The gift

The gift

"Calm down, Liam!" I said, my voice shaking slightly, trying to inject some reason into his boiling fury. "Maybe it's just a regular fight, like when you guys get drunk and throw punches at each other over poker or football! You're too nervous!"

"Brinna, you have no idea how awful that Vladimir is. He's a total bastard! He's the one who played the tricks!" said Liam, getting all worked up, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. "I'm going to take my gun and kill him right now!"

"All right! Go ahead!" I snapped back, crossing my arms with a smirk that masked my stormy heart. He knew how dangerous Vladimir is but here he was fooling himself. "I'll order you a coffin the moment you go out! I promise there's no whiskey on the rocks in your coffin!"

But there will be Tessa's dead body!

Of course, I didn’t say that out loud. But I would make it happen. Like an advanced predator, a seasoned hunter doesn't rush the kill. They stalk their prey, toy with it, unnerve it, wear it down. That’s what I’m going to do now.

"The most important thing right now is to cover up the brawl!" I said, leaning forward, my eyes fixed on his like sharp daggers. "Both you and the Logan family are terrified that the Federation will catch wind of this mess. Each family will defend their stance, and at the same time start sniffing out evidence that favors them. And while you're all squabbling, tearing into each other..."

I paused, letting my words seep in like poison.

"Guess what the members of the Federation will decide?"

Liam’s breathing slowed. His chest rose and fell less violently now. He was starting to listen finally. Good. The prey is coming close. Just a little further.

"Their final decision will be to disqualify both the Hartford and the Logans from bidding!" I emphasized each word. "Don’t forget, this gas company isn’t just your obsession. There are others circling it, like a pack of hungry wolves waiting to tear it apart. There’s not only a wolf lurking around you, Liam. There’s a pack of wolves!"

My tone softened, but my message sharpened. "The best thing to do now is to settle this privately. Put out the fire before it burns down the house. Wait until the merger case is over then strike if you must."

Liam’s eyes wavered. I could almost see the storm in his head subsiding, replaced by calculation.

"Vladimir is not the type to compromise easily," he muttered, rubbing his forehead with frustration.

"Why not?" I countered, edging closer to him, my voice coaxing. "Nobody wants to be disqualified! Liam, I think you need to talk to him!"

"All right, but I want you to go with me," he said softly, almost like a plea. His voice trailed off, vulnerable. "I haven’t been able to find the right assistant since Jeff died, and you… you’ll face all the problems with me, won’t you?"

That was the face he always put on when he needed me, vulnerable, pleading, the broken man routine. I’d seen enough of it to roll my eyes internally. But still, I gave him an encouraging hug.

"Of course. I'm always here."

We returned to the bedroom in silence, the weight of everything hanging between us like a noose. Without a word, we lay down back to back, cold and distant, like two strangers sharing a bed in a war zone.

And the truth is, I didn’t sleep at all.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him, Vladimir. That perfect, maddening face. Those piercing eyes that seemed to see right through me. When I was in the shower earlier, letting the hot water cascade down my body, all I could think about was the way his fingers would feel gliding over my skin. The water did nothing to extinguish the fire raging inside me. If anything, it only fanned the flames.

Damn it. It was like one of my favorite cheeses had fallen on the floor, precious, forbidden, but still tempting. And I’m starving. Or rather, my body is.

Then I heard it Liam’s phone vibrating on the nightstand. He got out of bed quickly, quietly, moving like a shadow. I kept my eyes shut, breathing evenly, pretending to be asleep. The door clicked softly shut a moment later.

Where the hell are you going in the middle of the night, Liam?

I slid out of bed with the stealth of a thief and cracked open the door. The hallway was bathed in dim yellow light, flickering just enough to make the shadows dance. I saw him, my fiancée walking swiftly into another room.

Tessa’s room.

I tiptoed closer, heart hammering against my ribcage. I pressed my ear to the door.

Then I heard it.

