“Well, I noticed they rotated the guards again last night. They asked Petrov if the dose would be enough. They kept saying you had to be ‘manageable’ when you woke up.”

  My jaw locks. “Petrov? Did that snake come into the room while I was out? If he touched you...”

  Jonah's face flushes. He shakes his head quickly. “No. He just came to check on you. That’s all.”

  My pulse refuses to drop. “He came close?”

  Jonah swallows. “He checked your breathing. Your pulse. He didn't... he didn't come near me.”

  “Good.”

  “But they did...” Jonah’s voice drops. “They asked what to do with me. If they should move me downstairs. Petrov said no. He said you’d lose control if they touched me.”

  My mouth curves. “That’s correct.”

  Jonah's ears go pink. “Does Petrov work for your uncle?”

  “He does. Petrov was the family doctor. Loyal to our name. Loyal to my father. He's been in my life longer than anyone else in this house.”

  Jonah frowns. “Then why’s he doing this?”

  A dry laugh catches in my chest. “Because the motherfucker backed the wrong Morozov. He thinks Sergei will reward him. My uncle doesn't share power. He hoards it.”

  Jonah’s brows pull together. “Viktor, if I may... what happened? How did you end up here? I mean, like this. Your shooting was all over the news. They brought your body through the hospital. It was a closed casket. The funeral was everywhere.”

  He doesn't finish the phrase. I like the way my name rolls off his tongue. He's so fucking innocent, and it makes my cock harden.

  “Because he wants me here. What for, I can only imagine. We've been enemies for years. So right now, Sergei's got me where he wants me. I don't know when he'll strike. Or how. Hell, I'm not even sure how long we've been here. My birthday was on November sixteenth, so I've been here since. But I've lost track of the days.”

  “I haven't.” Jonah reaches for the block and pencil. His handwriting is neat. “Today’s December second. We've been here sixteen days. So what, they shot you and brought you back?”

  I hesitate. That’s the part wrapped in fog. I remember Lev, Nikolai, the street. The next thing I remember I woke up here. With Jonah by my side. He leans closer. “Why? Why bring you here if they wanted you dead?”

  “Oh, Sergei doesn't want me dead. He wants me weak.”

  Jonah absorbs that. His fingers press into the edge of the notebook. “Until when?”

  The question hangs between us like a live wire. I've got no fucking clue. I just hope that Lev and Nikolai are safe.

  “That’s the point, Jonah. That’s part of the mindfuck. The not knowing.”

  Jonah wets his lips. “Have you ever... thought about getting out? The room has many windows.”

  I huff. “In the few instances I was conscious? Of course. But if I disappear, they won't come after me. They’ll go after the people I left behind. The ones who are close.”

  His fingers curl into the sheet. “Your family.”

  “Yes.” My gaze comes back to him, sharp enough that he stills. “Sergei has no loyalty to the Morozov family. Only to himself. Unlike me.”

  Jonah swallows. “So... running would make it worse.”

  “It would be a massacre.”

  “That’s not really a choice.”

  I shift closer, lowering my voice. “It is if you know how to stay dangerous. If I run, he wins. If I stay, I can still see the board. Still move pieces. Still decide who bleeds.”

  Jonah’s breath hitches. I dip my mouth to his ear. “And no one in this house touches what's mine without paying for it.”

  Jonah stills, his pulse jumping under my lips. He's terrified, but he's not pulling away.

  “You don't take care of men like me unless you're ready for what comes with it.” Tightening my grip at the back of his neck, I pull him close. “Come here, krasavchik. Kiss me.”

  “I—I shouldn't…”

  His face flushes. Then he closes the distance. The moment his lips press to mine, a growl breaks out of me. “That’s it. Closer,” I command against his mouth.

  Jonah nudges my lips. I open for him and wait for his tongue. It touches mine, testing. Dragging him closer by the neck, I take control. His tongue's trembling against mine, a wet contact.

  Shifting my weight, I press him into the mattress, bracing my forearm against the headboard to keep the tension off my injury. His fingers fly to my shoulders, then curl in my shirt. Pushing my thigh between his, I feel his erection. His hips lift at once, seeking pressure.

