Dmitry's Royal Flush: Rise of the Queen (21 page)

He looked back at his wife, tear-stained and wide-eyed. She was telling the truth, but still he could not control his anger.

Davyd looked over at him with concern. This had gotten completely out of control. He had never seen Dmitry so angry with Royal. Because of his relationship with her, he wanted to step in and say something, but he knew Dmitry's temper. It could cost them all more than it could save anyone.

Dmitry looked over at Davyd with pure rage in his eyes. Royal was his everything. Without her and Anya, he had nothing. He would not lose her without a serious fight, one that lasted until the death. She did not know that he had seen the video of the man who she had delivered the dress to earlier that day. She did not know that Andrew was actually Dorian, his arch enemy from many years ago—a true brother to Ivan.

Yet, he had taken everything out on her as if she did know. Fury had gripped him, paralyzed him from rational thought. It was shameful, the way that he had treated her.

Royal sat in the back seat with tears in her eyes and her arms folded. Looking out the window, she gritted her teeth and talked under her breath.

When they pulled into the garage of their home, she opened the door and darted into the house, still cursing at Dmitry.

"You messed up," Davyd said to Dmitry.

"
Da Da
. I know,
brat
."

"Better go to her before she has time to think too much. You know how she can be."

Dmitry ran after her, following her through the long corridor, up the stairs to the second floor.

First thing first, Royal checked in on Anya. She had fallen asleep in the TV room watching a movie with her doll on the floor.

Royal picked her up and carried her to her bedroom with Dmitry following like her shadow. "I'm sorry," he whispered behind her.

"Whatever," Royal snapped. "Open the door," she ordered at Anya's bedroom door.

He twisted the knob and moved out of her way.

Whisking past, Royal laid Anya in the bed and covered her up.

"We need to talk," Dmitry whispered again.

"Go to hell," she said, leaving the room.

Stomping down to her room, she opened the door and tried to slam it behind her, but Dmitry caught it and pushed in. She turned around and stared at him.

"You fucking bastard," she said in a low growl.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that," he said walking closer. His voice was low and stern.

"Or what? You'll kill me too?" Her catlike eyes narrowed.

"No," he said incensed. "I messed up. Alright. My head is still screwed up because of Victoria."

"Don't you dare speak her name in this bedroom."

"What else am I supposed to call her?"

She rolled her eyes. "What has gotten into you, Dmitry? You know that I would never allow a man to treat me the way that you just did. I am not one of your
belongings
. Okay. I have my own mind and my own rights. I don't owe you, of all people, an explanation. If you don't trust me, then fine. Leave me. But don't go accusing me, because you are perverted." She rolled her eyes.

Dmitry breathed in hard. "I. Said. I. Was. Sorry."

"Tell me what's going on with you. If you just told me, I could understand better. I could forgive you," she pleaded.

Dmitry bottled up. "Nothing is wrong. I thought something that was not so."

"Nothing is going on?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"No."

Royal huffed. He still chose to lie even when it would have benefited him just to tell her the truth, which was that he had gone back to the Vory.

"I think that you should sleep in the guest room tonight," she bit out.

"I'm not sleeping in the guest room tonight or any other night," he growled. The veins showed in his neck again.

"This is a marriage bed, and people who are married tell each other the truth," she lectured.

"What do you want me to say,
zhenshchina
!?"

"Just tell me the truth!" she cried.

"There is nothing wrong!" he snarled, turning from her. He walked to the door and was about to leave when he saw her head to the closet. He turned around quickly and followed her.

"Are you looking for valium? I threw it all away," he said. He rounded the corner to find her pulling a nightgown from her dresser.

"You really are a bastard," she said with tears in her eyes. "I made a promise, didn't I?"

He paused in shock, wishing instantly he could take back his words.

She walked past him, but he caught her arm in the fold and pulled her to him.

"Let me go!" she screamed.

Effortlessly, he snatched her up in his arms and felt her slap him again across his face again. He carried her kicking and screaming to the bed. She fell back on it and cried.

