Born into Sin: An Age Gap Dark Mafia Romance (Devils Will Rise: Melnikov Legacy Book 1)

14. Natalya

“Tell me everything, and I mean every damn detail.”

I look over at Svetlana’s grinning face and laugh while I collapse onto the bed. Walking away from Dominic was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and then I had to lie to my family and act like it didn’t bother me to leave him, which I really hate doing. I’d packed my bags and then we’d spent hours driving around and making sure there was no way in hell we were being followed before heading out to the farmhouse. I’m exhausted and all I want to do is sleep, but my best friend is making it very clear that I won’t be getting any rest until I’ve told her everything.

“Your dad knows,” I tell her, figuring I might as well start with a bang, just not the one she’s expecting to hear about.

Her mouth drops open. “What? How?”

I groan and feel my face heat up. After Dominic told me what had happened, I briefly saw my Uncle Vitaly, but it was long enough for him to give me a look that clearly said you and I are going to be having a talk very soon.

“He was with my dad and Uncle Roman when they came to pick me up. Evidently, your dad noticed something about the way we were looking at each other.”

“I knew he had it bad for you.” Svetlana plops down on the bed next to me. “It’s kind of sweet that he can’t hide how he feels. The man is impossible to read, but when it comes to you, he can’t keep his feelings contained.”

“It is kind of sweet,” I admit, smiling and letting out a soft laugh when she gently elbows my arm.

“He’s massively hung, right?” she asks, not even slightly embarrassed. “I mean, you can just kind of tell he would be. He’s way too confident and sexy to be slinging around something the size of my index finger.”

I snort out a laugh and turn even redder. “No, he’s definitely bigger than that.” I have no desire to share too many details, but I can’t let her continue to walk around thinking my man isn’t hung well.

“Did it hurt?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” I tell her.

She laughs and turns to look at me. “It was worth it though, right?”

I meet her brown eyes and smile. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”

She laughs and sighs and then elbows me again. “I’m so fucking jealous.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll meet the right guy. I know you will, and thanks to yours truly, it’ll be easier for you. They’re all going to have a fit when they find out about me and Dominic, so anything you do is going to seem like no big deal.”

“Oh my god, that’s so true. You’re bonking a man who’s old enough to be your dad, a man that they all trust and know, so I can go hog wild and it’ll still seem tame in comparison.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You’re such a good friend.”

I laugh and elbow her back. “And you better not ever forget it.”

“Never,” she promises. After a few seconds, she asks, “You’re not going to tell me any spicy details, are you?”

I think about everything Dominic and I shared and tell her the truth. “It feels wrong to share something so intimate, but I will tell you that he looks amazing naked, he’s incredibly skilled with every part of his body, and I love him more than I ever thought possible and miss him so much it hurts.”

She squeezes my hand and whispers, “I knew he had to be hung like a horse.”

“I really love that that’s what you took from everything I just said.”

“Did you say more?” She tries to look completely innocent when she asks, but I can tell she’s holding back a laugh. “I swear I only remember the dick talk.”

“You’re terrible.”

“I’m not the one bonking a forty-three-year old.”

“Oh my god, you have to stop saying bonking.”

She laughs and then says, “Seriously, I’m really happy for you, and I hope like hell that one day I’ll meet a gorgeous man who’s hung as well as Dominic.”

“You will,” I tell her. “I have complete faith that somewhere out there is a man with a giant dick who’s going to come along and sweep you right off your feet.”

She sighs. “A girl can dream.”

We talk for a few more minutes, and she fills me in on everything I missed while I was at Dominic’s until my mom hollers up at us that supper is ready. Until this threat is taken care of, my cousins and I are here with our moms. Everyone is here except for Luka, Max, and Val. They’re becoming more and more involved with the Bratva and loving every damn second of it. Sasha is more than ready to join them, and when Svetlana and I walk into the kitchen, he’s wearing the same grumpy look on his face that he’s had since the others left him behind. I walk over and squeeze his shoulder, leaning in so only he can hear me.

“Cheer up, Sasha, you’ll be off killing bad guys in no time.”

“Not soon enough,” he mutters. “I heard you helped Dominic by translating. That’s more than I’ve ever been allowed to do and that hurts me on a deep level, sis.”

I smile and give him another side hug. “If it makes you feel any better, I had to keep my back to the guy and I was only allowed to whisper.”

