5. Vivianna #2
I slept terribly that night and called in sick to work; there was no way that I was going to do my job well when my head wasn’t in the game.
I also wasn’t really lying—I did feel sick to my stomach at the thought of being married off like some seventeenth-century maiden.
I laid in bed, going over every possibility that I could think of to make my escape.
I needed cash—it was untraceable—and I had it, but the hard part would be getting the money out of my account unnoticed.
Even though my finances were completely my own, I had no doubt that my account being monitored by my father.
He probably had someone watching it twenty-four seven after the way I reacted.
Once I had the money figured out, I needed to think of a place that Russia and the UK didn’t have connections to. Which left almost nowhere.
How the fuck did I get out of this?
Okay, if I couldn’t hide out somewhere for good, then I needed to have transportation other than my bike. I had my driver’s license. I’d needed it for my ambulance training, but I’d never owned a car before. Who did I know that would loan or sell me a car without question and for cash?
Chief Mitchell came to mind; he knew what my father was like and just how powerful he was. If I went to work and talked to him, I just might be able to figure something out. He might come up with some ideas to get me the money without connecting it to me.
Now that I had those things figured out, how was I going to get out of the city unnoticed? Would my father have someone watching me here at home? Would he put a tail on me to make sure I didn’t bolt?
And the biggest question of all—why was he doing this? Why now?
This person he was marrying me off to must be someone of political importance.
It’s only thing that made sense. What I wouldn’t give to know who this asshole was that agreed to this bullshit idea.
Was it still common in Russia to do arranged marriages?
I’d need to do some research on that. There had to be some legal way for me to get out of this.
I was an adult; my father had no power to force me into this.
Who the fuck was I kidding? My father would just pay off any judge to rule in his favor. I couldn’t let this get into a legal fight, because he would have all the cards in that world.
I tossed back the covers and headed downstairs to my kitchen to make a cup of coffee. I wasn’t going to get very far running on empty.
“Why’d you have to go and ruin your favorite mug, ya idiot?” I chided myself as I passed through the living room and spotted the broken mug, not feeling up to cleaning the mess.
When I entered the kitchen, I found a strange man sitting on a stool at my breakfast ledge.
He looked up at me with the brightest blue eyes I’d ever seen.
They sent a chill down my spine, and I knew he was dangerous, but I couldn’t explain how I knew that.
His face was harsh and square but still handsome, his hair buzzed short, and a five o’clock shadow graced his jawline.
His muscles bunched under his shirt as he pushed up from his seat to stand.
“Who the fuck are you and how the hell did you get in my house?” I demanded.
I’d had enough of strange people popping up in random places over the past few days. Now they all decided to let themselves into my home. Clearly, this was a sign I needed to step up my plan. I was out of time… if I ever had any to begin with.
“I’m Vadik, your fiancé,” he said with a strong Russian accent, his voice so deep I could feel it in my chest.
Taking a moment to register what he just said, I noticed him checking me out.
He wasn’t subtle about it at all. I looked down at the simple tank top and sweatpants that I had on, and I was pleased at how unimpressive I looked right now.
I also hadn’t taken the time to do anything with my hair, so I knew it was still in the haphazard braid I’d fallen asleep with.
When he met my gaze again, his lips gave a little twitch like he was holding back a smirk.
I set my hands on my hips and held his gaze, letting him know how disinterested I was with him.
“You done?” I asked.
“Not remotely, but it will do for now,” he said, letting his grin show.
“Whatever,” I said, turning to the counter and finding the coffee pot full, a mug beside it.
I snapped my attention back to Vadik, anger washing through me at the fact that he was not only in my home but had presumed to make coffee in my kitchen. Was nothing sacred anymore?
“How’d you even know I like coffee?” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.
Vadik shrugged his giant shoulders and sat back down on his stool. “I took a wild guess since the container I found it in said ‘Go-Go-Juice.’”
I stalked over to him, keeping the counter between us. “What are you doing in my house? Who even let you in? Another thing—on what planet did you think it would be a good idea just to show up here?”
“Your father gave me the key and told me that you would be expecting me. He said that he explained everything to you last night,” Vadik said, resting his chin on his hand, watching me.
“My father informed me last night that he’d arranged a marriage for me.
On top of that, I was to quit my job and move to St. Petersburg, where a position in a hospital was waiting for me,” I said, gripping the counter so hard my knuckles turned white.
“I regret to inform you that none of that is going to happen. Now, if you would kindly see yourself out, I have a class to be getting to.”
I turned and started walking out of the kitchen, but before I could get very far, a large hand grabbed my arm, spinning me back around. Vadik looked down at me, his face no longer charming in any way. Now I could see what I’d sensed, his eyes flashing with anger.
“I will not be spoken to in such a manner. I am your intended, and I demand to be treated as such. Very soon, your life will no longer be your own—it will be mine to do with as I please,” Vadik said.
I bristled at his callous demeanor. “I’m sorry, but last I checked this is the twenty-first century, and women have rights. One of them being that I won’t be forced into a marriage with a dick such as yourself.”
Vadik tossed his head back and laughed. “Enjoy what little freedom you have left, my little wolf, but soon you will come to heel. I will leave you for now, but when I return, you will be coming with me.”
He released his hold, shoving me away from him, and moments later, I heard the front door slam. I rubbed my arm, pissed, coffee-less, and really needing to punch something. If I didn’t give myself an outlet for all this rage, I was going to do something I really would regret.