Chapter 17

POV Samuel

I approach the dark room and unlock the door. I find Luara lying curled up on the floor, hugging her knees. She doesn’t move and remains quiet, softly crying.

"Maria told me you refused to eat breakfast."

"I don’t want anything. I’m going on a hunger strike. I’ll die slowly and come back to haunt your life," declares my wife, her voice tearful.

"For God’s sake, Luara, how old are you?"

"I’m tired of seeing that disgusting girl in our house. She just got here, and I already hate her."

"Is that why you threatened Tatyana?" Luara loves to threaten any woman she deems interesting to me.

"I’m going to kill her, and I hope you don’t forget that."

"I decide who lives and who dies, and I have no intention of killing her. Once my child is born, she will be free. You can’t do anything about it, Luara. Just follow my orders."

"I should be the one giving you a child, not that savage."

"Yes, but you didn’t give me an heir because you’re not even fit to have a child! Enough. You can leave, but from today on, you’ll have your own room. I won’t share a bed with you anymore. We’ve never consummated our marriage, and staying by your side serves no purpose," I declare firmly.

"Why are you doing this?" Luara gets up and touches my face desperately. "I love you. You can’t push me away like this. We’re married."

I grab her wrists and push her away.

"We’re married because that’s the way it’s supposed to be!"

"One day, you’ll realize you’ve always loved me, Colt," Luara shouts as she angrily leaves the dark room.

Luara has done many things in the past, but the most significant was destroying my trust. We grew up together and spent most of our childhood side by side. Our marriage was arranged when we were only five years old. Over the years, Luara desperately sought my approval, but she was always a true disciple of Pavel.

My father trained and shaped us in his image, and Luara inherited his most calculating and narcissistic traits. My cousin, now my wife, broke my trust, and once broken, it can never be restored.

As soon as I leave the room and lock it, I find Pavel standing there, likely wanting to talk or simply to irritate me.

"Samuel, we need to talk about that girl."

"She has a name—it’s Tatyana," I provoke, and he huffs, irritated by my response.

"It doesn’t matter what her name is or who she is. Once that baby is born, she will be discarded."

"Who decided that?" I retort, already feeling agitated. I’m not a man of much patience; on the contrary, my temper is always ready to take over.

"I’m telling you that you’re going to discard her," Pavel declares boldly.

"I’m the one in charge now! You trained me to be a leader, and as a leader, I’ll decide her fate!"

"Samuel Colt, I’m giving you an order, and you’ll obey."

"I don’t listen to you anymore, and the next time you try to tell me what to do, I’ll kill you myself. You trained me perfectly—I’m capable of killing you, and it would mean nothing. I don’t love you. I respect the position of hierarchy you hold, but don’t challenge me again," I say furiously, yet he still confronts me.

"You wouldn’t kill me! Listen to what you’re saying."

"If I were you, I wouldn’t take the risk."

I walk away quickly, furious, feeling increasingly confused and out of control. Luara had just told me she wanted to kill Tatyana, and now Pavel is making the same threat. I’ll definitely need to stay alert. Unfortunately, my family has this insatiable hunger for power and authority and slyly tries to control me.

I’m not controllable. I respect the Mafia, my brothers in the Brotherhood, but it’s been difficult to honor the code. My greatest desire is to kill my father, but that would bring terrible consequences.

I head to my room, and as soon as I pass through the door, I begin to take off my clothes. I walk to the bathroom and step into the shower. The hot water falls and runs over my body as countless thoughts flood my mind, leaving me unbalanced. With each new thought, the image of Tatyana appears uninvited.

I feel like I need to see her, to hold her tightly in my arms. I grip my cock with intensity, imagining the sensation of her pussy slowly sliding over it.

"As soon as I finish this shower, I’m going to her room. I’m desperate to hold Tatyana. I’ve never been a man of many women; I’ve had whores I occasionally fucked. I’m dominant, sadistic, and even for that type of relationship, I’ve never been fit—I’m too harsh and incapable of caring about anyone. But with her, I’m tempted to care.

Thinking better of it, I can’t let myself be carried away by this desire. I’ll stay as far away from her as possible," I think.

***

POV Tatyana

A month passes, and my routine has been frustrating. I was used to working in two different places. During the day, I worked at a call center—a chaotic place with constant calls and sales—and after leaving, I had a two-hour break before my next job. At the nightclub, the music and serving customers distracted me, but by the end of the shift, I was exhausted.

