Page 8 of Kidnapped Bratva Virgin

“You told me specifically not to put hands on anybody. Remember?”

Sighing, I rub at my temples again. Mad at myself for thinking it would be so easy to shore up Raven’s Peak. “Yes. I told you that. Thanks, Viktor.”

“How do you want to handle it from here?” Viktor sits in the chair in front of me as I slowly pick up the photo and stare at the soft beauty of the girl, finding myself wanting to know her more than I already do. The background information on her intrigues me enough already.

Her father, Dominic Knight, was one of those do-gooder types working as legal counsel in the trenches of Chicago, fighting bullshit cases that nobody cared to take.

She needs the money. I know she does. Is she like her father? Wanting to be a no-hoper stuck being paid below her pay grade? Flicking the photo through my fingers, I think about her motives. She should want money.

How will I appeal to her? “She should want the money. She has to pay for law school. Her apartment isn’t the best. She should have jumped at the opportunity, and she didn’t. Either she is super smart or super dumb. No in between,” I conclude, my eyes boring into Viktor’s, a slight smirk forming on my mouth. I wouldn’t mind finding out which one.

“Right. Want me to handle it? It won’t take long,” Viktor offers, and he’s right. Jackson Knight wasn’t stupid, and when he was alive, he had enough of a fortress of personal assistantsand other handlers to stop us from gaining access. I was prepared to wait, not wanting to waste valuable resources, but not now. Ava’s a vulnerable student with no safeguards, and she’s wide open to sharks.

Me being one of them. She’s going to be scared easily. “No. But since she so stupidly declined our offer, we’re going to have to deal with her the old-school way.”

Viktor chuckles, understanding my language. “That shouldn’t be a problem. When she realized the car was out front, she shut the blinds. She’s stayed in the house.”

This interests me greatly. “She’s staying in the house by herself? Did you see anybody else with her?”

“No. She was alone in the place.”

Poor little law student, stranded in the Wisconsin wilderness by herself, there’s no telling what type of monsters lurk in the nearby woods. “This is almost too easy,” I mutter, my annoyance dying down, replaced by amusement.

“Yes. When do you want me to head back and how badly do you want me to scare her into a deal, Boss?”

Shaking my head, my eyes glaze over staring at the wall behind Viktor. “No. This one is mine. I’m going to take care of her.”

Ava Knight, you’re about to learn about a new law unto itself called the Bratva law, and it’s a lose-lose situation for you.

Chapter Five - Ava

Day two is a little more settling than the first in the family home, and even with that lurking car sitting out front, for some reason I feel safe and tucked in. The beauty of the rugged wilderness has stolen a piece of my heart, and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because both my parents are dead, and knowing my father enjoyed his childhood at least is bringing me solace and peace of mind.

I’ve been able to study without the traffic outside distracting me, and Gunther constantly calling me to fill in graveyard shifts. Aiden wasn’t lying when he said the fridge was stocked with food. Everything and anything I could want to eat is inside it. I pick out the eggs, studying the label on the side. Raven’s Peak eggs.Local chickens.Smiling, I turn on the vintage radio near the kitchen sink, the sentimental touch making me think differently about my grandparents.

The smooth voice of the breakfast host sets me at ease as I wash the tomatoes to go with the omelet, sink toast into the toaster, and put the coffee pot on.Wow.I’m never going to get over this view. In Chicago, it would likely be some nighttime reveler recovering and pissing in the alleyway to look at. That way I would have to step out and bask in the smell of stale piss. No, not here. There’s wildlife I would never see back home here. Wild deer munching on grass, and blue jays sitting on the windowsill.

This place can’t be mine. I can hardly believe it. There’s a trail map on the side of the kitchen wall and it looks easy enough to follow for myself. I’m pumped up a little by the upcoming adventure. Grinning from ear to ear, I whip up the eggs,dropping them into the hot sizzling pan, thinking this might be a great change for my life.

Would I be too lonely out here or would I be okay and find community in Raven’s Peak? From the sneak peek I saw at the funeral, there wouldn’t be anybody my age to connect with, but that’s not exactly what I’m doing here. I slide my omelet onto my plate along with my tomatoes and spinach.

This house is holding long-buried memories from my family tree that are giving me what I need right now, and that’s fine by me. Recalling Aiden’s conversation, I think about how prosperous Raven’s Peak could be for me. Maybe I can pull myself out of this poverty cycle and set my future up the right way. A warm feeling spreads through my chest as I stare out at the thick clouds in the sky.

Rain’s coming, and I can smell its crispness in the clean country air. Inhaling, I close my eyes maybe thinking I won’t have enough time to explore the lush grounds like I want to. Setting up, I head out to the back decking that faces out to the sprawling expanse of my new property. Putting my plate down, I hold on to my coffee as I look out over the majestic expanse, blown away by its lushness and all the nature sounds.

I find my phone and text my friend Donna.

ME:Dreams do come true.Holding my phone up, I take a quick video of the place. She’s the only one I’ve told so far.

Immediately my phone rings. “Where are you? I’ve been looking for you in class everywhere!”

“If I tell you, I don’t think you’ll believe it,” I gush, spotting a deer and a fox on the property.

“Try me. I need some gossip. Class has been boring without you.”

“Okay.” I can’t stop grinning. “I’ve inherited this property in Wisconsin.”

“No way! You have? It looks freaking huge! What are you going to do with all that? Are you going to sell it?”

---