Tears of Betrayal by Michelle Heard

 

Chapter 26

 

ARIANA

 

While the others check the weapons, I take a quick shower. My stomach is tight with nerves, and by the time I wrap a towel around my body, my legs feel weak with stress.

This will be my first Bratva meeting, and I’ll come face to face with Yuri.

God. That’s if I don’t die from hyperventilating.

Closing my eyes, I focus on slowing my breaths, but it doesn’t help that it feels like my heart is being crushed in a forceful grip.

Demitri comes into the bathroom, and his eyes scan over the towel I’m clutching. “You okay?”

I take a deep breath and nod. “Just really nervous.”

He moves closer to me and softly trails his fingers over my shoulder and up my neck. Leaning forward, he brushes his nose along my jaw, and I hear him taking a deep breath.

Goosebumps spread over my body, and having him touch me instantly eases my nerves.

His mouth skims over mine, then he murmurs, “Want a distraction?”

I nod fast, leaning in to try and kiss him, but instead, Demitri places an arm behind my back and another beneath my knees, lifting me to his chest.

He carries me to the bed and then drops me on the mattress, my head in the middle of the bed. Standing back, he takes hold of his shirt and pulls it over his head, ordering, “Towel off and open your legs wide.”

Yes, Sir.

I do as he says while I watch him unzip his pants and step out of them. When Demitri is naked, I drink in the sight of him, my worry now a distant memory in the back of my mind.

Then he moves around the bed, and I tilt my head back as he comes to kneel behind me, his cock almost touching my hair.

Ah…okay?

There’s a hot smirk on his face as he stares down at me, and then his eyes move over my body. He leans forward, pressing a kiss between my breasts, and then his hands join in, and my eyes drift closed from how good it feels. As he moves down to my abdomen, the head of his cock brushes over my forehead. I tilt my head back again, and opening my mouth, my tongue darts out to circle the swollen head.

“Christ,” Demitri hisses against my skin. “Suck my cock into your mouth,” he orders. I can only take a quarter of him, but feeling the velvety skin against my tongue and tasting him sends a flush of heat between my legs. “Yes, Malyshka, just like that,” he praises me.

I’m so focused on sucking his cock I let out a muffled shriek when his mouth attacks my clit.

Demitri has no mercy as he sucks and bites at my sensitive flesh. I repay the favor by wrapping my hand around his base and stroking him while I suck as hard as I can.

It becomes a battle of who can make the other one orgasm first. I’m going to lose, but I give it my all.

My moans vibrate against his hard length, and his thrusts begin to speed up, the head of his cock flirting with my throat while his tongue dives into my entrance, swiveling and stroking me into another universe.

My hips buck up, and I shamelessly rub myself against his mouth.

When Demitri’s mouth clamps down on my clit, and he enters me with two fingers, my body tenses, and right as I begin to convulse, he thrusts hard and fast, bypassing my gag reflex until I feel him deep in my throat.

He lets out primal grunts as he prolongs my orgasm by sucking my clit and fingering me, and then my throat has to work to swallow as he comes.

“That’s right, Malyshka.” His words vibrate against my pussy. “Take every last drop.” And then he laps at me, doing the same.

I begin to run really low on air, struggling to focus on everything and breathing through my nose. Right before I’m in danger of blacking out, Demirti pulls out of my throat as if he knew exactly how much time he had.

He moves back as I suck in desperate breaths of air, and then his mouth slams down on mine, and I taste myself on his tongue.

His palms settle hard on my breasts, and he massages them while he kisses the living hell out of me.

When he finally pulls back and stares down at me, he asks, “Feeling better?”

I’m lying on the bed like a limp noodle, my legs spread wide and my body tingling with the aftershocks of pleasure. “Huh?”

“How’re the nerves?”

“What nerves?” I ask, still trying to catch my breath.

Demitri lets out a chuckle and presses a quick kiss to my lips, and then he whispers, “Your throat is just as tight as your pussy.”

God.

As if I didn’t just come apart at the seams, my abdomen tightens, and I clench my legs together with need.

I watch as Demitri climbs off the bed and walks to the bathroom, and then I stare up at the ceiling, reliving what just happened between us.

That was freaking hot.

I grin like an idiot until my thoughts wander to the talk between Alexei and me. I appreciate Alexei explaining things to me, and I know it’s an adjustment period for all of us. But I’m unsure if a relationship between Demitri and me can work in the long run.

I totally get that Alexei has a say in all the business decisions and that my personal life is still my own. I also understand they’re super close, but… I just don’t want to be a third wheel to their bromance.

Letting out a sigh, I know for things to work between Demitri and me, I’ll first have to learn to get along with Alexei. I wasn’t lying when I said I’d like to be friends.

I’m just worried Alexei will never actually accept me because he’s overprotective of Demitri.

I guess only time will tell.

 

 

DEMITRI

 

When we’re ready to leave, we all gather in the courtyard, waiting for Alexei.

He comes out of the house, dressed in a three-piece black suit that fits him like a second skin. Smirking, he says, “Dressed to kill.”

I let out a chuckle, then walk toward one of the SUVs. “Come on, let’s do this.”

I open the back door for Ariana, who looks absolutely stunning in black pants and a red silk top. She’s wearing heels and a black coat to complete her Bratva princess look.

Before she climbs inside, I hold a Heckler and Koch out to her. She stares at the gun for a moment, and then her slender fingers wrap around it.

“Remember to take off the safety before shooting and don’t aim at one of us.”

She lets out a chuckle and rolls her eyes at me. “I know.” Then she smiles down at the gun before bringing her eyes back to mine. “Thank you. I feel safer having it.”

I wait for her to climb into the back, then shut the door.

When we’re all ready, Alexei starts the engine and steers the vehicle through the gates, with Damien, Carson, and Winter following behind us.

