“Yes,” Nikolai purrs. “We’ve been to see his girlfriend at her club.”
Oleg smacks him with the back of his hand, which isn’t meant to be hard, but makes Nikolai stumble back. He fake wheezes and hunches over like he can’t breathe. “Not so hard, asshole.”
Lucy sits up taller. “Oleg, you have a girlfriend?”
His expression grows thunderous.
I’m even more interested. It’s rare to see any reaction at all out of him.
“He hasn’t sealed the deal yet,” Dima confides to Lucy in a conspiratorial tone. “But if he would ask her out she would say yes, for sure. She literally crawls all over him during her show.”
Oleg glowers, and with a twist of my gut, I realize his dilemma. He asks for so little, we sometimes minimize his very real disability. With us, he can at least write or text if he needs to communicate something. But while he may understand it, he doesn’t write in English. Asking a girl out would be impossible.
“Well, why the fuck didn’t you help him with that?” I demand.
Dima appears surprised. He looks at Nikolai for support. “Because I didn’t want to get my skull smashed?”
Oleg nods in agreement, like he would’ve smashed skulls.
“I’ll go with you next time,” I promise Oleg, but he shakes his head.
“See?” Dima protests. “He doesn’t want help. I definitely would’ve worked it if he did.”
“Hmm.” I file that away. I’m definitely going with next time, so I can see what’s going on.
The door opens again, and Maxim enters with a redheaded woman.
“Maxim!” Lucy exclaims.
“I’m back,” Maxim says. He’s dressed in a suit, but it’s rumpled, and he appears tired. “With my reluctant bride. Meet Igor’s daughter, Sasha.”
Sasha tosses her red hair with a sniff. I’ve seen her before but only a couple times. The mafiya princess is beautiful, but young. And judging by the grip Maxim has on her elbow, she’s a handful.
“She was his dying gift to you?” Nikolai scoffs, and Maxim shoots him a look that would kill as he leads her toward his bedroom.
“She doesn’t leave this penthouse,” Maxim says over his shoulder. “Not without escort.” They disappear into his room, and he shuts the door.
For a moment, we all stare at each other absorbing the arranged marriage situation that just dropped itself into our lives. Then I stand and help Lucy up off the couch.
“I’d love to conjecture with you, but my bride looks tired.” And I’m ready for another round with her.
“Spokoynoy nochi,” Lucy says, still practicing her Russian.
“Good night, Lucy,” Dima and Nikolai chorus.
“Good night,” Pavel calls toward our backs.
“Tell me that girl isn’t another prisoner,” Lucy says when we get into the bedroom. I pull off her pajama top as I back her toward the bed.
“It would only be for her own safety,” I swear. “That would be the reason Igor pinned her to Maxim. It’s a brilliant match, really. He needed Maxim to take her out of Russia and away from the tigers vying for his power and her wealth.”
“What about love?” Lucy asks.
I catch the back of her head and kiss her before her knees hit the bed. “Conquering. Wasn’t that preferred? Maxim will conquer her. And she will conquer him. And then there will be love. Just like with us, no?”
Her lids droop.
I pull down the covers and lay her in the bed. “I love you, kotyonok. My fierce, wild lioness.” I climb in beside her.
“I love you, Ravil Baranov. And yes, I will marry you.”
I reach over to turn out the light. “I wasn’t asking.”
Her laugh is husky and full. “I know. You’re claiming.” She kisses my chest then lays her head on it. “You’ve already conquered.”
The End
To read Lucy and Ravil’s first meeting in DC, check out “Prelude” in the book Black Light: Roulette War (free in Kindle Unlimited).
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Other Titles by Renee Rose
Vegas Underground Mafia Romance
King of Diamonds
Mafia Daddy
Jack of Spades
Ace of Hearts
Joker’s Wild
His Queen of Clubs
Dead Man’s Hand
Wild Card
More Mafia Romance
The Russian
The Don’s Daughter
Mob Mistress
The Bossman
Contemporary
Daddy Rules Series
Fire Daddy
Hollywood Daddy
Stepbrother Daddy
Master Me Series
Her Royal Master
Her Russian Master
Her Marine Master
Yes, Doctor
Double Doms Series
Theirs to Punish
Theirs to Protect
Holiday Feel-Good
Scoring with Santa
Saved
Other Contemporary
Black Light: Valentine Roulette
Black Light: Roulette Redux
Black Light: Celebrity Roulette
Black Light: Roulette War
Punishing Portia (written as Darling Adams)
The Professor’s Girl
Safe in his Arms
Paranormal
Wolf Ranch Series
Rough
Wild
Feral
Savage
Fierce
Wolf Ridge High Series
Alpha Bully
Alpha Knight
Bad Boy Alphas Series
Alpha’s Temptation
Alpha’s Danger
Alpha’s Prize
Alpha’s Challenge
Alpha’s Obsession
Alpha’s War
Alpha’s Desire
Alpha’s Mission
Alpha’s Bane
Alpha’s Secret
Alpha’s Prey
Alpha’s Sun
Midnight Doms
Alpha’s Blood
His Captive Mortal
Alpha Doms Series
The Alpha’s Hunger
The Alpha’s Promise
The Alpha’s Punishment
Other Paranormal
The Winter Storm: An Ever After Chronicle
Sci-Fi
Zandian Masters Series
His Human Slave
His Human Prisoner
Training His Human
His Human Rebel
His Human Vessel
His Mate and Master
Zandian Pet
Their Zandian Mate
His Human Possession
Zandian Brides
Night of the Zandians
Bought by the Zandians
Mastered by the Zandians
Zandian Lights
Kept by the Zandian
Claimed by the Zandian
Other Sci-Fi
The Hand of Vengeance
Her Alien Masters
Regency
The Darlington Incident
Humbled
The Reddington Scandal
The Westerfield Affair
Pleasing the Colonel
Western
His Little Lapis
The Devil of Whiskey Row
The Outlaw’s Bride
Medieval
Mercenary
Medieval Discipline
Lords and Ladies
The Knight’s Prisoner
Betrothed
Held for Ransom
The Knight’s Seduction
The Conquered Brides (5 book box set)
Renaissance
Renaissance Discipline
About Renee Rose
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR RENEE ROSE loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero! She's sold over a million copies of steamy romance with varying levels of kink. Her books have been featured in USA Today's Happily Ever After and Popsugar. Named Eroticon USA's Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won Spunky and Sassy's Favorite Sci-Fi and Anthology author, The
