Chapter 13

EMERSON

Emerson rode down in the elevator, brushing away the hot tears that seemed to be leaking out of her eyes. Her breath came in ragged bursts, more from the fact that Viktor hadn’t even bothered to throw her out himself. Instead, he’d sent his nasty Russian housekeeper to do his dirty work for him. She obviously was nothing more than the latest flavor of the month. How could she have been so stupid as to think otherwise?

The Russian woman’s condescending tone echoed in her mind, each word a tiny dagger twisting in her heart.

"You can see yourself out,” the woman had said in a heavy Russian accent. “Viktor is going to be busy for the rest of the day and has no more need of you."

The housekeeper had spoken with authority to Emerson, as if she were nothing more than an inconvenience, a fleeting distraction that had overstayed her welcome. The implication that she was just another temporary amusement for Viktor cut deeply, leaving her feeling humiliated, used, and stupid. She didn’t like any of those feelings.

The elevator took her straight to a private parking lot—it didn’t even slow down as it passed the floor with Viktor’s office. She drove out of the lot and was surprised to find herself in a sudden storm of hot, muggy rain. By the time she reached home, the rain had begun to clear. When she parked in front of the house, she stepped out into what felt like a very uncomfortable sauna, leaving her clothes clinging to her skin. She fumbled with her keys, her hands shaking with a mix of sweat and frustration, finally managing to push the door open.

Inside, the familiar grace and comfort of her home did little to settle her nerves. She made her way up the stairs to her bedroom, waving her sisters off without a word. Once inside her room, she leaned back against the door for a moment to catch her breath.

“Get it together,” she muttered to herself as she kicked off her shoes and stripped off her damp clothes, tossing them into her laundry basket as she made her way into the bath.

She started her shower, shoving away the vivid imagery of taking a shower with Viktor. She needed to scrub his scent off her skin. As she dried herself off, she realized she could still smell his essence. Perhaps it was her imagination; perhaps not. It didn’t matter. He didn’t matter. She re-entered her bedroom, the antique rug luxurious under her bare feet, a stark contrast to the growing feeling of cold hardness she felt inside.

Pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a sweater that was soft against her sensitive nipples, she tied her hair back into a messy bun. She headed downstairs to the office, moved behind her desk, and booted up her computer system. Emerson sat down heavily in her chair, the leather cool and firm beneath her. She stared at the screen, the blank document reflecting her blank mind.

At first, Kendra and Tegan said nothing, just watched their eldest sister as she tried to focus on anything other than Viktor. How had he gotten under her skin so quickly? She never let men get past her defenses, and yet he’d breached her walls as easily as he’d breached her pussy. God, had anything ever felt that good?

Kendra and Tegan waited, watching her with concern, trying several times to engage her in some kind of casual conversation, but Emerson refused to be brought out of the shell she was trying to construct around herself. But they would not be denied, and Emerson knew that. Besides no one had ever come between her and her sisters, and Viktor Romanov would not be the first.

"Hey, Em," Kendra began gently, getting up and coming to sit on the edge of Emerson’s desk. “Are you okay? You don’t seem right."

Emerson forced a small smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "I’m fine. Just busy with work, you know how it is."

Tegan rolled her office chair over to join them. "I call bullshit. It’s more than that, and you know it. You saw something this morning that set you off, and you ran out of here like a bat out of hell. Now you come back; you’re upset, and you want us to believe you’re fine? Bullshit.”

Emerson looked at Kendra, who nodded. “What she said. Did something happen with Viktor?"

Emerson’s expression tightened at the mention of Viktor's name. She looked away, biting her lip. "Nothing. We had a little fun, but that’s all it was. A little taste of the dark side, as it were, but at least I know where you two go at night and think if that’s what you want, you should go for it.” She hoped her tone didn’t sound as judgmental to them as it did to her.

Kendra and Tegan exchanged glances.

"What happened?" asked Kendra, more gently this time.

Emerson sighed, her shoulders slumping. "It’s stupid. Viktor sent his housekeeper to throw me out of his place.”

“Wait, his place? As in where he lives?”

