“He goes on the headline roster,” he ordered Kisa. She nodded in agreement.

“Like fuck he does!” Alik boomed out as he faced up to the Pakhan, his torso tight with strain. A nervous hush settled on the gym as Alik fumed on the spot. As quick as a flash, the Pakhan gripped Alik’s face in his hands and pushed him back against the mesh wall of the cage. Alik smashed into the metal, which clinked and groaned at the force of impact.

“You will show me some fucking respect or you will force me to lift my hand and drill it into your skull.” The Pakhan didn’t raise his voice, keeping cool and calm.

I’d always found the silent ones to be the most dangerous opponents.

“Do. You. Understand? This is my cage, my business, and you will fucking learn to obey me.”

Alik nodded and the Pakhan stepped back. He adjusted his coat as if nothing had happened, his blue eyes fixed on me.

“Get down here,” he demanded.

I pushed open the cage’s steel door and walked over to him. His eyes assessed my every step until I stood before him, head dropped low. The Pakhan circled me, his hands testing my muscles like I was a slab of meat, and he nodded his approval.

“I liked what I saw in the cage. You’ll headline, and you’ll make me a lot of money.” He turned to three huge men who surrounded him, but not before he bent down to kiss Kisa. “We’ll speak later.”

“Yes, Papa,” she said obediently. He then shot a dark look at Durov, who had yet to move from his position by the cage.

Within seconds, the Pakhan swept out of the gym, and Yiv shouted for everyone to get back to training. But I could smell Kisa again, her sweet scent filling my nose and hardening my dick. She hadn’t moved either, her blue eyes watching mine. I could feel their heat. Her heat. Her pull on me. I flickered my eyes to her for just a second.

“Don’t you fucking look at her again or I’ll carve out your eyes from your skull!” Durov threatened as he brushed past me.

Durov stopped at Kisa’s side and gripped her neck, Kisa crying out at his move. Every cord of muscle stiffened as he wrenched her to his chest, twisting her hair and jerking her head back as he took her mouth in his, tears of fear dropping from her eyes.

An image of a young girl being held down, crying, wandered through my mind, and a boy throwing a punch at another, protecting her, followed, but it evaporated when Alik pulled back from Kisa’s mouth and he dragged her to the office by her hair, Kisa apologizing to him every step of the way until the office door shut.

My stomach clenched as a jealous rage took hold. I had to use all of my willpower not to storm into the office and rip Durov off Kisa’s lips. Unable to take my stare off the office door, I heard Kisa shout out as she was slammed against the glass window, the blinds parting enough to see Durov ripping down his shorts, him licking the palm of his hand, cupping between her legs. As Durov’s eyes met mine, a crazed possession shone, and he rammed his cock into Kisa, gripping her cheeks, just like the Pakhan had done to him.

I handled the venomous hate, which infused my body, but only just. Something within me snapped. The image of the young kid punching another began to feel all too real. I stepped forward, intending to rip off Durov’s fucking head, when a hand landed on my arm and stopped me in my tracks.

Looking up from the stubby fingers wrapped around my wrist, I saw Viktor’s scared face looking at me.

Wrenching his hand from my skin, I shoved him back until he stumbled. I towered over him and ordered, “Don’t ever fucking touch me again!”

Viktor held out his palms in submission and, shifting from foot to foot, nervously signaled for me to follow him into our private training room. Without casting a glance back at the office, I followed Viktor, pacing the space of the training room as he closed the door.

“I’m going to tell you something important before you get yourself killed. Alik Durov is the heir to the Bratva, and Kisa Volkova is his fiancée, the only daughter of the Pakhan.”

Viktor’s words only stoked my rage. Durov owned Kisa. She was his. I didn’t like hearing that. Fuck, I felt murdering crazy on hearing that fact.

I wanted her. I had no reason to, had no idea who the woman was, why I was drawn to her… why she was fucking up my training, but I wanted her.

I wanted Durov’s cock out of her with a fierce intensity. I was fucking beyond insane at the thought, the brief glimpse, of that cunt fucking her. Her ass belonged to me; there could be no other explanation. Her sweet scent, her beautiful face… her blue eyes called for me to protect her.