"I hate you. You're a liar!"

Dmitry caught her hand as she tried to swing again. He pulled her to him and held her down on the bed. It was déjà vu and also very much like a horrid fight that they had in Memphis many years ago.

"You BASTARD!" she roared.

"Call me what you want to call me, but I am your husband, provider of your lifestyle and head of this house! I have the right to be concerned…
territorial even
. What did you expect me to do? Do you think that I have grown so soft that I would just let another man come in a steal you? I am still the same man I was when you met me. I have not changed who I am, just my tactics." He looked her in her eyes as he spoke with authority and sheer anger.

"Am I supposed to be impressed with that?"

"I would kill him. I would kill anyone who dare got in my way, even Davyd or Anatoly. And I would enjoy it."

Royal gasped. He was a monster!

"I'm not as strong as you, Royal. I couldn't take it if you cheated on me or left me for another man. I could not allow it."

"I didn't cheat," Royal said again with tears in her eyes. "I have never cheated on you. Why are you so insecure?"

"I don't know." Dmitry let her hands go and deflated against her. "I felt in my heart that something inappropriate had happened. I could not control my rage."

"Don't you think I know by now that you're crazy? Why would I even do that to another person—put them in a position to have to deal with you? I delivered a damned dress. He changed his mind. I left. No big deal."

"It is very big deal to me."

"Everything is a very big deal to you," her voice was soft. Royal put her hands on his head.

He bent over and rested on her stomach, sighing as he did so. He just couldn't bring himself to tell her that he had put her in harms way again.

"Dmitry, you're heavy," Royal said, pushing his concrete body up off of her. "Get up."

He raised his head a little and grunted, then ran his large hands down her torso to the button of her skirt.

Royal looked down as he moved quietly. She felt her clothes being pulled off. Her skirt. Her stockings. Her shoes.

He stood on the side of the bed and pulled her body to him. Without uttering a word, he picked her hips up off the bed and tasted her.

"Dmitry, I need to take a shower," she protested, trying to pull away. Though the feeling was all pleasure, she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassment. Every woman liked to shower first.

Dmitry ignored her. He focused, apologizing through his silent actions.

Royal looked up at the ceiling in a daze as she finally gave in to his kisses. Her long black hair spilled like oil across the bed as her body convulsed slowly against his tongue.

She bit her lip and curled her fingers as his hot breath brushed her skin. His mouth nearly covered her mound. The suction created a warm flutter from within her. Like petals blooming in spring, she began to open up. Approvingly, he continued to move at an erotically sensual pace.

"I'm… " she tried to breathe. "I'm… " The words refused to form on her tongue as she climaxed.

She heard Dmitry's pants hit the floor and felt her body shift. With one move, he had her on her knees in the soft bed. With another move, he buried himself deep inside of her. The extreme impact caused goose bumps to form on her body. So heavy, so big, so good. Her mouth watered as she heard him give a deep growl. As he pulled away, she let out a grateful sigh. Then with an angry thrust, he returned to the depths of her. She cried out.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear as he held her close. "I didn't want tonight to be like this, my love."

Royal didn't answer. She couldn't. She clenched her teeth together and held on to the bedpost as a warm wave started to come over her again as he moved in a rhythmic motion back and forth.

He moved her hair out of way and kissed her neck. Closing her eyes, she moaned. Reaching back, she grabbed his vein-filled, muscular arm gripping her waist and pushed back into him.

"Yes," he said as he felt her pressure.

Opening her legs wider, she did it again.

"Yes," he said in a more strained baritone.

She finally opened her legs as far as they could separate, lifted her hips, pulled away and bucked against him as hard as she could for several minutes. He countered every stroke with his own.

"Fuck," Dmitry bit out in strained voice, spilling his seed into her. He pulled her close into his powerful embrace and pushed deep into her.

His potent thrusts were almost too much for Royal, even after many years of being his wife. She grabbed the comforter as her body jerked. Closing her eyes, the wave of heat that she tried to fight off, came back, this time more powerful than ever. Her body began to shake as she climaxed again. She finally screamed out loud enough to hear down the hallways.

