Page 26 of Wicked Knight 2

By the time I woke up again, it was mid-morning. I wanted to sleep some more, sleep for days until this nightmare ended. But staying in bed meant Maxim could find me here and make me have sex with him. That single thought was like a bucket of ice water over my head. I shot to my feet, fully awake.

I inhaled to calm my nerves, then headed to the bathroom to wash up and put on some real clothes. I opted for a pair of jeans, a tank top, and a light sweater. The chill in the house made my bones hurt. When I was finished, I paced the length of the room. What was I supposed to do with my day?

Now that Maxim and I were married, I felt less of a prisoner. I still couldn’t leave the premises, but at least the threat of the dungeon wasn’t hanging over my head anymore. For now, until I learned more about the Brotherhood, I had decided to postpone my escape plan. Even if I had been able to leave yesterday, I didn’t think I would’ve made it far—I needed money, a phone, and a getaway car.

After a few more rounds of pacing, I ventured out of the suite.Know your enemy.Aunt Vittoria used to say that to me. If she were here, she would be asking the right questions instead of demanding to be released. She would play it smart. That was why our plan to stop the wedding didn’t work. I had no idea who Maxim was. What he was capable of. Or how much the people here revered him.

Belinda had been able to dupe Anatoli into helping her drug Maxim for a day or two. But eventually, his respect for Maxim won over and he decided to tell Maxim everything. Belinda had been scared out of her mind, which meant Maxim wasn’t someone who would take betrayal lightly.

Was she okay?

I headed for the courtyard. Their hangout seemed like the best place to start. Like before, as soon as I stepped outside, the men stopped to ogle me. I ignored them and found a shady spot by the water fountain. Summer was almost over, but today was warm and humid. The cascading water provided a cool breeze and serenity.

After a few minutes, the men got bored with me and went back to their card game. I sat there and casually scanned the area. My pulse accelerated a bit in anticipation. Maxim was bound to show up at some point. Butterflies fluttered in my belly. I still hated him for bringing me here against my will. But I had to admit, his presence intrigued me. Of course, my interest in him was purely for informational purposes. I had to get to know my enemy.

“He’s not here.” Belinda sat next to me.

“What?” I craned my neck to get a better look at the front door. When the tall guy standing there moved on to join the rest of his crew, I shifted my attention back to Belinda. “Who’s not here?”

“Maxim.” She flashed me a suspicious look.

“Oh. Do you know when he’s coming back?”

“He said maybe a week.” She pursed her lips. “He had some Brotherhood business. He said I couldn’t go with him.”

“Do you do that a lot?” I didn’t care if my new husband slept with another woman. But I needed to know if he was planning to keep Belinda while married to me. “I mean do you travel with him?”

“No, I’ve never gone anywhere with him.” She smiled. “Other than his bedroom, that is.”

“Oh.” For no good reason, I pictured the two of them naked and having hot sex. “I’m sorry our escape plan didn’t work.”

“That’s okay. It would’ve been a painful fall.” She shrugged. “We can try again while he’s gone.”

“Delivery truck?” I asked.

“That’s not gonna work. Anatoli told Maxim everything. So now the delivery guy is not allowed in. Tore will meet him at the gate.” She shook her head. “I never should’ve trusted that coward.”

“That was unfortunate. The plan was working.” I laughed.

“Yeah. Well, I have to get back to work.” She shot to her feet.

“Work. What do you do?”

“Mostly cleaning. I help Galina in the kitchen too. I keep the kids in line. Whatever Papa needs me to do.” She furrowed her brows, zeroing in on Alexei on the other end of the courtyard.

“What is it?” I followed her line of sight. “Is he okay?”

“I don’t think so.” She waved at me, then made a beeline toward the boy.

Out of curiosity, I went with her. Alexei stood in the corner with puffy eyes. He seemed to be scared out of his mind. I glanced over at the guys gathered around the patio table and their cards. Most of them hadn’t even noticed the kid. But two of them were watching us like hawks, ready to swoop in for their prey.

“Let’s go inside.” I placed my hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Mind your own business, lady.” A man about my height with blond hair and hard features swatted my hand away from Alexei. “The kid needs to learn manners. He doesn’t need women hovering over him like he’s a pussy or something.” He glared at me then at Alexei. “Scram, kid.”

Alexei darted back into the house. The look in his eyes was way too familiar. This asshole did something to him. And now he didn’t want Belinda and I to know about it. Something about this guy made my skin crawl.

“What did you do to him?” I shot him a glare of contempt. “He was scared.”

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