Page 6 of Taming a Ruthless Heart

The name stings, a reminder of everything I’ve tried to forget.My chest tightens with frustration, anger bubbling up beneath the surface.I ignore her attempt at calming me and pace the length of the room, my hands shaking.“He’s keeping me here, just like Igor did.How is that any better?”

Moira sighs softly.“He’s trying to protect you.There’s danger out there.Until Dave knows it’s safe, he can’t let you leave.”

I stop pacing, my heart hammering in my chest.

Danger.

Igor.

He’s still out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike like the venomous snake that he is.My skin crawls at the thought of him finding Rose, of him getting to her before I can.The memory of his cruelty makes me shiver.

“I need to see my daughter,” I groan, my voice barely audible.

“I’m sorry, love.Just know that she’s in good hands.My own daughter, Nadya, is looking after Rose until you can go to her,” Moira says gently, standing and moving toward the door.“For now, you need to rest.Regain your strength.I’ll be back in the morning.”

The door closes softly behind her, leaving me alone in the dimly lit room.The silence is deafening, pressing in on me from all sides.

I resume pacing the length of the Persian carpet that covers the marble floor between the bed and the bay window.

As my wayward thoughts chase one another in my head, I glance at my cell phone sitting on the nightstand, my fingers itching to reach for it.

I could call my cousin, Olivia.She’s the only one I can trust.She’s always stood by my side through the best and worst moments.I tell her everything, except the secret I’ve found out about Igor.That one could get her killed.

Hell, it would get me killed if I hadn’t escaped.The truth is, it can still get us all killed.

I stop pacing and stare at the phone.Olivia tried to help me escape before, but Igor has always been two steps ahead of me.She got me Dave’s private number to call this time.

But what would I say if I called her?What could she possibly do now to help me?

I give in and stretch myself to get the phone.

At the same time, the thought of Igor finding out that she helped me makes my blood run cold.I hover over her contact for a long moment.I could really use her support right now.She is always ready to listen to me and that, sometimes, is all I need.My thumb trembles as I consider pressing Call.

But in the end, I can’t.I toss the phone onto the bed.My chest tightens with guilt.I can’t drag her into this dangerous situation.

I walk over to the window, press my back against the wall beside it, and sink down until my butt hits the thick carpet, my hands trembling as I bury my face in them.

Trapped.

That’s what I am.No matter where I go, no matter who I’m with, I’m always trapped.

First Igor, now Dave.

There’s no escape for me, no way out.

Panic crushes my lungs, stealing my ability to breathe as my mind flies back in time to my wedding night: Igor was cackling as he rattled the chains binding me to the filthy dungeon floor.I couldn’t see a damn thing behind the coarse fabric of the black hood covering my head.

That’s why I panicked when Dave’s man blindfolded me.I was back in Igor’s dungeon again.

After that first night, he would leave me locked up for days, sometimes naked or in my flimsy underwear.He had to tie me up to break me.He didn’t realize his promises to kill everyone I loved had already done so.

Each breath I took under that fucking hood reeked of rancid butter and old urine.Still I fought to keep my sanity amid the shit show that my life became after I married a soulless monster.

I shake my head to get rid of the gut-wrenching memories.Looking out the window, I notice the sky has turned pinkish at some point without me realizing it.

I push myself up from the floor, pacing the room again.My heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing in the deafening silence around me.The walls feel like they’re closing in, and I can’t shake the feeling that no matter what I do, no matter where I go, I’ll never be free again.Igor will always be out there waiting for me to slip up.

The door opens again, and I whirl around, my pulse spiking.Dave steps inside, his presence filling the room like a storm cloud—dark and foreboding but utterly fascinating in a wicked way.He’s dressed all in a black button-up shirt, slacks, and a leather jacket.His broad shoulders fill the doorway, his black hair tossed like he’s been riding his motorcycle or running his long fingers through it.My palms tingle as the sensory memory of the lush thickness of his hair surges inside me like a freaking tsunami.His deep-set green eyes lock onto mine, and for a moment, I forget to breathe.They sparkle with the dark luminescence of the ocean under the moonlight and are equally enthralling.

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