Collateral Damage (Owned by the Mob 1)

by Harley Wylde

  “I’m not your wife yet,” I said.

  “Then we should go remedy that.” He kissed the side of my neck. “And then we’ll celebrate by having a wedding dinner and a proper wedding night. I promise, no pain this time, myshka. Had I known you were an innocent, I’d have made sure you enjoyed it more, that you were prepared.”

  There wasn’t much I could say to that. It had hurt, but he’d also made it better after he’d known. I’d hoped that next time would be even more pleasurable, and that maybe one day he’d come to care for me. But after only twenty-four hours with Viktor, I was starting to wonder if I’d been wrong about him from the start. I’d thought he was different from the others who had come to my father’s home that night. Now I wasn’t so sure.

  We left the hotel and walked the short distance to whatever chapel he’d found. I only half paid attention to what was happening, my thoughts focused on what this moment meant. I doubted that being married to Viktor would be anything like the books my mother and Mrs. Popov had read to me, where the families went on outings together, had quaint family holiday traditions, and everyone gave hugs freely. Being in his world was going to keep me in a cold, dark place, and I wasn’t looking forward to it.

  When he’d claimed me, I’d known he would tire of me eventually. I’d been scared of what would happen when that time came, but there’d been the slight chance I’d get to have a somewhat normal life in the future. Now that didn’t seem as likely. I didn’t know whether or not Viktor believed in divorce. Would he stay married to me, but live separately when he grew bored?

  “Ready, myshka?” Viktor asked.

  “Yes, Viktor.”

  He drew my hand through the crook of his arm and led me down what I assumed was the chapel aisle. The wedding was simple, and very fast. We said our vows, exchanged rings that I hadn’t even realized Viktor had purchased, and then he kissed me. The way his lips pressed to mine it felt more like a promise, but a promise of what? For that brief moment, Viktor seemed warm and tender, his kiss sweet and soft. But I’d fallen for that version of him once already, and I wouldn’t be tricked again.

  The ring he’d placed on my finger felt heavy and was no doubt as ostentatious as the necklace felt. After Viktor’s description of the choker he’d given me at the hotel, I was certain it had cost a small fortune. Probably more money than my family had ever had in my entire lifetime. It saddened me that my mother had lived in poverty, and that if she were alive now and I had met Viktor, perhaps he could have helped improved her life in some way. I’d have done anything for my mother, even live in a loveless marriage and pretend to be happy.

  Viktor led me out of the chapel. His arm was around my waist as we walked down the busy sidewalk. I didn’t know what time it was, but the heat was nearly too much to bear despite the fact I didn’t feel the sun on my face, and the crowd was making me nervous. I’d never done well around large groups of people. It wouldn’t take much for me to trip over someone, or for them to push me just hard enough I’d fall. I could smell food when we came to a stop and assumed it was the restaurant he’d mentioned. I heard the door open and Viktor escorted me inside.

  “Mr. Petrov, your table is ready,” said a woman with a sickly sweet voice.

  “Thank you.”

  I bumped into a few chairs along the way, apologizing as I walked, but when we reached our table, Viktor pulled out a chair for me. He brushed a kiss against my cheek before taking his own seat, and while I wanted that kiss to be a real sign of affection, I worried it was all for show. Was this my life now? I felt cold inside, all the way down to my bones. All I’d ever dreamed about was having a happy life, maybe finding someone who would love me. Now it all seemed impossible.

  There was a slight breeze and I heard something lightly land on the table in front of me. A menu most likely, not that I would be able to read it. My first time eating out wasn’t going quite the way I’d hoped it might. I didn’t even pay attention as the waitress flirted with Viktor, and gave her recommendations for the drinks and meals available. When she hinted that she’d be open to showing him around Vegas when she got off work, I nearly stood up and walked away, but I was worried I’d fall since I didn’t know the layout. Instead, I dropped my gaze to where I assumed the table was and wished the night would just end.

  “Myshka,” Viktor said softly. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” I forced a smile.

