VEN Page 22

  “Diana, you can’t fight this. You’re mine and I’m yours. It’s just what it is.” His dark laughter gets me high like a drug. I want him. I want everything he has to offer, no matter the consequences. He is my forever and my end. If anyone is going to take me out, it better be him.

  “I may be a Vetrov in name, but I am no longer what they represent,” he snarls, as if reading my thoughts, his teeth raking along my breast as he massages between my legs. “Just as you are nothing like your father. But us, together, we’re a team. Motherfucking king and queen. And you’ll stay right here in this chair on the edge of pleasure until you fucking admit it, baby.”

  On the edge of pleasure?

  Bastard!

  I squirm and move, chasing his finger in order to come. I’ll show him he doesn’t own me. But the monster knows what I want. He knows how to work my body. Tease and tease and tease. The chair beneath me has become soaked through my panties with sweat and arousal. I’m needy as hell and unable to climax.

  “Ven,” I warn. “I’ve killed men for lesser offenses.”

  “You won’t kill me,” he says smugly.

  “I will.”

  He abandons my breast to grip my throat. Squeezing, he pulls me until my lips hover over his. “We’re going to fuck, and you’re going to love it. I’m going to make you mine. That’s how this is going to go, Diana. The sooner you admit this, the sooner you can come all over my dick. The sooner I can fuck you until you can’t remember your last name. And that’s the way I’ll keep you, until my ring is on your fucking finger and you’re so far from being a Volkov, you may be on another planet.”

  “I won’t become a Vetrov,” I hiss, jerking at my bindings. My fingers claw at his chest, but he’s not fazed.

  “You fucking will, moya roza. It was decided the moment you kissed me. Beg for it. Beg to be my wife,” he taunts.

  I spit at him again, and he growls. His grip on my throat tightens as his lips press to mine. I’m dizzy and confused, but when his tongue plunges into my mouth and he releases my neck slightly, I breathe him in. I devour him. I kiss the hell out of him.

  He continues to rub circles on my clit, until I’m nearly in tears with the need to come. His finger never tries to push inside me or show signs of stopping. Slowing, yes. Stopping, no. He just keeps teasing and teasing.

  “I love you, Diana,” he murmurs, his teeth nipping at my lip. “I always have.”

  Tears leak from my eyes, and I can feel my carefully constructed kingdom crashing to the ground. He’s won. He’s fucking won. I never had a chance because love would always be my biggest obstacle. A defeated sob escapes me.

  “Ven,” I plead. “Please.” I love you too.

  I don’t say the words, but he must find what he’s searching for in my gaze. With another hard rub, he drives me over the edge. I come with a loud scream, my entire body shuddering. Ugly sobs rip from me as I give in to his victory.

  “Don’t give up so easily,” he mutters as he pulls away and picks up the knife. He saws through my wrist bindings, then frees my ankles. “Run, Diana.”

  My heart rate quickens. Is this my out? Is it that easy? I stand on shaky legs and dart off toward the dark perimeter. A shriek belts from me when I run into a chain-link fence. I start running along the edge, searching for a door. His heavy footfalls thud behind me. When I reach a cage door, I try to wrench it open. It’s locked with a padlock.

  “Why would you tell me to run if I couldn’t go anywhere?” I yell over my shoulder.

  He pounces on me and sheds the rest of my nightshirt. My panties get painfully torn from me, and then my breasts are smashed against the fence.

  “Because I love to catch you, but you can never get away from me. Not again. I can’t do it, baby. I can’t live without you. It hurts too much. I refuse,” he growls as he works at his jeans to free his cock.

  He lines the tip of his engorged cock against my soaked flesh from behind and drives into me brutally.

  A claiming.

  I’m being claimed.

  A king ruling over his queen.

  I clutch the fence and cry out as he fucks me. I’m weak and tired. So tired of being strong. For a moment, I let my beast maul me. Sometimes, it’s okay to be the broken princess in a tower waiting for her prince. Especially when her prince is a dark one. A violent entity who devours her entire being. Then, she doesn’t feel so broken. She feels empowered.

  “I love you too,” I admit with a sob.

