Given to Madness Read online

  Ilya’s hackles rose when she called Mariusz his boss—he didn’t like it one bit. And it wasn’t technically true. Although the more appropriate term was probably owner, which was much worse.

  “Would you prefer to go back to his room?”

  She paled. “No. I’d prefer my own room.”

  Ilya rested his elbows on his knees, then sat his chin on top of his knitted fingers while he watched her tear open the carton of orange juice, and drink deeply.

  “A room where any of the Five can come and visit you when they want to fuck?” It was cruel. But it was also true.

  Her voice came out sounding very small. “They wouldn’t do that. Mariusz would—”

  He cut her off. “Mariusz is the one who told them that you’re fair game.”

  She rested her palms flat against the desk, as though suddenly seeking support for her body. She bowed her head down, and took several deep breaths.

  “I didn’t sign up for this shit.”

  Pity finally got the better of him, and he stood up to cross the room. Once he was standing behind her, he reached out to lay a comforting hand on her arm. She jumped as though he’d burnt her, dancing out of his reach.

  “So, what’s the arrangement here? You get me tonight? Sava tomorrow? And Kostya after that?”

  His first urge was to slap her face. He imagined the red mark blooming on her flesh. The look of shock on her face as she registered the sting of his dominance, and his cock twitched. But he somehow found the strength to quell the demons who screamed to witness her pain. Instead he gripped her shoulders, and spoke honestly.

  “I brought you here to keep you safe. For as long as you share my bed, the others won’t dare to come for you. Except Mariusz, of course.”

  She tensed under his grip, but didn’t pull away. “So, as long as I let you fuck me, I’m safe?”

  Ilya didn’t miss the sarcasm in her voice. “I don’t want to fuck you, milaya.”

  Liar.

  She eyed him suspiciously. “Then why would you protect me?”

  He levelled his eyes at hers. “Because I don’t agree with rape.”

  She snorted laughter. “Really? Because I’m not going to lie, I’m struggling to think of another word to use to describe what happened to me last night.”

  She was the bravest, feistiest and most frustrating woman Ilya had ever met. How she had stayed so strong after what she’d gone through, he’d never know.

  “I had no control over what happened last night.” He bowed his head in shame as he spoke.

  She looked up at him through her dark lashes, and what she said caught him completely off-guard. “Because of your sister?”

  How did she know that? She must not have been completely out of it when he carried her from the room. She must have heard Mariusz’s threat against Dina.

  “You need to stop talking, milaya. I have to go, I have things to do. Stay here.” He let go of her shoulders, and started for the door.

  “Where is she? Your sister. He threatened her, I heard him.” She kept pushing.

  Ilya’s temper flared, and he tore across the room. Pressing his large hand around her already bruised throat, he hissed, “Enough, Liselle. Don’t make me…” His voice trailed off. She’d been through enough, she didn’t deserve to be threatened.

  Fuck, keeping her in his room was never going to work.

  Brave as ever, she stood on her tiptoes—trying to match his impossible size. And her eyes glared at him. “Don’t make you what? Hurt me?” She whispered.

  He regretted what he did next before he’d even done it. But his mind was a swirling blend of horror at what he’d done to her, fear for his sisters safety, and an overwhelming feeling of lust for this brave and beautiful woman.

  His lips landed against hers with crushing ferocity. And when she whimpered into his mouth, he tightened his fingers around her throat—pulling her body against his. She responded by opening her mouth to him, but he wasn’t sure if that was just because she was so surprised by his violent assault of her mouth.

  Assault.

  He shouldn’t be doing this to her. Not after what had happened to her last night. Summoning all of his willpower, Ilya pulled away from the kiss; before quickly crossing the room and disappearing into the hall. Leaving her looking breathless, and bewildered in the middle of his room.

  12

  Liss

  My first week in Mariusz’s mansion passed quickly, and I was grateful for the time that I was given to let my body heal after my ordeal. Ilya hadn’t told me lies, none of the other men tried to come anywhere near me, even when I ran into them during my brief trips outside of Ilya’s room.

