Chapter 2 2

CHAPTER TWO

CLARK RUSSO

I tap my fingers impatiently on the table. My body is wound tight, and my left is twitching.

“This is a Fintech for the future. It opens the entire f –” 

I zone out, restless. My head aches, and it spreads all the way to my shoulder. Unable to take it anymore, I get up, and she stops talking. Everyone looks at me. Of course, they do. I’m Clark Russo, CEO and Billionaire.

“Carry on. I’ll be right back.” I say calmly, and she nods, uncertain.

I walk to my private bathroom, shut the door and pull out oxycodone. I pop the pills immediately, swallowing them dry. Sweat beads on my forehead, so I wipe them away. I shouldn’t have waited so long before using again, but like always, I’ll think I can do it, I can stop, until the demons slip back and show me how powerless I truly am. I cannot stop, and it’s high time I stop trying.

The effect washes over me in seconds, and I turn around to leave, which is when my phone rings.

It’s Stella. Why’s she calling me so early?

“Hey, Stel, is everything okay?” I clear my throat and shake my head as if I can shake off the effect of the drug. Sometimes, the ascent can be slow.

“Hi, Clark. C … can you come home? Dad’s … Dad signed me off to Petrov. I have to marry him.” She whimpers, and cold floods me, “What?”

“Nikolai. He wants me to marry Nikolai. We’re having a marriage dinner tonight, and the wedding is in a week. I know you’re busy, too busy, but I can’t do this – I need you with me, Clark. Please, come home.” She cries softly.

The ground shifts from under my feet, and I almost fall. Nikolai. My Nikolai. Fuck.

“I’ll be home in two hours. Stay in your room and lock the doors.” I end the call and storm out.

Everyone sits upright, looking at me, waiting for the next instructions.

I glance at Travis, my CFO, and say, “Handle this.”

I don’t wait for his response. I make my way out of the building, feeling like a zombie as I get in my car. The drive to the airport is tense. My head pounds hard, and my heart expands to its limit. 

Stella cannot marry Nikolai. He’ll kill her. He’ll kill everyone just to get his revenge. I have done everything to limit my time in New York because of him. I have avoided him for ten years now, and this is how he wants to drag me back home? By marrying my twenty-year-old sister? Has he gone mad? Has the world gone mad? Does he think I am going to stand there and let it happen? He has a problem with me, not her.

My flight gets delayed, and I feel everything spiralling out of control. I pop two more pills and take a sniff of Coke.

I get to New York late at night, storm into my father’s mansion, ready to demand he stop the nonsense.

Instead, I see him.

Nikolai.

My heart sinks to my feet.

I have tried a lot of drugs, but nothing compares to this moment. Time has sharpened and roughened him. He has a scar on his cheek. His hair is shaved. Tattoos run down his arms and climb up his neck. He is lean, but firm. He is the Don of Bratva, and still the love of my life. 

He looks at me, and all I see is rage.

I abandoned him, and there’s no forgiveness for that, not in this world or the next.

“Clark, you’re right on time.” Dad smiles, and I blink. I hadn’t noticed anyone else. 

Dad has a smug smile on his face. Stella looks beautiful as always. Maxim is by her right, and Nik is by her left. She doesn’t look scared as she should, but she beams widely when she sees me. She’s my little sister, and I will not feed her to the wolves.

“Sit down.” Dad coughs.

I take a step forward, and Maxim gets up.

“It’s nice to see you again, Clark.” He drips with charm and mockery.

I shake his hand, steal a glance at Nik, and take a seat.

“As we all know, we’re here to celebrate the eventual joining of our families.” Dad smiles, and bitterness settles deep in my spine.

“Stella is twenty years old.” I cut in sharply.

“An adult, able to make her own decision.” Dad completes.

“An adult? You’re forcing her to marry this –”

“Complete your sentence, Clark.” Nikolai finally speaks calmly.

I know him. I have seen his rage, but that was ten years ago, and now, everything is different, harsher, hotter. 

“You want to marry Stella? Why?” I demand, going straight to the point.

“Why? She’s beautiful, effortlessly so, like she was moulded by angels,” he rasps, and I clench my jaw hard. He always said I was moulded by angels.

“She’s young, untainted. She will be a loyal wife and give me as many children as we need. Our families will be joined, and together we can grow. This is what we all need. This is what we all want. We are on the same team.” He is having fun with this.

“Bullshit. We have never been on the same fucking team.” I slam my hands on the table.

“Quiet, Clark.” Dad sighs.

“Fuck you.”

The room goes silent. 

“You are not turning my sister into Collateral. Over my dead body.”

“It has been signed already,” Maxim informs me calmly.

“Then, burn it.” 

Nikolai gets up and curls his finger at me, “Come here.”

No drug has ever beaten the addiction I had and still have for him.

I stand up, and I follow him like a dog.