“It does, thanks. That’s really sad.”

“I didn’t want to see anything,” I admit. “I think one of Dominic’s cousins broke a few teeth. No way do I want to see that shit.”

“That’s the fun part, Nat,” my brother says, and I can hear the truth in his words. Sasha doesn’t do the whole fake bravado thing. I think he just genuinely loves violence, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t worry about him from time to time.

“I think you might be a little insane.”

He side-eyes me, a grin playing at his lips. “I think you might be right.”

I laugh at my crazy brother and shake my head. He might be a bit of a psycho, but I also know he’d never hurt anyone who didn’t first come after him or someone in our family. He’d never cross the line and go after someone innocent. There’s a dark side to Sasha, but there’s also a gentle one. I can see it in the smile he’s giving me and in the way he keeps looking around to make sure our younger sister and mom are okay. We’re surrounded by more bodyguards than usual, but he’s still going to be on high alert until our dad gets back.

“Hope everyone is hungry,” our Aunt Emily says, setting down a huge casserole dish of scalloped potatoes while our Aunt Simona brings in a plate of hotdogs and hamburgers. She and my mom have been on the back deck grilling, and the food looks and smells delicious. Aunt Alina drops off a big bowl of salad and puts out another dish that’s filled with homemade macaroni and cheese because low carb doesn’t mean shit to this family.

She gives me a quick wink before grabbing a bunch of drinks from the fridge, and then we all crowd around and start filling plates. There’s enough food for the men on duty to eat too, and they time it so they’re eating a quick meal one at a time so it doesn’t interfere with our safety, although I really doubt anyone is going to attack us here.

It feels strange to not have Grigori around. He’s been a constant in my life, and now instead of his familiar face, there’s a new man that I’ve never seen before. He’s a lot younger than Grigori, probably late twenties, and where his predecessor was quick to give me a smile, this guy is not. Vitya’s all business and has made it abundantly clear that he isn’t here to make friends. I think Dominic would approve. I texted him earlier and told him my new bodyguard was part robot and his reply had been Good, and he better keep his goddamn eyes off you. When you move in with me, one of my own men will be assigned to you, so you won’t have to worry about Mr. Robot for long. Dominic has a possessive side, and I find it incredibly cute.

“What are you smiling about?” Svetlana asks, sitting down next to me once she’s loaded her plate to almost overflowing. “Oh wait, I think I already know.” She wiggles her eyebrows in a way that makes me laugh while she grabs one of her hotdogs and makes it bounce right in front of my face.

“Oh my god, you’re terrible,” I laugh while swatting her weiner away.

“I’m not wrong, though, am I?”

When I don’t say anything, she just laughs and reassembles her meal. Yelena sits down on my other side, smiling because I know she saw what Svetlana did. Even with her smile, I can see the worry she’s trying to hide.

I lean closer and whisper, “He’ll be fine,” and then give her a smile. We’ve never really openly talked about whatever is going on between her and Val, but I want her to know that I’m okay with whatever it is. She returns my smile but doesn’t say anything. She’ll tell me when she’s ready, and I’m sure as hell not going to push her into it.

While everyone else is busy talking and eating, she whispers, “I’m glad things turned out well with Dominic.”

I hadn’t spilled everything to her like I did Svetlana, but she clearly knows something is up. “Thanks,” I whisper back and then pick up my hamburger because I’m starving and more than ready for bed. Dominic exhausted my body, and I feel like it’s going to take days to recover, not that I’m complaining. I’ll happily be sore because of him.

What I thought would turn into a night or two of forced separation ends up lasting way longer than any of us anticipated. By the eighth night, we’re all irritable and more than ready to get the hell out of here. Dominic texts me often, but it’s not the same, and I miss him like crazy. Unable to sleep, I go downstairs to make some tea, surprised to find my mom already there.

“Hey, honey. Can’t sleep?” she asks, and then gets another mug and teabag for me.

“No.” I sit on one of the barstools and watch her fill the kettle and put it on the stove. “How about you?”

She sighs and shakes her head. “This is the first time your dad and I have ever had to be apart.” Her soft laugh is filled with the pain she’s trying to hide. “I can’t seem to fall asleep without him.”

“Why do they have to keep staying away? Don’t you think they’re being too overprotective about this? Can’t they just watch over us in the city if we promise not to leave the apartment?”

