Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Lev

It's my lucky fucking day.

Mikhail told me after Viktor and Lydia's marriage that I was up next. My brothers have gotten married in rapid succession—our plan to overtake The Cove as the most powerful Bratva group in full swing. The most efficient way of solidifying ourselves as a force to be reckoned with is to expand our ranks. The second, most lasting way, is to put down permanent roots.

Marriage. Vows. Children. None of the marriages in my family thus far have happened the "usual" way—at least the usual way in Western culture. Here, we take what we want.

And right now? I want a leggy Colombian princess with tanned skin, a sharp mouth, and a body that rivals an Olympian gymnast. The image of her thick, glossy hair falling from her baseball cap and around her face like a veil will stay with me forever. Her eyes, bright and inquisitive with just a touch of batshit crazy, are unforgettable. That cute little button nose and bratty mouth beg to be tamed. Her fit, lithe body, small but powerful, is like a tightly wrapped package of dynamite.

I bet she tastes like whiskey and sin.

I'll find out.

She sits beside me in rumpled male clothing. That needs to go.

I reach for the belt behind her head and unfasten it. "What do you have underneath this shit?" I ask her, gesturing to the rumpled sweatshirt and cargo pants.

She winks at me, her grin revealing full, cherry-red lips that draw my attention like a magnet. I'm mesmerized by the seductive curve of her mouth. No longer disguising her voice as a man's, her natural higher pitch resonates, each note a tantalizing aphrodisiac that stirs something deep within me.

"Nothing but my birthday suit and this stupid torture device meant to flatten my breasts." She leans in closer to me, her warm skin brushing mine. I swallow, my dick hard already just by her nearness. She's fucking gorgeous. "Why don't you see for yourself? You have to check me for bugs, anyway, don't you?" She leans back in her seat, a placid look of curiosity on her beautiful face. "I can't fucking wait to take this off. I feel like I'm wearing a jockstrap over my breasts."

"I can't fucking wait to see for myself. Believe me, that's happening." So far, my techniques are absolute shit. Not only does she not look intimidated, but she also looks fucking excited.

Maybe it isn't just the look in her eyes.

Maybe she actually is insane.

I'll have to get Aleks to do a background check.

A part of me thrills at this thought, though. I've never been attracted to normal women. Give me a taste of fire and ice, and I'll fucking fall to my knees and worship.

I'm not saying it's a good thing.

We're not far from my home, a newly purchased house I bought after Viktor's marriage. I didn't want to set roots down here right away, not with Ollie overseas and the work Mikhail needed me to do in various cities throughout the world. But after Lydia and Viktor got married, I knew I belonged here. And after Mikhail made it clear I'd be up for marriage sooner than later I knew The Cove was where I'd put down roots. Most of my other brothers live nearby at this point, so when this home hit the market, I snatched it up. I suspect Aleks had something to do with that, but who knows.

We pull up to my house in the dead of night, my estate lit with spotlights. "Wow," Isabella says beside me. "Not bad for the youngest."

I clench my jaw and don't respond. I won't let her bait me. Being the youngest of a family of pythons doesn't make you any less a python.

This house is a bit much for a single guy, but I knew when I bought it, the location was the most important. I'm five miles from headquarters and near Viktor and Lydia, with easy access to the highway. I hardly had to make any modifications except for a handful of security details, including wrought iron gates installed at the entrance, flanked by stone pillars.

When the gates open, a long, paved driveway lies before us lined with trimmed hedges. All along this path are discreetly placed security cameras, hidden along with infrared motion detection. With a click of a button, I can access every camera in my house and often do.

"Just you in a place like this?" she asks in a teasing lilt. A part of me wonders if she takes anything at all seriously. "Surely you've got a mistress, some concubines tucked away, no? You'd get lost here, wouldn't you?"

"I'll fill it with a wife and children someday," I tell her. "I'm not worried."

A shadow crosses her features, and her jaw clenches. I wonder why.

The house itself is three stories, built from stone so dark it seems to absorb moonlight. Tall, with arched windows and a heavy front door reinforced with iron bands, it's simple but sturdy.

Floodlights illuminate our way, casting shadows that dance across intricate stonework. The driveway curves around a blank area where a fountain used to stand. That was a bit much for my tastes.

I've got motion sensors hidden in the landscaping, a state-of-the-art alarm system, and the thick walls are reinforced. The one balcony off the master suite is secured with iron railings.

If it were daytime, you'd see the garden and benches carved of stone. I love this home. It's mine. As the youngest in the family, that matters to me. Growing up, I got everyone's hand-me-downs. I never went without, not since the Romanovs took me in at an early age, but my parents were pragmatic and made good use of everything they owned.

"It will be hard for someone to escape a place like this, won't it?" she says in a teasing voice, her head tipped to the side. She doesn't seem intimidated or fearful at all… but excited.

I have my work cut out for me.

Bring it.

"Not difficult. Impossible."

She laughs lightly, a pretty, musical sound. "Oh, definitely not impossible, mi cari?o ."

It's a challenge, then. She's a fucking challenge.

I park the car in front of the house. I'll move it in the morning. "Stay there," I order. She smirks at me. I lean in close and rest my hand on her upper thigh, pressing it down to hold her still. "You're mine, Isabella. You'll do what I say. Do not test me. Do not provoke me. You forfeited your life to my family with your choices, so what happens next is all a mercy." I squeeze her upper thigh. My dick aches. "Is that clear?"

"Mmm, si, se?or, " she says in a thick drawl. "I hear and obey."

Fuck.

I lick my lips and swallow, bringing my mouth to her ear. "Good girl. I'll come around and get you."

I open her door and take her by the arm. Her muscles tense in my palm. I imagine what it would feel like to have her tight, lithe body pinned beneath me.

We'll get there.

She's mine now. She broke universal law between the cartel and Bratva. I have the right to kill her for what she's done. That would trigger an attack from her brother, but even he'd do the same thing if the situation were reversed. If Polina ever attempted anything as dangerous as she did, we'd extradite her to keep her safe… if we even got her back.

When we get to the entrance, I bend and grab the little package Aleks left for me.

She walks obediently beside me, taking it all in. "I'm impressed," she says as we head inside. "My family hardly lives in poverty, but this… this is stunning."

I roll my eyes. As if flattery will get her anywhere.

"Just look at this. You can tell it's a luxury home. Those floors. Are they mahogany? Those high ceilings and crown moldings. My God, Lev, you have a crystal chandelier in the dining room."

Forgot about that.

"But it's secure, look at this. Those windows look reinforced, and I'd bet you have cameras trained on every inch of this place. And those mirrors are for more than show, aren't they?"

Yeah, of course they are. Mirrors give an immediate view of every visible angle of the house.

"Listen, if we go out to dinner, you're paying," she says. "Obviously, you can afford it."

My lips twitch.

"Cat got your tongue, handsome?"

"Do you ever talk without flirting?"

"Who, me? Of course not. Why be so mundane?" She smiles, her golden eyes alight. "Glad I finally got you to open up."

I half regret removing her gag and simultaneously regret ever gagging her in the first place. I feel like my thoughts and actions are muddled like scrambled eggs. There's something intoxicating and enigmatic about her.

I love hearing her talk. I love watching her move. I'm entranced with the way her mind works.

And I can't fucking wait to break her.