  There was no doubt that Ilya was in charge of the Five.

  I perpetually existed beneath a dark cloud of fear that Mariusz would come for me. Ilya had made it perfectly clear that if Mariusz did want me, then he would have me. But Mariusz didn’t come; which I suspected was because he had been so busy preparing for tonight’s visit from the Colombian drug lord.

  Apart from the kiss on my first morning in the house, Ilya had stayed true to his promise, and hadn’t laid a finger on me. In fact, I had barely seen him. He had been spending a lot of time planning the security for the visit, and he would often come to bed well after three in the morning.

  He would quietly undress down to his underwear, before sliding into the bed next to me. Always ensuring that we stayed as far apart as possible. I was certain that he thought I was asleep when he came to bed, and I did nothing to make him think otherwise. But I was unable to go to sleep until I knew that I had the protection of the tattooed monster who slept at my side.

  Not that I’d ever admit that to him.

  I was scared of going along to the club tonight, I had no idea of what to expect. But Ilya had told me that Mariusz expected me to be there—a no show wasn’t an option. So, I was currently finishing off working on my hair and make-up in Ilya’s bathroom.

  I didn’t give a shit what I looked like, but I knew that Mariusz wanted me there as eye-candy, and it would piss him off if I looked like crap. So, I’d blown my hair into bouncing, dark chocolate curls, and I’d used a little more make-up than I would wear on a standard day. I’d applied my eyeliner in feline flicks, which drew attention to my almond shaped eyes.

  The dress that I’d chosen was silver, and although it clung to every single contour of my body, it fell respectably halfway down my calves. Although it did have a split in the right thigh which revealed a little more leg. The top was unfussy. A sweetheart neckline, with two spaghetti straps over my shoulders. The look was finished by a pair of silver heels, which perfectly complemented the outfit.

  I stepped out of the bathroom, and was surprised to find Ilya standing at the closet in the bedroom. He was naked to the waist, a clean shirt in his hand. Having obviously stopped by to change for the evening. My gaze was drawn to the intricate artwork on his body, and I devoured the images with my eyes. I still didn’t understand why he had this effect on me. And the kiss had done nothing to extinguish the fire.

  He paused when he caught sight of me. “You are exquisite, milaya.”

  I dragged my eyes away from his broad chest, and up to his dark eyes. “Thank you.”

  He pulled the dark blue shirt on, and quickly did up the buttons. Then he offered me his arm. Surprised, I took it, and allowed him to lead me into the hall, and down the stairs.

  “Stay quiet, and sober tonight, Liselle,” he whispered to me as we approached the other four members of Mariusz’s core security squad.

  He was worried, I realized. And that frightened me more than anything. If this man was worried then that meant I should be seriously afraid.

  I was saved from any more time to dwell on the situation when Mariusz appeared at the doorway. He was smartly dressed in a charcoal gray suit, with his shirt collar left open to reveal the top of his chest. If he wasn’t such a psychopath, he could have been handsome. He looked me up and down hungrily, and my stomach jolted i
n revulsion.

  Mariusz grabbed my arm from Ilya, and started pulling me along next to him. He whispered in my ear, as we approached the waiting car. “I’m going to fuck you later, Liselle.”

  I shuddered, and looked around for Ilya as I got into the back of the car next to Mariusz. When the dark-haired man climbed into the seat opposite me, I breathed a sigh of relief. I did not want to be alone with my primary tormentor.

  The club was busy when we pulled up outside. We got out of the car, and I walked between Mariusz and Ilya as we approached the front door. There was a queue, but since this was Mariusz’s club, we just walked straight in. I noticed that Anatoli remained with the three doormen. He was obviously there to let the other men inside the club know when the Colombian arrived.

  I averted my eyes from the stages where girls were seductively dancing while slowly removing items of their clothing for baying crowds of men. I’d never been to a strip club before, and I would be happy if I never visited one again. It was degrading. I looked at Ilya, and his black eyes were cold and empty. He scanned the room constantly, but I knew he wasn’t looking for women. He was waiting for trouble.