“Yes. He couldn’t even be bothered to do it himself. It’s not like I’m some clingy female that’s going to stalk him…”

“Viktor doesn’t take women up to his place. Ever,” said Kendra. “Very few—and I mean very few—people have ever seen it. Sterling has, but he’s known Viktor for years. I think they may have worked together for British intelligence at one point, but that is pure supposition on my part.”

“Well, it’s gorgeous and has an amazing view of the harbor. I don’t know why I’m so upset, but that woman treated me like I didn’t belong there. Like I was just some... hooker he’d gotten his rocks off with. She made me feel like I was lower than the dirt she’d vacuumed up from the carpet."

Tegan’s eyes flashed with anger. "That’s not okay, Em. You deserve to be treated better than that. Are you sure he sent her?" Emerson shot her a look that said she was. “I only ask because he made sure we knew you wouldn’t be home tonight.”

“How the fuck did he do that?” Emerson asked angrily.

“The guys that were here installing the upgrades to our security system let us know so we wouldn’t worry,” said Kendra. “That doesn’t sound to me like some guy who wanted to boot you out of his bed.”

Tegan nodded in agreement. "Niall, that’s the guy who came with the techs, was really nice about it. They need to do something else tomorrow but wanted us to know they’d be on patrol. And if Viktor really did that, shame on him. You deserve better than that."

Emerson’s hand came up to tug at the collar that now lay so heavily around her neck. “I don’t know. I kind of thought things were different with him. Maybe I was just fooling myself."

Kendra reached down and squeezed Emerson’s hand. "Viktor Romanov is a gorgeous, sexy billionaire and is reputed to be an uber Dom and great in the sack. But if he couldn’t see what was right in front of him, then fuck him. He doesn’t deserve you."

Tegan grinned. “What she said. We’re here for you, no matter what. You don’t have to go through this alone."

A tear slipped down Emerson’s cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. "Thanks, guys. I really needed to hear that."

"We’re always here for you," Tegan said firmly. "And we’ll get through this together."

Afraid her voice would break and let her sisters know how deeply she’d been hurt by what she felt was Viktor’s rejection, she simply nodded and turned back to her work. Tegan was right, whatever happened to whichever sister, they would always have each other and together they could and would get through anything.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed. She’d gone down the rabbit hole trying to find what she needed to make an evaluation of a pre-Columbian pot. She looked up to make a quick glance at the clock, which sent a surge of panic through her. She had lost hours—precious, irreplaceable hours—being caught up in Viktor's world and the fallout from that. Well, at least she didn’t have plans for the night. She could make up for lost time. Wallowing in self-pity wasn’t going to help her meet the looming deadline for the valuation for this client, who was new and very wealthy.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard, the clacking of keys a steady rhythm that drowned out the chaos in her mind. Emerson threw herself into her work with a fierce determination, the pain of the day’s events fueling her focus and propelling her relentlessly forward. The world outside their office faded away, and she barely noticed her sisters’ comings and goings. As the sun began to set, the rain returned, and she allowed herself to become lost in her task.

Time passed in a blur. Slowly, the knot of hurt and annoyance in her chest began to loosen, replaced by the satisfaction of productivity.

“Em?” said Tegan coming to stand behind her.

“Yeah?”

“Viktor’s here. He sent his car earlier, and Kendra sent it and the driver back to him. He wants to see you.”

“Well, we don’t always get what we want. Viktor will just have to live with disappointment.”

“I don’t think he’s going to want to hear that.”

“I don’t give a damn what he wants. If you don’t want to tell him, I’ll do it myself.” Emerson pushed back from her desk. “Maybe that’s better. Maybe he should see firsthand that you don’t send others to do your dirty work.”

She strode into the foyer of the old mansion her parents had purchased and begun to restore. Emerson, Tegan, and Kendra had taken the life insurance money from their parents’ deaths and sunk it into finishing the renovations. The estate still needed a lot of work, but at least the main house was done and made for an impressive home in which to entertain clients.

“Viktor, I’m surprised to see you,” she said entering the foyer.

“What is wrong with you?” he snarled.

