Chapter 45
I’d like to say learning I have a half-sister is the most shocking part of my day, but turns out, it’s not.
It’s this-this outing , for lack of a better term, with Zeno. There’s no reason he should have let me out of the villa and risked me escaping all for…what?
“Tell me the truth,” I say, twisting back to face him. He’s stretched out on the grass, his hands merging with the blades, seemingly relaxed. Which, why shouldn’t he be? Between the two of us, he’s not the captive.
He crosses his ankles, his injured leg on top the other, and fixes me with a lazy stare. “What have I lied to you about now?”
I gesture to the expanse of nature around us. “You said you’re playing nice by bringing me out here, but there’s no reason why you would or should. So tell me the actual reason for this run.”
As strange as it is, it’s not been a bad experience. This conversation seems like one that’d occur between two old friends. Not mob leaders on opposite sides of an ongoing war who share a history of blood and pain created by our fathers, and a half-sister stuck in the middle.
Zeno opens his mouth to reply but a shrill chime interrupts the otherwise silence all around us, and he slips his phone from his pocket, sitting more upright as he reads. Whatever’s etched on the screen, which I subtly try to read, but the glare from the sun shines right on the screen and blocks the words, makes his face go ashy. He rubs a hand over his chin, nods once to himself, and clicks the side button on the device, blackening the screen.
“We’ve been out here too long,” he says, leaping to his feet in an oddly fluid movement. “Let’s go.” Without giving me a chance to stand on my own, he reaches down and hauls me to my feet. My skin radiates a stinging burn from his tight clasp, which I manage to shrug off.
He nudges me in front of him, toward the slight rise in the grassy field. Clearly, we’ve finished our run for good. Whatever was in that text message shoved something up his ass.
Whatever. Only proves my earlier thoughts. None of this was a nicety. He probably just needed me out of the house while his minions built some impenetrable cage for me to be locked inside. Now that the cage is complete, the fa?ade has dropped, and he’s back to being the asshole. I hate letting him play me like this. I should have taken off when I had the chance.
I stride in front of him and scan over the landscape. If he’s lied about the outdoor visit, he’s probably lied about the soldiers apparently not watching us. There’s no reason I should believe anything this man tells me. Hell, his whole story about fighting for leadership was probably bullshit too, as he only attempted to force a connection with me—for whatever pointless purpose.
“Why’d you never marry?” His sudden question makes my head spin.
I peek over my shoulder, finding his gaze locked firmly on my face. Warmth spreads as he inspects me, like he’ll find his answer in my expression. Which, if he’s good at reading disbelief, he’d see it.
“After your father’s death, I mean,” he adds with a slight shake of his head. “I understand Ursin planned to wed you off for his own benefit, but once you were settled as Pakhan, you didn’t think it’d be wise to align yourself with another organization?”
I don’t bother trying to mask my disgust. “And have a man try to take my Bratva from me? Fuck no. This reign is mine and mine alone.”
His steps quicken until his pace is matched with mine. “What about an heir?”
“Maybe in time,” I tell him, which might very well be a lie because the thought of children makes my stomach knot. The Bratva will need a successor eventually, but the concept of settling down and having a child holds no appeal to me right now. Besides, raising a child isn’t something I’m prepared for at the moment, and I definitely don’t want to be an emotionally absent parent, like Papa was to me. “A husband and kids isn’t something I want.”
Zeno grunts, accepting my response, which only makes me shoot his own question back his way, in the form of a statement. “Pretty judgemental for someone without an heir or a wife.”
“In time,” he echoes my response, his eyes a shade darker from earlier as they settle on me. “You really don’t trust anyone, do you?”
I circle a finger in the air, shooting him a disbelieving look. “You blame me?”
“In relationships, I mean,” he goes on as if I hadn’t spoken. “Two years of watching you, and never in that time have you had one. You keep everything casual. Surround yourself with a small group. My theory is, you’ve always had people undermine you so you never open yourself up to others to avoid being disappointed in them.”
My heart pounds so fast, blood races to my ears. “There’s a problem with that?”
Zeno shrugs a shoulder. “Just sad, that’s all.”
Sad. Erecting a protective barrier around myself isn’t sad . It’s smart. My Elite are trusted and won’t usurp me, so I need no other friends. And the power dynamics in relationships can be a bitch to navigate. It’s easier to be alone, to not love, than risk my stability after years chasing it.
Zeno’s only saying this shit to mess with my head, and unfortunately, it’s worked somewhat well enough that I’ve gotten so distracted, I only now realize we’re coming closer to the mansion.
Which means, back to captivity. If only I took the gamble earlier and tested Zeno’s truth-telling ability. Because as the hours slip by without my Elite’s arrival, restlessness grows. I need a plan B, in case Zeno changes his mind about keeping me alive. Sitting around doing nothing is stupid.
Almost as stupid as this entire outing.
I scan the land and toward the road we drove up yesterday at arrival. It’s probably the easiest and most direct route out of here.
