all times. My days are spent in waiting to get back here to you.” He was already learning or perhaps it was his talent for knowing exactly the right words to turn any situation in his favor. In this case however, the words he spoke held complete truth, he was not saying it just because it was what she wanted to hear. There really was no one but his new wife that he thought about. His days were spent in tortured thoughts of how he might get her to put aside her anger and distrust off him. How he might convince her to finally let him take her, make her his in every fucking way. “There is no one else, there will be no one else, what can I do to convince you of that?”

Laila didn’t have time to deal with infidelity. Maybe other wives wouldn’t mind that their husbands were cheating on her, but it would never be okay for her. Perhaps if she couldn’t give a shit about Max, she might have just closed an eye and allow him to take a lover or however man he wanted. But if he thought he was the only selfish party here, he was wrong, because she too was equally as selfish and possessive. The idea of another woman touching him in the way he had allowed her to touch him made her stomach roll. She didn’t want to think about it. Yet when Amirah confronted her earlier, she was forced to face the possibility that he might stray. There was a reason the phrase men are pigs was invented. They couldn’t be trusted and as much as she wanted to believe he would only ever touch her intimately; the fact wasn’t a guarantee. Jealousy reared its ugly head and before she could even straighten out her thoughts, she had reacted. It wasn’t fair of her to accuse him of wrong doing when he’d been here with her at every chance. Even the maids commented to the fact. Still, she wouldn’t back down.

He was hers since he saw fit to blackmail her into marrying him and she demanded his fidelity. A whoosh of air left her diaphragm as he tugged at her wrist, pulling her close before placing her palms on his chest. Again, her breath was knocked out of her sails. Damn him. She wanted to roll her eyes at his smooth words, but all that came out was, “I better be,” with a slight pout on her plump lips. Only he could annoy her in one minute and then cool her temper with his lines. Then again, she was the fool for falling for it every time. As she peered into his dark eyes, all she saw was the truth. He might be a bastard, but Max wasn’t a very good liar—at least not with her since she was a little too good at spotting his lies. With his promise, it truly should have quelled her anxiousness, and in a small way, it did. However, there was still something gnawing at her. Something that made her want to claim him as hers, yet for the life of her, she didn’t know what it was. “I don’t know.” She sighed. “I can’t tell you to stay away from her. She’s an associate of yours, and I’m not irrational. Just keep your hands off her and any other woman.” She stood on the tip of her toes to press a light kiss on his lips.

While Maksim wasn’t entirely opposed to this possessive and jealous side to Laila it did also speak to her lack of trust in what he had to say. He’d promised her the first night they’d spent as husband and wife that he wanted her and only her. It did not matter to him that she was not yet ready to give herself over to him fully, he would wait for her as long as it took. She was everything he’d ever wanted so why would he settle for low hanging fruit? “Good, Amirah is not only an important business associate but also a close family friend. So I can’t promise you this will be the last you see of her, but I can assure you I’ve never wanted her in the way I want you.”  Perhaps he should have stipulated to her that he never never returned the feelings the other woman had harbored for him, yet she was still his friend like he’d said moment ago and he did not wish to have that getting back to her in anyway. His hands slid down along the curve of her body before he rest them firmly on her tight ass, his lips moving against hers at her pace for a moment before he depended the kiss one of his hands leaving her bottom to tangle into her thick hair. “Why would I need anyone else when I’ve got my hands full with you, Princess?” He asked as he nipped at the corner of her mouth sucking the pouty lip into his mouth with his hand at her bottom slid down to the back of her thigh lifting her up so she could wrap her long legs around his waist as he carried her to the bathroom, where he sat her down beside the sink. Pulling back with a parting peck. “Let’s get cleaned up, your top is stained.” He said as he pulled back to look at her. His hands going to the hem of her shirt helping her pull it off.

Laila might be annoyed, but she also wasn’t unreasonable. She knew how things worked, and alliances didn’t come easy in the criminal world. So, like it or not, Max would have to continue working with Amirah. She would just have to trust that he would keep his hands to himself, and maybe it was her overconfidence talking, but she had a feeling that Amirah wouldn’t want to have anything else to do with Max after their chat earlier. In a way, they were similar. Both so overly high-strung, and yet when it came down to it, they still had their pride. The other woman didn’t seem to be the type who would resort to stealing someone else’s husband. Despite her ire, her lips curled into a smile at his statement. “Oh yeah? Tell me more.” She managed to utter before she claimed his lips with hers in gentle kiss. Things were still delicate between them and with both  not knowing how to communicate without it turning into an argument, their lessons seemed to be the only thing they could do without conflict arising. She supposed it wasn’t that bad. It was only bad if they couldn’t see eye to eye on anything. “You better remember that.” She tried to sound stern, but she wasn’t sure she was very successful at her delivery. Before long, she was being carried away—her legs wrapped around his waist—while he teased her lips with his mouth. It was when he placed her down next to the sink, did she notice the blood on her shirt. “I should ask, but I’m afraid of the answer.” She stated before she lifted her arms and assisted him in removing her shirt and bra. Meanwhile, her legs were still wound around his waist when she tugged him close and claimed his lips again.

For Max things had not changed too much from before, they still flirted, and fought and argued like they used to before. However they were now getting know one another more intimately. He’d taken his time committing every inch of her body to memory, he relished in the moment he could have her in him his arms, completely bare for him and him alone. And in that way perhaps he did not share in her discontentment, because he was not yet seeking a deeper emotional connection to her, at least not intentionally. Though there was no denying how completely taken he was with him. More now than even when he couldn’t have her. Not when he now had the taste and feel of her on his mind. His lips upturned against hers, she founded more adorable than anything else trying to sound stern, and fuck if it didn’t make his cock ache. “Why don’t you give me something to remember then?” Because as much as he had it still wasn’t enough he was dying to fuck her, to feel her tight heat wrapped around him. Perhaps this was his punishment, the amount of patience he was having to show. A true trail for a man who never had to wait for anything, anything he wanted would be his with little effort. Except for Laila, always Laila. “It’s not important.” Max said glad that she didn’t sound too keen on knowing the cause of all the blood, it would be better to spare her the details. Once her bra was tossed to the Max wasted no time in touching her, his hands traveling up her side before he palmed both of her breasts in his hands, while his lips moved against her. Before long his hands traveled down to undo the zipper on her pants helping her out of them, and her panties in one quick yank. He didn’t waste anytime stripping off the rest of his clothes as well picking her up and carrying her into the large shower, his lips finding her again as he stood with her under the light steam of warm water. He pressed a hand flat to her back holding her flush against him.

At this very moment, Laila wished she could give herself to Max. Maybe if she did, she wouldn’t have to worry about his fidelity. Trust was something hard to come by, and if he had married her in the traditional way, instead of forcing her hand. She wasn’t even asking him to date her, but didn’t she deserved to be told that he wanted to marry her? Romance was definitely her husband’s strongest suit, but she couldn’t lie and say that his touch didn’t set her ablaze. He turned her on—no matter how much he irritated her. Which was why not surrendering herself fully to him was torture. She’d been given a taste of him, but like a junkie, she wanted more. When they were both naked, and she was given a view of his impressive cock, a part of her was a little skittish by the size. It looked like it would hurt having him inside her. However, she still wanted to know what it felt like to be taken by him, to have him claim her fully. “Maybe I will.” Came her response before her mouth was on his and she was ravishing his lips like her life depended on it. She had heard jealousy could make people do some crazy things, but would it make someone behave wantonly? His statement caused her mind to spin, and suddenly an idea brewed within her. She smiled against his lips, thinking that she was about to give him something he would truly remember. Not wanting to think about the blood spots on her blouse, she chose to assist him in undressing them both and before too long, he was carrying her into the shower. With her mind made, not even the shower could hinder from her mission. As they kissed, her right hand trailed down his body until she had a hold on his erection. “I want to suck your cock. How’s that for something to remember?” She said against his lips as she stroked him.

Makism’s perception of love had always been slightly skewed, he’d grown up watching their father ignore their mother. The man had always been more invested in his position and grip on power than in his relationship, and at times even his children. Perhaps it was because he lived away from home much longer than Damien had that perception of marriage never quite changed for him. From his father he learned only to violence, and the thirst for power. If he didn’t respect his brother so much perhaps Maksim would’ve made a play for the title of Pahkan long ago, in that sense it was perhaps his mother’s influence that softened his edges against his fathers lessons. And while Maksim knew to some extent what Laila needed to hear he had never made promises he couldn’t keep, or spoken falsehoods to any woman to get her to bend to his will. Why his promises that he would remain faithful and want no one but her were not enough Max could not understand. Thank fuck all that didn’t seemed to matter when they were both thoroughly lost in each other. And when her hand wrapped around his cock all other thoughts well away as he let out a deep groan against her mouth. A smirk played across his lips as he glanced down at her hand holding his cock, “Perhaps I should let you get territorial more often, if it gets you in this kinda mood.” Reaching behind him he shut off the water for now, considering this was her first time taking any man into his mouth he didn’t want her struggling to breath as well. “You know I’m not going to refuse that, it’s all yours anyway.”

Laila didn’t understand why it was so hard for her husband to tell her how he felt. Max wanted her, and from what he’d told her before, it was always her that he wanted. Yet it was hard for him to say it, to tell her that he didn’t want her with anyone else. If she was combative, and hard to deal with, it was partly because of his confusing nature. How could she truly trust that he wouldn’t touch another woman when he found it hard to talk to her? Perhaps she wouldn’t act like the overbearing, possessive wife if she knew what he truly felt about her. Lust didn’t equal fidelity. He might want her physically, but there was no guarantee he would stay faithful to her. As soon as they were in the shower, he pressed her against the shower wall and ravished her mouth with the warm spray of water drenching them both. She felt bold tonight, or maybe it was her possessiveness talking, but her hand wandered down to his shaft where she stroked him. “Don’t test me, Max. I’m not always going to be so forgiving. If another of your past conquests piss me off again, I’ll stop letting you touch me.” She didn’t stop her ministration—her right hand still moving, stroking his cock. His statement emboldened her spirit and once he’d shut off the water, she shifted down—leaving open mouthed kisses in her wake until she was staring at his impressive dick. “Tell me if I’m doing it wrong.” Her dark gaze peered up at his lust filled features before she took the tip of him into her mouth.

Seeing as Maksim thought of no one but his gorgeous wife, that wasn’t going to be a problem, and though keeping her away from all the women he’d had between his sheets over the years might prove to be a great challenge as evidenced by today’s incident he also knew how needy and pliant she was to his touch and perhaps it was his self confidence speaking but he knew he could convince her to change her mind. More than anything her threats seemed to heighten his desire and want for her. He liked it when she was demanding, and possessive, when she didn’t hesitate to stake her claim on him. “Oh really? That sounds a lot like you’d be punishing yourself along with me.” He commented as he watched her lithe body slowly slink down until she reached his cock. And fuck if he didn’t stiffen further at the sight of her holding his cock as she peered up at him. In place of a response he cursed under his breath, and groaned as light danced across his vision when she finally took him into her hot mouth. “Your doing fucking great.” He said as he gripped one of the ledges along the shower wall.

He was right, if she didn’t let him touch her, she would be suffering too. Damn him and his smart mouth. Was there ever a time he couldn’t find his words? More than likely, never. This was what they were like with each other—always with clever retorts. “I have fingers. I’ll be fine.” She managed to say before she was kissing her way down and fisting his cock. It was a bit unnerving to be down here when she had never done this before. But her nerves was not enough to deter her, and so she’d closed her lips around his erection, taking him in slowly. Her gaze directed itself towards his handsome face, watching as the pleasure washed over him. She focused at that crown of him first, using light suction while she swirled the tip of her tongue along the seam, tasting his precum. When she grew confident in her action, she slidfurther, relaxing her throat and taking his erection in until he hit the back of her throat. Her eyes watered, yet she stayed staring up at him—if only to hear his critic or praises. Laila wasn’t sure what she looked like to his eyes, but she hoped, it would arouse him further.

Maksim couldn’t help but chuckle at that, “I thought we established that first night that mine can work you so much better than your own, and the things my tongue can do…you wouldn’t miss that?” He asked unable to help himself, always pushing her buttons. However, it was when she finally took his cock into her hot mouth that he lost all thoughts, this was attention he’d so sorely needed since it had now been weeks since he’d satiated his needs. He was trying to be patient with her, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t suffering for however well he’d managed to hide it this far. His hand reached down pushing her hair from her face and gripping it lightly as she worked more of him into her mouth. The sight and sensation of her soft lips working over the length of him had his pulsing in her mouth. “You’re doing great, baby. Fuck that feels amazing.” He muttered voice husky, and aroused.

He wasn’t wrong, his touch and the way he could work magic with his tongue, she couldn’t even fathom replicating. But, would she agree with him? No. His ego was already inflated as it was. He didn’t need her help at inflating it further. Instead of arguing with him, she decided to focus on bringing him release. Why she never thought of this before tonight was beyond her. He must be dying each time he would touch her. While she had never left him high and dry, she didn’t try to return the favor either. The most she would do was watch as he stroked himself to completion. The sight fascinated her and it had curiosity filling her mind. Her jealousy had thrown her into doing this—kneeling before him as she sucked his cock. She didn’t think his moans could turn her on, yet the ache she felt had proven her wrong. With her gaze remaining on his handsome face, he increased her efforts, taking him even deeper inside her throat and releasing a moan at his praises. It burned a fire within her, urging her to bring him to release, so her efforts escalated. Before long, her head was bobbing and taking his entire erection in caused her to gag, she didn’t stop. Minutes flew by, and with it, she saw his features contorting, and his release imminent. Laila moved her mouth away, just to say, “Come for me, Max. I want to taste you,” before going back to what she had been doing.

Colors danced across his vision, and it felt like she was undoing weeks of pent of tension, no release he could bring himself would compare, perhaps nothing but the feel of her tight pussy wrapped around his cock would compare. This wasn’t the first time a woman had gone down on him, but the sight of Laila on her knees her pretty face flushed as she bobbed her head on him was thee most arousing sight. The sound of her moans seemed to reverberate through him, the pleasure mounting and he knew he couldn’t be able to hold out much longer. He groaned at her words his gripping tightening on her hair, as he came undone when she took him back into her mouth. He rested his head back against the wall, breathing labored as he came down from his orgasm. His fingers slid from her hair reaching down to swipe away some of the cum that had dribbled from her mouth, the sight of his lips painted with his seed had him stiffened once again. Helping her up he pulled her into him capturing her mouth in a fevered kiss before he spoke. “You were perfect.” He muttered against her lips as his hands trailed her sides before gripping her tight ass, squeezing. Soon the desire to see her withering in just as much pleasure took hold and her was flipped her around bringing her flush against his back as he feasted on her taut flesh of her neck, hands finding her breasts lifting, squeezing and teasing the peaks with his thumb, “Tell me how you want it, whatever you want is yours.”

Laila relaxed her throat as he spent himself inside her mouth. The first spurt caught her off guard, the taste was different, but oddly it wasn’t bad. She tried to swallow ever drop of his release, yet she felt some spilling from her mouth anyway. Nothing else mattered, of course. All she could focus on was at the look of pleasure on his handsome face. The knowledge that she brought it on through her touch, managed to soothe her worries for the moment. For now, he was fully hers. She didn’t have to worry about another woman sinking their claws into her husband. In a traditional marriage, where a husband and wife loved each other, fidelity was an unspoken rule. It wasn’t that simple for them. He was hers, yet she wasn’t sure if she could truly trust him fully. His track record with women didn’t help matters. It only added on to her paranoia. If only she could ignore it, and choose to remain docile like other mafia wives… Her attention was forced back onto her husband as seconds later, she was back on her feet, his mouth claiming hers in a kiss that caused her arousal to burn. “I’ll just have to keep sucking your cock then.” She murmured, nipping his bottom lip as a whimper of need sounded when he squeezed her ass. He was back in charge soon after, torturing her with his touch and making her moan needily. “Your fingers. I want it inside me.” She said gasping.

Every moan and whimper out of her mouth fueled his own fever, no matter how many times he’d had her in his arms now he always wanted more. Maksim couldn’t be in a room with her and keep his hands off of her. When in public it was more light touches, pulling her into his side, an arm around the waist, lingering at her back, or holding her hand, and when they got back to their bedroom he didn’t wait long before having her out of all her clothes and having his way with her. She really had nothing to worry about, Max hadn’t so much as glanced at another woman with interest the moment he decided she would be his. His lips upturned at the her response and the needy moans spilling from her lips, the sound seemed to travel right to his cock standing at attention against her ass, and he couldn’t help but grind it against her backside as he pulled her even snugger against her. Though in the next moment he was lifting her leg up, resting her foot on the ledge beside the faucet so she was perfectly splayed out for him. Easily hoisting her thigh on his forearm his fingers slowly traveled the length of her sex from her drenched water slick opening to her clit which slowly massaged with the flat of his thumb going slow turn his head to watch her face lost in the pleasure as his cock settled against her ask where he very slowly ground his hip so she could feel his arousal. “How’s that?” He asked huskily against the nape of her neck.

