Owned By The Bratva King by Jagger Cole

5

River

The sun teasesover my bare arms as I step out onto the main deck. A gentle wind dances the fabric of the gorgeous sundress around my legs as I look out over the stunning blue sea.

I’ve caved. Or I’ve swallowed my pride. Whatever you want to call it, I’ve finally explored the huge walk-in closet off of my bedroom. I’ve been around fashion for almost half my life, and even I’m impressed by what I saw in there. Private collection pieces from the world’s top designers. Hints at lines that won’t even be out for another year.

I mean the sundress I finally picked out is an Oscar De La Renta, but from a line I’ve never even heard of. And I’m literally a De La Renta ambassador model.

My sandals? Valentino. The silver-link necklace I just couldn’t say no to because it was insane how well it complimented the sundress? Van Cleef & Arpels, vintage. And then there’s the… unmentionables that I’m wearing under the sundress. The absolutely gorgeous rose-pink, lace thong and matching demi; both from Aleksandra Josef, one of the most exclusive lingerie designers in Paris.

Yes, I could have kept digging my heals in. When Maksim just knocked on the door of my quarters and told me breakfast was ready and my presence was requested, I could have said fuck no. Or if it was insisted that I come, I could have worn a bedsheet or something.

And yet, I caved. Or maybe I just felt like meeting Yuri again on my own terms, dressed how I want. I mean if I’m going to be a captive on this fucking boat, I may as well look nice.

But I frown when I see the empty breakfast table by the balcony overlooking the main deck.

“Where—”

I turn quizzically to Maksim. But he just nods with his chin past the railing before he turns and exits the private deck. My brow furrows as I walk over. But then my breath catches when I see what I see.

At first I think it must be someone else. But when the man with the muscled and tattooed arms and shoulders swims perfectly to the edge of the pool and effortlessly pulls himself out of the water, my jaw drops.

The man built like a Greek god is Yuri.

The silver at his temples might show his age—somewhere just north of forty if I remember from Belle telling me. But the rest of him might as well belong to a twenty-five-year-old. He grabs a towel from a pool lounger and half turns as he dries himself. Water trickles down his perfectly grooved chest and abs.

I just stare at him like a horny teenager. That is, until he turns. His sharp blue eyes slide up the railing I’m leaning against. When they spot me, I blush and quickly look away. But not before I see the smirk on his gorgeous face.

I turn and quickly move back to the breakfast table. I pretend to busy myself with the carafe of coffee and a mug. But a second later, he appears at the top of the curved staircase that leads up from the pool deck—wearing nothing but a small, well-fitted black swim shorts looking like a fucking Armani model.

“The coffee is strong,” Yuri growls as he slinks towards me. He sits in the chair across from me, and I finally look up at him. Instantly, I blush.

I’ve been on hundreds of photoshoots with plenty of very handsome, fit male models. And yet, none of them have ever tripped me up like this. None of them have made my heart skip and my words fail me. Maybe it’s that Yuri isn’t the typical pompous male model—or a model at all. It’s just that he’s naturally stupidly handsome and built like pure sex.

I swallow, blushing as my eyes sweep over his perfectly chiseled chest muscles and sculpted shoulders and arms. They’re covered in tattoos that even I recognize as Russian mafia ink—reminding me that this is no “pretty man” I’m about to have breakfast with. This man is flat out dangerous. Not just a vicious criminal, either. The king of an empire of vicious criminals.

He pours some coffee and takes a slice of toast from a gilded platter. I shake my head. How the fuck does a man who looks like him eat carbs?

I opt for some fruit with my coffee. But we sit in silence for what must be five full minutes before I can’t stand it anymore. With a heavy sigh, I put my coffee cup down and raise my eyes to him.

“Why am I here?” I ask sharply.

Yuri’s simply been looking out over the sea. He takes a sip of his coffee before his eyes slide to mine. He smirks thinly.

I sigh again. “Why am I here, sir?” I say dryly.

He smiles. “Because you’re my guest.”

“Very fucking funny.”

He shrugs and takes another sip of his coffee.

“The men who took me… there were other men…”

“Who would have taken you,” he grunts.

“Your men killed them.”

“Yes.” He smiles again. He finishes his coffee and then stands. “You are welcome, by the way.”

He turns to walk away. I bark a laugh.

“Sorry, is this where I’m supposed to thank you for kidnapping me?!” I snap.

Yuri frowns as he turns back to me. “For rescuing you? It would be polite, yes.”

