Page 104 of Ruthless Reign

“Don’t be.” His eyes soften as he bends down and kisses me softly. “Go back into the cabin. I won’t drive off until you’re safely inside.”

I’m afraid that if I open my mouth, I’m going to break out sobbing, so I just nod.

From the window of the cabin, I wave goodbye, and he waves back before he climbs into his car and drives off into the night.

Feeling numb, I don't think there's any way I could sleep in the bed we shared, so I opt for the couch. With the gun on the side table within reach, I curl up in front of the TV, an old black-and-white movie on the screen.

Despite myself, exhaustion wins out, and I find myself on the precipice of sleep in no time, strange half-dreams filling my head before I fall into the grips of a deep, disjointed sleep.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

LIZA

I wake up to Roman stroking my hair. I smile, my eyes still closed, savoring the slow, gentle moment of us waking up together.

But something isn’t right. It only takes me a few moments to shake off the remnants of sleep and realize that it can't be Roman.

I open my eyes, and that's when my nightmare begins.

“You're so beautiful when you sleep, Liza.”

I scramble to sit up, my heart pounding furiously as the room spins.

“Ho-how did you get in here? How did you find me?” I demand, shock and horror slicing through the fog in my brain.

“I'm much more clever than you give me credit for.” Anatoly rocks back on his heels, looking too pleased with himself. “We had a trace on the phone when you spoke with your mother. You see, your parents are on my side. They’re too in debt not to be. I own them, just like I fucking own you. Although, it seems like you need a reminder.”

Rage builds up inside me at his words. He’s more disgusting than I ever thought possible, but also unhinged—a reminder that I need to tread carefully because whatever he’s doing here, it’s not good.

“You triggered the alarm when you came in,” I warn him, fighting to keep my voice steady. “Roman and his men will be here any minute. If I were you, I’d leave now before it’s too late. Roman won’t take kindly to you breaking into his house and threatening his?—”

“His what?” Anatoly’s face, already puffy and red, contorts with outrage as his hand darts out, grasping my chin, his fingers pressing painfully into my skin. “His girlfriend? Are you dating now? In that case, you might want to tell your boyfriend that his high-tech infrared sensors and biometric locks can be jammed if you have the world's best hacker on your payroll.” He tilts his head to the side with an ugly sneer. “Although, it’s doubtful you'll ever see Roman alive. Maybe I'll pass on the message right before I blow his brains out.”

Nausea crawls up my throat but I swallow it down.

As if Anatoly can read my thoughts, he gives me a cold, callous smile and lowers himself beside me on the couch, trapping me. My eyes dash to the side table, but the gun is no longer there. I realize in horror that it's because Anatoly is holding it in his hands.

He holds up the weapon so I can see it. “Looking for this? Don’t worry, I don’t need to threaten you. You're going to do exactly what I say, without running that fucking traitorous mouth of yours, because I have something you want.”

My hands tremble, but I fold them to hide my nervousness and cast a glance around the room, looking for another weapon. “What could you possibly offer that would make me go anywhere with you willingly? I know what you're about now. I know what you're involved in. Human trafficking? How could you— It’s sick. You’re fucking sick.”

He shrugs. “It's just business. Don't act all high and mighty when you've proven yourself to be an utter whore.” He sets the gun down on the side table and reaches into his pocket to pull out his phone. After a few swipes, he turns the screen towards me.

A chill runs down my spine as I see Sofiya, tear-stained and gagged, bound to a chair in an empty room.

“We caught her on her way here. Unfortunately, the guard escorting her didn't make it out as well.”

"You're a monster," I spit out, voice shaking, but my eyes are glued to the gun lying just out of reach. Getting my hands on it is my only shot at getting out of this alive.

With everything I've got, I throw an elbow into his ribs and make a frenzied dive for the gun.

He's faster, though, snagging my wrist and wrenching it painfully behind my back. He yanks me back against him, pinning my arm so tightly that I gasp and kick out, panic surging as I try to get him off of me though it’s useless.

He flattens his body against mine, his hard cock digging into my ass.

“Get off of me!” I scream, twisting and turning in a frantic attempt to break free, but my strength is no match for his.

With a brutal yank, he pulls my head back sharply then forces me down, my face crushed against the couch's soft fabric.

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