Page 26 of Viktor

I rip open the door and Damien pushes through, shoves me out the way, and locks the door. I step away from him, eyeing him warily.

“What’s going on?” My heart speeds up, and I take another step back, my eyes flicking between him and the lock on the door. He lunges toward me and grabs my wrist. “What are you doing? You’re hurting me.”

I try to yank my arm back, but he’s stronger than me.?

His words are insistent: “You’re in danger. Pack a bag. I can get us somewhere safe.”?

I attempt to pull back again, and he lets me go. Viktor will hurt him if he finds out Damien came here and grabbed me.

“I’m fine,” I say stiffly. “I’m protected.” At least, I hope so. Viktor had been keeping me guarded, following me. Why would everything change now??

Damien’s eyes dart around, and he lowers his voice, stepping closer. “Your boyfriend is a murderer. Come with me; I know someone who can help you get away. Keep you safe.”?

I cut him a sharp look. “Viktor is not my boyfriend.” I’m ignoring the murder comment.

I sidestep Damien and walk away, trying not to make it obvious I’m walking a little faster so I can reach the back door. I don’t get far before a rag covers my mouth and nose, and I instinctively kick and scratch in an attempt to break free. Glass smashes as the heel of my foot connects with something.

I’m lifted just as everything goes black.

Blinking my eyes open, I lift my hand to cover my face, shielding my vision from the blinding light above me. I try to turn, but a handcuff is wrapped around my left wrist, trapping me to a bed. I pull against it, hoping it’s weak and will break, but it’s not. There’s a nightstand next to me with a clock on it, I’ve been unconscious for a few hours.

“Morning, Princess,” an old but familiar voice says from the doorway of the room. My breath catches at the sight of him, his dark brown hair now peppered with whites. The high cheekbones is the only thing I had inherited and his burning gaze goes straight through me. Dmitri looks just like him.?

“Dad?” I gasp, and he smiles, but all I can think is why??

Why couldn’t he come and visit?

Why did he just leave??

Why couldn’t he be a dad to me as well as Dmitri??

Staring him in the eyes, I blurt, “Mom said it’s safer without you around. I’m pretty sure she hates you now.” Maybe that's why she never sticks around; I remind her of him.

He sighs, “I’m sorry it’s been so long. I’ve been building our family business. We have enemies, and I had to make it safe. Dmitri and I were clearing space here. That Petrov family tried taking us out years ago. But it didn’t work, and now we are coming back stronger. That was until the Petrov killed Dmitri.” He shakes his head and pinches his nose. “And I’m sorry about the kidnapping. I had to get you away without a fight.”?

My heart sinks when my dad pulls out a folder and sits on the side of the mattress.?

“This is why I had guards growing up?” I ask, trying to hide the trembling in my voice.?

“Yes, everyone was disappointed that you asked your brother to call off the bodyguards once you turned fifteen, but we know how things were. A teenage girl with two men following her.” My father shakes his head with a rueful grin. “They were still there, but they must have been slacking as you grew older. It’s like they trusted you to do the right thing.”

“I never knew who he was—” I try to explain, hoping he would believe my lie.

My father waves his hand away and picks up the folder. He pulls out some photos of Viktor dealing drugs, holding a gun to someone's head, and him standing over a dead body. I couldn’t look after that even though there were plenty more pictures. Just because Viktor does these things, it doesn’t mean I want to be involved and especially not see him doing it. I wanted to stay oblivious, like I had been this whole time.

“Please leave me alone,” I say quietly, but my father hears me.?

“I’ll send food up. When you feel like you are ready to make a deal, let your friend know. I’m sure you understand that I need to keep you locked in here. Since you have been involved with the enemy.” He pats my leg and stands.

I can’t say anything, so I look away. My life has been tipped upside down since I met Viktor.?

I even got Damien wrong. Is every man in my life a liar??

I’m not sure how long it’s been, but the sun is going down. I must have been lying here for hours lost in my thoughts. I sit up when I hear the slide of a lock on the door. Damien walks in holding a tray with a small smile that I don’t return.

“I’m not hungry,” I tell him.?

He places it on the vanity table and sits on the bed with me. “I imagine this isn’t how you thought your day would go, but we can’t shield you anymore. Everything will be okay here. You have me, and your dad won’t leave you behind.”?

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