Page 76 of Captured By the Bratva

“I’m not.” Ivan stood straighter, unafraid of the officer. “This establishment is no longer part of my family’s business profile.”

“Yeah, yeah. Fancy words I don’t give a fuck about. You’re here just like the tip claimed.” He jerked his thumb toward the cops helping the people who’d fallen.

Chaos ensued as another club guest fell, clutching their neck.

Ivan shook his head, holding on tight to me. “You’ve got it wrong,” he insisted to the cop. Another one approached,seeming ready to cuff him. From the side, men hurried closer. I recognized them as some of the guards at the vacation villa. I hadn’t realized they’d been here all along, but of course they would’ve been here as backup. Ivan wasn’t stupid. He likely had security all the time.

As they came closer, I was pushed back. Tightening my fingers on Ivan’s, I gripped hard and fought not to be separated from him.

He turned, glaring in my direction with the determination to keep me with him in this frenzied crowd. His arm lifted, and a cop reached out to cuff him. The metal didn’t lock on his wrist, and I felt safe as I felt his hand taking mine.

Or not.

Someone else had wrestled closer, and it was a stranger who gripped my hand and pulled me back.

“Ivan!”

He lunged after me, his face set in stony fury, but too much was happening. The cops went for him. The Bratva guards interfered. Other club members and guests rushed between us.

Before I could inhale another deep breath to scream for him again, strong arms locked around me. They hauled me outside, strapping tape over my mouth as they steered me into a car waiting in the alley.

A sickening sense of déjà vu hit me. Not again. Not like this. When Ivan took me out of that club, I ended up learning love and lust, pleasure and passion. Those things would only ever make sense with him. And that was why I kicked and flailed so hard that the men dropped me. Pain radiated up from my tailbone at the impact. My ass was still sore from Ivan’s spankings, but this sudden plummet to the floor stung bad.

It knocked the breath out of me. I lost precious seconds to scramble to my feet and run away. To run to Ivan.

They caught me in their arms again, and the Rossinis tossed me into the back of a car.

On the ride, I bucked and fought, resisting the zip ties on my wrists in front of me. No matter how much I tugged awkwardly at the tape over my mouth and sticking far back into my hair, I couldn’t rip it off.

I wasn’t back there for long, stunned and shocked with fear and anger. I didn’t have ample time to plan or pay attention to many details, determined to yank this tape off, then bite at the zip ties. Anything. Something. I’d give it my all to escape and retaliate because I had too much to fight for now.

Ivan. Emily. Hell, even Margie. Whatever these Rossinis wanted, they wouldn’t win. If they were working with Steven, I’d kill him myself. For once in my life, I had a bright, grand future to look forward to. And I’d do anything to get back to my man and know it would still happen.

The men weren’t gentle removing me from the car, and their hands locked down on my upper arms to the point of bruising pain as they led me into a building. They’d parked in an underground parking garage, and I was deprived of seeing what structure they’d driven me to. I was aware that I needed to notice and remember all the details, but my sense of staying alert had gone haywire. Everything passed in a blur of too many things to see and track.

Once they pushed me into a room, something bare but functional like an interview room, I zeroed in on something I could easily remember. Someone I so readily recognized.

Dominic.

He sat on the other side of a fold-up table, distinguished as ever, his graying hair slicked back perfectly, his manicured nails neat and even as he folded his hands together on the surface. That smug smile was the same, his dark, beady eyes just Iremembered. Dressed in an impeccable suit, he watched me as his friends shoved me into a chair across from him.

My ass stung. The fall to the floor made my tailbone ache more. But it was nothing compared to the stinging agony of them ripping the tape off and yanking out hair with it.

I breathed hard through it, growling and glowering at Dominic.

No cops were in here.

Just him.

He had the control here, and I hated it. Men always lorded over me, but I wanted to reset things back to where I could surrender to Ivan and know he would protect me and care for me while he was in control.

Dominic cleared his throat, betraying no emotions with his lack of expression. “I’d like to speak with you about your artwork.”

I sat there, still, letting his words replay through my mind. Then again. And again. No matter how many times I tried to understand them, they didn’t fit.

I lost it. Cracking up so hard that my eyes watered, I curled over and laughed. And laughed.

“Youwhat?”

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