Page 7 of The Enemy's Defector
It also reminded me of how old she was and that she couldn’t be doing this job forever. If I left now, how could I plan to come back and make sure she was safe?
“Wait. Katerina, where will you go?” The desperation in her voice was clear. “Where can you go that Anton won’t find you?”
I sighed, hating how hard this life had to be. I’d only come back here to get into that secret storage area. I had exhausted all other places, and this mansion’s basement level was the last spot for me to look for evidence of who’d killed my father.
“Where can you go that none of his guards would hurt you?”
She wasn’t being paranoid. Anton had guards and spies everywhere, and they all remained loyal tohim, not the family and organization my father built.
As I stalled on a reply that wouldn’t endanger her—because if Anton thought she knew where I was, he’d hurt her—she opened her eyes wider with alarm. “Wait a minute.” She sucked in a breath. “You’re not going to try to get Nik out yourself, are you?”
I loved this woman who was so concerned about my safety. But I refused to lie to her, too. If I knew where Nik was, I wouldn’t hesitate to break him out. I pressed my lips together and shook my head.
I couldn’t explain my plans here. Even though the house was quiet and my uncle was still supposed to be in Greece, I couldn’t risk saying anything out loud. It was too ingrained in me that Anton was my enemy. That his loyal guards and soldiers were my enemy. And I had to always be wary.
“Not here,” I whispered to her. “But I will find you. I will make arrangements for you and?—”
“No.” She held both my hands and gave me a stern expression. “No. You are not worrying aboutme. I need to know thatyouwill stay safe.”
“I will.” I nodded, aware that she wouldn’t be able to believe that. “I’ve got a car that’s not registered to the family. I swapped plates and hacked into the license department.”
“Good.” She had learned long ago not to judge me for the hacking skills I’d taught myself. I never used my skillset to harm others, and that was an anomaly with the way Anton ran things.
“I’ll go to one of the other houses that have been empty for a while.” I didn’t need to tell her that I could sneak past the guards. I’d been practicing that skill since I was a toddler.
“I promise,” I told her. “I promise I’ll be as safe as I can be.” With all my heart, I swore I would see to her comfort after I destroyed my uncle. He would pay for killing my father, butI had to go about it properly. Otherwise, I wouldn’t live long enough to see to Joann’s retirement.
After a teary nod and farewell, she kissed my forehead. Still holding her hand, because I was reluctant to let go, I exited my room with her. Before I could turn my head both ways to check the hallway for anyone lurking nearby, I was attacked.
Someone tall and fearsome lunged at me. Joann screamed as another one of Anton’s guards hauled her away, securing her in a harsh chokehold.
“No!” I fought back at Dmitri as he tried to keep me still. “Let me go!” He was the one who’d snuck up to capture me.
“You lying whore!” he snarled, too big, strong, and fast for me to overpower. “I heard it all, you little whore. You lied!”
I panted, frantic to break free and evade him. His anger was a tangible force that blasted at me as he grabbed me and started to drag me away. I didn’t doubt that he could’ve been loitering and eavesdropping on my conversation with Joann. He often took liberties to do as he pleased, and Anton never cared so long as Dmitri remained his lethal, loyal lapdog.
“You didn’t leave to marry like Anton ordered you to!” he yelled.
I shook my head, gritting my teeth as I tried to hit, kick, and pry his fingers off my arm.
“You tricked Anton. You tricked us all, getting out of that marriage arrangement!”
No matter how much I fought back, he pulled me away from Joann and into another bedroom. “You little fucking lying whore!”
“Stop. Just let me go,” I begged, beating at his chest as he shoved me toward a bed.
“No,” he growled, pinning me down with his body as he unzipped his pants. “Anton knows you didn’t go to them to be his spy. He’s aware that you lied and tricked him. He’s on hisway home now. To punish you, you fucking bitch.” Grunts and hard breaths left him as he struggled to keep me in place and also undo his pants. “But I want my turn first. I’m going to punish you first, you teasing whore. I’m going to fuck you into submission, and maybe then you’ll be the good little bitch you should be and listen to your uncle’s orders.”
“No!” I screamed, kicking and flailing, moving all of my body to get away from him and the inevitable threat of being raped. His dick was out, bobbing and too close for comfort. “Stop! Help!”
No one would help me here. I was all on my own. Joann would be held away from me, unable to get me free.
“I’m going to fuck you up,” he growled. “For lying about leaving to marry into that arrangement. For avoiding the order to go there and infiltrate their family to be our spy.”
I almost escaped, and he took that chance to backhand me and keep me with him. “Have you no respect for your family, bitch?”
Another hard hit. “Have you no honor to the Kozlov name?”
