A Bedtime Story (18 page)

K
ayne faced Tanya.

“Everything is set then?” he asked.

“Yes. In the black Lexus. Just like you said.” She half rolled her
eyes.

“
Where
… in the black Lexus?” he insisted, his patience
forced through gritted teeth.

She exhaled, just as aggravated. “I slid it in that little gap near
the stick. Then I made a huge scene the next day about losing it,” she added,
somewhat proudly. “
If
he ever finds it, he’ll just be happy to give me back
my earring,” she brushed him off dismissively.

“Good. And those are all the names?” He lifted the folded paper in
his hands.

She nodded, exasperated. Then her energy shifted, and her eyes grew
wanton. “I could come over tonight… We could test our little GPS Tiffany earrings.”
She grinned at her own joke. “I think he’s meeting someone. We could see if it’s one
of the names on the list... Besides, there’s this adorable little blonde I just
found…” She smiled wickedly before biting her lip. “Maybe you could return the favor
and test
her
for me before I present her to Dimitri?”

He considered her for a second, then answered her, his face
impassive, “No need. Lucas will handle it. I’ll come see you from now on.”

“What?” she snapped. “Why?” she then demanded, her eyes
blaring.

His eyes ablaze, he smirked at her, then turned around, ignoring
her question. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“It’s because of her? That new whore of yours?” She
lifted her face, her eyes defiant.

He stopped in his tracks and turned around swiftly, irritated. He
didn’t answer, just narrowed his eyes at her.

“It is!” She let out a sardonic chuckle.

He slowly walked back to her, his menacing expression contrasted
with his soft voice and seductive smile. “Have to keep the vultures away from the
little bird…”

She laughed humorlessly. “Then
you
should stay away,” she
added, her eyes boring into his.

He didn’t answer, restraining a smirk.

A subdued smile crossed her lips. “You and I. We’re the same. Do
you really think that scared little puppy can survive you?” She paused. “If you care
about her at all, let her be. You will take everything from her, and when she has
nothing left, you will leave her, and you will come back to me. You always do.”

The truth of her words stung him. He didn’t want to acknowledge
them. “I will do what I want with her,” he growled.

“Is she worth it? Is she worth throwing away your only friend?”

He sneered at her, then slowly wrapped his hand around her neck,
his thumb turning her face to his. His voice husky, he replied, “
Friend?
We’re not friends.”

She smirked devilishly at him, her breathing ragged with arousal,
her voice throaty. She taunted him, “Do you want to fuck me, Kayne?”

She waited for his expression to change, for his animalistic
desires to emerge, then added with disdain, “Too bad your whore won’t
let
you. Is that why you were being such a
good boy
at the party yesterday?” She
chose her words carefully, her tone mocking him, willfully provoking him.

He knew she was, knew her little games all too well, but they
worked nonetheless. He exhaled slowly, flaring his nostrils. He wanted to choke the
life out of her, wanted to fuck her senseless and wipe that smirk off her face.

Keeping his hand on her neck, he grabbed her hip
with the other and pulled her sensually to him. “Does it hurt, Tanya? Does it hurt
to know that I prefer the
little puppy
to you? Tell me… do you still think of
me every time Dimitri whores you around…? Still wish it was me every time a man
touches you…? Does it hurt to know that I never will again? Regardless of what whore
I take.” She closed her eyes and remained very still, only her loud breathing
betraying her emotions. Two can play that little game, he thought. She should have
known he was better at it. He let her go and turned around, heading for the
exit.

“Have
her
fuck Maxwell for you then!” she screamed behind
him, hot rage burning in her feline eyes.

He was already at the door, turned his head back, and slowly nodded
his understanding. They stared defiantly at one another, willing to meet in a battle
neither truly wanted and neither would back out of.

K
ayne avoided Laura all week. He needed
Tanya. He expected she would react badly but hadn’t foreseen how badly and quickly
things would escalate. He blamed Laura for it. He knew he was being vindictive and
unfair but couldn’t help it. The few times he ran into her, he ignored her, barely
looked her way indifferently. He could tell how it hurt her. The first time she was
walking toward him, a bashful smile on her face. She didn’t say anything, but her
eyes widened as he walked past her, barely nodding coolly her way. After that, she
had avoided him as well and returned his icy indifference the few times they’d
crossed paths. He was alienating the one person he pushed Tanya, and her resources,
away for.

