Page 34 of Devil’s Reign

If nothing else, I currently have the attention of Vanya’s cock. I could take advantage of that. Then I wouldn’t be the victim anymore. I’d have some control, with room to grow.

A powerful man might be feared because of the power he wields, but the woman who controls him? The woman who owns his heart? She could have him on his knees every single night.

My lips pull up into a slow, determined smile.

By the time I’m done with him, Ivan Petrov will need kneepads.

19

IVAN

I text Nadia, letting her know I won’t be showing up at Zvezda until much later tonight. Then I tuck my phone away and wait.

I’m just outside the highly secure community my mother lives in. The gates should have opened by now, but family dinners tend to run late sometimes, especially since we only get together once a month. Not that we keep to a specific date. Can’t establish too much of a routine or our enemies will know exactly when to strike.

We try to make it as hard as possible on anyone who might be watching.

Safety precautions include changing the gate security every three months or so. Dima carefully vets each replacement, making sure they can’t be bribed or threatened. No one is allowed to get too comfortable or know too much. Our mother’s safety is too important.

The gates finally swing open, and I drive through slowly, taking in the familiar landscape. Back when my brothers and I were underbosses to Viktor Petrov—I refuse to call that bastard my father—we pooled our money until we had enough to build this small estate for our mother. It was supposed to be a safe place, away from her monstrous husband. But we didn’t manage to move her until after Viktor’s death, when Aleksei took over as pakhan and assumed control of the castle. That fucking castle.

Tradition dictates that the pakhan lives in the monstrosity our grandfather built when he rose to power. But the bad memories Viktor left behind meant that if Aleksei wanted even a shred of peace in his own house, he had to tear down everything that monster touched—which was a lot.

I try not to visit the castle if I can help it, and I definitely don’t envy my brother for having to live there, surrounded by ghosts and old violence.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

I take a left turn, and my mother’s modern, single-story house comes into view. Elmira also lives somewhere on the estate, which means she sees Mom more often, but she prefers the privacy of her own space. My brothers and I have our own houses here as well, but we favor being in the city, in the thick of things. It’s how we keep our fingers on the pulse—and how we maintain control.

As I pull into the driveway next to Mira and Dima’s cars, the front door opens, and Mom steps out. She’s sporting a wide grin, and her salt-and-pepper hair is tied into a bun, though loose tendrils have already escaped to frame her face. An apron covers her dress, both stained from cooking, but she doesn’t seem to notice or care. Her blue eyes twinkle with delight as I step out of the car, and I feel a quiet satisfaction knowing my brothers and I helped put that light back in there.

Viktor Petrov was a bad man, a bad leader, a bad husband, and a bad father who dimmed the light in everyone around him. But he’s gone now. And we’re still here.

“Vanya.” Her voice is a soft lilt, and she stretches out her hands to me as I approach.

Instead of taking them, I wrap my arms around her back and lift her clean off her feet, spinning her once, twice.

The sound of her laughter as she grips my shoulder is music to my ears. I rarely heard it growing up. So now I take every chance I can to drink it in.

“Oh my goodness, Vanya!” she gasps through her laughter. “Put me down. I’m too heavy—you’ll break your back.”

“Never, Miss Sonya. I love having beautiful women in my arms, and you’re not heavy at all. Have you been eating well? You feel lighter.” I frown, testing her weight—she does feel lighter compared to the last time I came over for dinner.

“Vanya!” she squeals, digging her nails into my shoulders. “Put me down, you rogue, and let me see your face.” When I don’t comply, she lightly slaps my shoulder. Grinning, I finally lower her to her feet.

The moment she regains her balance, her hands are cupping my face, turning my head this way and that while she studies me with a mother’s critical eye. “You have dark circles. I knew staying up to work at Zvezda would eventually catch up to you. You need more sleep.”

I wrap my fingers around her wrist and gently tug her hands off my face. I haven’t been sleeping well because I’m sick with wanting a certain prisoner of mine—something I obviously can’t tell my mother.

“After eating your food tonight, I’m sure I’ll sleep like the dead,” I say with a wink, and she chuckles, just like I wanted her to.

She turns towards the front door. “Come on in. The twins are here already, and now that you are too, we only have to wait for Aleksei and—” She trails off when she sees headlights approaching the house.

“Speak of the devil,” I mutter under my breath as Aleksei’s Lincoln pulls up next to my car. Two other SUVs stop farther down the road—his security.

“Vanya, don’t speak about your brother like that,” Mom scolds, but she’s already floating down the steps to greet her firstborn. One of Aleksei’s men exits the passenger seat and opens the back door just as she reaches the car. Aleksei emerges and directs a rare smile at her. He leans down to kiss both her cheeks, then stills while she returns the gesture. She hooks her arm through his, practically glowing as they walk towards me.

“You shouldn’t be outside. It still gets chilly in the evenings,” he’s saying as they get closer to me.