  He pulls out, twists me around to face him, and kisses me hard. I claw at him, needing him back inside me. His strong hands grip my ass and he lifts me. I sink back down on his cock just as he pushes my back against the fence. We kiss desperately as he fucks me into oblivion. He was right. I don’t know my own name. All I know is him.

  Another orgasm, from him grinding against my still-sensitive clit, has me screaming and clawing at his skin. I shudder, then let out a sigh when his heat floods deep inside me. I’m his. This beast, my king, has conquered his queen. He went to battle for her and won.

  We won.

  And I know, without a shadow of a doubt, when we leave this warzone within this cage, we’ll be leaving as a unified front. The walls may have crumbled on the kingdom I created, but that was because something better was built in its place. Something strong and impenetrable.

  A rose with vicious thorns.

  And her hard, unbreakable wall she clings to.

  His cum runs out of me as his cock softens, dripping down my inner thigh. Silly girl fantasies of love, babies, and happily-ever-afters take root in my mind. A future with someone rather than against everyone is one I begin to look forward to.

  “Ven?”

  His features are soft as he regards me with such love, I almost start crying again. “Yes, moya roza?”

  “We have to kill them all.”

  I’m not sure the horrors of The V Games will ever disappear from my mind.

  Yuri. Iosif. My father. One down, three to go.

  He strokes my face tenderly. “We will. We so fucking will.”

  One week later…

  I’ve questioned the meaning of my life, but never again. He is the meaning. It hasn’t always been easy.

  Darkness descended around me like acid rain trying to melt my innocence. It tried to destroy my will and bring me to heel, but I learned to shelter myself from the storm. I overcame foes out for blood. He allowed me to be who I am. Darkness and light, filthy and pure, fury and peace, devil and angel, heaven and hell. He didn’t want to change me or mold me to an ideal he was brought up to see women appear to be. Frail, weak, accessories. He lets me flourish as fire and ice.

  We were tested, and in the end, we’re the ones left standing. Our fight is far from over. I still have vengeance that needs its bounty, but for now, I’ll bask in the beauty of us. The sweet taste of victory as they lower Yegor into his grave.

  Ven’s hand squeezes mine, and I breathe the free air. Vika stands at my right-hand side. This is as much her victory as it is mine. Vas has had to work on her, use her love for him to manipulate her into not doing anything stupid like killing Rus, but there are fresh bruises present on her body and ice in her heart. She’s been left to suffer at his hands too long, and she won’t hold off much longer. He’s a weasel who knows it, so he takes out his frustration and shortcomings on her.

  Ven gave up the Vetrov throne, telling Ruslan he could have it all. He doesn’t want me to have to think of his father from this day forward. Our future will be built by our worth, our rules, our successes. Vika plans to go to her father and ask him to step in with regards to a divorce from Ruslan, but we both know this will never stand. Ruslan isn’t just some measly prince. No, he is the king now, and that benefits Yuri. Ruslan is weak and pathetic, an easy piece to maneuver where Yuri wants him. They’re all just pawns on his chess board.

  Irina looks over to me from her place next to Vlad. Vlad keeps checking his watch like he doesn’t understand what’s taking the priest so lo
ng. I almost laugh, but bite down on my lip to suppress it. Since my victory within The Games, Vlad made a point of coming to congratulate me and assure me his attempts on my life ended with Stephan in The Games. He said it all with a smirk, like he was discussing the weather, not my attempted murder. I’ll take it, though, if it means I can be around Irina.

  When the funeral is finally over, we all drive back to the Vasiliev mansion for the hosted wake and a reading of a Will Ruslan found within his father’s belongings. He appears eager about the idea and is carrying the paperwork in his hand like he’s frightened to put it down. I hate the thought of being back here, but the pain and turmoil from Anton’s death doesn’t plague me like it once did.

  Now, only relief and happiness fill my heart.

  Ven’s lips brush against my ear as we enter the property. “I’ll get us a drink,” he murmurs, making me shiver.

  I can’t get enough of him, his soft and hard, the tentative lover mixed with the animal. The lion inside him brings me to a quivering mess. Thoughts of him devouring my body cause a flush to creep over my skin.

