Blood and Roses (Tainted Hearts 3.5)

And I gave him one.

“No,” I said firmly, stopping his tirade of useless words.

He sputtered, his eyes moving back and forth between her and me. “What do you mean?” Solonik hissed, his face turning a deep shade of red. “She is mine! I can do whatever I want with her.”

“No, she isn’t,” I replied calmly while he completely lost it.

His lips curled in distaste. “Are you fucking serious right now? Lyov, she sucked your dick. That’s all. Don’t act like she’s carrying your fucking child.”

“She is not yours. Not anymore,” I continued over him.

She was never yours to begin with.

“Like hell! I own her,” he bellowed.

My eyes moved back to my Angel, only to see that her eyes were closed, like she had fallen asleep. Good. I didn’t want her to witness this.

I stared up again, and everyone’s attention was now on us. Well, it was about to get nasty for Solonik.

“I’m buying her.”

My voice was loud and uttered clear for everyone to hear. There were gasps and mumbling around the crowd.

For years, this business had been operated, and I had never touched a slave, let alone buy one.

But there is always a first for everything.

All I knew was that I wasn’t leaving The Royalist without my blue-eyed Angel.

“No. I’m not selling her,” Solonik said, his fingers curling into fists.

My fingers continued to caress her hair as I regarded Solonik. He looked like a man possessed.

Too bad for him, I was a man’s worst nightmare. If I wanted something, I’d take. And I wanted her.

“Too bad. I’m buying her. Let’s do this the easy way. Either I walk out of here with her and you gain a couple of million, or we solve this the hard way. And trust me, Solonik, you don’t want to choose the second choice.” I spoke low but just loud enough for everyone to hear.

He had the ultimatum, and it was his choice. But whatever happened, I was walking away the winner.

“I’m walking out of here with her. Either you take the money, or you become a poor man overnight. Choose wisely. I am being very generous here.”

“Solonik, you don’t want to test Ivanshov,” Gavrikov called out, laughing quietly. “Tonight is not the night. Give him the girl and let him make you a rich man. What more do you want?”

Behind Solonik’s back, he nodded, letting me know I had his support.

“It’s not an easy buy, Lyov. She is my most prized possession. You do realize what you are asking me to give up, right?” he hissed, looking down at my Angel.

I wanted to gouge his eyes out for even looking at her.

Not giving him an answer, I only leveled him with a glare. He released a long breath before tugging at his tie. “She costs a lot. You can’t afford her. Not in one night.”

Nice try, bastard.

I raised an eyebrow while chuckling quietly. “I’m sure I can afford whatever price. You seem to forget who owns this place, Solonik.”

He stayed quiet, looking at me with hateful eyes. I stared back, with much more loathing in mine.

“How much? One million? One point five? That’s more than anyone would give you,” I bargained.

All I wanted was to get the fuck out of his place. Yet here I was, bargaining the price of my Angel.

But she was priceless.

Only I knew that. Everyone else thought she was an object to be bought.

But I saw her with wings, flying…laughing.

Loving me.

My eyes widened at the thought, my breath stuck in my throat.

No. What the fuck, Lyov?

Keep her. Fuck her. Give her what she wants. But never love her.

I couldn’t love or be loved.

A cough brought me back to the present. Solonik smirked and then laughed. “You got yourself a good one, Lyov.”

My brows furrowed in confusion as I waited for him to elaborate.

“She is a virgin.”

The world stilled. Everything halted to a slow pace and every noise faded away.

I could only hear the sound of my breathing and the roar of my blood rushing through my ears.

My eyes were drawn to her as she used me for comfort. My fingers were still stroking her cheeks, Solonik’s voice still vibrating through my ears.

She is a virgin.

Impossible! How could she be a virgin? In a place like this?

The first thing she would have lost when she came to a place like this would be her virginity. Then her dignity. And lastly her mind.

I looked back at Solonik, and I just knew…he wasn’t lying. He wouldn’t lie about this.

Remembering the shy look, the innocence in her gaze, I realized that my little Angel was untouched in places that only I would touch now.

Mine.

My heart was surprisingly at a steady pace, but every instinct in me was roaring for her.

Territorial.

Possessive.

All fucking mine.

The need to claim her hit me harder than before. The beast within me yowled with possessiveness.