Natasha Drugova was organizing a brunch in a few days and had
requested Laura’s presence. He would make it up to her then, he thought.

O
lga had advised Laura the previous evening
that Master Kayne requested she meet him in the living room at nine in the morning,
dressed and ready.

She thought of not going. She couldn’t understand him, anything
about him, about the way he was with her. He had come into her room after the party
that night, had been cruel, had been kind, and in the end held her in his arms all
night. He was even still in her bed when she woke up. He had lazily smirked at her,
his eyes half closed, catching her as she watched him fascinated, thinking him still
asleep. She could have watched him all day. She was happy then. He had grabbed her
abruptly and flipped her on her back. He was in one of those playful moods, and she
giggled under him, thrilled and terrified.

The next time she met him, he was entirely different, colder than
he’d ever been. She couldn’t understand. She felt the burn, would’ve preferred
facing his wrath over this indifference. But she didn’t cry, didn’t crumble; she
could handle the burn. She’d been forged in fire.

She was wearing beige linen pants, sexy nude stilettos peeping out
the front. Along with a white silk shirt, she felt feminine and elegant. She
approached him, her walk confident, her eyes cold, and greeted him, “Good
morning.”

He was leaning against the wall in jeans and a white polo, his hair
tied back. He smirked when he saw her. He didn’t answer, just walked languidly over,
making her think of a tiger creeping up on its prey. She kept her head held
straight, refusing to lower her gaze.

He took her hand and brought it to his lips, his eyes smoldering.
It completely threw her off. She would’ve expected anything from him, not this
simple sweet gesture.

“Ready?” he asked, his eyes mischievous, as he held
her hand in his. She could feel the burn his lips left on her hand and wanted to
pull it back. Returning his gaze, she nodded, forcing herself to feign
detachment.

He was still holding her hand when they got into the car. Lucas was
already in the driver’s seat. She wouldn’t even ask where he was taking her and
betray any sign of insecurity or concern. They didn’t speak to each other the entire
ride. Even so, she felt his gaze undressing her, could see with the corner of her
eye the wolfish grin on his face.

They pulled into a mansion almost identical to the one he had taken
her to for the party. This was the official Drugov residence though. While the other
projected lustful opulence, she was the good sister of the twin mansions. Strong,
straight, and beautiful, she would not offer dark hallways for secret rendezvous
with beautiful strangers.

As soon as Lucas stopped the car, Laura reached for the handle. She
didn’t wait for Kayne, heading straight for the mansion. She didn’t care what
awaited her. Whatever hell he was bringing her to, she could face it.

Kayne was staring at her the entire way. She was definitely not the
scared little puppy anymore. He wanted her so much. In this instant, he didn’t
regret anything. Let Tanya bring all she had, he didn’t care. He could handle Tanya,
and Maxwell.

In one continuous movement, he reached for her arm and brought her
into him, kissing her hungrily. He felt her resistance, her open palms on his chest
trying to push him away. But he pulled her in even further, deepening his kiss until
she opened her mouth and let him in, until her entire body gave in and melted into
his.

When he pulled away, her brows furrowed. She sighed, somewhat
exasperated, her face flushed. He smiled at her, mischief gleaming in his eyes.

Though her eyes softened for a moment, she didn’t say anything. She
just turned her head and kept walking. He chuckled softly,
reached
for her hand, and forced her to walk with him, hand in hand.

“You must’ve made a good impression on Natasha. She specifically
asked that I bring you,” he threw at her playfully.

She smiled thinly and continued to look straight ahead.

The doorman advised them the brunch was taking place outside on the
top terrace. There was already quite a crowd gathered. The men were on one side, the
women giggling away on the other. Kayne and Laura exchanged a glance, she finally
smiled at him, and they separated.

She headed for the table where Mrs. Drugova was. The latter stood
up to greet her, bringing her affectionately in her arms. She introduced her to
everyone at the table before pointing to the empty seat next to hers.

“I saved it for you,” she said with a discreet smile.

As Laura listened absentmindedly to the conversations, she felt
Mrs. Drugova squeeze her hand on her lap.

