Page 75 of Ruthless Bratva King

I can’t stop the words that tumble out of my mouth next. “Do you own this building?”

The question catches him off guard. He pauses, one brow lifting in surprise. “What an unusual thing to ask. Why do you wish to know?”

I shrug, masking my fear with feigned indifference. “Because it’s falling apart.” I gesture with a tilt of my head toward the nearest wall, where a jagged crack runs from floor to ceiling. “Those walls are subsiding. If you don’t reinforce the foundation, this place will collapse within a year.”

He stares at me, his expression shifting from curiosity to faint amusement. “You’re tied to a chair, held by men who could kill you with a snap of their fingers, and you’re worried about the structural integrity of my walls?”

“I’m not worried,” I reply coolly, lifting my bound hands as much as the rope allows. “Just stating the obvious.”

He chuckles, a low, humorless sound that makes my skin crawl. “I see why he’s so taken with you.”

If he’s fishing for a reaction, I won’t give it to him.

He takes another step closer, the amusement in his gaze fading, replaced by something darker. “Well, I’ll keep your professional advice in mind. But for now, let’s talk about why you’re really here.”

His tone chills me to the bone, but I lift my chin higher, refusing to show weakness. “Please, enlighten me.”

He crouches to my eye level, his piercing gaze fixed on mine. “Do you know why you’re here?”

“Because I make a great hostage?” I bite back, my voice sharp.

His lips curl into something that’s not quite a smile. “Cute. But no. You’re here because of Dmitri. Or more specifically, because of the way he’s lied to me since you entered his life. He never lied to me before you, did you know that?”

My stomach knots at his words, but I keep my expression blank.

“I sent you the jade statue,” he continues, his tone colder now, laced with derision. “A little test of loyalty, you see. And do you know what he did?”

I don’t reply, but my silence only seems to amuse him.

“He proved my suspicions correct,” Peter says, his eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. “Claimed he hadn’t found it yet. That he was still ‘searching.’”

He straightens, his smile widening as he looks down at me. “His job was to retrieve the jade statue and slaughter the family that stole it from me.” His voice turns into a roar of rage, his eyes bulging. “Your family.” He points at me. “Including you.”

My heart twists painfully. Dmitri was sent to kill me and my family? The revelation stings more than I expect, and the rush of hurt catches me off guard.

Peter doesn’t miss it. His smile deepens, like a spider sensing weakness in a trapped fly. “It hurts, doesn’t it? Finding out someone you trusted has betrayed you?”

I want to argue, to deny the truth of his words, but the emotions surging inside me make it impossible.

He crouches again, his tone softening into something almost intimate. “You see, Elena, the world is a cruel place. People are liars. Deceivers. Dmitri isn’t special in that regard.

“He’s no different from anyone else who will say or do whatever it takes to get what they want. He wanted to fuck you for a while and that’s fine. But then he had to go and develop those hideous things called feelings.”

A lump forms in my throat, but I swallow it down. “You don’t know him,” I say, my voice quiet but firm.

He chuckles, the sound cold and devoid of humor. “Don’t I?” His gaze sharpens, slicing into me. “Dmitri isn’t the man you think he is. He’s spent his life killing, lying, and scheming. You think you’re anything special to him?”

I clench my jaw, refusing to let him see how his words hit their mark.

“Let me tell you what’s going to happen,” he says, his voice low and menacing. “Dmitri will return soon, fresh from killing your family. He’ll come here to save you, his precious little wife, and I’ll give him a simple choice. Your life or his. Won’t that be fun?”

He leans in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper that feels like ice on my skin. “I’m betting he’ll die trying to save you. And when he does, you’ll know you’re all alone. No one to save you. No one to trust. No help. Nothing awaiting you but pain and death.”

His words are a knife twisting in my chest. Despite my anger, my hurt, the doubts clawing at my mind, I can’t bear the thought of Dmitri walking into a trap, of him being killed because of me.

Peter straightens, his expression as composed as if he’s just delivered a weather report. “Enjoy your stay, Elena. You won’t be here long. Once I’ve had my fun, I have paying clients who will enjoy seeing what your insides look like.”

He frowns. “You’re quieter than I expected,” he muses, his tone mockingly gentle. “Most of my guests start begging or praying around this point.”

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