  “What are you thinking about?” Irina smirks up at me, her cheeks full and skin glowing.

  “I’m thinking how radiant you’re looking, my sweet sister, and how much I miss spending time with you.” I reach forward and place a hand to her large stomach, a pang of pain slivering through me, but it’s fleeting. Living in the past and in regret won’t change the outcome.

  Ven returns and hands me a champagne flute. It’s amusing that he chose a celebration drink for me at his father’s wake. I love him for it.

  “Irina.” He nods his head to my sister. “Diana, Vika is looking for you. I sent her to the garden.” He smirks with a wink.

  I smack his shoulder and shake my head. “You’re too mean.”

  “You’ve grown close?” Irina interjects. “Vika and you, I mean,” she clarifies.

  I sip some of the champagne and enjoy the bubbles popping over my tongue. “I guess we have.” I smile faintly. Vika is lonely, and like me, she’s been betrayed by all the men in her life. Irina furrows her brows and looks to her feet.

  “Shadow,” I murmur. “She’s not a replacement for you. No one could ever replace you. I miss you terribly.”

  Reaching out, she takes my hand. “Let’s go spend some time together then.”

  I look up at Ven, and he nods his head in reassurance.

  “Okay.” I grin and hand my glass to Ven. I follow her as she gently pulls me.

  When she pushes into a room, I sigh. Canvases lay on stands with vibrant strokes of paint creating images. He built her another art studio. There’s a huge glass wall that is a window leading out into a garden of flowers. It’s stunning. The sun lights every corner. It’s precious, and so Irina. My heart sings with joy at the thought of her painting in here. Vlad has proven he really idolizes her, and although it still hurts how fast he turned on me and then took her from me, I’m happy she’s loved and looked after. I just hope she can stand up to him in regards to me and us spending time together. I want to be a part of my niece or nephew’s life.

  “I’m worried about you, Diana.” Irina speaks into the room, jolting me from my inner musings.

  “What? Why?” I move toward her and take her hands in mine. She’s nervous, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. “Irina, what is it?” I ask, frowning. Maybe Vlad hasn’t swallowed his pride and still wants vengeance on me.

  “I need to tell you something that you can’t repeat. I promised Vlad, and you know how betrayal is dealt with.”

  I chuckle at this. “Vlad would never harm you, little shadow.”

  Her face is creased, the lines tugging her brows together.

  “You’re worrying me now. Just spit it out,” I urge.

  She lets out a sharp breath. “I don’t think you should trust Vika. Don’t allow her to get close to you.”

  I roll my eyes. “She’s not going to harm me.” I tuck some loose strands of her hair behind her ear that have fallen from her ponytail. She grabs my wrist and snaps her eyes to mine.

  “She killed Niko, Diana,” she hisses so softly, I almost don’t hear. “She is responsible for both Viktor and Niko.”

  I take a step backwards, my butt hitting a tray laid out on the counter. It clatters to the floor, making a racket. I bend to pick it up. “I’m sorry,” I stutter, gathering the pieces.

  “Leave it.”

  My head swims with this information, and all I can think about is Ven. How devastating Niko’s death was to him. Where he tolerates Ruslan, he loved Niko. My mind wanders back to their funeral and how Vika was in pieces, almost hysteria. She’s a good actress. I’ve seen the proof of this before.

  “Who told you?” This could be rumor.

  “I heard it from her on a video that she didn’t know was being recorded. It’s a good source. This is why her brother doesn’t step in with how Ruslan Vetrov treats her. He’s her punishment.”

  Oh God. I think back to the time she mentioned something about her brother learning not to betray her. Back when Ruslan violated her and I cleaned her up.

  Dammit.

  Not Niko.

  “I just want you to be careful around her. I’m worried how much time she spends pining for our brother also.”

  “I won’t let her hurt him,” I promise. Not Vas. Not after everything he’s done for me. I bring her into my embrace and then we make our way back to the other guests. Vlad marches toward us when he sees us walking down the corridor together.

