Page 19 of Captive Vows
“What the fuck is going on?” she demanded of him, trying to beat him back.
He, like Alexsei, was too trained and experienced to let her get the best of him. In a matter of seconds, he turned her aroundand had her dropping to the ground. Without using too much force to wound her, as was expected from me so far, he showed her that she wasn’t going to escape.
“Stop—”
She didn’t. Chest heaving, she shot back up and tried to charge at him. She was deft on her feet. Spinning and ducking to dodge him, she showed how athletic she truly was. Nimble and fast.
But no match for a Mafia man.
I rubbed my chin, watching as she fought Ivan and shouted at him to release her. With this much sass, this much fight, she was no common, ordinary woman.Why would Miguel act as though she has no value? Why would he dismiss her so easily?
Why give her up?
Ivan told her to settle down.
“Settle down?” she shot back, getting up as she gritted her teeth and seemed ready to lunge at him again.
He held up a gun, clearly peeved with her antics. She backed up then, not stupid enough to argue with a gun.
“Yes. Settle the fuck down,” he ordered. “Someone will be in with food soon.” He exited the room, and she didn’t neglect to flip off the closed door and curse him out once he was gone. Resuming her search in the room, she hunted for a means of escape. Or perhaps she was looking for a weapon.
I couldn’t stop watching her.
When a guard brought her a tray of food, she again tried to fight her way to freedom. Ivan must have ordered them to go in threes. If not for the two extra guards accompanying the one bringing the food, she might have succeeded.
Still, she cursed them out and eyed them warily, like they were rabid animals encroaching on her space. Witnessing her fire tempted me to go down there and put her in her place. Toexplain that no matter how much she resisted and fought it, she was my property now.
There would be no chance for her to leave until I said so.
Yet, I couldn’t leave the security room. I was drawn to watch her. She would be a challenge to handle, and as of yet, I wasn’t sure how I’d want to go about that.
Ivan entered the security room. Emil walked in behind him.
“The fuck…” Emil muttered.
I stifled a laugh at the black eye she’d given him.
“I see you’re home,” he said. Gesturing at the screens on the wall, he sneered. “So is your latest toy.”
“Toy?” I wasn’t ready to convince myself that this spitfire would be my toy. “I have no idea what to do with her yet.”
Emil shook his head, walking out. “Well, good luck with whatever the hell your plans are.”
Ivan studied me, stepping further into the security room to join me and close the door behind him. “At least this will snap you out of being pulled into that depressive mood you’ve been stuck in.” He sat, undeterred by my sharp look.
“What?”
“Alexsei said you’ve been in here watching her for hours now.”
It’s been that long?“So what?”
“So… it seems that you’re intrigued.” He smiled at me, too cocky for my liking.
I laughed, shaking my head that he thought he had me figured out like that. But I sobered quickly because I could remember all too well when Ivan was depressed, truly, legitimately in a dark mood after he suffered through a bad breakup. I would never forget how depressed he’d been during those days when he walked away from his love.
Which was ridiculous.
No love would be happening here. Not between me and this sassy, defiant woman.
