He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t comment. After a moment, he draws me in closer to his body.
Boris fortunately leaves Mila alone after Vik stands guard in front of her, but then he sets his sights on me and walks over. “Mikhail, nice to see you again.” They shake hands.
“Is it, Boris?” Mikhail asks. “Because the last time we saw each other, you were kidnapping Sofiya, and I had to stop you.”
He waves a dismissive hand. “Semantics. That’s all in the past now. I have just come here to collect Mila and will be going back to New York.”
“You see, Boris, Mila and Viktoriya will be staying in Moscow for the time being. Here. With Sofiya and me. So, you will not be able to marry her, I’m afraid.”
Boris’s lips turn into a sneer until he smooths out his features. “Well, Mila and I can just get married here. If I’m not mistaken, you and Sofiya married in Moscow.”
“We did. But you are not marrying Mila, Boris.” Mikhail’s hand tenses on my waist. “Sofiya’s sisters are off-limits now.”
“But you can’t! I have a right to them. Denis Morozova himself gave me that right.”
Mikhail shrugs. “Well, Denis Morozova is dead.” I flinch at his blunt statement. My father is dead, and so is my mother, and I’m reminded of how much I miss her again. Would she have been able to protect me from everything? Even though my mother was an amazing woman, I doubt it. She was still a woman, after all.
“I have it in writing,” Boris argues.
Mikhail grabs Boris’s shoulder, and judging by his wince, Mikhail is gripping his shoulder tightly. “Writing doesn’t mean anything if the man who wrote it is dead. Sofiya is my wife, and so my protection extends to her sisters as well. Now, you can stay in Moscow if you want. I can’t force you to go. But you will not marry Mila or Viktoriya. Is that understood?”
I stare at my husband, drinking in his strong frame and handsome features. I know he’s only doing this because I agreed to his deal, but he’s still doing it, and that’s what matters. Mikhail will protect us. I trust he’ll keep to his word.
“Is that clear?” Mikhail asks.
Boris glares at him, not saying anything for a tense moment until he nods. “That is clear.”
“Wonderful.” Mikhail pats his shoulder. “Now, be off. I’m done talking with you.”
With a huff, Boris walks away.
“Thank you,” I say.
He doesn’t question why I’m saying it. He just knows. “You’re welcome.”
I wake up the next morning with the knowledge that soon, Mikahil will be taking my virginity in front of a group of people. He wants to do a dom/sub scene before we have sex. Am I ready for it? Not at all.
Am I going to do it? Absolutely.
The safety of my sisters means more to me than anything else. And if I’m being completely honest with myself—I want Mikhail to take me. His touch lights me on fire and consumes me. I want more.
Mikhail is already dressed when I sit up in bed. “Tonight, at eight, I will take you to the club.”
“The … BDSM club?” I whisper.
“Yes. This is not a punishment. Tonight will only be about pleasure. I want to show you more about that part of my life.” He cups my cheek and leans down to kiss my forehead. “Thank you for agreeing to this.”
His words fill me with pride.
“Now, I have work to attend to. Be ready at eight.”
“What should I wear?”
“I’ve picked out an outfit for you.”
After he leaves, I go into the closet and see what he chose. The sight of the dress almost makes me have a heart attack. The dress is light pink, which isn’t a problem. I’ve worn pink many times before. I know Mikhail likes me in it—he finds my innocence attractive.
It’s the style of dress that’s the problem. It’s very short. I’m not even sure it will completely cover my butt. It’s more of a top than a dress. The bodice is more conservative, at least, but it won’t matter if my breasts aren’t hanging out when my butt will be. There’s no bra or underwear with the outfit. Does that mean …
I push the thought away. Surely, I can wear underwear with this. I have to.
After staring at the dress for a long time, I force myself to leave and go down for breakfast. I’ll need sustenance to tide me over until tonight.
Mila and Vik are in the kitchen, already eating. Mary sneers at me as I grab my plate of food from her, but I ignore her. I’ve gotten used to it.
We’re all silent as we eat. I know my sisters know something is up, but they won’t ask me about it. Ignorance is bliss, after all.
We spend the day together, watching TV and going out for coffee—with Mikhail's permission—but during all that time, we don’t talk about it. The reason I was able to convince Mikhail to let them stay. There’s an unspoken promise not to ask because I wouldn’t answer anyway. My sisters don’t need to know what happens between Mikhail and me. They don’t need to know what I’m giving up to make them safe.
When seven thirty rolls around, I tell them I need to get ready for tonight. “Mikhail and I are going out. I think it would be best to stay in your rooms for the rest of the night.”
Mila looks confused, while Vik looks resigned.
“Just be safe,” Vik tells me.
“I will be.”
