Chapter 26
ADRIANNE
I’d seen enough.
The moment I reached the top of the grand staircase, my eyes found him immediately. Nikolai, looking devastating in a black tuxedo, his dark hair perfectly styled, his face carved from ice and cruelty.
Dancing with her.
The blonde in the red dress, the same woman from his office. Her body was pressed against his, her face angled up to meet his gaze like they were love birds.
Pain radiated through my chest, sharp and brutal. This morning I’d been a princess being pampered for a ball. Now I was a fool who’d fallen for pretty words and prettier gestures.
He’d made me a dress covered in butterflies while planning to dance with her.
He’d marked me with my own blood while making promises to someone else.
I backed away from the staircase before he could see me, my chest heaving with rage and hurt that threatened to choke me.
Fine. If he wanted to play games, I could play, too.
I found a server carrying a tray of red ribbons. I grabbed one, tying it around my wrist with shaking fingers.
“Two could play at this game,” I whispered to myself.
If Nikolai wanted to parade around with his blonde, I’d make sure he knew exactly how it felt to watch someone else touch what was his.
I made my way down the side staircase, entering the ballroom from a different entrance. The music swelled around me, couples spinning across the polished floor in a sea of colors and jewels.
“Adrianne?”
I turned to find Alexei approaching, his eyes widening as he took in my appearance. Did he just call me Adrianne? I thought no one was supposed to know who I was.
“You look…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “Stunning. Absolutely stunning.”
“Dance with me,” I said, surprised by how steady my voice sounded despite the turbulence in my mind.
“Are you sure? Nikolai won’t appreciate it.”
“Nikolai is busy.” I held out my hand. “Dance with me, Alexei.”
He hesitated for only a moment before taking my hand and leading me onto the floor. His touch was gentle, his movements smooth as he guided me through the waltz.
“A red ribbon?” His eyes searched mine. “What are you trying at?”
“I’m trying to feel something other than like a fool.”
Alexei pulled me closer, spinning us around to the middle of the dancefloor.
“Some pretty fool you are then. You’ll have a line of men waiting to get a second of your attention as soon as they spot this ribbon on your wrist. Don’t get me started on how brave you are to even think about it, never mind actually wearing one. My cousin is going to lose his shit.”
Over his shoulder, I found Nikolai in the crowd. That blonde followed him like a shadow, while his eyes were scanning the ballroom, searching for me.
When his gaze finally landed on us, then the red ribbon tied around my wrist, followed by Alexei’s hand on my waist, his entire body went rigid.
Good.
Let him feel what I felt. It could be petty and small, but I craved to see that pain in his eyes.
The song ended, and before Alexei could protest, another man stepped in. Older, silver hair, brown eyes that felt cold and calculating, with a smile that made my skin crawl.
“May I?” He didn’t wait for an answer, already pulling me into the next dance.
His hold was firmer than Alexei’s, more possessive. He pulled me flush against him, his breath hot against my neck.
“Quite the vision you are tonight.” His hand slid lower on my waist. “Tell me, krasavitsa, who brought such a delicious creature to our little gathering?” Beautiful.
“I’m a guest of the host.”
“Guests don’t wear red ribbons unless they’re for sale.” His thumb stroked my side through the fabric. “So what’s the price? What does a man have to offer for a night with you?”
My stomach turned at his words. “I’m not for sale.”
“Don’t play coy. It cheapens the game.” He spun me, using the movement to press himself against my back. “I have connections. Money. Power. Name your price, and I’ll triple it.”
I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened before he spun me again and made me collide with his chest once again.
“Come now. A girl like you, wearing that ribbon, looking like sin wrapped in silk? You’re advertising. I’m simply inquiring about the merchandise.”
“Let go of me.”
“After one dance? That would be rude.” His hand moved to the small of my back, his fingers spreading possessively. “Besides, I saw how the Volkov heir was looking at you. If he can sample the goods, why can’t I? This,” he tugged on the ribbon, “Tells me you’re available.”
Bile rose to my throat, but before I could knee him in the groin, the song ended. Another man cut in immediately.
Then another.
Each one, taking me further from Nikolai’s sight, deeper into the crowd, spinning me around until I couldn’t tell where I was or who I was dancing with.
Until the fifth one waltzed me to the back of the ballroom, away from the lights and music, into the shadows.
“That’s enough,” I said, yanking my hand free.
But suddenly, I wasn’t alone with one man.
