Page 88 of Daddy Brigadier

I gaze up, my eyes widening at the sight of the man before me. An electric heat radiates between us as our eyes lock, and for a moment, time stands still. He doesn’t move, staring down at me with those eyes that are still capable of holding me captive.

Slowly, a grin spreads across Valentin’s face as he keeps his hand firmly pressed against my mouth. He has won this chase.

But I don’t give up easily. Sorry, guys—wrong girl.

Anger churns in my stomach, making my muscles tense. I swing my hand upward, catching the edge of his lip. My eyes widen as I see blood pooling from the cut.

“What did I tell you about misbehaving?” he growls.

I struggle to break free, but he grips my arms and flips me hard onto my stomach. Heat rushes to my face as I feel him pressing against me from behind, my heart racing wildly in my chest. He plants one hand on my shoulder, leaning close, as terror-filled tears begin to well up in my eyes.

A sharp slap on my ass awakens a sting that pulses through me. A whirlwind of panic and exhilaration courses through my veins, my heartbeat pounding in my ears, rendering me frozen, unable to resist or escape. He follows with several more strikes.

“Please, just let me go,” I beg him, my breath coming in quick, panicked gasps.

“Didn’t I tell you that you’re mine, Krasotka?” he says, pulling back before closing the door, leaving me shrouded in a hellish darkness.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

VALENTIN

The soft texture of Lexi’s skin sends waves of nostalgia coursing through my heart. Despite all I’ve put her through, her body still responds to my touch with soft goosebumps. I can’t grasp what that means, but I hope that one day, she will find it in her heart to forgive me.

“Lexi,” I whisper, cradling her in my arms. “Wake up.”

Her head shakes, yet her eyes remain tightly shut.

I prop her against the wall and bind her wrists with rope—not so tight that it causes pain, but just firm enough to convince Petrov that she’s been secured.

I close my eyes for a brief second to inhale her scent again. It might be the last time I ever get close to her.

Petrov kneels beside her. “Pathetic,” he scoffs, his fingers gliding across her cheek.

My stomach knots at the sight of him touching what is still mine.

She mumbles something, her words escaping in a shallow, broken wheeze.

Her eyes flutter open, and fear obviously washes over her as she realizes her hands are helplessly bound behind her back.

“Please don’t do this,” she pleads, her voice trembling as she desperately struggles to free herself, flailing.

His laugh is like broken glass. “I don’t blame you, Valentin, for tasting her.” He rubs his thumb over her lips.

A wave of fury rises within me, and I tighten my fists at my sides, battling the urge to lunge at Petrov and rip his throat out.

Lexi’s eyes shimmer with tears, but she remains transfixed on me, even as his fingers graze her skin. “Valentin,” she whispers, her voice filled with a desperate plea. “Please. You won’t allow him to do this to me, you won’t …”

Petrov’s intense gaze locks onto her, his expression growing more ominous as he scans her body. “Did she beg when you had her tied to your bed, Valentin?”

“What I do with my toys is none of your business,” I hiss, a sharp edge to my voice.

Petrov meets my gaze, a malevolent grin curling his lips. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you to share your toys with your friends?”

I stiffen, my hands in my pockets. “You disappoint me, Petrov.”

He hisses, “I’m the one who put this plan together. After tonight, Elise will be dead with her sister.”

I take a breath. “You’re letting your obsession with one little whore cloud your judgment,” I say, letting my voice drop.