“You know your dad and uncles would never take the risk. They’re close to finding the men they want. Your dad told me tonight that it should be over soon.”

“I hope so.”

She leans against the counter and studies me for a few seconds. “Why are you in such a rush to get back? You guys usually love it out here.”

I shrug and lean back, fidgeting with the string on the teabag. “I just hate worrying about everyone, and I hate that everyone has to be separated.”

Without a word she grabs the kettle off the stove right before it has the chance to give off an obnoxious whistle and fills both our mugs. After they’re both filled and steeping, she leans against the counter again, watching me.

“I’m glad things went so well at Dominic’s.”

My heart is racing, but I try like hell to keep my face calm while I blow on the steaming mug of tea in front of me. “Yeah, I know how lucky I got that night. I’m really glad his house was so close.”

“Mmm,” she says, and I feel like there’s a lot more behind that sound than she’s letting on. I know I’m right when she adds, “Good thing you had his number in your phone.”

I nearly choke on the sip of tea I’ve just taken. My mind freezes, and for the life of me I can’t come up with a reasonable explanation for why his number would be in my phone, and I’m not sure I want to. I refuse to sit here and lie to my mom. I love her too much for that, so I don’t say anything. She sighs and reaches across the counter to squeeze my hand.

“I love you so much, Natalya.”

It’s the last thing I’m expecting her to say. I raise my eyes to meet hers, scared I’m going to see anger or disappointment, but she’s just looking at me like she always does, a look full of unconditional love.

“Did you know that the whole time I was pregnant with you your dad was sneaking off and buying little girl baby clothes?”

“What?”

My mom smiles at the memory. “Every time I’d go into our closet, I’d find new bags hidden away. Pink sleepers, cute little bibs with Daddy’s Girl written on them, pink blankets, if it was pink and girlie, he was buying it and hiding it away.”

“I never knew that. I thought for sure he would’ve been secretly hoping for a boy.”

“Nope, he wanted a little girl. He loves Sasha like crazy, don’t get me wrong, but he really, really wanted a little girl first.”

My eyes start to fill at the thought of my dad secretly buying me baby clothes before he even knew I was on the way. It makes me feel guiltier than I already do.

My mom squeezes my hand again. “I didn’t tell you that to make you cry,” she says, giving a soft laugh. “I just thought maybe you could use the reminder that your dad loves you more than life itself and that there’s nothing you could ever do to change that.”

“I don’t know about that,” I say, thinking about how I’d willingly dropped to my knees for his friend.

“I’m not asking for details. You know I can’t keep secrets from your dad, so I’d rather not know anything right now, not while he’s so worried about this threat, but I do know that your dad would never do anything that would risk him losing you from his life.”

I clutch my mom’s hand and squeeze it tighter. “That would never happen. I couldn’t survive without my family.” I say the words, knowing they”re true, and knowing that Dominic would never ask me to. He wouldn’t ever ask me to choose between him and my family. I simply refuse to do it. I choose them both, and I’ve made up my mind that I’m never letting either one of them go. They’re just all going to have to learn to deal with it, because I’m keeping all of them in my life.

“He feels the same way,” my mom reminds me. “Your dad might show a tough exterior, but you and I both know what a big softie he is.”

“He really is,” I say, making her smile and give a soft laugh. Her eyes grow sad again, and I know she’s missing him like crazy. “I know this will be over soon, Mom. You’ll be back home with him in no time.”

She nods and gives me another smile before taking a drink of her tea. “I guess I’ll try to get some sleep. You should too, okay?”

“Okay.”

She walks around and pulls me in for a hug. Kissing the top of my head, she whispers, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

She gives me one more hug before walking back to the room she’s been staying in at the end of the hall. The house is quiet, but I know the guards are still wide awake and patrolling around outside, making sure no one approaches the house from any direction. I’m ready for this nightmare to be over, and after what my mom just told me, I’m starting to feel brave enough to think this might actually all work out okay.

I’m still smiling when I walk in the opposite direction to the room I’m sharing with Svetlana and Yelena. I’m almost to the stairs when a hand reaches out and clamps down over my mouth, stopping the scream before I have a chance to voice it. His other hand holds a gun to my head, the cold metal pressing against my temple and making me feel like I might faint. I’ve been around guns my whole life, but I’ve never had one pressed against my head. The sensation is downright terrifying.