  “Don’t lie to me. I have very few rules I expect you to follow. Don’t lie. Don’t cheat. Don’t disobey me. Now tell me what’s bothering you. You’ve been acting differently since before we left home.”

  “It’s nothing, Viktor. I know my place and what’s expected of me.”

  I felt his fingers brush my hand, then he grasped mine. “Cerys, I can’t promise you love because I don’t remember ever feeling such an emotion. Just as I’ve asked you not to lie to me, I won’t lie to you either. I may be incapable of ever loving someone. However, I plan to be faithful to you, and I will protect you, care for you. You’re my wife now, myshka.”

  “You’ve never known love?” I asked softly, feeling horrified that even as a child he didn’t know someone cared that much about him.

  “I’m sure my parents loved me, in their way, but I don’t remember much. No hugs or kisses from either of them. Neither of them showed their emotions well, unless it was anger. The bit of dancing I did with my mother was about the only time she focused on me.”

  I tightened my hand around his, knowing in that moment that I would find a way to show him the affection he’d missed out on all his life. It was sad that he’d never felt loved. Even though my father had been a monster, at least my mother had showered me with love. It didn’t seem that Viktor had that same experience with his family, and my heart ached for him.

  “You look sad, myshka.”

  “Every child should know they’re loved. I know it doesn’t happen that way, but it should. I hate that there are parents in the world who abuse their kids, or just withhold affection, when there are so many couples or even single men and women who can’t have children and would love them with all their hearts. Doesn’t seem fair.”

  There were footsteps drawing near, and I didn’t even know what was on the menu. But Viktor seemed like the type to order for me without even asking my likes or dislikes. When the footsteps stopped by the table, there was a sickeningly sweet voice of the waitress. She was too close for comfort. I extracted my hand from Viktor’s, trying to ignore the woman’s blatant flirting. Part of me wanted to tell her to back off, that he was mine, but I didn’t know if I had that right. Yes, we were married, but it wasn’t like we had a conventional marriage. Viktor might claim to be faithful, but it didn’t mean he wanted me to snarl at every woman who spoke to him. I somehow doubted he’d like his wife to be territorial.

  “She likes you,” I said as I heard the woman walk away again.

  “And you’d be all right if I took you back to the hotel, then met up with her? Maybe stayed the night and fucked her until morning?” he asked.

  I hesitated. He gave a humorless laugh.

  “That’s what I thought, myshka.”

  “It’s not my place to make demands of you, Viktor. I’m yours. Just another possession like your watch or your favorite suit. I don’t have a say in anything you do. If you want to be with her, I don’t have the right to stand in your way.”

  I heard his chair scrape across the floor, then felt him kneeling next to me. His touch was light as he grasped my chin and turned my face toward him.

  “Cerys, you’re my wife. You have every right to ask me to be faithful, which I’ve already promised. If you’re ignoring her inappropriate behavior because you feel it’s not your place to say anything, then you’re wrong. I don’t want you to call me out in front of my men, my family, but if there’s a woman encroaching on your territory, then you have every right to say something.”

  I licked my lips and thought about what I wanted to say.

  “Viktor
, I know you didn’t really want to marry me. I was just a better alternative to the woman you were promised to. I understand that, and I’m honestly not expecting this to be anything like a real marriage.”

  My heart felt heavy as I said the words, but they were true. He’d made it clear that this wouldn’t be my fairytale ending. We were married, and I’d share his bed, but I had no say in anything. We weren’t equals. He didn’t care for me. By his own admission, he possibly never would.

  “Is that what you think?” he asked. “That you were just a better option?”

  “Isn’t that what you said before we left to fly here?”

  He was quiet a moment. “That wasn’t the way I intended you to take it. The reason Maksim suggested I marry you is that I refused to give you up. He asked if I would move you elsewhere if I married Tania, and I said no. I told him your place was in my home and in my bed. He said that sounded more like a wife.”

