Page 129 of The Dark Side

"I'm sorry about what happened. I can't imagine what that was like for you."

Despite the empty words, it was more than Adrik had given her. It brought tears to her eyes, but she didn't want to cry in front of him. She sniffed and hardened her gaze as she stared at Yakov.

"Can I ask what you were doing on the ship? I'm a little taken aback by your presence."

"I went for Helina."

"Ah. Teaching even on vacation? Such dedication."

Jolie crossed her legs, unwilling to be intimidated by him anymore. She was too numb to feel anything.

Yakov smiled. "Do you know when I realized you weren't courting Alexei, despite the efforts you went through to deceive?"

Jolie felt a little jolt to her heart.

"After the pen incident. Alexei was too desperate to calm Adrik, when they both should have wanted some retribution. But Alexei does have feelings for you, doesn't he, Miss Bell? How you managed to ensnare both of them is a curiosity, since they typically have different tastes." Yakov watched her, waited for a response, and was annoyed when he received none. "Adrik normally obeys me; he knows what I want is best and follows my rules. So, you must understand that your presence on his yacht was disturbing. Now, his disappearance these last couple of weeks is beginning to add up. And I wonder if I were to look back on all the security footage and the documents, would you happen to 'disappear' at the same time?"

Jolie didn't care. It didn't matter. She was leaving. She remained impassive. After the boat, nothing he said could affect her. Not when she was still trying to get the blood out of her hair.

"It may not seem like it to you, but I am very protective of my children. I cannot have some young slut try to come between them. This is why I will not only take your resignation, but I implore you to leave this state. Get as far away from here as possible. Because if I see you again near my sons, planning an accident is one of the main things I learned to do before I was ten."

His threat woke something in her, set her heart back to beating, and pulled her from the coma she'd been in. It wasn't fear. It was adrenaline.

She found herself without a filter. "You're a horrible man."

He smirked and shrugged. "Yes. I am. But I get what I want. Adrik and Alexei needed a little reminder, and now, things should return to where they were. All that's messing up the equation is you. I didn't know it before, but now it's very clear. Nothing makes a man fight harder and more desperately than for family. Whatever they saw in you sparked that rebellion. But without you, they'll fall back in line."

Jolie clenched her fingers around her dress. She didn't know what kind of person Adrik and Alexei had to deal with, and now it was slowly coming to light. Yakov was a terror, and though he was portrayed as a good father, he was a manipulating narcissist. What had he done to Adrik and Alexei to 'remind' them of their place?

Alexei's bruises. Would Yakov physically harm them?

It was an easy answer.

The phone rang, and Yakov held up a finger as he answered it. It was all in Russian. When she got out of this hellhole, she never wanted to hear another person speak the harsh language. Jolie wondered if she could leave, but she was sure she needed to be dismissed. But what did she care about his rules? She was never going to see him again. Jolie stood.

The door burst open. "Yakov!" An old black man in a black suit entered. The soldiers at his side were constantly trying to pull him back, but they were clearly trying not to upset him. "Yakov, where are my sons? The last time I spoke to them, they said they had a job from you, and that was days ago."

Yakov slowly stood, tucking his phone back into his pocket. He pointed a finger at one of his soldiers and said, "Please take Miss Bell out. And help her pack." The soldier latched onto her bicep, pulling her out of the room. She stumbled as she watched the older gentleman. There was something familiar about him that she couldn't pinpoint. His face was familiar.

The intruder kept yanking his arms out of the soldiers' hold. "Where are they? Where are Luke and Mic?"

The door shut, and the floor beneath her feet faded. She floated as the soldiers dragged her back to her room like a tethered ghost.

Mic. The name of one of the soldiers on the boat. Why would Yakov know them? Unless he was the one who hired them.

A hand pressed against her mouth. It was only a theory; she had no proof, but it was too much of a coincidence. Should she tell Adrik? Would he believe her?

The soldier shoved her on the bed. Jolie tried to make a run for it, but he tossed her back on the mattress and dared her to try again.

Esfir came in to delegate the packing, ordering a bunch of servants around. This time, they were less than gentle, taking a drawer and dumping it in a box. They took armfuls of clothes from the closet, shoved them in, and then dumped her shoes on top.

Yakov betrayed his son. He put the lives of his wife and granddaughter in jeopardy for what? To prove a point? He was mentally unhinged, and if she didn't help get Adrik away from him, what other horrible things would he do to keep his sons in line?

Box after box was stacked against the wall. When it was over, a soldier stood at the door. "Yakov has given you until tomorrow morning while Esfir finds you a place to live. I will be back at seven in the morning to take you." The door shut, and she was sure she heard it lock.

Jolie got to her feet. Her cats meowed in concern, jumping from box to box, sniffing around. Her fingers reached out for the doorknob, but it didn't move. They had locked her in. Her head pressed against the wood.

The moment Yakov had disappeared down the hall with Jolie, Adrik got to his feet. He wasn't going to sit there and torture himself over some woman. Jolie made her decision. He wasn't raised to be a simp; if she expected some emotional plea, she was an idiot.

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