"This must be the second time you're taking a shower now, Brother" Nikolai snickers at me from where he sat on my bed where Davinia had been two hours ago, sprawled on my bed with a skin so red one would miss it for a strawberry. Just thinking about it makes blood rush to my lower region. Not again.

I rub my wet hair dry with a towel before throwing it to his face. He catches it with a smug smile on his face. "I've never seen you this sexually......."he swirls his right hand in the hair like he's thinking deep of the word to complete his sentence." Frustrated" he ends dramatically, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

"I don't have time for this. What do you want?" I snap at him. He drawls back with his hand on his chest like an heartbroken melodramatic damsel.

"You do not have time for your little brother but you have time for your young beautiful wife to be that you are unfortunately infatuated with." He says in fake distress. I ignore him as I move towards the balcony. The cold wind jolts me awake and my body relaxes. My eyes skim over the land below me. Turns out the garden isn't only beautiful at night.

" What is it you've come to say brother? "

" Do you plan on taking over the Italian mafia?"

"No"

"okay" "wait, what?"

"The Russian will become one with the Italian. We'll have each other's back" I mutter slowly allowing my words to sink in his fickle brain. I hear his footsteps pad across the room.

"You know that's not possible right? We don't allow women to lead our business, remember?" He comes to stand beside me and I can feel the heat from his burning gaze.

"She has been leading her mafia to the top for years now. She's as capable as a male Don besides we'll both be making decisions for both mafias. Do not worry yourself about that brother" I throw him a side glance before returning it to the view below.

"She can do all that behind the scenes. Having a woman lead is dangerous and it makes us look weak" he argues.

I laugh dryly. The Russian mafia wasn't just built on trust and loyalty. Lives and blood were sacrificed, even those that are innocent had to go along the cause. I can still hear screams and curses when I lay in bed at night. My empire leaves no room for weakness and disorder. I could make a pig rule the mafia and no one would dare question or make a move against it. That's how much fear I've inputted into those that are weak and those that aren't know wiser than to be my enemies.

"This shouldn't worry you brother, We'll become stronger than possible. Anyone who has an objection to my rule or hers will pay with two lives" I mutter dryly unconsciously sniffing in the breath of absent chaos and blood of those who'd cross me.

"Can we trust her? She's lethal and fast but it's all trash if she can't be trusted" He adds absentmindely. I blow out a huge breath. The luchesse are what I call the calm before the storm, just like the Russian mafia they don't bark.... They bite. Only a fool would go in war blindly with them. I didn't object against father's proposal when he brought it cause I already knew at first hand the kind of lady Davinia is but knowing her up close makes me believe there is a lot about her and I've never been so curious to unravel a mystery like her before. I feel my lips curl up to a small smile.

"You need to get laid. You're thinking about her again aren't you? You better call Kate before your wedding day" He stupidly suggest before slowing stepping away from me. A good choice really cause I'm a pinch close to breaking his nose but instead I send him a death glare.

"Just saying" he raises his hands and shrugs, stepping further away from me, away from the balcony.

"Get lost"

"I know you're gonna take another shower. I don't blame you tho, She's one hell of a woman. The shape of her—" I move to beat the shit out of him but he dashes out of the balcony and out of my room.

His such a pain in the ass.... Most time and when he's not a pain in the ass, he's a headache. How dare he talk about her shape. Only I get to talk about that. No, I don't want to think about Davinia's body or I will have to take a shower again..

I want her. I hate that I want her but I do. I want her in my bed naked, hands tied above her head, eyes rolled to the back of her head as I fuck her senseless. I've never been a sweet lover. I fuck like an animal, it took Katarina months to get adjusted to my way of fucking. Our love didn't just happen, she hated me like everyone else but as time grew she began to shed the layers covering my heart and we became lovers.

I wasn't taught how to love. I'm sure my mum would love to sit me down and teach me class  "How to love and care 101" if she could but she never had the time. She was never able to. It was already too late. I was far from redemption and when I thought I had found my redemption, my Katarina..... She was taken from me and once again, I welcome my friends, darkness and misery.

All I did was take but when Katarina and I happened, I began to give. Now she's gone, all I do now is take and destroy. I see what I want and I get it but in the long run I destroy it.

My hands fist my by sides. Will she be able to handle it? My past and demons, the bitter truth of who I am. She's only seen the gentle side of me that I didn't even know I possessed but what will happen when she sees the real me.

The D'yavol that takes and destroy.