I scan the roof again. There’s no one that I can see, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. If I call his bluff and there really are people, well…this won’t end well. Ideally, he gave them orders to only scare me, not to kill me.
Zeno walks a bit faster, coming up beside me, almost like he can hear my racing thoughts. The run earlier proved he can match my speed, and if I randomly take off, I doubt I’d make it to the house before he catches me.
“Race?”
Zeno stares at me intently, and I bite the inside of my cheek to mask my hope.
“I cheated earlier,” I add, giving reason for my request. “Race you back to the house? See who’s actually faster this time.”
“The stakes?”
Um. Shit. Freedom. My mind scrolls through the endless possibilities of what I already know and what I don’t, coming up with the first semi-logical thing to want. “Another answer. I’m curious about your plans for Dimitri and my uncle, after you’ve finished with me.”
He blinks slowly, tilting his head to the side with a murmured, “Alright. When you’re ready then…and no cheating.”
“No cheating this time,” I promise. He’ll be the winner regardless because reaching the villa isn’t my endgame.
He whispers, “Go.” I pretend not to have heard him right away, kicking into a run half a second after he does.
He gains an entire foot in front of me, and still, I slow. Not enough to cause suspicion, but enough my loss could be a realistic outcome. We’re nearing the house now, with only a small rise in the ground left to get over, and I pretend it’s the hill that breaks my stride.
Zeno reaches the edge of the patio before me and comes to a stop, turning with a satisfied expression, no doubt about to lord his win.
Except I don’t hang around to hear it, and continue right past him, pushing every muscle in my body to make myself faster. Zeno curses and I hear him coming after me, as I suspected he would.
I pass the pool, the sun reflecting across the calm water, blasting a bright flash into my eyes. I keep going, heading for the road, and in complete sight of the villa’s entire surroundings. If someone’s watching me, I’m well in the open for their aim.
And yet, no bullets.
My vision alters when a hard hit knocks me to the ground, very similar to how our last race ended. I try to roll to the side as I land, but he comes down on top of me, and my face plants into the ground. Hands mixing with the grass, I try to shove up onto my knees, but his weight is enough to keep me pinned.
Large hands encompass my wrists and he yanks them above my head. His knees come around my thighs and he forces them together, rendering me useless. When he speaks, his warm breath blows over the back of my neck, sending a pleasurable shiver down my spine.
“Just when I thought you weren’t so stupid. Should’ve seen it coming.”
I turn my head, twisting to face him as much as my limited mobility allows me to. “Called your bluff. Needed to be sure there weren’t snipers.”
Rather than respond with anything I half-expect him to, his light laughter is like a gentle tune in the wind: melodic and whispered. It sends signals of ease through me, despite the entire situation being everything opposite. His head drops until his forehead kisses the back of my neck, and I feel that laughter roll down the back of my shirt, painting amusement along my spine. Slowly, he releases my hands to place his by my head, lifting some of his weight off me.
“You really do have trust issues. So much so, you risked your life testing what I’ve already told you. What if I did have men watching you?”
“Took a gamble that their orders were shoot to scare, not to kill. And if I was wrong about that too, well then, guess I would have died.”
Zeno’s silent above me, but his breath hikes slightly. Perhaps he didn’t expect me to be so nonchalant about my death. I didn’t either.
After another few seconds, he lifts off me more, enough I’m able to flip to my back, even while he remains a cage over me. His position—hands by my face, legs around mine, chest a mere inch away—is downright intimate if we allowed it to be.
His green eyes reflect the lawn stretching around us, his dark hair an eclipse of the sun beaming overhead. I despise noticing every single attractive feature about him, right down to the path his tongue makes, sweeping over his bottom lip as he gazes at me, his expression similar to a man who’s gained freedom after a lifetime of captivity—amazed and stupefied.
“You’d risk your life all for a test.” It’s a statement, not a question, and comes out more as a grumble. The rumble ricochets across my chest, echoing an emotion I refuse to name.
“Better than waiting around here for much longer.”
“Waiting,” he bites out and that’s when I realize what I’ve said, what I possibly gave away. But then he huffs and with a slight shake of his head, my statement seems to disappear with his half-smirk. “Fuck, Miss Volkov, you really are something else.”
“What’s that something?” I find myself asking.
“Fishing for another compliment?” The same question he threw at me in his bedroom.
“Maybe I’m trying to get into your head. Considering you know so much about me, it seems like we’re on uneven grounds, no?”
“Can the Merciless Queen ever be on a level beneath anyone?” His eyes glint with something dangerous. Something I find myself wanting to follow, to chase…to experience.
Heat blossoms through my sternum, flashing through my core, reminding me once again of the position we’ve found ourselves in, and how neither of us are looking to move despite the numerous red, flashing alarms in my head.
“Well, considering I’m not the one on top…”
Zeno takes a long considerable glance around our position before his stupidly, sexy crooked grin blooms. “How about that, hm.” His eyes dip lower, to my neck, before trailing upwards and back to my face. I feel it all as though he’s physically touching me, and when he pauses on my lips, my breath stalls. An indescribable need washes over me.