"Oh, Dmitry!"

After dinner with Anya, Dmitry, Davyd and Anatoly that evening, Royal slipped into her study and called Victoria.

Before Royal left the condo earlier that day, Victoria had given her two pills that she promised would incapacitate Davyd until they were out of the country in the morning. She only hoped their little plan worked.

"Hello."

"Victoria?"

"Yeah. It's me. Did you get in trouble?"

"Sort of. I could have sworn that he knew, but he thought that I was cheating."

"Guilt, I guess."

"Yeah. Are you sure these pills are going to work?"

"Oh, they'll work. Just open them and pour them into Davyd's coffee in the morning. Hell be out like a light."

"I don't want to hurt him."

"You won't. They're harmless in moderation."

"Okay. Well, I'll call you in the morning right before I give them to him. I called Brigitte when I got home. Shell pick you up and make sure you get inside the gate."

"Okay. I'll be waiting."

Royal hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Never in all her life had she done so much conniving in such a short period of time.

She felt like a dirty little spy, but the alternative was to let her family die, and she couldn't do that. Dmitry knocked on the door and opened it.

He leaned against the entry and yawned. "What are you doing in here?"

"Work. I have a lot to do tomorrow." She smiled a little, realizing that she wasn't really lying."What about you? I saw Brigitte packing your bags."

Dmitry paused. "I have a follow-up meeting in Sochi tomorrow. I'll return home day after tomorrow."

"Can I go?"

Dmitry raised his brow. "This is very boring meeting with very boring men. You won't enjoy yourself."

"I'll take that as a no," she said, typing on her computer.

"Trust me. I'm doing you a favor." He tried to sound upbeat and playful.

Royal hated when he lied. She tried to bite her tongue and control her heating temper.

"What time do you leave in the morning?"

"Early."

"Well, since you'll be gone, Anatoly can help do a few things at the shop. I need a man's opinion."

"He's going with me." He looked her in her eyes.

"Anatoly? Why?"

Dmitry scratched his five oclock shadow as he lied. "I think he has girl in Sochi."

"Oh. Okay," she smiled. "Well, goodnight."

"You're not coming to bed?"

"I'm going to stop and check on Anya first, then maybe I'll be there."

"Alright. Don't stay up too long. Good night."

"Night," Royal said, watching him close her door. She rolled her eyes when she heard his feet head down the corridor. "Liar," she mouthed as she closed her laptop.

In less than a half an evening, she had conceived a master plan to save the very man who would rather die than tell her truth, beat the woman who tried to screw him and seen a very attractive stranger naked. To say that she had experienced a full day was less than explanatory.

She was surprised that she was still sane and valium-free.

A small grin crossed her pierced lips. She was sort of proud of herself too. This was more excitement than she had had in her life for three years.

* * *

In the morning, at the crack of dawn, Royal felt Dmitry stir beside her. He looked up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head thinking for a while and then reached over to see if she was awake.

She kept her breathing calm, even when he whispered her name and sank his lips into her neck to kiss her. His breath sent tingles down her skin and his tongue electrified her. It was impossible for her to keep her moans to herself when his large hand ran over her body, but she always did that in her sleep. He was never the wiser.

"Are you sleeping so hard that you can't wake for me?" Dmitry asked, pulling up her gown. "I need you this morning. I need my
Royal Flush
." His fingers trailed down the side of her thighs up to her abdomen and cupped her breasts.

When she did not respond, he sighed heavily. "Please understand that the only reason that I'm doing this is for the family. It's not for me," he confessed as he kissed the back of her head. "If I don't protect you, who will?" His words were more for himself than her.

Royal held back tears and clenched her eyes closed. She did not move though she wanted to reach out to him and hold him tight. She felt his large body embrace her from behind. The heat from his skin was against her own. His rigid, concrete muscles wrapped around her, and she found herself even with her eyes closed completely lost. She bit her lip and buried her face in the pillow to keep the torture from getting to her.