  While what he was saying did sound less mercenary than what I’d believed, it still wasn’t all that promising for a happy life. For either of us. Although, I wondered if Viktor had ever known joy of any kind. True happiness, not just whatever he felt when he made money or took a woman to bed.

  “You could have anyone.”

  “Yes, myshka, and I’ve been far from celibate over the years. But the only woman I want is you. I didn’t marry you because I didn’t see another option, or because you were convenient. I married you because I wanted a way to keep you with me, to tie you tighter to my side.” He kissed my hand. “I’m a possessive man, myshka. You’re mine and I wanted to ensure that would always be so.”

  My heart warmed at his words. No, they weren’t a declaration of his undying love, but if what he said was true, then he really did want me with him. It was more than just him owning me. He leaned in closer and pressed his lips to mine in a brief kiss.

  “We’ll eat and return to our room, myshka. Then I’ll prove to you that our marriage was anything but one of convenience.”

  His words sent a thrill through me, and I suddenly couldn’t wait to finish our meal. Maybe being married to Viktor wouldn’t be so bad. Now that I understood better, I didn’t feel quite so lonely or worried. If he truly wanted me, then my future was secure and I didn’t need to fear being passed off to someone else, or left to rot while he amused himself elsewhere.

  Now if I could just show him what it was like to be loved, and hopefully earn his love in return.

  Chapter Four

  Viktor

  It bothered me that my wife had thought I only wanted to marry her to avoid being with Tania, that she was simply there and convenient. We’d barely known one another twenty-four hours so I could understand her reasoning, but the pull I’d felt toward her from the moment she’d burst into the room last night was unlike anything I’d experienced before. Yes, in a sense she was my property, but she’d been more than that even before I’d taken her home. I’d just had this deep knowing that she belonged to me.

  She deserved more than I could give her, but I was too selfish to let her go. I wanted her to carry my children, to remain by my side. I’d give her everything I could, but it would never be my love. I honestly didn’t think I was capable of such an emotion. Even if I couldn’t give her my heart, I’d still pull the moon from the sky if I could and hand it to her. After everything she’d suffered, I wanted to treat her like a queen. And that included defending her.

  The waitress at the restaurant had not only lost her tip from me due to her nonstop flirting, but I’d also had a word with the manager about her unprofessionalism. There was being nice and accommodating to your customers, but she’d blatantly been trying to get into my pants with my wife right across from me. We’d both been wearing our new wedding bands, and the twit hadn’t seemed to care. Seeing the look on Cerys’ face, then hearing her tell me she had no say in whether or not I slept with another woman, had pissed me off.

  I hadn’t expected her to throw a fit, or even tell the waitress to back off, but knowing that she would just accept me being unfaithful to her had hurt. Never once in all my life had I ever wanted to be with only one woman. Maybe my reputation preceded me and she was basing her assumptions off rumors. Most likely correct rumors, but it didn’t make my job any easier, trying to get her to trust me.

  The elevator slowly rose to our floor in the hotel. She stood quietly, her hand in the crook of my arm. My words at the restaurant had surprised her, that much had been clear, and I hoped that we’d be able to move forward. I hadn’t missed the way her cheeks flushed when I’d spoken of having a wedding night with her. Even though I hadn’t been as gentle as I should have for her first time, it seemed I hadn’t scared her. She wanted me, and that alone was enough to make me hard. Then again, just looking at her got that reaction from me.

  I checked the messages on my phone, seeing the hotel had found my missing money and the man responsible was in the custody of the police. As it had been a hotel employee, caught on camera no less, our room was being comped as well as anything else we needed during our stay. I’d have enjoyed dealing with the man on my own, but I didn’t have the right connections here. This wasn’t my town.

  When we got out on our floor and I opened the door to the suite, I’d barely cleared the doorway before Cerys launched herself at me. I caught her, completely surprised by her behavior, then her lips were on mine and I didn’t give a shit about anything else. I barely remembered to make sure the door was shut all the way before I shrugged my jacket off and started unbuttoning my shirt. I drew away long enough to divest myself of my clothes and help her remove her dress.

