Page 17 of Forced By the Bratva King

I caught Donovan’s eyes as he snuck a peak from behind his makeshift barricades; he was frowning, and I was smirking.

Jacob had gunned down one of my men, but there were more of us than them, and we weren’t backing down. Donovan’smen surrounded him, and Jacob ordered them to retreat. They’d lost a lot of men and were still losing more because my gang wouldn’t stop shooting, especially now that one of us had been killed.

They managed to fall back and escape the room, with Donovan bending over like a scared little pussy. He made it out alive…barely. But if he pulled a stunt like this again next time, it would be his funeral.

The shooting stopped, and we all lowered our weapons but were still on guard against any unforeseen attacks.

I looked around, and the once serene atmosphere was now a chaotic scene with corpses littered here and there.

My men gathered around the fallen, paying their respects to a father, a son, a husband, and a brother who had been killed in action.

Donovan had begun this war, but was he ready for what would hit him?

Chapter 7 – Sierra

My stomach rumbled as I sat on the bed with both legs pulled up against my chest. I was starving, but it wasn’t like someone was going to burst that door open and bring me something to eat. Even if they did, it wouldn’t be wise to eat my captor’s food. But I was so fucking hungry that it made me feel dizzy.

In my head, I was unable to fathom how I got involved in something like this. I should have just walked away when I heard that noise that night; if I had done that, things would have probably turned out differently.

Mom would be worried sick by now, as would my stepdad and stepbrother. Madelyn had been drunk the night that I was taken, but knowing her, by the time she was sober, she must have tried to reach out as well.

I am so fucked right now.

I wiped a lone tear from my eye and sniffled as my mind raced through the possibilities of what this man would do to me. I realized that I didn’t even know his name except for the fact that I had mistaken him for Madelyn’s new boyfriend, Chris.

The door creaked open, interrupting my thoughts, and I jumped out of bed at the fear he’d come for me. My heart was pounding in my chest, and my breath was heavy as I watched the shadow on the floor grow larger by the minute. The last time I ran into him downstairs, he’d told me about how he could do awful things to me, and that fear was still in me.

I fixed my eyes on the entrance, anticipating his arrival, but when the door completely opened, it wasn’t him who walked in. That was a relief. It was an elderly woman, a little bit plump, with black hair that fell over her shoulders. She was holding atray in her hands, and judging by her dress, a black cloth with a white lace collar and white hem, I assumed that she was a maid.

“So sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said, smiling at me as she walked into the room.

It was strange, but that pretty smile she beamed at me was enough to help me calm down a little. I watched her head over to a table and gently set the tray on it.

“You must be hungry,” she said, turning to face me.

My stomach rumbled, and I placed a palm over it. I was starving.

I could eat a whole bear right now.

She noticed my reluctance and stepped forward, her eyes meeting with mine. “Excuse my manners—or lack of them. My name is Irina.” She smiled.

Her wide grin and kindness seemed comforting, like she was to be trusted. But could I trust anyone in this house?

It’s actually a mansion,my inner voice said.

Same thing.

“Mr. Tarasov asked me to be your assistant for the time being,” she added.

So that’s his name: Tarasov. Yep. Definitely Russian.

Irina was Russian, as well. Her English was smooth, but she still had the accent.

“Listen, I know this is hard to process.” She sighed, drawing closer to me. “But trust me, he’s not as bad as he seems.”

“Oh, I doubt that, considering the fact that he kidnapped me,” I said, finally finding my voice.

“I know it looks bad, but since he didn’t kill you, it means he has other plans for you, and it involves you being alive. Believe me, I know; I’ve served the Tarasov family for decades as a maid.”