Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Irina
“Who are you?” I demand. My skin is freezing in the cool lobby. The nightgown doesn’t do anything to protect my body.
“Maksim Petrov.”
So, he’s Russian like I am. Like Nikolai is.
He smiles at Doris. “I got it from here. I’m a friend of Irina’s. I can help her.”
How does this man know who I am? I don’t recognize him.
Doris gives me an uncertain look. “I can still help you, if you need it.”
I don’t want to go with Maksim. He’s a stranger and I don’t trust strangers. But he’s clearly not moving away and there’s nothing I can do about that. If he works with Nikolai, then I’m in trouble.
“Are you a friend of my husband?”
Maksim inclines his head. That tells me everything I need to know. I can’t trust him and yet, I have to. He’ll surely tell Nikolai about this and then who knows what will happen?
I can’t ask Doris to call the police. I have no evidence to use against Nikolai. Him telling me he’s killed people is not enough. I don’t have any details. I can’t get him locked up.
I’m stuck with my husband who confuses me and strangely excites me. When he took my wedding dress off, it made me tingle in a way I hadn’t been expecting. Almost like… arousal.
But I know I can’t fully trust him. Not when he has so much power over me.
“I can help you,” Maksim says. “Come with me.”
There is one thing I do know though: Nikolai claims he wants to protect me.
He did save me from being bought… only to force me into a marriage.
The whole thing is confusing. What I do know though is that I can’t trust Maksim.
He could be lying. Nikolai did tell me that he has enemies. Maybe Maksim is one of them.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I say. “I’m staying right here. If you’re a friend of my husband’s then prove it.”
He pulls out his phone and makes a call. “Nikolai? Sorry to wake you up but your wife is in the lobby. You should probably come down.” He hangs up and gives me a satisfied smirk. “See? Friend.”
I relax slightly. At least Maksim is a friend of Nikolai’s and not an enemy. That only comforts me a tiny bit.
A few minutes later, Nikolai comes storming into the lobby. Anger is visible in his eyes.
“What’s going on here?” he demands.
“Sir,” Doris cuts in, “I am going to have to ask you to be calm.”
Nikolai stares at the woman like she’s insane before he takes my arm and walks be across the lobby. Maksim hovers near us. “What is going on? Why aren’t you in our room?”
“You said I could go wherever I wanted.”
“I did. But I also said with me or a guard. Not by yourself.”
“But your friend, Maksim, is here.”
Maksim decides to join our conversation. “She was trying to get help. Trying to leave you. That much was obvious.”
All the air leaves me. So, while Maksim is a friend of Nikolai’s, it’s clear he’s loyal to my husband, which makes him someone I can’t trust. He sold me out to Nikolai within seconds.
Nikolai turns his anger-filled eyes onto me. “Is this true?”
There’s no point in denying it. “Can you blame me?”
He sighs, running his hand down his face. “No. I can’t blame you. I figured you would try to run at some point. I just didn’t assume it would be on our wedding night.”
“Were you at the wedding?” I ask Maksim.
He inclines his head. “I was.”
The wedding passed by in such a blur, I don’t even remember the people there. How sad is that? Also, how terrifying. I couldn’t even recognize someone at my own wedding. I don’t know any of Nikolai’s friends. I don’t know… anything.
“Let’s get you back to your room,” Nikolai says.
“She was going to call the police on you,” Maksim adds.
“No!” I rush to say. “I just… wanted to get away. Get somewhere safe.”
Nikolai sighs and takes my arm gently in his hand. “Come on, Irina.”
With no other choice, I follow him back to our room. Maksim fortunately doesn’t follow.
Once it’s just the two of us in our private suite, my heart begins to pound so fast, it makes me woozy.
“You are safe with me,” Nikolai says. “I think I’ve made that clear. I could have hurt you but I didn’t because I don’t want to. I want to protect you, Irina.”
“You forced me to marry you.”
“I did. But it’s for your own protection.”
“No. You want me to be yours. You married me for a selfish reason.”
“It’s both. I wanted you and I also wanted to protect you.”
“I just wanted to get away.” I slump onto the bed, all the energy leaving me. “I wasn’t going to call the cops on you. I don’t have anything to use against you anyway. I just… wanted to be my own woman. Make my own decisions. I just wanted to be safe on my own terms.”
He sighs and the anger in his eyes disappears.
“I know this is all new to you and you’re afraid.
But I will protect you. You’re lucky it was Maksim who found you tonight.
He’s a good, loyal friend to me. But it could have been worse.
You could have been hurt. And I will do everything in my power not to let you get hurt. ”
“I want to believe you.”
“But I need to make sure you learn your lesson. You need to understand how serious I am being, Irina. Your father kept you sheltered. I’m not sure you realize just how dangerous this world is.”
