Keira woke up restless. She tried to go back to sleep, but unfamiliar energy coursed through her, demanding she get out of bed and do something. She started by peeling off her clothes. They weren’t the ones she’d worn to Romanov’s—or ones that she’d packed—and she had no memory getting dressed in the first place. Did that goddamn Russian do it?
She wasn’t sure what bothered her more—that he’d seen her naked or that he had seen her when she was defenseless.
Needing some armor back in place, she wandered into the bathroom. It was as big as some people’s bedrooms, with a tiled walk-in shower and double sinks with a counter large enough to sleep on. The dark gray coloring was accented with deep red, and brought the word decadent to mind.
A second doorway led to a large walk-in closet filled with clothing. She rifled through it, her eyebrows inching up. All in her size, down to the shoes lined up like little soldiers in their cubbies. High-handed Russian. That was his MO, though, so she wasn’t exactly surprised. Dmitri Romanov was god of the world he moved in, and he didn’t hesitate to bend people to his will to suit his purposes.
He wouldn’t find her nearly as bendable as the others in his life.
Keira considered dolling herself up, but he’d see right through the ploy. Dmitri had home-court advantage, and he would use it without mercy. Her only chance to get one up on him was to act against expectations and use his surprise for her gain. She didn’t know what she wanted yet, but she wasn’t going to roll over and play Stepford wife just because she’d said yes at the altar.
If Dmitri had given her half a chance, she would have given him a chance.
Instead, he pulled high-handed shit that was right in line with her brother, and then locked her in a room for…God, she didn’t even know how long it had been. Long enough for her to lose her damn mind and sweat out every single drop of alcohol and whiff of weed in her system. Another choice she might have considered making on her own but that he’d taken from her hands.
He’d pay for that, the same way he’d pay for the threat he’d leveled to draw her out of her home and into that goddamn chapel.
She took what was supposed to be a quick shower…right up until she realized how gross she felt. Both the shampoo and soap were expensive and smelled faintly of roses, and the water pressure eased tension from her shoulders. Giving up all pretense of rushing through it, she soaped herself up several times and then stood under the water, her racing thoughts slowing for the first time since she’d walked out of the O’Malley house and climbed into Dmitri’s car.
Romanov wouldn’t allow open rebellion. He’d expect it, but he wouldn’t be able to let her run rampant unless he wanted to undermine his position—the whole reason he’d married her in the first place. Because of that, he would have guarded against it the same way someone childproofed a house.
The last thing he’d expect was obedience—or at least the appearance of it.
Keira could play the game. She was out of practice, but it wouldn’t take much to slide back into the rhythm of things. The Romanov operations were just another flavor of O’Malley. Dmitri would want kids at some point, but she’d cross that bridge when she came to it. There wasn’t a chance in hell he’d push for that before he secured his power.
In the meantime, Keira would undermine him in every way possible. She wouldn’t step into outright rebellion, but she wasn’t going to make it easy, either. The terms Romanov had laid out were clear enough—as long as Keira was in his home as his wife, he would not pursue war with her family. She might like the idea of everything he loved going down in flames, but she couldn’t risk trying to make it happen without fear that it would blow back on Aiden and the others.
And then her choice would be for nothing.
But that didn’t mean that she had to play nice. She could make Dmitri’s life a living hell. Subtly. She’d be the rock in his shoe, the sliver in his palm, the itch he couldn’t quite scratch. As long as she didn’t cross the line, the worst he could do was punish her. Not Aiden. Not the O’Malleys.
Keira could take anything he doled out, and she’d come back swinging the second she hit the ground. He thought he could buy a wife and that would be the end of it, but she’d been property for too damn long. If he wasn’t going to give her the freedom she desperately needed, then she’d make him suffer until he relented.
If she enjoyed it in the meantime…well, she never pretended she was a nice girl.
She dried her hair and put on enough makeup that she didn’t look like she’d spent the last week on the verge of death, and then got dressed. A pair of jeans and a slouchy tank top that showed a bright red bra with every move completed the look—put together without appearing to try too hard. Chew on that, Romanov.
One last look in the mirror made her pause. Even with the makeup, she looked like shit. Too thin, her cheeks hollowed out, her long hair lackluster, dark roots showing. That was priority number one—get into fighting shape. Charlie had introduced her to Krav Maga, and Keira had every intention of pursuing it going forward. She’d spent too much of her life helpless, and she wasn’t about to go back to feeling like that.
The rest? It would fall into place as time went on.
But first, she had to go face the dragon and lay some ground rules.
* * *
Dmitri heard someone enter his office, but he didn’t look up from the tally of numbers before him. Whoever it was wasn’t a threat—Mikhail wouldn’t have allowed them in if they were—and it wasn’t good form to drop everything to address interruptions. He wrote down the total and capped the pen. Only then did he look up.
Keira.
She padded across the thick gray carpet and slouched into one of the chairs across the desk from him, every inch a queen despite being dressed casually. Her bare foot swung, drawing his attention. The image of a barefoot Keira wandering his home filled him with a possessive feeling that he didn’t know what to do with. “You’re awake.”
“I want to renegotiate the terms.”
Surprise flared, though he fought to keep it off his face. “We didn’t negotiate to begin with.”
“Yes, we did. Peace in exchange for me.” She straightened in the chair, bringing both feet to the floor. “I want an addendum.”
What could she possibly want that she didn’t already have? Granted, he hadn’t taken the time to walk her through her new life, but judging from the clothing she wore, she’d found the closet he’d had outfitted for her. Dmitri leaned back. “There’s an account already set up in your name. I have access to the information, but it’s yours alone. There will be money deposited on the first of every month to do with as you will.” He found himself curious as to what she’d buy when her every other need was taken care of. It would tell him a lot about the woman, and he craved the knowledge.
