Page 56 of The Bratva's Forced Kidnapped Bride
Then we’d go from there. Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t retaliate if they accepted Masha and me being together.
Just as I suspected, I only had to wait in that stuffy room for about half an hour before Dan came in, trailed by Aleks, the stone-faced leader of the family. Aleks looked at me like I was no better than a bug that had somehow gotten into his food and didn’t say a word. Dan, however, had plenty to say, and none of it was what I expected or wanted to hear.
“The only reason I’m not slicing you up into little pieces right now,” he said, pausing dramatically. “The only reason you’re not already dead, in fact, is because of Masha.”
I nodded. This was better. Now we were getting somewhere. But why the hell wasn’t one of them untying me? I was wrapped up so tight to the chair I could hardly move a muscle. It would have been a bit of a compliment if it wasn’t so damn annoying.
Before I could tell them to get on with it so we could start negotiating a peace treaty, Dan continued, looking way too smug, with Aleks a step behind him, unable to hold back a vicious grin.
“She wants to be the one to make you pay,” he said with a laugh.
Aleks nodded, joining in. “I think you remember how good she is at her job. And she’s not letting you get away this time. You’ll suffer more than you ever have before.”
Too stunned to make a rejoinder, I only stared straight ahead as they retreated, slamming the door and locking me in.
No. Hell no. I still couldn’t believe their words. The pain in my head made me rest my chin on my chest, trying to conserve my strength. Trying to block out the stronger pain that threatened to overwhelm me. More time passed. Where the hell was Masha? Maybe it was time to accept the truth that I was wrong. That my feelings for her weren’t reciprocated and never had been. That she was a better actress than I ever could have dreamed.
I was half asleep when the door opened again, and didn’t give enough of a shit to see who had come to taunt me some more until Masha was ready to do her worst. Joke was on her, though, because no pain could match what I already felt at how wrong I was.
“Anatoli.” It was her, barking my name.
I looked up and saw she was alone. There was an unreadable look on her face, and damn me to hell for still thinking she was beautiful. She took a step back, almost as if she was afraid to approach me as I sneered at her.
“Well?” I snapped. “You’ve got me right where you want me. What are you waiting for?”
Her tense shoulders lowered, and she actually rolled her eyes at me, finally coming forward. “Dan must have gotten to you,” she said, tugging at the knots in the rope holding me fast to the chair. “I’m here to get you out, not torture you.”
My aching head reeled, and I groaned. I was wrong about being wrong, and it was the sweetest feeling in the world. As the knots loosened, I heaved against the heavy rope and was free. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I stood, holding onto her and breathing her in.
“You doubted me,” she said.
“Never.”
“Liar.”
I chuckled, nudging aside her hair so I could nuzzle her neck. “Your cousins were very convincing.”
She pulled back, her face scrunched with worry. “I was very convincing to them. It was the only way I could get out here to see you.” She dropped her eyes as she dropped her hands, sliding them down my chest. “They’re not quite ready to believe how I feel about you,” she said. “So we’ll have to be on the run a little while longer.”
“Is that what’s clouding your beautiful eyes?” I asked, yanking her tight and kissing her until she was limp in my arms. “As long as you’re with me, I don’t care where we’re at.” I set her feet back on the floor and looked over her head at the door. Wewere still on her cousin’s property, surrounded by Fokins who were hellbent on only seeing me leave in a body bag. “So, what now?”
She pulled a cellphone out of her back pocket and looked at it, then back up at me. “Now we wait.”
Chapter 41 - Masha
By some miracle, Lilia’s distraction worked. Exactly thirty minutes from the time I hurried out of my room to get to Anatoli, a loud crash resounded from up at the house. I jumped, grabbing Anatoli’s hand. It sounded like my shy little sister actually blew something up.
We looked at each other, and I shoved open the door, peeking outside. No one was out there since they believed I had gone in to tear Anatoli apart, not rescue him. But no matter what Lilia did to keep them away, we didn’t have much time before someone realized I wasn’t running back to see what the commotion was.
We tore off around the shed and along the back wall until we found the little gate. Normally, there would be armed guards patrolling the perimeter, but by now, everyone was at the house. I thought I smelled smoke wafting down to us, but I didn’t dare pause to wonder what was going on.
“This way,” I said, tugging Anatoli down a path leading around back toward the street.
Despite the overgrown trail, we ran like the devil was after us, ignoring the sharp agave spears grabbing at our legs and loose rocks threatening to send us rolling down the hill. For the first time, I was actually scared of my own family. They’d be so pissed if they knew what I was up to, and while they wouldn’t hurt me, or at least not too much, they’d drop Anatoli in his tracks if they caught up to us.
We finally came back to the road where Lilia’s car waited, not too far from the front of the house, but out of sight behind the surrounding wall. It was unlocked, and the keys were in the ignition, and we tore up the road away from the house.
“I know a way to get back down into the city from this direction,” I said. “Remind me to get Lilia a hell of a Christmas present this year.”