Bad idea, bad idea!
“So no snipers,” I say the first thing that comes to mind, reminding us both why we’re on the ground.
“No snipers,” he quietly agrees. “Do me a favour the next time you try to escape.” His next words are a whisper over my face, sated with an emotion so deep, I couldn’t begin to understand it if I tried. “Don’t risk your life. Wouldn’t want to see you dead.”
His eyes drop to my lips again.
I don’t move. Don’t turn my head away. Just lie there immobile, stuck between desire and logic. Because for better or for worse, as Zeno lowers himself ever so slightly, enough I feel his weight once more, I don’t push him away. I want this. Him.
Stop, stop, stop right fucking now!
In this instance, I barely remember who I am, who he is, and every reason we shouldn’t do this. Especially when this is probably a ploy to gain my submission. To crumble my walls, and shatter my restraint, because apparently my mental and emotional ones aren’t enough. To bring me to a place where I don’t recognize myself. So he can say checkmate and leave me with no way to play myself to freedom.
His lips ghost over mine. Once, twice, like he’s seeking permission.
My eyes flutter shut.
I let myself go. Let myself feel . Let myself stand on the edge of the cliff and jump head first into the cave that’ll very well kill me. Too bad, as my lips part, allowing Zeno into a deeper place inside me, I don’t find the prospect of death and insanity tragic. I follow it. Chase it.
Zeno kisses me faster, harder, like he’s punishing me.
I kiss him back. Faster, harder, hitting him back.
He stops, and I’m so far gone, my responding whimper calls him back to me.
“Mi fai dimenticare me stesso.”
If only I knew what he said. If only I cared. He’s probably thinking what I am: how bad of an idea this is. When he dips back to me, and I’m certain that’s what it is. What else would explain the overwhelming desire to continue, everything else be damned?
As though on their own accord, my hands slip beneath his shirt and trail over his ribs and toward his shoulders. His skin is soft enough, I lose myself in the sensation of touching him.
“You’re going to drag me to Hell,” he mumbles against my mouth before kissing me harder.
Maybe, as long as he takes me with him, so we can burn for our stupidity together.
I cup his face before running one hand over his head, nails dragging through his hair until he releases a groan. “You’re damning me.”
He lowers himself a fraction more and I meet him halfway, my body aching for more. To feel him between my legs again. To erase this hunger controlling me.
One time. One time and I’ll get back to hating him. To remembering I’m the captive in this role.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
Why is he doing this to me ? He kissed first…I only followed. Jumped into the cave and let myself be washed under the waves and?—
A dog barks loudly, and Zeno jerks away, his skin turning whiter than sand. He immediately rolls off me, as Venus runs up to us and shoves her nose at Zeno with an invasive sniff.
“Hey, girl,” he murmurs, patting her head as another shadow encompasses us, and I sit up, preparing myself for whoever’s approaching. Somehow, I knew it wasn’t only Zeno and me here—and Serafina—which means whoever this person is has been hiding since my arrival. Zeno’s idea to alienate me, I’m sure.
The newcomer stands over us, staring with eyes the same shade as Zeno’s pool. He spares me no less than a two-second glance before scowling. “Before you two fuck, you should know, you’re being watched.”
My gaze jerks to the house where, on the back patio, another person waits. Serafina. She’s too far away to make out her expression, but regardless, heat scorches my insides. Whoever this man is, his interruption saved me, before I completely lost myself to the madness of Zeno Mancini.
I’ve never felt as out of control as I do in this moment, and I wish there was a better explanation for my actions.
Zeno pushes to his feet and speaks low to the man in Italian. While they talk, I stand too, brushing dirt off my shirt from when he pushed me to the ground. I barely manage a step before Zeno’s tight grip encases the upper half of my arm and he yanks me to his side.
“I’ll meet you in a few minutes, as soon as I get Miss Volkov back to her room.”
The three of us begin walking toward the villa. The bodyguard, the captor, and the captive. Fantastic.
Once we’re nearer, the stranger breaks away and heads for Serafina. No doubt, he’s about to usher her away before me being within twenty feet of her somehow corrupts her. I watch the girl—my newly discovered half-sister—wondering if and when I’ll ever see her again. And if I even want to.
Zeno shoves me again, breaking my stare, which based on his tight expression was exactly the purpose. He forces me toward the front door.
“Thanks for the walk. Like I’m your pet, right? That’s all this was.”
He ignores me, nudging me through the front door and toward the staircase. The memory of this entire trip disappears at the entrance as I’m reminded by every reason I’m stuck here. Playing friendly was a mistake I never should have fallen for.
When we reach his bedroom, Zeno’s quick to push me inside and lock the door, all without saying anything.
With an aggravated sigh, I scan the bedroom, my pile of wrecked mess still in the centre.
Back in my cage.