Empire of Sin (Empire #2)(98)

“Thank you.” A soft smile lifts her lips. “It’s the only thing I have left of Mom and it means so much to me.”

“I’m glad I was the one who found it then.”

“Me, too.” She runs her fingers over the black wings. “You know, back then, I used to think of myself as the fairy of the forest and used this as my magic wand to order trees and small animals around.”

A smile breaks on my lips. “I can clearly imagine you as a naughty fairy.”

“I…wasn’t naughty.”

“Uh-huh. Did you wear skimpy clothes, too?”

“Stop, you pervert!”

“What? If you have a role-play kink, I’d be happy to oblige.”

“I do not.” She clears her throat. “Anyway, how did you get here?”

“An acquaintance Nate knows is apparently a Bratva associate and she got me here as her plus-one.”

She lifts her head, leaning her elbows on my chest to look me in the eye. “A woman?”

“Yeah.”

A frown appears between her brows. “And do you know her intimately?”

“Hmm. Maybe.”

“It’s a yes or no question.”

“My, my, beautiful, are you jealous?”

“No.” She stares into space.

“You’re so fucking adorable to think I would look at any other woman after I’ve been with you.”

She hiccups and it’s obviously involuntary, because her face and neck become a deep shade of red. “I…can’t look at other men either.”

My eyes narrow. “Is that why you have a fiancé?”

“Papa picked him because he’s Russian and part of the Bratva. I had no say in it.”

“That will change.” I slowly pull out of her, then stand up.

Even though my dick is craving another round, I need to take care of the fucker standing between us.

Anastasia’s face, however, loses the easygoing edge and goes back to that frightened stage. “W-what are you going to do?”

I go to her en-suite bathroom and wipe off my dick, then I return with wet towels, but she’s already cleaned herself with tissues and straightened up her clothes, and is staring at me with that perturbed look, one that I’ll erase from her face, once and for all.

“You need to leave, Knox. I’ll show you a back entrance where there aren’t many cameras…”

I grab her hand and interlink our fingers. “I’m going nowhere. It’s time I meet your family.”

Then I’m pulling her out of the room in the midst of her continuous protests. The moment we step out, she gasps, her hand trembling in mine, and I realize it’s because we’re face to face with an older white-haired man who has Anastasia’s exact eyes but with no innocence in them.

Her relation to him is confirmed when she whispers in a horrified tone, “Papa.”





39





ANASTASIA





A tremor jolts through my limbs and I freeze.

Ever since I saw Knox on the balcony, I knew this would happen.

I knew he’d get caught by someone. Anyone. I just didn’t think it’d be Papa himself.

You don’t get into the Pakhan’s house while he’s surrounded by his leaders and guards and hope to leave unscathed.

But I thought we had more time with the way all of them were preoccupied with the Yakuza stuff. I thought I could make Knox leave before they found him.

I might have let my vulnerability take hold of me for a while. I might have missed him so much that I just wanted to touch him, to make sure this wasn’t one of my cruel dreams that I’d soon wake up from.

I wasn’t jolted awake this time. Everything was real, whether it’s the way he kissed me, held me by the throat, or fucked me.

No, it wasn’t all fucking. At some point, he was making love to me while staring into my eyes.

At some point, he brought his forts down and allowed me to see him. All of him. Not the put-together lawyer who can blind anyone with his charisma, but the boy he once was. The broken, wounded boy he refuses to let anyone see.

But he let me. Only me.

I swear something inside me melted and fused with him at that moment. No idea what, but he’s holding it even now as we stare at Papa, Vladimir, and Adrian.

The most powerful men in the Bratva.

They’re not looking at me, though. Their hawk-like attention is on Knox and his grip on my hand. I try to release him, but he just tightens his hold on my fingers, refusing to budge.

“What is this?” Papa asks in his firm tone that rattles me to my bones.

My throat is dry and the words are stuck, but the stern look in my father’s gaze propels me to fumble for words. “I…I can explain, Papa…he…he’s…”

“I’m the man who loves your daughter and I refuse to leave without her.”

“Knox!” I hiss low, my wild gaze flying to my father’s.

“Then you won’t leave. Not alive, at least,” he says, then motions with two fingers at his guards who charge forward at Knox.

The worst-case scenario materializes in front of me as Papa’s buff guard reaches for him. I don’t even think about it as I jump in front of Knox, trying to ward off their malicious intentions.