Page 60 of Savage Reign

I squeeze my eyes shut and tip my head back against the wall, searching for the right words.

“Nikolai isn’t what you think. He hasn’t abused me. He hasn’t been cruel. I don’t want to be here, but I’m not being tortured or anything. There’s a music room with a fantastic old piano and a beautiful library. His housekeeper has been stuffing me with treats and?—”

I stop myself.

Liza and Roman are silent for a beat, and I wonder what’s happening on the other end of the line. They’re probably exchanging a look, worried I have Stockholm Syndrome and I’ve lost touch with reality, and honestly, maybe I have. Do I sound crazy coming to the defense of my kidnapper? But I’ve seen another side of Nikolai, and it’s confusing. He doesn’t fit into the neat villain box I had ready for him.

It’s Liza who finally speaks. “I’m glad to hear that. It does make me feel a little better.”

“Roman, what if you gave in to Nikolai’s demands? I'm sure if you negotiated with him, he’d let me go and grant me a divorce. Then we can all go back to living our normal life.”

“Fuck, Sofiya, I wish it were that simple. What he’s asking for is impossible. He wants access to our territory, and more than that, he wants the Zhukov Bratva to hold the same power and influence as the Syndicate. It would be like handing him a weapon to use against us.”

“Of course. I understand,” I murmur, and I do, but I feel a strange pull to defend Nikolai, even though I shouldn’t.

“Focus on surviving. Stay on his good side and leave the rest to us,” Roman assures me.

A sharp knock on my bedroom door freezes me in place. Oh shit!

“Someone is here,” I whisper hurriedly. “I-I have to go.”

“Be careful,” Liza begs. “Only call when it’s safe. We’re here for you. We won’t give up no matter what.”

“I know, and I love you,” I add, before hanging up.

Another hard knock has me scrambling to my feet. I shove the phone in the bathroom cabinet, hiding it behind a loofah scrub, before splashing water on my overheated face. “Give me a second,” I call out.

Steeling myself, I take a deep breath in front of my bedroom door. This is it. Nikolai probably knows what I've done. My nails make little half-moons in my palms as I prepare to be dragged kicking and screaming to the dungeon.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

NIKOLAI

The momentshe opens the door, I know something’s wrong. Sofiya stands there, pale and tense, her arms wrapped tightly around herself like they’re the only thing holding her together.

“What happened? Are you okay?” My voice comes out hoarse, my chest tightening with worry. I step forward, reaching for her as she breaks into tears and I pull her into a protective hold.

Behind me, my men shift uncomfortably, their arms full of boutique bags. I glance over my shoulder, and with one hard glare, they get the picture and scatter without a word.

Inside, I guide her to the bed and sit her down before crouching in front of her. Her tear-streaked face is turned away, and I gently tilt her chin toward me with two fingers. “Sofiya. Are you sick? Is it the headache from earlier? I can call a doctor?—”

“No.” Her voice is hoarse. “It’s not that. I was, uh… watching a sad movie.”

I raise a brow. “A sad movie?”

She nods quickly, her eyes avoiding mine. She’s lying—I can feel it in my gut. What I don’t know is why.

“Something’s bothering you. What is it?”

A shadow moves across her face. “I… I miss my sister.”

I have an instinctive urge to close the distance between us. To take away her pain and sadness, comfort her, even though I'm the reason she was upset in the first place.

What did I expect? That she’d be thrilled to live here? That I could drag her into my world, and she’d simply accept it? I knew the moment I watched her dance that solo that there was a fire in her, a fighter who wouldn’t give up easily.

Sofiya is a thorn lodged under my skin, impossible to ignore, no matter how much I try. Here I am ordering her the finest leotards, donating a ridiculous sum to her favorite charity.

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