“Don’t fucking try it.”

The words are in Russian, a harsh whisper in my ear when I move my leg to kick him like my dad taught me. I’m about to go for it anyway, but his next sentence stops me cold.

“Your sister is sleeping right in there.” He points to the closed door in front of us. “Want to know how I know that?”

He’s not expecting an answer, so he keeps his hand clamped down on my mouth.

“I was just in there watching her sleep. She really hates covers, doesn’t she?”

He gives a soft laugh, and I want to vomit. Mia always kicks her covers off. Every morning it’s like she’s had a violent struggle with her bed and won. We’ve always teased her about it, but there’s no way in hell this fucker would know that unless he really was in there watching her. I don’t recognize his voice, so I know he’s not one of the men who regularly watches over us. He must be one of the guys who were brought in for extra security.

“You’re going to walk out of here with me and not make a fucking sound. If you try to get away or scream, I swear to you that I will start killing your family. You and I both know there are enough men here to stop me, but trust me when I say I’ll be able to kill a few people you love before they do. Are you willing to risk your sister for that? Your brother?” He pauses and gives another soft laugh. “Your mom? I really doubt you want that after that sweet heart-to-heart you just had.”

He feels me tense and tightens his grip on me. There’s no way in hell I’m going to do anything that puts my family in danger. It’ll kill my dad if something happens to me, but it’ll completely destroy him if he loses all of us in one night. I soften my body, letting him know I won’t fight him.

“That’s what I thought. We’re going to walk out of here, and you’re going to be the perfect little docile princess I know you can be. If you fight me, I promise I’ll spend whatever is left of my life making sure you regret it.”

I believe him, so I nod my head as much as he’ll allow, letting him know that I won’t try anything. He keeps his hand on my mouth, the gun pressed to my head, and my back tight against his chest as he starts to lead us down the hall. My eyes dart around, and as much as I want free of this bastard, all I can do is hope like hell no one wakes up to find us. Niki, Damien, Evgeny, and Sasha are most likely in the media room that we’re about to walk past, and I know if one of them wakes up, I’ll be dying, because I won’t be able to just stand back and watch them get shot.

My body shakes as we walk past the door, and it isn’t until we’re completely past it that I let out the shaky breath I’ve been holding. I’m still trying to convince myself that everything is going to be okay, but when we turn the corner by the back door and I see the man lying in a pool of blood, my knees buckle, and a muffled scream slips out before I can stop it. I recognize the brown hair and the black dragon that’s tattooed on his neck. Vitya’s tattoo is one of the first things I noticed about him, but now it’s covered in blood, and my heart breaks for the man who just gave his life for mine, a man who I barely got to know and who will never grow old because of me.

Tears fall down my cheeks, hitting the bastard’s hand, but he doesn’t give a shit about the fact that I’m crying or upset or scared to death. He just presses his gun harder against my temple until I’m sure that if I live to see tomorrow, I’m going to have a nice circular bruise to show for it.

He keeps me pressed against him and whispers, “Open the door and don’t make a fucking sound”

My hands are shaking when I grip the doorknob, but I manage to open it without making any noise. He scans the area and moves his gun just enough to check his watch. He must have this timed to perfection because after a few more shaky breaths from me, he hustles me out the door like we’re on a tight schedule. My bare feet hit the grass as he drags me quickly across the yard. I’m in nothing but a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top, and all I can think about is my cell phone. I’d left it on the nightstand before coming down to get some tea, wrongfully assuming I wouldn’t need it. They could’ve tracked me by my phone, but now there’s no way for anyone in my family to know where I’m being taken. My heart thunders in my chest. I think about Dominic, knowing how pissed he’s going to be when he finds out I’m gone. He and my family will search for me, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be found, at least not in time anyway.

The man who’s holding me drags me into the woods, and I’m too scared of dying to worry about the possibility of getting hookworms in my bare feet. I try to keep up with his long strides, but when I trip and start to fall, he lets out an annoyed grunt and stops walking. A spark of hope flutters in my chest that maybe I’ll be able to get a scream out or hit him hard enough for me to run into the woods, but that hope dies a quick death when he lowers his gun and quickly pulls something from his back pocket. I start to wriggle, trying to break free, but he kicks the back of my knee, forcing my legs to buckle and my body to slump to the ground. In seconds, a strip of fabric is forced between my lips. He ties it off behind my head, tight enough to hurt. Remembering everything my dad taught me, I twist to the side and put everything I have into the punch I swing at him. He turns at the last second, saving himself from a broken nose, but I still manage to hit his cheek hard enough to pull a grunt from him and stun him long enough for me to get to my feet.