  "That’s it. Show me what you need."

  He moves again, with more need. I slide my palm down his side and grip his hip. He jerks, his lips parting on a sound.

  “Oh, god... Viktor,” he breathes out.

  “Good.” My mouth brushes his ear. “Keep going.”

  He tries to speak, but nothing comes out. Shutting his eyes, he pushes into my thigh again, chasing friction. I press my forehead to his and watch him lose control. “Look at me. Tell me what you want, krasavchik.”

  “I want... you,” he stammers.

  “Then take me. All of me.”

  He shivers. I kiss him again before I let my hand drift lower and slip inside his pants, growling when he whines.

  “Feel good krasavchik?”

  “Fuck…”

  I cup him through the fabric. He's already hard and pushing into my palm. I open his pants and slip my fingers inside. His skin is hot. Hard. So fucking ready. Jonah gasps when I close my fist around his cock. “Viktor...”

  “That’s it. Let me feel how bad you want it.”

  I stroke him with just enough pressure to catch his breath. Jonah's head falls back. I kiss his throat, and he mewls. Licking the line under his jaw, my hand works him harder. His hips jerk, his heels digging into the mattress.

  “Hm. You like that.”

  “Yes—Yes, Viktor.”

  I tighten my grip and his whole body responds. His cock jumps in my hand. I drag my thumb over his tip, enjoying how he chokes on a breath. “You want to come? You need it?”

  His eyes flutter. “Please.”

  I smirk. “So impatient.” Stroking him harder for a few slow pulls, I ease my hand and stop before he tips over. “But you'll wait.”

  I lean back over him, keeping my weight caging him in. “I’m not done with you. Spread your thighs. I want to see all of you.”

  He freezes for a moment. Instead of pulling back, he draws a breath and opens wider. His cock rests against his stomach. Sliding my hand down his chest, I move lower between his thighs. My injuries hurt, but right now, I don't care. My cock drags over him until the head settles against the curve of his ass. He lifts his hips right away, offering himself.

  I sit back to look at him. He's a mess beneath me, skin flushed, his thighs spread wide. “Look at you. As if you were made for me.” I move my hand between his legs, my fingers finding the heat of his ass. He's already slick, his body trembling when I touch him there.

  I don't give him a choice. I hook his knees over my shoulders, baring him completely. He lets out a strangled sound, but I hold him pinned. I lean in, my tongue finding the tight center of him. He shouts into the mattress, his back arching so hard I hear the bed frame groan. I rim him with a heavy pressure, tasting the fear and the want on his skin.

  He starts to writhe, his hips bucking in an uneven rhythm. A high, broken moan leaves his mouth. I don't let him hide. I use my hands to keep his ass open, my tongue digging deeper until his cries sharpen. He's sobbing now, his heels digging into my shoulders, his whole body caught in the friction I'm forcing.

  “Viktor... oh god... please...”

  “You taste divine,” I growl. I don't stop until he's a sobbing mess beneath me. I want him to know exactly who owns this part of him.

  I pull back, leaving him exposed and shaking. I don't let him close his legs. I reach for the bottle on the nightstand, keeping my eyes locked on his. “Watch me, Jonah,” I command. “Watch what I'm about to do to you.”

  Slicking my cock slowly, I make sure Jonah sees every inch of it. When I slide my fingers between his cheeks, he yields. I guide myself to his entrance and bare my teeth against his neck. I'm hard as iron, and determined to ignore the stinging pull in my side as I drive inside with a relentless glide.

  “Oh, fuck—” His head thrashes back as he takes all of me. I fill him, sinking deeper until I'm fully seated. Jonah pants and trembles. I start to move. His ass grips my cock perfectly as I thrust into him. I hook his leg higher and sink deeper, my hand white-knuckled on the headboard.

  I shift my weight, spear into him again, and drive my hand down to curl my fist around his girth. I like this even better. Now I can see his face as he moans and pants with every thrust. His body arches as he reaches for his own cock, but I swat his hand away.

  “This is mine,” I growl, and stroke him with the same rhythm as my hips rock into him.

