N I K O L A I

Moscow, Russia

Keira was hiding more than what I could've initially anticipated, maybe it was the love still simmering in my veins that I kept giving her the benefit of the doubt, but if the events of the day had taught me one thing—it was that Keira wasn't to be trusted. No matter how much my insides bled for her, I had to neglect the sorrowful screams of my heart to survive because in this world you were either the hunter or the prey, and I couldn't afford to be double-crossed by her all over again.

I was tired of being a pawn in her debauchery. I wasn't a pawn. I was the cheater, I was the killer, I was the fucking mastermind, and it was about time I started exploiting it. I had to save my empire, and if it meant I had to sacrifice Keira, then so be it. She hadn't batted an eyelash before she sacrificed my love for power, she didn't deserve anything but my hatred. She desired me, and I would be a fool to not want her, I did, my cock hardened just with the thought of her, perhaps I should stop denying my needs. Keira wasn't a woman I could break by force, I'd hurt her, but only when she'd beg for it, and beg she would.

Alexei sat in front of my desk, rubbing his hand on her jaw, still surprised that she shot the sniper so easily. Why would she give up the only source of information she had... unless she'd already heard everything she needed to hear.

"I don't get her, Nikolai, she's fucking you over, but then why would she save you...?" His voice faded in the quietude of the room, and I straightened wondering the same thing.

"Perhaps to earn your trust?" Ivan added, his eyes narrowed as he contemplated. I would agree with him, but I just knew it wasn't that. Keira needed me for something, I just had to figure out what.

"No," I forced myself out of my thoughts, "She needs my forces. And I need to find out what she needs it for. It is deeper than what I'd imagined, it has something to do with her parents. What happened to the founders?" I arched my brow at Ivan, knowing he'd have this information for me, or he'd get it for me.

"Do you think it's related to them?"

"I know it is. It has something to do with the twins' father, and Ivan I need you to dig up all the pages of the fucking Pentagon's history. I need to know every little detail, dig up all the skeletons, I need them laid open on my table so I can bury this generation of the Pentagon for good this time." For the first time I had a lead, and this time I would throw Keira's secrets in her face, and watch her walls finally crumble as they'd take her down with them.

"You haven't lost your touch after all," Alexei breathed out, his eyes narrowed at me if only he knew I wasn't fucking Keira. Not yet anyway. She was tied to me by something much worse. Something sacred that turned sinister because of her lies. She tainted our vows, and now I would do the same to her.

"What do you mean?" Ivan probed, he didn't know anything about Alexei's assumptions yet, but he soon would. Alexei and Ivan took more liberties than most of my men and that was because I considered them my brothers, and I knew their loyalty was mine.

"He's fucking her," Alexei turned his head my way, his lips curling in distaste.

"She seems too smart to come to your bed without any ulterior motive, Nikolai," Ivan noted, as always being the voice of reason.

"I know, and I haven't forgotten that she's a snake, but all venoms have antidotes, and I know one for her kind." It was me. It would always be me. I knew that because despite all of her lies, all of the ways she broke me she did it in the name of love, and while I loathed her for it, it was also my leverage over her.

"What are you planning?" Alexei finally caught up, his thoughts turning in his head.

"You'll see..." I said smirking, knowing now wasn't the time to tell them about my twisted history with my sworn enemy. "Alexei I need her watched every second of every day, and I need it reported back to me."

I might know that she wanted me, and she'd give in as soon as I asked for her body, but I didn't know her next move, and I wouldn't make the first move. I'd sit and wait this time, and catch her in the web of her own lies.

I asked Ivan about how long it would take for the information, and after he gave me an answer I dismissed them, but Alexei lingered, "Nik, I know you're playing a game, but be careful, all players get played. It's nature's law, remember that." He didn't wait for my response, and left soon after, leaving me to my murderous thoughts. I needed my piano, I had to get this sinister symphony out of me, but playing would remind me of her. Of all the times I played for her, fucked her on it, and marked her as mine. She'd snatched everything from me, I wouldn't let her destroy the memory of the woman I loved, but in the back of my mind, I knew she already had.

It was ironic how I'd spent the last eight years wishing she was alive, that I'd just see her one last time, but now that I did she shattered what was left of my cold heart.

***

Two days was a long time to sit in silence, but I waited like the perfect puppeteer, I waited for the moment to strike, but my patience was wearing thin, and fingers itching to touch her again, to feel her traitorous flesh close to mine again. But I didn't realize Keira would be so fast in her pursuit this time. My phone vibrated against my desk, its buzzing instantly irritated me, and I picked it up, bringing it to my ear, unable to help my scowl.

"I wasn't aware your arrangement with Keira allowed her to let other men breaking her in for you." Alexei spat into the phone, and I couldn't help the stiffening of my muscles or the tick in my jaw. Jealousy was the phantom blinding me, I knew that I should ignore my emotions, but fuck, I didn't want to. She was mine.

"It doesn't." I managed to breathe out, "That's why you're on her tail."

"Well then do something about her confidence. Bitch is getting on my nerves. What do you need me to do?"

