by Khloe Wren
Jess said something, but she didn't hear it as she wandered back to her room and locked herself in. Share houses sucked. She trusted Jess all right, but the two backpackers, not so much. It didn't help they seemed to switch out every couple of weeks. Tossing her bag in the corner, she put her phone on her bedside table before pulling off her dress and dumping it in her laundry bin. Her bra followed, and then she slipped into bed and stared at the ceiling unable to sleep. Thoughts of Daniil kept her mind too busy to sleep.
When her phone beeped with a message, she grabbed it from the table to see who was messaging her.
Changed my mind. Need u here. I'm coming 2 get u.
With a growl, she rolled her eyes. He was so fucking demanding! Although, it was nice to know she wasn’t the only caught up in knots.
I'm not going anywhere. I'm already in bed. Talk to you later.
She held her breath waiting for his response. Maybe she shouldn't have said she was in bed?
What u wearing?
That made her laugh. Such a typical guy thing to say. She took a couple deep breaths as she thought about what she should respond with. She was only wearing a cute little pair of panties, but should she be honest or have some fun with him? He got her so worked up every time she saw him that it seemed only fair that he got a turn at being riled up. Right?
Lacy blue gstring. Feels so good against me, didn't take it off. U?
A moment later her phone rang, and with a chuckle, she answered.
"Hello?"
"You serious or just messing with me?"
With a grin, she wriggled down further in her bed. "Bit of both. I am wearing blue panties, just not a G-string, and the only reason I still have them on is laziness. Why? Did my message get you all worked up?"
"Yeah, imagining you in nothing but a scrap of lace gets me hard, Julietta. Wanna put your fingers to work and let me know if you're wet for me?"
Arousal zipped down her spine. Listening to Daniil's sexy accent talking dirty to her definitely got her motor running. Without further thought, she ran her fingers down her torso, slipping beneath the lace and over her clit. She arched her back on a groan. Damn, she was horny.
"Like the sound of that groan, krasivaya. You wet? Or you need a little more dirty talk to get you going?"
"So wet."
"Yeah, fuck. You look so hot touching yourself. Could watch you all fucking day."
She slipped her fingers lower, teasing her opening with two fingers.
"How'd you know what I look like?"
"Because I fucking watch you do it every damn night. You did it after we had sex. I came out the bathroom to find you spread out on my bed working yourself over. Sexiest thing I've seen in a long time."
She froze at his words, pulling her hand free, she sat up with a frown. "What do you mean you watch me every night? You haven't fucking bugged my room or something crazy, have you?"
Oh, if he was spying on her she'd kill him. No idea how she'd manage it, but she'd find a way.
"Ah fuck. I didn't mean to say that. Yebat-kopat!"
She was pretty sure that Russian word wasn’t an endearment. Was he swearing at her in two languages?
"No idea what you just said, but it’s not making me feel any better here, Daniil. What have you done?"
"I just swore in Russian.” He sighed. “You looked so fucking hot, I grabbed my phone and took a little video—"
Fury exploded through her, and her mouth started moving before her brain re-engaged.
"You fucking asshole! You fucking videoed me? So help me if you've uploaded that to a fucking porn site, I swear I will cut your balls off!"
"Solnyshka moto, I promise, no one has seen it but me. No one ever will—"
With a voice like ice she cut him off again. "Don't you dare ever call me any of your bullshit Russian endearments. In fact, you know what? Don't ever call me again. And delete that damn video. I can't believe you would do that! Fuck."
She hung up the phone, not caring he was trying to talk to her. When her phone rang a second later, she screamed and threw it across the room. It landed in her laundry bin, and she hoped it didn't break. She'd worry about later. Fucking men! They were all pigs. Slipping on a pair of yoga pants and a baggy t-shirt, she left her room in search of alcohol.
She was way too angry to sleep now anyway.
****
Daniil let loose a string of curses. He was so furious it ended up being a mix of Russian and English. Viktor cleared his throat.
"You need some help, D? Because if you keep this shit up, you're gonna scare away all your staff."