  Our table was located in a booth which was raised above the rest of the club. Mariusz took a seat on the black leather, and gestured that I sit next to him—which I did. Ilya remained standing, with his legs slightly apart, and his hands clasped behind his back. He looked every inch the Lieutenant of his reputation.

  A scantily clad waitress filled sparkling crystal glasses with champagne for Mariusz and me, but I tried to only sip at mine—remembering Ilya’s warning to stay sober. Sava slid into the seat at the other side of Mariusz, and both Kostya and Nikolai stood just outside of our booth. It seemed the Five were ready for their visitor.

  Suddenly, Ilya touched his hand to the side of his head, then he leaned forward and spoke into Mariusz’s ear. I just managed to hear what he said over the music.

  “The Colombian is already here.”

  “Where,” Mariusz snapped.

  But no further explanation was needed. A slender man with dark hair and tanned skin approached the booth. He was flanked by six other men—all of whom were tall and muscular. The other men paused outside the booth, but their leader stepped straight in, and held his hand out to Mariusz.

  “Seems like I beat you into your own club, camarada.”

  If Mariusz was flustered, you would never tell. Remaining seated, he held his hand out to the Colombian. Once they shook hands, Mariusz pointed to a seat opposite us, and Ruiz threw himself down, grabbing a champagne glass as he did.

  “Welcome to my city, Carlos. May I introduce my Lieutenant.” Mariusz gestured at Ilya as he spoke, and I was glad to see that the Colombian looked more than a little intimidated, as he nodded to the bigger man.

  “And this is my fiancée, Liselle Marchesi,” Mariusz continued.

  Ruiz’s eyes moved over my body hungrily. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, but said nothing. “This was your prize for wiping out her insolent family, no?”

  I started to tell him to fuck off, but the gentlest whisper of breath against the back of my neck distracted me.

  “More champagne, Ms Marchesi?”

  I scowled at Ilya. He wasn’t here to be a waiter, and I knew that he was trying to distract me. He’d also told me to stay sober, so I rebelled a little. Knocking back the contents of my glass, I held it out toward him.

  “Yes, please.”

  If it annoyed him, it didn’t show. He was a master of concealing his emotions, I understood. Once my glass was filled, I turned back to see Mariusz and Carlos in deep conversation, and I breathed out a sigh of relief. At least the focus was off of me for now.

  As the night progressed, Mariusz and Carlos grew more and more drunk together, and I was pretty much ignored for the next two hours—something I was grateful for.

  Every now and then Mariusz would have a new stripper brought over, and she would peel her clothes off in front of the two leering men. It was disgusting, and I tried to look anywhere apart from at the spectacle playing out before me.

  Eventually my champagne consumption led me to need to pee. I stood up and started to make my way to the ladies room, when I suddenly felt a hand grab my arm.

  “Where are you going?” Ilya growled into my ear, making every single fine hair on my body spring up like anemones in the ocean current.

  “The bathroom,” I whispered back.

  He hesitated, before releasing my arm. “Be quick,” he said, louder this time.

  I nodded, and made my way through the crowd to the bathroom. It wasn’t as busy in here as it was in the club—mainly because most of the clubgoers were men. I quickly used a cubicle to relieve myself, then moved to the mirror to touch up my make-up, and brush my hair. I wanted to be quick. I didn’t want the Lieutenant having to come and drag me out of the bathroom.

  I hadn’t realized that I wasn’t the only person in here, until I suddenly registered the sound of loud footfalls against the cream tiles. Footfalls which were way too heavy to be a woman’s.

  “I haven’t been gone that long,” I protested to Ilya.

  But as I turned around to face him, I discovered that I wasn’t alone with the Lieutenant. Sava pressed his body against mine, driving my ass back against the countertop. His hands pawed at my body through my dress.

  “What are you doing?” I hissed.

  “Taking advantage of an opportunity,” the blond-haired man growled as he started to push my dress up my thighs.