“Me? Absolutely nothing. I would have thought Kendra made it clear to your man that I was tied up this evening. Oops, maybe that’s not the best line to use with a guy who gets off on that kind of thing. But seeing as he didn’t make it clear, let me try. I am busy. I have things to do and have no more time to waste on you. Get out of my house, and if you’ll send me a bill for the money you expended on the upgraded security system, I’ll see that you’re reimbursed.”

“It is obvious we need to talk.”

“Quite the contrary. I’ve said all I have to say.” She spun on her heel to head back to her office, calling over her shoulder. “Oh, and take your men with you. You and anyone working for you is no longer welcome on this estate.”

“Emerson, I don’t understand. I demand that you talk to me.”

She had really had enough. She had an evaluation to finish—well, she was almost done, and it wasn’t due for a day or two, but she was damn sure done with him. Whirling back in his direction, she stormed back to him.

“You demand? You demand? You? Really? I thought that’s what you had your housekeeper for—to dispose of the trash when you were done with it. Hot news flash for you—I am nobody’s trash.” She poked her finger in his face. “You do not have any right to demand anything from me.”

He leaned forward aggressively. It took everything she had to stand her ground.

“That collar around your neck says I do.”

“I’ll go to the jeweler and have it cut off, repaired, and returned to you as soon as possible.”

Viktor blinked—a hint of pain flashed across his handsome, dark features, before being replaced by an arrogant anger that should have scared her to death, but instead, she found herself wildly turned on.

“You will do no such thing,” he growled, bending at the waist, putting his shoulder into her middle, and lifting her up so that her world was turned upside down.

“Viktor,” said her sisters in one voice.

“Not another word,” he commanded and interestingly enough, her sisters shut up, which was fine as Emerson felt quite capable of handling her own business. “Your sister will be perfectly fine. She is my submissive and has signed a contract. Emerson, reassure your sisters that you are in no danger.”

For a moment she said nothing. He smacked her on her ass.

“He’s right. I’m in no danger, but the same can’t be said for him when he puts me down.”

Instead of being angry or intimidated, Viktor just laughed as he strode out of the house, leaning into the vintage, chauffeured Rolls Royce limo and placing her on the seat before following her in, stepping over her, and pulling the door closed.

“Back to the Carriage House, and take the long way around,” he said to the driver before rolling up the glass partition. “Would you like to tell me what you think happened this afternoon?”

She thought about remaining silent but realized she had far too many emotions roiling inside her to keep quiet. “I don’t think; I know. You got your rocks off, decided you had better things to do with your evening, and sent your housekeeper to throw me out with the rest of the trash.”

“I did no such thing. I have no idea what Agata said to you, but it was not at my request. I did not know she would be there this afternoon. I will make sure in the future she knows she is to defer to your wishes and treat you with respect. I am sorry for any hurt she caused you.”

Neither of them said anything more for a few miles, but the atmosphere in the Rolls was becoming less charged.

Finally, uncomfortable with the icy silence, she said. “Thank you for that, but I had no way of knowing that.”

“You had a simple way, you could have come to me and asked. Instead, you ran away and then refused to see me.”

“I tend to believe what I see and hear with my own eyes. I don’t always go looking for other explanations.”

“No. You wanted to believe the worst of me. Doing so makes it easier for you to act out of fear and retreat into your fortress.”

Emerson started to come up with a scathing reply and realized he might have a point.

“Twice someone—other than me—has presented you with information that casts me in a less than favorable light, and twice you have believed some anonymous source or someone who said they were speaking for me. In neither instance did you even consider that it might not be true or there might be some other explanation. In neither case did you do any kind of digging to get to the truth.”

She winced. He really was right. She took a deep breath. “As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right. The email was anonymous, and for all I know, Agata might have thought she was doing her job. I suppose I should have at least checked with you. If you’ll accept my apology, I will promise to try and do better in the future.”

“Your apology would be better given on your knees, dushka.”

After a moment of shock, she realized exactly what he wanted—no expected—and the idea kickstarted her libido. She started to slide off the seat.

“No, dushka, apologies of this nature are given to your master in the nude.”

She glanced around nervously. “What if we haven’t finished by the time we get back to your place?”

“Then you will finish with the door open, and others can see how you serve your master. Unless you want that to happen, I suggest you get busy.”