“Fucking bitch,” he growls behind me, but I don’t stop.

I let out a muffled scream and run in the direction we just came from. If I can get to the yard, then someone will see me. I just need to get out of these damn woods. I see the clearing ahead, and I push myself harder. I’m only a few steps away when the man hooks an arm around my waist and throws me to the ground hard enough to knock the air from my lungs. I’m still trying to catch my breath when he towers over me, bringing his face close to mine. I recognize him now, and I have just enough time to remember his name is Andrik before he pulls back his fist and punches me so hard it feels like a sledgehammer to my goddamn head. Darkness creeps into the edges of my vision as nausea threatens to rid me of my supper. I struggle to not pass out and then let out a groan when I feel him tie my hands together before slinging me over his shoulder so he can carry me the rest of the way.

My vision fades in and out, and my cheek hurts so bad that I’m convinced he’s broken something. This is the same path Dominic carried me down, and the thought of him and how sweetly he’d held me has me crying even harder. I may never see him again. I may never see my family again. Everyone said that this was about someone trying to kill me to hurt my dad. The end goal was always my death, and now that they have me, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what they have planned.

“Shut the fuck up,” Andrik mutters, walking faster and not caring at all that every step he takes causes a jolt of pain to run through my body. He’d tied my gag and my wrists way too damn tightly, and with my arms behind my back, I’m helpless and completely at his mercy.

I try to calm myself down, if for no other reason than I’m afraid I’m going to hyperventilate from being forced to breathe only through my nose while I’m crying. I think about my family and Dominic and how badly they want me to survive this, and I force myself to take long, slow breaths. I don’t want to die at eighteen. There are so many things I want to experience and do, and I sure as hell don’t want my death to be something that’s going to scar and haunt every single person I love.

When I’m convinced I’m going to have bruises across the entire length of my stomach, Andrik finally steps out of the woods. I crane my neck to the side, trying to see where I’m being led, and when I spot the car waiting for us, a heavy wave of fear hits me. Being put in a vehicle and driven off to an unknown location takes all this to a whole new level. My body starts shaking, uncontrollable tremors that I know Andrik can feel because he lets out another laugh before opening the back door and roughly throwing me onto the seat. There’s another man driving, but I don’t recognize him when he looks back at me. The cold, dead eyes tell me all I need to know. He won’t be suddenly growing a conscience on my account. No, this guy looks like he’d happily put a bullet in my head and then go about his day without a twinge of remorse.

Andrik gets in the passenger seat and starts speaking in Russian as the other man starts to drive us to what will most likely be my final resting place.

“Watch her. She’s a fucking handful and knows how to throw a punch.”

The driver laughs. “Yeah, I’ll be sure and watch out for the tiny girl who’s tied and gagged.”

Andrik runs his fingers over the cheek I’d punched. “That’s why she’s tied up. Her dad must’ve taught her a few things.”

“Well poor Lev will have to spend the rest of his life knowing he didn’t teach her enough,” the driver says before letting out another harsh laugh.

No matter what happens to me, I really hope my dad finds these fuckers and kills them very slowly. I wiggle my way up to sitting and look out the window, trying to figure out where they’re taking me, but it’s useless. It’s the middle of the night, and we’re a long way from anyone or anything. That’s why my family chose this place. The seclusion was once part of the appeal. If my ass makes it out of this alive, I’m going to grab onto Dominic and never fucking let him go. As much as everyone was trying to protect me, I know this wouldn’t have happened if I’d kept my ass glued to his. As quickly as the thought hits me, I realize that if I hadn’t been there tonight, then Andrik would’ve taken Mia or Sasha, and that’s not something I can live with. As horrible as this is, I’d rather have my ass bound and gagged in this fucker’s backseat instead of my little sister or brother.

