Page 76 of Owned By The Bratva King

My car arrives, prompt as ever, and I ask the driver to take me straight to Quinn’s apartment. As the city lights blur past, I contemplate how much she’s changed my life.

I was transfixed from the second I met her. Instant lust and infatuation. Asshole that I was, I forced myself into her life and spread through it like a virus, infecting every corner of her existence until there was no part of her I didn’t own.

It’s always like that with me; my way or the highway. But the girl I obsessed over is now my wife, and she’s already suffered plenty, thanks to my lack of foresight.

I can’t lose her, not now, not ever. And I won’t let anything or anyone threaten what we have.

My heart is pounding when we pull up outside her building. As I ride the elevator up to her floor, I silently vow to do whatever it takes to make things right.

“Rusalka,” I shout as I unlock the door to her apartment. “I’m back.”

55

Quinn

The officer walks me to the car and opens the rear door. I start climbing in, and a hand shoots out, grabbing my wrist and dragging me inside.

It’s Julian.

He releases me and delivers a stinging slap to my cheek. “Surprise, Quinny!” He laughs at my scream. “Didn’t expect to see me again so soon, huh?”

“He hit me!” I cry as the officer climbs into the driver’s seat. “Did you see that?”

He doesn’t answer or even turn around. Instead, he puts the car in gear and joins the crawl of midtown traffic.

Something is very wrong here.

Julian smiles at me, and I shrink away. “Where are you taking us?” I ask, my voice trembling despite my efforts to sound firm.

“Just sit tight,” the cop says, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror. “You’ll see. That reminds me,” he gropes for something on the passenger seat and tosses it behind him, “it’s probably better if you don’t see, at least for now.”

Julian pauses, drinking in my fear. Then he lunges.

“Get off!” I shriek, scratching at him with my nails like a feral cat. “What are you doing?”

He gets me in a headlock and forces me head-down into the upholstery. “I can either blindfold you, or beat the shit out of you and then blindfold you.” He dangles the black fabric in front of my face. “Choose, bitch.”

We drive in silence for what feels like an eternity. I sense little except the speed of the car, but time warps and twists beyond recognition.

My uncle found me, and now he’s gonna hurt me. Ever since I ran away, I’ve lived in fear of my past catching up with me and dragging me back to where I began. Look at me now.

The tires crunch over gravel. We slow to a stop, and Julian speaks.

“Told you I could pull it off!” he says. “Look what Ricky and I got for you.”

I hear footsteps approaching and the thin electric whine of the window being lowered. I flinch as a finger slips between my forehead and the blindfold, pulling it down.

For a moment, I’m too dazzled by the bright light to see anything at all. I blink rapidly, trying to get my bearings, only to find myself looking at a man with a single gold tooth and cold, shark-like eyes.

“Hello, Quinn Kazanova,” he says. “I’m Silvio Vercotti. Welcome to your new home.” He holds out a hand. “Now give me your fucking phone.”

I take my cell phone from my pocket and hand it to him. He snatches it and dials my voicemail. “Let’s leave Roman a lovely message from his sweet bride,” I say, selecting the option. Here we go.”

My head swims with panic as I listen to Vercotti’s poisonous words. Is this really how it ends?

He saves the recording and hangs up, grinning at me. “Yep. You got it, bitch. You wanted to play with bad guys? I got a game just for you.”

56

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