Blood and Roses (Tainted Hearts 3.5)

“Bastard.”

I smirked. “Want to say that to my face?”

“I will. When I get home. Fuck. I miss home.”

A chuckle vibrated through my chest at his sad dilemma. “You’ll survive.”

We hung up, and I looked up the ceiling. My lips twitched with another smirk. Valentin just became a poorer man.

The money I paid for Maria as a slave…I just took it back. Almost twice as much. Isaak played with numbers. Just so Solonik wouldn’t get suspicious.

I always meant to take that money back. I bought my Angel to get her out of that hellhole safely. But I would not have her worth be measured by how much I paid for her. She was worth so much more than a few million.

I had made so many mistakes in my life. I had taken things that weren’t mine to take. I have done cruel things. I am a bad man.

But my Angel was the best thing that had ever happened to me. She would never be just another mistake.

That night was worth more than a thousand nights. And I wouldn’t have it tainted.

My sweet Maria went way beyond the walls of my soul. She was day kissing night, that very first touch that happened every day…every time, that lingering beautiful touch of two opposites kissing each other. She was that to me. She was my beautiful starlight—an Angel—and I would continue to bask in the light of her halo for the rest of our lives.

She was worth more than money. She was worthy of the world at her feet.

Maria was meant to be my Queen all along.

Chapter 16

Maria

6 months later

When the car came to a stop, Lena and I stepped out with our shopping bags. She was practically sprinting for the doors, and I laughed, trying to catch up with her.

“Hurry,” she yelled. “I want to change before Boris comes home.”

I couldn’t help but shake my head with excitement. Boris and Lena had been together for the longest time, yet they were still very much in love. The honeymoon stage, as Lena liked to put it, never passed away between them, even after almost four years of being together. I loved catching them during their little stolen moments, when they thought nobody was watching them. It was endearing to watch Boris change the moment Lena was in his presence. His hardened expression, the shield he had up every other time, would melt away, and in its place was soft eyes for his Lena.

I guess love like theirs was rare.

My smile widened, and my heart thumped. The butterflies in my stomach increased when I thought of Lyov and me. How similar we were and how much I had grown to crave Lyov more over the months we had been together.

Those brewing feelings inside of me continued to build up with each passing day. Every time I was in Lyov’s presence, I was so utterly lost in him. He had me completely ensnared in his alluring trap. Lyov Ivanshov was dangerous. He was a killer. He was cold. He was your worst nightmare. Oh, but what a beautiful nightmare he was.

I had learned to love it, as much as I loved his good sides. It was impossible to only love half of someone’s soul.

Lena pulled me into the house, bringing my attention back to her. She wiggled her hips and winked. “He is going to love this new lingerie. And red is his favorite color on me.”

“I can tell. Because you bought three different sets. All in red.”

Lena shrugged and then bit on her lips, almost shyly. But I knew differently. She was a little minx and loved to play games with Boris. She knew every button of his, and she was about to push them all tonight. Boris had proposed again, the night before. Properly this time. She said yes. Tonight was her way of celebration.

Lena and I were closing on the main staircase when we suddenly stopped short. Isaak appeared in front of us, blocking our path. Our laughter died down at the expression on his face.

“Where were you both?” he snapped. “You went out alone.”

Immediately, a sense of uneasiness creeped its way into my body. The harsh look he gave us said he was mad.

Oh God. I knew instantly what this was about. Like a click in my mind and I just knew. My stomach twisted, and I closed my eyes in dread.

When Lena sighed in exasperation, I opened my eyes again. She raised her arms and wiggled her shopping bags in front of him. “Shopping. Can’t you see? Is there a problem?”

I wanted to pull at her arms and stop her from speaking, from making this worse. This was not the time to sass Isaak.

Lena cleared her throat before continuing. “Weren’t you and Lyov coming home tomorrow?”

Isaak didn’t answer. Instead, his dark eyes pinned me on the spot. “Lyov is waiting for you upstairs.”