  “Not that I’m complaining,” I said, “but what brought this on?”

  Her cheeks flushed a bright pink and she ducked her head, taking a step back. Reaching for her, I drew her close to my body.

  “Myshka, I like this side of you.” I ground my cock against her. “Feel how hard it makes me knowing that you desire me?”

  “All of this is new,” she said. “I’ve never been so much as kissed by anyone but you, and now I’m your wife. I thought you were just playing with me, keeping me until you grew bored and would, then pass me off to someone else. But hearing what you said at the restaurant, it… you made it sound like I’m more than just a plaything for you.”

  I kissed her, softly at first, then harder. I never wanted her to question how I felt about her, how much I wanted her. My desire for her burned in my veins, heating me from the inside out, until I thought I’d go insane if I couldn’t be inside her soon. With a few deft movements, I popped the clasp on her bra and pulled it off her, then pushed her panties over her hips and down her thighs.

  “Bedroom,” she murmured.

  “Nyet. Here. Now.”

  I turned her and moved closer to the sofa, bending her over the arm. She braced her waist on the cushion, her ass sticking out. It was too much of a temptation and I brought my palm down with a loud crack, leaving a pink handprint behind. She jerked and gave a squeak of protest, but she didn’t try to get away. In fact… I slid my fingers along the lips of her pussy and found her incredibly wet. Inserting two into her tight sheath, I pumped them in and out as I spanked her twice more. Her pussy clenched down and I couldn’t contain my smile. My little myshka enjoyed being spanked while she was getting fucked. I’d have to remember that.

  Easing my fingers from her pussy, I used her cream to tease the tight ring of muscle between her ass cheeks. Her entire body went tense until I started working my cock inside her. By the time she’d taken all of it, I’d worked one of my fingers into her ass up to the first knuckle. A few more slaps to her ass had her skin turning a nice red that made my dick even harder.

  “You like that, myshka? You like getting spanked?”

  “I-I…”

  Smack!

  She yelped and nodded. “Y-yes, Viktor. I like it.”

  I took her hard and deep, my cock working her pussy while I finger fucked her ass. My hips slammed against her with every thrust and the
moment she started coming I knew I wouldn’t last much longer. Cerys felt incredible. Hot. Wet. Tight. I worked a second finger inside her ass, knowing that one day soon I’d take her there too, fill her with my cock, my cum. Just the thought of doing that was enough to trigger my orgasm. I came long and hard, filling her up, but I wasn’t ready for it to be over yet. I kept thrusting my fingers and reached around with my other hand to play with her clit. I rubbed, pinched, and tugged on the engorged nub until she came again. A groan slipped past my lips as my cock jerked and more cum shot into her.

  “Fuck, myshka. My beautiful, perfect wife.” I kissed the back of her neck, then along her shoulders. Slowly, I removed my fingers, not missing the hiss of her breath. It likely stung since she’d never had someone touch her there before. “I have another rule.”

  “What rule?” she asked.

  “You’re not permitted to shower after I fuck you, unless I tell you otherwise.” I withdrew from her pussy and watched as my cum slid down her thighs. Hottest thing I’d ever seen. No matter how many times I watched my essence leak out of her, I’d never grow tired of it. I reached down and rubbed my cum into her skin. “Anyone who dared to look at your naked body would know you belong to someone. They’d see my release on your skin, smell my scent on you.”

  “Viktor.” She tipped her head back, her eyes sliding shut. The flush riding her cheeks wasn’t just from her orgasm. She liked the things I was saying to her. My naughty little wife.

  “Come, myshka. We’ll rest a bit, but I’ll want you again soon. Tomorrow you’ll be very, very sore.”

  Taking a step back, I helped her stand, only to turn her toward me, then push her to her knees. She gasped and reached up to grab onto my thighs, steadying herself. I hadn’t meant to scare her, or move too quickly. There were times I forgot she couldn’t see. Gripping my cock, I painted her lips with our mingled spent passion. Her tongue flicked out to lick it off and I knew exactly what I wanted her to do.