***LONDON’S POV***
The smell of blood and the rustic taste of metal penetrates my mouth as I blink severally, trying to shake it off.
“The whore is finally awake,” I hear Oliver’s unmistakable voice and I straighten up.
I was in a room, probably locked somewhere in the mansion but I wasn’t in chains.
“I am not a whore,” I bite out snarling at Oliver.
How the fuck does he even know Michael? What part of the puzzle am I missing? I wonder.
Getting in bed with me, Oliver pulls my hair so that I am staring at him.
“Of course, you are,” he yanks my hair and I scream in pain.
“You don’t know me,” I yell at him.
This time, Oliver pinches my chin and forces my head to look at him and I look away. He forces me to stare and he speaks.
“The last time we met, our meeting was brief and halted by some guy I heard you are now married to,” he says touching me with his greasy fingers.
I try avoiding him but he groans in disgust, making me stop.
“It’s a good thing to know you are updated on my life and my marital status, which means you shouldn’t do anything to me,” I mutter, hoping that he backs off me.
Oliver laughs, the sound an irritating tune to my ears.
When he pinches my chin harder, I cry out in pain.
“You are here with me now, I guess that’s what counts,” he says.
I knew then that I was fucked up really bad, but that tiny hope that made me feel like I could hold on to reality would soon be cut off.
“You had the money you demanded from me, yet, you keep chasing me, what’s the problem?” I ask knowing that this doesn’t make no sense.
“Well, at the time when I dumped your broke ass, I didn’t know I would still cross paths with you, but we can’t cheat nature, can we? Your husband’s family owes me a lot,” he breathes out down my neck.
“Then, go to them, and not me,” I fire back thinking that being brave would solve shit. It doesn’t.
“Can’t be that easy, can it? When you willingly said you wanted to trade with me?” he states and a shiver runs down my spine.
Zane would kill me before this dude has a chance to put his fatty paws on me, this is, the reason why I close my eyes, letting that sensation pass through me.
“What’s your connection with Michael Logan?” I question.
Oliver’s eyes trail to a distant place and I force myself to not cringe as I wait for his reply.
“Half brother. We are part of the Antonov branch from Russia, we came to North America to rule it out,” he explains and I nod politely.
“So, tell me, London, would you choose the Mafias or the bratva?” he demands and a strangled cry escapes my lips.
I have never been put in a position to choose, especially one as crucial as this where my answers could be used against me.
“I am married to an Italian Mafia. That is where my loyalty lies,” I respond, hoping that I don’t say the wrong thing.
Even if I hadn’t done a thing, just being here wouldn’t stop Oliver from hitting me.
He backhands me and I toss on the bed, crying softly.
“Ouch! That hurts,” I whine out.
“As it should, bitch. How would you let me fuck you, and when I give you a break, the first thing you do is marry the first man you see? Worse of all, my enemy,” he screams at me and I close my eyes, hoping the pain passes.
“I am sorry, Oliver, I didn’t know you had a link with Zane. He kidnapped me,” I babble, more tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Are you sure? Because that baby bump in your stomach is announcing something else,” Oliver grits out, chewing the inside of his mouth.
I close my eyes, sliding my hand to my baby bump, feeling the slightest beat of my baby in it.
That was the proof that I had sex with Zane. I was expecting my husband’s baby.
“I love the baby and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else,” I spit out, that was just the honest truth, and as honest as I can be, that was just me speaking up for myself.
“You couldn’t give me a child, yet, you went off doing so for another man,” Oliver says, sounding disgusted.
“You always used a condom with me. Besides, you told me you hated babies,” I whisper the last words, crying softly.
“Of fucking course, all those soggy diapers and late night cries. I can’t co-parent,” Oliver let out, disgust evident in his tone.
“That’s no problem since you wouldn’t even know when this one would be born. He is the luckiest baby on earth to have a father like Zane,” I mouth grinning provocatively at Oliver.
The punch that lands on my belly makes me see red and nausea fills the air.
The second blow lands on my upper head, missing my right eye by just an inch or two.
“Argh! That hurts. Let go of me,” I scream as Oliver’s meaty hands grab my neck and he squeezes it lightly.
I already knew it was a bad idea coming here today, everything about meeting my ex and discovering that he wants to kill my husband is fucked up.
When Oliver pushes one hand to my shirt and pulls my shorts down.
My energy level is high as I fight him off. I can’t have him to harass me in whatever way he deems fit.
Using my knee, I kick him in the face, which he dodges until I only kick his chin.
“You bitch,” he screamed at me, slamming his fist to my guts and turning me around as I choke and beg for help.
Then, Oliver is fighting to take my shorts off. He stops and that is when I realize his heated gaze on my skin. Turning my neck to see what the matter is, I am transfixed at how he is staring at my bottoms.
