Page 42 of Forced Bratva Hostage

I’m such an idiot for convincing myself that I was safe here.

Ihave to get out of this place.

Even if Andrei doesn’t have some twisted plan to hurt me, it still means I’m trapped here, married to this asshole, and that my life will be exactly the same as it was with Boris—but this time, it will be forever.

At least with my brother, I could dream of leaving when I got a job or got old enough for him to realize he couldn’t control me.

With Andrei, this situation is permanent. I’m his wife.

There is no getting away from that unless I do something really drastic.

In my room, I flop down onto the bed and roll onto my back to stare at the ceiling. Tears spill down the sides of my face, wetting my hair.

I guess that was the wake-up call I needed. His harsh treatment hurt me, but it also woke me up to reality.

And now I have to start making plans.

If I don’t, I will die here, locked away in this house, suffocated and trapped like an animal. I will never get to travel or know what it’s like to live my own life.

My mind races over options. I think about everything I’ve seen or found in this mansion and how I might be able to use it to my advantage.

***

It’s over an hour before an idea sparks in my mind.

I get up in a hurry and rush to the first aid kit. This one is basic, but I wonder what other medications Andrei has stocked up on in this place. Opening my bedroom door, I speak up and down the passage. No one is around. I want to get into his room and see what he’s got in his bathroom cabinet.

I run on tiptoes down the passage and duck into his room, hurrying, because if they are watching the security cameras,they’ll have seen me going in here. I won’t have much time to find what I’m looking for.

Then, I’m going dancing.

Chapter 13 - Andrei

My shoulders are tight with stress. The way I spoke to Tatiana earlier this afternoon is bothering me. I didn’t mean to be so harsh. Her brother is a total dickhead, and I don’t want to be anything like him. But when she compared me to him, I could see the resemblance. I was nasty, cold and abrupt to her.

He’s kept her locked away, a secret to the rest of the world. I always thought he was trying to protect her, but the more she speaks of him, the more I realize she’s been living in hell.

She was protected from the world to the point where she didn’t even get to have a life.

Part of me keeps insisting that her being upset is not my problem and I need to ignore it. She is here for one reason—to play a part in the revenge I have planned against her brother. Nothing else matters.

But she’s still a human being filled with emotions, spirit and needs.

Who am I to treat her like shit? That’s not the person I want to be.

What harm would a night out do, anyway? If I were right there with her and we took some guards … I can go dancing with her for a few hours, and we can both blow off some steam.

Fuck knows I need it just as much as she does.

My other voice snaps at me,She’s your prisoner, not your friend, not your partner, not your real wife.I let out a sharp breath to push the voice away and stand up from my desk.

It’s eleven. If she gets ready now, we can get to the club at midnight, just when it’s picking up.

Walking through the house, I head towards the guys standing guard near the kitchen. I want them to bring the car around and come with us.

The kitchen is quiet. Their usual chatter isn’t drifting through the air.

“Marcus, David, can you two please—" I come to a halt as I stare at their bodies, lying crumpled against the open back door.

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