Page 10 of Cruel Russian Pakhan
“Betray you?” I asked in disbelief.
Daisy and Arnold were the nicest people I had ever met. Unless…they’d been living a double life. Parents by day, fraudsters by night? I shook my head. That didn’t even sound right.
Maybe they borrowed money from him for medical reasons. Alotof money. My gaze slid across the room again. It was lavish, elegant, and expensive. Lev was definitely loaded. And the personal bodyguard who looked like he could take out a SWAT team with one hand? Yeah…classic Philadelphia loan shark vibes. That was the only thing that made sense.
He definitely seemed the type to break kneecaps over unpaid debts, or in my case, enforce a marriage.
Was that the arrangement with Daisy and Arnold? That if they weren't able to pay that he'd get me as payment?
They wouldn't do that…would they?
Maybe he’d decided that since they died and couldn't pay them back, he'd take me. That sounded more logical. I wasn't about to taint the memories I had with Daisy and Arnold.
Maybe, this had nothing to do with Daisy and Arnold. What if he knew who my real parents were? And they told him where he could find me? It wouldn't take anything for a guy like Lev to track me down. It had been six years since Daisy and Arnold passed away, so she had to be behind this. Rage simmered in my veins. First, they abandoned me, then put me up as collateral for whatever shit storm they had gotten themselves in?
My fists clenched at my side as I exhaled slowly.
Maybe I could cut a deal. Anything that didn’t involve me staying his…wife.
“I'm sure we can work something out, strike a deal,” I said carefully. “Something that doesn’t involve marriage. Doesn't involvemestaying here withyou.”
Lev's laugh was dry and humorless, but that didn't stop the fire that ignited in the pit of my stomach. Then those orbs ofhis pinned me in place. I held my breath as he moved towards me.
I took a step back, but he didn't reach for me. He circled, like a black jaguar sizing up his prey. His muscles rippled slowly beneath his suit with every movement, like he was preparing to pounce.
I kept my eyes on him, partly because I didn't trust him not to strike from behind, and partly because I was hypnotized by his movements.
“Your family and I already had a deal. And you tried to get away from me once already. Do you really think I'll let you go now that you're legally mine?”
My heart sank. I wanted to scream, to tell him that whatever deal he had struck with my parents had nothing to do with me. But would he even listen? Would he even care?
A tiny, desperate part of me hoped this was some over-the-top stage prank. Maybe one of those “What Would You Do?” social experiments, and any second now a camera crew would pop out and yell gotcha.
After all these years, not only were my parents alive, but they had betrayed me in the worst way possible. I wished Daisy and Arnold were still alive because I needed them now more than ever.
“Tell me exactly what they did!” I choked out as a lump rose in my throat.
He tilted his head slightly. “They gave you to me. That's the only thing that matters. Now, you’re mine.”
“I’m not yours! You don't own me!” I snapped, trying not to hyperventilate.
He stopped and swiveled to face me, closing the small gap between us, forcing me backwards until my back was pressed against the bureau in the room.
He leaned over me, hands on either side trapping me. His face was just inches from mine as he spoke. “But, Vera, I do.”
“Do I look like a piece of furniture to you?” At least my voice came out steady, not betraying the turmoil that was building in my body from his nearness. “Or one of your stupid fancy cars? In case you haven’t realized, one, I’m not Vera. And two, I’m a human. Not an object!”
He smirked. A goddamn smirk that was so sexy that I pictured myself naked on his bed with him hovering over me, that smirk on his lips as his hand trailing up my inner thigh…
Katya! Focus! Him kidnapper…you kidnappee…
But then I did focus, right into those eyes of his. It didn't help! His eyes dragged over me like a touch, and I felt goosebumps run along my skin.
“You’ll be whoever or whatever I tell you to be. Because youaremy wife.” His lips almost touched mine as he spoke and my breathing sped up.
Lev was the typical alpha male—dominating, controlling and possessive. Everything I hated in a man.
And if he thought I'd give up my autonomy for him after everything I went through? After whathedid? He had another thing coming. I'd never submit to him. Never!