We drive for what feels like forever, and no matter how hard I try to catch a glimpse of something familiar, there’s nothing, just blackness and a wall of trees on either side of the road. No one is going to be able to find me. Resting my forehead against the glass, I savor the last few precious moments of my life. I’m not about to go willingly to my death, but I know what my odds are here, and it’s not looking good. Even though I’ve only been alive eighteen years, my mind is full of a lifetime of memories. I’m so damn lucky. I’ve been surrounded by so much love since the moment I took my first breath. I close my eyes and picture my family’s smiling faces, hear their laughter and can almost feel their arms wrapped around me in a hug, because even though I’m alone, they’re still with me. They’ll always be with me because that’s what a good family does. Their love surrounds me even when we’re not together. It’s a bond that can’t be broken, and I cling to it right now.

Dominic is never far from my mind, but when I start to think about him, my heart feels like it’s going to break apart and shatter into a million pieces. I want a lifetime with him, and instead I was given just a few days. They were perfect days, days I hadn’t even thought possible, but they were still just days, a handful of hours, and not nearly enough of them. His sister’s death cut him so deeply, and I have a horrible feeling that mine might destroy him completely, and that’s the last thing I want for him. The thought of his pain makes me feel like I can’t breathe.

“Don’t start this shit again,” Andrik growls when he hears me sniffle.

I tell him to fuck off, but with the gag it’s only a pathetic muffle that doesn’t faze him in the slightest. I go back to staring out my window, each minute feeling like an hour until we turn off onto a long, gravel road. The sky is only starting to lighten, and it’s still mainly dark, but there’s a hint of the dawn that’s coming. It’s a time of day I don’t often get to see, and I make a promise to myself that if I make it out of this, I’m going to try my best to be an early bird because something this beautiful shouldn’t be missed.

We stop in front of a brick, one-story house that looks deceivingly normal. There’s even a flowerbed out front filled with blooming marigolds, and when the headlights hit them, I see the vibrant shades of orange and yellow. When I look out the other windows, all I can see is land and the dark woods that surround us. There aren’t any signs of neighbors or a hint at where we might be. There’s nothing, and if I do manage to escape, I’ll be running barefoot in the dark in a remote area that’s miles away from anyone. I don’t even know what direction to run in. If you get far enough upstate, it’s just wilderness. I don’t want to die from dehydration or from getting mauled by a bear, but I’ll take the chance if I’m given one because I’m guessing that death would be preferable to whatever hell these bastards have planned.

Andrik opens my door and roughly pulls me out. Not even bothering to give me a chance to walk, he throws me over his shoulder again and heads for the front door.

“They’ll be here soon,” the driver says, shoving his phone back into his pocket as Andrik opens the door and walks me into a very normal-looking living room. I’m relieved to see it hasn’t been set up as a torture chamber, but the sight of a couch and armchair isn’t enough to put me at ease. They can kill me just as easily on the floral fabric as they can a grimy, concrete floor.

I let out a muffled grunt when he tosses me onto the couch. My arms are numb, my mouth aches, and I’m trying very hard to not vomit so I don’t asphyxiate on last night’s hamburger. While I take slow, steady breaths through my nose, he looks down at me like he wants nothing more than for me to act up so he can hit me again. I notice the bruise forming on his cheek, and it makes me feel a little better, but I’m too scared to gloat about it.

“Your dad is going to regret humiliating Alexei.”

I don’t bother trying to mumble out anything. I save my strength and lean my head back, resting it on the cushion behind me. These may be my last few relatively pain-free moments, and I don’t intend to waste them. I scan as much of the house as I can see while Andrik and the other man, who I learned on the drive is Gleb, sit down in the two armchairs across from me. They discuss some new strip club they went to last weekend. Evidently there’s a dancer named Bunny who can do some pretty impressive shit on the pole. While they reminisce about upside down splits and tits that defy gravity, I try to wiggle my hands free of the rope that’s been cutting off my circulation since he wrapped it too damn tightly around my wrists.

“Keep trying, princess,” Andrik teases, noticing the slight movement in my shoulders. This time I do tell him to fuck off, not caring if he can’t understand it around my gag. He gets the sentiment, and that’s good enough for me.

“Finally,” Gleb says, getting up and walking to the front window when he sees headlights approaching. “They’re here.” He looks back at me and winks. “Fun’s about to begin, sweetheart.”