As soon as he touched her, she was putty in his hands. Laila might have lingering doubts about her marriage, but there was something she could not fight—her need for Max. She would like to think he was the same way with her. After all, this thing between them had been years in the making. Ever since she saw him that first time when she was a freshman in college, she’d been captivated by him. She’d known of Max even before then, but it wasn’t until the party she attended did she have her first conversation with him. Knowing that she should stay away from him, taught Laila to be cordial but never get too close. Who would have thought they would be married today? She was sure the news of their nuptials had come as a surprise to everyone in their acquaintance. Her heart raced inside her chest as he did what she asked of her. Except, now she was left bare—her legs spread, feet resting on the ledge as he supported by holding on to her. She could scarcely breathe as the pleasure trickled through her body, her moans growing by the second as he teased her. “Good. Don’t stop, Max.” Was her response, as her climax began peaking. When he rubbed his erection against her ass, she snaked a hand behind her to grab ahold of his cock, stroking him to help him along. Laila didn’t just want release, she wanted Max to find his along with her.

Things between Max and Laila had always been charged, he could still recall the first time he’d met her. He’d been taken by her beauty, and had desired to get her in his bed from the start. Though given thins had been particularly tense between the Russians and Turks at the time, and for years on afterwards given all the blood spilled on both sides, getting anywhere near the Turkish Mafia Princess would’ve meant an all out war. Eren would not have stood for him so much as glancing at his sister for too long, much less getting her to his bed. There had been plenty of women that came into his life afterwards yet, each time he caught a glimpse of her he was reminded of the only woman he could not have and that only fueled his desire for her. However it was after he’d saved her that night, that he resolved to throw caution to the wind and finally have her. Perhaps it was the tears she’d shed on his account that had cemented in his mind that she was the one he wanted by his side. And despite all the grief his actions had caused he could not bring himself to regret how he’d handled things because it had ensured she would not bear another mans name. That he would not have been able to stomach, not when he’d gotten a taste of her affection, and care for him. He definitely didn’t regret a thing, whenever he heard moans of pleasure coming from her parted lips, as she asked him to keep going, having her come undone against his fingers was the sweetest reward for his patience all these years, and would perhaps only be topped when she finally gave herself to him fully. His ministrations now were unrushed, he continued to rub toy with her clit, fingers ever so often dipping into her entrance teasingly working her up to her release with each skilled movement.

His other hand palmed at her supple breast pinching and rolling her taut nipple between his fingers as he groaned against her shoulder as he began stroking his cock and he couldn’t help but thrust his his cock between her hand for the added friction that had him edging closer as well. “What was that you were saying about not letting me touch you anymore?” He asked nipping at her ear, as he finally dipped two fingers into her cunt, pumping them steadily curling every few moment so that he was brushing her g-spot each time.

Laila wasn’t blind to her husband’s attraction of her. Even from the start, she knew he wanted her. Back then, she chalked it up to his need to bed her. The man couldn’t seem to go a week without a new piece of ass. It was partly why she stayed clear of him, that and also how she knew her family would react should she dare to break the rules. For years, she’d kept him at bay, but along the way, they developed an odd friendship. She could trust her life in his hands—he’d proven that when he took a bullet for her that day. While she was normally never afraid, she had been terrified that day. He could have lost his life and it would have all been because of her. She might not admit it then, but after that day, if she was given a choice to pick a man to marry, she would have pointed Max out. He might be a pain—never one to allow her the last say—and always trying to get under her skin, and yet when it mattered, he was there for her. Now that she was his wife, was it wrong that she would be possessive of him? He’d had years to fuck around. It was time to stop, and to focus on making their marriage work. It would be easier if he would let her in a little, instead of keeping everything to himself. That was a trait she was annoyed by the most, and she wished he would drop. “I’ll only do it if your past conquest confront me again. Now, shut up and finish what you started.” She hissed, squeezing the tip of his cock before she began stroking him again. As her arousal continued to peak, her moans grew in volume. “Come with me.” She demanded, tilting her head before she caught his mouth and with another pump of his fingers, she shattered—her orgasm sweeping her away into the abyss.

Maksim had grown up idolizing his father, and thus had taken most of his lessons, the spoken and unspoken. Keeping your cards close, and always considering every out come when making a sound decision had been two that stuck. Maksim had simply never learned to consider his feelings as anything that needed to be shared, he kept things inside, and only shared what was on his mind when he felt it was advantageous for him to do so. However with Laila, she wanted all of it at all times, and that he did not know how to give her yet. As her hand worked his cock Maksim groaned biting down on on the nape of her neck, before he sucked on the spot. Seeing her peppered with reminders of his touch turned him on immensely, red splotches of puckering skin, the imprints of his fingers on the inside of her thighs, he enjoyed the sight as much as he liked watching her find her release, body completely lost to her bliss bowing, and tensing under his touch. She never looked more beautiful to him than in those moments, his need for her only heightened each time. Even now what he wouldn’t do to flip her around and her hoist her up against the shower wall and sink himself balls deeps into her perfect pussy. He pumped his fingers faster into her now as she could feel her walls fluttering and tightening around the digits as she neared her release. He groaned in appreciation as she squeezed his cock before doubling her stroked driving him closer as well. “So demanding,” He muttered the words lost against her plump lips and as she came he let go as well, painting her tight ass and her hand with his release. The pad of his thumb still slowly circling her cilt as she rides out her release.

Would she be able to stop Max from touching her? Probably not. But she was serious, should one of his conquests confront her again, she would make him suffer. While she might have let it all go now, she couldn’t continue to doubt him. He was her husband, she should be able to trust him and she wanted to trust him. The problem with trust was there had to be an open communication between them. Somehow, she could see it was hard on her husband to do that. Why? She didn’t know. Laila never gave the impression that she was hard to talk to. Yes, she was demanding, but she wasn’t going to apologize for being the way she was. Not when he was supposed to be all hers. When her release claimed here, she swore she saw heaven and having felt his cum spurting in her hand and ass cheeks, it left her feeling sated. Her legs were still weak and for a moment—while they each caught their breaths—she stayed put. Then once she could move again, she spun around, reached out to turn on the shower—allowing the warm spray to drench them—before pressed her lips against that of her husband’s. “I suspect you like my demanding side.” She murmured, swirling her tongue with his before pulling back and just knowing that he’d left his mark on her neck. “I really don’t understand your fascination with marking me.” Talking wasn't something one did when all they wanted to do was seek out even more pleasure. So, within the next few minutes, they were out of the bathroom, doing even more exploration on every surface they could find within their palatial bedroom. For tonight, she forgot all about Amirah and the confrontation at the spa.

The home she had been shown to, almost reminded her of the estate her family owned. The Yavuz family owned a few sprawling homes throughout the continental US and staying through to their heritage while also keeping close to their other families, they also owned a mansion in Turkey. While Max was out, his minions had escorted her around, giving her a tour of her new home. She hadn’t been disappointed. Then again, when money was no object, she expected his home to be decked out to the nines. Although the sight of him still caused butterflies to flutter about in her stomach, Laila masked her emotion into a one that spoke of her vexation. Max didn’t deserve any other reaction. He’d taken her freedom by using her brother against her, and she was not ready to forgive him. When would she finally be able to let it all go? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that it wouldn’t be happening tonight. “I would prefer it if you did leave me be.” She shot back, her eyes rolling as she sat on the sofa, her legs crossed before her. Staying angry felt easier around Max. With his arrogant statements, it was a wonder she hadn’t tried to slap that smug grin off his face yet. “You think too highly of yourself, Maksim. I don’t take pleasure in lashing out at anyone, least of all you.” Very quickly, she diverted her attention to the far side of the room away from him. She had no wish to peer into his smug face. (edited)

The sight of her face no matter what was reflected back — even the look of complete contempt of him, was enough to have complete relaxation wash over him. Given that, really Max couldn’t help but smile no matter how smug it may come off. He watched her walk across the room gaze following the length of her long legs and not exactly being discreet about it either as mischief danced in his eyes when he met her gaze after having skimmed the length of her body. If having her close wasn’t such a relief he would perhaps be more distort at the want he felt with her so close. His cock thickened as he sat down at the foot of the bed working at loosening his cufflinks, roiling his shoulder though his arm have healed entirely he continued to feel slight muscle pulls near the wound. “Perhaps your right, I can understand why you’re upset. However, we should talk things through. Figure out how we live together.” He was trying to be on his best behavior in honestly and give her some space but not leaving her completely alone. Hoping it might prompt her to at least quell her anger a small amount.

In spite of the physical distance between them, Laila was reminded of his presence. She hadn’t even been looking at him—her focus going towards the corner of the room—yet somehow, she still felt the ghost of his touch running along her skin. Was he checking her out? God even knows at this point since she refused to meet his gaze. He’d gotten so much in a short amount of time, she didn’t want to keep giving him what he didn’t deserve—her attention. She couldn’t stay angry forever. If she did that, she would get nowhere fast, but what else could she get from a husband who was selfish enough to blackmail her in order to secure her as his wife? Between the lull in their conversation, she heard the sound of the edges of the curtains rustling against the window pane. Earlier that day, she had cracked a window open, needing the fresh breeze to flow in and hopefully calm her nerves a little. It did help. Until now. Like he promised earlier, he was here to talk about their marriage. It took everything within her not to snap at him again. Her dark eyes flickered back to Max, refusing to be awed by what he was doing—and instead quickly throwing out. “Easy. I ignore you till the end of time. End of discussion.”

Maksim tossed the cufflinks to the side, exhaling a breath of frustration at her response. Maksim had never been a very patient man, likely the most restraint he showed was with Laila all these years by not actively pursuing her. The man stood and crossed the room to join her in the sitting area, already deterring from his plans to give her space. When she was near he found himself doing plenty of things that he didn’t plan on, he might as well make peace with it now as this was unlikely to change anytime soon. Maksim sat across from her and watched her beautiful face her furrows of her frown and the angry set of her mouth, he would have to find a way to wipe that frown from her face at least once today. As today was the first day of the rest of their lives together. “You say that yet you’ve been bristling since the moment I got here. Pretend all you want but your just as effected by me as I am by you.”

Being nice hadn’t done anything but cause her trouble, so Laila didn’t see a point in pretending to be happy with this situation. This tug of war between them had been going on for years now, and if he had been honest with her after he’d been shot—that he wanted her to be his wife—she was sure she would have defied her family to be with him. She wanted him, always did—even if she pretended not to. That was the disappointing part of all this. Max hadn’t been brave enough to talk to her, so he’d kidnapped and blackmailed her instead. Didn’t she deserve better? Her skin prickled as he moved, and soon was seated right in front of her. Damn him for forcing her to face him. “Always so sure of yourself.” She said, sounding cool, though her heart was pounding rapidly. “What do you want, Max? You blackmailed me into marrying you, and now you’re expecting me to play nice? It makes no sense at all.” Her arms folded before her to give her some semblance of control. “Our families might be enemies, but I never gave you a reason to think that I would ever reject you. You could have asked, and yet you didn’t.”

Her words rang true of course, whether he was sure of himself in every aspect or not he sure as hell always presented as though he was. And to his credit Max always got what he wanted in the end, and perhaps that’s why he’d gone along with this insane plan. Because he knew that eventually he would get get to soften to him. When she went on to clarify however that she would not have rejected him had he simply asked, Maksim couldn’t help but feel confused. His mind raked through the events leading up to today. Yes, he remembered her being particularly moved by his show of heroism, though that had felt like a fleeting moment, with her going back to being stubborn the moment he had healed considering it wasn’t anywhere close to a fatal wound. All that remained was another scar, and some muscle aches that would likely go in another couple of weeks. Yet if what she was saying was right he didn’t have to choose the nuclear option at all. Well fuck. “You have a habit of doing the exact opposite of what I want Laila. You wouldn’t heed my warnings about Demirci. Was it so wrong of me to assume you wouldn’t react well to me telling you to end your marriage for me?” He asked, he licked his lips before getting up to go and kneel down in front of her taking out the wedding bands he had in his pant pocket, and taking her hand to place the small pouch in her hand. “I did what I did because I couldn’t stand the thought of that undeserving bastard having any part of you. And because I’m selfish when it comes to what I want. I don’t expect you to forgive me right away, but do with that information what you will.”

Men are idiots. Never had the idiom rang truer than it did at this very moment. Laila might not have been clear over her feelings either, but didn’t he remember how she reacted the night he was shot? Until now, she was still scarred by the incident. She might be angry at what he had done, yet when it came down to it, she would rather be forced to marry him than lose him forever. The mere thought made her sick to her stomach. She couldn’t lose him, she refused to lose him. “I didn’t heed your warnings because you never made it clear that you wanted me. You barked orders at me, and you know I don’t do well with threats. Even now, I don’t know why you hate him so much.” She was reasoning with him now, instead of addressing him with anger. Maybe it might knock some sense into him. Her dark gaze trailed his movements, until he was kneeling before her. Once more, she grew short of breath and when his calloused hand made contact with hers, her heart thundered yet again. A pouch was sitting on her palm, and she knew immediately that it was the wedding bands she had requested earlier. “Forgiveness comes with time, and maybe if you would talk to me, I might be able to give it to you before long.” Her focus went from his handsome face down to the pouch. “I’m guessing these are our wedding bands?” Lifting her left hand, she presented it palm down—her soft gaze going from him yet again to the pouch that was now on her right hand. “You’ve screwed up a lot today, why don’t you remedy it by doing something right this time?”

Maksim considered that a moment, realizing she wasn’t entirely wrong about that. However, it was not his information to divulge. Mila had been pretty clear that she didn’t want anyone knowing what that bastard had done to her, not Max would’ve tolerated anyone saying anything negative about her but alas he’d made a promise and he wasn’t the type to go back on his word, especially not when it concerned his family. “It was not my story to tell, however, when have I ever done anything that might lead you to believe I don’t only have your best interest in mind? Why wasn’t the fact that I had serious concerns enough, Laila, simply because you chose that moment to be even more stubborn than usual?” He questioned, hoping to she would see his reasoning too. Maksim looked up at her face when she requested that he talk to her. “Isn’t that what I’m trying to do right now?” He asked taking the pouch and taking out the delicate diamond encrusted band and his own simpler platinum band. He left his ring in her hand as he took her left hand in his own and slowly pushed the ring onto her finger watching her face the whole time to gage her reaction, seeking the same approval for the band as that momentary sparkle in her eyes when he’d seen the engagement ring. “There’s one other things, if I’m setting the day right…come here.” He muttered reaching up and taking her face bringing her face closer to his however he look up at her waiting for her permission before finally kissing her pillow soft lips.

Story? What story? She wanted to ask, but instead, the question came out in a form for a slight frown. Would this always be a running theme between them, with neither of them willing to listen, and each always wanting to be the right one? It was starting to feel that way to Laila. “I never said it wasn’t, but how should I know you weren’t only saying all that to be petty?” It wouldn’t be the first time to either of them. “Don’t call me stubborn when you have never had the guts to tell me how you feel.” She retorted, a sigh leaving her since she truly didn’t want to quarrel with him. It had been a long day, and honestly, Laila did not want to continue being angry with Max. He’d done what he’d done, and after confessing to her brother that she was in love with Max, and would therefore be his wife, there was no way to backout now. “No. I think you’re trying to argue with me, but I’m done now.” She waited for his next move, and when he took the ring out—sliding it into her finger—she couldn’t stop her lips from tugging upwards. Her eyes shone with admiration and in her dazed state, her new husband had cupped her cheeks, forcing her gaze back to meet his. She knew what he wanted, and although she had wished for a better scenario for her first kiss, she also couldn’t stop herself from sating her curiosity—finally. Leaning in, she pressed her lips to his, her eyes drifting shut as their mouths met.

Laila was probably right about more things than he was willing to admit. Yes, he could not likely would not admit too when he was wrong, even if partially. It was his one weakness. However, any thought of further argument in place of this moment was far from Maksim’s mind. His eyes seemed to soften the more he looked at her beautiful face that never failed to ease his mind, even when she herself was the cause of his distress. The way her eyes lite up looking at him filled him with pride, and then finally in the wake of that moment she finally bridged the small distance between them. Laila was every bit as sweet as he imagined her to be. At first he kept at her pace exploring every curve and crevice of her lips with his own, though he couldn’t help but deepen the kiss, the need to feel her closer taking hold. He wound his hand into her soft curls move a hand to her lower back tugging her closer. This was definitely far better than continuing to argue. Fuck, how had he gone years without having her, how would he last even a second if she ever left him again?

Arguing wasn’t going to solve anything. Not when it came to Max. He was stubborn, more so than anyone she had ever met, and it had been partly why she knew not to get too close to him—other than it being forbidden. If Fort Knox was impenetrable, so was Maksim Markov. At least when it came to how he truly felt. Quite frankly, she didn’t know why he wanted to marry her? Did he have tender feelings for her, or was she merely a conquest? The latter couldn’t be true, because if he wanted to, he could seduce her and left. It annoyed her that she couldn’t figure him out. Though those thoughts were left abandoned as their lips finally met. The kiss had been gentle—at least on her end—since she had never done this before, yet she felt him deepening it as his tongue entered her mouth. She was apprehensive, though soon, her desire took charge and she returned his fevered kisses. Her arms wound around his shoulders, tugging at him, needing him closer—infinitely closer. Laila felt like she was drowning, yet if this was what it felt like to be kissed by the man who captured her attention for years now, then she would gladly drown.

