Page 100 of Crown of Hate

My gaze flits to Alexei and a triumphant smile breaks through the tension. “We’re bringing her home tonight.”

Hold on, Alya. I’m coming for you.

For both of you.

31

ALYA

The stench of cigar smoke and the grating sound of male laughter yank me from the depths of unconsciousness. It takes a moment for the blurry mess of colors and shapes around me to take form.

As reality sharpens, I find myself in a large, furnished bedroom that screams “expensive” and “creepy” in equal measure. A queen-sized bed dominates the space, draped with a pink canopy that feels sickeningly girlish. But that’s not the worst part. No, the true horror show is plastered all over the walls—photos of me. Everywhere. As a child, a teenager, right up to recent snapshots. The sight of them makes me want to throw up.

Jesus. Akim has taken creepy to a whole new level. Is this his twisted idea of playing father?

“You’re awake,” a voice says from the door. A voice I know all too well.

Dimitri. That traitorous bastard.

I shoot venom at him with my eyes. “Where is Akim?”

The audacity of this dick—he actually smiles. “Aww, look who’s eager for daddy-daughter time. Come on, admit it. You’vebeen waiting for this day. There’s no way you actually love Mikhail.”

I force myself to sit up, wincing at the amount of pain racking through me. It hurts so bad, but I can’t be weak.Stay strong, Alya. For yourself. For your baby. For Mikhail.“My feelings for my husband are none of your fucking business.”

“Didn’t say they were. I’m just curious.” He shifts his attention to the bodyguard standing next to him. “Tell the boss his daughter is awake.”

The other guy nods and leaves the room.

As he scurries off, Dimitri saunters over and stops in front of the bed. “Come on, be honest. You must’ve wanted to kill Mikhail at least once. He forced you into marrying him, knocked you up?—”

My hand flies instinctively to my stomach. “How do you know that?”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

He snorts, looking down at me with contempt. “We’ve been watching your every move, sweetheart. The boss was just waiting for the perfect moment to strike.”

I grit my teeth hard. “You’re insane. Both of you.”

God, I want to wipe that smug grin off his face. Permanently. For the first time in my life, I understand the urge to kill. I’ve never killed anything in my life, but I’m suddenly craving to be the last person he sees before he dies.

The door opens. The bodyguard is back, followed by Akim. He’s beaming at me like we’re at a family picnic. “You’re awake.”

“Is that the only line you people know?” I cock my brow. “It’s getting old.”

He chuckles and orders his men to leave. Dimitri hesitates, taking one last long, scornful look before he follows everyone else out.

When the door shuts behind them, Akim says, “I see you got my sense of humor.”

“I didn’t get anything from you, you freaking monster,” I breathe. I need to remain calm. “Why did you bring me here?”

He gestures around the room. “Isn’t it obvious?”

I scoff. He’s lost it. “You must be insane if you think we can ever play happy family. You should kill me while you have the chance, because I swear to God, I’ll kill you the second I get the opportunity.”

His face darkens. “That’s no way to speak to your father, child.”

My brain misfires as a whirlwind of rage flares inside me. I should be quiet, protecting myself and my baby until Mikhail finds us. But I’m exhausted. I’m angry, and in too much pain to care. I’ve had enough. Screw caution. “You’re not my father, you psychopath! You tried to murder the man I love, you kidnapped me, and you killed myrealfather.”

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