Chapter 11
Zoya
My eyes open slowly, everything blurry and unfocused for a moment before the world comes back into view. The steady purr of the car’s engine registers first, then the heat of the leather seats, and finally Alexei’s presence beside me as he sits quietly in the shadows, his gaze never leaving mine.
I catch glimpses of movement through the dark glass, armed men keeping watch around the car, and the partition blocks any view of the driver in the front compartment.
“Where are we?” My voice comes out rough from sleep.
“Still in the car.” He says quietly. “I didn’t want to wake you. You seemed exhausted, and I thought you needed the rest.”
His arm is still wrapped around my shoulders where it had been when I fell asleep, his hand moving slowly up and down my arm in a soothing rhythm that makes my eyes want to close again.
He kisses my forehead with such gentleness that it catches me off guard. “I’m fine,” I say quickly. Another kiss presses to my forehead, followed by one at my temple, his mouth gentle while his hand keeps moving in those soothing circles on my arm.
“You’re really okay?” He keeps his tone soft, his mouth close to my hair. “Did that piece of shit do something to you? Tell me the truth. Whatever happened, I want to know.”
“He didn’t.” My throat feels tight. “He kept his distance. But god, Alexei, he was insane.”
His arm tightens around me, pulling me closer against his chest. His mouth presses to my forehead, then moves to my hair, where it remains.
“He’s a dead man.” His voice hardens. “I’ll take my time with it. I’ll make sure he regrets every second he made you feel afraid.”
I stay quiet, my body relaxing against his. His palm finds my cheek, turning my head toward him carefully. He looks at me like he’s trying to see inside my head.
“You’re safe now.” His thumb strokes my cheekbone. “I swear to you, Zoya. Nobody will ever take you from me again.”
“Come on.” He starts to sit up. “Let’s get you somewhere more comfortable.”
Cool air hits us when he pushes the door open and climbs out. I don’t get a chance to stand on my own before he’s picking me up, carrying me out. I’m pressed against him, held securely in both arms. “I’m capable of walking.” But my voice has no strength behind it.
“I know you can.” His voice rumbles in his chest beneath my ear. “But I want to carry you.”
His house rises ahead, enormous and lit up like a small city. Armed men line our path, staring straight ahead. Doors swing wide as we approach, staff anticipating our arrival. Wealth surrounds us immediately, though it all feels sterile somehow.
I watch the workers vanish after a series of small, respectful bows, leaving me alone with the man carrying me effortlessly up the stairs.
Every inch of this place screams of Alexei; it’s a powerhouse built on luxury and the constant, underlying threat of force.
Without a word, he hauls me through the labyrinth of the house, moving down a long corridor with a singular focus that only breaks when he kicks open the double doors to what looks like his private room.
It’s huge. A bed that could fit six people, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the grounds, a fireplace already crackling with warmth.
He sets me down on the bed gently. I sink deep into the mattress, the silk sheets and plush pillows offering a level of comfort I’d only ever seen in magazines.
Every muscle in my body seems to liquefy, wanting nothing more than to melt into the softness and let me sleep for an entire week.
My brain fights against the exhaustion, staying alert despite how tired I am.
“Thank you,” I say. “For saving me.”
Alexei stands at the foot of the bed, watching me.
“You can leave now.” I pull my legs up, wrapping my arms around my knees. “I’ll be okay.”
He cocks his head. “Leave to where? I’m confused.”
“To… wherever you sleep.” I gesture vaguely. “Another room. I’m sure you have plenty.”
The confusion disappears, replaced by amusement. “This is where I sleep.”
“Then I’ll take another room. It’s fine. I just need…”
“No.”
The word cuts through my rambling. I look up at him. When I meet his gaze, the tender man from before has disappeared. I feel my spine straighten, the fog of exhaustion clearing just enough to remember who I was talking to.
“I’m not sleeping in the same room as you.” Finding my backbone again. “Absolutely not.”
He chuckles darkly. Then he moves. One second, he’s standing, and the next, he has me pinned to the bed.
A gasp tears from my throat as I shove at him, accomplishing nothing against his strength.
His body blankets mine, separated only by our clothes, and the heat and weight and muscle are impossible to ignore.
He holds himself up with his arms, hands pressed into the bed on either side of my face, leaving me just enough room to get air. His lower weight, though. That rests on me. Pins me to the bed with casual possessiveness.
