Page 38 of The Brutal Arrangement

Pausing at the bed, I watched her sleep. Her naked form was all I could make out in this darkness, but I didn’t plan to admire her. I tossed the towel next to her, and she didn’t stir. She didn’t move much when I untied her hands and the gag, either.

She was out. Truly fucked into oblivion.

I’d rammed into her and made her come so hard, she hadn’t been able to stay awake.

I refused to feel triumphant about that.

I turned, not wanting to see her when she’d get up. I’d have to maintain this hardcore attitude with her so she’d know I was the one in charge. But right now, still so sated from taking her the way I had, I wanted to rest and prepare for the next encounter with her.

Instead of staying in my apartment or moving her to the guest room so I could sleep in my own bed, I left her locked on my floor as I rode downstairs for one last drink. Maybe it would lull me to sleep and take the edge off the rest of this headache. My shower had helped with that, but still, hanging out near the temptation of my “wife” wasn’t happening.

I headed to another lounge with a smaller bar attached. No one was around, and I was grateful for the solitude. Once I got myself a drink, I sat on the couch and sighed.

Zoning out gave me a better sense of peace, but I didn’t want to get so relaxed and comfortable that I slept here.

“Camping out down here on your so-called wedding night?”

Maxim strolled into the room, smirking after he’d taunted me with that question. Saul walked next to him, grinning as well.

“No. I’ll go back up.” I watched them both sit and sighed again. “I just wanted some distance.”

“It’s going that bad already?” Saul arched one brow.

“No.” I shrugged. “I started the process of showing her who the boss is around here, though.”

Maxim nodded. “Good. Tomorrow, you can put pressure on her to share everything she knows.”

Saul shook his head, hanging it slightly with his elbows on his thighs and his hands clasped together loosely. “I don’t know. Maybe she’ll hold out for as long as she can. We’ve got to keep an eye on who she calls. And texts.”

“All of it,” Maxim agreed. “I’ve already ordered the tech crew to supervise whatever comes to or from her phone.”

I furrowed my brow. “She had one?” I didn’t remember any luggage. That was a stipulation we had insisted on. To avoid her sneaking in and tracking devices or dangerous materials, she’d had to come with nothing. If she wanted any of her own shit here, it could be mailed and our crew would inspect it all. Meanwhile, she could wear what we had here.

“Yes. In her pocket,” Maxim replied. “She set it on the desk where you signed the contract and papers. I saw her put it back in her pocket before you took her out of there.”

Maybe it fell out when I fucked her. I huffed a dry laugh. The dress wasn’t treated delicately, after all.

“Just be glad that I preoccupied Grandmother,” Saul said before he yawned. “She wanted to witness the ‘ceremony’.” He used air quotes.

“But I didn’t want her to interfere. Grandmother has always remembered her.” Maxim frowned. “I think she was at Katerina’s baptism.”

“It’s weird how things were so different when Thomas was alive,” Saul said. “When he and Father were allies.”

He had a point. Back then, the Kozlov and Ivanov names could have been united with the true intention to be stronger. Maybe if Thomas were still alive, no one would have targeted our family with what seemed like the plan to ruin us and bring us down.

“It’s even weirder now that Father is barely alive,” I muttered.

As soon as I spoke those words, I regretted it. Bitterness wouldn’t help us any. And that wasn’t true. He was recovering and getting stronger every day. Yet, with him not aware of so much and his cognitive abilities so limited, he was a shell of the man he was before.

“And it’s weirder yet that Anton wanted to call attention to that marriage arrangement now, of all times,” Maxim said with a sober scowl. “I don’t like the timing of this.” He shot me a stern, expectant look. “The sooner we can see what Katerina was sent here to do, the better.”

I nodded.

You don’t have to fucking tell me again, dammit.

“I won’t let the family down.”

No matter how good it felt to take her.

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