Page 8 of Secret Bratva Twins

I dipped my gaze to the ground, refusing to let her read me any further than she was. “I suppose I was an outstanding actress. Were you impressed with my performance?”

She ignored my taunting. “I don’t know who you are or what you want, but this is my family, and I’ll protect them. You tricked me once, I’d be a fool if I let you trick me again.”

I scoffed. She could protect her husband and daughter, Nikola and Sergey, too; I didn’t care. But she couldn’t protect Maxim from me. If I was falling into the fiery pit, I was dragging him along with me.

Pain splintered through my chest as my mind drifted back to that night on the skyscraper. The night I was about to break the news that I was pregnant.

“Maxim…” I rolled my lips between my teeth, pressing onto my toes excitedly. “I think I’m—”

“There’s something I need to tell you, Gianna.”

That was when I noticed the look on his face. It wasn’t the expression of the man who beamed with happiness whenever he was around me. Everything had changed; I could feel it like a shiver down my spine. I was afraid he’d leave me. He was the only good thing in my life; he’d given me a gift, too. How could he leave?”

“What is it?” I croaked. Peering into his eyes for a sign of warmth, but the only thing I got back was coldness.

“I can’t do this anymore. I’m leaving New York,” he said, staring back at me like I was nothing. “This was fun, believe me. But there are important things I need to take care of.”

“What could be more important than me?” Tears rolled down my face. To me, he came first. Nothing mattered more than him. But to him, I was nothing but a toy he used to keep himself entertained.

He shook his head, his hands clenched by his side. “I don’t have to explain, and you won’t understand even if I did. Take care of yourself.”

Planting a kiss on my forehead, he whirled around and walked away from me. He didn’t stop once, not when I yelled his name at the top of my lungs or fell to the floor crying.

He didn’t turn back.

I flinched, my consciousness returning to the present as someone shut the car door. I glanced in the direction of the noise, Sergey and Nikolai had taken some of their men and left with them.

Now was my chance. I peered around. Maxim was walking in Vlad’s direction. Damien and the other guy behind me had let their guards down by now. Before I could stop myself, I grabbed Mariana, shoved her towards the bodyguards, and sprinted towards the gate at the exit.

If I could make it on time, if I could leave the premises, I’d find a good Samaritan who’d help me.

I can do it.

Footsteps fell behind me. I didn’t care who it was. Instead, I ran faster, breathing through my mouth and ignoring the panic flaring in my chest.

If I can just make it out of the gate.

Some of the men behind me muttered Russian curses at me. I’d kill them some other day, but I needed to survive tonight. If Maxim took me, especially after he found out who I was tonight, he’d torture me until he got whatever information he wanted out of me, and then he’d kill me.

My stomach lurched at the thought of him finding out about the twins. What would he do to them?

No, don’t think. Focus on getting away from him.

I ran out of the gate and down the road. There were no cars. No freaking cars. A deserted island was better than this place. My legs were getting tired, they’d give out soon if I didn’t find a way to leave this place. There was no way. I was finished if Maxim or one of his men drove their car down here. They’d find me. I’d never be able to outrun a fucking car.

A glimmer of hope rushed through me as I spotted a headlight from far away. I stopped running, keeled over to catch my breath, and flagged down the car. Just when it slowed down to stop in front of me, someone grabbed me from behind.

I recognized the citrus scent as my back collided with his chest, and he curled his arm around my waist. The touch was too intimate, and I despised how my body reacted to it. “Let me go,” I yelled. “Let me go!”

The car drove past. My glimmer of hope went with it; there was nothing I could do. Tears welled in my eyes, and a whirlwind of rage rose in my chest. I angled my elbow to Maxim’s stomach, but he evaded it in time.

“You have a habit of making terrible decisions,” he whispered into my ears from behind, the warmth of his breath trailing the back of my neck. “You leave me no choice, darling.”

I writhed and thrashed, but his grip on me was too strong for me to break free. “What are you going to do to me? Torture and kill me? Do it already, and let’s get it over with.”

“Not so quick, darling,” he purred. The sharp sting of a needle pierced my skin. “You’re coming home with me, and I’m keeping you for as long as I want.”

Those were the last words I heard before I slipped into darkness.

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