Page 27 of The Mistake

There was a woman waiting at the doors and she opened them to Ive. I saw the smile on her face and the fact she’d opened several buttons of her shirt.

“Ive, I was so pleasedyou could call.”

“My wife needs clothes befitting a woman of her status,” Ive said. “I want you to gather everything that’s appropriate and meet us at the dressing rooms.”

Ive took my hand and we moved through the store. I wasn’t going to getthe chance to see my own wardrobe. Another woman who clearly had the hots for my husband was going to choose clothes for me.

“Do you know her?” I asked as we arrived at a large changing area. There was a long sofa that looked luxurious and Ive sat down. There were several changing stations, complete with curtains for privacy. I also happened to notice there was no one else around.

“I know her,” he said.

“How come no one is around?” Iasked.

“I don’t like company when I attempt to get my wife to look the part.”

Hisjibes were not affecting me. It took a lot to get to me. I guess I had my dad to thank for that. Wrapping my arms around my waist, I looked around the store. It didn’t take long for the assistant to arrive. Her arms were full of clothes.

“Get started,” Ive said. “I need to see every outfit.”

I was pushed into one of the changing rooms. The woman, who had the name“Sophie” on her name tag, lost all niceness behind the curtain. If looks could kill, I’d be dead already. I didn’t like getting naked in front of anyone, so I asked her to put them into outfits, and then to leave.

I’m aware of the scars that decorated my body. Belts and fists would do that, especially if you weren’t allowed to clean themright away. Cassie hated when he forced me to wait and bleed. On one occasion, one of the cuts from his belt had gotten infected and I’d nearly died. I think he was trying to kill me. Rage had been there when I passed out, so I’d been given courses of antibiotics and at Rage’s insistence, round-the-clock doctor’s care. My dad was pissed at that one.

I then realized that I didn’thave much of a choice. Even if I wanted to die, there were people in the club who were determined that I live, so that’s exactly what I did. I survived.

Sophie tutted at me as she left thechanging rooms, but I didn’t care. Of course, the spiteful bitch had gotten clothes that were too small for me. Yes, I was a larger woman. My dad had tried many times to starve me, but again, I found a way of stealing or hiding food. I squeezed my body into the clothes and stepped out.

Ive glaredthe moment he saw me and called Sophie over to him. There was a moment of silence and then he snapped his fingers. I’d seen Ive pissed off. When I was his captive, he’d been pissed about having me in his place. He hated that he had to take care of me and force me to eat. He didn’t like me being pissed off, and told me it was in my best interests to be good. I had no idea I was going to end up being his wife. Right before my eyes, I saw part of my husband’s cruelty. He yelled at her, called her a fucking bitch and a slut, useless, and he even forced her to kneel at my feet. “You better beg her for forgiveness.”

“Ive, don’t,” I said.

“You do not disrespect my wife. You did this on purpose, didn’t you? You useless cunt. Now, I suggest you go and get Cathy, and tell her that you are to be fired immediately, and she is to come and take care of my wife.”

Sophie whimpered. “Please, Ive, please, don’t.”

He grabbed her by the back of the neck, lifted her onto her feet, andthen shoved her out of my way.

Wrapping myarms around my waist, I felt sick to my stomach. I couldn’t believe what I had just seen.

Ive returned seconds later and shook his head. “Take those clothes off.”

I didn’t move a muscle.

“You didn’t have to dothat,” I said.

Ive stopped, put his hands on his waist, and glanced up and down at me. “You’re my wife, Charlotte. You are Mrs. Yahontov. You are a bride of a Brigadier of the Volkov Bratva. What she did was try to disrespect you. She knows what size you need.” He took a step toward me, and I was frozen to the spot.

Why wasn’t I afraid of him? I’d just watched him with Sophie, but he’d not hurt her, not really. Yes, he’d humiliated her, which had been awful to see.

Ive didn’t touch me.

“Look at me, Charlotte.”

I tilted my head back and looked into those blue eyes again. There was no coldness looking back at me.

“You do not accept anything less than the best. You are my wife, you are to be respected at all times. No one is to ever harm you. Do you understand me? No one is to speak shit to you. If they so much as glare at you, you tell me.”

“You glare at me all the time,” I said.

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