Page 9 of The Bratva's Forced Bride

She carefully slid down from the seat, and her legs wobbled enough to let me know she was scared. I didn’t blame her.

Even if she couldn’t say anything with the tape over her mouth, she still managed to squirm and resist me. As if she thought I’d give up and let her go, but it was only enough to be annoying.

Huffing out a breath, I had her stand against the side of the SUV. “Give it a rest.”

Her nostrils flared at that, yet she did as I directed.

“I’m taking the tape off, but if you make a sound inside, I won’t hesitate to put it back on. There’s no point in screaming anyway. Everyone inside works for us one way or another, and they won’t run to help you. Got it?” I asked her, standing outside of the condo.

Her eyes tracked across my face momentarily, as if weighing her options, then she seemed to deflate. She nodded.

“Good.”

Beginning with the tape on her mouth, I eased some stickiness away from the one side to give myself a better grip. I gave her a warning look, then yanked it off in one pull.

Grace winced and tried to hold back how much it hurt. She sucked in a deep breath and averted her eyes. Regardless of how she played it off, I knew it hurt.

Gesturing for her to turn around, I worked the tape away from her wrists, which seemed to be more tolerable. Once freed from them, I gripped her one arm and began pulling her toward the building.

To my surprise, she followed a bit easier, and I felt it was due to the exhaustion on her face. As we moved through the entrance and toward the main elevator, she looked around the nice common area.

She was probably surprised to see I didn’t live in the slums.

It was one of the better condos owned by my family, and it certainly made my life easier. I had less to deal with, so I could focus more on work and what needed to be done.

When we reached the condo unit, I was so ready to hit my bed that I didn’t care much for anything else. To my luck, her steam had run out, and there wasn’t much fight left in her.

I let go of her arm once I locked the place down, to which she only took a few steps away from me. She wrapped her arms around herself for comfort and glanced at the furnishings around us.

Whether she was admiring it or not, I didn’t care.

“This is how things are going to go,” I began, catching her attention as she rubbed at her face where the tape had been. “You’re staying here at my place and cannot leave. If you try to, I’ll give the word for my torture team to begin with your dad. He’ll pay the price for any problems you raise here.”

While Grace crossed her arms and gave me a scornful glance, I watched as a flicker of fear moved through her eyes.

“What makes you think I care about what you do to him?”

Her voice was surprisingly cold, yet it made sense coming from someone who had been sold off to pay her father’s debt.

Narrowing my eyes at her, I wanted to read her better. To know what she was thinking. I could take my guesses, but knowing with absolute certainty was the best thing. “I’m sure you’re angry with him, but you’re not heartless.”

Not to mention, she wasn’t exactly the most intimidating thing. She looked far too innocent to be cold-blooded like that.

As I suspected, Grace’s hardened exterior crumbled along with her feigned toughness. As quickly as it appeared, it fell apart.

She sucked in a shaky breath and didn’t look at me. “My dad has done some terrible things, especially with this, but I don’t want him hurt…just let him suffer as he is.”

While I could tell her plea was genuine, I wasn’t ready to hear her out yet. That wound caused by her dad was too fresh for me to forget and move on.

“I’ll make that decision myself,” I muttered, pushing past her to go to the kitchen.

Pulling the door open, I snagged a bottle of beer. Effortlessly, I popped it off and took a swig.

Grace stood awkwardly in the middle of the condo as she looked around, likely wondering what was next for her.

“What do you want with me?”

Her voice was so delicate that it tugged on the vague guilt within me. But I couldn’t let it stop me. She wouldn’t sway me, not when that was exactly what she wanted.

---