Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself before I went ape shit on him and lost whatever progress we had done. Valentin trusted me enough to speak about Igor’s murder and for asking my thoughts. I couldn’t lose that trust.
Valentin turned his back to me and faced the window, watching the darkness. “If Diego really killed Igor, do you know what that means?”
His words caused me to still, and then I smirked. “It means war.”
He was silent, and then I heard him sigh. “No. We cannot go to war with Carlos. And I don’t believe this. There must have been a misunderstanding.”
I rubbed a hand over my face, infuriated with his reply.
Why was Valentin so sure it was a misunderstanding? Knowing Valentin, he was a man who would not think twice before declaring war.
His most trusted man was just killed—yet he was laying low.
It made no fucking sense.
Either he was a pussy or he and Carlos really did have a partnership deeper than the eyes could see.
“Igor was my man. But I have thousands like him. His death doesn’t cost me anything,” Valentin continued slowly.
I made a frustrated sound at the back of my throat before leaning back into my chair, acting nonchalant.
“But with Igor gone, Valeria—”
I paused at his words, my thoughts going blank and my heart stuttering.
Valerie.
Her name alone was enough to make me forget everything, whatever game I was supposed to be playing. I was no longer Konstantin; I was Viktor again.
Fuck. Get yourself together.
The Devil on my shoulder made his ugly appearance again, laughing his little ass off at my weakness.
I had spent days trying to get her off my mind. After the night I had touched her, worshipped her pussy until her come was covering my lips, I tried to forget.
I tried to get rid of that heavy feeling in my chest. I tried to forget how soft her eyes were when we had stared at each other.
I tried to forget how she melted into my arms when I gently kissed her lips for the first time.
But women were my weakness.
Valerie was my weakness.
I knew she was awake that night, awake and aware enough to know it was me touching her. Valerie had thought it was real, but then I fucked it up.
While I had her in my arms, knowing I had full control of her thoughts in that moment, I fucked her mind up.
Broke her heart and told her it was a dream.
But I had to protect her. Even from herself.
That night, I found out the true meaning of being fucking obsessed.
Because after that night, no matter how hard I fought myself, I still went back to her.
I should have stayed away, but I went to her in the morning. She was surprised, but my presence was welcomed. She was the object of my obsession, to the point that I had sat there silently, like a fucking psycho, and watched her eat. It was just a simple act of eating, but I had been completely ensnared.
I remembered the look in her eyes. She had appeared emotional and so lost when I gave her that paper swan.
A gift for my silent myshka.
After I had walked away, I told myself I wouldn’t come back. Not so soon. But fuck it, I hadn’t been able to stay away.
In the darkness, every night, I joined her in bed. I watched her sleep. I held her in my arms, felt her breathing against my neck. She would pull me closer, she would hold me to her—and in return, I would hold her to me.
We just held each other.
She slept peacefully. I surrendered to her embrace and slept too but always left before she could wake up.
I didn’t touch her intimately again. Only because I knew, next time fucking her pussy with my mouth wasn’t going to be enough.
Next time, I had to have my cock inside her tight pussy.
The need to take her was strong, but for some weird, fucked-up reasons, I waited. The thought made me smirk.
Waiting always made the forbidden fruit taste better—or, in this case, feel better.
“Forget it,” Valentin said, pulling me away from my thoughts.
My eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “What were you saying about Valerie?”
He swiveled around and gave me a hard, deadly look. “How do you know about Valerie? Did you see her?” he growled low in his chest.
I shrugged, trying to act like she was nothing—as if she meant nothing.
“I stumbled upon her room. I was exploring,” I replied slowly.
He nodded, losing the angry look again.
A deep and fruitful exploring. Just not the type of exploring you’re thinking of, you little piece of shit.
Valentin walked over to his desk and sat down on the chair. With his elbows on the surface, he leaned forward, his expression serious—businesslike.
“With Igor gone, I will have to find someone trustworthy to keep an eye on her,” he shared with me.