79
Ive
The Evil Savages MC and the Volkov Bratva didn’t mix well when they were sober. At a wedding, it was a recipe for disaster. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was Ivan’s plan all along, if he wanted a reason to cause a fight. We could certainly deal with having most of the Bratva in one place as well as the Evil Savages MC. I don’t understand why he would go through this elaborate ruse just to kill all of them.
“I expect you to take care of her.”
Ragewas standing right in front of me.
“She’s my wife. She will be protected.”Not that I answered to this shithead. I didn’t answer to anyone.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.
His very presence pissed me off. I wanted to take my gun out and shoot him in the face, but I kept in constant control. Now was not the time to start a war, not yet anyway.
“I’ll stay until I’m sure Lottie is safe andhappy. Then I’ll take my club and we’ll leave.” Rage held his hand out. “I know she’s not who you would have married, but she’s a good person. Kind. Loving.”
I hadto wonder who Rage was talking about. Charlotte hadn’t shown any kind of love or kindness. Admittedly, I’d not given her the chance to either.
“You can leave now,” I said.”You don’t have to worry about Charlotte’s safety. She is Bratva now, and let’s be honest, she was never MC to begin with.”
I saw the anger in Rage’s eyes. He was not very good at controlling his temper.
“She is still club.”
This did make me laugh. “Charlotte is club? Okay, well, if she was club, then why did no one come and fight for her?”
“I did.”
“You’re the only one. Her sister didn’t. None of the club did, and yet you expect me to believe if we were to fight, you’d try and save her.” I took a step closer to Rage. “We both know Charlotte means nothing to any of you. Your only interest in her is because Ivan Volkov is interested in her. Don’t play the caring game with me.”
None of them had taken careof her. I’dtaken care of her.
Stepping around Rage, Iwalk toward a garish sign hung over a chair announcing me as the groom. There was one for the bride as well. My bride was with Ivan. Dropping onto my seat, I stared across the dance floor. There were a couple of kids dancing to some of the music. The divide between Bratva and MC was clear to see. This had to be one of the biggest fuckups of a marriage ever.
“You’re not going to mingle with the in-laws?” Andrei asked, coming to sit down in the bride’s chair.
“That seat is taken.”
“Ivan is a little fondof your bride,” Andrei said. “I’m sure she doesn’t mind me taking a seat.”
“Don’t you have a wife to entertain?”
Andrei smirked. “I do, but I wanted to see how youwere doing.”
I glared at Andrei. He came to gloat.
I noticed Peter and Victor were keepingtheir distance. Slavik was married, as was Andrei, and now me. It was only a matter of time before Ivan found a wife for the two of them. Ivan’s desire to play matchmaker was a little disconcerting.
Staring across the dance floor, I can’t help but look at my bride. Her feet peeked out from beneath her dress. Something told me she wasn’t a fan of wearing heels. She was a small person, and against Ivan, she looked even smaller. Eighteen. Fucking eighteen years old and married.
I didn’t know the kind of life she had, but from what I’d seen of her reactions to men and violence, it hadn’t been good. I didn’t know the kindness and love Rage spoke of. Most of the time, her eyes looked dead, like she wore a mask. People only wore masks when they were trying to hide or protect themselves.
Charlotte didn’t have a good life. She didn’t know kindness. She tensed at affection, shied away from it even. Something told me that if I ever learned the truth about her past, I wasn’t going to like it.
I already had a dislike of the Evil Savages MC. Her father had been a real piece of work. Turning my attention to the other sister, Cassie was sitting at the table with Adelaide and Aurora, carrying the conversation, laughing at her own jokes. I didn’t like Cassie. She was a spoiled princess. She was used to entering the room and being the center of attention. I’m surprised she had allowed Charlotte any limelight today.
“I think your wife needs rescuing,” I said, wanting Andrei away from my table. I didn’t need to talk to him.
Andrei tsked. “And here I was giving you hints and tips on how to handle your virgin bride.”
I didn’t need hints or tips. My wife was going to remain a virgin. I was a monster by nature, to those that deserved it. Charlotte would not be my true wife. Ivan finally found the time to bring my wife to my side. “She is a true treasure,” Ivan said. “But now I must mingle. Always a pleasure.”
He left, and now I was alone with my wife. Charlotte didn’t say anything. She sat perfectly still. I had to watch her closely to see if she was till breathing. Her chest rose and fell, but not with rapid inhales. I noticed she breathed in deeply and slowly exhaled, almost like yoga breaths.
Small talk was not my forte.
Staring out across the dance floor, I watched as people mingled and danced.
Ivan took control, and forced out speeches from Rage, Cassie, Slavik, and even Andrei. There was a toast to the happy couple, and then at Ivan’s insistence, I had to dance with my wife. To deny him would show weakness.
I took her hand and felt how she shook within my grip. I ignored it and walked her out onto the dance floor. Everyone else had left the floor.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” Charlotte said, tilting her head back to look at me. “I’ve never danced before. I can stumble or something. We don’t have to do this.”