There was her and only her on his mind and in every sensation coursing through his body. Her response to him and how eagerly she returned his kisses was all the more gratifying, knowing that she not only wanted him but also wasn’t as unhappy as she was showing to be. Hadn’t she admitted to as much earlier when she said he could’ve simply asked her in more certain words rather than go to the lengths he did. Bunching up the hem of her shirt he finger slip beneath the fabric running along the skin above her shorts. And his exploration of her moth continues he moved her knees apart so he could get closer bring her flush against his body. When his lips slid from her finally in desperate need of air he looked up at her eyes glazed over with desire his cock straining painfully, desperate for release, to be buried in her finally after years of torture. He brushed the loose strands of her hair away from her neck and pressed a slow kiss along her jaw taking his time as he tastes more of her smooth skin, trailing a path down her neck, his hand beneath her shirt skimming the curve of her hip. “You’re going to have to tell me when to stop, Laila because I could go on exploring your beautiful body for as long as you let me.” And how he hoped she wouldn’t stop him. Though what were the chances she’s want more than a kiss from him tonight?

Before now, Laila would never have been so bold. Should her family catch wind of her transgression, she probably would never see the light of day again. Hence, she’d played the part—making sure to keep herself in check, always playing the dutiful daughter role. But now that she was finally free from their grasp and not to mention the wife of the very man who had fascinated her for years, she no longer felt shackled down. Did she still loath him for forcing her hand? Yes. Yet, she also realized things could be much worse. She could have been Hamza’s wife. It still puzzled her why Max hated the other male so much, but he wasn’t the type of man who would despise someone for no reason. Maybe someday he would tell her the reason behind his hatred for Hamza. Right now, she could scarcely think as she settled on his lap, her lips fused with his while his calloused hands gently trailed her skin underneath her top. She didn’t want this to stop, perhaps a little distraction was exactly what she needed to forget what he’d done. However, his voice brought her back. Did she want him to take her tonight? The answer was no. When it finally happened, she didn’t want there to be any doubt in her mind. “We should stop.” She whispered, her fingernails gently scraping his scalp as he pressed kisses along her neck. “I want you, but not tonight. Not when there are so many things we should discuss.” It wasn’t a rejection. If that were the case, she wouldn’t have kissed him at all, nor would she still be settled on his lap, trying to appease him with her gentle touches.

Maksim had expected that would be her answer, but he couldn’t help the disappointment that washed over him. Even as she said she wanted him, he could only ponder over the cold shower and the company of his hand to take care of the raging hard-on he was sporting. Every other time before tonight he’d have phoned up one of the many women he frequently slept with, hell he could have them all at the same time if he really felt like it but that wasn’t in the cards tonight, or likely ever again. And it was then that it began to sink in that he was now a married man, complete unfaltering loyalty to one woman was expected. Hell, he’d never been as enthralled by any other woman than he was of his wife, yet not being able to quell his desires as readily as he did in the past would take some getting used to. He pressed one final kiss to the crook of her neck, staying there a moment as he breathed in her sweet and musky scent. When he finally lifted his head to look at her again the desire was evident on his face, lightly brushing his fingers along her bare skin as he spoke. “Gladly. Whatever you want, where shall we start?” Little did she know that he was willing to say or do just about anything she might ask of him if only so he could continue relishing in the feel of her so close.

When their eyes finally met, she could see lust pooling behind his dark irises. Laila was sure her own reflected the same desire. She might have been angry at Max, but for as long as she understood attraction, she had wanted only him. Still, she couldn’t allow her bodily needs to run the show. Things were still fragile between them. If they were going to be married, they had to set some ground rules and they should be able to communicate better. “For now, let’s start with this.” She uttered, lifting his left hand and sliding his wedding band onto his ring finger. A smile lifted her full lips as she watched the band gleam on his finger. Then, she peered into his black eyes, and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “It’s like it’s meant to be there all along.” She whispered, an arm still wound along his shoulders, her fingers deftly playing with the hairs at the nape of his neck. “I want your unwavering fidelity. I’m serious, Max, if I hear that you’ve touched another woman, I don’t care what you do, I’ll walk away and you’ll never see me again.” She had known about his wild ways. It hadn’t been a secret, and he hadn’t tried to hide that from her. Still, he was hers now, and for that reason, she wanted him to only be hers. “I’ve never done this before.” She nibbled on her bottom lip nervously before she finally delivered the rest of her sentence, “And I want you to teach me, but slowly. Will you be fine with that?” There were other things they could do without penetration and since he seemed eager to ravish her, she figured he wouldn’t mind teaching her. It would also buy her time to understand her feelings, and get used to being married to Maksim.

And there it was. The physical reminder that he was no longer a single man. The dark bank had a slight gleam to it and felt cool on his finger. Though he felt no qualms with this, that would’ve mattered to him in he thought there was anyone that might possibly draw his attention away from the beautiful woman in his arms. Yet, years had passed and the dark haired beauty hadn’t left his mind, how could he possibly think of anyone else now that he finally had her? When she leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek, Maksim felt his heart swell in his chest, and he pressed her closer still. If all he got was to hold her tonight he’d count his lucky stars considering he had not been expecting her to hold his hand anytime soon, let alone settle herself in his lap. Maksim ran a hand through her silken hair as he peered into her eyes. “Not just the ring, you’re right where your meant to be as well.” He said voice low and relaxed, completely at ease after a very long time. All the months he could just imagine her with that bastard, he drove himself up the walls thinking about whatever liberties she allow her ‘fiancé’. But not everything was as it should be. “I don’t make promises lightly Laila,” Taking her hand and bring it up to his lips he kissed the back of her fingers were her wedding band rested. “This is a promise I made to you. You’ll always have my loyalty and my protection.” He promised, leaving out the one other thing she would always have but Max was incapable of expressing. At her admission, Max was momentarily confused until it sunk in, and well fuck if he wasn’t pretty damn happy about it. Maksim had never cared much about a woman’s virtue but hearing her ask him to teach her, had his cock hardening all over again. Maksim grinned as stood sweeping her up into his arms. “What my wife wants, she gets.” He declared as he walked them over to the bed.

Earlier, she wouldn’t even dare dream that she could soften towards Max. Laila was headstrong when crossed, and it was rare for her to forgive anyone of their transgressions. Yet, he seemed to be the exception. He always was—even when she tried to dismiss her feelings for him, he had always been in the front and center, always present. This moment, it was meant to happen all along. No matter how hard they fought it, what was meant to be, came to be. The smile on her face brightened further, her eyes lit up like stars in the night’s sky. “Hmm… Maybe I am. It would still have been nice to be asked though.” She couldn’t stop herself from pulling his legs. This was how she always was with him, even during tender moments, she would never fully let him have the last word. Her fingers were still gingerly playing with the soft hairs at his nape when she demanded his fidelity. He might have had the freedom to bed other women in the past, but not anymore. He was all hers now, and Laila did not share what was rightly hers. The beating of her heart quickened at his show of affection. He’d vowed to protect and remain loyal to her. There was another commitment he had neglected to express—the matter of their hearts. Yet, for now, this was enough. “That’s all I’m asking for.” She realized she wanted him to teach her all the things she had been curious about. The pleasure of being touched him, finally. She didn’t expect him to reject her, not with how his erection was pressed up against the back of her thighs and she hadn’t be disappointed. “We’re starting now?” She chuckled and before long, her back had covered the soft mattress and she took the opportunity to tug him to her, “Kiss me, husband.” she managed before her mouth covered his.

Maksim had always been astounded by how contrary Laila was to the way she appeared — at least to most, but not always Maksim, he saw the other side of her the one that wasn’t sweet, mild mannered, and docile quite often. It was what drew him to her to begin with. When he’d met her he was expecting her to be very different that what she actually turned out to be.  Maksim was glad his words had placated the woman, glad that wouldn’t have to spend days if not weeks just struggling to get her to talk to him. As if he wasn’t already completely enamored by her. Would she ever cease to surprise him? “Yes you’ve been deprived far too long already.” Maksim laid her back on the mattress, laying onto of her but making sure not to put all his weight on her and he didn’t need to be told twice, at her request he was happy to return her kiss caressing her soft face before running his hand down her neck eager to explore every inch of her body. It did not take him long to drag his lips away from hers to return to the course he’s started earlier, lips lips exploring the delicate skin of her neck and collarbone, and as his hands began working the buttons of her blouse undone he looked up at her for permission. “You can tell me when and where to stop, Laila. You decide.” He said as he went to the second button, drinking in the sight of every inch of creamy skin that was slowly revealed to him.

When Laila thought of desire, she thought only of Max. He’d captured her attention for years now, and finally now that there were no more reasons for her to skirt around her feelings, she could surrender herself to him. He was her husband, and she had been taught that only her husband should be given the honor of touching her. Her heartbeat spiked when they kissed. While he was already so close, she wanted him to be closer. She needed to feel every inch of her pressed against her and to feel the pleasure that she often read in romance novels. She could hardly believe this was reality. That he had every right to her now. Because for a while there, this was just a fantasy. A forbidden one. “You have no idea.” She whispered against his lips, butterflies fluttering about in her stomach when he transferred his attention to her neck—his hands caressing her skin in such a manner had desire pooling to her sex. She was wet down there, so wet just for him. This was an ache only he could quell, and while she wasn’t ready to go all the way, tonight she would show him how much she desired him. “Keep touching me. I’ll tell you to stop if it gets to be too much.” As he unbuttoned her blouse, she did the same with his shirt, eager to feel his warmth against her skin. “Buttons are tedious.” She grumbled, annoyed that it would take her longer to get to feel all of him.

Maksim could wake up at his desk back at the office to realize this was all a figment of his imagination and that would not surprise him in the least. Not when having this women in his bed, had been a fantasy that for the longest time was out of his reach. Maksim knew he was perhaps wrong to her to her bed the very same day he’d abducted and forced her into a marriage with him, however like he’d said earlier there was nothing he would deny her, he simply was not capable of it. And her reply to keep going, to continue his exploration of her milky soft skin had him respond in a low growl against collarbone. He could not help himself but lick a path up her neck before sucking her soft skin into his mouth groaning at the taste of her. Satisfied seeing the blotch of purple left in the wake of his lips, marking her as his. Maksim smirked at her grumbling “So impatient,” he muttered with a light laugh as he sat up in the mattress taking over. Though he was not rushed as rushed as she’d been as he finished unbuttoning his shirt before peeling the fabric to reveal more of the lean hardened muscles. Trailing his fingers along her skin beside the seam of the blouse when he reached the next closed button he quickly worked them of before moving his hand to her waist and bringing her up against his bare chest as he helped her out of the shirt. Maksim tangled his hand through her hair tightening his gripped as he pressed a hungry kiss to her mouth again his other hand trailed up the length of her back before catching on the hook of her bra working it undone with one hand.

They wouldn’t be going all the way tonight. Yet, when asked, she couldn’t give him a direct answer as to how far they would be going. While it was good to finally be able to be with him, Laila also remembered his transgressions. How would they ever be able to get past this incident? Perhaps like she told him; time would bridge the gap between them. For now, they have this. It was hard to breathe as desire wash over her and when he latched on to her neck—his lips suctioning the delicate skin—she arched her back, her nails sinking into his forearm. “Did you mark me?” She gasped, not offended, merely surprised that he was bold enough to do it. Her eyes drank him in, teeth nibbling on her bottom lip as he shoved off his shirt. Goosebumps erupted on her skin, and her juices pooled along her sex, dampening the crotch of her panties. She didn’t have much time to ponder and within seconds, her top was gone too, her bra unhooked. Embolden by her arousal, she sat back and slowly peeled off the bra, revealing her breasts to him. “Do you like what you see?” She asked, feeling a little shy, yet hiding it very well as her dark gaze pinned with his.

The smirk Max wore was answer enough when Laila asked if he’s marked her. Maksim reached up rubbing his thumb along the hickey. “Another reminder that you’re mine now.” He said brushing her hair away from her shoulder as he fingers wound into her bra strap. The anticipation to finally have bared to him, hard his heart hammering, eyes clearly glazed over with both lust and revery for the gorgeous brunette. Maksim ran a hand through his hand as he leaned back on his arms as she sat back slowly revealing herself to him, his hungry gaze drank in the sight of her beautiful breasts, her question had his gaze softening. “You’re gorgeous, sheer perfection.” He assured tugging her closer once more, unable to hold back from getting his hands on her pert breasts. Cupping one he lightly stroked a thumb over her nipple enjoying the way the bud pebbled against his touch, his gaze darting back to her face to for her reaction. He wanted to commit to memory every gasp and moan he illicits in reaction to his exploration of her body. Squeezing the pillowy flesh once more before he took the other nipple into his mouth, tongue darting across the tip before he sucked the taut flesh into his mouth, nearly moaning at the sweet taste of her.

When he bared his chest, on his shoulder, the scar from the bullet he took for her still remained. Her heart thumped. This time as she remembered how close she came to losing him. But she chose not to think about that. She merely ran her fingers along the scar before her attention veered towards other more pleasurable things, like his mark on her neck. “Why do I find your possessiveness hot?” Then again, was there anything about him she didn’t find hot? He’d fascinated her for year now. Laila wasn’t sure what emboldened her to strip her bra off, although she felt a little embarrassed, she done it anyway. The look of hunger along with his praises, helped to tamp down her shyness and by the time he touched her again, she couldn’t even remember ever feeling uneasy. Her back arched as pleasure trickled through her veins like hot molten lava. “God, Max…” She gasped, her free hand grasping his raven locks, while the other ran along his back as a silent encouragement. If this was foreplay, she wasn’t sure she would survive the actual act.

Maksim watched as Laila’s fingers brushed over the scar near his shoulder, the wound that perhaps led them here. The incident had served as a wake up call for the both of them. It had made Maksim realize that Laila cared for him more than she’d ever let on before. And that small taste of her affection had spurred him on to plan what he’d executed that day. Selfish as he was he could not bare the thought of never having her in his arms, in his bed again. It felt like it had all come full circle now. Max smirked at her admission, biting at her sensitive peak in response, now that she was in his care he’d everything in his power to keep her safe whether she was happy about it or not. Starting with making sure he found someone capable of looking after her when he wasn’t with her. Though that thought was fleeting considering he was well and throughly distracted and thoughts of anything but pleasuring Laila were beyond him. Moving to the other breast he lavished the other peaked nipple with the same attention, his teeth just grazing the sensitive flesh, to gage her reaction before he caught the bud between his teeth biting gently. “Good, because I plan on leaving my mark on every inch of your skin whether you can see it after I’m through or not.” He wanted the memory of his touch to linger on every inch of her body, so that she could think of no one else, nothing else. His hand moved down the length of her body, fingers brushing over her stomach before he reached the button of her shorts, undoing it before he unzipped them glancing up at her face moment allowing her a moment to decide if she wanted to go further.

Fear. The scar he bore on his shoulder brought back memories she would rather forget. She should have known it would all lead them here. Laila could not bring herself to name the emotion she felt for Max, but deep down, she always knew he was the one. He was her one. Thinking that she could move on, and marry Hamza after everything he’d done for her was laughable at best. She knew it now, yet she was still willing to go on with the farce of a marriage in order to appease her family. Could he have done a better job at telling her that he wanted her to be his? Yes. She, like any other woman, wanted the works. At the top of the list was romance. Yet, despite how things went down, she couldn’t bring herself to resent him. Even if she tried to, her body would call her a liar. Breathing was a chore and was it her or was it hot in here? When their gazes met, she saw the lust shining in his eyes, in it also laid mischief—a devil may care attitude she didn’t think her husband possessed. Her back arched again as he nipped at her tender nipple, making it harden into buds right away. “Don’t make it so obvious, I still have to be out in public, husband.” Not that she cared. She was his after all. Her core ached, her juices wetting the crotch of her panties. She wanted him to touch her there and so, when he peered at her—seeking her permission—she kept their gazes locked and guided his hand inside. A whimper of need spilled free as his calloused finger grazed her sensitive heat and because she was greedy, she heard herself saying, “more. I need it.”

The calculating devious side of Maksim couldn’t help but see the advantage to even leaving his mark visible on her. It would let everyone who questioned how they’d come together know he’d claimed her as his own. He had half the mind to parade her through the Turkish frequented clubs if only so Demirci could see for himself who he’d lost to. A reminder that Makism could take from him whatever he wanted whenever and there was not a thing he’d be able to do about, not without sticking out his own neck. Which he knew the coward was incapable of. His darker impulses would perhaps never quite leave him. “Don’t tempt me, Laila. You know how I handle challenges.” Max warned before nipping just blew the bruised skin before pressing a firm kiss there. When Laila guided his hand into her shorts, Max couldn’t help but smirk pleased at how willing she was for him. Max needed no further prompting to let his fingers explore her, gaze darkening as he felt just how wet she was for him. His cock strained in his pants, and fuck if it wasn’t torturous knowing he would not finally have his reprieve. Maksim keep his gaze locked on her as he dragged a single finger along the length of her sex, his finger just bare curling in at her entrance before traced a path back up this time toying with sensitive bundle of nerves that would drive her further into the throughs of pleasure. “Tell me darling, have you ever touched yourself like this?” He asked as he slowly dipping his finger into her cunt, groaning at the way it clenched around his finger so fucking tight and hot it took all his self control not to release her cock and take her. “Have you ever made yourself cum around your fingers?” With that question he slowly circled her clit with his thumb, while simultaneously pushing another finger into her.

