Page 23 of Forced Bratva Hostage

There it was again. That pesky little smirk twitching on the corners of his mouth.

“Your dad was contacted and filled in on your current situation.” He paused, as if savoring his next words. “Guess what he did?” His gaze lingered.

The suspense was killing me. I swallowed hard against the dryness in my throat as my chest heaved rapidly. My heart was racing in anticipation, and a myriad of thoughts tugged at my mind.

Afanasy edged closer, that pesky smirk spreading across his face. “He left the country.”

I shook my head, blinking back the tears that welled my eyes. It was possible that Dad fled the country without me, but a part of me still wanted to deny it. “No…no. He couldn't have,” I muttered, feeling the treacherous cracks in my fragile heart.

“Oh, but he did, Wren. Your dear old dad ran away. He saved his own skin, leaving you here, alone…with me.” His voice dripped with malice, and his eyes glinted with cruel intent.

His words sliced like a knife, stealing my breath as tears streamed down my cheeks.

“He left you, Wren. He abandoned you,” Afanasy added, his tone hinting at his pleasure in watching me break down.

My lips quivered, and my legs turned to jelly as I felt my heart shattering into a million tiny pieces. I was numbed by the pain of his abandonment, left speechless.

It was alarmingly silent in my head, only one thought echoing.

How could he?

Chapter 9 – Afanasy

What a coward!

What kind of father would abandon his flesh and blood just to save his own skin? There really was no dignity left in Harrison Everett. And to think his daughter was willing to go to such lengths for him.

I couldn't fathom Harrison's behavior toward his daughter, and his failure as a father infuriated me even more. He was unworthy of her love and affection—unworthy ofanyone'slove and affection.

Harvesting his organs suddenly felt like a mercy; he deserved worse for hurting Wren the way that he did. He deserved a slower and more painful punishment that would make him beg for death. But his pleas would fall on deaf ears.

Wren's teary eyes and quivering lips flashed in my head. The poor, naive girl didn't want to believe her father's selfishness—that he was capable of leaving her at the mercy of a monster who held her prisoner.

Her heart must’ve been crushed.

Wren was in deep trouble now that Harrison had fled the country. As his only blood relative, his debt was now hers to settle, and in accordance with the contract the fool had signed, she was now property of the Bratva.

My jaw clenched at the mere thought of that because I knew exactly what the Bratva did to girls in her situation.

Although I delighted in teasing and intimidating her, I didn't want her to face the consequences of her father's crimes.

She was too innocent and naive to suffer that fate. Would I be able to live with myself if I let the Bratva own her—strip her of her freedom?

The things they'd do to her, the horrors she'd face in the process of paying back what her irresponsible father owed….

Such a fragile thing. She wouldn't survive.

Wren had nothing to do with this in the first place, and it wouldn't be fair that she paid the price. I needed to do something to save her from the terrible fate.

I had a plan cooked up in my head, something so unexpected that it'd leave the men in my office astounded. They'd argue with my idea, bring up the terms of the contract, and remind me of how we never broke our code.

But I'd already thought it through, and I'd found the perfect loophole—a reasonable excuse that would eventually bypass the code.

My cousin, Alexei, and Yakov wouldn't see this coming, and I couldn't wait to see the shock on both their faces when I announced my plan.

“I'd like to commend you for a job well done, cousin,” Alexei said, his piercing blue eyes fixed on me, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“Thank you,” I replied as I reclined in my chair, fingers twisting the edges of a Rubik's cube.