A flare of my own anger surges through me and I jump to my feet. “I’m well aware. I was almost sold off. I was forced into a marriage with a mafia man. I know how dangerous this world is.”
“So, then don’t be na?ve. Running from me is not smart. It won’t get you anywhere. I will keep you safe. Just trust.”
“And if I don’t trust you? What will you do to me? Will you hurt me to make me submit?”
“No. I’ll do the opposite. I’m going to show you kindness, so you’ll trust me. But if you try to run again, I might not be there to protect you. So remember that.”
But it still feels like Nikolai is the one I need to be running from.
After a long tense night where neither me nor Nikolai got any sleep, we leave the hotel in the morning. He gives me a dress to wear: pink with black buttons down the front. It’s form fitting and ends right above my knees. It’s a dress a high class woman wears; not a na?ve eighteen year old.
So I have to learn to be a woman if I’m going to survive all of this.
Nikolai is clearly annoyed with me as we’re driven from the hotel by his own personal driver. He doesn’t look at me the entire way to his house.
This is his form of punishment: ice me out. Make me feel bad for trying to leave him.
I can’t help but feel some kind of guilt. Nikolai did save me from those other men at the theater. He saved me from my dad. He didn’t force me to sleep with him when he could have.
But he still forced me into a marriage and my mind can’t make sense of it.
We arrive back at his house. It’s just as beautiful as it was yesterday but then, I was in a daze, not knowing what was going on. Now, I know exactly the life I’m in for: one where Nikolai is going to control me.
“Get settled in,” he says once we’re in the foyer. “I have some things I need to attend to.”
“Like what?”
“Work.” He doesn’t offer more of an explanation.
Nikolai claimed that he couldn’t give me all the details about the murders he committed as he didn’t want to put me in a position where I would have to lie to the police.
He claimed it was for my own protection but I think it’s more for him.
He doesn’t want to fully show me the real side to him. The truly dark side.
“Don’t leave without me or a guard,” he says. “One of my men, Jace, is outside. If you need anything, ask him.”
“Ok.”
Nikolai takes my face in his hands. “I want you to be safe. I am asking you to not run again.”
There’s a sincerity in his eyes I want to trust. “All right.” I know I won’t make it far. Not with his guard, Jace, outside the house. Besides, I just want to feel safe for a day and running out into the city doesn’t feel safe.
Nikolai leaves the house and I’m left all alone.
With nothing to do, I wander around the house, taking in every room, now that I have time to explore.
The mansion, while large, is just a house like any other.
Bedrooms and bathrooms. A library. A kitchen.
Two living rooms. No creepy basements. No secret dungeons.
The doorbell rings when I’m in the kitchen, making myself a sandwich. I ignore it, but whoever is there is incessant. The doorbell doesn’t stop ringing.
I tiptoe to the door and peer out the peephole… only to see my dad.
Jace, the guard, is standing beside my father. “Irina,” he says. “Your father is here. He wants to talk with you.”
I don’t want to open the door. How did my dad find out where Nikolai’s lives? Maybe he already knew. There’s so much I don’t know about my own father.
But Jace will keep me safe. I have to hope so.
With a sigh, I open the door and my dad barges inside. Jace follows behind and gives me a nod. Nikolai must have told him to keep an eye out for my dad.
“What are you doing here?” I demand.
“I wanted to see how you were settling into your new married life.” Dad makes a show of looking around the large foyer. “Very well. You have money now. I am asking my own daughter to pay off my debts.”
“No. You tried to sell me off. And Nikolai refuses to pay you. I am not giving you any money.”
“I am your father. You will do this for me.”
“What will you give me in return?”
He gives me such a smug grin, it takes everything inside of me not to snap. “I’ll leave you alone. Clearly, you don’t want me around. I’ll never bother you again if you just give me the money I need. You are my daughter. Do this for me.”
It’s a tempting offer. I never want to see my dad again after what he did to me. But… I can’t give him anything. It sickens me to the gut.
“No,” I say. “Now get out.”
“I am your father. You will treat me with respect.”
“Get out!” I scream before I shove him in the chest, forcing him back a step.
At that very moment, Nikolai returns. “Ivan, it seems you couldn’t stay away for long.” He looks between me and my father. “Why don’t you join us for lunch?”
“What?” I ask. “No.”
Nikolai comes to stand by me and places his hand on my back. “We have a lot to talk about, Ivan. My original deal is still on the table. Work for me and your debts will be paid. Have lunch.”
“Lunch would be… fine,” my dad grits out.
“Great.” Nikolai lowers his lips to my ear. “And once your dad is gone, we’re going to have a talk.”
My stomach drops to my feet. This can’t be good.