Chapter 18 - Parker

I was standing in front of a judge. I was about to get married—and to a man I just met at that. How was this happening? How was I somehow still standing here? Any reasonable person would be fighting and desperate to run away.

Because you're clearly fucked in the head, Parker.

The room was filled to the brim with bodies, crowding men stuffed into the small judges's chambers. They stood at the door, at the windows, and even flanked His Honor, who looked increasingly like he might be sick.

That makes two of us, buddy.

Lev stood beside me on my left. We were both parked in front of the judge's desk, and he had his hand on the small of my back, the warmth of his palm bleeding into my skin.

I didn't know why I could stand it there. But I did. In fact, I loved it there. I was so thoroughly not a virgin anymore, and a large part of me felt more connected to Lev than ever—and we'd never been exactly lacking in that department.

"So, Judge Kirby," Lev said, "I believe you have something for me."

The thin fabric of the dress I wore felt like nothing with all the men around, and I knew that more of me than normal was exposed thanks to the slit and low necklines. I felt vulnerable, small in the sea of muscular bodies clad in imposing black and leather.

They're also armed to the teeth.

"Of course, Mr. Vadim." The judge pulled a slip of paper from a folder on his desk.

You're really doing this.

And then my mind wandered.

As I'd studied my experience with Lev falling asleep last night, I realized that something about him had been calling to me from the start. I felt like I'd known him for years the very second our eyes met. I could feel his soul, sense its presence and all that it emanated.

Anger, power, violence, pain, and lust—raw, demanding, possessive lust that wanted to consume me in every sense of the word.

And I felt it, too.

"Mr. Vadim," the judge's words interrupted my thoughts, "I present to you a legal document stating that you and Ms. Kozlovsky will be—"

"Mrs., isn't it?" Lev cocked a brow at the judge, and the man swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Of course, Mr. Vadim." His Honor cleared his throat. "You and the Missus will be joined in matrimony as soon as it is signed by all the attending parties. You, your bride, and the two witnesses for the fact."

The judge's eyes flicked to mine.

"Do you enter this agreement willingly, dear?"

I could tell he was attempting to give me an out or perhaps just covering his ass if this "ceremony" got back to anyone higher up the chain than him.

There was no saying I wasn't, of course. Lev wouldn't have that, and still…

I was doing this willingly. I didn't want to be taken somewhere by my father or just killed by Lev's men, so this was a damn smart choice. But beyond that, and although I was still going to try to get back to my patients somehow, I wanted to be at Lev's side.

Falling into that abyss of his dark eyes, that's where I felt like I belonged. The second my eyes landed on him, a deep instinct warned me that this man - this criminal - was meant for me.

And I was his—rules, laws, and plans be damned.

"Yes. I do."

The words felt strange. I never imagined my wedding would be like this. It was so not a ceremony. It was a contract. But I'd also be lying if I said that I didn't feel more beautiful than I ever had in my life. And I'd also never felt such raw hunger focused in my direction. Knowing Lev could barely keep his hands off me filled my spirit with sinful pride, a need for more.

"Very well. I'll have you all proceed with your signatures."

His Honor slid forward the marriage license for us to sign. Lev went first, I followed, and then Pietor. As I watched the man who had held onto me when I first met Lev, I noticed the clear resemblance. He was obviously another Vadim. But he also looked so different from Lev.

The most striking thing was his eyes. He had heterochromia, a genetic mutation that cause each of his eyes to be a different color—in this case, one blue and one green.

I'd learned about genetic conditions and mutations like this at med school, and while rare, they tended to be hereditary. Pietor likely had an ancestor with it as well.

Beyond that, Pietor was just as tall as Lev, hulking and powerful. But he carried himself far less stiffly. He seemed to be perpetually bored, even now. He was also covered in an array of piercings and likely tattoos that I couldn't see.

Lev was tatted, yes, but it was paired with his constant buttoned-up exterior. Pietor was chaos and lighthearted sarcasm through and through.

I counted the few rings scattered over Pietor's face—an eyebrow ring, either of his lobed, which were slightly gauged, and a nose ring. Something told me he probably had a tongue ring, too.

"John Hancock." He slid the license up to Lev. "We'll need a Benji next."

I wanted to laugh, but it died in my throat as the tension in the room continued to tick on.

Another of Lev's men reached for the thing on the desk and quickly scribbled across the paper. He wasn't unfamiliar, but Lev's circle appeared to change between the handful of men I usually saw. Aside from Pietor, it looked like he was equally trusting of the rest of his men.

"Congratulations," the Judge spoke up, "by the power vested in me by the state of Illinois, you are husband and wife."

And like that, I was married.

