Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

PRU

I stand in the bathroom with Vitaly while he uses a towel to clean the blood from my throat. Each stroke is gentle as he takes his time. It's fascinating to see Vitaly Parlov taking care of someone this way. He's nothing like the man I've heard of. This is so different, and I want to believe it's only for me.

"You can be sweet when you really want to," I say.

"Don't tell anyone." He gives me a charming smirk that has all my insides melting.

"I don't know if I was really going to run," I admit. His eyebrows rise, and I'm not sure he believes me. "I wasn't sure. I wanted to talk to my girlfriend and see if I might be losing my mind if I chose to stay."

"Nolia," he says, and my mouth falls open.

"How did you..." I trail off because of course he found out. I'm sure he knows everything about me.

"I had the camera footage pulled from outside the restaurant. I wanted to see how you arrived."

Crap, I thought we were so safe. I hate that I may have put Nolia in danger when all she has ever tried to do was help me. Nolia can be feisty and stand her ground, but that girl is a marshmallow on the inside.

"Please don't hurt her." I wrap my hand around his wrist, preventing him from wiping the rest of the blood away. I need his attention right now because this is important to me.

"She's safe," he reassures me, and I release him. "But if you do run, she'll be the first person I talk to." Vitaly finishes cleaning me and tosses the cloth into the sink.

"Is that a warning or a threat?"

Vitaly washes his hands, and the last of the blood disappears as if it was never there. But there will always be blood on Vitaly's hands. It's a part of who he is.

"It's a fact, little one. You're mine. If something of mine goes missing, there will be hell to pay." That should really freak me out, but in a weird kind of way, it's sweet.

"If you treat me well, Vitaly, I will never run from you." He's offering me things I never knew were possible.

"I'll do more than treat you well," he vows, and I believe him. Vitaly is many things, but he is also a man of his word. He would never go back on it.

"That's all I can ask for." I place my hands on his chest, leaning in. "You promised me loyalty in ways other men in this world never do. I will do the same."

"I'll kill any man that touches you."

"See, there you go, being all sweet again," I tease.

To my surprise, Vitaly throws his head back and laughs.

"Can I ask why?"

"Why?" Vitaly rests his hand on my shoulder, his fingers caressing my neck.

"Why wouldn't you want mistresses?" I was happy when he told me that, but I'm still curious. He really does stand apart from so many of the men in this world.

"I'm not a stupid man. A man would have to be if he's willing to break the vows he made to the woman he lies next to each night."

I've never thought about it like that before, but I guess that would be when someone is at their most vulnerable.

"So you're scared I'll kill you?" I snort a laugh. I'm not sure I have that in me. Even when I stole the gun, I wasn't really sure what I would do with it.

"It's not only that, little one. You're my other half. My queen. If I can't be loyal to you, how can anyone ever believe I'd be loyal to them?" He leans down and touches his lips to mine. "Your sweet cunt is the only one I want inside of. The only one I've buried my tongue into."

Vitaly thrusts his tongue into my mouth, and the kiss is claiming. It's as if he's proving his point. I moan at the feel of him and press my body against his. When his hard cock presses against my stomach, desire pools between my legs. My mind is overwhelmed, and all I can think is that I want him inside me. I need to feel this man over my body.

Vitaly pulls back and then presses his forehead to mine. He's breathing heavily, and I smirk because I've done this to him. It gives me a sense of power. That's something I've never had before, but he's given it to me. It will be one of the greatest gifts I will ever possess.

"We need to get back out to the party. They will want to celebrate." Vitaly steps back and takes a breath. I watch him reach down and adjust his cock, and my sex clenches. By the end of the night, I'll know what it's like to have that inside me.

He takes my hand and leads me back to the party. Everyone is smiling when we enter. You'd never know that a man's tongue was cut out in this very room not even an hour ago. As we walk around the table, people congratulate us. When everyone is back in their seats, dinner is served.

Vitaly slips his hand into the slit of my dress so he can rest it on my bare thigh. Every now and then he offers me a bite of his food, and I notice people watching us. They try to pretend that they aren't, but I'm sure they're curious. Vitaly is different with me.

Gianna is the only one that doesn't try to hide her stare. She keeps giving me giant smiles and asking about wedding plans.

"I'm sure Vitaly and I will have to figure a few things out before we really start to plan," I say.

"All I care about is that it happens soon. Not months from now," Vitaly tells her.

"See." Gianna claps her hands together. I wonder if I can invite Nolia. She's not really a part of this world.

As if my thoughts conjured her up, I hear her shouting my name.

"Get your hands off me!" she shouts, and I jump to my feet.

I don't get a chance to move an inch before Vitaly grabs me around my waist.

"It's Nolia," I plead with him, but he's not letting me go.

"Release the girl," Vitaly bellows across the room.

They must have heard him from outside of the room because a second later, a disheveled Nolia comes rushing in.