Chapter 16

DMITRY

I ’d arranged to meet with my father before Victoria had even agreed to next week’s wedding. I’m so keen to get this whole thing done with so I can concentrate on Victoria and our child, that her not agreeing never really entered my mind. But thankfully, she did, and now, as I wait in my office for him to arrive, a nervous energy is building. This is where our plan begins.

When he barges in looking irritated, I have to hold my smile back. I love that I’m getting under his skin. “Is this meeting really necessary, moy syn ? Could we not have spoken over the phone?”

I stand, loosening the top button on my shirt before pouring us each a whiskey. As I approach him, he shifts uncomfortably, hardly meeting my eyes. He takes the offered glass, and I lean against the edge of my desk. “What the fuck is this all about, Dmitry?” he spits, taking a seat.

I take a small sip before offering a smirk. “I’ve been to see the families.”

His brow furrows. “And why did you do that, Dmitry?” He’s rattled, and I can practically hear his mind racing with questions.

“To discuss my marriage to Victoria.”

He scoffs, shaking his head. “I have already told you that I will not back this marriage, and therefore, neither will they. Your marriage to her will be over my dead body.”

I grin, giving a slight nod. “That can also be arranged.” I push off the desk, and he flinches slightly at my sudden move. I head back to my seat, fixing my eyes on him. “The families have already approved our union, and there is nothing you can do about it. The wedding will be next week. The families will be there, as will you.”

The frustration is evident on his face. He clearly didn’t expect me to approach them directly, especially without his blessing. If he chooses not to show now, the families may take offence, accusing him of not trusting their decisions to do what is best for the families. And in turn, that will bring his judgement into question.

He leans forward, knocking his drink back and slamming the glass on the desk. “Well, I hope you know what you’re doing, Dmitry. Because I warn you now, this will end in disaster. She cannot take our world, and she does not bring anything to it. Therefore, your wedding is pointless.”

“You’re wrong,” I say simply. “Victoria has already shown she can handle our world. She took everything Nik threw at her.” My father visibly swallows. “And she came back fighting. In fact, she seems more determined than ever to stay by my side.”

“I’m sure she does,” he spits angrily.

“And she is bringing my child into this family. What can be more precious than that?”

He stands. “She will be your downfall, Dmitry,” he declares and heads for the door.

I smirk. “Or yours,” I mutter under my breath as I watch him leave.

I’d arranged for Victoria to spend some time with Phoebe. After Marshall mentioned they were missing one another, it only seemed fair, especially as I was seeing my father. Plus, I have so much to catch up on with work after being away for a few days that her spending a few hours with her friend felt right. After all, she’ll need a support network around her once the baby arrives.

Once my father has left, I head over to Kat’s. It’s quiet during the day, with only the staff milling around to restock, so I should get plenty done. There is so much to be done before the wedding as I plan to whisk Victoria away for a relaxing honeymoon.

As I enter the office, perched against my desk is Vivian. I run my eyes down her half-naked body, taking in her red thong with matching stockings. Her bra pushes her breasts up so they’re practically spilling out of the lace cups, and when I finally meet her eyes, she looks at me like a dog in heat.

I quickly slam the door shut, praying no one saw her. “I called the house, but your staff said you were heading over to the office, so I thought I’d meet you here.” Her tongue runs seductively over her red-painted lower lip, and I almost shudder with repulsion. She reeks of desperation.

“What are you doing, Vivian?”

She pushes off the desk and closes the gap between us. She runs her nails down my tie, and I stare at her hand as she wraps it in her fist and gently tugs it. “I miss you, Dmitry.”

I bring my eyes to hers, and she inhales sharply, probably excited that I haven’t shoved her away from me. I press my body to hers, walking her back towards the desk, and her eyes ignite with heat. Once she’s trapped between me and the desk, I bring my hand to her cheek, gently cupping it and smiling. “I know what you did, moya shlyukha .” And then I brush my nose against her ear and whisper, “To Victoria.” I feel her stiffen, and she tries to step away. I take her chin between my thumb and finger and squeeze. “Nothing to say, Vivian?”

“I . . . I . . . I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stutters.

I sneer, sliding my hand to her throat and pushing her to lie back on the desk. I use my free hand to clear the papers, sending them flying across the floor before moving her farther up the desk. I push my face to hers. “You and my father must have really been laughing at me,” I hiss. “And Nik, fuck, I never saw that coming.”

