Page 12 of The Bratva's Forced Kidnapped Bride
Chapter 10 - Anatoli
Masha’s work messing with the information on the papers was childish and frankly disappointing. Now that she was on her lunch break, I allowed the men to take out the computers to make some proper headway in all the information we needed to process before I made a decision about the Collective.
I stared at her handiwork and snickered. Did she really think she was setting me back, or just doing whatever she could to maintain the illusion that she had any kind of control? That and openly defying me. As much as I was enjoying keeping her on edge, it was time to start putting some real pressure on. Somehow, I didn’t quite want to. Not when it was already so easy to strike fear into her with a few words and a glance.
That was completely unlike the viper who’d loomed over me while I was her captive, and for some reason, seeing her that way wasn’t as satisfying as I would have liked. I didn’t like the idea of completely dousing the spark that made her uniquely Masha Fokin. No, Masha Ovinko, I reminded myself.
Did I really have time to be dragging these games out like this, or was I looking to goad her into another knock-down, drag-out fight? I kind of was.
And damn it, when I had her pressed up against the wall, trying to strike terror into her heart, I’d wanted to kiss her. The feel of her body crushed against mine, the soft strands of her hair in my fist, had almost overwhelmed my good sense. Oh, she would have hated my mouth claiming hers, and while that was a plus, I might have enjoyed it way too much. That had to be put on hold for now. Maybe forever, but could I keep resisting her if I got too close again?
Fuck. How was I supposed to torture someone that I wanted? Because, yes, as much as I hated her, I desired her. Even when I was tied up, beaten, and burned, I wanted her. It felt too much like losing control, even when she wasn’t in the same room as me, and it pissed me the hell off. Enough was enough; game time was over.
She was just finishing up a sandwich in the kitchen where I’d left her when I stormed in. She dropped the last bite on the plate and choked, reaching for her glass of water. I moved swiftly, taking it from her and throwing it across the room. The sound of the glass shattering against the tile floor had her shoving her chair back, ready to jump up and give me what I so wanted.
But not what I needed. Gripping her shoulders, I pushed her back into the chair, taking the soft hair that flowed down her back and wrapping it around my hand. Thrashing backward, she kicked out at me, landing a solid blow against my shin, barely noticeable since she only wore socks on her feet.
“Is that why there were no shoes in the closet?” she asked, twisting her head to break free from my grip on her hair.
“Everything’s a weapon, right, Masha?” I leaned close, wedging my knee across her lap. “I know as well as anyone how creative you can be. Remember the electroshock?”
She blanched. Of course, she remembered. “It was my job,” she said.
I tightened my hold, making her go still. “And you were very good at it. Do you remember dragging that dull blade across my skin? What about that clever contraption you used to peel my fingernails back? Or the metal ball you held in your fist when you struck the gunshot wound one of your cousins gave me?” I was lost in those moments, my hand tightening on her hair, forcingher head back so she’d have to look at me. “None of it really caused as much impact as the electro shock, now did it? One can’t help but scream when that kind of pain is coursing through the body.”
“It was part of the job,” she said again. “That’s all.”
I let go of her, shoving away, keeping her pinned in place with a glare. “Was it? It seemed to me like you enjoyed it. I wonder if you’d like to know what it’s like to be on the receiving end?”
Her face went blank, and I had to hand it to her. She was dealing with her fear very well. It was almost a shame to have to keep pushing.
“Would you rather answer some questions instead?”
“You won’t really do anything to me,” she said.
“Because I haven’t yet?” I asked, laughing. “Or perhaps because you’re a woman? Sorry, I believe in equality.”
She’d already been as pale as milk, I didn’t think she could get any whiter, and she shook herself like she was coming out of a dream, then jumped up, backing away. But there was nowhere for her to go.
“I’ll never answer any of your questions,” she said. “I won’t give up a shred of information about my family.”
“Everyone breaks eventually,” I said, lunging to get her in my grasp again.
As I dragged her toward the basement room I had set up and had been waiting for too long, I thought I heard her mutter something that sounded like, ‘not you.’ But I had to have been mistaken that the woman who despised me would admit any respect or admiration.
After she was in the basement, I turned on the bright, overhead lights so she could have a good look at the place. The walls that had once been lined with framed movie posters now held rows of knives and shelves full of clubs, pliers, and whips.
The only two pieces of furniture were the sturdy chair and a table laid out with a portable generator, cords, scalpels, and an array of household tools that could be used to smash, twist, or cut. I felt her begin to shake as I tied her to the chair and let her sit there for a good few minutes, futilely struggling against the ropes.
Taking one of the clamps, I snapped it open and shut a few times before turning on the generator and letting her see a few sparks fly from the metal tips. She stared at me wide-eyed, but still didn’t seem to believe I’d let her have a zap or two. She was going to get a hell of a shock when I did, no pun intended.
So why wasn’t I?
“What is your cousin Mat doing with that new business of his?” I asked, waving the clamp around like I was trying to decide where to place it first.
Masha shook her head, pressing her lips together. I slammed the clamp against one of the metal tools, raising a shower of sparks.
“He gave back the controlling shares to CJ’s father,” she said. “Taurus Ingenuity is running as usual.”