  I drive into him with a relentless pace. Every thrust bottoms out, pinning him into the mattress until the headboard knocks the wall. Jonah is a mess beneath me, his eyes rolled back, gasping for air. I want him to feel the full scale of me, the way my weight crushes him.

  “Look at me,” I command, slamming home again. I want to see the moment his mind breaks. I want to see my mark in his pupils. He’s sobbing my name now, his fingers digging into my forearms, his body tight around me as I stretch him further.

  I know I've found his prostate because his cries sharpen. “Right there…oh, fuck, Please, Viktor, don't stop.”

  I pound into him harder, deeper, ignoring the flare of pain for the friction of his skin. I'm rutting into him like an animal, my teeth bared as I watch him come apart. I don't stop until he's screaming, his back arching as his cum spills across his stomach.

  “Oh, fuck.” His eyes squeeze shut as he shudders, completely undone.

  I pull out slowly, dragging free inch by inch. I wipe him down carefully, wanting him to feel how pleased I am. Pulling the blanket higher over Jonah's thighs, I sit back against the headboard, panting. Pain flares through my entire body. Jonah shifts closer and rests his chin on my shoulder. He lifts his head when he notices the window. “Look. It's snowing.”

  I follow his gaze. Snow falls steadily. The courtyard fades under white. He tips his head toward the glass. “It hasn't snowed like this for a long time.”

  I rest my hand at the back of his neck. He leans into the touch without hesitation. “The last time I recall we had snow like this, Mom was still alive.” He yawns. “Or perhaps I'm already dreaming. I'm so tired, Viktor.”

  My lips curl as I stare outside. “Then sleep.”

  He's already snoring softly, his breath puffing against my throat. I watch the flakes settle against the glass. The silence in the room carries a new weight. Sergei's shadow is moving, and the guards are changing.

  Something in this house is shifting. I don't know the shape of the trap yet, but I know who I'm keeping when the floor falls out.

  CHAPTER

  TEN

  JONAH

  The smell of coffee warms the air.

  “I told you not to get out of bed,” I murmur. I keep my eyes on the window while my finger traces the frost. Still, my stomach swoops when I feel him approaching.

  I shouldn't feel this. I should be looking for a way to break the glass, but instead, I'm leaning back, waiting for the heat of him.

  “I wanted coffee.” Viktor’s chest presses into my back. One arm comes around my throat to draw me into the curve of his collarbone. “And since you don't dare touch my machine, I have to do it myself.”

  He chuckles against my temple, making my frame tighten with the memory of last night. My cock stiffens when his fingers drift lower, teasing me before he even touches me. I hate how fast my body recognizes him. I’ve lost track of time, but my old life in the trailer feels like a grainy film I can't quite remember.

  “Well, hello, little krasavchik.” He gives my erection a squeeze. A sound escapes my throat. “What, you're not going to greet your prince?”

  His lips tease the shell of my ear, pulling the lobe into his mouth to suckle. The sound travels down my spine.

  “F—fuck, Viktor, we should—” I whisper, bracing my forehead against the pane. The glass chills my skin while his body heats. I wonder if my Dad is sitting at the kitchen table right now, wondering why I haven't called. He'd be ashamed of how easily I've let a man like this take up all the space in my head.

  “We should what?” He crowds in behind me. One palm settles on my hip while the other strokes me through my pants. “This you want?”

  “Mmph…”

  “And all this because you didn't make me coffee. Come on. Back to bed.” His hand leaves my cock only long enough to take my jaw and turn my face toward him. His eyes are green and dark. “Now.”

  I don't argue. That part of me is dead. He has already dismantled my dignity. There is nothing left to defend. Instead, I watch Viktor place the drinks on the bedside table before he sits, closing the distance without breaking eye contact. He hooks two fingers into my waistband, pulling my pants down slow to watch my length spring free.

  “Such a beautiful cock. Such a sweet nurse. Are you going to be good for me?”

  “Y—yes.” I hate how fast I say it. I tell myself it's survival, but the way my heart hammers against my ribs says it's a lie. I'm changing, and the terrifying part is that I'm not trying to run anymore.

  “I thought so.”

  He nudges me back onto the mattress with one push and climbs after me, bracketing my hips. His hand settles at my waist. His mouth brushes my cheek in a single hot press that makes my stomach dip.