“We should go for a walk after lunch. It is such a lovely day.”

Laura nodded, a genuine smile on her lips. They finished their
meal, leaving the women in a heated conversation about renovation and interior
design.

“Idiots.” Mrs. Drugova smiled at Laura, shaking her head
disapprovingly. “How have you been, Laura?”

“Thanks for inviting me.” She nodded, smiling back.

“Of course,” Mrs. Drugova answered dismissively. “I’m glad to see
you heeded my advice. You look positively radiant, my dear.” Laura cocked her head
to the side. “I don’t know, Mrs. Drugova… I don’t know that I have.”

“Please. Call me Natasha. All my friends do.”

Laura smiled again. She liked Natasha. She was everything she
wasn’t and hoped to be. Then she remembered what Kayne told her…
Dimitri wants
you dead
…

“Natasha, can I speak candidly with you?” Laura
stared her right in the eye, her face somber.

“You always do. That’s what I like about you.” Natasha smirked, her
expression all-knowing. She seemed larger than life to Laura. “Mr. Drugov… Dimitri…
wants me dead…” Laura’s voice came out low and grave.

“Yes. So would Kayne if he wasn’t infatuated with you,” she added,
the smirk etched on her face. “You’re a loose end, Laura. The point of the matter
is, it would just be simpler to be rid of you, permanently.”

Laura’s eyes grew round. She hadn’t expected such bluntness, spoken
so casually from Natasha as she discussed her life.

“Which is why I know you’ve taken my advice. Kayne wouldn’t have
put his neck out for you if it weren’t the case,” she finished. Laura couldn’t help
smiling to herself, replaying the words in her mind. He cared, regardless of
parties
and other women. He cared about her, in his own twisted way. “May
I ask you something?”

She nodded.

“Last time… you were telling me about… being with… Dimitri… . In a
way that was tolerable for you… I don’t think I can…” she confessed, remembering her
hours spent in bed crying, her heart scorched with images of Kayne and other
women.

“You don’t have a choice. It’s that simple. Most women lie to
themselves, prefer spending their time discussing
interior design
…” She let
out a condescending chuckle. “But you can’t, you’re like me. You remind me of myself
when I was younger. It’s no way to live, Laura, you will suffer tremendously.

“My husband has whores. And that’s all they’ll ever be. There is
only one Mrs. Drugova. Every now and then, one of them will stand out from the rest.
That one, I keep close. If she steps out of line, she pays for it, with her
life.”

Her eyes austere, Natasha imparted her wisdom to Laura. She liked
the girl, had leaned in Kayne’s favor when Dimitri was still on the fence. Dimitri
couldn’t afford alienating both of them, so
the girl remained with
Kayne. Natasha could see herself looking in Laura’s eyes, reminiscing about the
trembling young girl she once had been. Brought into a world she didn’t understand,
making sense of all the good values her parents had dutifully imparted on her. For
her to survive, the young girl had to die. She never once regretted the loss. She
carried her fondly in her heart but never shed any tears over the sweet naïve girl
she left behind. Laura was deep in thought. Could she ever become this way? Just the
thought of another woman touching Kayne sickened her. Part of her envied Natasha,
her realism, her pragmatism in the face of a seemingly impossible situation, and yet
she seemed to come out on top.
Keep Kayne’s whores around?
They wouldn’t
survive the day. She’d gladly ship them back to whatever hell they came from. She
remembered when not too long ago, she’d seen them as victims. Her heart had gone out
to them. Kayne was the monster then, abuser of the innocent, the weak, and the
helpless. She wondered what changed. The answer came back quickly and resonated
within her. It was just a word really, a mere preposition, but it changed
everything. He was no longer the monster, he was
her
Monster.

Natasha pulled her out of her thoughts, gently squeezing her arm. A
woman was anxiously waving her down from up on the terrace. “If you’ll excuse me,
Laura dear, I believe there must be an appetizer emergency, given her state of
panic…” she added sarcastically.

She left Laura to her introspection and weary conscience. Laura
remained by herself for a while, wondering about it all. The difference was that
Natasha had a choice, had willingly picked this life. Laura didn’t have the luxury
to hold on to her values and leave Kayne behind. She would remain his prisoner,
willing or not. Bitterly, she realized, no matter what he did, no matter how hard
she fought him off, she would end up drained, in his arms, somewhere in an abyss of
pleasure and pain.