Five tall figures surrounded me, towering over me, ducking into the corner so no one could see us. Panic clawed up my throat.
“Get away from me.”
The last one I’d been dancing with reached up and removed his mask.
“Hey, Sis.”
“Matt?” I breathed, disbelief making my voice crack.
The others pulled off their masks, just enough for me to identify them. Liam, jaw clenched tight. Max, whose gaze swept over me like he was checking for injuries. James, one of my brother’s men, already scanning the crowd for threats.
And Jimmy.
“Jimmy!” His name burst out of me before I could stop it. “You’re alive!”
He stepped forward, guilt written all over his face. “Adrianne, I’m so sorry. I failed you. But I’m not making the same mistake again. That monster is going to pay.”
“You came.” Emotion clogged my throat, making me disregard what he’d just called Nikolai. “You all came for me.”
“Of course, we came. Why did you think we wouldn’t? You’re our family,” Matt replied.
Tears burned behind my eyes. They’d crossed an ocean. Infiltrated a ball crawling with Russian Bratva. Risked everything.
For me.
“How did you even get in?”
“Vladimir.” Liam spat the name like poison. “Once we figured out who took you, we went straight to the top. We made a deal. Access and information to get you back in exchange for Nikolai’s head.”
“What? No!”
Matt stepped closer, lowering his voice. “We’re taking you home.”
“No, I can’t just leave.”
“Yes, you can.” Max’s voice was gentle but firm. “Whatever’s happened here, whatever he did to you, we are making him pay for it. We’re getting you out. Tonight.”
“You don’t understand. It’s not like that.”
“Then help us understand.” Matt’s eyes searched mine. “Because right now, all we know is you were taken from Alison’s wedding, and we’ve been going out of our minds trying to find you.”
My chest tightened. They’d been searching. Worrying.
Movement caught my eye over Matt’s shoulder.
Nikolai cut through the crowd like a predator who’d spotted its prey. His mask did nothing to hide the lethal fury in his eyes. Every line of his body screamed violence barely leashed.
Our eyes met as he closed the distance, and the look he gave me made my blood run cold.
“Nikolai’s coming,” I said quickly, widening my eyes at Matt. “Don’t say anything. Don’t react. Please.”
“Adrianne!”
“Please.” I shook my head frantically. “Trust me. Just let me handle this. I can’t live with you getting hurt because of me. Please trust me.”
Matt’s jaw clenched, but he gave the slightest nod. The others shifted, fixing their masks back to their places.
Nikolai reached us, his hand already extended. To anyone watching, it would look polite. But I saw the tremor of rage in his fingers, the way his other hand flexed at his side like he was restraining himself from reaching for a weapon.
“Gentlemen.” His voice was smooth, controlled. Terrifying in its calmness. He scanned each one of them, and I knew immediately what he was doing. Cataloging for revenge. “I believe this dance is mine.”
It wasn’t a question.
His hand wrapped around my wrist, and I felt the barely restrained violence in his grip. Bruising. Possessive. Furious.
I looked back at my brothers, shaking my head again, pleading with my eyes for them to stay hidden. To not blow their cover.
Matt’s expression was murder, but he stayed silent. They all did, watching as Nikolai pulled me away from their circle.
“Smile,” Nikolai murmured against my ear as we moved through the crowd. To anyone watching, we looked like a couple sharing an intimate moment. “Smile like you’re enjoying this, or I swear to God, Adrianne.”
I smiled because, deep down, there was a part of me that was enjoying this, seeing him this unsettled because of me.
He guided me through the ballroom with ease, nodding to guests, his hand never leaving my wrist. Drea watched us pass, and if a gaze could kill, I think we would have killed each other.
Viktor’s eyes followed our progression without a bat, and I saw the fury burning bright on his controlled features.
Everyone was watching, but no one saw the way Nikolai’s fingers dug into my skin. No one noticed the rage vibrating through his body. No one heard the barely controlled breathing that told me he was seconds away from snapping.
He led me to a side door, then down a hallway, up a staircase, through corridors. The moment we crossed the threshold of his office, his control shattered.
The door slammed shut before he turned the lock.
I didn’t even have time to draw in a breath when he spun me around, my back slamming against his front as he walked me forward until my palms hit the wall. His hand came up to wrap around my throat, squeezing ever so slightly.
His lips grazed my ear, his breath hot and ragged.
“Do you have any fucking idea what you just did to me?” His voice was pure poison and fury, speaking directly to the parts of me that bled for him.
“Nikolai–”