He bared his teeth at his friend on a growl. He didn't give a fuck. It had been over twelve hours since he’d screwed up with Julietta, and she was still rejecting all his calls. Yury was on guard duty, and he'd reported that she'd refused to talk to him, or listen to anything he tried to say. Why had he said anything about that damn video? At least he didn’t mention the photos he’d taken… He rubbed a palm over the back of his neck. Why'd he take the damn video in the first place was a better question? He knew girls didn't like that shit. Dammit.
"That right there. That's why the girls called me. You need to cut the shit. Personally, I think it's funny as hell, but if you want to keep this part of your company running, I'd suggest dialing it back, yeah?"
He blew out a breath. He knew Viktor was right. He was working from his real estate office today, and he did need this business to function at a profitable level. Not something that would happen if he scared off all his staff.
"Fine. Come in and shut the door."
Once they were enclosed in his office, Daniil went and pulled out the vodka. After pouring out two glasses, he returned to his desk, handing off one drink to Viktor before sitting down and taking a large mouthful of the alcohol. He focused on the burn as the liquid flowed down his throat.
"I fucked up with Julietta. Now she won't answer my calls, won't talk to Yury either."
Viktor calmly sipped his drink, like all was well in the world, which made him angry all over again. Because it wasn't, at least not in his world. He felt like he was at the edge of his control, ready to snap at any moment.
"What exactly did you do to her?"
After downing the rest of his vodka in one shot, he told his friend about the video, about her finding out. His response was to raise an eyebrow with a smirk. He knew what he was silently asking.
"No, you can't see it. No one is seeing it. Ever."
He had it encrypted so hard no one would ever be able to gain access other than him. And if he managed to get her back, he'd delete it. He was only keeping it because he had a horrible feeling it might be the only thing he had left of her soon.
"She said not to call her. Stop being a coward and go get her. She's always wandering off someplace alone to take photos, get Yury—or whoever happens to be on guard duty—to tell you next time she does, and go get her while she’s alone and make it up to her. I gotta admit, she might still tell you to fuck off. Taking a video like that without the girl's consent is fucking asking for trouble. Even you should know better than to put shit like that."
Daniil shrugged. He was used to ruling his world and doing what he wanted when he wanted. Before Julietta, he hadn't cared what a girl thought. Nor had he ever wanted to video one so he could watch it later. On repeat. He growled. Julietta was majorly messing him up.
"You really like this girl, huh? You thinking of settling down? Having a family with her? Assuming you can get her to forgive your stupid ass."
He paused and looked over at Viktor. "Yeah, I think I am. Julietta's different. She makes me feel different. Better." He scrubbed his palms over his face. "I know I shouldn't take her. She'll always be a target, a weakness that others will try to use against me and the company."
Viktor shrugged. "We'll handle any threats. This life? It's lonely as fuck, and I can see the appeal of settling down. Coming home to a house with warmth and life in it, a wife waiting for your return? That kinda s
ounds like a slice of heaven to me. Money's nice and all, but it won't keep you warm at night."
He scoffed, "Well, it does when you use it to pay the power bill."
Viktor rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."
"Yeah, I know. You sound like you've been thinking about it, too. You got a girl stashed away somewhere?"
Viktor stood and stretched out his neck. "Nah, I'm single like I’ve always been. You and your girl just got me thinking, that's all. I'm gonna head out. Try to stop scaring the natives, yeah?"
Daniil shook his head. "Yeah, I'll rein it in. Thanks, man."
With a nod, Viktor was gone, and once more Daniil found himself alone. He'd never minded before. In fact, he'd always preferred his own company. But since meeting his Julietta, he often found himself wishing she were with him. He thought over what Viktor had said, and he had to agree, coming home to a loving wife welcoming him, would be a nice thing to have.
