Chapter Three
Eve spotted Vadim’s shirt on the floor near the door, plucked it up, and pulled it on. She didn’t risk looking back, terrified he’d be on her heels, and could easily yank her back inside. Or worse, chain her to the bed. Barefoot, she ran out the door, down the stairs.
Wood everywhere, she noticed, from flooring to the walls. Like upstairs, simple furniture graced the space. A bear rug lay in front of a fireplace, hunting trophies on the walls.
No.
A nagging suspicion formed in her mind as to where he’d taken her, but she refused to believe it. Eve approached the front door, opened it, expecting the worst—a dirt lane with Vadim’s truck and beyond that, a grove of thick trees that seemed to go on for miles. Where had he taken her?
The tinkling sound of metal made her turn her back.
“You looking for this?” Vadim dangled the truck key in one finger, joined by other keys.
Snatching it would be laughable. Vadim was bigger than she was, a thousand times more lethal.
“Where are we?”
If she kept him talking, he might lower his guard and eventually make a mistake. Eve would swoop in for the kill, take those keys. She might throw in a punch or two, but he’d overpower her in an instant. Not only was he bigger in terms of mass but he’d honed his body to a weapon for years.
“Thousands of miles from the city. I own this parcel of land, but no one will search for us here. I’ve made the necessary arrangements to ensure our privacy and security. That’s all you need to know.” Vadim tossed the keys on the ground between them.
Eve hesitated. “What sort of trick is this?”
First, he told her he didn’t plan on letting her go, but now he offered the keys to his truck?
“No trick, but be aware of the consequences of your actions, princess. Gustav’s men recognize you, and his influence extends to other places.”
Recalling the men who’d held her down and called her names, she shuddered, wrapping her arms around her body. Eve didn’t make a move towards the key at her feet.
“I have no money, or anyone to turn to.” Defeat tasted like bitter ashes in her mouth. She’d grown up understanding the daughter of a mafia boss didn’t have any friends, only allies who’d shift alliances when a better deal came along.
“You have me, and I’ll always stand by you.”
Vadim locked gazes with her, a silent dare in his eyes.
Eve found her voice. “Why would I want a monster by my side?”
Vadim growled, the sound making the hair over her arms rise. She remembered thinking he was similar to a sleek and beautiful predator, standing by the balcony, but nonetheless, a predator capable of snapping her neck in an instant.
Some part of her mind recognized he’d never hurt her though, although she didn’t know where the idea came from.
Better to have a killer by her side than no one, a new voice in her head said. Would it truly be so bad, to be wanted by the only man who truly saw her? Never once did he make fun of her during that wedding, treated a silly, naive girl like an equal.
“No games between us, Eve. You want me as much as I want you.”
A simple statement but she didn’t deny it at all. Meeting Vadim had altered her. Her mother thought maybe men didn’t interest her, but that was untrue. Eve only held a torch for one man, and any other guy who came after her didn’t measure up to Vadim. Besides, all of those suitors had been the same, only wanting her family name. That name now meant nothing, but Vadim’s desire and her own remained.
Vadim’s expression didn’t change, not once, until now. With open hunger on his face, he eyed her up and down, like a starving man denied food for so long. Her nipples contracted, and despite the loose shirt, Vadim could no doubt, see them. Heat pooled between her legs, moisture gathering between her pussy lips.
Her mouth went dry, and she was ashamed of her reaction.
“I—it doesn’t matter.”
Vadim closed the distance between them, and Eve froze up, the car key, the only means of getting away, forgotten. She didn’t stop him from cupping her cheek. He slid a hand up the curve of her back, nudged her close, and the contact of her heavy breasts being crushed by his hard chest made her gasp.
Like the time he’d asked her to dance, she liked it when he fisted her hair, angling her face for a kiss. Ever since she woke up to find herself in the unfamiliar bed of a stranger, Eve plenty of opportunities to start brainstorming how to get away. It wasn’t escape she craved, she realized, but solace in the arms of a man who helped put her family members in the grave, but for some reason, he’d saved her from a fate worse than death.
Guilt bloomed inside her like a poisoned flower, but he obliterated her ability to formulate logical thoughts when he took her mouth. He slammed his lips over hers, all bite and no finesse, but she didn’t mind. As if she’d been starved for his touches and kisses, born to receive them, she responded with equal passion.
Years of sexual frustration, of wondering what had been wrong with her to want a man like Vadim, dissipated. He gave her hair a little tug, and she realized she liked that bit of pain. Their tongues tangled, teeth clashed. Vadim bared her throat and licked her pulse point, making her shudder. He grazed his teeth where shoulder flowed to neck, then bit, making her groan.
Her breasts felt full, nipples hardening to points, and Eve didn't stop him from sliding one callused hand past the hem of her shirt. His touch burned, but she craved the heat he provided. Vadim thumbed her left nipple, gave it a twist, a tug. She gasped, widening her eyes as he did the same with her right nipple.
“Mine,” he whispered against her ear, breath warm. “All mine.”
Vadim said those words like a man confident of his possession. Eve didn’t voice her complaint, for she’d known the truth in her bones ever since they met at her sister’s wedding. Her guilty conscience seemed like a small thing now. Irrelevant.
