Page 3 of Kneel for Me
“That’s enough,” James growled, pulling me back some. “Stand down, Adrian.”
I scrubbed my hands down my face, my heart rate too high and that monster clawing its way to the surface. I gritted my teeth, looking at Darren and Jaxon, who were now no longer amused. Just watching me like they were seeing me for the first time.
Hell, maybe they fucking were.
I looked at James. “You’re really forcing my hand on this?” I asked. “I don’t get a fucking choice solely because I’m not tied down?”
James sighed, sounding put out with me. “Adrian, it’s not like that.”
I scoffed. “It’s exactly like that,Don,” I spat that title at him. He narrowed his eyes at me in a silent warning, but I didn’t back down.Fuckhim. “I’ll do just about anything for this family, and you fucking know that. Ihavedone just about everything for this fucking family, and I’ve never asked for a single damn thing in return. Theone timein two decades I’ve finally asked for something, and you won’t even fucking give it to me.” I knocked his hand off my shoulder, then looked at Ivan. “I’ll be in your fucking car.”
“Adrian—” James growled as I stormed off, but I was already walking out of the room, and the slamming of the conference room door cut off whatever he was going to say to me.
My control was already slipping. I could feel it slithering through my fingers. Running over my palms like water. Had anyone else challenged me like Ivan had, I would have laughed them off. Or better yet, I’d have bathed myself in their blood for their blatant disrespect.
But Ivan was protected both by his title and his ties to this family, which meant my fucking hands were tied when it came to him. And now, instead of being able to keep my distance from the manipulative son of a bitch who made it a point to unravel me every time he was in my presence, we would be spending the next however long this took in forced proximity.
I shoved open the door to my room and then slammed it shut behind me after walking in. Leaning back against the now-closed door, I blew out a soft breath.
Ivan fucking Volkov was going to be the end of me… literally. Control wasnecessaryfor someone like me, and Ivan… he fucking made melose it.
3
Ivan
“Iapologize on his behalf,” James said, though it looked like it pained him to do so. I imagined it did. Hell, it would pain me to apologize to anyone else. James was a proud man—and a good one. He ruled his people with an iron fist, but he was soft with his wife and kid. He was a man I could easily respect—and I did. I respected him more than I really respected anyone, including the previous Pakhan, who had bent over backward to help my father raise me after my mother just dropped me off on their porch and ran off.
I was pretty sure my father had eliminated her shortly after, but I’d never cared enough about her to ask.
James Jackson was just and fair, and he didn’t take any shit. Just the kind of person I liked doing business with.
“He’s fine,” I assured James. And Adrian was. I hadn’t lied when I said if anyone else had spoken to me how he had, they’d have a bullet through their skull. But Adrian… he was different. He hadalwaysbeen different. There was something about him—something he hid from the rest of the world, including his own family—that called to me. That awoke my own beast, the side of me I only let out when someone crossed me.
The previous Pakhan, Adrik, and my father—God rest his soul—Daniil, had worked tirelessly at making sure I could fit into society. That my psychopathy did not lead me down a dark and dangerous road that would cause upheaval and destroy the Bratva.
That same darkness I had residing inside of me? I saw it in Adrian. And fuck if I didn’t want that part of him to come out and play with me just so I could bring him to his knees.
“He likely won’t be very agreeable and easy to work with,” James warned me as we stepped into the hallway.
“I know how to work with men like him,” I assured James. “I promise, before long, I’ll have him very… agreeable.” Turning to face him, I held out my hand. James eyed me warily, like he was now second-guessing his decision to send Adrian with me. I plastered a kind smile on my face, and he finally relaxed. “I’ll keep you updated on what we find. And if I hear of any moves being made toward you, I’ll reach out immediately.”
James shook my hand. “I appreciate it, Ivan. Have a safe flight back home. And best of luck with Adrian.”
I hummed in answer as I turned and headed toward where my car should have still been waiting out front since I’d told my driver, Mark, to wait. I knew I wouldn’t be gone long. And while this meeting didn’tactuallyhave to happen because Adrian could definitely just fly out to Russia instead, I’d decided I’d needed to physically be here. To escort him to Russia and to my home.
Just because I knew it would make him extremely irate.
One of James’s guards opened the door when I neared it, inclining his head to me as I passed him. “Safe travels, Pakhan,” he said, his voice low.
I nodded once at him. “Thank you. You stay safe as well.”
Mark was waiting beside the back door as I descended the steps from the mansion. When I neared the car, he opened the door, and my lips tilted up just the tiniest bit at the sight of Adrian already sitting there, his thumbs rapidly moving over his phone. He stiffened as I slid into the backseat next to him, but otherwise, he didn’t acknowledge my presence—just kept working furiously at the email he was typing out.
“We should be at the airport in about thirty minutes, sir,” Mark informed me as he shifted the car into drive and began making his way around the circular drive.
“Why the fuck do we have to go to Russia?” Adrian muttered as he locked his phone and leaned to the side, closer to the door, to shove it in his pocket.
“Because that is where I found the leak,” I told him as if it were common sense.But also because I want to get you alone, where I can make you snap. Break. Fall the fuck apart.