“It wasn’t a challenge. I’m telling you not to make it obvious.” But yes, she did know how Max was—stubborn and unrelenting. Then again, so was she. It was why she refused to listen to him when he warned her about Hamza. Laila still didn’t understand the hatred he felt for her former fiancé and for now, she wasn’t going to question him over it. When he barked orders her way—trying to scare her away from Hamza—his threats had the opposite effect. It must be a flaw in her make up. She would never allow anyone to boss her around. Not even the man she’d spent years fascinated by. It all worked out in the end, she supposed. Now, she was where she should be. His wife. It was the reason why she hadn’t shy away from his touch. While all this was still new to her, she wasn’t completely innocent. She knew how to pleasure herself—often with him as the centerpiece. Knowing that she could have him now still felt like a dream. It was too good to be true. “Yes. While thinking of you.” She admitted, her heart still thumping harshly as he teased her opening and clit with his finger. It was always him she would imagine kissing her, touching her, and taking her. Never anyone else, and as embarrassing it was to utter the truth, it also left her feeling freer than she had ever been. She’d kept all she felt to herself for all these years, thinking that her imagination would be enough to get her by, but the reality was so much sweeter, so much hotter. As he explored her, the evidence of his arousal pressed against the side of her thigh earned her curiosity. “I want to touch you.” She mumbled, her right hand grasping his length through his pants, where she slowly stroked him.

“We’ll have your way this time.” If only so her stubborn mind would be at ease, they had all their lives for their clash of wills. Their whole lives, fuck there was a time Max considered himself to be beyond such notions content in enjoying his freedom. It was when he looked at her that all that went away, perhaps that’s why despite burning for her all these years he hadn’t actively pursued her, somewhere in the back of his mind he’d always known that once he had her he’d be hard pressed at the idea of letting anyone else within an inch of her. Her admission made him groan against her neck as he placed another open mouth kiss to her skin. Her admission sent a wave of pleasure straight to his aching cock, “And to think all you had to do was ask and I’d have given you so much more than your fingers alone could.” Maksim groaned again when her hand moved to stroke his cock through his pants, and as much as it pained him to do so he covered her hand with his moving it away from crotch, his level restrain a shock to even him. “Not tonight, darling. Tonight is all about you.” And with that he sat back and removed his hand from her shorts only to grab the waistband with both hands tugging off both her shorts and panties in one jerk tossing them off to the side. Pausing a moment to admire the image of her sprawled across his sheets naked, cunt dripping wet for him, the desire to taste to satiate his own curiosity more prevalent than need to get himself off. Settling between her parted legs he maneuvered her ankle to his shoulder he ran his hand along the smooth expanse of her long legs, before he lowered himself to her sex, fingers almost lazily running along her slick folds as he watched for her reactions.

If his hands weren’t currently distracting her, she might just roll her eyes. Laila didn’t understand how something that should be trivial could turn into a war of wills. But this was Max, if there was a way for him to get on her nerves, he would do it easily. For now, she chose not to respond. Not with how easily he was able to manipulate her body into responding. In all the years since she’d blossomed into womanhood, she had only gotten off to the image of him. It would normally happen after one of their many coincidental meetings where they would flirt yet pretend like they weren’t. There had even been instances where she would touch herself after their quarrels. The waves of pleasure that would wash over her was probably the most intense on the latter occasion. She would never admit to it before tonight, and she perhaps should not even be blurting them out now. Already, she could imagine his ego being boosted. Like he needed another reason to flare his chest like a proud peacock… “Because it would be appropriate for me to tell you this before tonight?” She challenged, her chest rising and falling as heat licked at her senses the longer he touched her. When she felt his cock poking at her thigh, her intrigue made her react—her hand curling around his erection, finally allowing herself to feel the force of his desire for her. She didn’t get to stay there for too long before he pushed her hand away. She would have protested if it weren’t for what he did next. He’d shifted south, his face directly at her core. The lust radiating from his eyes was the only reason she didn’t end up closing her legs. “Don’t tease me, Max, or I’ll get up and leave.” She rasped, her face flushed in arousal. Would she be able to do that? No. She doubted she could even stand at this point.

“Fuck appropriate. I don’t think I’ve had a single appropriate thought about you. And I intend to make up for lost time.” His voice came out huskier then before drunk on her, if she let him he would take her in every which way he wanted until they were both too sore to move but he had to not ruffle her feathers too much lest she hold out on him for even longer. Maksim smirked at her insistent tone, not buying it for one moment, he liked seeing her so worked up and ready to have him pleasure her. “Are you sure about that, because you look just about ready to come undone to me?” He teased, toying with her clit a moment before dipping a finger knuckle deep his finger curling up toward her g-spot enjoying the look of complete rapture that took over her face. He could not help but undo his pants stroking himself over his boxer briefs as he sat back and watched her come undone around his fingers, he wanted her completely dripping before her he had a taste of her, until he finally got her to her release. When he could see her indignation growing he nipped at her ankle on his shoulder before lowering himself to her dripping cunt her, he took one of her thighs tugging her close to him, and anchoring her to the spot his his other hand reached up pressing his dripping fingers to her lips so could taste her own desire. In the same breath he finally allowed himself the pleasure as well licking the length of her slowly before he dipped tongue into her soaked cunt groaning against her folds, “Fuck you taste amazing.” He rasped before continuing his exploration of her with his month eventually as her legs muscles tightened and he sense her getting closer to her release he moved his hand up to rub circles around her clit, pinching and teasing it all the while glancing up to not miss the looks of utter euphoria on her face.

He knew she couldn’t tell him. They weren’t together, they weren’t even supposed to be friends. Confessing her sexual fantasies was out of bounds in the past. It was only now that they were husband and wife that she could finally express herself. Laila should be appalled to hear his admission. To know that Max had always wanted to do this to her. To take her and pleasure her. And yet, her disgust never came. Her body seemed to respond well to the knowledge. Her sex was wet, nipples peaked and her skin was red all over as heat licked at her senses. “You’re not supposed to say that to me. Where’s the romance, Max?” How she managed to chide him was beyond her, because soon all she felt was his touch and pleasure coursing through her body. With his fingers inside her while he simultaneously grazed her clit on repeat, she found breathing hard. Light was glittering behind her eyes, her own fingers gripping the sheets, trying to find something to root her down. She knew it wasn’t possible, yet at this moment, she felt like she was about to fly off the bed—her body jerking and along with it, her moans grew even louder. “Shut up.” She growled. How could he continue to taunt her when he was bringing her so much pleasure? When his mouth finally met her sex, the grip she had on her arousal snapped without much notice, her back bowed off the bed and as the exquisite climax cascaded down upon her like a torrential downpour, she screamed his name into the void, “Max!” certain she would be losing her voice come morning.

Romance was easy enough at time though not a method of seduction Maksim frequently employed. Not when he was not the type to make promises or speaking falsehoods when he never had any intention of staying. He simply did not it, women were more than willing to warm his bed a few nights at a time just thriving on the attention they were receiving because Maksim was very charming when he intended to be. Romance for his wife however he knew had a very different meaning. It was about baring himself to her in his entirety and that was just not where Max was at. “It’s the truth, even that morning after I’d been shot seeing you sleeping on my bed there was nothing I wouldn’t do to have you there again, every night, every morning. Today was nothing in way of what I have now.” And though there was a dark undertone to that statement, it sounded a lot more like romance than Maksim had any intention of showing. Fuck was there anything this woman wouldn’t get out of him. Hearing her growl however Maksim could get but respond by nipping at her clit before returning her opening groaning as he felt her tightening as she grew closer to her release it made him ache to have his cock buried deep inside as she came undone. There was still more patient he was going to have learn however as that would not be happening today. However, witnessing her body lost in her desire coming undone against his mouth was enough for him. The memory of her body lost in the throughs of her release would be plenty to get him off. Max placed slow kisses along the inside of her thighs as she came down from her orgasm, before moved up to lay atop her taking her face and kissing her slowly on the lips the jaw, and neck, his other hand exploring the curve of her body. “How was that for a first lesson?” He asked lifting up to look at her face still flushed with desire wanting to commit the sight to memory.

It was true, an orgasm given by a partner was a million times better than one she could give to herself. Maybe it was the touch, or perhaps the intimacy of the act. Whatever the reason, she had never felt lighter. It almost felt as if everything around her shattered and her line of vision was filled with bright sparks. Time ceased to exist—at least for now—and when she opened her eyes, a lazy smile crossed her lips, her eyelids barely opening. She still wasn’t quite herself when Max laid his weight on her—his hands still running along her skin gently. “Not bad.” She answered him, clearly pulling his legs. It was out of this world phenomenal, but in her state, she could scarcely form the right words. It took a moment, and when the haze disappeared, she lifted her head and stole a kiss from him. Her left hand reached for his jaw—thumb sweeping along the stubbles that lined his skin while she hooked her leg around his, anchoring him to her. “Why have you never told me how you felt about me? I mean, I always had a feeling you wanted me, but not enough to do all this.” By this she meant him kidnapping her from her wedding and blackmailing her into being his wife. Would he answer her? She wasn’t sure, but she figured since he promised he would talk to her, he might be a little more receptive. “And here I thought no one could intimidate Maksim Markov. I guess, I’m the exception?”

Maksim couldn’t help but chuckle at her response, he might have doubted himself if he hadn’t witnessed the way she came completely undone from him. Maksim didn’t think he was capable of being so completely consumed by any woman that he would want to commit himself to them for life. Even the decision he’d come to off marrying her as much as it was by unorthodox means, it was also the one part of his plan that he hadn’t thought through much, if at all. There was a lot a marriage entailed and he hadn’t properly processed, if he wanted that or not. However, now that he had her and she was so willing to be his, he was loathe to give her up. He wanted her more now than ever before. However when she made her inquiries, the walls wished to come up once again, he rarely let anyone into her head, even his siblings he kept at comfortable arms length when it came to what was actually going on in his head, it was only when Max was completely prepared to have everything fall into place exactly as he wanted them to that he ever showed his hand. With Laila however she expected him to allow her in unrestrained and it would not be easy for Maskim to do so right away. Maksim rolled off her onto the pillow though brought her with him enjoying the feel of her smooth skin against his bare chest. “Perhaps before the urgency of your impending nuptials to another man came around I was still content to carry on as we were and not bring unnecessary conflict to the Bravta.” He answered simply, though clearly he’d thrown all caution to the wind in what he did end up doing perhaps easing in would’ve been a better strategy but once she was promised to another man it was too late. Makim smirked at her cheeky conjecture, “Fitting that Mrs. Markov have some sway over others.”

She wasn’t sure if she would be able to get Max to open up to her. Did she want answers? Of course, she did. She deserved it after having to deal with the drama that he forced on her today. Laila had been worried about her impending marriage to Hamza, but she would have gone through with the wedding nonetheless. She wouldn’t have had any worries if it weren’t for the seeds of doubt Max planted in her mind. Was he telling her the truth about Hamza? Or was he just saying all those things to soften her? His roundabout answer didn’t help to drown out her worries. So, once she was settled on his chest, she found herself questioning him further. “In other words, if I wasn’t marrying Hamza, you would have never even thought of marrying me.” She wasn’t angry, perhaps a little annoyed at him. Which woman would have liked to hear those words? None. She should have known better and not have expected much from him, yet a small part of her still did that—thinking that maybe she was special. She was wrong. To him, she was like any other woman. “Some, but not enough.” She mumbled before sitting up, going to gather her items of clothing that had been scattered on the floor. Suddenly, she felt vulnerable and she hated feeling that way. It was time to put her mask of indifference back on.

Maksim rarely sought out closeness after intimacy with most women. There were the rare exceptions for whom he provided it for his partners benefit. Though he never desired it, until now. Holding Laila was so incredibly relaxing for him he could easily remain like that through the night. His fingers caressed her back gently, already considering what else he might say that she wanted to hear. Though before he had a chance she responded, squandering any hope of progress he’d made. One step forward two steps back, that’s how it was with her and it was bloody frustrating. And then she was out of his arms out of the bed, the spell they’d been under had shattered. Max fluidly sat up in bed his body language almost casual even if frustration was all he could feel. She wasn’t going to leave him just like that. She wanted to talk. So she would have to stay and do just that.

Maksim moved to the edge of the bed and grabbed at her wrist tugging her to him and pulling her into bed where cover her with his body. “You can’t say you want to talk and then run away.” He said his eyes darkening. He supported his weight on one arm so he could reach up and brush the loose hair away from her face. “Understand one thing Laila. What I’ve done was no small thing. I have risked war and possibly direct harm to my family to have you. You’re mine and no matter how we got here that’s what matters now. You turning away every other moment is not going change that. Everything I did I did for you. To make sure no harm comes to you. That you are where you should be.” His gaze bore into her wanting his words to really sink in. She wasn’t just any woman she was the woman he had married before her though thought not desire had ever struck him. She was the only one.

Laila refused to allow herself to feel disappointed. Happiness was always fleeting for her. Just when she thought things were settling, she’d been proven wrong again. She wasn’t special to Max. He wanted her possibly to quell whatever warped fantasy he’d conjured. She was the unattainable. The sister of his rival. What better way to shove mud in Eren’s face than to steal her away? Her stomach rolled as she thought about what she allowed to happen earlier. It wasn’t unwanted. She’d given him consent, however, it also left her feeling dirty. To top it off, she’d also confessed some stuff she never thought she would ever tell him. Personal things about how she had only thought of him while pleasuring herself. Needing to escape and also cover herself, she scrambled off the bed—going to pick up each article of clothing he’d left abandon in his haste to touch her. She was about to reach for her underwear when his arm closed in around her waist and she found herself on her back, with his body pressed against her. Much to her chagrin, she grew breathless by his closeness. “There’s nothing to talk about.” She said, which was true. What was there to say when he'd made his message clear? Annoyed, she nearly swatted his hand away, yet her hands wouldn’t move. His touch soothed her somehow. “No, Max, you did this for you. You selfishly took what wasn’t yours, even though you didn’t really want me. Don’t twist this around on me, because it won’t work. If war came, it would be your doing and not mine.” She corrected him, knowing there was no reason to sugar coat things. His own selfishness would be his undoing, and she needed him to understand that.

Maksim was certain he’d never met a woman who frustrated him quite as much as Laila did. He seemed to be saying one thing but she was understanding the complete opposite. Of course he’d done it for himself, he was a selfish bastard he’d never denied it. He had risked everything for her, he’d risked everything because he could not bare the thought of her being with anyone but him. She was not just any woman she was the one who had his attention from the moment he’d met her, he’d even take a bullet for her. She knew all this, wasn’t it pretty damn clear how much she mattered to him? Why was that not enough for her? “Laila do honestly think selfish as I am, I would do all this for someone I didn’t really  want? I am not saying that any of this is your fault, for fucks sake. I’m saying I did all this because I couldn’t bare the thought of you with anyone but me. I wanted you with me. For good.” Hearing her twist around his every word, to only believe what she seemed to stuck on was beyond frustrating, he had half the mind to just leave himself, he could not stand the look of indifference and disdain on her face.

She would be damned if she would allow him to put all this on her. Laila never asked for this. She was about to go on to marry Hamza if it weren’t for what Max did. Did he truly think she would be pleased by what he did? He only wanted her because someone else was going to marry her. She was not some trophy and that was what annoyed her. But what more could she expect from a man who would go so far as to kidnap her on her wedding day? When his response came, she was left in utter confusion again and in Laila fashion, she chose to argue with him because–well, that was how she was. She wasn’t going to change to suit his taste. The brunette was definitely not docile unlike most of the other mafia princesses she grew up around. “Was that so hard to say? Why is it that you can’t seem to tell me what you truly feel? God, Max, I’m not like the women you’ve been fucking. I don’t work that way.” Frustration filled her, and yet, his statement did appease her too–for the moment. “Can we not argue? It’s been a long day.” She added, throwing him a bone of sorts.

Maksim lifted off of her slowly running a hand over his face, feeling exhausted from the turbulent day he’d had. Even after he’d explained it to her a second time to the best of his ability she was still not content, Maksim felt at a lose as to what more he could do or say. It was better they not argue any further on this before their words got even more frayed. “This is who I am, I don’t know what more I can say to appease you Laila.” He said with an exhale, He nodded grateful for the white flag she was waving. “I’m going to go take a shower, then I’ll join you in bed.” He said stepping back and with one final look at her the sight of naked form still splayed out on his bed making his heart and cock ache but neither would be satisfied tonight.

The last couple of weeks had been torturous for Maksim, a part of him had wanted to exact his plan before the wedding day even arrived though each time the thought occurred to him he talked himself out of it knowing there were too many contingencies he would have to deal with if he did. There was also a part of him that enjoyed the thought of Hamza being left standing at the alter while his bride to be was whisked away from by him. Leaving the man so close to getting the best thing that would likely ever happen to him, before reality crashed down on him. That piece of scum did not deserve her, maybe he didn’t either but he was sure as hell a far better choice than Demirci. Dressed in an all black suit, with his hair styled in a relaxed slick back Maksim he no less devilish than Hades on his dark throne.

The plan had been in motion for weeks now. Sitting in a manila folder on his coffee table were incriminating photos of Eren Yavuz interacting with a large shipment of cocaine and heroine, his sleuth had been thorough in photographing the man inspecting the goods, and passing along a large duffle bag of cash to the seller. Max also had documentation of the partial movement of the goods and a list of all the buyers and sellers associated with the operation. Information that wasn’t hard to come by since he knew half the names on that list in some way or another. The DEA would have a field day should they get their hands on it. There was no way in hell it was going to see the light of day, however Laila didn’t need to know that. Maksim had gotten one of his guys to get a hold of an assistant on the event planners team for a small stack of twenties he was getting updates on everything that was happening in preparation for wedding. So when he got the text that Laila was ready, and would soon be walking down the aisle he let dominos fall. Moments after Laila was left alone in the bridal suite one of his men disguised as hotel staff arrived to the room with a laundry cart. And when her attention was diverted he chloroformed her and moved her into the laundry cart before leaving the room again. Elsewhere the hotels camera systems had already been taken down. It was not long before his bride was brought to his home. And now all that was left was for her to wake from her slumber.

