Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
It wasn’t a joke when I said Malik was more protected than the president of the fucking United States. I’d made him practically untouchable.
“I know,” I told him just as I caught an image of Kaleen and Malik walking into a bar. A smirk tilted my lips, and I zoomed in on the bar name.
Found you, baby.
“Get him under control, Rurik,” Anatoly told me. “There is only so much fucking patience I have.”
“Understood.”
I ended the call and stood from the chair, closing my laptop. I called Denis, who was residing in the room next door with the guards Anatoly insisted I needed with me at all times. He answered on the first ring. “Sir?”
“Bring the car around,” I ordered as I slipped my shoes on. “We need to go pick up Malik.”
The bar Malik and Kaleen had decided on was a dive bar basically in the middle of nowhere, but I knew enough about the area to know this was unclaimed, neutral territory. It made sense they’d decided to talk here, and part of me was relieved that Malik was smart enough to go somewhere where there’d be other people.
It gave him less of a chance to be hurt or killed. If Kaleen had tried something, I would’ve blown Anatoly’s, Shaw’s, and Hyram’s plans of peace out the water. I would’ve gone off the fucking rails and destroyed him and his fucking club for daring to harm my man.
Because Malik was mine. And it was goddamn time Malik figured that shit out.
Denis opened my door, and I slipped out, rolling my sleeves up to my elbows, revealing the ink bleeding across my forearms. Walking forward, I shoved open the bar door, letting it slam against the wall. Every head in the bar turned to me as I walked inside. My gaze immediately landed on Malik standing beside the bar, and rage pulsed through me.
My vision tinted red at the edges when Kaleen gripped Shadow’s shoulder and said something to him so quietly, I couldn’t hear. I took another step forward, arching a brow at Malik. Every muscle in his body was locked up tight, and for the first time since I’d known him, he looked like he wanted to run.
Run, little rabbit, I silently dared him. I’ll chase you to the ends of the fucking earth. There’s no escaping me.
Kaleen finally began walking toward me, but he didn’t say a word. Just passed me and headed out the door. I slid one of my tattooed hands into my pocket, and with my other hand, I pointed at the door Kaleen had just disappeared through.
I was done being nice to Malik. Done playing his fucking games. Now, we were playing my game.
“Outside, Shadow,” I growled. “Now.”
It was time to remind Malik who called the shots and who fucking owned him.
13
Rurik
Thankfully, Malik followed my orders without a word, but as he passed me to go outside, his anger licked at my skin like a fucking real fire. And it had me half-hard in my slacks. The time to bring him to heel had come, and I wasn’t putting it off any longer. I’d played with him long enough.
The game had finally changed, and I was holding all the cards.
He threw Denis a flinty glare as Denis opened the door for him, but Denis just stared blankly ahead, more than used to Malik’s attitude by now. Hell, all of my men were. And I was pretty sure they were wondering why the fuck Malik didn’t have a bullet through his skull for the shit he’d pulled earlier. Had any of them tried what Malik did, they would’ve already been on their way to the crematorium.
But not Malik. Never my Malik. Even if Anatoly pulled something, I’d lose my shit. And Anatoly knew this. It was the only reason he was giving me an opportunity to fix this before he had to step in and make Malik disappear. He knew as well as I did that if something happened to Malik, he’d have to put me down, too.
Once Malik was inside the backseat of the SUV, I slid in beside him. Turning his head, Malik stared out the window, his jaw clenched tight. Neither of us said a word, and tense silence filled the vehicle as Denis slid into the driver’s seat and pulled off down the road.
When we finally reached the hotel, Malik shoved open his door, not even waiting for one of the soldiers to open the door for him. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, seeking patience I didn’t feel like I had. Both of us exploding would do us no good, and we’d get nowhere. Malik already didn’t respond well to me, but his response to rage was even worse.
I had to keep my head about me, even if I wanted to do nothing more than pin him to the nearest surface and drive my cock inside of him over and over again until all he could focus on was obeying me and moaning my fucking name.