Gleb looks older than Andrik, but they’re both fit, both wearing tactical gear, and both have the same cold, dead look when they bother to meet my eyes. I know with absolute certainty that either one would be more than happy to end my life.

I turn my head to look out the large window. The porch light is on, allowing me to see the two SUVs pull up next to Gleb’s car. The doors of the first one open, and I watch as nine armed men get out and then quickly fan out to guard and surround the house. Two men get out of the second, and after several tense minutes, the front door opens, and as much as I hate my two kidnappers, I’d much rather spend the day with them than the angry Bratva boss who’s just walked in. After helping Dominic interrogate the man they’d caught, I know the Zolotov Bratva is behind this, and I’ve been around enough Bratva bosses to be able to spot one. Adrian Zolotov might not be as young or as physically in shape as my dad and uncles, but he exudes the same kind of power they do, and the men around him seem to grow smaller when he steps into the room.

Behind him is a much younger man, but given the same dirty-blond hair and blue eyes, I’m guessing this must be his son—the pussy who lost a fight with my dad and now feels like he needs to kill me to even things out.

“Take off her gag,” Adrian says, and Andrik immediately steps forward to remove the filthy fabric from my swollen, dry mouth.

“Bastard,” I whisper just loud enough for him to hear before he steps back and tosses the rag aside.

Adrian walks over and sits down next to me like he’s just here for a friendly chat. His grey hair is thinning, but I can tell he’s desperately trying to hide it. His broad shoulders fill the space, and I imagine he probably had an impressive physique back in the day. What was once muscle has been allowed to turn soft, and it looks like Adrian might have a sweet tooth based on his puffy cheeks and distended belly.

He runs his eyes over me, and I’d give anything to have picked out jogging pants and a sweatshirt last night to sleep in instead of the shorts and thin shirt I’d chosen.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Natalya.” His voice has the raspy sound of someone who’s had a pack-a-day habit since I was in diapers. He looks to his men and laughs. “Hard to believe this scrawny thing is the infamous Lev Melnikov’s precious daughter.”

They share a man laugh while I ask, “What are you going to do to me?”

Adrian leans back and motions at his son. “Alexei is going to get some payback.”

I turn to his son, feeling an instant hatred for the fucker. He’s in much better shape than his dad, but I can see why mine kicked his ass so easily. Alexei is the kind of man who’s all show and very little substance. He’s a guy who looks like he’d be good in a fight, but he lacks the smarts to follow it through. He’d be too busy preening for the crowd when he should be studying his opponent and staying five steps ahead. I’m guessing Alexei is a very bad chess player.

“So you’re going to hurt me because my dad kicked your ass?”

The look on his face is almost worth the sharp smack he gives me. Almost. He hits me right where Andrik’s punch had landed, and the force of it has my teeth shredding my gums and my eyes filling with tears. He fists my hair and jerks my head back so he can get right in my face like the dickhead he is.

“I’m going to do more than hurt you, bitch, and your dad didn’t kick my ass. He tricked me and fought dirty.”

“Whatever you say, Alexei.” I’d muster up a laugh to go with it if I could, but the smartass comment is all I have the strength for. I look at the four men in front of me. “I feel like I should warn you that my family is going to be giving you all very slow, very painful deaths for this.”

“They’re never going to find us, princess,” Alexei growls, spitting out princess like it’s an insult, and coming from his lips it feels like one. He holds his phone up and gives me a smile that has a ball of fear settling low in my gut. “We’re going to make a film for Daddy.” He squats down in front of me, resting one hand on my thigh. I try to kick him away, but he digs his fingers in tight enough to make me hiss out a breath and bite my tongue before I can beg him to stop.

“The first film is going to be of me beating the hell out of you until you’re a beautiful, bloody mess.”

I try not to look as terrified as I feel, but he sees it. I know he does because he winks at me.

“The second film is going to be of me fucking his sweet little princess.”

As much as I try to fight it, my body starts to shake from a fear that’s quickly taking over every part of me.

“And the last video will be of me killing you.” He leans in closer and digs his fingers in harder, pressing in until a whimper escapes my lips. “I wonder which video will be the one to bring him to his knees.”

Everything grows cold inside me, and I’m shaking so damn hard my teeth are chattering. I’m trying so hard to be brave, but all I can think about is how badly this is going to hurt and how much this is going to kill my dad to watch. I don’t want my family to see this. I don’t want these images in their head, but it’s the thought of Dominic having to watch another man rape me that pulls a sob from my shaking body.