Laila stared melancholically at the door when a knock sounded. It was time. Time to finally face her future. With Hamza. The dread she’d been feeling refused to abate. Her heart felt like it was in her stomach, her throat was tight with…tears? Worry? She wasn’t even sure what she was feeling right now. Even more confusion came as she opened the door and was met with a cloth to her face. Before long, everything turned black. When she came to, her eyes felt heavy, her limbs weak, not to mention she had a pounding headache. What happened? She was supposed to be getting married, and then…nothing. Total darkness. Sitting up in the bed, she squinted while her eyes tried to adjust to the surroundings. She could see that she wasn’t alone. Someone was there with her. But who? “What’s going on?” Her voice sounded hoarse, definitely unlike herself. Water. She needed some water to quench her thirst, but seeing as she didn’t know where she was, it didn’t look like she would be able to get some any time soon. She closed her eyes again, squeezing them tightly before opening them again. This time, her vision cleared and right in front of her sat Maksim. “Max? Where am I? What are you doing here?” There were a million things she wanted to ask, but nothing else would come out.

When Laila finally roused from her unconscious state Maxim straightened, preparing himself for this next part. The part where she was going to hate him. When the realization would come to her that she was taken from her wedding venue, by him, and when he asked her to marry him, when he left her no choice but to marry him. Maksim knew on some level that this was wrong but at the moment the ends justified the means at least in his mind. If he had to force her to see the truth then so be it. When all of this was over and in the near future when her rose tinted glasses were off and she wanted to dissolve the marriage he would understand that too. But for now he had play the villain in this chapter of her story. But before that one final kindness as he stood to get her water placing it front of her on the coffee table before he returned to the seat across from her. “We’re at my place. Its a quarter past three in the afternoon, just over an hour since you were meant to walk down the aisle. You’re phones there, I took the liberty of turning it off as it kept ringing.”

While she was still confused, a part of her was also relieved to be seeing Max. As turbulent as their relationship might be, he would always protect her—as he did all those weeks ago when he took a bullet for her. It still didn’t answer her question though. Why was she here with him? Her eyes followed his movements until he stood before her, offering her a glass of water. She took it with both hands, flashing him a small smile before taking a few slow sips. The cool liquid did the trick, so after a minute and feeling like she could finally speak again, she said. “While I’m grateful to have landed here with you, I still don’t understand why I’m here.” Her gaze darted towards her phone, though she didn’t reach for it as her hands were still gripping the glass she was handed earlier. She should have felt angry that she was taken from her wedding, but that feeling never came. Instead, relief washed over her. She didn’t understand why either. She had always liked Hamza, he was charming and knew exactly what to do to make her smile. But it didn’t seem enough anymore. When their dark gazes collided, she knew instantly behind her relief, though as always, she chose not to ponder over it. “Can you please tell me what’s going on?”

Maksim watched her slowly working through her confusion, and questions. Though his face remained impassive he wasn’t completely unaffected my the conflict playing out on her face, it made him was to change course, to not do the things he knew would ultimately cause her pain. But had she left him a choice? If she’s simply indulged him, listened to him when he tried to warn her off Hamza they wouldn’t be here now. Maksim exhaled and readied himself to continue with his plan. “You’re here and not at your wedding celebration Laila because you refused despite my every effort to convince you to end this engagement you stubbornly refused. So I had to take matters into my own hands. By now your brother is likely tearing the city apart looking for you. I want you to call him, and tell him you ran away of your own free will. Tell him you don’t want to marry Hamza, tell me you’ve married me instead.” And with that Maksim pushed forward the small stack of papers sitting on the table between the. It was a marriage license with their names on it, already signed by him. He didn’t open the folder that sat next to the papers, his leverage. If she agreed without him needing it, all the better.

Laila was confused, and she hadn’t made a secret behind her confusion. Anyone in her shoes would have questions. While she might have been relieved that she hadn’t gone down the aisle with Hamza, she also didn’t understand why she was here. With Maksim out of all people. Her gaze was on him the entire time, somehow hoping that he would give her the answers she sought. When it did, her eyes went wide suddenly, her heart racing along with the information that he had just given her. A myriad of emotions washed over her all at once, but there was one that she chose to focus upon. Anger. How dare he make this decision for her. It was never his choice to make, and by snatching away her choices, he had ultimately gained her hatred. White hot fury blazed, and she was sure her features displayed them wholly. “Just when I thought you couldn’t sink lower, you proved me wrong.” She spat out the words as though they were venom on her tongue. “What makes you think you have the right to make my choices for me? Who do you think you are?” She didn’t even bother to look at the papers on the table, there was no need to do that, not when she knew she was not about to go along with his insane plans. “My brother will kill you when he hears of this.”

There it was, the anger he had been bracing for all long. Maksim had kept little hope of Laila simply agreeing to him without any argument, afterall she wouldn’t be her if she didn’t fight him on just about everything. A muscle in his jaw tensed at her words despite expected this very reaction, but there was no turning back now. She was here, he’d brought her mere minutes before she was on her way to marrying another man. The damage was done, now he had simply had to play his cards in the way he knew would minimize the carnage. And her agreeing to do as he was asking was the only way that could happen. Too bad she would hate him for it. However, the ends justified the means. “Perhaps, but it certainly won’t be by his own hand.” Maksim said in a manner of ease that wasn’t reflective of the level of conflict in his head. “Let me make things a little more clearer. You do not have a choice in this matter, not unless you’re willing to put your brothers livelihood above your own incredulity.” And as he let those words sink in he opened the folder that sat shut beside the marriage license. The first photograph should be enough for her to full comprehend what she was looking at. “Take a minute and look through that folder, it should help make the decision easier.” And with that he rose from the arm chair crossing the room to fix a drink for himself. “We have a marriage license to file in court in the next hour so I suggest you make up your mind quickly.” He added, as he made his way across the room.

Anger couldn’t even begin to describe the way Laila felt right then. She couldn’t believe this was happening, a man was making a decision for her. Was it not enough that she had to adhere to the demands of her family? Now she had to deal with Maksim as well? For the past couple of weeks, ever since he stuck his neck out for her, she had been feeling guilty. Guilty that he nearly died to save her. Now, she was starting to see him for what he was. He had only saved her in order to possess her. “If he doesn’t kill you, maybe I will.” If he words could cut, she was sure he wouldn’t be standing right now. Her stomach plummeted at the threat he’d made towards her brother. She didn’t feel like interacting with him any further, so she reached for the file and quickly skimmed through the content. Her stomach might as well have fallen to the floor as she read through the file. Composing her features was a feat, but she managed it nonetheless. “Fine, you win, but let me get something straight, this marriage will only ever be in name only. You are not my husband, and for that reason, do not think that you will be getting anything out of this marriage. Do we have a deal?”

Having dealt the final blow to the last shred of civility left between them, Maksim should feel triumphant considering he knew there was nothing else for her to say. She would be agreeing to his terms whether she like them or not. However, there was only a hollow feeling in his chest that he tried to squander with the bite of whiskey in his hand. Maksim strode back to the woman plucking a pen from his pocket and holding out to her. “Oh but we haven’t even discussed the deal yet, Princess. As I was saying earlier. Once we take care of the legalities, you’re going to give your brother a call, and tell him that you ran away from the wedding of your own volition, convince him in whatever way you have to that you are hopelessly in love with me.” Maksim paused unable to keep from smirking, just the mere thought of those words coming to pass have his heart race picking up. “If your brother believes that I’ve taken you in someway he’ll not rest easy, there will be blood spilled on both sides and we don’t want that do we. Especially not when it would be so easy for me to put and end to it by releasing that information to the media, and the DEA.”

Why had Laila not seen that her association with Maksim bring forward this outcome? She must have been blinded by his chivalry, when he saved her from danger that day because not even once would she ever consider that he would do this to her. Max could have any woman he desired, and although she could scarcely look at him now, he could have had her too. If he had been patient, if he had won her heart, she would have forgotten about Hamza and became his wife willingly. But not like this, not with blackmail. He had years to win her over. So, why did he think it was a better idea for him to kidnap her from her wedding and force her to marry him by using her brother? She would never forgive him. “I will tell him. There’s no need to threaten me further.” She said, snatching the pen from his hand, wishing she could stab him with it instead. “But wipe that smug smile on your stupid face. I mean it, Maksim, you are not my husband. This is just a business transaction, and nothing else.” She scribbled down her signature, leaving the pen on top of it. “There, it’s signed. Now, get out. I can’t stand the sight of you.”

It was just as well that Laila barely wanted to look his way, it gave him a moment to take in the sight of her in the wedding dress, despite it being for another man she was still stunning in it. He committed the curves of her body to memory anticipating several long nights longing for the woman, when she would be closer than ever yet wouldn’t be able to have her. Her words came as no surprise to the man, he’d known they were coming from the moment he’d put his plan into motion. The smirk didn’t leave his face, “Not just yet,” He said reaching into his jacket pocket for the small ring box that had had been in his possession since the week of his injury. Since the moment he’d made up his mind that Laila would be his, no matter the means by which he ensured it. He opened the box to display the stunning diamond he’d picked out for her. “Call me what you want when we’re alone, Laila. But to the world you’re about to be known as Mrs. Laila Markov, I expect you to play the part to perfection.” He said holding out the box to her. Her playing the part was every bit as important to keeping the peace, as the rest of it. Perhaps the most important part.

There might have been a time where Laila would have been happy to marry Max. She cared about him, and as per his actions from a couple of weeks ago, she already knew he felt the same for her. They could have had a great marriage, and in time, she would have even given her heart to him. But that ideology was long gone now. He’d gone too far, and by threatening her brother’s livelihood, she could not picture herself forgiving him. Eren might be overbearing and controlling, but he was still her blood, and she’d be damned if she would allow anyone to hurt him in any way. Her dark blazing eyes followed Max’s every move—while she waited for him to get out of her room. Of course, he couldn’t do that. What he did do was present her with an engagement ring—a sparkling round cut diamond in a pave setting. She couldn’t help but admire its beauty, and for a moment, her gaze softened. The ring was stunning, and most definitely something she would wish to wear daily. She couldn’t though, not when this marriage was a sham. “I’m not wearing that.” She said, still she grabbed the box and closed it, lest she felt tempted to put it on. “Get me a wedding band. It should suffice.” While she wasn’t willing to look at the ring anymore, her thumb idly ran along the velvet box as if to cement her approval over his choice.

Maksim didn’t let the bite of disappointment show at her refusal to wear the ring, however when she snatched the box from him in the very next breath, he couldn’t help the self satisfied smile that came with the knowledge that she had liked the ring. She wouldn’t have kept it so readily if she didn’t. It gave him renewed hope that her anger would pass, Max would make sure of it. She was his, and there wasn’t anything anyone could do to change that, not unless they wanted to pay the price for trying in blood. Maksim chose to exchange the ring box for her wrist tugging her closer. “Fine, you’ll have your wedding band later tonight. When I return you and I will sort out where we go from here. This is my room, therefore now your room as well, make yourself comfortable. I’ll have staff stay close by should you need anything.” Maksim released her wrist, walking away was proving difficult as he wanted to continue staring into her serene face, his gaze catching on the full pout of her lips, and the small birthmark that skimmed the corner of her mouth, the urge to nip it overwhelming but he would have to wait for that pleasure. And just as he had all those weeks again his finger gently brushed her face before he released her wrist and left the room with the papers and the folder.

It didn’t come as a surprise that Max had planned all this. From the blackmailing, to capturing her on her wedding day, to now the beautiful ring perched in the velvet she was currently gripping. Laila was annoyed, and angry, but along with it, her heart also melted at the gesture. He might be an asshole for forcing her hand, however, she could not find fault with his taste. It almost felt like he knew everything about her, including her choice in engagement rings. Gently, she ran a delicate thumb over the box. Would she ever wear the ring? She didn’t know, but she wasn’t going to return it either. He’d bought it for her. Therefore, it would stay with her until she felt like wearing it—if ever. A gasp left her chest when he tugged at her wrist—their faces now mere inches apart. Awareness of his presence descended and her heart stuttered annoyingly. With him standing this close, she could hardly breathe, let alone speak. A retort was at the tip of her tongue, yet she remained mum. How pathetic was it that she was so weak with his close proximity? And when he ran a finger over her cheek, goosebumps rose on her skin. It was only once he was gone did her mind register his statement. This was their room now. Not only was she forced to cohabitate with Maksim, she was also to share a bed with him. God help her, it would take all of her willfulness to keep her anger in check. Would she be able to do that? Only time would tell.

The icy look Laila gave him didn’t deter the man in the least, if anything it brought him some sense of smug satisfaction. Maksim liked knowing he could get under her skin and perhaps it also indicated that she wasn’t as unaffected by him as she liked to let on. He couldn’t help but wonder if he was on her mind much like she was on his. More now than ever. Several times he’d drunk himself into a spiral pondering over the idea of Hamza being by her side at all times, touching her, and her letting him. “It’s not for a lack of trying Princess, yet it seems whenever I turn around you’re right there.” And sometimes she wasn’t, yet he wanted her to be. The smart thing would be to come to terms with his feelings and tell her. To put all the cards on the table and leave the decision up to herm but Maksim rarely took stock of his own feelings, and admitting to them without knowing they were reciprocated was not something he was willing to do. “What’s wrong is he still fussing over me hurting his pretty face?” He asked enjoying this more than he should. His own black eye was just about healed by now not that he’d cared to begin with, it wasn’t his first and likely wouldn’t be the last.

Never had Laila felt so foolish in her life. She fancied herself to be a smart woman who knew how to read people. How could she have been so wrong about Maksim? For years, despite their families being at odds, she thought that he was different, that he was her friend. Well, she had been dead wrong because friends didn’t act like he did. A friend wouldn’t go out of his way to hurt her, when all she had ever done was try to have his back. She had even liked him as more than a friend once upon a time. Thank God, nothing came out of that, because she didn’t want to be with someone like him. Laila understood that being a part of a criminal family meant that Maksim would have to be ruthless, but did he have to act the way he did with someone who had done nothing to him? It didn’t matter, everything that she felt for him was gone now. All that was left was bitter disappointment. “Trust me, this is pure coincidence. I would much rather shoot myself in the foot than be around you. Never call me Princess ever again.” Her eyes rolled, and she swiveled her chair around to look away from him. Laila took a long sip of martini, hoping to vanquish him altogether, but with no such luck. “Didn’t I tell you to stop talking about him? It looks like he gave it just as hard as you did, so I wouldn’t be too proud if I were you.”

Her cold dismissal was to be expected, considering she was putting her faith so blindly in that bastard and believed he’d attacked him unprovoked. His disposition darkened as he recalled how she hadn’t even given it a second thought so readily siding with a man she barely knew. That’s what years of his history lived up to. Though there was a moment that he forgot about all that as she spun away in the chair the scent of her perfume enveloped him more intoxicating in that moment then any liquor he’d consumed that night. And so he didn’t stop himself from drawing closer to the delicious scent of her moving to stand right before her stool his hand coming to rest on the counter beside her partially entrapping it her yet not touching her. Taking it one step further he leaned his face in lose the side of her face smirking as he found the thought amusing. “So what if he got a hit in I’d won that confrontation the moment he lifted his fist at me. The man’s known for never getting his hands dirty always after protecting that pretty face of his. You don’t know that man half as well as you think you do.”

Seeing as she was about to become Hamza’s wife, it was natural for her to have complete confidence in her fiancé. Did she know him wholly? No. But he couldn’t be a bad guy, right? If he was, Eren would have never introduce her to Hamza, let alone allow her to marry him. Still, questions lingered and it was all due to Maksim. He seemed to have this affinity to make her question everything. She could only chalk it up to their past. While they had never been true friends, he had always tried to protect her and vice versa. So, just maybe he was doing the same thing. The question was, what had Hamza done? As she pondered over the question, he took the opportunity to lean in. While her back was to him, she could still the warmth radiating from his body. Her heart raced, and she could feel her breath coming in short spurts as he spoke to her. “Not everyone thinks like you. Not every problem could be resolved with violence, Maksim. Now, if you’d be so kind, please leave me be. You’re crowding my space.” She tried her best to sound unaffected by him, but she wasn’t sure she was succeeding at this point.

Standing this close to her, so close he was able to imagine the feel of her tucked into the expanse of his chest, arms encompassed around her feeling the smoothness of her skin only to her her bristle under his touch was a better head rush then any amount of alcohol or the pleasure of any other woman’s company. He wanted more and it was taking every ounce of his self control not to take it. “You’d be surprised how many people in our world think just like me.” He said his voice coming out huskier than before, as he tried to focus his attention on their conversation and not all the ways in which he wanted to bring her closer. When she asked him to leave once against he so sighed heavily before grabbing a hold of the stool at her side and spinning her around so she was facing him. “Why is it that you refuse to even consider what I have to say? Don’t you think you owe it to yourself to figure out if he’s everything you want him to be?”

