Unholy Tsar: A Dark Mafia Romance (Ruthless Dynasty Book 4)

Chapter 11

I expected things to worsen after I escaped from Roy’s clutches yesterday, and they have. Before I ran away, Roy only gave me uninterested glances, but now he’s full-on glaring at me. I don’t miss the shiner on his face. I feel bad because I know it must’ve been part of the punishment Maksim gave him.

“I’m sorry,” I told him yesterday during the ride back to my apartment. He only grunted in response.

Now, here he is at 9:00 PM, asking if I’d like to go out for dinner, that glare still on his face. “Huh?” I ask, a little confused. I had refused the meal the chef sent up earlier, but only because I wasn’t hungry at the time.

“Mr. Smolov said you’re suffocated and suggested you eat out a few times a week.” His cool tone suggests he thinks Maksim is insane for loosening my leash. But who cares? I’m allowed to go outside! Suddenly, I’m famished.

I grin at him, “Yes, I would love that. Thank you.”

He grunts and spins away from me. I sigh as I drop the book I was reading onto the coffee table and make my way to my bedroom. I would try to mend the new coldness between us, or at least go back to his indifference, but I know myself. Sooner or later, I’ll do something to piss him off again, and we’ll be back to square one. Maybe it’s better this way.

Since we’re going for dinner, I figure it’ll be something fancy or at least upscale—Maksim doesn’t do anything halfway—so I choose a royal blue dress that hugs my curves and flares out at the waist. I pair it with a jean jacket, since it gets really cold at night, and ankle-length boots. With my hair pulled up into a ponytail, I twirl in front of the full-length mirror by the closet. I look hot.

Roy does a double-take when he sees me, but his expression remains impassive. He’s probably surprised since he’s mostly only seen me in jeans and palazzos. “What do you think?” I tease him, hoping to lighten the mood.

He nods curtly and leads me outside. I sigh again, wishing there was someone I could talk with. At least I’m allowed back into the lessons with Bree and Maksim, so that’s something.

As I predicted, the restaurant is very posh, located right on the East River with breathtaking panoramic views of the city; even the Brooklyn Bridge looks enchanting. The seat reserved for me is the best in the house, with a window that faces the river twinkling with city lights.

As I take my seat, Roy nods at the three other security men with us, who then strategically position themselves around the restaurant. Roy stands rigidly behind. I glance around. Everyone is staring at me. Even the other patrons. I shift uncomfortably.

“Could you at least sit down?” I gesture to the empty seat across from me. “People are staring.” He shoots them a glare, and they quickly glance away. “My my, Roy, am I special to you?”

“What?” he frowns.

I grin at him, glad that he’s humoring me. “The glare you gave these people could make even the bravest men quake in their boots, yet when you look at me, it’s different.”

His frown deepens, then he looks away with a huff. Meanwhile, my grin just grows bigger, feeling pleased with myself. I’ll get to him. I just need more time. And that’s all I have now. The waiter walks up to take my order, and I point at the most expensive dish and drink.

Despite eating alone and having no one to talk to, dinner is surprisingly pleasant. Still, part of me wishes I had Maksim’s number so I could text him my thanks.

“Give me your boss’ number,” I demand from Roy when we leave the restaurant. He responds with his signature grunt, but I’m starting to tell them apart now, and this particular grunt means no.

“Come on. He wouldn’t mind, I swear. I forgot to ask for it when I saw him this morning,” I insist. But Roy simply opens the door of the car for me, his expression unreadable. I hesitate, then give him a pleading look. “Can we take a short walk around the river? I need to digest my meal.”

I sense a shift in his demeanor. His duty now seems less rigid, more relaxed. Maybe it’s me… or maybe Maksim told him to do more than just keep me safe. Maybe he ordered him to keep me happy, too.

I roll my eyes at the thought—yeah, right.

Still, whatever’s different, I’m ready to take full advantage of it. Anything to stretch my legs and feel slightly in control of my life again.

“I swear I’ll stay within your sights at all times. I’m not suicidal enough to try to run away twice in one day.”

He eyes me warily. “Five minutes,” he relents, and I flash him a grateful smile.

“You’re the best, Roy.” He just shakes his head, closing the car door as I skip ahead, inhaling the fresh air and reveling in the freedom. The riverside is bustling with people, but I don’t pay them any mind. I don’t need to. Not only do I have my own body guards watching me, I also have Maksim’s knife tucked it into my boot. If anyone dares to mess with me, they’ll regret it.

The joy bubbling up inside me feels like a fizzy soda, lively and irresistible. This is the happiest and safest I’ve felt in two years. Sure, being with Bree was nice, but in the grand scheme of things, I was just her friend. Bree was always the priority for her guards. I don’t hold it against her, but it feels good to finally be the main priority for once in my life, I can’t deny that.