I knew she attempted to provoke me, and fuck it'd worked. I was claiming her this time all over again, and tonight when I'd fuck her five ways to Sunday, she'll know who the fuck owned her. I was the man who'd sold his soul to the devil, a man who lived for mayhem, who thrived on breaking things. "Where are you?"

"Do you plan on coming here?"

"Cut it out, Alexei, you called me knowing I'd show up, now I'm hanging up and walking to my car, your fucking coordinates best be here before I start my car." I hung-up, without waiting for his call, and left my office, closing the door behind me with a loud thud. She'd gone too far, and with an ulterior motive, but I didn't care. She might've been the one to start this game, but I'd end it when I finally know what the fuck made The Pentagon fall.

***

Slamming the brakes as I parked my car, I got out, pocketing the key, and moved towards the club building. I could've parked it right in front of the door, and no one would bother me, but a good hunter never made his presence known. The flashing lights weren't the only thing I noticed as soon as I stepped inside from the back. It was the woman who was the bane of my existence. The thorn in my side I forced in deeper every time despite the pain because I didn't want to let her go. I hated how she still loved me, I hated how she'd marked herself on me that even after years I was still chasing her.

Keira wasn't alone, she was with someone, but he was irrelevant. I knew that. Fuck, I knew he was just a pawn in this new game she'd started, one I didn't know the rules of, but that was never the problem for me. Clenching my jaw, I walked towards her calmly, knowing that she'd seen me, knowing that she wanted my eyes on hers, but I kept them trained on her boy toy's back. Reaching them, I held her arm and pulled her to my side. The other man's eyes widened, and he took a step towards me, but I knew all these power-plays by heart.

I narrowed my eyes at him as he stood toe-to-toe with me. "Who do you think you are to pull someone like that?" He spat in Russian, and I shook my head in boredom.

"Someone you don't want to cross. Someone whose property you were touching."

"She isn't your fucking property, cunt." I was quite amused to see he had balls, but it wasn't why I was here. I had business to deal with.

"Sure. She is still going to go with me, so make yourself scarce." Not bothering with his response after that I turned around to face Keira who was looking at me for a reaction, well she wasn't in luck because she wouldn't be getting one. Spending eight years listening to yourself developed the skill to control your reactions. Planning to show the motherfucker that she was going to follow me like the sea did the sky, I tilted my head and started walking towards my office in the club.

Another reason she had something planned? She was in my club, making it very easy to sniff her out. Little wolf was planning something, and knowing her avaricious streak, she was after something. I closed the door behind us as soon as we entered.

"What is it, little wolf? Is it attention you're after?" I arched my brow, suppressing my groan as she moved her tongue over her lips, and I realized I brought her here so perhaps it was time to show her that she was my little puppet. I'd pull her strings, and she would move, all in the name of love. A love that she broke and killed because it didn't allow her to have power. "Bend over the desk, little wolf."

Her eyes widen in confusion, but this time she didn't manage to school, her features, "What do you mean?"

"It means what I said. Lift your dress, bend over and I'll give you all the fucking attention you're after." I unbuttoned my jacket, pulling it off my shoulders, draping it over the chair, all while I watched her bite her lip, pretending to be unaffected by her.

"What do you want from me?"

"It isn't about what I want, is it?" I asked, raising my brow as I worked on unbuttoning the first few buttons of my shirt, "Now I think I told you to lift your dress and bend the fuck over, or I need to do it for you? It will not be pleasant if I do it." I warned, and she turned her head, staring at my lips.

"What are you trying to prove, Niko?"

I chuckled at that, she still thought it was about my emotions. It was, deep inside I knew that, but it was also about her. "Were you not here trying to provoke me?" I took a step towards her, just as she took one back, "Weren't you dancing—rather grinding against other men so I would take notice of you?" I moved one more step, and she gulped, instinctively taking one back. "Isn't that what you wanted?" This time her back collided against my desk, stilling her movements, and I reached her in two brief steps, "For me to fuck you?" I leaned down and touched my lips to her neck, breathing on her flesh, but never kissing her. "Answer. Me."

I could hear her silence, and it was music to my ears, but my need for her was driving me crazy, and I needed to know if I hadn't read it all wrong because despite everything I wouldn't take her against her will. That was beneath me, I was a monster, but even monsters had lines they drew to keep themselves in check. This was my line, and I'd die before I'd ever cross it.

"I came here for a nice night."

I clenched my jaw at her words, and clutched her jaw, tilting her head to meet my eyes. "I need the truth, little wolf, and if I sniff lies on you again, I will throw you out of this building myself." Keira closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as I tried to calm myself down.

"Yes, I came here for you. I wanted to see if you still burn for me. I needed you to want me." She opened her eyes, a little vulnerable, and my heart clenched, it was a shame I was only going to exploit her vulnerability.

"Ashes don't burn, little wolf. Nor do dead men feel things, but I do want you, just as you want me." I spun her around, unable to look at the face of the woman I once loved. I swiped my arm over my desk to clear it, uncaring where the papers flew and pushed her down over it.

"Just answer this." She whispered, looking back at me as desire pooled in her eyes, "Do you still hate me?"