“Haven’t I made it clear that I don’t care about what you think?” The tender feelings she held for Maksim had to be long gone, or so she thought until she felt his heat surrounding her. Laila should be ashamed for still feeling something for him when all she should feel was revulsion towards the male. Even in her anger, her mind wondered what would it feel like to touch him. In her world, she was expected to remain chaste, and she had done just that—afraid to go against her family’s wishes. Even so, it did not mean she did not have desires of her own and for the most part, Maksim had been the focal point of her fantasies. That was before Hamza came along, and she honestly was a little ashamed that she would still feel something for the youngest Markov brother. Her muddled thoughts faded as she felt her stool swiveling and before long, her face was mere inches away from that of Max’s. “If you hadn’t acted like a donkey’s ass, perhaps I would have given your words more consideration, but you didn’t, so excuse me for not caring,” she did care, she wanted to know what Hamza’s secret was. Yet, her stubbornness wouldn’t allow her to find out the truth. Knowing that nothing would come out of this conversation, she stood up, while also pushing him away from her. “Since you refuse to leave, I will do it.” With that, she left walked towards the door with danger lurking just outside. Her gaze was on her phone, texting her friend to reschedule their meeting. Suddenly, bullets flew above her head, and strong arms surrounded her pulling her away from danger. Shock settled and when she looked into the face of her savior, she was met with Maksim. “Max.” She whispered, tears blinding her vision.

“You say that plenty, but do you actually mean it?” He sure as hell didn’t whenever he tried to talk himself out of caring about whether or not she should be with Hamza. It was torturous being so close to her and keeping himself from acting on his base impulses, it was torturous looking at her beautiful face any not touching it, not pulling her even closer like he’d done so many times when she visited his dreams. Maksim knew she wasn’t wrong, he had been an ass though this time it was warranted. His only regret was not finding Hamza somewhere else, where she couldn’t intervene. His jaw tensed, annoyed that their conversation kept circling back to the same exact point. If she wasn’t going to heed his warning and so whatever the fuck she wanted, perhaps Maksim should take matters into his own hands and do the same. To pissed off to say anything more Maksim just gritted his teeth and let her walk away from him, again. Running a hand over his face he couldn’t help himself but turn around to watch her head off towards the door. It was then that he noticed a man stand from a booth in the corner, his gaze also fixated on Laila. Alarm bells flaring, Maksim followed after her reaching her in just in time to see the man drawing his weapon. He didn’t think only reacted, grabbing a hold of her wrist and spinning them around so he was in the direct line of fire, it all happened so quickly that the pain of the bullet lodging itself in his shoulder didn’t ever registered. He only acting his own weapon drawn as he kept her behind him shooting back at the man though he was able to disappear back into the crowded club. “Are you okay, are you hurt?” He demanded the moment he looked back at her taking her face in his hand stepping back to inspect for damage.

In her anger, Laila forgot about the world she lived in and the danger being a Yavuz could bring her. She completely checked out, and hadn’t paid attention to her surroundings. With her eyes trained at her phone, her focus was on the text that she had planned on sending to her friend. She could have died. Her life could have been snuffed out if it were not for the quick actions of the one man she had ardently chastised. As bullets rained down around her, he didn’t hesitate to save her—his arms tugging her against him and pulling her to safety. Around her, chaos reigns. People were screaming, things came crashing down and the most terrifying of all was the rapid successions of pops coming from Maksim and the assailant who had tried to kill her. Did someone die? Was she the cause of this mayhem? Those questions would not be answered as she peered into a pair of raven colored eyes. Even after all the harsh words she’d spat at him, he was still here, he had saved her. The concern in his tone made tears finally spill down her cheeks, but she nodded quickly—not wanting to alarm him even more. “I’m fine. I’m not hurt.” The abrupt shift in her gaze left her gasping, her heart racing erratically. Blood. On his shoulder. He’d been hit. He’d taken a bullet in the process of saving her. “Max, your shoulder. We need to get you some help.”

Maksim exhaled a ragged breath of relief hearing her assurance that she was unharmed. Though a shudder ran through him in the next moment as the pain was finally making itself known. The warm spill of his blood spreading on the white tee he was wearing beneath his jacket, the stark contrast of crimson on white drawing her attention. “It’s fine, we need to get out of here. Now.” He said leaving no room for question of further discussion. There was no time for them to linger and worry at the injury. Given the frantic nature of the situation he wasn’t even able to savor the feel of her soft skin beneath his palm before he move his hand to her back to usher her toward the exit until they were out on to the street dozens of patrons of the club spilling out onto the street right behind them to escape the chaos in the club. Several times his shoulder was jostled by passerbys each time sending a sharp jolt of pain through him, the color draining from his face though his concern was still on getting them safety away from from here. He took a hold of her elbow leading her off to a side street in the direction of his car. He didn’t stop until he had safely seated in the car, coming around to join her in the drivers side. “What’s your brothers address?” Max asked as he started the car pulling out of the street not taking the risk of staying there. Asking specifically for Eren’s address as there was no way in hell he was leaving alone at her place, if he was handing her off to anyone it was going to be in the care of her brother who he expected would be able to keep her safe.

There had been instances in her life where she loathed her family’s criminal dealings. As a young girl, she was constantly trailed, with no freedom in sight. She could not walk down the street on her own for fear of an abduction or assassination attempts. Which was why making friends and keeping them had been so hard for the mafia princess. It was only due to her insistence once she turned twenty-one that Eren afforded her some freedom by allowing her to go about her day without a bodyguard. Given the choice, Laila would much rather lead a normal life than to be given the world essentially—thanks to the riches her family possessed—and not really having the ability to live it fully. Today was a great example. All she was doing was living her life when this happened. Her heart thumped erratically not only due to the danger she was in, but also after seeing the blood seeping from Maksim’s shoulder. Her anger towards him ebbed away and instead, worry loomed. He had saved her. Like he always would, in spite of how cruelly she had spoken to him earlier, he was still willing to stick his neck out for her. Remorse descended and along with it, a need to help him also came. “No, Max, we need to get that shoulder looked at.” She pleaded, though he was not listening to her by now as he ushered her away from the club and into the safety of his car. “535 Maple Ridge Avenue.” She answered him after buckling in. The beat of her heart had yet to slow. Considering what just happened, she didn’t think anyone would be able to blame her for it.

The seat belt instantly became bloody when Max finally managed to get it on with one hand. If not for her being with him he’d likely have paid closer attention to his injury seeing as he could barely lift his left arm without a world of pain descending on him. If this was the first time he’d taken a bullet perhaps he wouldn’t be able to still keep going, but this was par for the course in his world. Some amount of tolerance to pain was needed to keep going, to stay alive. He loaded up the navigation with the address and began the drive in that direction, looking over at her again finally. “You know I can’t go to the hospital with a gun shot wound. I’ll call a doc to our compound after I’ve dropped you home. Do you have any idea who that was?” He questioned, the mans face was committed to his memory, he never forgot the face of anyone who moved against him, going after Laila was no different in his mind. The thought of him not being there tonight, or waiting even a minute longer before he followed after her and things could’ve gone very different tonight, just the thought was enough to make him see red and he could only begin to comprehend just what he might do had that been the case. Even still his heartbeat was thundering in his chest unable to come down from the rush of panic and adrenaline he’d experienced. “And why the hell don’t you have any security with you?”

Knots began to form in the pit of her stomach. There was so much blood. Every inch of the seatbelt on the driver’s side was soaked in crimson. The view caused a lump to form in her throat. This was all her doing. Maksim was shot because of her. There was no one who could convince her otherwise. For a time, her attention was on the carnage the shooting brought around her, until he spoke again and she snapped her eyes onto his strained face. How he still managed to form coherent sentences, much less drive was beyond her. “We should go to your place first. You’re losing too much blood.” She would be just as safe with him than she was at her brother’s. Much like her family’s estate, she was sure his was equipped with security cameras not mention guards at every corner. “I don’t have any. I could take care of myself!” She snapped back, getting annoyed again upon hearing his tone. Only Maksim could do this to her. Have her worry about his state of being and feel annoyed at him for his asshole tendencies. “Worry about yourself, Max. You’re bleeding out.”

Maksim considered her suggestion a moment before silently conceding as he turned off the GPS not needing it to get to his childhood home. At the next red light he dug out his bloodied phone from his pocket and texted the doc to meet him at the house before he dropped it into the center console trying keeping his attention fixated on the road because the lose of blood was definitely taking it’s toll. Though that proved to be too goddamn hard to do at her snappy reply. Maksim tightened his grip on the steering wheel glancing in her direction briefly shaking his head. “Do you fucking hear yourself? If I hadn’t been there tonight you’d be lying dead back there. Clearly you can’t take care of yourself. And I don’t know what the fuck your brothers thinking letting you wander out and about without protection when you have a target on your back because of him!” Maksim hadn’t ever spoken to her in this tone of voice, beyond pissed and fed up he really didn’t care if that meant the point would get across to her. Anything could’ve happened and she had the nerve to sit there and say she with a straight face that she could take care of herself.

Had she been foolish for traveling without a guard? Perhaps. However, she had done it for years now with no danger in sight. So why was today any different? A part of her regretted coming here, and being saved by Maksim, because now she felt indebted to him. Of course, it was unfair of her to think this way. He might have just been worried about her, yet she could not sit back and simply allow him to berate her for something she never planned. “What do you want from me, Max? I’ve done this for years, and nothing’s ever happened. How am I supposed to know that some deranged gunman is gunning for me tonight of all nights?” She didn’t want to argue with him. He had saved her life, and had been injured in the process. “Can you not yell at me right now? We need to tend to your wound.” Her tone was calmer now, though she was still highly irritated at him. Worry took hold and she kept glancing at him just to make sure that he wasn’t falling asleep. When finally, they arrived at what she assumed was his place, she ran out of the passenger side and helped him out. Soon, they were joined by his staff members and in the hubbub, she was separated from him, as he was swept into his room. The Doctor rushed in there within a few minutes, and while he was being treated, she paced outside, chewing on her bottom lip nervously. Finally, the double doors to his room swung open and without notice she hurried inside. He was fast asleep, knocked out by meds and his injury. She should have left, should have gone home. However, she chose to stay with him. As hard as he was towards her earlier, she could not leave his side, because without him she wouldn’t be breathing right now.

There was plenty more Maksim had to say on the matter of her not looking after her safety, and not just her but also her brother. Leaving her side was becoming more difficult for Max to bare, not when he couldn’t even count on her being kept safe. As it seemed Eren had gotten too lax with his responsibility towards her, first by allowing her to roam about unprotected, and then by practically tossing her at the living scum, known as Hamza Demirci. If he spent anymore time agonizing over the thought of that man laying so much as a finger on her he would loose his mind. The last time he’d seen it he’d only thrown a couple of jabs at the man, he himself knew nothing of what he would do if that happened again. For once he listened to her, though displaying his anger but not saying anything further at all. Though the other reason behind that was that he was loosing energy fast. By the time they pulled into his driveway he was completely done, allowing her to help him out of the car and generally not making an issue about other offering him help to his room. He was out of it somewhere in the middle of all that. When he woke the next morning the first thing on his mind was Laila. The moment he registered he was in his own bed and could not recall anything beyond their car ride here, he felt frenzied to know where she’d gone, hoping the night had passed without further incident. Had Damien said anything to her while he was out, that was if his brother was even in the house. And what about his men? How had she gotten home? He went to sit up too fast having forgotten the reason he was out of it in the first place, there was a sharp jab of pain at his shoulder though the tightly wound bandages and care he’d been given made the pain more bearable than the night before. And by the way his head was spinning he also suspected there were remnants of some heavy pain meds in the mix there. He let out a low wince trying to adjust his shoulder where it would be most comfortable when his gaze fell wayward to see Laila there on the edge of his bed fast asleep. For a moment he didn’t know what to even do with this. How many times had he thought of her in his bed, granted in very different circumstances. But never did he think there was anyway of it happening. When he got over the sudden surprise this was his attention was immediately drawn to her awkward position she was in, angered that that’s how she’d slept all night. Without thinking on it too hard he stood up and leveraged his good side to pick her up in his arms, of course he couldn’t carry her with one arm so he gritted his teeth through the momentary pain as he moved her to his pillow. Once he had her settled he stood back planning to go get in the shower but he couldn’t help but linger and watch her sleep. Her face was so calm and serene like this she radiated there lain across his dark silk sheets, he couldn’t help himself from leaning down and moving her hair away from her face, the tips of his fingers just barely brushing her lips, her cheek and relishing in the softness of her.

‘The devil looked soft as he slumbers’ that was first thought that ran through her mind as she gazed into Maksim’s face. Her throat felt tight as a variety of different emotions coursed through her. Regret was at the very top. She had done this. If it were not for her insistence that she be allowed to go about her life without protection, this would not have happened. She had always resented the world that she lived in, but now more than ever, Laila wished she was stronger, more apt to deal with the challenges that came with being a mafia princess. She should have been dead, and she would have been if it were not for Max’s quick thinking. After everything she had thrown his way, he was still there—willing to put his life on the line for her. Laila did not deserve such loyalty, and as he slept, she did the one thing she has yet to do; she wept. Her dainty hands reached out for his long-calloused ones and with a deathly grip, the tears flowed. Silently, she pleaded for him to wake up, promising that she would be a better friend and she would do anything he wanted from her. All she needed was for him to open his eyes. She wasn’t sure how long she stayed there, her hand in his, keeping her attention on him, but eventually, her eyes grew tired and a yawn escaped. Before long, she too had been swept away into the land of dreams. She must be really exhausted because she did not wake when she was moved, nor did she stir as a pair of black eyes watched her in her slumber. She slept peacefully until the scenes of the day prior flashed before her again. This time, the outcome wasn’t as favorable. Before her, a body laid crumpled on the club floor. A pool of blood outlining the figure. When the face became clear, a scream left her diaphragm, “Max!” She sat straight up in an unfamiliar bed, her eyelids popping open and when she saw him sitting before her, her arms stretched going straight for his neck. Her grip was strong, holding him in a fierce embrace. “I thought I lost you. I thought I really lost you.” Came her incoherent cries as tears spilled down her face.

Maksim forced himself to close his fist letting his nails dig into the skin of his palms so he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her again, not when she was fast asleep and would likely scream bloody murder at him if she came to know he’d done anything but leave her be. Why was he fixating on such inconsequential things and picking her up and brushing her hair from her face anyway? Perhaps because he knew these moments would be few and far between, and he found himself gritting his teeth so incredibly vexed at that thought. There was no point in denying it any further, Laila had gotten under his skin, she’d lived there for years now, and now that it felt like she was slipping away for good he finally was loosing any care of what might happen if he decided to act on his feelings. Makism was getting ready to leave her when she suddenly called out his name, shooting straight up in the next moment wide awake and looking panicked. Even if she had been awake he knew this reaction was simply to his brushing his finger along her face. Then what, did she have a bad dream.

Before he could inquire on that, she had thrown herself into her arms and though stunned by this development, and also in a lot of pain due to his shoulder he wound an arm around her waist holding her close, his other hand going to hold gently cradle her head in his hand smoothing down her hair in hope to calm her. “Shhh, relax you were dreaming Laila. I’m right here,” Makims rubbed at her back with more care than he knew he was capable of. After a moment he gently unwound her arms from around her shoulder so he could look at her face. Moving her hair behind her ear before taking a hold of her chin to get her to open her eyes and look at him. “Take a deep breath, and look at me. I’m fine.”

Never had a dream been so vivid before. Laila has had nightmares. Yet, not one that would jolt her out of a deep sleep. She saw red everywhere. The room was painted in crimson. Blood pooling at her feet, surrounding Maksim’s body. Her heart ached, breaking into a million piece. The shards splintering further, making the pain even more pronounce. He’s dead. He’s dead. He’s dead! She was screaming when she awoke, sweat beading her skin, her arms going around Max’s shoulders, tugging him into an embrace so tight, she was sure she had injured his healing shoulder further. Nothing could calm the grieve within her however. At least not until she heard his voice—the very same one that grated her nerves earlier. For the moment, all of the promises she made to herself—about never speaking to him again—fell to the wayside. He was here, and he was alive. Tears still blinded her vision when he tilted her chin up. Through it, she saw a blurred version of him. She could scarcely believe this was reality, not until he told her to breathe. Blinking away the tears, she finally saw him. “I thought you died, you jerk.” Her response surprised even her. To be fair, she wasn’t used to being gentle around him. They weren’t supposed to be friends after all. Once more, she pulled him into a hug, though now she paid mind to his wounded shoulder. “I swear if you do that again, I’ll kill you myself.” Her tone 

Maksim's face remained tense with worry as he looked at her in her panicked state, he was only able to be at ease again when she finally listened and took a deep breath. After which he couldn’t help but smirk lightly at her admission to being so worked up because she was worried about him. He couldn’t help but chuckle, finding humor in her both chastising him and showing concern. “Darling, I’m not dying anytime soon. This,” He said pointing to his bandage wrapped torso, “isn’t enough to take me out. You on the other hand…I suppose I should count my lucky stars I’ve survived this long.” He said smiling to himself as she wrapped her arms around him once again, relishing in the feel of her lithe body in his arms, he knew then that he would do just about anything to keep her there. It was where she belonged in his life, by his side. He tightened his grip on her waist his other hand snaking into her hair the feel of the soft strands between his fingers was heavenly. And the scent of her, he was drowning in it and didn’t want to come up for air anytime soon. If comfort was all she wanted he would gladly give her that but fuck if he wasn’t thinking about other things, kissing the soft lips that only his fingers had the pleasure of touching, painfully aware that her dress was the only piece of fabric in the way of him reveling in the feel of her smooth skin against his bare chest. It would be wrong to take advantage of her concern and worry over him wouldn’t it?