“Who gave you those welds on your backside?” he asks fury filling his voice.
Realization washes over me as I close my eyes, hoping the embarrassment would pass me by.
“Just leave me alone, please,” I scream.
This time, Oliver’s eyes meet mine and I see the pure fury in them.
Michael Logan chose that moment to stroll into the room as if nothing was happening.
When he saw our position, something passed through his eyes before he cleared his throat.
“Am I missing something here? I could walk out and wait until you both are finished,” he spits out, his voice filled with malice.
Oliver shakes his head, climbing down from the bed.
“No need, I have to go take some fresh air,” he states shaking with anger.
Mike blocks him from passing as they share a moment where they just stare at one another.
“You weren’t so eager to leave before I walked in on you trying to what? Get her short all the way down,” he bites out, haunting Oliver.
“Don’t. Please don’t,” Oliver says trying to walk past Michael.
He doesn’t budge, not even a bit.
“You should leave now, there is a lot going on here that you shouldn’t be a part of,” Oliver tells Mike.
“Like you trying to get into a pregnant woman’s panties? I didn’t know you were into other people’s leftovers,” Michael throws out casually, stepping aside for Oliver pass.
He didn’t. Rather, he gave Mike a punch that knocked his ass to the fucking ground.
“Don’t you ever speak to me like that. And mind you, I was London’s first everything. And you, what have you gotten? Not even a kiss from her, well, unless you count that shitty show you did at the hotel last night,” Olive screams, throwing it all out at Mike’s face.
Who were these fucking men? And how the fuck did I get myself in so much trouble that I can’t even breeze out of it?
I pull up my shorts and shift to the end of the bed, my breathing erratic.
“Come on, Oliver, I am sorry, I shouldn’t have said those things to you, this isn’t the time for us to be fighting,” Mike mutters, wiping the blood from the corner of his split lips.
Oliver helps him stand and they have a moment where they stare at one another with heated energy.
Then, Oliver spilled the tea.
“You should check her ass, I bet she isn’t in a position for great good right now,” says Oliver, nodding at my direction.
“What happened to it?” Michael asks as he approaches me.
Bulging my eyes, I shake my head, refusing that he should come any further.
“Calm down, London, I just want to check something out,” he says placing me on my stomach and then, my shorts came down.
“You even dressed sexy for me, didn’t you?” he teases and then, a stream of long cusses comes flying out of his mouth.
“You did this to her, Oliver?” Michael asks still in shock.
“I am a woman beater, but I don’t think I will use my belt on her sensitive parts like that,” says the idiot.
“That’s a fucking lie, Oliver. I still have welds from the belt beating you gave me when we were still together, remember?” I bark out.
This time, Mike growled above me and Oliver was silent.
“That wouldn’t stop the fact your husband hit you, London. We are going to kill that piece if shit for you,” Michael mutters as he dresses me decently, and rubs his hand round my back.
Shaking my head, I want to crawl away from these men, they scare the shit out of me.
“Leave her alone, Mike. We’ve got things to do,” Oliver stuttere, leading the way.
“What about me?” I ask, breathless.
“You stay here and wait for us,” Mike explains, chuckling.
Since I was feeling tired, I used this as an opportunity to relax. What I didn’t expect was to fall asleep.
By the time I woke up, the sun was bright in the sky. The clock beside the bed made it clear that it was four p. m. In the afternoon.
“Fuck, Zane!” I screech out rolling out of bed and running downstairs.
The main door was locked and there was soft music coming out from the door beside the living room.
Walking into the, I discovered it was the kitchen. Sighing, I walk into it, as Oliver was setting the plates on the table and Michael was cooking.
“Sleeping beauty is finally awake. I bet aside from hitting you, that bastard doesn’t let you sleep, does he?” Oliver asks, a teasing glimmer shifting in his eyes.
I know I shouldn’t be accepting advances from him, but the man was an asshole that annoyed me to hell.
“I’m not hungry,” I say when he pushes a table for me to sit.
My stomach chose that moment to rumble. I blush, feeling my face heat up.
Oliver rolls his eyes at me as he smiles warmly at me.
“Let’s feed the baby in you, London,” he says kissing me on my cheek.
I felt warm and tilting my head upward, I saw that longing in his eyes that was there when we first met.
“I should be going home now,” I mutter, taking the seat he offered me.
Michael and Oliver share a look before chuckling a little.
Michael spoke this time. “Why don’t we feed you first, huh? Besides, we haven’t come to a deal yet, have we?” he says, reminding me why I had risked it all and come here in the first place.
Holding my breath, I try to calm my racing heart. Of course, I was here for a mission. Stupid me. How wouldn’t I even notice that yet?
“Sure. Of course. But after that, I am leaving,” I say firmly, letting them know I wouldn’t let them stop me for whatever reason.