“Perfect,” Alexei says, smacking my thigh hard enough to sting. “Make sure to cry just like that when we start recording.”

“This is going to destroy your family,” Andrei says, voicing what I already know. “Your dad made the mistake of getting too close. He loves his family too goddamn much, and it’s going to be his ruin. While they’re mourning your death, we’re going to take over the city and make it ours.”

I look over at Andrik. “Is this why you betrayed my family? They offered you a better position once they take over?”

Andrik shrugs like it’s no big deal to turn against the Bratva you pledged your life to. “Better position and better pay.”

“I think you might regret that before you die,” I tell him, but he just shakes his head and laughs.

“Yeah, I really doubt that, princess.” He grabs the phone that Alexei offers him. “I’ll be the one filming, by the way. I’ll be sure and get lots of close-ups.”

Alexei pulls my attention back to him by running his hand up my side. I suck in a quick breath and begin to have serious doubts that I’m going to be able to mentally handle this.

“I’ve seen the way Lev guards you, princess, and I wish I could say I’ll go easy on you since it’s your first time,” he stops and gives another harsh laugh, “but I’m not going to. I’m going to fuck you like you’re a whore who’s used to twelve-inch dick every night of the week.”

Jesus Christ. My vision goes spotty, and I pray to whoever may be listening, begging them to make me pass out soon, because I don’t want to be awake for any of this. My only comfort is that he doesn’t know about Dominic. Maybe that means he won’t be sending him a video too, maybe by some miracle he’ll never be forced to watch what’s about to happen to me.

Alexei stands back up and Gleb walks over to grab me, moving me from the couch to prepare for the first video. It doesn’t escape my notice that the beating the shit out of me video is coming before the raping one. That tells me everything I need to know about Alexei Zolotov. There’s no reasoning with a man like him. He’s a psychopath, but he’s also a misogynistic asshole, and to be a woman on the receiving end of that combination means there’s only one way this is going to end for me, and knowing I’m about to die by his hands breaks my goddamn heart.

Gleb sits me down on the kitchen floor. My knees dig into the hard, white tile that’s about to be covered in my blood while Alexei takes off his shirt and shakes his hands out, preparing to beat the hell out of the bound, defenseless woman in front of him.

Andrik lifts the phone, positioning himself in the room so he’s in the perfect spot to catch everything on video. He gives me a wink, and I can see the excitement in his eyes. What the fuck is wrong with these guys? I’ve been surrounded by tough men my whole life, and every single one of them would cut off their own arm before raising it against a defenseless woman. I understand why my dad and uncles have been so strict with us now, and I’d give anything to be able to hug them all and thank them for all the bodyguards and constant text check-ins and the refusal to let us go out on our own no matter how hard we begged. I get it. I fucking get it, and if I make it out of here, I’ll never complain about any security measures ever again.

Alexei steps closer while his dad smiles at him from across the room. Like father, like fucking son. He cracks his knuckles and looks down at me. His chest is decorated with Bratva tattoos that cover every inch of his muscular body. I don’t stand a chance in hell, even if my hands weren’t bound.

“I wonder how long before you pass out,” he says, eyeing me like he can’t wait to cut me open to see what’s inside.

I desperately hope it’ll be quick, and in what might be an insane attempt to make that happen, I smile up at him, wanting to piss him off enough so that the first punch will knock my ass out.

“Probably a pretty long time since you’re such a fucking pussy. I’m glad my dad kicked your bitch ass. If you hadn’t tied my hands behind me, I bet I could kick your ass too.”

I have just enough time to see his eyes go dark with rage before he yells, “Start filming,” and pulls his arm back for the first punch. I don’t get my wish. I don’t pass out with the first punch or the next or the fucking next. I try like hell to not scream so my dad doesn’t have to hear it, but I lose that battle pretty early on. I can’t help it. He’s slowly killing me with each hit, and I can’t do a goddamn thing to stop it. I cling to thoughts of Dominic, wanting to die with a piece of him surrounding me, even if it is all in my head. I won’t let this bastard take that from me. He might be killing me, but I’m going to decide what to think about while he does it. He’s not going to take this from me. I fight like hell to ignore the pain and fill my head with the man I love until finally my vision starts to darken and I let go.