When faced with the prospect of dealing with her emotions, Laila would most certainly use anger as the answer. Things with Maksim was complicated at best. Did she like him? Yes. Did she also loathe him? Sometimes. Especially when he was yelling at her for no reason and acting like a donkey’s ass. However, through it all, he was always there. He was her constant. The thought of losing him, to never be able to banter or argue with him ever again had bile rising from her stomach. She didn’t want to think of that possibility. In her eyes, he would always be there. He might be just out of reach to her—considering what was going to happen in the near future. Yet, he would be there. “Now I know you’re really alive. You’re still the same old jerk face.” She mumbled, against his neck still—glad to feel the warmth emanating from his skin. By now, her hold on him had loosened, and the tears in her eyes had long since dried. As soon as that happened, awareness of a different kind descended. In the years she had known Maksim, they had never been this close. Now that they had, she never wanted to leave the comforting cocoon of his embrace. She had never allowed her thoughts to wander, but now, she wanted what it would feel like to be thoroughly touched by him. Dear God, she was definitely going to hell for even thinking such things.

Maksim found it very amusing that whenever he tried to flirt with her she opted to pick a fight. And this had been the case for just about as long as he’d known her. This was their dance, the way they skirted around their feelings, keeping everything above board. If Maksim had any doubt about whether or not Laila felt the same way as he did those doubts had been cleared by her worry over him the night before, the fact that she’d stayed, and then the panic over which she woke up this morning only to come straight into his arms. He knew what he wanted and that was enough. Because by hook or by crook he would have her, and keep her. For several moments now he’d waited for her to disentangle herself from his embrace, yet even calm as she was now she remained. And so it was his move. Maksim let her hair slip away as he let his fingers slowly skim over the back of her neck tracing a path down length of her back before abruptly releasing his grip on her waist so that he could lean back on his hands to where if she decided to keep her arms wound around his neck she would be leaning down into him. Eyes shining with mischief he his gaze raked her face, catching on the beautiful pout of her lips. “So what’ll it be, Princess? Did you want to fuss over my wounds some more, or should find something else to occupy our time together?”

Being a part of the Yavuz clan meant that she had to walk a straight line. There was no such things as boyfriends before marriage, let alone giving her chastity to a male who was not her husband. Laila knew this, the rule had been implanted into the deep recesses of her mind ever since she was a young girl. If she was ballsy enough to go against her family’s ruling, she might as well put a noose around her neck and hang herself with it. It wasn’t until she blossomed into womanhood, and her forbidden friendship with Maksim flourished did she consider breaking the shackles her family set for herself. Each time there was a hint of flirtation, she wanted to forget everything and allow her desires to lead the way. This time was no different. Maksim nearly died, and she had been crying, yet still she felt her body reacting to his closeness. For it being her first time embracing him, she didn’t expect her body to react this strongly, but she supposed there was no debating with her libido. Her eyes were closed, tingles breaking out over her skin as his hand ran from her hair, all the way to her waist before he released her. It was due to her quick reflexes that she hadn’t landed on top of him. With her heart pounding, she rolled her eyes, before a barb flittered from her lips—her eyes glinting with humor now. “None of the above.” She ran her hands down the hem of her dress, covering her legs in the process and standing up on wobbly knees. “I should head home. My brother would be worried sick about me by now.” Despite knowing she should leave, she still stood in front of him.

Maksim knew it was very unlikely she’d actually take him up his offer though that was not where his head was at now. No, the only thing on his mind was how he was going to keep Laila from going through with the biggest mistake of her life. He knew there was nothing he could say to get her to change her mind, she wasn’t hearing any of it simply because she didn’t want to give in to him? That was one possibility. When Laila sat back his gaze couldn’t help but catch on her gorgeous legs, though only for a moment as she slowly smooth down her dress his eyes following the path of her hand his shaft steadily stiffening. He left out a soft chuckle as at her response running a hand through his hair. How he managed not to just reach out and pull her to him, and put an end to his torture he couldn’t be sure. It would all come in time, he just had to put the gears in motion. Talking to his Pakhan on the top of that list because he was about to invite a hell of a lot of conflict in their lives yet it would all be worth it in the end. “Goodbye, Laila.” He said before she disappeared past his door. Max made a call down to the garage so someone would be waiting to take her home by the time she reached the door. Until next time.

Lately, Hamza felt as if his stars were aligning. Not only was his family’s wealth increasing, he was also about to be a part of the Yavuz family. Normally, he would balk at the idea of an arranged marriage, however, Laila was a beautiful woman, and he had a weakness for them, so why not marry the beauty? He wasn’t in love with her, nor did he have the desire to stop seeing the women he’d been fucking after their marriage, so he would have to be careful. As long as he wasn’t caught, he was sure no problems would arise. This afternoon, they were attending a conference together, so after his rounds, he sought her out. They were making their rounds when he came across Maksim. Laila looked out of place and a little angry at the other male, making Hamza’s brows rise. Did the two know each other? Already disliking the male, he steered her away, though he made it a point to bump into the other male before murmuring an apology that didn’t even sound close to being sincere. “I’m sorry.”

Maksim unabashedly stared at Laila as she made her way around the room with her fiancé. Perhaps it was his anger at the man, coupled with his alcohol consumption that had him not keeping his wits about him, and glaring daggers at them in a public setting where there were more foes than allies. But he could give less than two fucks over all that right now. It was when Hamza purposely shouldered past him causing the drink in his hand to slosh onto his jacket that Maksim was sent over the edge. The man restrained himself enough to not get in his face right there in the middle of the conference hall, but the moment he saw Hamza ducking out into the hallway without Laila he followed after. Hamza had turned the corner leading to the bathroom when Maksim approached clearing him throat as he wasn’t one to attack from behind. When Hamza turned to him he grabbed him by the collars throwing him against the wall before placing his arm at his neck to hold him there. “You should’ve thanked your luck stars, that we let you live after what you did to Mila, but everyones luck runs out at some point. Does Laila know you have a kid out there, or is that something I’m gonna have to fill her in on?”

Being married to Hamza wouldn’t be a bad thing. He was good to her, knew exactly what to say to make her smile, and it helped that he was also good to look at. Sure, a beautiful face didn’t necessarily mean that she would have a great marriage, however, the way he spoke to her was more than enough to convince her otherwise. When he led her around, she ignored the world—Maksim especially. Or at least she tried to. However, she could feel his gaze boring into her, making her skin prickle and her heart race. No, don’t pay attention to him. She told herself and merely allowed her fiancé to keep leading her throughout the conference room. Minutes later, when he excused her to go to the restrooms, she was left alone, but very quickly, her attention was taken by a business associate.

Hamza was intentionally being a jackass only because he could not stand Maksim Markov. Ever since the incident with Mila, he’d held a hatred for the other guy. It wasn’t his fault the stupid bitch didn’t protect herself. Besides, it wasn’t as if he intentionally impregnated her. It was an accident. The condom broke, and he shouldn’t be expected to take care of a baby that he never even wanted. But nevermind that, he wasn’t going to give the entire incident a second thought. It wasn’t even worth his while. Right now, he was with Laila, and he wasn’t going to interact with the entitled prick. Well, other than when he purposely bump into the other that is. After the mandatory rounds, he excused himself to use the facilities. Much to his annoyance, Maksim grabbed him by the collar and cornered him. “Get your filthy hands off me.” Hamza shoved at the taller man. “I do not have a child running around. I already told her if she wished to go through with the pregnancy, she would be alone, so there really is nothing to tell, is there?”

That was the wrong goddamn answer. If Maksim was pissed before this his anger only multiplied ten fold. At suggestion that Mila not have kept his nephew, his completely dismissal of all responsibility - not that Makism would let the man anywhere near his cousin or her son even if the asshole came around. Yet the disrespect could not be forgiven. But also the fact that he was putting on this show for the woman who despite all his efforts he could not put out of her mind, and though he may still be unwilling to admit this to anyone he, even himself that he cared about. A sardonic grin crossed his face as he released man, “Wrong fucking answer.” He said before drawing his arm back to sock the man right in the jaw. “You wanna try that again?”

Hamza was sick of dealing with Maksim. Just because he’d knocked up Mila—not because he wanted to by the way—he was deemed the bad guy. He’d made it clear to her that he didn’t want the child, so why the hell was he demonized for his decision? He gave no pretenses of being uncaring. Frankly speaking, it was none of Maksim’s business. This was between him and Mila. He was about to throw in another barb when a punch landed right on his jaw. “Son of a bitch!” He growled, grabbing at the injured jaw as he glared at the other male. “What the fuck do you want from me? She’s already had that child. I can’t make her change her fucking mind.” And even then, he didn’t want to have to deal with that bitch. All she’d ever done was brought him grief.

Fuck, what did Maksim want aside from rearranging his pretty face to satisfy his own anger. In fact he wanted the man to hit him back so they they could properly settle this. He was staying far away from Mila on his own which was why he was still walking, and because they hadn’t wanted to cause an incident between the families, though clearly Max was thinking about that now. No he was worked up because he hadn’t been able to see him walking beside Laila, nor stand the sight of him touching her even as innocently as a hand around her waist. “What’s wrong Demirci, can’t find the courage to raise a hand against a man? Not surprising bastards like you only get off on hurting women huh?” He was instigating, practically begging for him take the bait.

Hamza took pride in his looks and always made sure that he was presentable. It was why he never got his hands dirty. He had people to handle that sort of stuff for him. Besides, he would never want to mar his face and so far, he’d done a good job of ensuring that his face was out of harm’s way. Apparently, his luck had run out. The fucking bastard decked him. Why? Over a bitch who wasn’t careful enough, and had the cheek to try to trap him into a marriage. He wasn’t going to deal with Maksim, until he heard the other’s words—that was when he lost his temper entirely. Shoving at the male, he swung his arm back and delivered a punch straight to Maksim’s nose. “I am not a coward, you son of a bitch!”

Laila mingled about while waiting for Hamza to come out of the restroom. He should have been done by now, however, as the minutes ticked by, she noticed that her fiancé was missing. Worried, she excused herself, and headed towards the restrooms. There were a few men scrambling out, looking horrified. Her brows furrowed in confusion until she heard the distinct sound of Hamza’s voice cussing from the men’s facilities. Worried, she rushed inside and that was where she was confronted with a sight that had her anger boiling. Hamza and Maksim were engaged in a fist fight. Her legs carried her over to the duo, where she tugged at Maksim’s arm while yelling at him. “What the hell are you doing? Stop it, Max! You’re hurting him!”

Maksim was waiting for the man to come at him, it’s exactly what he wanted when the other man finally began seeing red and came at him. Because he’d been expecting it he was able to dodge just a bit thought he did get his square in the right eye it would be a real shiner and the thought only made him laugh through the pain as he grabbed at Hamza’s retrieving arm and pulled him in as he brought his knee up to his gut. He was getting ready for his next blow when a hand came around his upper arm and Max stopped instantly because he didn’t have to look to know who it was, who else could it be other than Laila? Her request confirmed as much. By the time he’d turned to look at her after letting go of the other man he had composed his face to lose some of the chaos. “Why don’t you ask your ‘fiancé’, I’m sure he’d be happy to fill you in.” He said grinning at that enjoying the tension still a little drunk on the violence.

when Maksim rammed his knee into his stomach, he keeled over, clutching at his gut. “Fuck, I’m going to kill you.” Perhaps he shouldn’t be trying to annoy the other male with his remark, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. He thanked his lucky stars when Laila came into the restroom, and ultimately saved him from his painful fate. “Laila, don’t listen to him. He’s just a psychopath. Clearly he’s lost his mind.” He said, allowing his fiancée to support his weight as she helped him up.

given the way Maksim behaved around her a few weeks back, Laila instantly knew that he’d been the cause of this ruckus. Instantly, she helped Hamza up, anger clear in her tone of voice as she spoke to Maksim. “I don’t want to hear it. I know this is your doing.” Perhaps she was being harsh, but what else could she surmise after everything that has happened? Maksim hadn’t tried to hide his annoyance over her engagement, though why he cared so much was beyond her. “Stay away from us, Maksim. I swear, the next time I’ll put a bullet through your head.” She might not be violent by nature, but just because she wasn’t, it didn’t mean that she wasn’t capable of it.

Maksim rolled his eyes shaking his head in disgust as he watched Hamza cling to Laila for support he’d heard right about the man and his aversion to getting his hands dirty. Maksim on the other hand could take a blow he’d been brawling since he was a kid the Bravta wasn’t for the faint hearted their legacy was of blood, sweat and tears no matter how polished the exterior they were all the same when it came down to it. Hamza should be counting his lucky starts he had neither his gun or knifes on him. Because he’d have had no qualms gutting him if the mood struck him right there. He peeled his death glare away from the man when Laila spoke the words that nearly drove daggers into his own chest. Why the duck was he so torn up over this woman not giving his words a second thought. If she wanted to make him the villain he might as well do something to earn himself the title. Losing his anger while already itching for a fight was one thing. But when Maksim Markov set his mind yo something he planned his every move. The cogs were already turning, but for now he simply gave her a sardonic smirk. “While I imagine your hands would look beautiful covered in blood don’t count on it being mine.” He said ominously before he fixed the lapels of his suit jacket and headed off.

Laila was still unsure how things turned out this way. She had fancied Maksim her friend. Sure, they might not have had a classic friendship, however, in all the years that she’d known him, she had seen him doing things for her sake. Just like she done for him. They had each other’s backs, even if it was on the sly. Now, she could barely be in his company anymore. After what he did to Hamza, she never wanted to be around him ever again. He’d crossed a line, and she was done with him. His statement had her narrowing her eyes, but she didn’t give him the satisfaction of a retort. Instead, she watched him leave before she helped Hamza, where they too left the conference.

Maksim lounged back in his seat watching her a moment, she seemed more ease now than the night of the fundraiser even before the suite situation. He was curious what had led to this change, so when she thanked him he was ready to revel in that though he doubt did set in. “Oh yeah? Your brother didn’t seem completely satisfied from what I remember. Did he have a change of heart?

Laila shook her head, her lips still curved in a smile. For once, her brother wasn’t acting like his overbearing self. In fact, she felt like he’d done her a favor by suggesting she marry Hamza. As candidates came, she could do so much worse. So, really, she didn’t think the fumbling from last week caused no harm at all. “He didn’t behave strangely at all. Actually, he’d even introduced me to someone. I’m surprised he didn’t set me up with some old guy. Hamza is a nice guy.” She wanted to add that he was charming and handsome, but decided against it. “So, I highly doubt that he’s mad at me at all.”

Laila was definitely in good spirits, he couldn't ever remember her to being in such a good mood, around him most of all. When she went on to practically gush over the guy her brother was setting her up with it all made sense. And annoyed him. He was actually quite put off, yet he couldn't figure our just why that was. "Well that's an interesting development, is Eren pivoting to a career in matchmaking or is this a not so subtle attempt at controlling your life?" He asked pretending to look between her and the menu to seem more at ease. Though he then pondered on the name she'd taken moment ago. "Wait Hamza? I hope you're not taking about the Hamza I think you're talking about cause that sounds like the kinda bullet you wanna stay miles away from."

While she was on cloud nine, she hadn’t missed the bitterness in Maksim’s remark. It shouldn’t be all that shocking, but coming from him, it felt like she’d been splashed in the face by cold water. Laila knew what her brother was like, but she didn’t think he did anything wrong or suspicious here. If anything, he’d done her a favor. “He’s doing none of those things.” She said, sounding a bit defensive, her eyes narrowing at him. “I really like Hamza. Eren did the right thing by introducing us.” It wasn’t just his good looks she was attracted to. Laila connected with Hamza. Her thoughts screeched to a stop, her eyes narrowing at him for his statement. “I’m sure we’re not thinking about the same man. Hamza Demirci is a good guy. Something you know nothing about.” The latter remark was made under her breath.

Maksim wasn’t making much effort to conceal his negative reaction to this development, and it was perhaps only after he’d have some time to sit on it that he would realize why that even was. Why he even cared. “You know better than I do who your brother is. How things work in our world. So if you don’t think he has his own gain in this you’re a fool.” He said frankly a little peeved at her sounding so giddy, practically gushing. When she spoke his last name he let his head fall back shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair. “I was right. We are talking about the same bastard. I’m saying this once Laila, he’s not the right guy for you. He’s not who you think he is.”

Maksim might be right, nothing in their world came without a price, and she knew her brother too well to think that this arranged marriage had nothing to do with profit. Eren never did anything without expecting something in return, even if it meant giving Laila up as a leverage. Despite the truth glaringly obvious, she chose to remain stubborn. “Don’t call me a fool. What’s it to you anyway? If I choose to marry Hamza, it’s up to me. It has nothing to do with you.” If she wanted to be childish, she would poke him on the chest and tell him to leave her the hell alone, but she had more class than that. With her arms folded before her, she flashed him a mocking glare, “Haven’t I made it clear? I don’t care about your opinion. If he’s a bastard, you’re no better than him.”

Maksims jaw worked and he looked away from her to keep his anger in check, his foot tapping away under the table. He debated telling her more about Hamza, the things she wasn't going to see and he doubted her brother cared enough about to shed light on. Yet he had a feeling his words were going to be falling on deaf ears. Her mind was made up, and anything coming from him she was going to oppose to on instinct. "Your right, it's your life to throw away. Don't listen to me, what I can promise is you'll regret it." Did it sting a little hearing her call him no better than him, yes. But right now she didn't know the full picture. "Was there anything else, or did you just want to gush over Hamza some more?"

Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound of his food tapping away, further igniting her irritation. This was a side to Maksim that Laila had never seen before. He was usually relaxed, with a devil may care attitude. So, why was he behaving so badly now? Technically, they weren’t even friends. In her eyes, he didn’t get a say in her life choices, and he definitely didn’t reserve the right to tell her what to do. “And I can promise you, I won’t regret a thing.” She spouted, her eyes rolling at him. “I came here to say thank you, but clearly that was a bad choice on my end. You can leave now. The last thing I need is to hear you talking bad about my future husband.” She didn’t even bother to peer at him now, her gaze was trained at the door, hoping that he would get up to leave.

Maksim didn't lose his cool often, though there were a only a few  things in his life that had truly enraged him and Hamza Demirci was the cause of one of those instances. With his temper threatening to slip and him coming short of anything more to say to her when she had made up her mind completely he nodded and stood to leave. "It's really fucking hilarious how hard you're going to regret those words." He simply said shaking his head before walking out.

Pretending to hate a person when she never did wasn’t as easy as one would think. Laila wasn’t one who had a spiteful bone in her body. She endeavored to be kind to those she was around, but playing nice around the supposed enemy wasn’t actually in the cards for her. With the Markov’s she was expected to be cold and so, while in Maksim's company, she felt like she was constantly on edge—her back stiff and the smile on her face a little reserved as opposed to how she was when she felt relaxed around a person. “Careful there. I’m not the old one between us.” She said, unable to stop herself from bantering. Maybe she shouldn’t be doing that. He was supposed to be her enemy, after all. His compliment nearly rendered her speechless, her cheeks warming at the intensity of his gaze. “Is that a real compliment or are you just trying to flatter the hostess of the event?” She threw out the question with a raised brow before her features straightened again. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Did you come alone? No date tonight?” She craned her neck as if in search of his missing escort.

Maksim never took much pressure on himself on how he was expected to behave with anyone, what mattered was action, no amount of flirting with the enemy, if that’s what you might consider this was going to lead to reprimand from his brother he doubted Zeke would care, he was here tonight playing nice too after all. “I didn’t realize you felt such fondness over my seniority all this time,” He responded without missing a beat seemingly relaxed even if he was anything but. Rome could project the sense of being at complete ease in any situation and keep a cool head, he’d learned early on there was nothing more effective at unnerving someone than being at complete ease when they were anything but. “Perhaps the attempt was one and the same.” He couldn’t help but smirk at the flush across her cheeks, suddenly he didn’t know why he’d worried at coming tonight at all. This was well worth it. The question that followed didn’t give him pause when he realized the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind, he almost never went to these things solo yet he’d been so consumed by the thought of her upon receiving the invitation that he truly hadn’t thought to bring a date. “Figured I’d keep my options open tonight. And you?”

This was their relationship—if you could even call what they shared that—they would see each other in public, banter, and move on with their life. It almost felt as if they were friends, but without the title. Did friends behave the way they did though? On outward appearance, people would think that they were flirting. Honestly, how else did this thing between them look like? “Fondness is a strong word. I wouldn’t say I’m fond of anything where you’re concerned.” She pointed out, keeping her tone light, not intending to insult him. “You have to admit though, you are older than I am.” Not that he looked like it. Maksim was the type of man who probably would look young at fifty! In the years since she’d known him, she barely saw him aging at all. How was that even possible? “In that case, thank you. It’s not every day that I hear a compliment in regards to my looks.” Was she being sarcastic? Yes. And maybe she was a bit resentful that it was her looks people would take note of first. Shaking the tinge of annoyance away, she noted his solo appearance. Maksim could have any woman he wanted, and yet, here he was alone. “Spoken like a true Casanova.” Her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. “I’m the hostess. There’s no need for me to bring a date.”

There have been many woman who have come and gone in his life over the years, most weren’t serious and Maksim had always preferred it that way. However, there were not many that crossed his path perhaps as often as Laila Yavuz. Or had captivated his attention quite as much as her either, Max was far too self aware not to realize that. Yet they were perhaps fated to never go beyond this, right here. So Max usually made a point to enjoy it. So he didn’t hold back the laughter at her declaration at a lack of fondness for him. “Yet we find ourselves here so often, so what would you call it?” He asked as he leaned in just a bit, holding her gaze a moment. The side of his lips lifted at her sardonic words. And here he didn’t say anything further it was one thing to make passing remarks of her looks but it would another to compliment her in all the other ways she intrigued him. So he played the smirk off as more rakish behavior. “In contrary I would think you’d want someone at your side all the more while all eyes are on you. Did no one take up the challenge?”

Why was she continuing this flirtation between them? It wasn’t right. If someone from either sides of their family were to catch wind of their friendliness there would definitely be hell to play. But like a moth to a flame, Laila felt this undeniable draw to Maksim. She wasn't sure what it was about him that had her wanting to challenge her family's authority? She supposed, she couldn't stop herself. Besides, it was only talking. It wasn’t like she planned on doing anything inappropriate with him. That had never crossed her mind. Lies. "Coincidence. I'd say you were stalking me, but I’m not that vain," she threw out, not giving an inch, though she felt her heart racing erratically behind her ribcage as his dark gaze bore in with hers. Those eyes she swore could read into her very soul, so she looked away, staring at the people around her. "I don’t need a man to do my job. It's not a challenge when I haven't even thought about anyone from the opposite sex."

Max didn’t mind tempting fate now and again but he was far from needlessly careless. So despite what he wanted he righted himself leaning back into a cocktail table instead of in her direction. “Might I remind you we’re at your event, to which I was invited. One of us would clearly have to be going wrong if that was the case.” Max couldn’t help but feel amused at her answer on the topic of a date. “I never did say anything about him having to contribute in anyway.” He corrected, leisurely taking account of their surroundings, spotting his brother a moment and then hers perhaps his cue to take his leave soon.

“Didn’t I already clear this? I said if I didn’t know any better, I would think you were stalking me, but I know that’s not the case.” Laila responded, her retort made quickly because…well, honestly, she wasn’t the vain sort. Yeah, she might be beautiful, but she didn’t think that guys would automatically want to flirt with her. Let alone Maksim—who was she had to admit—easy on the eyes. “Why bring a date if he’s just going to be useless to me? Even you would have to agree it’s useless for me to do so.” If she was going to bring someone, it would have to because she wanted him there, not merely for arm candy purposes. As she was gazing around the ballroom, her eyes zeroed in on her brother. He didn’t look too amused to see her with Maksim. She supposed that was her cue to move along. “This has been nice, but I have to complete my rounds. Enjoy yourself, Maksim.” And with that, she turned from him and walked away.

DATE & TIME: Around Midnight on May 27th, 2022 LOCATION: Marriot Grand Ballroom, Guest Suites

The rest of the evening following his conversation with Laila went all around uneventfully. There were the speeches by the foundation that was the proponent of the event along with a number of doctors associated with the research, it was all a slog fest leading up to Lailas closing remarks which admittedly was the only time his attention turned to the podium. He danced with a few beautiful woman, and talked up some of his business associates in attendance, it was all around typical. Having had his fair share of liquor Max decided to get himself a room at the hotel. After checking in at the reception he headed up to his suite, a cool shower at the forefront of his mind. He was finishing up when he heard the door to the suite opening then closing, he stilled and tried to listen to discern who it might be, on alert since you could never be too careful in his line of work. He wrapped a towel around his waist and quietly retrieved his revolver from his suit jacket before leaving the bathroom with the door in hand, so he could avoid the sound of it slamming shut. It was when he turned the corner that he walked right into Laila’s slim frame, instinctively he grabbed onto her waist and with furrowed brows turned them so she was flush against the wall and his body. As his heart rate steadied as he looked down at her, leaning the hand holding the gun casually over her head. “You know, I’m beginning to think you might be stalking me.” He suggested, though relatively lightheartedly.

After spending the entire night doing her duties as hostess of the fundraiser, Laila was more than ready to head home. She would have done that, except going home would mean a two hour drive. With exhaustion settling in, there was no way she would be able to drive for twenty minutes, let alone a two hour one. Thankfully, her brother was smart enough to book a couple of rooms for them and all the other attendees who didn’t want to drive all the way back to the city. Once she was on the correct floor, she opened the door to the suite she would be occupying for the night, ready to strip the dress she had on and take a shower. That wasn’t in the cards it seemed as she found herself being grabbed and slammed against the wall. It took a second for her to register that a half naked Maksim was holding her captive, his smooth accusation following suit. "What are you doing here? This is my suite!" She yelped, her heart still racing erratically. "Get that gun away from my face."

Maksim let up the hand that was on her waist, and pushed the safety back in place on his gun, he’d never positioned the barrel towards her to begin with, though he did drop his hand not disregarding her discomfort of it. He’d have put it away though he had a feeling tucking into the towel would lead something even more unfavorable. “You sure about that, I’ve got a keycard that would say otherwise.” He had a feeling there was a mixup at check, chances were he was supposed to be given the room above or below her.

By now Laila should already be used to being in danger. Being a part of a mob family meant peril was always nearby. In her exhaustion, however, she completely forgot to keep her guards up. She should be thanking her lucky stars that it was only Maksim who was in the suite. Although, it still didn’t explain why he was here, in her suite. When he moved the gun away, she inhaled easier and narrowed her eyes at him. "How else would I have gain access into the suite? I work in Marketing, I'm not a locksmith." She sassed, "They must have given us the same key card by mistake. Now, if you don’t mind, go put on some clothes. I don’t want to have to stare at you in a towel any longer."

Maksim war clearly far more amused by this situation than Laila, or perhaps it was just that he enjoyed getting under her skin, and getting more out of her than just the mundane conversations you get prone to. She looked her best when she was worked up, and he was a glutton for that apparently. “Interesting coincidence, wouldn’t you say, and the timing couldn’t have been any better either.” His eyes sparked when he thought out another way to ruffle her feathers, and so he leaned in before saying, “Can you imagine the scandal if someone was to walk in on us like this?” He asked grinning ear, and perhaps not taking the gravity of his own words all that seriously. “Well I was getting ready to hit the hay, and I have already settled in so I’d say the ball is in your court on how you wanna go from here.”

As if by its own volition, Laila’s eyes rolled, clearly unimpressed by his bid to sound funny. “Ha. Ha. I’m thoroughly entertained.” She said mockingly. How he could even find this situation amusing was beyond her. It wasn’t funny, and he wasn’t helping matters by throwing out a scenario which frankly was the stuff of nightmares. She didn’t want to be caught in a suite with him half naked. Her reputation would be ruined. While others would love to be seen with Maksim, she didn’t. She didn’t want to appear to be one of his conquest, not in a million years. “There will be no scandal because no one will find us here. Since this is a mistake, you need to get dressed and find yourself another suite." Technically, the suite was his first—since he got here before she did—but she was too tired to go back to the front desk, so he would have to be the one to go. “You don’t look tired, so I’d appreciate it if you leave.”

Maksim was still grinning and still very much amused by this whole thing, though the longer it went on the more tired she looked, and he found himself taking a step back to retreat to the bathroom. Though not before flashing another rather self assured grin in her direction. “I’d say if we were keeping track like old times, you’d owe me one.” Once in the bathroom the door closed behind him he set the gun he was still holding down on the sink tossing the towel aside to get back into his dress slacks. Though not a second later he heard the door of the suite open again and and he furrowed his brows, had she decided to leave after all? Tucking the gun into his pants, at his back he opened the bathroom door shirt still off only to be met with the sight of her brother who had just entered the suite key card in hand. What the fuck was this, were they passing those thing out like candy? All humor left his face and his posture not only straightened but his face hardened losing all charm and ease. It was easy to forget how hardened the man was beneath the charm and posturing, hands just as bloody as the rest. He glanced back at Laila to gauge her reaction, honestly at a lose of words right then.

Perhaps if she hadn’t had such a long day, she would appreciate his humor a little more, but after being on her feet for nearly half a day, Laila was ready to call it a night. She wanted to strip out of the dress she had on, take a quick shower and then curl up in bed. The brunette was positive she would be asleep within a few minutes. But not with Maksim here. She was half expecting him to fight her on this, however, he didn’t. Instead, he threw out the fact that she owed him. “I didn’t know we were keeping scores, but fine.” She muttered before watching him disappear into the bathroom. Laila was in the midst of taking her heels off when the suite door swung open and in strolled her brother. “Eren, what are you doing here?” As if that wasn’t bad enough, Maksim decided to step out of the bathroom with his shirt still off. Oh crap… Things were not going to end well here.

Before going to his suite, Eren decided to check on his younger sister. Laila might be an adult, but she was also a precious commodity and had to be kept safe at all times. He’d purposely asked for a key to her suite and without knocking, he entered it. What he found was Laila taking her shoes off while a half naked Maksim Markov sauntered out of the bathroom. “What the hell is going on here?” His voice boomed as anger seeped in, his hand itching to throttle the other man. “Did he fucking touched you?” He questioned his sister, anger clear on his features.

Fuck. Never had Max regretted his own words so quickly, nor had his luck turned so quickly. Now, however was not the time to be considering the moral connotations of how this was all playing out. “No.” He firmly answered for her when the man asked if he’d touched her. “This isn’t what it looks like, there was a mix up at the reception and I was given the same key card as Laila, I got here before her hence my current state but I was on my way out.” He said hoping that would be enough to appease him. He purposely didn’t look at Laila again keeping his gaze fixed on her brother, hoping to instill some kind of confidence that what he was saying was the whole truth, hell it really was the truth. Eren just didn’t need to know about his shameless flirting or the rest. His hand itched to release the safety on his weapon cause really things like this could go wrong in no time. Max knew for a fact there had to be some bodyguards lingering out in the hallway. Yet he stayed his hand to see how he would take his explanation.

Laila was sick to her stomach. This felt like a practical joke, or a prank gone wrong. Somehow, what Maksim was joking about came to light. Except, the person who caught them in the room was none other than her brother. Eren was overly protective of her. Like all men in her family, they saw her as a commodity. Something they could use as a bartering tool. She was expected to stay in line and most of all, her virtue was sacred. She was not allowed to date, let alone have sex before marriage. Her marriage would be an arranged one. There was no other choice for her and for the most part, she followed these rules without much of a fuss. Until tonight that was and the worst part was she hadn’t even done anything with Maksim. It was all a misunderstanding. Her gaze darted between Maksim and Eren, thankful that Maksim was quick to form a respond. “It’s true. I was given the same card key. When I walked in, he was already here.” She joined in, hoping her brother would believe her.

Should he believe the duo? Honestly, Eren wouldn’t doubt his sister’s words. She already knew the hell that would come should she walk out of line. But what other conclusion could he make after seeing the two together and Maksim Markov half naked around Laila? “This is a reputable establishment. Do you really expect me to believe they would make a mistake like this?”

Maksim's brows furrowed, jaw working in annoyance because it sounded as though he simply didn’t want to believe them for the sake of drawing this out and starting a conflict. In their world conflict meant bloodshed, and that needed to be avoided at all costs. Fuck if this got back to his brother he’d probably be pissed. Amused probably but also pissed. “No matter the repute and prestige there’s room for human error in any business. And that’s all there is to it. Believe your sister if you don’t want to believe me she was just as surprised and discomforted when she got here no more than ten minutes prior.”

Laila could already see the consequences of tonight coming back to her. Despite knowing that she wasn’t in the wrong, that all of this was a huge misunderstanding, she knew Eren too well. He wasn’t a man who would let things go that easily. Her brother was unrelenting, and he didn’t play around when it came to her virtue. Her throat felt tight, a lump already forming even as she tried her best to swallow her worries. It was kind of Maksim to try to stand up for her, but he didn’t know Eren as well as Laila did. “We didn’t do anything, Eren.” She said, her tone more pleading than anything. “Once Maksim and I realize the mistake, he graciously agreed to talk to the front desk and let me have this room.”

If he had it his way, Eren would keep his sister locked up until the time came to marry her off. Maybe he’d given his sister too many liberties. Unlike most of in his family, he’d allowed her to have an education, and a career. Should he heed his elders advise, he would have married her off by now. She wasn’t young anymore, maybe it was time for him to do just that. “For now, I’ll believe you.” He simply said to his sister before turning to Maksim. “Now that everything is sorted, please leave. My sister would like to go to bed without you present.”

Maksim didn’t visibly show his relief but he felt it all the same. For Laila more than himself perhaps, due to the nature of the situation it would’ve likely been worse for her. He simply nodded tilting his head towards the bathroom. “I’ll grab the rest of my things.” He said side stepping the man though not turning his back to him as he returned to the bathroom and putting on his shirt and slinging his jacket over his shoulder before exiting the bathroom and nodding in the direction of the other man as he walked passed him looked back to glance at Laila winking lightly with a small smile before he left the room.

While Laila wasn't exactly sure if her brother believed them fully, Laila was still grateful that he'd decided to let it go. Frankly speaking, she didn't want to stay here all night trying to explain herself to Eren. Not when nothing of consequence happened. She knew better than to step out of line, which was why she'd never defied her family's wishes. Her gaze trailed Maksim as he headed into the bathroom and came back out. When he winked at her, her heart raced, not because she was flatter. Okay, maybe she was a little, but mostly, she was afraid that Eren might have seen them. By some luck, he didn't. If he did, he never let on, and before long, he made his exit too, leaving Laila alone at last.

Eren didn't like the smug look on Maksim's face at all. He wasn't daft and knew of the other male's reputation. He didn't want Maksim to be around Laila for even another minute. This whole episode simply served as a reminder that he needed to get Laila married off and quickly. He didn't trust men around his sister, and he sure as hell wasn't going to allow the likes of Maksim Markov to influence her. Once the other male made his exit, Eren followed suit, heading back to his own suite, but all the while his mind whirled, thinking of candidates for Laila's impending marriage.