He thrust his tongue down her throat, and she sucked down on it, aware of the bulge in his jeans, digging against the thin fabric of her shirt. Their clothes had to go. To her frustration, he pulled away, and she blinked in confusion when he extended a hand towards her.
“Come back inside, princess. We’ll make breakfast together. If you have more questions, ask.”
She glanced at the key on the ground again, and stooped down to pick it up, aware Vadim watched her every move. He stood still as a statue, clenching his jaw. Eve handed the key back to him.
****
Relieved she hadn’t attempted escape, Vadim closed his fingers over her small gift of trust, one he’d never abuse. Once he tucked the key away in his back pocket, he offered her his hand again. Her fingers closed over his, and he led them back inside.
Eve remained silent, even when they prepared breakfast together. Three days ago, Vadim had bought enough supplies from the nearest town, enough for the two of them to last a month.
She winced when he took out the slightly burnt bacon with a spatula and nudged him aside. “Let me, you’ll waste good quality bacon.”
Bemused, he handed her the spatula.
“Sit, I’ll do the rest. If I need something, I’ll ask.”
“Am I your little assistant chef then?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Do you even know how to handle a frying pan?”
“I usually order in when I come home.”
“How do you even muster up an appetite after killing some poor innocent bastard?”
She squeaked when he approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her. Eve didn’t resist him, although if she showed any indication of refusal, Vadim would instantly back off. Contrary to the rumors surrounding him, Vadim wasn’t unnecessarily cruel and didn’t force himself on the unwilling.
Ironic, given he’d tossed out part of his conscience a long time ago to be a more effective killer, but he had some standards.
“None of the fuckers I’ve killed were innocent. Don’t cast your judgmental eyes on me, princess. You of all people know what people like me and your father are capable of.”
Vadim didn’t lie. Maybe when he’d been younger, still under the influence of his father, he didn’t have the luxury of picking his targets. After his father died, he made his own decisions. He might not be a decent man, but there were always worse than he was, those who deemed themselves untouchable by the law.
Eve slumped her shoulders, the collar of his shirt slipping to one side. He nibbled on the bit of exposed flesh, dick straining hard against the zipper of his jeans. Such a small gesture, but he could no longer contain the hunger that had built inside him ever since their paths crossed.
“Sweet.”
“What?”
“You taste sweet, and I can’t wait to have more.”
Eve scoffed, and he raised his head, nuzzling her neck. Vadim couldn’t stop touching her, wanted so much more, but knew at this stage, their relationship—if it could even be called that—was too delicate. Any wrong move or word could send Eve retreating to one corner.
“Weren’t you the one who pulled away from the kiss? Why? Found me disappointing?”
“The exact opposite. Better than I imagined, but you’re not ready.”
Like a good little boy, Vadim took a seat at the dining table like she initially instructed. Eve painted a pretty picture by the stove, dressed in one of his shirts, barefoot and focused on the task of making them decent breakfast. A wave of possessiveness filled him, took root in him. Whoever touched her, ruined this perfect moment, he’d gut without remorse.
Never in Vadim’s imagination had he seen himself longing for a seemingly deceptive domestic arrangement, but fuck him. He wanted to wake up every morning with her soft curves pressed against him, his cock buried deep inside her cunt. The night before, he’d fill both her holes with his seed, like a dog marking his territory.
As if sensing he harbored dirty thoughts, Eve cast him a suspicious look from the kitchen.
Vadim smiled, which seemed to unnerve her. He checked his phone instead and discovered Gustav had contacted him, discreetly inquiring about how he was enjoying the payment. He typed a quick response, which cut him to his soul, but it was necessary to maintain the lie. No one would trace his connection to Eve. Neither would anyone come to the conclusion she meant the world to him.
Vadim: I’ve used the bitch up and discarded her. Do you need to see the remains?
Vadim sent Gustav a photo of old gravesite he dug up weeks ago at another job.
Gustav: Let me know when you’re done with your holiday. I could use a good man like you again.
Semi-retired. That was the word he’d tossed around in different circles before taking on Gustav’s job. Vadim walked over to the desk by the wall, opened the drawer, and took out the thick binder containing information about his plans.
Moments later, Eve placed two plates on the table, containing perfectly good eggs and bacon. She looked at the binder.
“What’s this?”
“Later, after we eat.”
She frowned, but didn’t ask again.
“Don’t worry,” she commented when he scooped up a generous portion of eggs. “I didn’t poison your food.”
He ate the eggs. Flavor exploded in his mouth. “It’s good.”
“Cooking is kind of a stress release for me. I can’t be like Clarissa. I wasn’t good for anything other than being a bargaining chip, but no one complained when I made breakfast on Sundays.”
He snarled at that, making her jump. Vadim had always known her family belittled her, treated Eve and her sister differently. It pissed him off why her own flesh and blood couldn’t see what he did—a fucking gorgeous woman with steel in her backbone and a will of unbreakable iron. Who else could sit down with her captor for breakfast?
Oh, he knew he hadn’t won her completely yet. Eve was probably concocting plans in her head, better ways to escape him, but he wouldn’t allow that to happen. Vadim didn’t need to use physical restraints to chain her down. He had a better weapon in mind, one that involved a lot of physical contact. Once he owned her body, her heart wouldn’t be far behind.