  Terrified, I noticed that he already had his hard cock out of his pants. He knew he didn’t have long to do this. Panicking, I cried out, and hit at his face, making him roar in pain; before slamming his hand against my cheek.

  “Shut the fuck up, you slut.”

  Then my dress was around my waist, and he was clawing at my underwear. I cried out in fear, all of the memories of the week before came flooding back into my mind. I didn’t think I could survive going through this again.

  Then in the blink of an eye, Sava was torn away from me, and he was hurled against the wall. He slid down the tiles toward the floor, and then Ilya was suddenly in front of me, checking that I was okay.

  “Did he hurt you?” He asked, fury darkening his face.

  I shook my head. “No. I’m okay.”

  Sava was back on his feet now, and he took a menacing step toward us. “You can’t keep her forever, Lieutenant. She isn’t yours.”

  Ilya glared at the other man, and his black eyes were more terrifying than I had ever seen them. He looked like he had just walked his way out of hell. “Stay where you are, Sava. Or I swear I’ll fucking bury you.”

  Then Ilya took my hand and led me from the bathroom. When he started guiding me to the front door of the club, I tugged against him.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I’m taking you home.” He didn’t break his stride, and I had no choice but to stumble after him; since he had a death-grip on my wrist.

  “What about Mariusz? He’ll be furious.” I looked back over my shoulder.

  Ilya paused to turn back and look at me. “Do you really want to go back there, and watch those two get more and more shitfaced; until Carlos mentions how nice it would be to fuck you, and Mariusz agrees because his judgement system is operating on vodka?”

  I shuddered, wrapping my arms around myself. I was suddenly cold. Ilya didn’t accept my silence. Shaking me by the wrist, he yelled, “Do you?”

  “No,” I snapped.

  “Then let’s go home.” This time he didn’t wait for my reply. He started to walk again, and I trailed after him. Hoping and praying that Mariusz wouldn’t be too angry tomorrow.

  13

  Ilya

  Ilya opened the door to his bedroom, and let Liselle walk in before him. He was going to catch hell tomorrow for bringing her home without permission. But for now, he was just glad that Mariusz was so drunk he wouldn’t even notice that she was gone.

  She went to sit on the b
ed, clasping her hands on her lap. Ilya paused in the doorway, filled with uncertainty. He should go back to the club, and protect Mariusz. If shit went down with Carlos and his men—and Ilya wasn’t there—Mariusz could be killed.

  Truthfully, Ilya didn’t give two fucks if Mariusz died, because that would mean that he would finally be free. But if the korol was only injured, then he would be gunning for his Lieutenant for leaving his post.

  If Ilya went back to the club now, however, Sava would know that Liselle was here alone. She’d be in even worse danger than before.

  Making his decision, Ilya closed the door behind him, and went to retrieve his emergency bottle of rum from his desk. He poured two glasses, and handed one to Liselle. She raised an eyebrow questioningly.

  Crossing back to the desk, and leaning his ass against the edge, Ilya laughed softly. “It’s kind of insulting that you think I only drink vodka, milaya.”

  She sipped at her drink, and smiled. “I didn’t say that.”

  “You didn’t have to.”

  She bit her lower lip, and his cock twitched ferociously.

  “You can’t keep protecting me from them,” she said sadly.

  “I know,” he admitted.

  Obviously emboldened by the alcohol, she spoke again. “Why are you here, Ilya? You don’t want to be.”

  God, he loved the sound of his name tripping from her tongue. “Mariusz owns me. Much like he owns you now.”

  “Because of your sister?” She pushed.

  Ilya knocked the rum back, and poured himself another. “Yes. Because of my family.”

  She nodded. “I get it. You know that I’m only here because he’ll kill my brothers if I leave.”

  Ilya suspected that once Liselle was married to Mariusz, and her belly was filled with his child, Mariusz would wipe out her brothers anyway. For the Sokolov empire to truly thrive, the Marchesi’s needed an end putting to them, and Liselle’s only saving grace would be that she would be a Sokolov by then.