16. Briar
16
brIAR
A fter he leaves, I explore the house.
I’ve never had a place all to myself before. I should be disgusted by the way he locked me in here, but I know things could be a lot worse.
And even though I try my best not to think about him, my captor lives rent-free in my head.
Every time I try to sit down, I’m reminded of the way he made me lie face down on his lap as he spanked me.
And I liked it. I liked it so much.
I ignore the pang of desire between my thighs. He claims to have fucked me. I can’t even begin to imagine how I was able to take all of him inside me. When he made me count his ministrations, I could feel his hardness branded against my stomach. It got larger and larger with every strike. I don’t know what that says about him.
He likes making me his submissive.
And I liked the pain.
I was soaked between my thighs by the time he was done. I don’t know what that says about me.
I pick a random book from the bookshelf and curl up by a window. I keep reading the same sentence over and over again. My mind is filled with the sound of his commands.
“Lift your arms.” The way he undressed me in the fitting room.
“Open your mouth.” The way he held my chin between his thumb and index finger as he held the water bottle over my lips.
“Count.” The authority in his voice as he made me count each spanking.
He’s a man who’s rough around the edges. He’s dominating and possessive. It’s supposed to be the biggest turn-off. I should hate him for taking me away from Chloe and trapping me in another gilded cage.
I’m supposed to be disgusted by him.
But instead, I’m fascinated.
I’m holding my breath until I can see him again. My heart skips a beat every time he’s in my orbit.
I put the book away and start pacing the halls once more.
There’s a lovely back garden by the kitchen that has a birdhouse and tropical flowers. There’s also a pool, a Jacuzzi tub, and what looks like a dog kennel.
As far as prisons go, I suppose this one isn’t too bad.
I study the exotic flowers in the garden. If I can find a botany book, I can figure out what geographical locations these flowers are native to. It will give me clues on where I am and how I can get out of here.
If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s being patient.
I’ve been patient my entire life. I’ll be patient once again, even if the person responsible for my captivity makes me feel all these weird emotions.
I see movement in the garden.
A little head looks up at me.
Oh my gosh.
It’s a puppy. He looks drowsy. For a second, I assume the worst. I think that maybe Dimitri drugged the dog too. But as the puppy yawns and steps outside, I realize he just woke up from a nap. His little tail starts wagging back and forth.
My heart floods with pure joy. Just when I think I can’t take the cuteness overload anymore, he runs up to me on his little paws. It's a beagle.
I press my hand against the glass.
Dimitri locked the doors. I already checked the front door. But I haven’t checked if he locked the French doors to the garden.
He told me that I wouldn’t be alone. At the time, I assumed it would be something sinister, like hidden spy cameras planted all over the house. But maybe he was talking about this puppy.
I try opening the backyard doors. A triumphant noise escapes my lips when it actually clicks open. The puppy runs up to me and starts sniffing my feet. It tickles.
I giggle and lean down to pet him.
“Hey, little buddy,” I say, picking him up. He leaves kisses all over my face.
I’ve always loved animals.
We had a farm on the estate where I grew up. I was never allowed to visit the animals during the day, but I went to pet the lambs and the cows in the early hours of dawn.
Despite everything, I find myself grinning as I pet the puppy.
My day has instantly brightened.
But even as I’m consumed by my new furry friend, my mind keeps taking me back to Dimitri. I can’t seem to get him out of my head.
“What’s your name, buddy?” I say, petting the puppy as he wags his little tail furiously.
He plays with me for a while and then gets the zoomies. He runs all around the house until he tires himself out.
We end up taking a nap together.
I wake up when the housekeeper, a beautiful middle-aged woman with a stern expression, comes in with dinner. She shoos the puppy back outside, muttering something in Russian.
“Hi, my name is Briar,” I say, holding my hands behind my back.
The woman watches me with a blank expression.
“Can you tell me where we are?” I ask. “I was just brought to the island this morning.”
If she can understand me, she doesn’t give any indication of it.
“Can you speak English?” I ask.
She purses her lips and rummages through the fridge.
“Your boss is an asshole,” I mutter.
She whirls around. “Do not speak ill about Mr. Drakonov.”
“So you do understand me,” I say. “Why were you pretending not to?”
