Page 12 of The Bratva's Prisoner Bride

Despite him leaving me there, I hardly moved while the anger, dread, and guilt all weighed my bones down. After all the emotional turmoil I had been through since everything happened, I barely had it in me to get up.

At the moment, I didn’t see much point in it anyway. As far as I could tell, Ivan already won.

He had me trapped in his house against my will, forced to try and deal with the very idea of hurting him and his family by participating in my brother’s plan.

I never even wanted to be a part of it. I never wanted to be used by him—moved like a puppet just to further his plans that I wanted nothing to do with.

As true as it was, it seemed like an impossible thing to try and explain to Ivan…if he would even bother to listen in the first place. I couldn’t help but wonder if it would even be worth explaining, but regardless of that fact, a part of me wanted that opportunity.

It sat heavily on my shoulders, and while I couldn’t turn around and take it all back, I wished I could. I wished I could’ve found a way to escape Rurik before I could ever be roped into his plans.

Yet, I ended up going from being stuck with my controlling brother to a man who seemed to hate me socompletely…a man with more than enough power to do anything he wanted to me.

None of it felt fair.

As tempting as it was to sit around and do nothing about the current situation, I knew that was exactly what Ivan would want me to do. He would want me to just give up. To admit defeat.

But that was the last thing I wanted.

He had the upper hand in the situation, and I wasn't prepared to deny that. Yet, I still had a semblance of hope left—enough to get me up from the bed to investigate.

Pushing off the soft mattress, feeling as a sense of determination overcame me, I immediately went to the windows. They were flanked by long white curtains that, if necessary, could aid my escape. At the very least, I kept it in the back of my mind.

I scoured the windowsills, feeling for locks and latches, but there was nothing. So, I dug my fingers under the ledges of the one and pushed up, only to find pure resistance.

I tried again, putting as much force behind it as I could muster, only to find the window wasn't moving an inch.

With a huff, realizing they were likely locked tight, I hurried into the ensuite to find a smaller window next to the deep tub. I carefully stood on the ledge, using the wall for support while I reached up and tried the same thing.

But my frustration mounted even higher when it didn't move either.

That anger started to burn under my skin all over again, reminding me that Ivan really did have me trapped like a prisoner, and he likely meant to keep me like that for as long aspossible. Or at least, until he either grew tired of me or found a more productive use for me. That is, if he didn't just make me disappear like most mafia men did.

Forcing out a breath, I started to feel more delirious as I gravitated towards the windows in the bedroom again, allowing the pieces of my reality to come together.

If the Fokins were wealthy enough to seal up every window in the place, then surely that meant they were also shatter-proof. Which meant I couldn't exactly break through it and hope to ease my way down at least three stories.

Even if I did try, that kind of commotion was bound to alert someone in the house, if not Ivan himself.

As much as I wanted to somehow outsmart him and find a loophole to get me out of there, I couldn't calm my heart down enough to think rationally.

From where I stood, I was completely trapped. Locked away and not even given a chance to break free. I had no idea how long Ivan planned to keep me there, or what he would do with me after the fact. With no way out, I didn't have any choice but to deal with it, and that was enough to bring a fresh wave of panic over me.

Near hyperventilating, I sucked in harsh breaths and moved towards the bed, falling into it while I shut my eyes and silently pleaded with whatever entity out there to offer me some kind of olive branch. Any kind of miracle that would free me from Ivan and whatever twisted ideas he had in his head.

Every moment that passed while I remained in that room all alone served as more of a reminder that I didn't have anyone to help me. I didn't have anyone I could hope would break me out of there.

Like Ivan said, my brother was locked up and couldn't do anything about the situation. But even if he was as free as anyone else, the likelihood of him helping me was slim to none.

Either way, I was on my own, and it was up to me to somehow escape.

But the thought was too daunting, and while I sucked in shaky breaths, I could feel the weight of the day falling on me like the heaviest burden I had ever taken on myself. Frustrated tears burned in my eyes, but I didn’t want to cry, regardless of how terrifying and maddening the whole situation felt.

While every panicked thought raced through my mind at once, and I couldn't will myself to get up again, that drowsiness set in far faster than I expected, and I couldn't fight it long enough to keep my eyes open.

***

I didn't remember falling asleep. For a moment, I didn't even know where I was.

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