“Come for me, Cora,” he commands, his voice leaving no room for argument. And I do. My body shatters, pleasure exploding through me in waves.

I bury my face in his shoulder to stifle my cry. He holds me through it, his fingers still working until I’m shaking, breathless, weak.

When I finally come back to myself, I’m on my knees. I don’t even remember sinking down, but here I am, looking up at him through hooded eyes. His hand tangles in my hair, and he tilts my head back, his gaze burning into mine.

“Good girl,” he says again, his voice rough with need. His other hand fumbles with his belt, and I don’t need to be told what to do. I reach for him, freeing him from his trousers, and themoment my hand wraps around him, he groans. He’s huge, thick and heavy in my hand, and I can’t wait to taste him.

I lean in, my tongue flicking over the head of his cock, and he hisses, his fingers tightening in my hair. “Such a good girl,” he mutters, his voice strained. I take him into my mouth, slowly, savoring the way he feels against my tongue. His hips jerk, and I moan, the vibration making him curse in Russian.

“Fuck, Cora,” he growls, his hand guiding my head as I suck him deeper. I move with him, taking him as far as I can, my tongue swirling around him. He’s losing control, his thrusts becoming more erratic, and I know he’s close.

“That’s it,” he says, his voice low, guttural. “Take it all, my good girl.” And I do. When he comes, I swallow every drop, his taste filling my mouth, claiming me. He groans, his body shuddering, and I can’t help but feel a rush of pride. I did that to him. Me.

He pulls me to my feet, his hands rough but his kiss surprisingly gentle. “You’re mine,” he murmurs against my lips, and I don’t argue. I am his. And I don’t want to be anything else. “My queen.” He holds me close. “And we go with my queen’s plan.”

He takes my hand, leading me back into the garage. “Listen up,” he calls out. “My wife has something to say.”

The men gather around her. “Darren will meet me,” she says. “I told him we hacked the flash drive but he doesn’t believe me. He will soon. Then we give him a location, tell him I’m alone. You all wait for the signal, hide nearby. When he’s in the open, we take him down. Got it?”

I look at Ivan. He nods back. “Any questions?” I say.

Maxim holds up a hand like we’re in school. “Just one. We know where he is right now. Why not kill him now?”

Cora shakes her head. “I guarantee he won’t be there when you get there. He’s smart, trust me. Cunning like a fox. But his ego will get him killed. When I prove the files are decrypted, he’ll be furious. But he’ll also think I’ll take money and give the flash drive back. He’ll show up in person to make me pay for making a fool of him. We need that hacker of yours to release the files. Where is she?”

“This way,” Maxim says, adding in an aside to me. “Hope you made the right decision.”

23

CORA

Vika is seated in front of the laptop, her fingers flying over the keyboard, eyes sharp behind the glow of the screen. Line by line, the flash drive’s contents spill into the dark corners of the Internet.

Darren’s smuggling routes. Cartel affiliations. Offshore bank transactions.

Each file is a slow, calculated strike, a pebble dropped into still water, the ripples already moving outward.

We’re baiting the hook, casting the line. Now, all that’s left to do is wait.

Seconds stretch like hours.

Maxim leans forward slightly, his sharp eyes locked on the screen. Dmitri, silent and calculating, watches from the shadows, his arms crossed over his chest. No one speaks. No one moves.

Then—

Bzzzt.

My phone vibrates against the table.

The sound is deafening in the silence.

Every head turns. My stomach lurches.

I already know who it is before I even look.

My fingers tremble as I reach for it, flipping it over. The name on the screen makes my blood run cold.

Darren.