Fire & Vice: Bound by Blood

Chapter 3

Apparently, men having no faith in her ability to kick some ass fired up the cool-as-a-cucumber beauty, because she immediately whirled around Boris and planted a tiny foot into his back, just over his left kidney. Boris absorbed the hit easily and quickly snatched her ankle, surprising the woman with his speed. He could have easily ended their time together with a light tap to the temple that would have knocked her out cold, but he wasn't ready to finish with the foreplay quite yet.

Besides, the blond bombshell Claudia Cantore was looking so innocently hopeful that this tiny Asian dancer really could take on a Russian behemoth and make her dreams come true. Goddammit. The Russians really did owe her something for setting King on her tail when she tried to outrun him. Instead of taking Laney down to the mat like he should have, Boris turned and grabbed her by the neck. He caught her scent. It reminded him of home, of Russia. It was exotic and beautiful, like lilies and honey.

Mine, his mind whispered.

Lifting her by the ankle and neck he threw her across the mats. She landed easily with a roll, coming up on her feet and running toward him without a pause. He shifted his stance to catch her if she launched herself at him in another attack. She was smart. She knew she wasn't going to be able to withstand any kind of attack by him and she wasn't going to win if he got his hands on her so her best plan was to put him on the defensive. If he was busy fighting her off, perhaps he would tire, at which point she could move in for the kill.

Of course, her strategy was doomed to failure. Much like a butterfly beating her wings at him, eventually it was her that would weaken and him that would move in for the kill. Although, at some point he would have to let her get the upper hand. Not only for Claudia's sake, but because he wanted her to get the job. He was intrigued. He also needed to know how she recognized him.

Laney kept her hands and arms in tight to her body and used mostly footwork to dance around her opponent and kick him when his guard was down. Her legs were powerful and would have caused a man with less muscled padding a whole lot of pain. Boris grunted once as her foot got under his guard and nearly unmanned him, drilling into his thigh instead. He silently decided she would need to pay for that one.

Their styles were much different. While it was clear that she was trained in several martial arts, and likely comfortable with bladed weapons, he fought dirty. Multiple incarcerations had taught Boris the value of survival no matter how it was achieved. He used every opportunity at his disposal to win a fight. He used his extreme strength, surprising speed and superior reach against her at every turn. He sent her flying across the mats and crashing into the wall. As she danced around him, he caught one of her braids and yanked her head back sharply, sending her spinning painfully into the mat.

Claudia gasped and cried foul when he'd grabbed Laney's hair, but Mercer had shot her a look that shut her up and King strode to her side to keep her silent. He knew Mercer would approve. War wasn't fair.

Boris continued to play with Laney, weakening her. He could see in her body language that she was tiring. She was slower to get up, her attack speed was a split second behind what it had been. It was time to end this. Time to let Laney get her point in, then end this charade and leave so he could gather his thoughts and decide how to proceed with this new development.

Having decided what style of martial arts she was best practiced in, Boris let her run at him again, but instead of going on the defensive, he dropped his guard. He clenched his gut, vowing the hit he was about to take squared the Russians with the blond. Laney struck him in the stomach with her right foot and then twisted sideways going for a kick to the side of the head with her left leg in hopes of bringing him to the ground.

Boris grunted and grabbed her right leg to give her the leverage she needed, knowing he wouldn't go down unless she had some help. Mercer was at their backs so he couldn't see them. Laney jerked in surprise but didn't lose momentum, she continued her attack, kicking Boris in the side of the head and then tackling him to the ground with her thighs wrapped around his thick neck.

Boris crashed to the ground, his body hitting the mat hard and shaking the entire room. He was pretty sure the floor was concrete beneath the mats. Thankfully. Cages housing the surveillance and combat equipment rattled ominously. Despite the pain he knew he should be in, his eyes rolled back in his head and pure lust jolted through his body. His c**k jerked painfully in his jeans. The foot in the gut and the kick to the side of the head (hell the ringing in his f*****g ear) was totally worth the fact that her cunt was sitting inches from his mouth and nose.

Helplessly he brought his hands up to clench the thighs that were wrapped around his neck, attempting to cut off his air supply, and squeezed them harder into his throat. Her eyes widened as she stared down at him. He tilted her hips up and breathed in the spicy sweet scent of her p***y. She gasped in shock and looked like she was about to scramble off of him. "Don't," he growled sharply, loud enough for her ears alone, his accent thick. "Finish this."

Understanding flared in her eyes. She knew she needed to get him to tap out and she needed to make it look real if she wanted to get the job. She glared down at him distrustingly, but braced her hands over his head and squeezed her strong thighs as hard as she could. He grinned up at her, clenching his teeth, telling her without words that no matter how hard she squeezed it was never going to be enough to choke him out. The tendons in his neck and shoulders withstood the pressure of her assault as she tried to make him submit. Finally, after about two minutes he lifted his hand and patted her pert ass twice.

Laney wasted no time. She rolled off him and tried to crawl away as fast as she could, braids swinging in her flushed face. Boris reached for her and dragged her toward him. She used every trick in her vast repertoire of combat knowledge to get him to release her, but now that the game was finally over and he was done playing, he refused to let go. He pinned her to the mat and forced her to lay underneath his heavy body.

Finally, she admitted defeat, too tired to continue struggling. He dominated her at every turn, showing her without words that her years of martial arts training meant nothing against his brutal strength and skills. He loved the way she felt beneath him. Helpless, worried, dominated. She bit her lip and refused to look at him. He didn't like that. He wanted her eyes on him, understanding that her life was about to change. Heedless of the others in the room with them, Boris shoved his leg between hers and thrust his erection into the cradle of her thighs, forcing her to feel him.

She gasped and her eyes flew up to his. It was like taking another hit to the gut. He must have been so concentrated on the fight that he hadn't noticed earlier: her eyes were a clear sparkling sapphire blue.

Mine, his heart whispered, ensnaring his soul.

She lifted a small hand and tapped it twice against the mat. She was asking for mercy. He had none to give. She would belong to him. Eventually. He rolled off of her and, grabbing her arm, helped her to her feet without waiting for her permission. She stepped away from him as fast as humanly possible and then struggled to replace the look of confusion and need with the bland expression that he bet was her perpetual armour. He would also bet his last dollar her p***y was wet for him.

* * *

Oh. My. God. It's him. It's my mark. Laney thought, awe and panic filling her as she took in the massive beast of a man that she was here to assassinate. She wasn't supposed to meet him like this. Never in her wildest dreams had Laney imagined she would meet Boris Grekov himself less than two days after arriving in America.

Her heart thumped wildly while she schooled her features to cool perfection. She had learned at a young age that a tell might get her killed. Or beaten. Emotion wasn't worth the pain. So, she never showed the world what she thought. She wouldn't show this man that she was terrified of him. Or that she was attracted to him and had been from the moment she'd set eyes on his photo. It had been so long since Laney had wanted a man. But she had a job to do.

If she didn't complete her job, Jin would die.