***

My hands trembled gently as I walked through Lev's bedroom to his bathroom. I wanted to take off the dress right away. It'd served its fucking purpose, and I wanted out of the damn thing.

My shoes clacked on the tile floor as I stepped up to the dual sinks, and I lifted my leg onto the tub ledge to unbuckle the heel.

"Your father's not done messing up my business. I want to know more about him."

Lev's voice cut through the cold expanse of the bathroom, burning in my back, and my fingers froze with the strap still partly secured to my high heel.

"I've already told you." I went back to work on taking the damn shoe off, but the shaking was getting worse. "I don't know anything about his business. I stayed out of it."

Steps echoed as Lev crossed the room toward me. He was right up in my business in second, spinning me around to face him. I met his eyes, glaring at him with all the force he was delivering on me. The asshole had just forced me into a marriage—in one way or another—and now he wanted to chat?

No, I need fucking break.

"I need more information. And you're going to give it to me."

Lev's voice was an angry growl, and he hadn't let go of my arms, his fingers digging into my biceps. There was a lick of pain, but my body still responded to the proximity by welling with heat, practically dripping already.

I tried to yank myself free, only barely getting myself free, only to be caged in by his arms as Lev leaned on the counter behind me.

"I don't know anything!" I closed my eyes, the frustration nearly choking me. "I was kept in the dark. The asshole killed my mother, and I didn't even know it! What more do you think I can give you?"

I knew I was pressing my luck, screaming at Lev like this, but I was tired, overwhelmed and angry. The air of the bathroom was so cool against my exposed skin and everything about the house, about Lev, pressed down on me like it was trying to pull me under the waves.

And still, I couldn't stop myself from flicking my eyes to his lips.

"Who did he do the most business with? Who were his regular clients?"

Scoffing, I rolled my eyes. "I don't know. I didn't pay attention to that. It wasn't like there was the same group of people who were always hanging around. I would have noticed that. Besides, whenever my dad had important business, he'd lock me in my room."

Lev's brow cocked, and I watched as his eyes narrowed slightly. He just stood there for a moment, eyeing me and searching my face for God knew what.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low.

"He hit you. You've said as much. Did he do anything else?"

My eyes flared, realizing what Lev was getting at, and I shook my head. I hated talking about this shit, but I barreled through the words, thinking that if I could just get them out, I'd be okay to get through it.

"No. I mean, he was neglectful. Several days without so much more than a bit of bread and a few apples, but nothing else."

"Why didn't you leave sooner?" Lev's voice was flat, which was the only thing that kept me from screaming at him for the comment.

I knew how he'd killed his brother for what he'd done, and I imagined that Lev only expected me to do the same. And I would be lying if I said I'd never thought about it.

"I tried. A lot. But runaway kids are turned in, and I learned pretty quick that the only way I was going to get out of there without ruining my future was to just work hard and get accepted to college and med school right away."

With a nod, Lev tilted his head, still crowding me with his presence and making my heart hammer against my ribs. There was something dark—like there always was when we were close like this—behind his eyes.

"Who came over on those important days? Did they have an accent?"

"An accent? You can't be serious right now. No, they—"

But then I understood what he was getting at, and memories of the different-sounding clients filtered up from the depths.

"Oh." I closed my eyes. The only way I could think with Lev this close. "Umm, only two. One guy sounded Italian or something, and the other was Scottish or Irish. I'm not sure."

Lev exhaled hard, the sound a deep grumble. "Well, that's something."

Still, he didn't back up.

I dipped my head toward the floor, my stare naturally falling in line with where Lev's zipper happened to be. I could see the hard length trapped behind the fabric, and I clenched my thighs together.

God, I hope he didn't notice that.

When I looked back up at him, the sensible part of me was desperate for some space.

"Umm…" I swallowed hard, that hard pound of my heart impossible to ignore. "I was going to change."

Lev smirked, damn him, and heat roared through my entire body, especially my cheeks—and pussy.

"I see that." His hand came to my hip, his fingers tickling the skin where it was accessible through the slit. "I don't think that's necessary."

"Don't you have things that you need to get back to? It's the middle of the day?"

What was I doing? I knew what kind of "job" Lev had; he could do whatever he wanted. But my mind was spinning again, and I didn't know what to do with myself.

Flee, panic, let it happen…enjoy.

They all sounded like good options at present. In any case, Lev towered over me, hovering his lips near the sensitive skin behind my ear.

"I don't like this, little one. I don't like not having more information on your piece of shit, father. I want descriptions of those men."

"That was ages ago. I can't remember that far—"

Lev's hand left my leg in a flash, closing around my neck like it had when we'd first been deep in discussion.

"I bet I could jog your memory."