Page 10 of The Bratva King's Twins

He was certainly one of the best-looking men I had ever seen, but he had been nothing but a beast for using me to humiliate my dad. For forcing my hand despite us having no prior connections.

I didn’t know who he was until he introduced himself, but somehow he knew me. He mentioned something about having a database and information on us, but I didn’t understand how he could possibly get ahold of that kind of thing.

But the more I thought about it, the more tense I became. If he had access to crucial information on me and my family, then that likely meant he had more power than I could ever comprehend.

I had the feeling there was so much more to it all that would only make me fear him more.

As Aristarkh drove us somewhere, I sat in the back of the SUV and fumed over it all.

I didn’t know him, but I hated him.

I hated how he could just swoop in and ruin my life even more than my brothers did. How he dared to make a life-altering change on my behalf and demand that I simply go along with it.

Beyond that, I hated the idea of moving from one cage to another even more. Especially when I didn’t have a say in it.

All my life, I had only wanted to make my own choices. I took advantage of whatever freedom I had in high school, despite going to a private school. I tried to let myself think I was free despite knowing I wouldn’t be going to post-secondary. After that, I was supposed to wait to be married to whoever my dad eventually picked.

But it seemed Aristarkh had taken that decision from both of us, even if it had never really been mine to make in the first place.

Some feral part of me wanted him to suffer. I wanted him to face immediate repercussions or karma of some kind. Whatever he deserved, I wanted it to happen, even if it meant getting hurt in the process. I didn’t care at that moment. I wasn’t thinking straight, not while my mind was racing with panic and fear.

But regardless of my silent praying, nothing happened.

Instead, he drove without issue, listening to the radio quietly. When he pulled up to a red light, he even drummed his fingers against the steering wheel.

Looking out the window, I had the fleeting thought that someone might be able to see me if I caught their attention. But there was no missing how dark the tint was. Nobody would be able to see me, no matter how hard I tried to flag someone down.

I glanced at Aristarkh in the rear-view mirror from time to time, plagued with combative thoughts of how much I hated him, yet how painfully beautiful he was to look at.

It felt like self-sabotage to admit how appealing he was, deceived by my own mind while in a moment of crisis. That fact alone made me realize how doomed I really was.

Eventually, he flipped on the left signal and pulled into a driveway, sliding into a massive garage. The heavy doors closed once we were inside, and he turned the engine off.

Wordlessly, Aristarkh got out and closed the door behind him. The sound rattled my distressed brain, forcing me to realize what was coming next.

My door popped open, and he threw me an expectant look. But I didn’t move.

“We’re here, let’s go,” he said, gesturing for me to get out.

When I didn’t, he sighed.

“I told you to cooperate.”

“No,” I muttered, finally finding my voice as that pure anger coursed through my body.

I had been forced to cooperate all my life, regardless of my own thoughts or desires. I was tired of being pushed around and being exploited for my more passive demeanor. My gentle nature had been taken advantage of since before I could remember, and I was sick of it.

“Vivian,” he said with more demand in his voice. “Don’t make me do this.”

“Leave me alone,” I forced through gritted teeth, moving to the other side to put more space between us.

Forcing out a huff, Aristarkh shrugged. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Furrowing my brows, I didn’t know what he was getting at.

Before I could blink, his massive, muscular body was pushing his way inside the back of the SUV as he reached for me. His fingers wrapped around my ankle, and in one heave, he pulled me out.

I would’ve fallen right out if it weren’t for his waiting arms. I sucked in a surprised breath as he used my shock to his advantage and put a hand against my back. With ease, he hoisted me onto his shoulder, leaving me completely disoriented and off-balance.

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