Page 68 of Imperfect Desires

I lift my chin defiantly, drawing strength from deep within. "Viktor will come for me."

The man chuckles coldly, crouching to meet my gaze, his breath chilling against my skin. "Oh, we’re counting on that."

Fear grips me tighter, a relentless vise around my chest. Yet, beneath the terror, determination ignites fiercely. I won't let these men win. I won't let them harm my child. I will fight with hope in my heart that Viktor is already looking for us.

After what seems like ages, heavy footsteps approach once again, causing my heart to race painfully. The door swings open slowly, and a tall figure steps into the dim light, his face partially hiddenin shadows. His presence fills the room with an unsettling aura of control.

"I'm pleased to finally make your acquaintance, Miss Makarov."

"And you are?"

"Your groom. Carlos Mendes."

"My what!"

"You should make yourself comfortable, Miss Makarov," he says, his voice smooth yet chilling. "This is going to be your home now."

I glance around the shabby, oppressive room, disbelief evident in my expression. The man chuckles softly, stepping closer into the faint light. His cold eyes glint with amusement, a cruel smile playing at his lips.

"No, my dear," he clarifies, his tone dripping with sinister amusement. "Not here in this room. Your new home will be with me-by my side, as my bride."

My breath catches violently. Shock slams into me like a freight train. "What?"

He nods, still grinning. "You heard me. You'll be my wife."

Disgust twists in my stomach. "Viktor will never accept this. He'll burn the world down first."

The man chuckles darkly. "Ah, Viktor... You think your brother scares me? We used to run the same streets. Back then, no one knew who he really was.”

I stare at him, speechless. Viktor is friends with this scoundrel?

"If I had known that Viktor wasn’t just another of Thiago's goons but the hidden heir to a powerful Russian Bratva, I would have tried a hell of a lot harder to get on his good side," he sneers. "But fate’s a funny thing. Now I have another chance."

His eyes gleam with ambition, madness. "I get to kill two birds with one stone. I marry you, and not only do I align the Bratva and the Cartel, but I raise my status in the cartel."

He steps closer. I flinch away.

"I've worked my ass off for years, selling drugs, running guns, playing lapdog to the bosses. Still can't break into Thiago's inner circle. But you?" He points at me like I’m a prize. "You’re my golden ticket."

Rage simmers in my blood. I glare at him, every cell in my body rejecting the insanity of his words. "You're delusional," I spit.

He shrugs. "Maybe. But that won’t stop me."

The door slams shut again, locking me in with the echo of his madness still hanging in the air. I back into a corner, breath shallow, pulse thundering in my ears.

This man doesn’t just want ransom. He wants to own me. Control me. Use me. But I am not his prize. I am not his bride. And I will never stop fighting.

Viktor will come. He always does.

24

Lev

"She’s pregnant with your child."

Those words keep haunting me, and the floor tilts beneath me. My breath catches mid-chest, lodged like a jagged piece of glass. I grip the edge of the counter, the cold surface grounding me just enough to stop me from falling apart.

My mind reels, searching for something solid, something real to hold on to—but all I see is her face the night we were together. The way she looked at me, the emotion in her touch, the way her fingers lingered, like she was memorizing me. Like she knew I would leave.

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