He knew he'd really fucked up with Julietta, and he couldn't just go grab her off the street. She'd go crazy on him. No, he needed to ease the way a little. She'd liked the flowers he'd sent her. He'd send some more today, then maybe some jewelry or perfume tomorrow. He'd see if he could soften her up a little over the course of the work-week, and then on Saturday, when she was out searching for the perfect photo, he'd go to her. Force her to listen to him.
Even if he had to spend the entire weekend groveling, he would win back his girl.
Chapter Nine
It had been a long week, but finally it was Saturday and Juli was driving up the coast to take some photos. Since leaving Rodger, she actually got to drive her little red Suzuki Vitara. It was getting old but still ran well. With the roof off and the wind in her hair, she felt free. No matter how crappy she felt, going for a drive always improved her mood. Even when she was being followed by a big black Harley.
She cranked up her stereo in an attempt to block out the sound of the bike roaring behind her. Despite the fact she'd refused all contact with Daniil, he still insisted on her having a bodyguard each day. It was beginning to drive her nuts. Every morning she'd tell whichever bloke he sent that they didn't need to stay. She was certain they had better things to do with their day. But every day they would simply shake their heads and stick to her like glue. Yury had tried to plead Daniil's case for him that first morning after their disaster phone call, but she didn't want to hear it. She was done with that man. Just thinking about the fact he'd videoed her masturbating so he could watch it again and again made her blood boil. How dare he? She wasn't some bloody porn star!
It wasn't her fault the damn man made her ache just thinking about him. Even now, after what he'd done, her body lit up like a firecracker whenever she thought about him. Which was often. Especially now she had a room full of flowers and various other gifts. He'd been sending her stuff every day all week, each item arriving with a simple note saying he was sorry and asking for forgiveness. She wanted to stay mad at him, to hold onto her fury like a security blanket. But he was getting to her, with all the little gifts he'd sent, and the fact he still wanted her protected.
With a sigh, she pulled off the road onto a little dirt track she knew ran to a small parking area. From there it was only a short walk to a section of clifftop that would give her excellent views of the ocean. She'd caught some great photos of dolphins here before. As she rolled to a stop she idly wondered if Viktor would be pissed at having to take his bike on a dirt road. Then she shrugged. It wasn't like she'd made him follow her out here. She grabbed her camera bag and hopped out of her car, pocketing the keys. Seeing that Viktor was on his phone, she didn’t speak, just turned and headed toward the clifftop. When she got there, she stood with her eyes closed for a minute, just taking the fresh salty air deep within her lungs. The tension of the week now eased from her muscles, she opened her eyes to look around with a smile.
"Oh, awesome!"
A mile or so up the coast there was a section of rock that jutted out from the cliff into the ocean, and since she'd been here last, some of it had eroded away. Now, there was a beautiful archway. Dropping down to her knees she quickly got her camera out and the right lens fitted. When she looked back up, she got an idea for a great shot. Lying down on her stomach, she moved over to the edge of the cliff to line up the shot. At this angle, she could see breaking waves through the archway. She made a mental note to come back at dawn one day soon, to get this shot with the sunrise colors reflecting off the water.
So engrossed in getting the perfect picture, she didn't hear anything to warn her before a large hand grabbed her ankle and ripped her backward. The rocks scraped at her bare belly and she lost her grip on her camera. Seeing the expensive equipment banging hard against the ground had her fury spiking.
"What the fuck?"
She kicked out with her free leg as she turned over, smiling when she made contact and the hand released her leg. Expecting it to be Viktor who had grabbed her, maybe having panicked at her so close to the cliff, she scrambled to her feet and turned on him.
But it wasn't Viktor. Far from it.
"What the fuck are you doing here, Rodger?"
He rubbed his forearm, obviously where she'd kicked him, as he smirked at her.
"I'm here to collect what's mine."
She rolled her eyes. "Considering I haven't been yours in months, it can't be me, so whatever it is, take it and piss off."
She ran her gaze around the area. Where was Viktor? She hadn't known the man long, but she knew he didn't take his bodyguard duty lightly. He should be here.
"You're mine until I say otherwise."
