Page 87 of Ruthless Bonds

“I think I lost my wedding ring. You have to help me find it. Kreos will kill me.” I bit my bottom lip and clasped my hands together. In reality, guilt ran through me for lying.

“Of course.” He turned on the flashlight on his phone, searching all around the pool.

I knew he kept the keys in his right jacket pocket, because he unconsciously patted the area every time we got ready to leave somewhere.

“Over here, Grig. I think I see it down behindthese bushes.”

I turned as he ran up, colliding with his chest with a fake gasp. My fingers slipped into his pocket, pulling out his keys before he could realize. Some skills never left you, and picking pockets was that skill for me.

I slipped the keys into my pocket, dropping my ring on the ground at the same time. “Oh, look, you found it!”

“Oh, good, I wouldn’t want to upset the Pakhan.” He grinned.

OK, well, I could guarantee Kreos was going to be upset about this. But I couldn’t let myself feel guilty. Not when there was an award-winning photo out there just screaming for me to come take it.

Ten minutes later, I was pulling up to the main gate in one of Kreos’ armored SUVs. Jacob, the night guard, straightened as I pulled up.

“Mrs. Zokrova? I wasn’t aware you were leaving tonight?” His face twisted in confusion as he looked down at his clipboard.

I smiled, nodding toward the bag in the passenger seat. “I’m surprising the Pakhan with a date night. You know he’s been under a lot of stress lately.”

He hesitated, searching my face. “You should have an escort. I should call—”

“Jacob, we’re still technically on our honeymoon and it’s going to get very—romantic, if you know what I mean. The Pakhan wants his privacy. Trust me on this one.” I chuckled, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

He nodded slowly, marking something on his clipboard. “Understood, Mrs. Zokrova. But please, be careful on the road this late.”

“Of course, Jacob.” I waved as he opened the gate,speeding down the winding road a moment later.

The butterflies in my stomach only seemed to multiply the further I drove away from the estate. Kreos was going to be furious when he found out I’d left. But it was for a good reason.

Only ten minutes after I’d left the vicinity of the property, my phone rang. I glanced over at the passenger seat, Kreos’ name flashing across the screen. Well, that was a lot quicker than I’d expected. I guessed I knew the answer to how my tracker worked.

I half expected him to pull up next to me on the side of the road, but that didn’t happen. In fact, he’d only called twice. For some reason, that unnerved me even more than him calling one hundred times. Maybe Dove had thrown me under the bus. Hell, I wouldn’t hold it against her even if she did.

When I pulled up to the abandoned church, I parked the car and checked my phone. There was a new message I hadn’t heard come through.

“Come home now, or else,” was all it said.

I responded, even though I wanted to ignore him out of spite.

“Just getting a few photos. Be back soon.”

The old abandoned church looked super creepy, especially surrounded by nothing but thick forest. The blood moon was high in the sky, casting a crimson glow. This could be it. The winning shot. Tonight, right here.

You could tell the church used to be beautiful. The building was just a shell now, its stone walls crumbling and its stained-glass windows shattered. The heavy wooden doors sagged open, their hinges groaning in the breeze. I needed some interior shots, but first, my masterpiece was calling.

I set up my tripod, my hands moving on autopilot as I adjusted the aperture to capture the perfect photos. After a few test shots, I slipped off my clothes, leaving only my red silk robe on. My phone had gone completely silent, apprehension building inside of me at the thought of Kreos being angry.

He’ll just have to deal with it.

I programmed the timer, the camera set to take pictures every fifteen seconds until I stopped it. Excitement coursed through me as I stood in different poses, some with my robe on and some completely nude. I’d also brought my dagger with me, and I took a few photos of me holding it above my head, pointing at the moon as the church towered over me.

Before I knew it, half an hour had passed. I reviewed the photos, my bare feet sinking into the cool dirt. My spine tensed, and I glanced over my shoulder. Being out here in the dark was a lot creepier than I’d thought.

My mouth hung open as I skimmed through the pictures. They were breathtaking, dark and moody. The blood moon glow practically painted me red, and the dagger was the perfect addition.

A twig snapped somewhere behind me, and I startled, my hand flying to my chest. Just because I couldn’t see anyone didn’t mean no one was out there. Or, just as bad, a wild animal like a coyote could be watching me, thinking it had found dinner.

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