Page 30 of Bred To Be Owned

Anna smiled widely at me as she nodded her head again. She was moving so fast that she looked like a bobblehead with a cheesy grin. “I always knew you were his first choice and for good reason.”

We worked quietly, making sure there was enough food, until snippets of Russian floated from the hallway as the men made their way to the dining room. I watched from the corner as they said hello to me, thanked Chef Anna, and filled a plate. Some of them sat at the table, but they didn’t dawdle, eating quickly, while others filled to-go containers and took off. It was everything I thought it would be. I hadn’t realized I was worried about their well-being until I made sure everyone had at least one full plate. It made me feel better to know they’d eaten.

A soldier approached me with a smile, and I noticed all the men in the room turned to watch. I wasn’t in danger, but I thought this might be an initiation of some sort. I wasn’t sure if I needed to be on my guard, and I didn’t want to make the wrong move when I hadn’t even been here for twenty-four hours.

“Ma’am,” he addressed me, nodding his head. It was odd that he didn’t offer a handshake, but I wasn’t sure of the dynamics. I didn’t offer mine, in case he would be in trouble. I was trying to earn these people’s respect, not cause them to be punished for something silly.

“Hello,” I replied with a smile.

“My name is Vladimir. You can call me Vlad,” he stuttered through, as if he’d rehearsed. “I’m going to be your new guard when you head back to school.”

Someone chastised him from the table. “Weren’t you supposed to wait? Boss hasn’t even told her.”

“He’s serious about this one. You can’t fuck up, or your ass is going to be swimming with the fishes,” someone else said.

Vlad turned around to face the table. “Boss told me to go buy school clothes and a backpack, so I didn’t question it.” He turned back to face me. “I bought new notebooks and the nice pens, so I’ll blend in during your classes.”

I was confused. He didn’t need notebooks if he was going to sit outside the lecture hall like Angelo had. I wanted to ask for further clarification, but I didn’t know if I would offend him. He honestly looked excited about the assignment, so I smoothed out my features and waited.

He must have understood my hesitation. “I’m not Angelo. It’s an honor to protect the boss’s wife, and I will do so with my life. If you’re in class, I’m in class. It’ll be fun.” He winked at me and then walked out of the room.

I was stunned, but I didn’t want anyone to comment about what had just transpired. I put a small smile on my face as the rest of the men finished up. They walked out of the dining room together, but as the last man left, he stopped in front of me. I didn’t know if I could handle another conversation when I was swaying on my feet. The adrenaline was wearing off, and the exhaustion was setting in.

“My name is Mikhail, mistress. Please forgive Vlad if he was too forward. He means well, but he may have come off a little overzealous. Your husband is a good boss, and Vlad doesn’t understand how fair Mr. Volkov is. I will speak to him, so that he will adjust his behavior. Mr. Volkov isn’t forgiving when it comes to you.” Mikhail walked out of the room, without looking back.

Am I going to find my place here?

Chapter 17

Toula

I leaned against the wall, letting my smile fade. It was four in the morning, and I’d just finished my first hosting. Nothing was official, but I had taken over duties as the lady of the house. If only my mother could have seen me. She’d still have some little thing to nitpick, telling me I had more to learn.

Taking one last deep breath, I grabbed a warming tray and headed into the kitchen to help with cleanup. Anna kept smiling at me when I caught her eye, and it was comforting.

“There’s nothing further to do until dinner. The men won’t be back for lunch.” She kicked me out of the kitchen, with my heels in my hand, once the dishes had been done.

“I have a feeling you wouldn’t tell me even there was.” I meant it honestly. Anna and I would have to find our rhythm, and when my schedule normalized again, I wouldn’t be in her space all the time.

“No, I would. I understand because I was one of the few who worked in both houses. You’re competing with a memory that doesn’t exist here.” She smiled and patted the few stray hairs underneath thebun she wore before heading towards the staff quarters. “Seriously, there’s nothing until later.”

I yawned, not sure what to do or where to go. If I had been in my father’s compound, I would have just gone to my room for a nap, but this wasn’t my home. I’d gotten lucky, finding the kitchen relatively easy, but I wasn’t comfortable roaming around by myself. What if I walked into an area that was off-limits? There were too many questions, and I didn’t want a story floating around at my expense. Instead, I sat on the sofa in the living room, laid my head on the back, and held my shoes in my lap. My eyes closed on their own.

“You’ve had an eventful morning.”

“That’s not your usual line. Try again.” I didn’t open my eyes, but a smile danced on my lips as I heard him approach from behind me.

He laughed. “Why do I always find you without a guard?”

“Supposedly, I have a new guard.”

“I heard Vlad introduced himself. The other men were afraid he was too abrasive with you. They told me they would correct his behavior and it wouldn’t be an issue.” I felt the sofa sag underneath me as he sat to my right.

“He was fine, but you might lose a soldier to business school. He’s excited to write in new notebooks with nice pens,” I teased.

“You’re the top of your class. If he picks it up and actually understands, I’ll think about sending him.”

I opened my eyes and turned my head, watching him. “You would do that?” My father wouldn’t have. If a soldier showed promise, he’d promote him but never give them an education. I was the only one my father had ever sent to college. There was always a fear of someone smarter becoming more powerful. My father would never voluntarily surrender the family he’d built on his back with blood equity.

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