Here at the mansion, I survive by reading and spend much of my day in the house’s library, located behind the Bordeaux Room. Almost every night, I see Samuel pass by me, always holding a glass of whiskey and a cigar.

Near him, I always feel as if there’s a hand around my heart, squeezing it slowly and stirring up my mental turmoil. I feel anger, stubbornness, roughness, and wildness, while being overwhelmed by an uncontrollable excitement and desire. Something so strong it makes my bones burn. Amid this whirlwind of emotions, I begin to realize I’m fascinated by him. He seems to want to open up and reveal his darkness, yet he hesitates and retreats. Sometimes he gazes at me endlessly; other times, he tries to get closer, asking about my life.

We haven’t had any sexual contact in recent days, which has given me time to think more about the effect he has on me. I like his darkness because it shows he carries great sadness within him. Despite his arrogance, I admire his honesty when expressing something that bothers him. Even so, he tries to resolve conflicts while considering all the sides that could be affected. Samuel is like this as a leader, but it’s also part of his personality.

Our sexual connection is intense, but the mystery of his refusal to fully reveal himself awakens my curiosity and makes me want to stay close to uncover his secrets. Samuel lives in an unhappy marriage, and over the past few days, I’ve often found him arguing with Luara. There’s no love, only obligation.

He is an ambition I could never have. What future could there be? This arrogant man commands a Mafia, his destiny is already mapped out, he’s forbidden, and we could never work. Yet these very thoughts have made my feelings for him grow out of control—a true invader.

After finishing my shower, I decide to choose something simple to wear to dinner. I love the feeling of lightness, being like this—completely naked. I step barefoot onto the cold marble floor and stop in front of the mirror. I gaze at my reflection and run my hand softly over my belly.

Could there already be a tiny sprout of arrogance developing inside me? Could this baby be as ignorant and temperamental as its father? I know I can’t get attached, after all, this child will stay with Samuel, and thinking about that depresses me.

My daydreams pull me from reality, and I don’t even notice when he enters the room and leans against the wall. He crosses his arms, and I tilt my head when I notice a shadow behind me. My eyes meet his. The arrogant man looks different, dressed in only a sports shirt and black leather pants that excite me. I’m used to seeing him in suits, and seeing him like this scrambles my feelings.

"Do you need something?" I ask, curious.

Samuel analyzes my naked body, stripping my soul bare.

"Do you have any health problems?" he asks, surprising me with his question.

"What do you mean?" He approaches with heavy steps and wraps his arms around my waist.

"You’re small, you seem fragile! If it weren’t for that sharp tongue of yours, you could easily fool me."

I stick out my tongue at him, and he devours it, biting hard. It’s insanely disturbing how much my body desires his. How it betrays me and surrenders shamelessly to Colt. I kiss his warm, soft lips with urgency and appetite. His scent invades my nervous system, sending waves of shivers through my body.

Why does Samuel Colt have such a powerful effect on me? Why do his scent and taste excite me so much?

His right hand moves along my back, up to my nape, tangling his fingers in my hair. Samuel pulls hard, tilting my head back as he kisses my neck gently.

"Damn it, Tatyana, what are you doing to me? I feel like killing you, but at the same time, I stop myself and just want to fuck you hard." Samuel holds me tightly in his arms. "Why are you doing this to me? Driving me crazy," he finishes, his expression stressed.

My mouth captures his, and our tongues dance in sync and magnetism. I pull our lips apart and whisper, "I want you. I want you to punish me and make me feel your pain."

I feel like a blank page, waiting for him to fill me with the words I so desperately need. My body trembles, as if an infinite cold invades my soul. This cold is Samuel Colt.

He pulls me onto his lap, and I wrap my legs around his waist. The arrogant man carries me, holding my ass firmly, and takes me to the panic room. When we pass through the door, he sets me on the bed and speaks with authority:

"Get on all fours, Tatyana!"

Everything seems to make sense and, at the same time, feels surreal. I position myself as he retrieves the case from the wardrobe. Samuel seems to live with pain trapped in his chest, a pain strong enough to break bones. He constantly rages and roars in anger. I don’t know his past, but judging by his actions, it must have been torturous.

He grabs a single-tailed leather whip. Holding it firmly by the handle, he approaches me. I think that by understanding his pain, I might finally see him open up.

His gaze is different from the one he usually shares with me. The ruthless man stands behind me, ready to punish me.

"Are you sure you want to know my pain, Tatyana?"

"Yes… I need to know it. Only then will I be able to understand you." I close my eyes, knowing I might not like feeling it.