Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
“I’ll be good,” I say, and his thumb swipes across my bottom lip.
He holds me for a second longer before he steps back and slams the door in my face. It makes me jump, and then the next thing I know he’s getting in on the other side and sitting next to me.
“Go,” he orders the driver while I wrap my arms around myself.
I’m suddenly feeling cold and all alone. Vitaly takes out his phone and completely ignores me. It’s as if I'm not here at all. It’s something I'm used to. I've learned how to be quiet to the point that no one notices me.
I turn my face to stare out the window and I’m still fighting tears. If I could seal off my tear ducts I would. I detest the constant sniffles that I can't seem to stop. Why can’t I be strong like Nolia? You'd think that my upbringing would have made me more resilient. At some point I should have grown accustomed to the chilly silence. Yet here I am feeling my heart break over and over.
When the car turns in to an underground garage, I get tense. My cage is getting smaller by the second.
“Do you want to do this the difficult way?” Vitaly asks me when the car rolls to a stop. I shake my head, and his jaw tics. “I told you to say the words.”
“No,” I say softly.
It’s different from my father, who never wanted me to speak. A nod was satisfactory for him because he didn’t want to hear me. The older I got, the less we talked. There wasn’t any use for me before, but I guess that’s going to change now that I’m not home.
Vitaly steps out of the car, offering me his hand. I ignore it because I don’t want to touch him. I can still feel his fingers on my chin. Every time he wants my attention, he grabs me there. He doesn’t let me try to escape even an inch.
Apparently Vitaly doesn’t like to be ignored. He grabs me by the wrist and hauls me out of the vehicle. “Don’t think you can deny me.”
His hold is firm but not painful. “You don’t have to try and scare me,” I say, but I might as well be talking to a brick wall.
He leads me to a silver elevator that slides open without him having to hit a button.
“Try?” He cocks an eyebrow. I swallow as the elevator doors close us in, and it makes me feel more trapped than ever.
“How long are you keeping me?” I glance over at him from the corner of my eye. He’s staring right at me, still holding me by the wrist. Where the heck does he think I’m going to go? There is no getting away. At least for now.
“Until I get what I want.”
Chapter Four
VITALY
Despite the late hour, Luca, my right-hand advisor, is waiting in my penthouse to talk to me. When he sees me leading Pru off the elevator, his eyes widen.
“Fuck. Tell me that’s not who I think it is.”
“I’m not in the mood, Luca,” I warn him. My grip tightens on Pru’s elbow as I take her through the house and into my office. I walk over next to the couch and point to the cushion. “Sit.”
“I’m not a dog,” she snips and cuts her eyes to mine.
“You’re right,” I say, and some of the tension in her arm eases. “A dog would obey. Now sit your ass down, little one. My patience is running thin.”
She huffs but finally takes a seat. After I release her, I go over to my desk and fall into the leather chair.
Luca hesitates for a moment, looking between us. “I need to talk to you, boss.”
“Then say it.” He glances over to Pru, who takes off her sneakers and hugs her legs against her chest. When she shivers, I sigh loudly and get up from my desk. “Spit it out, Luca, I’ve got enough shit to deal with on my own tonight.”
I’m annoyed as I stomp over to the other side of my office and snatch the blanket off the chair. When I toss it at Pru, she takes it and pulls it over her body.
“I think it might be best said in private,” Luca tries again, and while I appreciate his discretion, I think we’re a little past that tonight.
I don’t respond to his suggestion but turn my glare on him as I take a seat for a second time. He seems to understand that I’m too fucking close to the edge for patience right now.
“We got a call earlier about some of our guys getting picked up by the cops. There was a bust down at the docks, and a shipment was taken.”
“Goddamn it,” I say and rub the spot on the side of my head that’s throbbing. “What did they get?”