I roll my eyes as he turns away again.

“Well how about you drop me off at the next port and I’ll be sure to send you a fucking thank-you card—”

“You have a mouth on you,” he snarls. I gasp as he whirls and storms over to me. I tremble in my chair as he marches right over. His hand reaches up and suddenly cups my jaw, making my heart pulse like a drum as he leans in.

“I—”

“You have a mouth on you, kiska,” he growls quietly. His lips curl into a thin smile. “And I like it.”

He steps back, muscles rippling. His piercing eyes sweep over me, making me tremble. “I have meetings to attend to. Rest, enjoy your vacation.”

He turns to leave. But of course, my mouth won’t just stay the fuck shut.

“Vacation,” I mutter thinly.

Yuri pauses. He sighs deeply, and I watch his shoulders rise and fall with a small laugh before he turns to look at me again.

“You are on a yacht that costs the gross domestic product of a third world country, on a beautiful sea, enjoying the finest wine and food you could possibly desire.” He shrugs. “You want entertainment? There is a movie theater downstairs with virtually any film you can imagine. There is a library as well that may rival some university ones. There is a pool, a gym, a running track…” He frowns. “I have a masseuse on staff who is very good. She is available to you all day if you so choose. So tell me, kiska,” he growls as he slowly stalks back to me.

I gasp as he leans down, his knuckles on the table in front of me.

“Exactly how is this not a vacation?”

I purse my lips, swallowing. The nearness of him is… intoxicating. It’s disarming. It’s dangerous, too.

“You can leave a vacation,” I whisper quietly.

Yuri’s eyes hold mine; boldly, unflinching, and without blinking. His lips curl at the corners into a thin smile.

“Enjoy your day. Dinner will be at seven.”

He stands and turns to walk away again.

“Should I just come naked? Or is stripping my clothes away as a power move just part of the evening entertainment for you?”

He pauses at the doorway and turns to smirk at me over his shoulder. “I would, of course, always prefer that you come naked, kiska.”

I blush at the loaded double-entendre.

“Dinner is casual tonight. Come dressed or undressed however you like.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I snap.

He turns to me fully. I tremble as those piercing eyes slip over me hungrily.

“Yes,” he growls thickly. “I would.” His eyes finally land on mine, burning into me. “Enjoy your day.”

He turns and steps inside, leaving me trembling and far more worked up than I have any right to be.

At first,my inclination is to stick it to him by doing nothing. After breakfast, I just sit by the pool, arms crossed, glaring at nothing. But then I realize how ridiculous that is—how petulant it makes me look, sulking like a child.

I eye the pool. It does look amazing, and tempting. But then I think of earlier this morning, going into the closet to find clothes for the day. Yeah, there are bathing suits in there. And it’s not like they’re any more scandalous or skimpy than any of the suits I’ve been photographed in.

But there something easy about posing for an anonymously huge and wide-spread audience. It’s another thing to put one on knowing it’s basically for Yuri’s eyes only.

Instead, I find myself wandering down into the lower decks of the huge yacht. Eventually, I find the library, and my jaw drops. Holy shit. I feel like Belle—not my friend, the Disney character, in the Beast’s library. The place is three stories tall, with gilded balconies and shelves and shelves of beautiful books.

I used to agonize about trying to “prove” that I wasn’t just some vapid brain-dead model; that I’m actually very, very smart. That’s one of the reasons I was able to run off and do modeling in Europe and Asia at sixteen. It wasn’t that I was ditching school. It was that I graduated high school two years early. Not dropped out and took the GED. I mean I literally passed every test and credit two years early.

But people don’t care. They want to see you how they want to see you. So, I stopped trying to push the fact that I was smart at every damn interview. Let the tabloids and fans think what they want. And in the background, I’ll be reading whatever I want, and delving into learning random stuff because I enjoy it.

So before I know it, I’ve spent four hours in the library, and I’m starving. But the boat is enormous. And after ten twists and turns, I have no idea where I am.

“You seem lost.”

I gasp, turning to look up at the burly but now-familiar man. Maksim looks at me impassively, right in the eyes as always.

“I…” I frown. “Yeah, actually. How the hell do you not get lost on this thing?”

“What are you looking for?”

“Food?”

He smiles. “This way, Ms. Finn.”

“You can just call me River, you know.”