She kicks her legs, losing her red heels as she tries to fight me off. “Please,” she cries, digging her nails into my wrists, trying to relieve the pressure on her throat.

“Did you make my fiancée beg, Vivian?” I growl. Tears slide from the corners of her eyes, disappearing into her hairline. “Did she ask you to spare my fucking child?”

“Dmitry,” she murmurs, gasping for breath. “It was your father’s idea.”

“I asked you a question,” I bellow, and she flinches. “Did you make her beg?”

She gives stiff nod, more tears flowing. “I’m sorry.”

“See, I had plans for you, Vivian. I wanted to really make you pay, but you’ve played my hand too early by showing up here dressed like a slut, trying to seduce me.” I look her up and down with contempt. “Like you would ever compare to her.”

“This is not you,” she murmurs, struggling to get her words out. “You won’t kill me.” I scoff at her audacity to act like she knows me. “It was your father,” she whispers. “It was his idea.”

“And you were so horrified by his plans, you came to tell me right away,” I say, my tone mocking. I pull the knife from my jacket and press it to her side. Her eyes widen in panic, but she suddenly stops thrashing and stills. “What you did was for your own selfish gain. Your jealousy drove you to make a stupid decision, Vivian, because my father is nothing. You backed the wrong Volkov.”

“You won’t get away with this, Dmitry,” she reasons. “When your father finds out, he’ll have you killed.”

I laugh. “My plans never go wrong, Vivian. And I’ve been planning to end you and my father for weeks.” I run the blade over her stomach, smiling as blood beads to the surface.

She grimaces, screwing her eyes closed tightly. “You’re making a mistake. Without me and Vladimir, you’ll be nothing, and that little witch will ruin you and everything we’ve worked for,” she spits.

I push the knife into her stomach, and she cries out, gripping my wrist tighter as her eyes widen in shock. “No one will ever touch what is mine, Vivian. I thought I’d taught you that.”

Placing the bloody knife to her throat, I lean down to her ear. “And now, your underwear matches your skin tone,” I whisper, pulling the blade across in one swift movement. “See you in hell, moya shlyukha .” She gasps, trying desperately to drag some air into her lungs. I release my hold on her, and her hands go to her throat in an attempt to stop the bleeding. I drop back into the chair and wait for her to draw her last breath, feeling satisfied. It’s been a long time coming.

TORI

Marshall pulls up outside Kat’s and opens the door for me. I roll my eyes, and he laughs. It’s been a lovely morning spent with him and Phoebe. I know Dmitry probably wouldn’t approve of me classing Marshall as a friend, but I do, and he and Phoebe are so comfortable around each other, which warms my heart. She deserves a shot at happiness, and I think he might just give her that.

I practically skip into Kat’s and head for the office. I can’t wait to get Dmitry home so we can spend an evening together. Maybe I can convince him to take me into the dungeon again. I smile at the thought as I push the office door open.

I freeze, my eyes taking in the scene before me. Dmitry spins to face me, wincing when he sees it’s me. Vivian is lifeless and bleeding out all over the oak desk. The blood is soaking into her red underwear, and I frown, realising she’s half-naked.

Dmitry closes the gap between us, placing his bloody hands on my upper arms. “My krasota , what are you doing here?”

I arch a brow, dragging my eyes from her body to finally meet his. “What the fuck is going on?”

He takes me by the hand and leads me from the office, closing the door. “Why is she half-naked?” I hiss.

He glances around to make sure no one is listening, not that anyone employed by Dmitry would dare talk. “It’s not what it looks like,” he almost whispers, his eyes searching my own. “Keep calm, for the sake of the baby.”

“The baby?” I scoff. “You think me walking into that shitshow is going to keep me calm?”

“She was here when I arrived, dressed like that. I think she planned one last attempt at seduction,” he rushes out, gripping tightly onto my hands.

“How did she know you’d be here?” I demand.

“She called the house, and someone told her I was headed here.”

“And how the hell did she end up . . . dead?” I ask in an angry whisper.

“That was always the plan, Victoria. It just happened sooner than I thought.”

I pull my hands free and fold them over my chest. “You agreed I could be there, and now, I find her like that, alone with you, half-naked.”

He cups my cheeks and smiles. “The opportunity arose, so I took it. I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“I’m sure her state of undress contributed to that,” I snap.

