Page 15 of The Bratva's Forced Marriage

“Liam's doing. The guy's smart. More than we gave him credit for. He erased every trace that could lead back to him, to protect her. Both their parents are dead. He sent her to boarding school and even paid her tuition fees from ghost accounts.”

I scoffed. Even if he’d tried to resist a few of the lessons he'd learned, there was no doubt, we'd taught him well.

“This time, be smarter. Put an eye on those two. They could try to escape. Liam always has something up his sleeves.”

I had learned that the hard way. He was fast, skillful, and intelligent. That was one of the many reasons why we willingly accepted him into our organization. He had proven that he was a valuable asset to the Bratva. One of us. Part of the family.

We were so blinded by his feigned loyalty that we didn't see the ambush coming. The memory of it made me boil with rage.

“You’ve got it.”

I hung up, trudged further down the hallway, and stopped in front of the guest room. Artyom was standing to the side, his eyes staring ahead, and he nodded approvingly.

“Ona ustraivaet besporiadok?” [Is she causing trouble?]

He shook his head, arms crossed over his front, and hands clasped.

“Nyet, ona ne ustraivaet.” [No, she is not.]

“Hm.” I swiped a thumb over my bottom lip and gripped the door handle. “Idi. Pozovu, esli ponadobish'sya.” [Go. I'll call you if I need you.]

He nodded again and walked away. I closed the door behind me and expected her to flinch, but there was no movement.

I paused by the edge of her bed, watching the golden sunlight flood her creamy skin through the glass windows. Her eyes were closed, brows drawn as if she battled fiercely in her dream, and her gorgeous lips were slightly parted.

Her chest rose and fell gently.

She was still asleep.

Her profile is striking with her pert nose and long, silky eyelashes resting on her flawless face, I admired every detail and contour of perfection. This woman was truly a natural beauty. She looked like a princess, snuggled up under the sheets and dressed in a blue flowing dress. Her golden locks cascaded over the pillow and her legs were hidden under the soft cotton fabric I had handpicked for her. One of my housekeepers got her changed when we arrived back home.

My fingers itched to lightly stroke the smooth curve of her jaw and trace the seams of her plump lips. I bit back a groan. She might have shared the blood of a traitor for all I fucking cared, but nothing could diminish the attraction, the intense spark I felt for her from the second I laid my eyes on her in the restaurant.

She stirred a little and gasped, her brows drawn tightly together. Her mouth moved and I inched closer to hear her words.

“…let me go,” she mumbled repeatedly. “Let go of my hand. Let me… let me go…”

My gaze fell on her wrist. Black and purple dots circled it. They were bruises. Bruises I had inflicted on her. I sat down quietly on the bed, careful not to wake her. I wanted to kiss her skin, press my lips to her hand, and soothe the burning of the swelling.

But the second my fingers touched hers, her eyes flew open, and she jolted upright, scrambling away from me. There was so much fear and loathing in her big eyes, that a tiny part of me almost felt the impact.

I placed one hand on my knee and covered it with the other, watching her like a bird in a cage. “You're awake,” I said, and my voice disturbed the uncomfortable silence in the room.

She ignored me and scanned the room instead. Her long, blonde hair fell forward, hiding the delicate curves of her face. “Where am I?” her eyes met mine. “Where have you taken me??”

“My house.”

Her eyes could not have grown any bigger or more fiery. She snatched the sheet and hugged it tightly against her chest. “What the fuck? Your ... your house?”

I gave a simple nod and leaned forward. “Yes, my house.”

She parted her lips and shut them, then opened them again. “And where exactly is your house?”

“We are in New York...”

She gasped. “N-New York? Why the hell are we in New York?” Tears quickly formed and her eyes turned glassy.

“Your cousin has screwed us. You're paying for his crimes.” I smoothed a crease on my pants and raised an eyebrow. “And let me make something clear; you cannot escape. Where we are is far from the city. Do you understand what that means? It means we are off the radar. And if you try something stupid, I will kill you and Liam.”