Page 85 of Wicked Arrangement

“They wanted to know about Yaroslav’s business, but I know nothing so there was nothing I could tell them. That’s when they decided to sell me. They didn’t think I was worth enough to Yaroslav because he hadn’t retaliated, they figured they’d get more selling me as a sex slave. Me and the other girls were going to be sent to the Middle East, an order from a wealthy sheik who wanted a variety of women,” I parrot the lie Bogdan told me.

Vova nods, seeming to accept my answer, but he continues to question me, trying to poke holes in my story. I stick to it, not breaking. His thoroughness makes me think that he must be on Yaroslav’s side, and I’m tempted to come clean, but then he says something that makes me pause.

“I imagine being back with the wolves doesn’t seem so scary now you’ve been with the bears.”

It reminds me of Bogdan’s final words to me. It could be a coincidence, it is after all a Russian saying, Vova’s Russian, and I know the Volkovs refer to themselves as the wolfpack. But still, I keep quiet.

At that point, Artem comes in and we resume the questioning, running through everything I just told Vova all over again. Artem seems far more inclined to believe me, backing up my story with evidence he’s found such as the shipping dossier for the container we were found in, heading for Saudi Arabia. Supposedly another girl in the container, no doubt a plant ofSharkozi’s, also said she heard that we’d all been chosen for our different nationalities and appearances.

While I’m grateful there’s evidence to back up my story, I can’t help now feeling suspicious. Is Artem backing me up because he’s Sharkozi’s inside man? I would never have questioned Yaroslav’s closest friends like this before, but then my best friend was the one who betrayed and tortured me. It’s no surprise my faith in friendship just isn’t what it used to be…

After they finally finish questioning me, Artem arranges for food to be brought up to my room. The smell makes my mouth water and I’m eager for them to leave so I can devour it, it’s been so long since I’ve eaten a good meal.

As they leave, they make it very clear that I am to stay here and not leave the room without outright saying I’m a prisoner.

“If you need anything, any time even in the middle of the night, there will be someone right outside the door.”

Chapter 45

Yaroslav

Imanaged to stay away from Kim all last night. Even though it was killing me inside. David didn’t make matters any easier, incessantly begging to see her. I didn’t trust him to obey my instructions, so I stayed with him in his room the whole evening, even sleeping on the couch in the room. Not that I slept much anyway, my mind was too tumultuous thinking about Kim. When I realized who David was waving at and I first laid eyes on her again, it took every ounce of my willpower not to run to her.

She looked like a baby bird with a broken wing, fragile and in need of someone to help her fly again. She was dressed in shabby, too big sweatpants and a tee that I knew couldn’t belong to her—hospital issue no doubt. It hid her body, but I could tell from the gauntness of her face that she’d lost weight, even from a distance. If she is in on this with Sharkozi, they’ve managed to do a good job of making her appearance convincing.

When David finally fell asleep, I was able to sneak away to speak to Vova and Artem. They relayed Kim’s story, and their opinions align with mine. There’s no doubt that Sharkozi took her, or that he sold her on, but his motivations are unclear, and it seems that Kim is holding something back.

I decided then that I wanted to speak to Kim and find out the truth for myself but when I entered her room she was in a deep sleep. I didn’t have the heart to wake her, she looked so peaceful, so restful, as though she hadn’t slept in weeks. I suppose that could be the case. I didn’t allow myself to dwellor watch her sleep, I knew if I did, I’d be lost. I need to stay strong, to maintain my resolve around her until I know if I can trust her completely. Creeping out and closing the door behind me, I returned to David’s room. I spent the rest of the night wide awake, watching my brother’s fitful sleep and agonizing over what I should do next.

I must have drifted off for a brief moment as when I came to, dawn was breaking, the sun casting a pink and orange hue over the ocean’s surface. My muscles are stiff, and my back is screaming in pain at me from spending the night on the couch. Wincing, I stand and leave the room, careful not to wake a still-sleeping David as I head toward Kim’s room.

As instructed, one of my men, Ivan, is stationed outside of Kim’s room, just in case. He jerks to attention, jumping to his feet from the chair he’s sitting on when he sees me approaching.

“Pakhan,” he says with a respectful bow of his head.

“I take it no one’s been in or out as instructed?” I ask.

Ivan shakes his head, “No one, sir, the last person was you.”

“Good. Anything to report, any unusual sounds or disturbances?”

“I think she had a nightmare. It was late and I heard her sounding distressed, crying out. I knocked on the door and was about to go inside when she finally responded that everything was alright, she’d just had a bad dream,” he explains, looking worried that he did the wrong thing.

On the one hand, I want to be annoyed that he didn’t rush inside to check everything was okay when he heard her indistress, but logically, I know that there’s no way anyone could get in or out of the room, and if she then responded saying it was a nightmare, his reaction was reasonable. In all fairness to him, I’d have probably ripped his balls off if he had gone into Kim’s bedroom and comforted her. The thought of any man being close to her in bed, sharing that kind of intimacy, makes me feel irrationally jealous. I imagine he knows that and that’s why he thought twice about rushing inside.

“Anything other than that?” I ask, suppressing the jealous thoughts.

“No, that was it. There was nothing out of the ordinary. About half an hour ago I heard movement and the shower going, so I think she’s awake, but that’s it,” Ivan replies, seeming relieved that I haven’t given him a hard time.

I nod, relieved that Kim is awake so I can speak to her. “Good. You’re dismissed, go and get some rest.”

“Yes, Pakhan,” he says with a nod before heading off.

Taking a deep breath, I knock on the door to make Kim aware someone is entering, turn the key, and push open the door. It’s make-or-break time.

She’s sat in the window, looking out at the sunrise, her face bathed in the soft glow of the morning light. With a start, I realize she’s cut off all of her hair, shaving it into a buzz cut. The style is severe and yet on her, it looks soft and feminine, highlighting her large eyes and high cheekbones. She looks sad and ethereal, and more beautiful than ever before. She looks up, her eyes meeting mine and quite literally takes my breath away.

She stands, wordlessly turning to face me, her eyes sparkle as unshed tears form in them. We stand, simply looking at each other for a moment, neither of us knowing what to say. Where to start, how to bridge the chasm between us. I find my eyes glancing at her stomach, knowing it’s too soon for her to be showing but recalling my uncle’s words, nonetheless. I find myself looking for the subtlest of clues that might reveal if it’s true, could Kim really be pregnant with my child?

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