Her breath caught as she refocused on her ex. Had he lost his mind? His left eye had a twitch to it that he couldn't seem to control. His hair was slicked back as per usual, but his skin looked paler, kind of like he was strung out on something. Great.
"That's bullshit, and you know it. I left you, moved out." She kept her voice low and calm, as she tried to work out what game he was playing. "What did you do to Viktor?"
An evil smile formed on his face, but before he said a word, strong arms came around her chest from behind her. She found herself pinned back against a solid chest.
"Viktor won't be much use to anyone anymore. Can't wait to see Daniil's face when he finds out I've killed his right-hand man and snatched his woman."
Juli sucked in a breath as the man behind her had spoken. He'd killed Viktor? How? That man was so big and strong, and careful. He was always looking around for threats. Rodger stepping in close to her brought her focus back to him and her situation.
“You have no fucking clue who you’re fucking, do you, babe?”
She glared at her ex, but stayed silent.
“I mean sure, everyone knows about the real estate shit. But I bet you have no fucking idea about his other income avenues … the drugs and gambling he controls, the killings and beatings he does for money. Fuck, babe, he’s probably got big plans for you on your back once he hooks you in!”
The guy holding her chuckled, lifting his arms so they pushed her breasts up in her bikini, to the point they were nearly popping out for the world to see. “Couldn’t blame him there, it’s what I’d do with a hot little piece of ass like you. Rodger, take this fucking bikini off. I wanna see what we’re gonna play with later.”
A shudder ran over her as her ex slipped his hands inside her bikini and palmed both her breasts. He squeezed them roughly enough to bring tears to her eyes, before he lifted them out of their coverings. He gave each of her nipples a pinch before he stepped back with a laugh.
“Let’s get outta here, so we can start the fun. Can’t wait to show that prick a video of us using her.”
What the fuck was with men and videoing her lately? Bile rose up her throat as she thought about what these two bastards were planning to do to her. She needed to get free of these two and run. It was her only hope. When the one holding her moved his head back from looking over her shoulder at her boobs, she tilted her face down, hopin
g they would think she was accepting defeat. Then she threw her head back as fast and hard as she could. Pain flared as she made contact, but the grunt and curse of the man made it worth it, especially when his grip loosened for a moment enabling her to pull free. But Rodger was right there in front of her. As he went to grab her, she brought up the hand that still held her camera, and, with a wince for her poor camera, she smashed it into the side of his head.
"Fucking hell, Juli!"
He stumbled back, and she took advantage and bolted away from them. Unfortunately, she didn't get far. Two steps later she jerked to a stop as someone took a solid grip of a fistful of her hair. They pulled her head back, until she whimpered at the pain in her neck and skull.
"Fucking little cunt."
It was the man who’d grabbed her before, but his voice was different now, like he was having to breathe through his mouth now. She hoped she'd broken the bastard's nose. Rodger came at her front again, shaking his head and cursing. He didn't give her any warning, just walked straight up to her and punched her hard in the gut. The air rushed from her lungs as pain rocketed through her. She wanted to curl up, but the bastard holding on to her hair prevented her from moving at all. Tears welled and trickled down her cheeks. She was in so much trouble. And this time, Daniil wasn’t here to ride to her rescue.
As though she’d thought him into being, a moment later she was sure she’d heard Daniil growling, but her mind wasn’t working right, so it was probably just her imagination. Then a loud crack split the air as Rodger flew sideways and away from her. With a curse, her captor threw her to the side where she landed heavily on the ground. Her elbow struck a rock, and more pain flared.
Everything hurt, and on instinct she curled up into a ball and squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe this was all just a bad dream and she'd wake up soon.
Yeah. Waking up anytime now would be great.
****
Fury like he'd never known coursed through Daniil as he came upon the scene. Viktor had rung him to tell him the location when Julietta had stopped to take photos, so he could come and surprise Julietta, but after that he'd been silent, not responding to any of his messages or calls. That was highly unusual, so Daniil had gotten himself armed up and come running. Now he was here, he was glad he'd stopped to grab Yury on his way.