“All the staff were instructed to keep our interactions with you to a minimum,” she says. She watches me with a glimmer in her eyes. I realize that it’s curiosity.
“What’s your name?” I ask her.
She hesitates for a moment. And then she says, “Olga.”
“How long have you been working for Dimitri, Olga?” I ask.
She sets up the dining table with enough food to feed a small village. And then she gets a dog bowl and fills it with puppy kibble before placing it right outside the French doors.
“Or is he keeping you here against your will too?” I ask.
“Mr. Drakonov saved my life,” she snaps, looking at me sharply. “You don’t know the first thing about him.”
“Then tell me,” I say. “Because all I know is that he ripped me away from my family and brought me here against my will. Sorry if I don’t see him as a saint.”
“He’s no saint,” she says, pursing her lips. “His ways are corrupt, but his heart is in the right place.”
“Can you tell me where we are?” I ask again.
She lifts her chin, looking more stubborn than her master. “If there’s something you want to ask, you should speak to the Pakhan himself.”
Pakhan .
That word rings a bell in my head. I don’t remember hearing it before, but somehow, I know exactly what it means.
“Will he be coming here later tonight?” I ask.
“He’ll see you tomorrow afternoon,” she says. “Until then, you’re to stay here.”
For some inexplicable reason, my heart sinks.
She glances around the house.
“The cleaners will arrive early tomorrow morning,” she says. “Is there anything else you need?”
I shake my head. Obviously, she’s loyal to her employer and won’t give me any information that might help me escape.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Miss Thorne,” she says.
She watches me for a moment. For a second, it looks like there’s something she wants to say. But then she turns and walks away, closing the front door behind her.
I hear the sound of the lock turning.
I swallow.
When I first heard the door opening, I hoped it would be him. I could feel the ghost of his hands all over my body, touching me possessively. I don’t know why I crave it so much. It feels like a high I’ll never get enough of.
I barely recognize myself.
I barely recognize these feelings he elicits in me.
Maybe I shouldn’t be trying to fight it. Maybe I should give in and ride the high. I can let him give me pleasure without sacrificing my heart. And once he trusts me enough, I can escape.
A soft snout nudges my ankles. I glance down at the little puppy.
“Hey buddy, did you like your dinner?” I ask him.
I scoop him up and take him with me to the dining table. He’s sleepy by the time I sit down. He falls asleep in my lap as I eat dinner.
Despite everything, I’m ravenous. I can’t complain about the food either. It’s delicious.
After dinner, I try to read the book from earlier today, but my mind keeps pulling me back to Dimitri. I ditch the book and stare out at the ocean instead. The puppy is curled up on my tummy. I stroke his tiny head.
I wonder where Grace, my little sister, is right now. Chloe said that her fiancé’s men are looking for her, but nobody has found Grace yet. I’m worried about her. She’s never had to go through life without me. And I have a feeling that real life can be just as brutal as the sheltered one we had.
I think about Chloe, too. I wonder if she’s upset with me for trying to run away. She was always there for us when we needed her. After everything she did for us, this is how I repay her. But in the moment, it really felt like a life-and-death situation.
And finally, my mind takes me back to the one thing I’m trying to avoid thinking about.
My mother.
Chloe told me I didn’t have to worry about her coming after me, but I heard the words exchanged between Dimitri and Chloe. They thought I wasn’t listening, but I heard every word. I heard him say that my mother is still alive.
And I know that as long as she’s alive, she’ll try to find me.
Even if it’s the last thing she does, she’ll make sure to gather up the broken pieces of her perfect little family.
Usually, every time I think about my mother, terror claws up my throat. I wait for that familiar fear to bury me. But it doesn’t come this time.
The only thing that’s different in my life now is a big Russian man.
He doesn’t need to tell me that he won’t let my mother hurt me ever again. I already know it deep in my bones. Nothing’s going to touch me ever again. The only person who can hurt me now is him.
I traded one monster for another.
I head to the bedroom. I thought the glass walls and skylight ceiling looked gorgeous in the daytime, but it’s nothing compared to how stunning it looks at night.
I lie on top of the bed and gaze at the stars.
My dark captor is the last thought in my mind before I drift off into a dreamless sleep.