Chapter ONE: Book1: HIS WILD OBSESSION

He’s a hardened ex-criminal. She’s a stranger to his world.

Adrik Volkov worked hard to wipe the slate clean of his criminal past for his sake and his brother’s. Bringing Volkov Industries into the 21st century has taken everything he’s got. But it’s been worth it. His company’s patented mining techniques for harvesting rare earth metals used in electronics and smart tech have made him a billionaire.

Instead of breaking legs and taking names, he’s attending parties with people he neither likes nor understands. It’s all part of his new title. But money can’t erase his harsh upbringing. Once a brawler, always a brawler. Those skills come in handy when he sees a woman being accosted at one of the ritzy, booze filled gatherings he must attend.

Sofia DiFalco was more than just a damsel in distress. The curvy stranger made his body buzz with desire and his hard heart beat a little faster. From the second he saw her, Adrik wanted only one thing. Sofia in his bed. But after one tantalizing night, she disappears without a trace.

He tries to forget her, but she’s an obsession, and he just can’t let go.

ADRIK

The party was filled with A-listers, billionaires, tech gurus, and the usual high class smorgasbord of sin and temptations. I was bored.

“Ad, why don’t you have a drink?” Marat, my younger brother asked.

His dark eyes were twinkling with mischief as he raised his glass of champagne, toasting a group of waifish runway models who could not stop looking at him. I don’t blame them. Marat is a handsome man. Not me.

Not that I was ugly, but I looked hard, unkind, was the correct word. But they should know a man like me would not be inclined to show kindness. Not in my business. Well, former business. I kept forgetting we were legitimate now.

Volkov Industries used patented mining techniques for harvesting rare earth metals used in electronics and smart tech. We led the industry and held many claims overseas in areas where it was necessary to have brains, money, and guns to secure mining rights. Good thing I had all those and more.

“I don’t drink bubble piss like you, Marat,” I replied, and my brother tossed his head back and laughed out loud.

Bloody hell. Even his laughter was attractive. Like angels frolicking gaily from above. I rolled my eyes just as the throng of barely dressed stick figures walked over to see if they could catch his attention. Likely they could. But only for an evening.

My brother was a dyed in the wool bachelor. There was no changing that tiger’s stripes. Pity. I would have liked to be an uncle someday. Children were the future, and far as I was concerned, the Volkov name would not continue from my loins.

Nyet.

I would not marry. I would never have children. After all the horror and evil I had seen that humanity was capable of, how could I? Besides, there was no woman in my life. No one woman, anyway. Yes, I took women to bed. I was a red-blooded man. Fucking was as good an outlet as violence, and since we were legit, well, violence seldom came my way anymore. But I meant there was no one who had a claim on my affections. I did not believe in love. And my lovers knew the deal.

Make no demands. Come when I say so. Leave immediately after.

That was the only way a woman made it to my bed. She had to agree to my terms, and few refused me. Whether it was the size of my bank account or my cock that made them say yes, who cared? Both were larger than the average man, and I never heard any complaints.

“Ladies, are you enjoying yourselves?” Marat started chatting up the women, and I growled in disgust.

“The balcony seems empty, boss. If you need some air.”

Josef, our head of security, handed me a tumbler of Whiskey Neat, the platinum label, before pointing to my sanctuary. I grunted and accepted the heavy, squat glass before I stood up.

“Thank you, Josef. I’ll leave you and Marat to these women,” I murmured, taking a swallow before walking away.

The penthouse had been checked out by my security team upon my arrival and the six-man unit was still afoot, checking perimeters and making sure my brother and I were safe, and the area secured. Yes, we were out of the gangster game, but that did not mean we did not have enemies.

In fact, I’d seen legitimate corporations commit positively heinous acts that made mobsters look like pussycats. Espionage, strong arming, short selling, lying, bribery, blackmail, and outright murder. And those were just some of what we’ve encountered since we purportedly left the crime world.