Maksim nods, but says nothing more as he leads me to through the winding halls of the yacht. Soon enough, we end up in the sumptuous dining room that looks like it may as well be a three-star restaurant in downtown New York or Chicago.

“I’ll have the chef send out something delicious.”

I smile as I find a seat at one of the tables. “Thanks, Maskim.”

“Enjoy your lunch, Ms. Finn.”

Well, so much for the casual first-name route.

When he leaves, a handful of waiters bring me sparkling water, white wine I didn’t ask for, and some sort of fucking incredible ceviche type appetizer. Course after course, I’m diving into scallops bathed in butter, a salad with candied walnuts and gorgonzola—all sorts of stuff I could never be eating in my “real life.” But here I am, diving into each dish.

I’m being pampered. Maybe this is kind of a vacation. I mean by the last course, I’m literally eating what is essentially a super fancy grilled fucking cheese.

And yet, when the table is cleared, I frown. I might be being pampered. But you can leave a vacation.

After lunch, the guilt of all the rich, buttery, delicious food eats at me until I cave with a groan. I find workout clothes back in the room, and then head to the gym. A grueling, punishing hour on the stationary bike later, I’m aching for a swim.

And screw it. If Yuri wants to perv on me in a bathing suit, whatever. I blush when the idea of him doing exactly that brings a heat to my core.

The pool, of course, is amazing. This whole fucking boat is amazing. And somehow, despite my inner need to rebel and give Yuri the finger, at seven, I’m showered, dressed in a casual gown and heels, and stepping out onto the private deck after being escorted up by Maksim.

Yuri is standing by the railing in a dark suit, shirt open, no tie. Which seems to be his style. But hell, if you look like him dressed like that, that should always be your style, always.

He turns to smile thinly at me.

“You enjoyed your day I hope?”

“I did.”

“Not a bad vacation after all, it would seem,” he says with a smirk.

I arch a brow, saying nothing. Yuri gestures to the gorgeously laid out table with the candle flickering on it.

“Sit, please.”

When I do, just like at lunch, instantly champagne and sumptuous food is brought silently to the table. I eye it with a grumbling stomach. But I’m thinking of the decadent lunch I had, even with the grueling workout after. I start to pick lightly at bits of the food, and Yuri sighs.

“You should eat.”

“I don’t eat much,” I shrug.

He arches a brow. “You’re on a break, River. Not a photoshoot.”

I look up to see him grinning at me.

“Eat, please.”

When my stomach groans again at the incredible smells, I cave. I dig into the sumptuous food and groan deeply.

“God, this is amazing.”

“I know.”

I smirk, looking up at him.

“I mean all of this…” My teeth drag over my lip. But then I shake my head.

“Yes?”

“Nothing.”

“No,” he growls. His eyes narrow. “Speak.”

I run my tongue over my teeth, eying him before I finally just blurt it out.

“I know what you are.”

Yuri smirks. “I don’t make much of an effort of hiding what I am.”

“You’re in the Bratva.”

He smiles dangerously. “No, kiska. I am not in the Bratva. I am the Bratva.”

A shiver dances down my back.

“And that gives you the right to do what you want?”

His smile fades.

“Yes, it does.”

I frown. “That’s not how the world works.”

“That is exactly how the world works,” he growls. “Power, money, influence… that is how the world keeps turning. That is what keeps us from dissolving into chaos and destruction.”

“Says the man who kills people for a living.”

He rolls his eyes. “I don’t kill people for a living, River.”

“Oh reall—”

“I kill people to make a point,” he growls. “I kill people to show my enemies that there will be no quarter. Or to show my own people what happens with dissent.”

My brows arched as I set my fork own. “Wow, tell me more, Nero.”

He chuckles. “You think of me as a tyrant?”

“To show your people what happens with dissent?” I parrot back with an arched brow. “What would you prefer? Tsar? Emperor?”

“I thought I was clear that ‘sir’ would work just fine.”

I blush. Yuri sets his wine glass down.

“Come.”

He stands and beckons me to follow him to the railing, where he waves a hand across the huge boat laid out before us.

“Look at this.”

Below us, I see all manner of staff all over the boat. There are people cleaning, guards with guns patrolling the lower decks. At the pool, a man seems to be testing the pH levels while another scrubs the diving board.

Waiters scurry. A man hangs off the edge of the railing over the water, changing an LED bulb.

“These people’s jobs exist because of me, and this boat.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re really going to throw out trickle-down economics at me? As a mafia boss? What, you’re a ‘job creator’?”

