Page 28 of Scarred (Russian Sinners 2)

Regardless how handsome he is or how he makes my heart race.

As I skimmed through all of it, it became obvious Nikolai was extremely wealthy. There was nothing cheap about anything he procured. I would wear the clothes but was adamant I’d talk to my brother and figure out a way to reimburse him for it. But the jewelry I would not touch. It made no sense why he would buy those unless he had some hidden motives.

The image of his kiss flashed in my mind. It was just a preview of how he’d make me feel. I was sure of it. The picture of what I thought we’d look like together made me want to go on a scavenger hunt for a paintbrush and canvas.

My step faltered and my hand stilled on the knob of the door. It has been the first image in six months that wasn’t dark and twisted. How was it possible Nikolai’s mere kiss did this?

I threw a backward glance over my shoulder, the jewelry drawer left open with all its glitter. It should be a reminder to myself, to keep my walls up. Nobody could buy me, not what mattered the most.

Although, Nikolai was different. My gut feeling was telling me he was very different from anyone else I had ever known.

Shaking my head, I went in search of Tasha. It was a waste of time to wonder about it. One thing I found in all my dealings with men is they made no sense. I’d be a fool to think Nikolai wasn’t like other men. And yet, I kind of knew he wasn’t but my painful experience made me doubt all the men.

I learned early on with my father’s greed and fucked up priorities and later with Malcome’s sick sense of ownership, that there was always an agenda.

“What were you doing with him?” Malcome hissed in my ear, his hand squeezing my upper arm hard as he pulled me through the crowd with a fake smile on his lips.

“Who?” I whimpered low, my arm hurting from his hard grip. His touch seared my skin in the worst possible way.

“The general,” he spat out pissed.

Utterly confused, I threw a side glance at this sick man. I have not talked to any general tonight. There wasn’t a single person in the uniform. There were a few men I exchanged pleasantries with but I couldn’t remember any of their names. I was positive not a single one of them said they were a general.

“I don’t know who you are talking about,” I assured him in a quiet tone. Sometimes I felt like Malcome was eager to find things to punish me for… to hurt me for.

“I own you, Olivia,” he staked claim. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him off about his constant obsession over ownership but I knew better. It would only piss him off more and it’d result in harsher punishment. He continued in a threatening, sly tone, “I can break you at my whim. I can take your family down whenever I choose.”

His threats weren’t empty, I knew it. A dread set heavy in the pit of my stomach, knowing he’d make me hurt. It was coming, the pain that would soon follow like a bitter taste on my tongue.

He kept walking, dragging me along, through his vast home on the outskirts of Alexandria. I hated that every party of his that I was required to attend always occurred in one of his homes. I hated being on his turf; it allowed him more control. Every instinct in me told me to scream, cause a scene so everyone’s eyes would turn to us. I didn’t want to go anywhere with him, the danger alarm sounding in my brain.

Pushing the memories away, I brought my focus to the present. I found myself at the bottom of the stairs, in the large foyer area, glancing around wondering which way to go in search of Tasha.

A tall guy, that Nikolai introduced me to earlier, had just entered from the outside. He looked to be mid-thirties, dressed in a dark suit with a gun holster under his suit jacket. A normal woman would be freaked out about it, but it didn’t bother me. I got used to it around Anastasia’s family.

I noticed Nikolai wore one too. It worried me how we’d go through airport security and border patrol but flying in the private plane was an entirely different experience. When Anastasia, Scarlett, and I traveled Europe, Brian was Anastasia’s security protection, and he had the worst time going through border patrol each time we went to the next country. I suspected it would have been even worse if most of Europe didn’t have Schengen Borders under the EU agreement. Thankfully that agreement allowed us in certain instances to go from one country to the next without going through an elaborate border entry process. I tried to imagine Brian going through that pain of interrogation and paperwork evaluation every seven to ten days. I would totally feel sorry for him.

“Hi,” I greeted the guy trying to recall his name. “Um… you are Andrew, right?”

“Andrey.”

I smiled. “Yes, I’m sorry. Andrey. Do you know where I could find Tasha?”

“She’s with the tutor.”

“Oh.” So what was I supposed to do while she was with the tutor?

“She’ll be done in twenty minutes.”

I debated whether I should explore the house or if I should maybe go outside and get some fresh air. I gazed out the window to find the sun shining brightly and my mind was made up.

“Is it okay if I get some fresh air? I’ll stay in the yard.”

He nodded and lifted his wrist, speaking Russian into a device. “All clear. They’ll make sure you are safe.”

“Thanks.” I certainly appreciated it, although it seemed like overkill considering I was a continent away from Malcome.

The moment I stepped outside, I knew it was the right decision. The warmth of the sun rays on my face felt rejuvenating and gave me the best energy boost.

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