Page 43 of Innocent Bratva Virgin

“Aww, what did you expect, ragazza? Your boy Vlad and his brother were just about to do the same thing. They have quite the reputation among the families. The Vadims’ assault dogs. Vicious, violent killers who take whatever they want and will doanythingyou ask if the price is right.”

Apparently, my poker face wasn’t as good as I’d hoped. Worse, my brain scrambled with doubt. Vlad had told me that he’d killed people, and I knew that was what they were planning to do to the Italians. Was he really just a thug?

No, come on, Emory. You’ve talked with the guy. He does give “stone-cold killer” vibes. He’s…he’s…

But panic and terror were crowding out my thoughts, and I instinctively fought against my ropes. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want anything to do with all this nonsense. A quiet life with my practice. Nights in. That’s what I was built for.

“Besides, we have a feeling that at least one of them will come.” The man was so close now, smirking at me as an evil light lit up behind his eyes. “Vlad’s all about that forbidden pussy. Fucking his shrink just to say he can. You two put on quite the show before we busted in. Hell, we would have sooner, but all of us were just thrilled to watch through our long-range camera. We were taking bets on what you two would do next.”

Horror tore through me. These vile men had watched Vlad and me have sex. They’d been right there the entire time. Disgust pooled in my stomach, making me feel dirty and wrong. I silently begged for a shower or, better yet, a hole to crawl into and never come back out of.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted Vlad to come now. I didn’t want these terrible fucking men to be right, and as I scanned over the group in front of me, they just snickered, some making eyes that could only be interpreted one way.

God, how wrong have I been? Was Vlad just using me for sex this entire time?

But even with everything this man had said, I still couldn’t believe it. Or maybe I just didn’t want to. Still, Vlad had been… different with me. Was that a naïve thought to entertain, though?

God, did I just get my hopes up about a patient? A patient I slept with. The man I lost my virginity to. Fucking hell.

“Don’t look so glum, ragazza. It doesn’t matter anyway. You’re just bait. So regardless of who you are or even if they come. You’re serving your purpose. And it’s a lot been than a woman could usually be trusted to do.”

My heart sank. Of course, this machismo asshole was also a misogynist. That really shouldn’t surprise me.

“Silly, silly mouse. Should have stayed at home where you belong. Making babies and taking after your husband. But you had to go and try to be a ‘career woman.’”

The words were laced with venom, my captor’s disgust billowing through his speech like an evil wind that flayed skin. I wasn’t about to say anything, though. I wasn’t an idiot, as muchas this man would have clearly preferred that. I knew better than to challenge him while I was still in such a vulnerable position.

I needed to get out of these damn ropes.

“I won’t help you. I swear to God, I will not let you hurt him.” He chuckled, his sneer poison and pain. “I don’t care if you’re right about him either. I won’t help a bunch of thugs hurt anyone.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” The Italian man stepped closer, winding his fingers beneath the thick fabric that had been used to blind me. “Such a mouth on you. If you can’t say anything nice, ragazza, you shouldn’t say anything at all.”

He yanked the fabric up over my chin. I assumed he was going to blindfold me again—was about to hoist up the strap over my face and take away my sight—but he didn’t. Instead, the cloth, which was sour from the taste of my own sweat plus whatever else was on it, was secured between my teeth.

The gag tasted foul, and I couldn’t speak. Immediately, drool began to collect on my chin, and then I was spun around as the man pulled the chair toward the door and positioned me to face it.

A set of lips came to my ear, and the Italian mafioso whispered gently. “Scream or make whatever sound you want. It doesn’t matter. You’re going to sit here and have a front-row seat to the show. Once your beau shows up, I will get what information I can from him. Then…”

He stood up, walking around me off into the distance where I couldn’t see him anymore.

“I’m going to kill him.”

The room went silent, the sounds of footsteps and laughter fading into nothing as the room emptied. I was leftalone in the shadowy room with my heart pounding against my ribcage. I couldn’t let that asshole kill Vlad. Or either of his brothers. But what exactly was I supposed to do?

Fear and sorrow tugged at the edges, making me want to sob until I couldn’t anymore.

But that wouldn’t do me or him any good. So, I started squeezing my fingers together and pulling against the ropes. If I could get a hand free, it would change everything. I just needed to get one of my hands free.

And I was willing to dislocate my thumb if I had to.

Chapter 18 - Vlad

The car was dead fucking silent as we sat outside the address, looking for any sign of, well, anything. Ivan was in the driver's seat as per usual. Still, I was actually riding shotgun, which was a departure since I’d been relegated to the back seat since I had the unlucky fortune of being born last.

My nerves were wrapped tight through my muscles, like threaded wires sinching on the sinew. Tense was a polite way to say how I felt, and I wasn’t fucking concerned about being polite at the moment, so I was honest with myself when I thought, “This fucking sucks. You’re fucking terrified for her.”

Worst, there was so much that hung on my brothers’ shoulders. I needed them to get Emory out, and while I knew they were capable, while Iknewthey had done shit like this hundreds of times, I was doubting them.

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