Chapter 43

When Vladimir finally came to bed it was after I was long asleep, but his groping had woken me up to the smell of alcohol seeping out of his pores. I gagged, and he continued with his hasty sloppy lovemaking till he passed out on top of me, leaving me unfulfilled. Then came the test of strength as I rolled his massive form off of me.

“Kitten.” He murmured in his sleep and I crawled off of him and off the bed. I was done sleeping here for the night. Not with him smelling like a distillery. I walked through the connecting door to my old room and dived under the covers. He would be mad in the morning, I thought but then again, I was mad and sexually frustrated enough for the both of us.

The events of the night would never end, it seemed. I was jolted upright at the crack of dawn, wondering if I heard correctly. The voice came again, and my blood boiled. I jumped out of bed and ran to the fireplace picking up the poker as I passed by on my way to Vladimir’s room.

The source of my anger was sitting on our bed, dabbing delicately at her greedy eyes as she wept on my husband’s broad shoulders. I stepped up behind her and said one word. “Move!” She turned and looked down at my crumpled nightgown and frowned then turned back to Vladimir as though I didn’t exist. I raised the poker.

Vladimir moved off the bed and stood between us keeping the bedding wrapped around his waist. With his back to her, he smiled down at me taking the poker from my hand. I had the sudden urge to kiss him and wrap my hands possessively around him. He was mine, after all.

“My wife and I need to be properly dressed for this conversation Slava…”

So, this was the infamous Slava! I scrutinized the competition and felt stupid for cutting of my hair. Lifting my chin and keeping my hands away from my hair, I appraised the dark-haired beauty. At my best, she would give me a run for my money. When she stood, she was taller than me and looked like a Goddess with her emerald green eyes, red full lips and flawless pale skin. No wonder Yuri had fallen under her spell!

Lifting an elegant brow, she appraised me as well and by her sneer, I was found lacking. I was hustled back to my bedroom and before he could head to the shower, I stopped him questioning. “What the hell is she doing here? And on our bed no less!”

Vlad grinned like my question pleased him and he crooked a finger. “Come Kitten, come put your brand on me, so Slava knows who I belong to.”

His words made me frown as he didn’t answer my question. He hardly does, now that I thought on it. But I wanted a straight answer for this particular question. I place my hands on my hips and tapped my foot. He relented with another wide grin saying. “I’ll answer all questions in the shower. Come join me, Kitten.” Since he walked off into the bathroom, I had no choice but to follow.

I got answers alright, but I couldn’t recall them if I wanted to. He told me something…I knew, but he was also doing other things as he did his words went in one ear and out the next. He did that on purpose. And now I was ashamed to ask him to repeat himself, especially after I did so when I was dressed, and he smirked. “But I already told you, Kitten. Didn’t you hear me?”

Forty-five minutes later, I angrily stomped down the stairs beside him while he grinned feeling proud of this morning’s accomplishments. We entered the dining room to find Slava seated in my chair. The significance wasn’t lost on me. She was acting as though Vladimir had no wife.

Instead of correcting her, as I expected him to, he took the seat of a guest, dragging me to sit beside him, giving the meeting a more informal air. Breakfast wasn’t served however, and with that casual difference he let her know she wasn’t invited to eat with us.

Slava glared at me from across the table before resuming her woe is me façade in front of Vladimir. “Yuri said you told him a pack of lies about me, I want to you tell him the truth!”

Even if I hadn’t overheard their conversation, I would’ve known she was lying. Her mannerisms indicated she knew Vladimir had told the truth, but she wanted him to lie for her. Vlad knew it too and he paused as if thinking on it then said softly. “No.” She reeled as if slapped and he continued. “This has to end, Slava.”

She straightened in her seat and all pretence was gone as she smiled at him. “All I need is for you to vouch for your baby’s legitimacy as I publicly vouch for your marriage to …this.” She gestured to me with an airy wave.

Vlad smirked as he informed her. “I do not care about your or anyone’s opinions of my wife and all that know me, know to keep such opinions well out of my hearing.”

She smiled like a snake as she countered. “I wonder…does she still wish to go back to New York, or has she become so enamoured with your little cockling she wants to stay now?” Vlad flushed and angry red and I somehow knew it wasn’t the emasculating of his manhood that was pissing him off. She continued as if she wasn’t courting death. “You know there a teenage girl that went missing that looks a lot like your little…pet. Her mother went missing after her little escape too. I find it very odd that her twin resides in your bed. Does the mother reside there too? I wouldn’t doubt. Your standards have dropped, decidedly.”

