Chapter 40: Chapter Fourty.

No one dared answer. They knew better than to interrupt Marco when he was like this. His words were a promise, not a question.

“How long have you known this?” Marco demanded, rounding on the informant.

“S-sir, we just confirmed it,” the man stammered, his eyes darting toward the door as though contemplating an escape route. “It happened fast—he’s efficient. His men moved in and out before we even realized—”

Marco didn’t let him finish. His hand shot out, gripping the man by the collar and pulling him close until their faces were mere inches apart. “You *let* him do this? You *let* him take what’s mine?”

“N-no, sir! We didn’t know until—”

“*Enough!*” Marco bellowed, shoving the man backward so hard he stumbled and fell to the floor.

The room was dead silent. No one dared move, let alone speak. Marco’s rage was like a living entity, suffocating everyone in its path.

“You listen to me,” Marco said, his voice eerily calm now, which only made him more terrifying. He turned to face the rest of his men, his piercing gaze locking onto each of them in turn. “No one—*no one*—takes from me and lives to tell about it. That Russian bastard thinks he can come into my world, disrespect me, and steal from me?” He let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

“He’s going to regret the day he ever crossed Marco Bellini.”

He began pacing again, his mind already working on the next steps.

He stopped and turned to his informant, who was still sitting on the floor, shaking. “And you,” he sneered, “pray that this doesn’t happen again, or you’ll wish it was Viktor who came after you.”

Without another word, Marco stormed out of the room, leaving behind an air so heavy with tension that it felt as though the walls themselves were holding their breath.

Everyone knew what was coming next: blood, chaos, and a war unlike any they’d ever seen before.

♧♧♧

Xena was mentally cursing Anya to the depths of hell.

Of all the nightwear Anya could have picked, why *this*? The sheer, lacy fabric left little to the imagination, clinging to her curves and revealing far more than she was comfortable with. She felt utterly exposed. *Damn that red-haired seductress!*

When she stepped out of the closet, her heart pounded in relief—Viktor was still in the bathroom. She wasted no time, hurrying toward the massive bed and slipping under the covers, yanking the blanket up to her chin as if it were a shield. No way in *hell* was she letting Viktor see her like this.

Just as she tried to steady her nerves, she heard the bathroom door open. Then close.

Her breath hitched.

Seconds later, the closet door creaked open, then shut again. *Okay, he’s changing. That gives me time to—*

Before she could finish her thought, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, yanking her backward into a hard, warm chest.

Xena yelped.

"You smell nice." Viktor murmured against her skin, his deep voice vibrating through her.

His nose brushed the sensitive spot on her neck as he inhaled her scent, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.

Her body went stiff. *How the hell did he get here so fast?*

Before she could react, Viktor moved with unsettling ease. In a blink, he was over her, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand, his powerful body pressing her into the mattress.

Panic flared in Xena’s chest. She struggled beneath him, her pulse racing in alarm. “What the *fuck* are you doing?” she snapped, trying to push against his iron grip.

But Viktor wasn’t listening.

His smirk faded the moment his eyes roamed her body—more specifically, her nightwear. His breath audibly hitched, and she saw the way his pupils dilated, turning his usual ice-cold gaze into something darker.

Xena’s eyes widened as she felt something press against her thigh—hard and unmistakable.

“Viktor, *get off me!*” she shouted, trying to wriggle free. But her struggles only seemed to make things worse.

A low, deep growl rumbled in his chest as his gaze remained locked on her. “You’re fucking dangerous, you know that?” His voice was thick, almost strained.

Xena was about to retort when suddenly—*cold lips crashed against hers.*

Her mind blanked.

Her body froze.

It took her a full second to comprehend what was happening. *Viktor Sokolov was kissing her.*

The shock wore off fast. She thrashed beneath him, sealing her lips shut in refusal. She *hated* this man. She *hated* how he thought he could just do whatever he wanted.

But Viktor was relentless. His hand, the one not pinning her wrists, slid down her thigh, his fingertips ghosting over her skin, eliciting an involuntary shiver from her. The moment her lips parted slightly in a gasp, he took full advantage, deepening the kiss with an intoxicating hunger.

Xena’s eyes burned with frustration. She couldn’t let him win.

Acting on instinct, she did the only thing she could think of—

She bit him.

Hard.

Viktor hissed, jerking back in surprise. His tongue swiped over his lower lip, catching a drop of blood.

Xena’s chest heaved as she wiped her mouth furiously, glaring daggers at him. “Don’t you *ever* do that again.”

Instead of anger, Viktor only smirked. A slow, predatory grin spread across his face, his blue eyes dark with amusement.

“You like it rough, little fire?” His voice was husky, edged with desire. He tilted his head, licking the corner of his lip where she’d bitten him. “I like it.”

Xena swallowed hard, her throat tightening as Viktor’s piercing gaze bore into hers. His presence was overwhelming, suffocating.

Without breaking eye contact, he reached up, his fingers brushing against her cheek as he gently tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. The intimate gesture sent an unsettling chill down her spine.

His hand lingered, tracing the line of her jaw before tilting her chin up, forcing her to meet his icy blue eyes.

"You are mine, Xena." he murmured, his voice dangerously soft, a stark contrast to the ironclad dominance laced in his words. "I want *all* of you—your body, your mind… and most of all, your heart."

Xena’s breath hitched. A lump formed in her throat.

"B-But what if… what if I *don’t* want to be yours?" Her voice came out barely above a whisper, hesitant, fragile. She could feel the way her heart pounded against her ribs, the fear creeping in. "Viktor, please—"

His entire expression darkened, his jaw clenching.

"Then you will *learn*."

The chilling finality in his voice made her stomach drop.

Xena’s lips parted, trying to form a protest, a plea—anything. Desperation clawed at her insides. But instead of reasoning with him, instead of trying to plead her case, the words that left her mouth were nothing short of a mistake.

"What if I have another man?"

The second the sentence slipped from her lips, she regretted it.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled from Viktor’s chest, so feral, so full of possession that the air in the room thickened with tension. His eyes, already dark, turned absolutely lethal.

In a blur, he grabbed both of her wrists, slamming them over her head as he caged her beneath him once more.

His face was mere inches from hers now, his breath hot against her trembling lips. His entire body was taut, rigid with barely controlled rage.

"I will *kill* him." Viktor growled, his voice dangerously low, vibrating with raw, unhinged fury.

Xena’s body went completely still, her pulse pounding in her ears.

"You. *Only* belong to *me*." he continued, his grip tightening just enough to make her fully understand the gravity of his words.

A shiver ran down her spine, but this time, it wasn’t just fear. It was something else entirely—something far more terrifying.

Because in that moment, as she stared into Viktor’s stormy blue eyes, she realized something chilling.

He wasn’t lying.

If there *was* another man in her life…

Viktor Sokolov would bury him six feet under without hesitation.

Without another word, she turned onto her side, yanking the blanket over her body like a shield, her back facing him.

"Get some rest. *printsessa*.” he murmured. “You’ll need it.”

Xena’s blood boiled. *This man was insufferable.*

Xena clenched her jaw, silently vowing that one day—*one day*—she’d make him pay for this.