"I'll hate you for as long as I live, little wolf." Holding her gaze, I pushed the skirt of her dress up to her waist, and her panties down over her hips. She leaned into my touch as tears shone in her eyes.

"What can I do so you won't hate me so much?" I tried to ignore the pain in her words, and captured her wrists, holding both of them in my palm at her lower back as I unbuckled my belt with the other hand, still looking for an answer to her question just so she'd feel how much touching her killed me, but what I'd never tell her was that touching her also revived me. She was my vice, she always had been, and this time even I was afraid of all the ruckus she was bringing to the surface.

"Can you give me back the last eight years of my life?" I gritted out, lining my hardened cock at her entrance. My brain might hate her, but my heart and cock didn't, it was a good thing I'd stopped thinking with them ages ago.

"I­—" Before she could say anything else, I thrust my length inside her, and when she moaned, I couldn't stop my groans.

"Fuck," I groaned again when her walls tightened around me, gripping my cock like a vice.

"Niko, I never wanted to leave you behind..." Her voice died when another moan fell out of her lips, and I pulled back, driving back inside her harder this time, not wanting to hear her confessions. The air was heavier around me, and it wasn't because of pleasure, being close to her like this in years wasn't different, my body remembered her just as my heart did, and when her smell crowded me, I forgot all the reasons for why I hated her.

Yet, in the back of my head, I remembered this was more about breaking her than allowing her to ruin me all over again, "Don't worry, little wolf, you don't have to lie. I'll make you come even when I know you don't fucking deserve it."

"I didn't mean that..." She whispered, her green eyes pleading with my cold ones, but I didn't want to hear it anymore, so this time when I slammed inside her again, I slipped my free hand between her legs, moving my fingers against her swollen clit. This time when she moaned, her back arching against my drip, I lost it and fucked her harder, the sounds of our bodies colliding filled the room.

"After I fuck this tight little cunt you will tell me why the fuck you came here tonight, and if you lie, remember my men are on your brother, the very brother who boarded a plane to Latvia just an hour ago."

"You wouldn't."

Leaning down, I took her cheek between my teeth, tasting my sweat that'd dripped on her face when I lowered my face. Moving towards the shell of her ear, I trace it with my tongue, "Wouldn't I?"

"No." She said it too much conviction that I couldn't say anything more, so I hated her a little more for driving me into silence, and pinched her clit, eliciting another moan from her as I pulled out, slamming inside her harder this time, pushing her hipbones into the table. I didn't want to come, perhaps I needed to keep that piece of me intact, but as my balls tightened I knew I couldn't hold onto that anymore, and why should I be the one to punish myself. I was going to explode, and I was doing it with her.

"I need you to come on my dick, little wolf," I moved my finger faster against her clit, all while holding onto my simmering control, and when she finally exploded around me, her moans echoing around the walls of the room, I was unable to hold on, and I pulled out, spilling all over her ass-cheeks, closing my eyes as a euphoria I hadn't felt in years overtook me and for a second I allowed myself to get lost in it because when the high would wash off, I'd need her to answer me, and I wouldn't be able to do that if she saw the unhinged desire on my face. If she knew how much I wanted her, she would have the game, and this time I couldn't allow that. When I finally opened my eyes, I realized that she was watching me, panting, and the look inside hers wasn't much different from mine, except she wasn't shy to show her love, but I would never let that part of me fly again. I knew I had to move away from her, but I didn't. I couldn't. Instead, I turned her around, still caging her in my arms, staring at her lips, "You are poison," I whispered more to myself than her, but still I kissed her ruthlessly, I kissed her to make her bleed like my insides were bleeding. I kissed her to make her feel the violence she evoked inside me. I kissed her because after eight long years of longing to hold her every day, I gave up to the demands of my lonely heart for. "But you keep on giving me yours, and I'll give you mine, maybe then we can fucking survive." I kissed her again, and she let me lead even though I knew Keira always liked fighting me for it, but tonight she was being submissive, and I didn't want to think about why she was giving me that because if I'd go down that road, I'd fall again, and I couldn't do that.

"We won't survive, Niko, this time we'll meet halfway," She whispered in between kissed as I entered my tongue inside her mouth, and devoured her, breathing her in so I could live for a few hours without feeling like my world was crumbling down. I fisted her hair, pulling her up, and she wrapped her legs around my waist, tugging at my hair, trying to unbutton the rest of my shirt with her other hand.

Her nails scraped against my chest, and the little sting was enough to bring me back to reality. Our reality. We were two dead people trying to revive the burned flames of a love that was torched by lies, and secrets, and that alone doomed us to failure. Ripping my lips away from her, I pushed her off me, settling her on her feet. "What?"

"Time to tell me the real reason you are here Keira and don't think that just because I fucked you I'd spare your brother." She scowled, her lips curling in anger.

"You're an asshole."

"I know, now tell me a secret, and this time itbetter be the truth."

♤ ♡ ◇ ♧

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I honestly love writing about Nikolai and Keira and I hope you love them too even though they can be very stubborn at times😭 So hit me with your theories!! And the next chapter will be in Kyzer's pov, I'm so excited for that one! Also if you're a silent reader, please vote and comment I'd love to know what you think!