Page 90 of Immaculate Deception (Romanoff Bratva)

“And what about the rest of us?” Rose asks, cutting me off. “What happens when Taras is pissed and takes it out on everyone else in the house?”

“He won’t do that. Why would he?”

Rose stands up and fists her hands at her side, her teeth clenched. “If one of us pushes back, Taras has to remind everyone who is in charge. If people see you standing up for yourself, they might get ideas.”

“Good! Let’s start a revolution. Let’s get out of here.”

“God, Arya.” Rose turns around and plants her palms on the small desk against the wall. The legs wobble. “I’ve told you already: there is no escape. You don’t think people have tried? You don’t think people havediedtrying?”

Before I can answer, the door bursts open again, banging off the wall and shaking the room.

I dive sideways on the bed, certain the guard is here for me. Whatever the plan is, it’s not going to be pretty.

But he doesn’t touch me.

Instead, the hulking man stalks across the room and grabs Rose.

“The boss wants to see you.”

Rose whimpers. When she looks over at me, her eyes are wide and desperate. Terrified.

“Wait, what about me? Take me—” I try to argue, but it’s pointless. The guard has his orders, and he isn’t going to change his plan because of me. He drags Rose out of the room, slams the door closed, and leaves me alone.

I pace around the room like a wild animal in a trap. I want to do something, anything, to save my friend, but I don’t know how.

Maybe I could go and apologize. Offer myself up as a sacrifice. Maybe it’s not too late to fix my mistake and spare Rose.

But when I go try the door, I find it locked.

There’s nothing I can do.

This is all my fault.

30

Arya

An hour later comes the knock I’ve been dreading.

I sprint to the door. Fling it open. And my heart plummets.

Rose is standing in the hallway, her shoulders stooped forward like she can’t bear the weight of her own body. Her lip is split in the middle and shiny with spilled blood. Her right eye is bruised and swelling by the second and her arms are covered in nasty welts that look like they came from a whip.

“Rose!” I move to wrap an arm around her and help her in.

But suddenly, someone pushes her from behind.

She crashes into the tile floor face-first, not breaking her fall at all. That’s when I realize she isn’t alone.

Taras is standing behind her, a lopsided smile spread across his doughy face. “I wanted to ensure Rose made it back to her room okay. She’s a little… oh, shall we say, a littletiredtonight.”

Rage boils inside of me, hot and venomous. I feel like I could spit acid at him right now. “Why didn’t you take me?”

His drunken eyes gleam with a savage cunning. “I’ve been in this game longer than you have, little whore. I know your type. You fancy yourself a hero.”

He casts his bloodshot gaze over to where Rose is crawling into a sitting position, her hands wrapped tightly around her stomach.

Then he looks back at me. “Do you feel like a hero now?”

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