I should be thinking of the meeting, but I’m worried about Ariana and whether she’ll be able to fit into our way of life. It was easy for Winter because she was born into the Irish Mafia and Damien became her custodian instead of Carson’s.

But with Ariana, it’s different. She has to share me with Alexei, and I’m not sure she’s willing to do that.

My thoughts are inundated with the worry over where things will go between Ariana and me, and Alexei picks up on my tension because he asks, “You okay?”

“Yes.” I nod and scan my eyes over our surroundings.

As we pull up to the warehouse where the meeting will be held, I’m not hundred percent focused. I glance over the area where other armored vehicles are already parked.

Everyone will be heavily armed tonight.

Get your head back in the game, Demitri.

I take a deep breath to ground myself, and as Alexei parks the SUV, I say, “Ariana, stay with Alexei at all times. No matter what happens.”

“Okay.”

I’m on high alert as I push the door open and get out of the vehicle. My eyes meet Damien’s, and we nod at each other. Tonight it’s up to the two of us to keep our group alive.

Winter stays near Carson while Ariana sticks to Alexei’s side. I take the lead while Damien brings up the rear as we walk into the warehouse.

Four groups wait for us, and when I see Ilia standing to the side of Yuri, my eyes narrow. Sergei’s right-hand man already chose a side.

So that’s why he couldn’t leave fast enough earlier.

“Aww… did we keep you waiting?” Alexei taunts them. “My apologies.”

“Glad to see you brought her,” Yuri mutters as he takes a step forward, not even looking at Ariana.

“Coward,” Ariana says, her tone icy. “We’re blood. I would’ve let you have everything.”

Yuri ignores her and keeps his eyes on Alexei. “This misunderstanding can be cleared out of the way, just hand her over.”

“What misunderstanding?” Alexei asks. “Ariana is the heir to everything Sergei owned. This is business, Yuri. I’ll help her take over everything for a fee. You have nothing to offer me.” Alexei lets out a threatening chuckle. “You’re just in the way of me becoming the head of the Bratva.”

A murmur spreads through the other men, and Andrei Nicollaj, the oldest member, takes a step forward. “What makes you think you’re the best option for the position? By right, if not an Ivanov, I should take over as head of the Bratva.”

“No one’s stopping you from trying, Andrei,” Alexei taunts him. “Let me give you a friendly warning, you either kneel or die. I’ll make it quick out of respect.”

Andrei’s face darkens with anger, but before he can say anything, Yuri orders, “Let’s settle the minor inconvenience of the girl, and then we can vote.”

Lifting my hand, I rub the barrel of my gun against my temple, then say, “The girl, Ariana, belongs to me. You have to come through me to get to her.”

Yuri’s eyes snap to me. “An arranged marriage?”

Slowly, I shake my head. “No, I don’t have to force her.”

“Love?” Yuri lets out a burst of amused laughter. “How the mighty has fallen.” He shrugs. “So be it.”

Ilia’s hand flies up, and in a split second, everything registers. Ariana moves in front of Alexei to cover him. I lunge to the side to shield them both with my body as I pull the trigger.

Gunfire erupts in the warehouse, and a line gets drawn in the sand on who’s taking which side. I take out Ilia with a shot to the head while pulling my other gun from behind my back. Taking aim at Yuri with my Heckler and Koch, I use my Glock to fire a shot at one of his men, and then as Yuri ducks to avoid a bullet, I pull the trigger, hitting him in the throat. I keep firing, emptying my clip on him as he sinks to the concrete floor.

I’m so focused on watching Yuri drown in his own blood that one of his men gets off two shots. I lunge in front of Alexei and Ariana and then stagger back from the bullets slamming into my chest and stomach. Ignoring the pain, I take out the man with a shot between the eyes.

As the life begins to seep from my body, I fight with every last bit of strength I have to take down the threats to Ariana and Alexei.

For a moment, there’s only chaos until Damien and Carson fire the last shots, and then there’s a hiss in the air, the scent of gunpowder hanging thick around us.

I manage to glance over the dead bodies of the fallen Bratva, making sure they stay down while a scorching pain begins to numb my body.

Semion Aulov and Lev Petrov stood with us. Together with Alexei, Damien, and Carson, a new era for the Bratva will be born.

Knowing the immediate threat has been dealt with, it feels like I’m moving in slow motion as I turn to check on Ariana and Alexei. My feet feel numb, my legs growing weaker as the adrenaline fades and the blood flows from my wounds.

I take in that the two people I love more than anything are unharmed, and then my eyes move to find Damien.

“Everyone okay?” Alexei asks as he glances at the group.

My eyes lock on my brother, and I see he’s not hurt.

Thank God. They’re all okay.

Damien instantly explodes into a run toward me, shouting, “No!”

Alexei’s head turns to me, and then he darts forward to catch me as I sink to my knees. “Demitri! Christ!”

When Alexei’s eyes lock on mine, I see fear on his face.

He’s never shown fear before.

He presses a hand over the bullet wound to my chest, “Hold on, brother.”

My eyes stay locked with his.

Two bullets. One for Alexei and one for Ariana. I did what I was always meant to do. I protected them with my life.

“Carson, take Ariana,” Alexei shouts, and as I cough and my vision blurs, Alexei wraps his arms around me, pulling me back to my feet. “Hold on. Please.” Hearing him beg makes me try.

Fuck, I try with everything left in me.

My blurring sight falls on Ariana, where she’s staring at me. She’s frozen in shock, barely blinking, raw anguish etched into her beautiful features, and I wish I had the strength to comfort her.

You’ll be okay, Malyshka. Alexei will watch over you on my behalf.

With Alexei on my right and Damien on my left, the world fades to black.