Page 13 of Bred To Be Owned

“Irini, you’re going to make me a rich man,” my father told her. He looked at her as if she was his prized possession. Irini didn’t even flinch as my father’s fingers brushed her cheek again, but the slight tremor of her hand as she pushed the pastry around her plate didn’t escape my notice. I believed Irini had buried her soul deep within her, in a place where no one could cause her any more pain. It was the only thought that kept me from breaking down every time I saw her.

My mother broke the silence that had settled around the table. “Isn’t he that up-and-coming Russian they mentioned the other day in church? The one who’s opened those two banquet halls along our southeastern border?”

“Yes,” my father replied. “He owns several high-end restaurants, but I noticed they were expanding into catering halls this past year. I asked around when they appeared, in case we would have an issue, but they say he’s one of the best bosses their Pahkan has. If this goes well, we’ll put one of his restaurants in the casino and use the catering for the events, among other things.”

“How fortuitous,” my mother responded as she happily clapped her hands. If they knew I had arranged Irini’s second marriage, she wouldn’t be faking so much happiness.

“How disgusting! We’re selling Irini off again?” Katalina piped up. Without even missing a beat, my mother smacked her across the mouth.

“Not at the dinner table,” she told her.

Kat cracked up laughing. I tried to stay under the radar, but Katalina pushed any boundary she could. One day, my father would snap, and unfortunately, she’d be in the firing zone.

“Toula,” my father directed at me. “I’ve been thinking about letting you work on your own club. The Italians have Euphoria, and we should have something similar. Volkov must have ears on the street because he knew and offered to help you with the catering when the time is right. Seemed to think it would be an excellent learning opportunity for you,” my father said. “I told him we would think about it, but that you’re not ready.”Of course, I’m not ready. I’m a woman. That’s all that matters here.I sighed internally as the conversation moved on around me.

Every man in my life had let me down at one point or another. My father was a tyrant, constantly making degrading comments solely based on my gender. My bodyguard constantly left me to fend for myself while he chased skirts. Even Markos, my sister’s bodyguard, had failed to protect her. I’d never expected the Russian to keep his end of the bargain when so many others hadn’t cared to in the past. Once Junior was dead, I should have realized this day would come, but I had blocked it out, only thinking about my future. The future that was now going to include paying a debt with my life.

I picked up my fork, trying to finish my dessert for something to do. I wasn’t hungry, but I needed something else to focus on. It all tasted like sand in my mouth, and if I wasn’t careful, it would bury me alive. One small bite sat in my stomach like lead, and all I wanted to do was leave the table.

Eventually, they excused us, and I hurriedly fled to my bedroom. As I shut the door behind me, my eyes immediately went towards my bed. Walking closer, I noticed immediately that there was a red rose lying on my pillow. Someone had been in my personal space, and I didn’t like it.

As I picked up the rose, I twirled it in my hand before I reached for the note attached with a black ribbon. It was an omen, a sign that the Russian hadn’t forgotten me.

Little Fox -

I’ll see you soon.

-I

I stared at the rose as if it was a mark of death. No matter what I had thought, Irini’s savior was planning on keeping his end of the deal, and all he wanted was me. Some depraved part of me wanted to throw everything I’d worked for away and run to him.

I finally let myself feel what I had concealed at dinner. I held the rose tightly to my chest and let out a squeal. It was dumb, but I relished in someone finally taking an interest in me. Me, and only me. Dancing around the room, I pretended that nothing else existed. It never crossed my mind that he might use me to increase his social standing, leaving me no better off than I was under my father’s thumb.

I didn’t care if it was all a lie. It felt authentic enough to make me forget everything else.

Chapter 8

Toula

After the wedding announcement, every day felt like a countdown to his return, and the uncertainty gnawed at me. I wondered if he would seek me out, or if I was just another member of his wife’s family. My stomach tightened at the thought, and I told myself it wasn’t a big deal. He would collect on our deal, and Irini would be safe.

After that night I had danced around my room with the rose, I tried to tamp down any emotional response I had. I didn’t want to admit that I had feelings for my future brother-in-law. In the following days, I searched everywhere for him. At school, I checked the study carrels in the library, as if he’d be waiting for me. I didn’t really expect him to show, but I would walk around with my backpack, pretending it was the perfect rendezvous. It was silly, but I didn’t stop.

I was walking down the hallway, daydreaming between classes. While lost in my own thoughts, I suddenly caught sight of a large blonde man approaching me. I wouldn’t have thought twice abouthim, but he was enormous. Most of the boys I went to school with still had baby faces, and this was a man with a three-day-old scruff. Students were moving out of his way, not the other way around. Something didn’t feel right. He was staring directly at me with a smirk playing on his lips, and I wasn’t sure what to do as I continued to walk.

Should I alert Angelo? We had emergency hand signals, and he was there to protect me. Would that draw more attention to us? If I was wrong, he’d never let me live it down. When school had first started, I’d been told that Angelo would walk behind me. My father didn’t want any of the students to know I had a bodyguard. He claimed it was for my safety, but that had felt like an excuse. If Angelo thought there was danger, he was supposed to speed up and walk beside me until the threat passed. He’d never done so, but my intuition screamed something was off.

I continued to walk down the hallway, panic surging through me. My heart pounded inside my chest as the man’s eyes locked onto mine. Each step brought him closer, and I could feel my throat tighten. My hand itched to signal Angelo, but I froze in place, not sure if I should fight or flee. By the time I thought about alerting Angelo, we were almost shoulder-to-shoulder. He shifted so that his shoulder brushed mine, forcing me closer to the wall.

“I’m not excited to see you, Toula,” he said as he walked past me.

I halted in my tracks, stunned. How did this man know me? I didn’t realize I’d stopped right in front of the women’s restroom. A hand shot out, covering my mouth. It happened so quickly, I couldn’t even process what was going on. There was no time to even think about screaming or fighting back. The door closed with a final click, locking us in.

“Malenkaya lisichka,” a voice whispered into my ear. “Shh, you’re alright.”

My heart pounded twice as hard, and I thought it was going to burst through my chest as the adrenaline surged through my veins. My brain knew that this was the Russian, but my body hadn’t caught up to that realization. He held me against his chest with his hand over my mouth in case I screamed. The pads of his fingers were rough against my cheek.

“I had to see you, and this was the only way I could get you alone,” he whispered in my ear again, as he slowly turned me around to face him.

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