  “What about the cof⁠—”

  “We'll drink later. I'm thirsty for you first.”

  His teeth graze my throat, nipping just enough to make my breath stutter before he smooths the sting with his tongue. My hips buck into his hand. He leaves another mark before soothing the sting with his mouth. Then he surges up to crush his lips against mine.

  The kiss drags. Our tongues curl together in a rhythm that leaves me dizzy. I moan into his mouth and pull him closer. Every slide of his tongue against mine makes my body jump. He's an addiction, and I'm already hooked. Only recently, I was a virgin who was too busy for romance, too focused on the next shift. Now, I've become a slut for Viktor’s hands, and once again, I let him have his way with me.

  When I see his cock thicken in his pants, we both grow restless. Viktor pushes himself up, his jaw tightening as a flicker of discomfort crosses his face. Ignoring the pain, he keeps his focus on me while standing by the edge of the bed to tug his pants down.

  “You look like a starving man, malysh.” He grips himself and drags the blunt head over my lips and down my chin. “Is that what you want? Do you want to find out how I taste when I'm deep in your throat? Tell me you want to choke on it.”

  I look up at him, dazed. My breath hitches as he drags the head along my lower lip. He's huge. I haven't done this before. But right now, I don't care. I'm feverish.

  “Good boy. Open up.”

  My tongue flicks out. The taste of his precum hits my taste buds like an electric current. Fuck, he tastes good. He looks at me through his lashes, a slow smile spreading across his lips. “That’s it. Show me how you take care of me.”

  A shiver runs through me. I reach out, my fingers hovering for a second before curling around his shaft. I can feel Viktor watching me with those dark eyes. “Show me.”

  Drawing the head into my mouth, I lick away the bead of precum at the tip, humming quietly. I'm dizzy with the taste of him. I want to be enough for him.

  “Use your lips. Use your tongue.”

  My cheeks burn at the sound of his voice, but I keep going. I lick a wet stripe up the side of his shaft, all the way to the base and back again. My tongue traces the thick vein that maps the underside, feeling it pulse against my taste buds. I reach down, my palm cupping the warm weight of his balls. I use my other hand to anchor him, my thumb dragging over the flared tip before I swirl my tongue around the rim.

  “Fuck,” Viktor grunts. His pupils are blown wide. I try to take more, but when his crown hits the back of my throat, I gag and pull back immediately, my eyes watering.

  “Take it,” he growls. He doesn't let go of my hair. His grip is a warning. Fingers trace the smear of spit that leaks from my lips. “Show me how wide you can open for me. I want to see you stretch.”

  I draw a shaky breath and let his cock slowly slide down as far as I dare. This time it goes better. A muffled moan slips out of my mouth. Viktor’s grip tightens, just enough to sting, just enough to make the world blur.

  “God, you feel good,” he rumbles. His hips give an instinctive twitch against my mouth.

  I work him in earnest until he's breathing in harsh, broken hitches.

  “Come here now.” Viktor’s fingers dig into my scalp, pulling me back up. “Unless you want to swallow already.”

  I release him with a wet pop and wipe my lips with my sleeve. They feel sensitive and swollen. Viktor reaches down and pulls me back up against him. My fingers find his cock immediately, stroking without thinking. Viktor tips his head back, his nostrils flaring. “Your mouth, krasavchik, is fucking heaven. That’s it. A little faster.”

  I lean in and catch his bottom lip between my teeth. His growl hits my mouth like heat. His arm tightens around my ass. I hear the soft click of a bottle opening. A wet finger presses at my rim. The first time scared me, but right now I'm wound so tight I can barely breathe. I push back too fast, and he slaps my ass with a sharp tssk.

  “Slow. Let me prep you. You don't get to rush this.” Viktor circles my rim with one finger, slow enough to make my spine bow. I grip his shoulders and breathe through the tease, but he doesn't give me more. He keeps me right on the edge of needing it.

  “Viktor… please.”

  He pushes the tip of his finger inside me, just enough to make my breath break. My thighs shake. I try to push back again but he holds my hip in place. “Hold still,” he says. “Let me feel you open.”