The Debt (Sordid Debt Duet #1)

The Payment - Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

Tatiana

The luxurious estate of Gregor Polov, Lakeshore Drive NW, Berkeley Lake, Georgia…

“The debt must be paid. And you are the currency.”

Tatiana’s world came crashing down where she stood frozen with her heart drumming against her ribs as Jarek's words echoed through the lavish estate. The crystal chandeliers that had seemed so magical yesterday now cast harsh shadows across the marble floors.

Her mind refused to process the words at first, clinging desperately to the remnants of her fantasy. But reality crashed through her defenses as she watched Jarek's transformation. The gentle smile she had fallen for twisted into something foreign, like a predator’s smirk that had been lurking beneath the surface all along.

She caught sight of her grandparents’ reactions in her peripheral vision. Elizabeth’s face had drained of all color as she pressed a perfectly manicured hand against her throat. Gregor’s complexion had turned an alarming shade of purple and she could see that his legendary control was fracturing further with every word Jarek spoke.

All the love songs told you that love was such a beautiful song… Fuck that. Love is nothing other than a cruel taskmaster. One who had proven over and over again never to open your heart… she should have listened.

Tatiana’s thoughts raced through every moment and every interaction with Jarek over the past months. There were the mysterious phone calls he would take in private. The way he deflected questions about his past, and that cold mask that would slip over his features when he thought she wasn’t looking. The difference was, when he had blinked, the old Jarek, the caring and lovable man was back. Not this time. He showed not a twinge of remorse for what he was doing to her.

Realization hit. Her legs threatened to crumble. He didn’t love her… he never did. All she was, all she had ever been, had been a pawn in his demented game of vengeance. All the warning signs had been there… and she had willfully ignored them since she was too caught up in her romantic delusions.

That’s why he could never say the words. God! It hurts so much.

His voice dripped with mockery as he continued to bait her grandfather. “It’s going to be so much fun watching you hate your own grandchild for the rest of your life because the man who fathered him brought you to your knees.”

Each word was a dagger, shredding what remained of her heart. The man before her was a stranger wearing her lover’s face. Where she had once seen warmth in those beautiful gray eyes, there was only arctic emptiness. His handsome features were twisted with vindictive pleasure as he watched her grandfather’s struggle for control.

Tatiana finally found her voice, a menacing sneer that emerged from the bleeding depth of her soul. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that too much.” The steel was as sharp as a razor’s blade as fury replaced shock. “There will be no child, Jarek Farrel. Ever. If you believe Gregor Polov owes you one... then fuck him and have him bear you the brat you so badly want, because it sure as fucking hell won’t be me, you self-righteous piece of shit!”

Jarek’s mocking amusement vanished to be replaced by a dangerous stillness. His jaw clenched, and a muscle ticked dangerously beneath the surface as his eyes narrowed on Tatiana. The transformation was instant—from a calculated tormentor to The Dark One, the dangerous Irish mobster who apparently made grown men check their closets at night. For the first time Tatiana stood face to face with a man who gave new meaning to the words lethal and cruel.

Jarek covered the distance between them in two fluid strides to tower over her. His fingers gripped her chin as he forced her to meet his gaze. The touch that had once brought her comfort now made her skin crawl, but she refused to let it show. Let him believe she feared him. She too could play a role.

“Such fire,” he drawled, but the playfulness was gone from his voice. “You seem to be under the impression you have a choice in this matter, princess .” His thumb traced her lower lip in a mockery of tenderness. “Let me be clear—you signed the marriage contract. You’re my wife now. Your body, your future, all of it now belongs to me.”

The possessive gleam in his eyes sent a chill down Tatiana’s spine. This was the real Jarek Farrel—not the gentle lover who had courted her, or the powerful Dom who had been so patient and caring, but a man carved from violence and vengeance. His grip tightened fractionally, and she could sense the warning in the pressure of his fingers.

“And trust me, my dear wife,” his voice dropped to a whisper that was only meant for her ears, “you will give me exactly what I want. Fighting me will only make this more... interesting.”

“It seems all the men in my life believe they have power over me… over my body, my feelings, and decisions I make.” Her eyes turned as cold as ice. “Well, newsflash, you demented pig, you fucking don’t. This isn’t the medieval era. I may have signed the supposed marriage contract but you broke the very thread upon which it was woven. You’re the one who didn’t honor the contract.” She smirked. “Which I now know you never intended to anyway. In case you don’t know how contracts work… they’re not one sided and believe me, I scrutinized ours from A to Z. So, you don’t have a legal leg to stand or to force me to do anything. I can turn around and walk away right now and there’s not a goddamn thing you can do to stop me. I don’t have to GIVE you shit, Jarek Farrel!”

You don’t want to miss the riveting conclusion to Jarek’s journey of vengeance.