4

The smile is still around her lips. I haven’t seen many whores, if that’s what Leoni is. She doesn’t look like one, with her blonde hair, amber eyes, and delicate pale skin. 

I have no intention of failing. It will be an embarrassment I’ll never live off.

Determined, I close the distance between us. Leoni tilts her head back as I stop a couple of inches from her. For a moment, our eyes lock, and then I mutter, “Take off your clothes.”

 I watch as she undresses, and when she steps out of her panties, I grow hard at the sight of her naked body. 

“Lie back on the bed,” I order, which she immediately does.

Still dressed in my three-piece suit, I crawl over her body. When Leoni reaches for my belt, I shake my head. “Don’t move.”

Stilling beneath me, heat warms her eyes, and it makes the corner of my mouth lift. 

Irina was right. Women love men who take charge.

It doesn’t take me long to get Leoni ready for me, and after I’ve slipped on a condom, I take her hard and fast, which has her screaming her orgasm for all to hear.

My own pleasure fades as quickly as it came, and after I’ve disposed of the condom, I fix my clothes before leaving Leoni naked and breathless on the bed.

I walk back to the table where Demitri and Alexei are waiting. Not seeing Carson, the corner of my mouth lifts with a victorious feeling.

I take my seat and picking up the shot in front of me, I down it before I lock eyes with my brother.

“Good,” he murmurs, pride shining from his eyes. “What did you learn?”

Shaking my head, I let out a chuckle. “It’s easy to satisfy a woman?”

“What else?” Demitri asks. When I shrug, he leans his elbows on the dark wood, his eyes locking with mine. “That’s the closest you will ever get to a woman. If you marry, it’s to strengthen your footing in The Ruin. There’s no place for love in our world. Your loyalty will always belong to the one you guard, which means he or she will own your heart, your soul, and your body.”

 Carson sits down next to me and turning my gaze to him, I grumble, “I understand.” 

That person will be Carson Koslov. When my time comes, I’ll be loyal to him, and only him. 

WINTER

The Present – Winter 21; Damien 23.

“I don’t want you to go,” Sean says for the hundredth time as we step out of the mansion. My gaze goes to where our father talks with Cillian and the rest of the security team, who will escort me to the private airport. 

Sean, my younger brother, has made his feelings abundantly clear. I wish he would understand I’m doing this for him. He’ll turn eighteen in a year, and then it’s expected of him to follow in our father’s footsteps. Sean will take over our diamond smuggling business, and someone has to protect him. That someone will be me because I won’t trust anyone else with Sean’s life.

When I turned sixteen, I learned the Hemsley clan owns Angola, Sierra Leone, the DRC, Ivory Coast, and Zimbabwe. Africa’s diamonds belong to us, which has placed a hefty target on our heads. It’s the reason our mother was assassinated, and I took a bullet to my neck, which is why the family business means so much to me. I’ve bled for it, and I won’t let anyone take it away from us.

Turning my gaze back to Sean, I say, “It’s only for two years. Keep your head low while I’m gone.” 

I wish I could take him with me to St. Monarch’s Academy. It’s the only place on this goddamn earth that’s neutral ground. I need the training. I have to become the best for Sean. I just hate leaving him behind. 

“Stay,” he begs, giving me a pleading look I usually can’t resist.

Taking a step forward, I lift my hands to his shoulders and lock eyes with him. “Listen to me, Sean. It’s only for two years. I need the training. While I’m gone, you have to be extra careful. Don’t leave the grounds unless you really have to. Always keep the guards with you and wear your bulletproof vest. Once I’m back, I’ll make it up to you.”

Frustration tightens his features. “I don’t care about that. I don’t want you to go. We shouldn’t split up. There’s a target on your head as well.”

I give my brother a comforting smile as I pull him into a hug. “I can take care of myself, and Cillian will be with me. Don’t worry.”

Sean’s arms wrap around me, and he clings to me as if he has the power to keep me here. “Please, don’t go,” he whispers, his voice tight with worry.

“Shh… I’ll be fine. Just take care of yourself. Okay?”

Sean nods, his grip on me tightening even more.

We both have our mother’s red hair and green eyes, but Sean got our father’s large build and strong features. He went through a growth spurt last year, shooting well past me. I, on the other hand, got our mother’s petite frame. At twenty-one, I still look younger than Sean even though I’m four years older than him.

When we pull apart, Sean shakes his head. “I have a bad feeling.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me. St. Monarch’s is safe. Stop worrying, please.”

“It’s time,” Father says as he steps closer to us. 

Nodding, I stand on my toes and press a farewell kiss to Sean’s cheek. “Keep your head down and stay on the grounds,” I remind him again.

He nods, taking a step back, frustration still tightening his features.

Father pulls me into a hug, then whispers, “You don’t have to do this.”

“I know.” I rest my cheek against his chest. “I want to. For Sean. For you.”

Father nods as he pulls back, his eyes drifting over my face. The corner of his mouth lifts. “Cillian will be stationed outside the academy. Don’t hesitate to call him if anything happens.”

I step back, and with love filling my heart, I look at the two men in my life. “You both worry too much. I can take care of myself.”

Father lets out a chuckle. “We should protect you, not the other way around.”

“No,” I grin at them. “You run the business, and I’ll keep you safe. That’s the end of the discussion.”

Father’s eyes lock with mine as they turn dark. “You’re the Blood Princess of the Hemsley clan. Never forget that.”

“I won’t, Father,” I promise. Turning away from them, I climb into the back of the armored jeep. My personal firearm, a Heckler and Koch, digs into my lower back, but I ignore the slight discomfort. I also have a Glock strapped to my ankle.

Before Cillian shuts the door, I look at my father and brother. “I love you both with all my heart.”

Sean’s eyes begin to redden with unshed tears. “Love you too.”

Father’s mouth tips up with a proud smile. “Love you, my princess. Call me the instant you’re safely at the academy.”

I nod as the door shuts, and then I focus on taking deep breaths because I can’t cry. This was my decision. I’ve learned all there is to learn from my private lessons with Cillian. Now I need to train with the best because they’re the ones who will come after my family.