Suddenly, a white van screeches to a halt in front of me, and I hear Roy shout my name as I curse at the driver. Then the side door swings open and a pair of hands reaches out to grab me.

Before I can even process what’s happening, I’m being dragged inside. What the fuck? I blink in disbelief as the van speeds off with squealing tires. Is this really happening? Did I just get fucking kidnapped?

“Finally. Tell the boss we have her,” someone says, and my adrenaline spikes. No. I won’t let them take me. These fuckers should’ve tied me up. But as I reach for the knife in my boot, the van suddenly climbs up a hill, and I have to hug the door to avoid being thrown backward.

By the time the van steadies, the man who dragged me inside has turned to talk to the driver. I take advantage of his distraction and drive my knife into his arm.

“You bitch!” he roars, lunging for me. But I quickly open the door and jump out. Bad idea. We aren’t exactly moving at light speed, but the ground is unforgiving and I roll through traffic, gritting my teeth in pain. The honking cars echo in my ears as I finally come to a stop. When I look up, I see we’re on the Brooklyn bridge.

My heart sinks.

Damn it.

Ahead, the van slams on the breaks, and the man I stabbed stumbles out, his face twisted in fury. Shit. My skin burning, I force myself onto my feet and get ready to stand my ground.

“I’m tired of running,” I spit.

There’s no point trying to run anyway. I’m not fast enough. So, instead, I steady myself and remember Maksim’s words about targeting the weak points. As the man approaches, I scream and I lift my knife. He curses, slapping the blade from my hand. Somehow, I manage to catch it with my other hand before it hits the ground… but not by the handle.

The sharp side slices into my palm like butter, sending a searing pain through my body.

But I don’t have time to focus on it. My attacker looms in front of me, steam rising from his body. In one swift movement, I transfer the knife to my right hand and jump up, aiming for his eye just like Maksim taught me.

But this fucker is faster than I anticipated, and he dodges at the last second, right before the tip reaches its target. Instead, the knife slashes his cheek.

Yes. Bloodlust fills my veins and boosts my confidence. I don’t give him time to recover before going at him again. With a bewildered look, he starts stumbling backward until his back hits the bridge’s edge.

When that happens, his face goes dark. He glances between me and the river below. Then, without warning, he turns and jumps.

“No!” I find myself shouting. But there’s nothing I can do but stand there in shock as his body plunges into the water.

My heart races. My lungs pound. My chest burns. Did… did I just win?

Turning around, I look back at the van that took me captive. Before I can decide what to do next, the engine roars to life, and the driver speeds off.

What the fuck?

I blink, then sway on my feet, head spinning. Now that the immediate danger is over, excruciating pain floods my senses. From the cut on my palm to the fire spreading through my shoulders and hips from hitting the asphalt.

Without thinking, I shimmy off my jacket and wrap it around my bleeding palm. Traffic resumes. No one stops to check on me, though I swear I hear sirens in the distance. But I don’t want to deal with cops. Not with who my friends are.

Sucking in a breath, I start to limp off the bridge, grateful that we hadn’t gone too far out. Yet, every step feels like hell, my body weighted down by pain. And when I finally reach the entrance, confusion clouds my mind. I glance around, trying to figure out where I am, but it’s no use, I’m lost. My mind is a muddled mess. I don’t know where to go or what to do.

Slowly, though, only one possibility enters my frayed mind.

The only place I can go now.

Summoning what remains of my strength, I manage to hail a passing cab. I give him Maksim”s address and sink into the seat with a heavy sigh.

So much for being safe and happy.

I’m not sure if I black out or not, but time blurs, and before I know it, we pull up to his place.

“Here’s fine,” I cough, stumbling out of the door, my body protesting every movement. To my surprise, I don’t see any of the beefy men that usually linger around the high-rise building. The doorman gapes at my disheveled state with wild eyes as I trudge in. “Can you pay for my cab fare? I’m sure Maksim will pay you back…”

He nods and rushes out—presumably to pay. I don’t wait for him to return. Instead, I make my way to the bank of private elevators leading directly to the penthouse. It only opens when you put in the code or if someone sends it down from the penthouse.

I press the buzzer and wait a few seconds. Nothing happens. I place my index finger on the buzzer and press down.

“Cecilia?” Suddenly, Maksim’s deep voice comes out of nowhere.

“Maksim?” I lazily glance around, wondering where the camera is, but before I can figure it out, the elevator’s doors slide open, and I stumble inside.

That’s when my body decides to give up. I slump to the floor and close my eyes, ready to accept whatever happens next.