I heard voices and then the door to the van slid open, and I was pulled out of it. Their grip was so tight, there would be bruises. I was pushed to the floor and then the hood that bound my head was removed. Keeping my gaze on the floor, I clenched my hands into fists. No one within the Bratva showed weakness or fear. I wasn’t going to let Andrei down now, and slowly I lifted my head.
I became aware of three things. One, my very best friend Nathan was hung from a chain. Two cuffs were wrapped around his wrists, another his neck, and he was bleeding. There were marks all over his body and I didn’t know what could have caused it. The second, my sister, looking like a queen. She had this smug smile on her face that usually meant there was going to be trouble. Three, a man I vaguely remember being at my wedding. I think he was one of the brigadiers, but I didn’t know which one. There was a similar tattoo that Andrei had across his knuckles, but this man had it around his neck.
“What’s the matter, sis? Shocked?”
Ignoring Bethany, I focused on the man by her side.
“So this is the woman that will bring Andrei in line?” he said, coming a bit closer. I didn’t like the way he looked at me, almost assessing in his gaze, as if he saw something he didn’t like.
The closer he got, the stronger the impulse to hurt him became. If my sister was involved, this couldn’t be good.
“You’ve not had any work done,” he said.
“Oleg, enough, please, she’s not worth your time, other than to get Andrei here. Trust me, she is the key.”
Oleg Pavlov, one of Ivan’s brigadiers. I don’t know his story or why my sister is working for or with him, but either way I knew this was bad. So fucking bad.
“What lies has my sister told you?” I asked.
He laughed. “So she does speak.”
“Whatever she has told you, trust me, it won’t end well for you.”
“Shut your fucking mouth,” Bethany said, advancing toward me.
“What is it you want now?” I asked. “Money? Drugs? A place as a brigadier’s wife? You threw all of that away in a goddamn orgy.”
Bethany went to attack me but Oleg stopped her, shoving her back. “Enough.”
My sister obeyed, which was a shock to me. She never did anything for anyone. He’d denied her the pleasure of hurting me, which told me something even more terrifying was in store.
“Be strong, Adelaide,” Nathan said.
My gaze jerked to his and I cried out as someone struck a whip right across his body.
“You don’t like that, do you?” Bethany said. “The same is going to happen to you.”
“Let him go,” I said, ignoring Bethany, pleading with Oleg. “I don’t know why he’s here. Why are you doing this?”
Oleg tutted and came closer. “No, I don’t suppose you do know anything about this. Thrown into this world because your sister couldn’t keep her legs shut.” He held his hand up as Bethany attempted to yell at him. “You’re a slut and don’t even pretend to be anything but.” He turned to glare and snap at her, before bringing his attention back to me. “But you, now you have been a bit of a mystery. Andrei has never shown a single moment of weakness, until you.”
“I’m nothing,” I said.
He laughed again.
“If you think you can use me to get Andrei to bow down to you, or give you what you want, you’re mistaken. I’m nothing to him. He was forced to marry me.”
“Trust me, it took some convincing, but I have known Andrei Belov for many years. The moment you walked into a room, his gaze was on you. At your wedding, you were never out of his sight, and then of course was the rumor that he wouldn’t even allow a guard to get close to you. I can see why.” His gaze roamed down my body.
“She’s a fat fucking bitch. Don’t you look at her like that!”
Oleg stood and backhanded my sister. “Do not ever disrespect me again. Your place is to be silent, or I will send you to sleep with my dogs, understood?”
Blood seeped at the corner of Bethany’s mouth, and I kept my gaze on Oleg. I didn’t know what the hell was going to happen. Leo was hurt badly. Nathan, I don’t even know why he was here, but he was also bleeding. This was a trap. Andrei wasn’t going to come and save me. He had his whole territory to think about.
“I think it’s time for us to send a message to Andrei,” he said.
He clicked his fingers to a soldier and ordered him to come closer.
I didn’t like this.
Nathan started to thrash in his binds and I watched as they covered his mouth, landing blows to his body. This couldn’t be good. My hands were still tied. I couldn’t fight back.
Oleg moved behind me and pulled me to my feet by my hair. A scream left my lips, and then he hit me hard, sending me to the floor, dazed. He wasn’t done with me as he pulled me to my feet once again. I couldn’t stop the yelp as he pulled at my hair again.
“Andrei, I’ve got your pretty little wife. I suggest you come and get her, because she’s just too tempting to ignore.” His hand ran down the front of my body, and this time I did scream. I didn’t stop, trying to fight against him, begging him to stop.
I hated myself, especially when he threw me to the floor, and then he was on top of me. Keeping my legs together, I looked at him with fear. His hands went to my neck and he started to choke me. I struggled against him, fighting with all my might, desperate for him to let me go, and when he did, I sucked oxygen into my mouth. Deep and hard, and desperate.
“He’s not going to come,” I said between pants. “Andrei will never come for me. He won’t.”
“We will see.”
Andrei
Oleg had taken up residence on the border between our territories.
I wasn’t there to stop the attack. Rage had gotten word to us that Demon had changed the plan, brought it forward by a day. While my wife had been hunted down, I’d been with Ivan, watching as Demon and the rest of his men took their last breath. The deal was done. Rage, while I watched, was voted by his club to take over as President of the Evil Savages MC. To start peace once again between the club and Ivan, there was going to be a wedding. Lottie would be marrying Ivan’s brigadier of choice, and as they were shaking hands, I got the call.