A woman’s laughter soft, flirtatious.

Then a moan. A very lascivious sound.

I barely had time to process before it escalated muffled sounds, rhythmic thuds, bodies slamming into each other just beyond the door.
I looked down and saw shadows through the narrow crack. My stomach twisted violently. I backed away before I was sick right there in the hallway.

They’re doing this in my house. In my home.
When I finally made it back to my bedroom, I closed the door and leaned against it, shaking with fury. They’ve gone too far. That disgusting traitor. And Liam, you hypocritical bastard.

I opened the drawer with trembling fingers and found Liam’s gun, sleek, black, cold to the touch and a box of bullets. My fingers hovered over them, a storm raging in my chest. Maybe I should just end it, end them. Right now.

My phone buzzed.

An unknown number.
I hesitated. Who the hell would call me at this hour? I almost ignored it. But something , curiosity, fate, madness compelled me to pick up.

"Hello," I whispered. A deep, unmistakable voice answered. "Hello, my dear," he purred. "You forgot to save my phone number."

I stopped breathing.

Vladimir.
"Your fiancée isn’t with you, right?" he asked, mockingly gentle. "Then he must be with another woman."

"He’s in the house," I replied, my voice low, raw with emotion. "But you guessed it. He’s with another woman. He’s having sex with my bestfriend."

I don’t know why I told him the truth. Maybe because I needed to hear someone else acknowledge the betrayal. Maybe because his voice felt like the only real thing in the world right now.
"I guess you want to kill him now?" Vladimir said with a dark chuckle. "Don’t be rash. I’ve got a present for you. Maybe it’ll take your mind off your anger."

"What gift?" I asked, breath catching.
"You’ll see it when you open the door. But don’t hang up."

With the phone pressed to my ear, I walked to the door, heart pounding. There, lying innocently on the floor, was a beautifully wrapped box. Silver paper, black ribbon danger wrapped in elegance.

He’s bold. Too bold.

I brought it inside, unwrapped it carefully with shaking hands, the phone call still live.

Inside was a pair of scandalously sexy briefs. In the middle, a string of luminous pearls, strategically placed to stimulate the most sensitive part of me.
He’s insane. He’s a devil. He’s perfect.

"You’re playing with fire," I whispered.
"Isn’t it exciting?" Vladimir chuckled, his voice like warm honey laced with arsenic. "I have a more exciting suggestion. Do you want to know what it is?"

Of course I did. My body was already betraying me. I was soaked with lust. I was trembling. Even if he hadn’t called, I probably would’ve gone to the bathroom to masturbate, desperately trying to purge this ache.

"Vladimir," I said in a hushed tone.

"I’m here."
"I know about the fight. I have a good suggestion. Do you want to hear it?"
"I’d rather hear your moaning," he said smoothly. "But go ahead."

"Does our partnership still count?" I asked, reminding him of the alliance we forged, even if it was born from deceit and desire.
"You are the boss, darling."

"I’ll come to you tomorrow with Liam to negotiate. I hope you’ll accept a settlement," I said, laying out the plan. "A settlement is the best option right now. But you can, of course, ask Liam for compensation."

He laughed. "I don’t need compensation. I need you."

"Vladimir," I said seriously, "You’ll do what I ask, won’t you?"
"You are the boss, darling," he repeated, his tone gentler now. "Thank you," I said, genuinely grateful for once.
"But now that I’ve agreed to your request," he said, voice turning devilish again, "will you do me a favor in turn? Put on the underwear I gave you… and turn on the video."

I gasped.

Liam was in the next room, buried inside my best friend , and here I was ... tempted to do the unthinkable. "Honey," Vladimir murmured, "isn’t it exciting? Your asshole husband is fucking your best friend while you’re about to have video sex with his enemy."

I looked down at the shimmering pearls.

I was on fire.

I was wet.

And I knew…

Even without Vladimir, I would’ve touched myself tonight.

"Yeah," I whispered. "Why not?"