Her expression didn’t give an inch. “I expect nothing less.”
Brazen. So damn brazen. He shouldn’t like her arrogance, but he was drawn to it all the same. “Outline your addendum.”
“I want access to a local Krav Maga gym.”
“Consider it done—though one of my men will accompany you to and from, and I’ll choose a gym that is trustworthy.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
That had been easy enough. He’d even expected it, though not so quickly. She’d spent time at a gym in Boston with Charlie Finch, and from all the information he had gathered, she’d enjoyed it immensely. It would keep her busy and content, which was his intent. He picked up his pen. “If that’s all—”
“It’s not.” Keira crossed her legs and leaned forward, the move making her shirt slide down and revealing a lacy red bra that exposed as much as it covered. Dmitri got one breathtaking glimpse of her nipple through the lace before she sat back, shielded once more. A long look at her face revealed no manipulative intent, but she’d shown herself to be just as good as he was at masking her emotions.
He waited.
She stroked a finger along the seam of the chair arm. “You’ll want heirs.”
Dmitri froze. He hadn’t outlined the need for children specifically during their previous conversations, but it was something that would be required of her…eventually. Never in a million years had he thought she’d broach the conversation herself. “Yes.”
“You’ll have them.” She lifted her gaze, her hazel eyes cold. “But you’ll have them when I say so. We aren’t having sex until I choose it.”
“I am not going to force you to have sex with me, Keira.” The fact that she seemed to think he would…
She waved that away. “No shit. You’re a monster, but you’re not a total piece of shit.” She met his gaze again. “But let’s not fuck around—it’s going to happen one way or another. You know it. I know it. You set your mind on seducing me, and I might not topple like a domino, but I’d be fighting both myself and you to hold out.”
He bit back his first response and considered her. It was no secret that she wanted him. They’d had several near misses over the last year, though he had been the one putting on the brakes at the time. With Dr. Jones’s warning about her emotions ringing through his head, he hadn’t planned on broaching that subject for at least another week or so. To have Keira state it so baldly intrigued him. He leaned forward. “You want me.”
“I’m not going to say it twice.” She shook her head. “My point—my addendum—is that you will not try to sway me to sex. When I decide it’s time, I’ll let you know in no uncertain terms.”
That surprised a laugh out of him. “No.”
“What the hell do you mean, no?”
He leaned forward and laced his hands on the desk. “No. Nyet. Whatever language you prefer. As you said, I want you, you want me. I will not force you, but we both know I won’t have to.”
“Arrogant prick.”
Dmitri nodded. “Without a doubt.” It wasn’t arrogance if it was the truth. And it was the truth.
But it was also the truth that Keira craved some kind of control. He could respect that, even if he refused to budge on certain things. They would be consummating the marriage sooner rather than later, but he said he wasn’t going to force her, and he wouldn’t. “You may choose when we have sex, but I plan to seduce at will.”
She blinked. “Seduce at will. You seriously just said that.”
“Da. Because it’s the truth.” He took in her appearance again. She was a long way from healthy, but he would have her by the time of the wedding reception in a few weeks. “We will have dinner tonight.”
“No.”
“We will have dinner tonight,” he repeated. “There are things in play that you need to be aware of, and I will not chase you around the house to inform you as they develop.” He liked the thought of chasing her entirely too much, so Dmitri set it aside. “Seven.”
“I’m not a dog you can just call when it suits you.” She seemed to struggle with something, and her chin dipped. “But I’ll think about it.”
Curiosity grew, digging its claws in deep. She relented, but not because he’d won. Keira wasn’t shaking in fear anymore, but she hadn’t bounced back to the fierce woman she’d been before. There was something different about her, as if she’d reached a point where, forced to either bend or break, she’d bent. It changed the shape of things, but he was at a loss as to what to expect from her. “If you attempt something violent, it won’t go well for you.”
“Aww, Russian, I’d almost think you were scared.” She popped to her feet and gave him a mock curtsy.
He watched her walk away. Too many skipped meals, her curves whittled down to barely nothing, her body showing the wear of the abuse she’d forced on it. And yet…
And yet.
Keira was beautiful. There was no two ways around that truth. Aiden might not have been taking proper care of her, but if Keira were allowed to grow and flower, Dmitri couldn’t begin to guess what she’d become. A force to be reckoned with, that much was sure.
Mikhail stepped into the room, but didn’t shut the door. “Better to put her in her place now than to indulge this.” He spoke in Russian, as was their custom. To Dmitri’s knowledge, Keira didn’t know the language, but he’d need to ensure that was the truth before speaking it in her presence.
“If I wanted your opinion, I’d ask for it.”
Mikhail hesitated, but continued. His position as second gave him certain liberties other enforcers didn’t enjoy. One of those included questioning Dmitri—within reason. He cleared his throat. “You might have her cowed, or she might be playing the part to undermine everything you’ve been working for.”
It was possible. Dmitri would be a fool to ignore it as an option, no matter how unlikely. Aiden was a more formidable opponent than Dmitri had expected, so it was possible that he’d orchestrated this…
He shook his head. “Nyet. Aiden O’Malley would never sacrifice his sister like this. Not Keira. Carrigan? Possibly. But not Keira.” The man would do anything for his family. His siblings might not be able to see it because of his methods, but to the outside observer, it was pathetically apparent. It might as well have been a big shiny red button inviting enemies to push it. It was that loyalty that predicted Aiden would come around once again to ally against the Eldridge women. The man was as predictable as he was honorable. No, he wouldn’t try something like this.
But Keira?
Dmitri found he couldn’t conclusively say one way or another what Keira was thinking—or what she would do.