“Volkov, is it?”

A slimy looking man with white hair combed back, wearing a silk shirt and crisp wool pants stood in front of me. I did not accept his proffered hand. In fact, I did not say anything. I merely gave him the dead eyed stare that had made better men than he piss themselves on more than one occasion.

“Um, I was very excited to hear you would be attending this little shindig, Volkov. You know I think you and I should talk business⁠—”

I walked away before he could finish, knowing Josef was watching me and would waylay the man before he even thought to follow me. That was why I allowed Josef to stay on as head of security even after he’d made his first mint.

Marat and I did not agree on a lot, but we both insisted on rewarding those who helped us when we were scraping by at the bottom of the barrel. It wasn’t so long ago that we were two orphaned boys running around the streets of Moscow. Our Italian mother had been killed alongside our father in some ugliness involving drugs. He was a low level Bratva soldier, and we were left with nothing but the clothes on our backs.

When I turned sixteen, I was already more muscular than most adult men and I used it to my advantage, picking fights with gang members and robbing the robbers. They called me the wolf because of the way I worked. I was known for being a hunter, patient, stalking my prey, even toying with them before the end. Once I let them see me, that end was inevitable.

No one survived the wolf. It was fitting since Volkov literally meant wolf. I liked it. Liked the terror it struck in men’s hearts when they heard the dark wolf was coming for them. Taking over territory was easy after that. By the time we left Russia, I was already in control of my own set of illegal trade routes. New York City was like a playground after that.

That was over twenty years ago. I just had my thirty-seventh birthday, and as of six months ago, Volkov Industries had gone completely legitimate. Still, I missed the solitude that came with being one of the world’s most feared men. I did not have to attend parties like this one where I stuck out like a sore thumb despite my custom suit and four thousand dollar shoes.

These businessmen were lean and had soft hands. Their bellies never knew hunger. Their eyes were blind to what was around them. They did not see the wolf in their midst. Even the ones who claimed to know me did not know. They couldn’t possibly comprehend what kind of monster they were rubbing elbows with.

I finished my drink and stood on the balcony, sucking in the fresh air despite the chill. It was a damn sight better than the heavily perfumed party room, which still could not cover up the stink of humanity’s so-called upper classes. To me, nothing smelled worse than avarice and greed. The people inside had no souls. They thought they were better than men like me.

I shook my head. It was dangerous for my thoughts to turn so dark. I needed a new project, something to focus on. And it was while I thought about the emails sitting on my laptop that I glanced to the side and saw something out of the corner of my eye.

Two enormous potted plants decorated with tiny lights sat in one corner of the large balcony overlooking the city. I supposed it was festive, as it was just after the long holiday season. But really, I did not care about fairy lights and horticulture.

It was the creature beyond the plants that intrigued me. Swatches of pale skin bathed in silver caught my eye. Like liquid moonlight teased me from behind those very plants. I did not recognize her. She sure as fuck did not look like the other women there.

Her back was to me, but I saw her pale, smooth skin, and dark hair quite clearly. She was round and lush, with plenty of curves and valleys I was tempted to explore. I wanted to see her face, but as I inched closer, I realized she was not alone.

In fact, she looked as though she was trying to get away from whoever had her cornered, but between the balcony and the plants, she had nowhere to go. She looked stunning in the tight silver dress she wore, but I was not in the habit of gaping at women in public. Especially women engaged in uncomfortable situations with their dates.

I was also not accustomed to playing knight in shining armor, but if the man making her uncomfortable did not stop, well, like I said, I was bored. So, I edged closer, leaning in to listen to the couple, if that was what they were.

“No, thank you,” the woman said firmly.

I could tell she meant it, her whole posture was like a bright red stop sign. The idiot talking to her had no clue. He was some slick talking old man with too much money, and not enough scruples. Seeing her tense as she pushed his hand off her arm incensed me. I had not experienced such a fierce reaction to a stranger before. Interesting, but not enough to move me.