“Hey…” a singsong, gratingly familiar voice snuck up behind her.
She snapped around, her whole body tense. “What are you doing
here?”

Tanya offered her the most condescendingly sweet smile she could
conjure. “Natasha invited me.
Silly
.” She shook her head, a saccharine smile
on her face.

Keep your friends close
… Laura quoted
The Godfather
in her mind and smirked to herself.

Tanya seemed dissatisfied with her reaction but shook off her
aggravation instantly. “I saw you talking with her earlier. Don’t you just love
her?”

Laura didn’t respond. She felt like she was walking into a trap.
One part desperately wanted to walk away, and the other didn’t want to retreat,
wished to stand her ground, showing Tanya she was not the least bit intimidated.

“Well… she really likes you...” Tanya added, her tone pleasant, her
expression carefree. “I know she does, she told me.”

“Did she…” Laura replied, her expression both disbelieving and
irritated.

“Of course. We’re quite close actually. She talks about you
a
lot
. Has a lot of respect for you.”

“Sure…” Laura sighed, annoyed. Her heart was racing, though she
kept her eyes cool as she returned the haughty look. “Well… she never mentioned you…
In any case,
Kayne
is waiting for me…” She excused herself. “See you around.”
She threw back with forced pleasantness before turning around.

She smiled gleefully, wanting to pat herself on the back. She’d
never had frenemies to practice with, but from Tanya’s pursed lips, she knew she hit
her mark.

Tanya held her arm. “Wait… Listen… I know we got off on the wrong
foot. I guess I just wanted to apologize… I don’t want you to hate me.” She looked
her in the eye and seemed sincere.

“Okay,” Laura conceded, though suspicious. She was about to turn
around again. She had just won the last round, couldn’t they leave it at that?

“I just… I would like it if we got along…” Tanya
offered her a tentative smile.

Laura lifted her brows in response. Even she wasn’t that naïve.

“For Kayne…” Tanya explained, picking up the weapon Laura brought
out to use against her. “I care about him, a lot. I mean, we’ve been through
so
much
together. And he cares about you… so…”

She cursed herself, realizing too late she would be David in the
battle. In real life, Goliath always wins. She already burned with the petty
jealousy Tanya tried to incite in her, but she was ready for it. She was ready for
whatever Tanya threw at her. This was a woman’s war. No guns, knives, or torture
devices required.

“I don’t think he’s ever cared about anyone like you.” Tanya’s eyes
darkened for an instant, but her composure quickly returned, as it always did.
“Honestly. I’m happy for him, Kayne and me…” She shook her head, a devilish grin on
her face. “But you two go well together. You obviously love him very much.”

Laura felt her patience wearing thin. “Well, thank you for the
well-wishes.” She smiled tight-lipped before turning around, ready to walk away.

“I mean… That you can just forgive him like that… I don’t think
even I
could have…” Tanya added, Laura’s back already turned to her.

It was in that moment, Laura knew her next decision would have more
impact than she could deduce. She could walk away and ignore her obvious jeers. Or
she could stay and fall prey to Tanya and her pettiness, just to know what she meant
to use against her, reveal the sword dangling over her head. She stayed, she always
did. She would open Pandora’s box yet again. She wondered what it could be. Had he
been sleeping with her? He swore he hadn’t, that nothing was going on… more women at
parties, other whores? Laura prepared herself, covered her heart in stone, and
waited. She would smile at whatever words came out of this woman’s mouth,
condescendingly if possible
.

Laura crossed her arms, a forced bored look on her face.

“I mean... your own brother…” Tanya shook her head,
disbelieving, her whole demeanor theatrical.

“What? What are you talking about?” She did not see that one
coming. Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest, sensing the imminent danger,
far too late.

“I mean when I saw the pictures… with his head blown off… to know
Kayne did this to him… How could you even look at him? Weren’t you like very close
with your brother too? Peter? Was that his name?” she asked, her brows furrowing.
“He had it coming, mind you… Anyway, guess love does conquer all, huh?” She smiled,
satisfied with herself.