I paled. She knew about me and was blackmailing Vlad into compliance. She continued her threat. “Your crown won’t save you and your little pet will be taken away to get help. Do as I wish and claim your child! Your little pet can be stashed safely away and after a certain amount of time, a quiet divorce can be purchased… we will remarry…”

“The child is dead Slava. It’s easy enough to find out its father.” Vlad finished, grinding his teeth.

“At least he was all Russian!” She declared.

“You and your Ukrainian bastard would’ve never borne my name!” Vlad declared, and I was afraid he had gone too far. Slava was powerful in her own right. No threats he made could frighten her.

I hated to be right as she grinned “And what will happen to your half breed spawn? Once the dust has settled, I’ll sell her for entertainment, just like her mother was.”

Okay, this bitch knew a lot! Trying to keep the surprize from my face, I cast a discrete look at Vlad and found him smiling. Had he lost his mind or was he contemplating killing her as I was? It was neither, it turned out to be as I heard him say. “The people that sold her to my father do not speak to outsiders. I wonder, what were your purchases?”

She paled. She had said too much and going by Vlad’s triumphant grin he knew he had her. “I knew there was another Russian buyer, thank you for confirming it.”

Slava wasn’t one to go down easily. She countered “I can have your father’s list of purchases plastered on every front page by morning.”

“You’d be dead by lunch.” Vlad said simply. “If not before that, all I have to do is tell the others of your plans.”

“Your little pet will die too.” She countered with a hiss.

“No, she won’t!” Vlad declared fiercely hugging me to him. “They’ll have to go through me and unlike you I won’t lay down like a lump and take it.”

Her face twisted at the double shot and with that she stood. “Goodbye, Your Highness.”

“It wasn’t pleasant having you here, Your Grace.” Vladimir replied coolly without getting out of his seat. Another slight.

Thrusting her nose in the air, she wafted out. Moving in a way that left no doubt she was showing him just what he was missing.

Once she was gone, Vladimir jumped out of his seat and took his position at head of the table. He checked his watch and like magic the footmen and maids appeared to serve breakfast. How did they know to arrive? I wondered, were they listening at the door?

Vladimir didn’t seem concerned and dug into his meal with gusto. I watched in shock as he inelegantly wolfed down his meal. “Hurry up!” He gestured to me with his mouth full and I wondered why he was in an all fired hurry to finish breakfast. Did Slava’s threats get to him after all?

I tried my best to keep pace and overheard him directing the servants. “Tell Mila to pack up Irena and have Leia see to the Czarina’s luggage. Have the helicopter prepped and the plane ready to take off when we get there. We leave in one hour.”

Gregory directed footmen to do his bidding and I watched them race off. He was afraid of Slava’s threats! It was strange that Vladimir was afraid of no one, but this woman. It made me wonder what kind of power she wielded.

Worry made me cut my meal short and I indicated to him I was finished. He stood immediately and walked over to me and took my hand. I was hustled upstairs with no explanations and ordered to change. His haste made me keep my questions to myself and I returned downstairs to find him chatting easily with Gregory. What the hell was going on?

Smiles from the staff greeted me with wishes of having a pleasant journey. Irena was placed in my arms and Mila took a seat in the helicopter. Nothing seemed right about this trip, but the staff was going about as if it was planned well ahead. I sat in the helicopter rocking Irena as the blades started up. This was a military helicopter, I just realized. It was only white instead of black, like the one I saw on the beach and the weapons weren’t on display but knowing Vlad, I knew it was armed.

We strode to the plane, like we were going on a normal holiday and Vlad chatted with the crew before take-off. He decided to fly himself and two members of the crew sat in the back with Mila and me. Having enough of this weird scene, I handed Irena to Mila and headed to the cockpit.

As soon as I closed the door, I blurted out. “What the hell is going on Vlad?”

Continuing his pre-flight checks, he replied without turning. “Slava is about to die and we need to be seen in another country before that occurs.”

I collapsed in the seat next to him. “Buckle up.” He told me as if he hadn’t ordered someone’s death.

I