Page 5 of Crimson Curse
I don’t answer. I won't give him the satisfaction.
“Dead,” Viktor continues relentlessly. “Blown to pieces in a car bomb meant for him. Is that the future you want? Is that the future you want for this child?”
“Stop.” The word comes out stronger than I feel.
“I can offer you something better. Something stable. Rule beside me as my wife and help me rebuild what the Zorin family should be. Our child will want for nothing, fear nothing. They'll inherit an empire instead of hiding from one.”
The audacity of it takes my breath away. He's sitting there, calm as anything, proposing marriage while holding me prisoner. Talking about my child as if he has any right to it.
“You're completely insane if you think I would ever?—”
“Consider it,” Viktor interrupts smoothly. “You don't have to decide right now. We have time. Time for you to see that I'm right about Daniil and the danger he represents. Time for you to understand what I'm offering.”
“Time?” I laugh, and it sounds hysterical even to my own ears. “How much time, exactly? Until I give birth? Until you get bored with playing house?”
“Until you come to your senses.” There’s a predator behind the polish now that makes me remember exactly who I'm dealing with. “I'm not an unreasonable man, Naomi. I don't want to hurt you. But I will do whatever it takes to protect what's mine. And that child is mine now.”
“No!” I shout, surprising myself. “This child ismine. Whatever games you and Daniil are playing, or whatever war you think you're fighting, this baby is innocent. I won't let you use it as a pawn.”
Viktor's expression doesn't change, but something changes in his eyes. He rises with unhurried grace, closing the distance until the air between us disappears. His finger drifts along the curve of my cheek, a fleeting touch that lingers like a threat, before his hand slides behind my neck, claiming the space as his own. “Such fire. I can see why Daniil was drawn to you. But passion without power is just noise, Naomi. And right now, you have no power at all.”
The truth of it hits harder than any threat could. I'm miles from anywhere I recognize, held captive by a man who sees my unborn child as his inheritance. And Daniil doesn't even know where I am. No one does. But I refuse to let Viktor see my despair. Instead, I force myself to meet his gaze steadily. “We'll see about that.”
A hint of surprise flashes in his eyes. “Indeed, we will.” His mouth claims mine in a hard, possessive kiss, a warning as much as it is a promise. Then he releases me, turning back to the table as if nothing had happened, lifting his cup to sip his tea with quiet dominance.
The rest of that first day passes in a haze of careful observation and growing dread. Viktor keeps up his performance as theperfect host, bringing me meals I barely touch and attempting conversation about art, literature, anything but the reality of my situation. He never raises his voice or makes an overt threat. He doesn't need to. The isolation does that for him.
I spend the time studying the cabin, memorizing every detail. It's well-maintained but clearly remote. No power lines are visible through the windows, and no sound of traffic or neighbors. The kitchen has a gas stove and refrigerator that hums with the steady rhythm of a generator. There's a landline phone, but when I manage to check it while Viktor is outside, the line is dead.
By the second day, Viktor’s mask begins to crack. I wake to find him sitting in the chair beside my bed, just watching me sleep. The sight makes my blood run cold, but I force myself to sit up calmly.
“Good morning,” he greets, as if this is perfectly normal behavior.
“How long are you planning to keep me here?” I ask without delay.
“As long as it takes.” He stands, smoothing down his sweater. “How are you feeling? Any morning sickness yet?”
The clinical interest in his voice makes my skin crawl. “I'm fine.”
“You should eat more. The baby needs nutrition.” He heads toward the door, then pauses. “I've been thinking about names. For a boy, perhaps Alek, after my uncle. He would have approved of this union. For a girl... well, we have time to decide.”
The casual assumption that he has any input into my child's name makes rage flare in my chest. But I swallow it down,forcing my expression to remain blank. Getting angry won't help me escape. Getting smart might.
“Tell me about Chicago,” I request when he returns with breakfast. “You mentioned it was slipping out of Zorin control. What did you mean?”
Viktor's eyes light up with the fervor of a true believer. “Daniil has let sentiment make him weak. He's forgotten that fear is what keeps order, that respect must be earned through strength. The other families sense it. They're testing boundaries, pushing into territory that has belonged to us for decades.”
“And you think you can do better?”
“I know I can.” He leans back in his chair, staring out the window at the endless trees. “I've been watching, waiting. Building alliances that Daniil doesn't even know exist. When the time comes, and it's coming soon, I'll be ready.”
There's something manic in his expression now, a glittering intensity that wasn't there yesterday. He's starting to unravel, and somehow that frightens me more than his earlier composure.
“What about the other families? They'll never accept you.”
“They'll accept strength. They'll accept results.” Viktor turns that unsettling gaze back to me. “And they'll accept legitimacy. Marriage to you and a child to secure the bloodline shows stability. It shows I'm thinking beyond just personal revenge.”
“But that's what this is, isn't it? Personal revenge against Daniil.”