“Let me introduce myself again, Zoya.” His face hovers inches from mine. His brown eyes were burning into me. “I’m Alexei Romanov, your fucking husband. And you are to be my wife. Willing or not.”
The words should have terrified me.
Instead, they make me angry.
“Hate to break it to you.” I hold his stare without flinching. “But I’m already promised to another man.”
His eyebrow arches. “Is that so?”
“Yes. That’s so.” I lift my chin, finding my footing even pinned beneath him. “I’m not new to this world. I’m Zoya Koval. Artem Koval’s daughter. The arms dealer? Maybe you’ve heard of him.”
A look passes over Alexei’s features, possibly interest, possibly amusement. “I’ve heard of him.”
“Perfect. Then you understand my father deals in alliances, not small transactions.” I maintain a steady tone, the voice I perfected growing up around violent men.
“The German syndicate’s heir, Erik Müller, is my fiancé.
You’ve made a mistake. When the Germans discover you have me, there will be consequences. ”
Silence fills the space between us.
Then Alexei laughs, his whole face almost turning red, and his body vibrating on top of mine.
My face scrunches in confusion. “What’s so amusing?”
He takes a moment to calm down. Wipes his eyes with one hand while still holding himself above me with the other. When he finally looks at me again, there’s something wicked in his expression.
“Dear Zoya.” A slow shake of his head. “You’re mistaken about a few things.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your father told you Erik Müller was your future husband?” He laughs harder. “And you believed him? That’s priceless.”
Fury sparks inside me, shoving aside the confusion.
“What’s your point?” I stare daggers at him. “You’re practically salivating over marrying me. I’m perfectly marriageable. Believe it or not, I’m quite the catch.”
His amusement mellows, becoming something softer, almost fond. “You absolutely are.” His thumb strokes my jawline. “Beautiful, intelligent, everything a man could want. But Erik is taken.”
“By who?”
“Nikolai has him.” His smiles. “And trust me, Nikolai would put a bullet in you before letting you near Erik.”
My eyes close and open, trying to make sense of what he’s saying. “Erik is… with Nikolai? As in, they’re…”
“Very much in love, yes. Have been for years.” Alexei seems to be enjoying my shock. “Your father knew. Everyone knew. The whole arrangement with the Germans was a cover story. A distraction to keep you from figuring out who you really belonged to.”
I feel dizzy as I think back to all those dinners and meetings. It finally makes sense why Erik never looked at me or cared about what I had to say, since he apparently was just in love with someone else.
Alexei’s voice drops to a whisper as he moves closer. “But then again,” he continues, “don’t worry. I wouldn’t let a single hair on your head be hurt. Not by Nikolai, not by anyone.”
“Who am I supposed to marry?” I ask, my voice betraying my uncertainty. “If the Germans were a lie…”
“Me.” He says it simply. “You were promised to me, Zoya. You’ve been mine since before you knew I existed.”
My eyes stay locked on his while my brain scrambles to process this information.
“This whole time you knew,” I say as the truth starts to sink in. “Both kidnappings, my camera, and taking me out…it was all planned. You knew who I was from the beginning.” I try to pull back, but he holds me perfectly still.
Alexei moves his head until his lips are brushing my ear.
“What do you think? Five years of surveillance, Vedma. Choosing my moment carefully. I’ve watched every part of your life, including your work as a journalist and all your photos.
” My skin tingles when he mentions the last part. “Your OnlyFans streams.”
My face burns.
“Why didn’t you just take me then? If you knew…”
“Because I wanted you to come to me.” He pulls back just enough to meet my eyes. “I wanted you to walk into my world on your own. To choose me, even if you didn’t know what you were choosing.” A crack appears in his armor. “But then Dato took you, and choices became irrelevant.”
Nothing comes to me, my mind refusing to accept this reality. My father sold me to the Romanovs, not the Germans. I’d run from the wrong monster straight into the arms of the right one.
“This is insane.” My voice sounds weak as I try to process his words. “You can’t just… I’m not your wife. There was never a ceremony where we actually said our vows or made it official.”
“Details,” he says, shrugging as if it’s only a small problem. “Those are easily fixed.”
“I won’t marry you.”
“You will.”
“You can’t force me.”
“I can,” he says with a smile that makes my skin crawl.
“I’m willing to handcuff you to the altar or drag you there while you’re kicking and screaming.
You’ll say those vows even if you’re cursing my name while you do it.
” He shifts his weight, pinning me into the mattress.
“I’m going to have my way, Zoya. That’s not a threat; it’s a fact. ”