  “I’ve been searching everywhere for you,” he says coolly. “Ven said you’d gone to the garden.”

  Any other time, that would tickle me. But not now. I seek Ven out through the gathered guests. My eyes lock on his, and my stomach dips. Vika is to his left with Vas to his right. One thing Ven asked of me when he finished making love to me the night he came for me was no more secrets. My soul deflates, and I break our eye contact. It takes four seconds for him to reach me and take me in his arms. I know because my heart thrummed four heavy thuds.

  “What is it, moya roza?”

  I feel like I’m weighed down and can’t breathe, my lungs restricted. I grip the lapels of his jacket. “Diana?” he demands, fear marring his features. “What is it?”

  “Diana,” Irina breathes. Vlad stiffens and looks between us.

  But I can’t keep this from Ven. No more secrets. He deserves to know. Vlad may burn me at the stake for this, but it’s too big to keep from Ven. It’s not fair that he doesn’t know. If it were my Irina, my little shadow, I’d want to know. I’d need to know.

  Vlad will never harm Irina. So this won’t hurt her, I’m sure of it. However, it could hurt Ven and I. If he ever finds out on his own and then discovers I knew, it would ruin us. I can’t lose him, not again, not after everything. He has to know. It’s my duty to him.

  “Vika had Niko killed,” I stumble out on a breath.

  He startles, his body solidifying. Irina gasps, and Vlad curses before growling my sister’s name.

  “Ven,” I gulp, reaching my hands to his face, but he stumbles backwards, his eyes dropping to the floor, and then everything happens so fast.

  Three weeks later…

  “How are you feeling?” I ask, smiling up at Ven from beneath the covers.

  “Hard,” he rumbles. “Use your hand again.” He grins, and I grip his girth in my left hand and stroke upwards, showing my ring as I do. He proposed the day after his father’s funeral. We picked my ring up this morning and he likes to look at it more than me.

  “Tell me you love me,” he demands.

  “I love you.” I grin, flicking my tongue over his straining tip, the juices seeping out onto my tongue, the salty explosion tickling my taste buds.

  He reaches down and takes me under the arms, dragging me up his body. “You’re driving me fucking crazy,” he growls before flipping me onto my back.

  The head of his cock, gorged and desperate, pushes against my opening. It’s slow and tortur
ous as he dips inside me, stretching me to seat himself all the way. We groan in unison, our flesh smacking against flesh.

  “I love you,” he states as he picks up his rhythm and pounds his hips against me. My nails dig into his skin, clawing, embedding, and urging his movements.

  “Fuck me, Ven,” I cry out. “Harder, more.” My hand dips between us to ravish my clit. His teeth sink into my shoulder, and then my tits. An animal. My animal. His hand clutches around my throat, squeezing and taking me over the edge. I linger on the threshold of consciousness and scream when he brings me over the top to orgasm, his cock stroking my inner walls.

  Sweat soaks our skin when he collapses and rolls from my body.

  “I need water,” I croak, chuckling.

  “I’ll get you some.” He grins, but I’m on my feet before him and slip on a robe.

  “I love you, my king,” I croon over my shoulder.

  “I love you, my queen.” His words are husky, his smile lazy. If I keep staring at his ripped, sweaty, tattooed chest, I may abandon my search for water and we’ll both die of thirst. At least we’d die happy.

  I walk through the hallways of the new house Ven acquired for us. It’s perfect. Not overly big, but in no means small. I go to the kitchen and grab some bottles of water. I find myself teetering down the stairs to the basement and flick the switch to the cells Ven had created down here. Opening the latch, I peek through the slot and push the bottle through the gap.

  The bottle is snatched from my hands, and I hear the lid cracking and then gulping. Just before I close the latch, amber eyes appear in the space. “How long is he planning on making me suffer?” she bites out.

  “As long as it takes for him to seek vengeance for his brother, Vika. Now, get some sleep. The cousins come for you tomorrow,” I warn her before closing the slot.

  Ven knows how to hold a grudge, and he knows how to seek vengeance. He’s a Vetrov, after all.

  Volcanic.

  Victorious.

  Valiant.

  And mine.