“You’re missing the point.” I gasp as he looms close to me, his eyes piercing into mine. “I’m not denying that I am a Tsar. Or an emperor, or tyrant. I am all of those things,” he snarls. “And I wield that power daily.”

I chew at my lip. “What was the point of showing me—”

“This.”

He snaps. One snap. And instantly, the staff melts away like fucking magic. The guards disappear. The guy testing the pool and the one scrubbing the diving board are just gone. The waiters, the maintenance people, all of them.

And suddenly, it’s like we’re alone on the gigantic boat.

“Just like that, they’re just… gone?”

“Just like that,” he growls as he turns to me. “Do you know what that is?”

I swallow.

“That is power.”

I start to open my mouth, but he shakes his head.

“You cannot buy power like that. You earn it. You are born with the ability to hold it in your fist and bend it to your will.” His eyes burn as they hold my gaze. His gorgeous, chiseled jaw grits.

“I was born to this throne, River. I am the fourth generation of men to lead this family. It is in my blood. I wield this power because I breathe it. And I will do anything, and go to any length, and do whatever it takes to keep that power and control.”

I tremble, taking a shaky breath. “Damn the consequence, huh?”

“Yes.”

“Damn what anyone else thinks?”

“Yes.”

“Damn if that inconveniences—”

I gasp as he suddenly cups my jaw and looms close with a snarl. My pulse surges, and my breath catches in my throat.

“I told you earlier,” he growls as his eyes narrow. “You have a mouth on you.”

He groans as he moves close—so close that I can feel the heat of his body and his breath on my lips.

“And?” I gasp in a trembling voice.

“And I like it.”

His mouth closes the distance and crushes to mine, ferociously. My pulse spikes as his gorgeous lips captivate mine. But then before I know it, I’m moaning. I’m gasping and whimpering as his big hand cups my jaw and his other one slides around my waist to pull me tight to him.

He groans into my mouth, and I’m moaning right back. My eyes close, and I sink into the kiss. I melt against him, eagerly wanting more. My body shivers with lust as he pins me to the railing. His body is so hard against me, and when I feel something throb against my stomach, I whimper eagerly.

His knee slips between my legs. I feel him flex against me, and when his knee starts to spread my thighs, I tremble as I cling to him. I kiss him back, hungry for all of it. His thigh grinds against the wet heat of my panties, and I moan into his mouth.

And then suddenly, he freezes, and he pulls back. My heart races, and my eyes flutter open. My cheeks burn as his eyes pierce into me. His jaw clenches as he drops his hands from me and steps away, chest heaving.

“Rest up, kiska,” he says tightly. His jaw grinds and his hands are clenching so hard at his side that I can see his biceps bulging even under the suit jacket.

“Tomorrow, we have a meeting. If it goes well, who knows?” He smiles thinly. “Maybe you go free.”

He turns and snaps. Maksim suddenly appears and nods at me, and I know it’s time to go.

“And what makes this meeting go well?”

He stiffens.

“I need to know, Yuri,” I hiss quietly. “Why the hell am I here, and what the fuck is this meeting—”

“The men who tried to take you, before my men intervened?” he snaps, whirling on me. “They work for a rival of mine.” Yuri’s eyes narrow dangerously. “He desires you.”

I pale. “Excuse me?”

“I think that’s as clear as I can put it for you, kiska,” he snaps, looking furious. “This man broke a fragile peace between us by taking something that was mine.”

My heart skips. My stomach knots as the pieces suddenly click into horrible place.

“So you took me, because he wants me.”

Yuri’s mouth thins. “Yes,” he hisses.

“And this meeting—”

“This man took something of mine, and so I took something he believed was his.” His eyes narrow on me. “You, River. I took you, because he desires to have you for himself. Now…” he spreads his arms and shrugs. His face is grim.

“Now what,” I spit.

“Now, I’m going to use you to destroy him,” he says flatly. My heart twists, making me wince.

Yuri’s eyes level at me. “You are here, kiska, because you are leverage.”

My face falls. The high of the kiss mere seconds ago evaporates like smoke. Whatever this throbbingly hot little interlude was, it’s over. And now, we’re back to the business at hand: him as the captor, me as the captive.

“That is how the world works, River” he growls thickly.

“This is not how the—”

“This is how my world works,” he snaps. His jaw clenches. His eyes burn into me. He opens his mouth to say something else. But then it snaps shut. With one more piercing look, he whirls. And then he’s gone.