“My krasota , we’ve been here before, and each time, I tell you that she is nothing to me. I was furious seeing her like that after everything she’d done. And now, she’s no longer a threat to you or our child.”

I drop my head and sigh. What have I become? I’m angry because I wasn’t there. After everything she’s done to me, I deserved to see her take her last breath. How sick does that make me? I shudder as I try to gather my emotions.

Dmitry hooks his finger under my chin and tips my head back until we’re making eye contact again. “No regrets,” he whispers, leaning in and brushing his lips against mine. “She was a threat, and now, she’s not. You are mine, my krasota . No one will ever harm you again.”

I swallow my hurt pride and give a nod. “No regrets. She deserved it.”

Somehow, feeling this way makes me realise I’ll never be the same again. There’s a beast inside me, awoken by Marcus and now Vivian. But I don’t feel sad at their deaths. They were bad people who didn’t care about hurting me. And now, with Dmitry by my side, and our child on the way, I know I’d do the exact same to protect them. Anything. No regrets. It’s a fierceness that I’ll hold on to forever now, because I never want to be a victim again.

I push onto my tiptoes and place a kiss against his lips. “I love you. Thank you.”

“I want this arrangement here.” I point to the picture in the wedding magazine. We are surrounded by different swatches, bridal magazines, and food choices as we sit at the dining room table.

“What about this one?” Phoebe asks. She was ecstatic when I asked her to be my maid of honour, and even when I explained there was only a week to plan, she didn’t seem phased. She’s been my rock over the last few years, and I wouldn’t have considered anyone else to stand beside me on the most important day of my life.

“No, I want them to be subtle, nothing too crazy,” I say as I take a sip of my water.

She laughs. “Says the one who’s marrying the head of the fucking Russian mafia, leaving only a week to plan an entire wedding.”

“Touché,” I reply, also laughing.

Rachel, the wedding planner Dmitry hired to help me pull this thing off, enters carrying two dress bags and hangs them on the back of the door. “Phoebe and Poppy’s dresses,” she announces, doing a small curtsy and laughing. “I told you they’d arrive on time.” We’d ordered them on such short notice, I was convinced they wouldn’t arrive, but she had connections, which is just one of the reasons I adore her. She’s so good at what she does, and nothing has been too much trouble. “Wanna see?” she asks, grinning as we both push to our feet.

I opted for a long gown in maroon that gathers at the waist, knowing it would complement their figures beautifully. It’s important they feel just as amazing as me on the day. It’s been such a hard year for us all, and this wedding will be the turning point.

Phoebe runs the silk material between her fingers with a happy sigh. “I love it,” she whispers.

“You’ll look incredible,” I say.

“It must have cost a small fortune,” she murmurs, and when she brings her eyes to mine, she looks ready to cry.

I smile. “Well, like you said, I’m marrying into the Russian mafia, so no expense will be spared, especially for my best friend.”

She turns to me, wrapping me in her arms. “Thank you, Victoria. I love it.”

“Don’t get soppy me on me now, Phoebs, my hormones are all over as it is. Go and try it on.”

She nods, grabbing the hanger and rushing off upstairs.

I take a seat at the table and Rachel follows, bringing her notepad with her. “Did you settle on flowers?” she asks.

I nod, pointing to the picture. “I love these.”

“Great choice. Dark red and white roses will go perfectly with everything. What about the bridesmaids?”

“I was actually thinking of a small corsage with a red rose, maybe with a diamanté bracelet so they can keep it after. And I was thinking we could wrap my bouquet in diamonds too, so we’ll match.”

“That’s not a problem at all. I have a jeweller on standby.”

“Erm . . . I have a bit of an odd request,” I add, and she stops scribbling to look at me.

“You won’t believe the things I’ve had requested, so hit me with it.”

“I’d really like a small dagger in the centre of my bouquet. I know it’s unusual, but it’s something for me to keep as a reminder of our day, and it means something to me and Dmitry. If I could have our initials on the handle, that would be even better.”

“Nothing is too much trouble for you, Victoria.”

Dmitry specified that none of the guests should bring weapons, and that only his security detail will be armed, but he never said anything about me. I smile to myself. The dagger signifies so much more in our relationship. He saved me from myself on so many occasions, and he showed me a better way to deal with my emotions. It signifies the bond that we have, that we are bound together by bloodshed and scars.