Yet.

“You say no, but I think you really mean yes, doll. Am I right, or am I right?”

“No, I really mean no,” she said, but the man only stepped closer. “Look, um, I’m not here alone.”

“Don’t try that line with me. Come on. Who’d you come with? Now I have a room downstairs, and it will be just me and you,” the old man said, forcing her back another step.

She had nowhere to go and as the bastard pushed himself against her body and moved in for a kiss I reacted. What could I say? I really did not like him touching her.

“I suggest you step away from my date,” I growled softly, coming out from behind the plant to stand beside the woman.

Soft brown eyes looked up at me, surprised but she caught on quickly, lacing her arm through mine and pressing her body into my side, seeking comfort. At least, I liked to think so.

“There you are, darling,” she said and smiled.

“I am sorry I took too long. Who is your friend,” I said the last word with disdain.

“Look pal, I don’t know who you think you are, some Euro trash fucker, but I was talking to this lady. My name is Henry Devain,” he said, and I recognized the name.

“Ah, Councilman Devain. Yes, I know you. I wonder if your constituents would want to know about your penchant for pressuring young women at parties? Young women who very clearly told you they were with someone else.”

The woman in question gasped, and I realized she did not recognize Mr. Devain. Interesting. I wondered what she was doing at the party. Who was she?

She was certainly beautiful, but with a round ass and pair of breasts that were definitely natural. She did not belong to the group of models my brother preferred, nor was she one of the plastic dolls the other wealthy men had on their arms. My cock hardened behind my zipper, and need pulsed through me.

Yes. I wanted her in my bed, and I planned to get her there. Just as soon as this asshole walked away. Though, it really was a shame I was not in the leg breaking business anymore.

“Who the fuck do you think you are, mister?” Devain snarled.

“You know, I have lived in New York for twenty years now, and English is ooh, my third or fourth language, but I am still amused by the American colloquial preference to add fuck to the middle of every utterance. As if such a thing made you a hard man. Do you think you are a hard man, Mr. Devain?” I asked.

“What? Who are you, buddy?”

He put his hand on my shoulder as he asked his question again. Even the woman tensed, knowing that was a mistake. Still, I liked the feel of her on my arm and against my side, and I had no wish to move her out of the way. So, I didn’t. Faster than he could register, I had his hand off my suit and twisted in a way that made the little man yelp in pain.

“I am Adrik Volkov,” I said, and the man paled.

Then I used my leverage to bring Devain to his knees before turning to the woman.

“Do you want me to hurt him?” I asked.

She looked at me, her brown eyes going, if possible, even wider, and she shook her head. My pulse sped up, but outwardly, I remained passive. Showing nothing was a specialty of mine honed from years of living hard.

“No. Thank you, but I am fine. You got here before he could do anything.”

I nodded. A part of me was disappointed, but another part was thrilled. I let this woman, this stranger, see the wolf, and yet she still clung to my arm. Still looked at me with soft eyes.

I wondered what else was soft about her.

“Want to leave this place?” I asked, staring down at her.

Electricity sizzled between us. It happened like that sometimes. Attraction, raw and primal, rose in a man in times of intense emotion or confrontation. Such as this one, though the conflict was small. Still, my dick was hard, and she was so beautiful. I wanted her, but I was not like this man. I would ask. And only then would I proceed or not. Long seconds ticked by, but then she nodded.

“Don’t misunderstand. I am asking you to go someplace else. Someplace to be alone with me, Zaika,” I said, calling her a bunny in my native tongue.

She was like that to me, bathed in moonlight and silver silk. I wanted to hunt her down. Sink my teeth into her soft skin.

“I understand,” she said, and nodded again. “And I am still saying yes, Mr. Volkov.”

She was playing with fire. A dangerous game, but I was not about to tell her that. I just kept her arm in mine and walked away from the crying politician. The little bunny had no idea she’d just said yes to the big bad wolf.