Prologue
Misha
I stood in front of the mirror and adjusted the bow for my tuxedo.
Come on. Stop acting up.
Aggravated, I scowled at myself in the mirror. Weariness crept around my eyes.
These past days had been chaotic. Right when I thought all would be calm, more pandemonium arose.
I dropped my hands.
Chaos and death. I can handle those two things as long as I have Ava’s love.
Today had been a long day. I’d woken up to Maxwell fucking the bartender from last night and filling my condo with the strangling noise of his orgasm. My men then informed me that someone sent threatening text messages to Ava. They tracked the number to Bolshoi Theater’s artistic director, Akiva. He had texted her the words, he can’t save you.
We’ll see about that.
I planned to prove Akiva wrong. For now, my men followed him around St Petersburg. I needed his apartment location and schedule. I couldn’t murder him in the theater.
I’d already killed three people there—Mr. Kuznetsov, Mr. Oblonskey, and Mr. Turgenev. They were rich old men from powerful families. Incredibly old money. Their ancestors had partied with the Imperial family of long ago. Some had been kings and queens. Unfortunately, they were also creepy patrons of ballet. The sort of men who paid millions to rape ballerinas.
Akiva thought he could auction Ava’s pussy to the highest bidder and continue to breathe. He would learn. Bolshoi Theater would too.
Ava was mine forever and would always be under my protection. She was more than the most talented ballerina on this earth. She was rich brown skin over a taut body. Long legs and sensual muscle. Tiny breasts that served as little morsels in my mouth.
Forever.
No matter what war this might cause between the wealthy Russian families and the Brotherhood.
The Bratva. . .
One-half of the codes to Kazimir’s nukes remained with the Devil. So far, my cousin didn’t know. I would need to solve this soon and then explain myself to him. The Lion was sensitive these days. Many had been disloyal.
My top security guy, Naveen, hired a crew to grab the codes. The team was led by a man named the Devil. He didn’t mind leaving dead bodies in his wake. The whole situation went from a simple problem to pure chaos. We’d tracked the codes from Prague to a small California city named Belladonna. From there they’d gone to Canada. Currently, Naveen traced them to Paris which couldn’t be a coincidence. The French—mainly Jean-Pierre—was somehow involved. Even worse, Kazimir had taken his mouse to Paris on a romantic vacation.
Naveen spoke into the phone. “The Devil’s heading to Paris. He’ll land by late this evening.”
I frowned. “I will be there to meet him.”
“When will you arrive?” Naveen asked. “Maybe we can leave together.”
“No. I have a performance to go to. After that, I am taking my plane. I will let you know when I get there.”
“This guy’s a nasty one. I would bring some men.”
“Oh, do not worry. My top men will be with me. Until then, keep me updated.” I hung up.
All my life I’d worked hard to stay out of the Brotherhood’s problems. With my father gone, they all fell on my lap. In addition, Kazimir yearned for me to be at his side. So much that he sent Pavel to St Petersburg to get me. Valentina let that information slip out this morning.
“Misha?!” Valentina seized my attention and crossed her arms over her chest. “Kazimir sent Pavel to get you.”
“Then he wasted Pavel’s time.”
“Why have you been avoiding my brother? And when are you going to bury Uncle Igor?”
“I don’t need Pavel of all people to get me.” I headed to the bathroom. “And I’m not avoiding Kazimir. I’ve been busy.”
“Busy with what?”
“None of your business.”
In the midst of arguing with Valentina, I told her that I’d grabbed her daughter’s pacifier. I was the father and she would have to respect that.
Soon I would deal with that too.
When will all the chaos end?
I’d been due to fly out to Paris tonight and deal with the Devil myself. Then Ava told me that she wanted space. The confession crushed my soul. I could think of nothing else. I had to change her mind. Ava came first. She superseded my father’s pending funeral and even the Lion’s nuclear codes.
Going to her performance wouldn’t be enough. I yearned to touch her. I’d spent enough time in the balcony, drooling over her for a year. Sitting in the audience, watching other men lift and pick her up. Turn and twirl her around. The pain and an unending twinge of jealousy would always come. How many times had my cock pressed against my pants with no hope of relief?
We needed more time together, but there was no time.
She needed space, but I had none to offer her.
If I planned on leaving for Paris after the performance, I had to make a move today. Therefore, I went to the theater this afternoon, took Ava into her dressing room, and rammed my cock deep inside of her, making sure that she knew exactly how much I possessed her.