Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 95627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Gregor had already told his men to form a party to go get the girl and bring her back. She was running through the tunnels. Following her from the house into the tunnels wasn't an option. They wouldn't have been able to get to her fast enough. They needed to grab her before Solovyov's men did.
Viktoria gasped as she watched two of Gregor's men ambush one of Solovyov's men, stabbing him in the throat before he could make a noise.
Her hands clasped over her mouth as I turned off the video. I leaned forward on the desk, resting my weight on my elbows and leveling my gaze at her.
Viktoria's eyes were still wide as they stared at the screen.
"Do you believe me now?"
She said nothing, unblinking eyes not wavering from the black screen.
"Those men were not mine. They were not Gregor's, they were the enemy. Had they had captured you, I can tell you exactly what would have happened. If they knew who you were, if they knew how much I—" I caught myself just in time before I said the word love. "Cared for you. They would have tortured you and used you to get to me."
Still, she said nothing, remaining riveted to that screen.
"If they assumed you were a maid or some distant cousin or something staying in the compound, then they would have tortured you to find the entrance to that tunnel. They would have raped you and left you for dead in the forest."
Those possibilities occurred to me the second I saw she had nearly been spotted by them. Still, my stomach twisted in a way that I didn't know was possible just from saying it out loud.
This woman had me feeling things I never felt before.
I was genuinely terrified for her life.
Was this what love was?
When we spent time together, even when we were fighting, it brought a measure of peace to me that was unfamiliar. Something felt settled, because she was there. She was in front of me and I could see her and touch her. Even if she was fighting me, she was alive, and she was breathing, and she was safe.
Seeing her so vulnerable triggered me into wanting to burn the entire world to the ground.
Damien had whispered something to Kostya as we watched her being picked up, and he snickered. I had wanted to stab both men. The only thing that stayed my hand was Gregor putting his hand on my shoulder and shaking his head, telling me to ignore it.
He saw what I saw. He saw the threat, as clear as if it was against Samara instead of Viktoria.
"They are just jealous, cousin. They had to chase their women much further than you did."
"So did you," Damien scoffed.
"It doesn't matter how we get our women, what matters is that we protect them and we keep them safe."
The rest of them shut their mouths and we watched Gregor's men grab Viktoria from behind, one of them with his hand securely over her mouth as she thrashed.
"She is a fighter," Gregor said with a note of appreciation.
"You have no idea," I deadpanned, and our brothers started laughing again.
I had no idea what they found so funny.
Yelena had hit Damien with a fucking brick, and Marina had gotten Kostya arrested.
"Go easy on her, cousin." Gregor slapped me on the back. "But make sure she understands the risks involved."
That was what I was doing now, sitting in front of Viktoria as she still stared at that empty screen.
"This is your fault," she gasped, pulling me from my thoughts.
"How is this my fault?"
"I would never have been in danger if you didn't decide to make me your pet project."
"You are far more than my pet project, moya ptashka."
She finally looked back at me and scoffed.
"No, that is all I am to you. You cut me off from the rest of the world. You canceled my classes, then you sent those girls to try to convince me you actually care about me?"
"I do care about you," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose, not sure how this became a conversation about us.
"Then you show me this horrible snuff film to prove that men are after me? You're saying that my father owed these men money and so they're coming to find me?"
"No, these men aren't looking for you, but you're putting yourself in danger and—"
"No, if they're not looking for me, then they're looking for you. So you're putting me in danger by having me so close to you. You say that you care about me, but all you're doing is controlling me. That isn't caring about someone."
"I'm trying to keep you safe," I yelled as I got to my feet.
She stood just as quickly to face me.
I moved around the desk, trying to calm myself down so I could have a rational conversation with her.