I wouldn’t allow her to stumble. Putting my hand at the base of her back, she tensed up. I’d seen the scars that decorated her back. There were quite a few, and all of them seemed to blend to create a picture of an abused woman. At her father’s hands, of that I was sure.
“I won’t allow you to fall. You need to hold onto me.”
She quickly put her hands on my shoulders. Her fingers seemed to sink into my flesh, but not to hurt me.
“I don’t want to make you look like a fool,” she said.
I tightened my grip around her waist. “You never will.”
Nothing and no one would ever make me look like a fool. I held her tightly and as the music changed, slowing down, I danced with my wife.
Charlotte’s grip kept tightening and then loosening. Her feet stumbled. I slowed down. “Put your feet on my shoes,” Isaid.
“I’m way too heavy to do that.”
“Do it.” I wasn’t going to argue on the dance floor. She would do as she was told.
She rolled her eyes, but eventually she got onto my shoes, and then I was able to walk her around the dance floor. I didn’t care what people said, or if they pointed. Her dress was long enough to hide what we were doing.
This was our wedding day.
Charlotte nibbled her lip, and each time she tried to look down, I’d scolded her and told her to keep her gaze on me.
She winced. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to doing anything like this.”
“Then don’t panic. I’ve got you and I’m not going to let you go. Just follow my rhythm. Don’t fight me.”
Seconds passed and Charlotte gave herself to me. She wasn’t tense and she allowedme to show her which ways to move, how to dance. She was an easy partner to work across the dance floor. I hated to admit it, but I also liked having her in my arms.
Charlotte kept her gaze on me, and I refused to look away. There was a threat all aroundus, but in that moment I knew she needed me to look into her eyes, to not waver, for her to see me. No one else.
The song came to an end, and when Ivancame toward us, I saw the panic in her eyes. “I think it is time that we retire,” I said, looking into Ivan’s eyes.
“Of course. I was going to make the suggestion myself.”
There was a chorus of applause and I trusted the MC to keep to their usual vulgarcrap, which they did. Charlotte’s face was bright red by the time we got to our honeymoon suite. We were not going on a honeymoon. There was too much work to be done. With Oleg dead and his territory at threat, my presence was needed to keep some of the vultures at bay. Not to mention I had my own problems, with a couple of rising drug lords who thought they could enter my territory.
I had one of the workers in my dungeon, and he was being a bit of a pest when it came to giving up information. A weekend without food or sunlight might loosen his mouth.
The honeymoon suite was way too pastel for me, and there were a lot of frills as well. The bed was huge, which was nice. My early years of sleeping on a hard floor had made me enjoy the creature comforts ofluxury when I was older.
We were alone. Charlotte shook. She stood by the bed.
Removing my jacket, I kicked off my shoes and shook my head. “I’m not going to fuck you.”
“You’re not.”
“No.”
“But, isn’t that what they want?” she asked, pointing toward thedoor.
“And you give people what they want?”
“But, Ivan?”
“Ivan knows I won’t fuck you.”Sitting on the edge of the bed, I can feel the softness of the bed. “It’s been a long day, and we’re heading back to my home tomorrow. I’ve got work to do, so go and take a shower. Don’t use up all the hot water. If you try to run, I will tie you to the bed, or I’ll make you sleep on the floor. Do not test my patience tonight, Charlotte.”
“Why do you keep calling me Charlotte? You can call me Lottie.”
“It’s not your name. Charlotte is your name.”
“Lottie is like a nickname, though.”
“So wasTrash. Would you like me to call you that?”
She tensed. Her lips pressed together and tears filled her eyes but they didn’t fall. She bowed her head and entered the ensuite.
Collapsing to the bed, I groaned. This was not going the way I had hoped.
I hadn’t known the pleasures of a woman in a long time. Work had gotten in the way of getting my dick sucked. With Ivan breathing down my neck to marry this woman, I hadn’t visited any ofthe Volkov brothels. None of the women fucking appealed to me. Not a single one.
The door to the bathroom opened. I didn’t sit up, but remainedon the bed. Opening my eyes, I see the long mirror staring back at me. Great, just great. Any other time I’d have loved this. To be able to see my woman taking my dick, to watch her face as I control her with mindless pleasure. Not tonight.
“Ive, could you, er, I can’t seem to… my dress won’t open.”
Taking a deep breath because my patiencewas finally being tested, I open my eyes and see Charlotte presenting me with her back. The corset was tightened. There was a knot at the top, in some kind of fancy bow. I reached out and the moment my skin touched hers, she seemed to tense. I wasn’t truly touching her, just the front of my fingers as I attempted to get the stupid corset off. Why do people tie these things so tight?
“I’ve got to use my knife,” I said.
“What?”
She jerked back.
“I can’t undo it.”
Her eyes were wide.
Lifting the leg of my pants, I pull out one of my knives, and show it to her. “I’m only going to cut the corset.”
She nodded her head and presented me with her back.
Putting my fingers either side of the corset, I moved it away from the flesh of her back, and ran the knife down. I have to be careful. I don’t keep blunt knives and if this was to touch her skin, it would pierce it. The corset opened.
“Thank you.”
She didn’t turn to look at me, but moved back toward the bathroom.
Fuck me, that woman was strange.