Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
I become overly aware of just how much man he is. Rodian is even more muscular than I remember and with all the beautiful ink, he’s almost too much to look at.
Feeling shy, I lower my head, but then I end up staring at his abs and hard lines that curve down his hips. I clear my throat and glance at the couch instead.
Rodian lifts his hand and brushes some of my hair behind my ear, and as I meet his eyes again, he tilts his head and asks, “How do you feel?”
“Like I’ve slept a year,” I answer honestly.
“It’s the medication you were given. Dr. Kravets said it would make you sleepy, which was a good thing. You needed the rest.” His hand moves to my cheek, and he brushes the backs of his fingers over my skin. “Your color is better.”
For a moment we stare at each other, and I begin to remember all the good things I experienced during our night together. But then the fact that he’s the pakhan overshadows it all, and I tear my eyes away from his to glance around the room.
“Is this your bedroom?”
He nods, taking a deep breath through his nose, and as he lets it out, he leans toward the bedside table to pick up three boxes.
“Dr. Kravets prescribed these for you to take in the morning. They should help with some of the anxiety and make it easier when everything becomes too much.” He shows me another box. “These are only if you need them, when the memories become so overwhelming you can’t pull yourself out of them.”
“Okay.”
Tapping on the third box, he explains, “This is the medication you take before bed.” Rodian locks eyes with me again. “The doctor also thinks you should see a therapist who specializes in PTSD.”
The thought of talking about the hell has me pulling back and shaking my head wildly. “No. Definitely not!”
Rodian grips me behind my neck and leans closer to me while capturing my gaze with his. “All I ask is that you think about it, Anastasia. You had an entire life stolen from you. Five years you should’ve spent doing what you loved, being happy, building a future with me.” A muscle begins to tick above his beard, and the blue of his eyes turns lighter with anger. “Instead, you were treated like a servant, and then those fuckers took what little you had left and subjected you to things you should never have had to survive.”
In desperate need to have something… or someone who’s on my side and not hurting me, I lunge forward and wrap my arms around his neck.
“Please,” I rasp, my voice hoarse from all the overwhelming emotions.
Rodian’s strong arms engulf me, and when he holds me so tight it feels like he might never let go again, my breathing hitches.
“What do you need, moya krasavitsa? Tell me, and I’ll make it happen.”
“I just want… everyone to stop… hurting me,” the words sputter from me as tears begin to fall.
Rodian leans back so he can see my face while his palm brushes over the side of my head.
I can see he means it when he says, “I promise you on everything I hold dear, I will protect you until my final breath. Whoever dares to insult you or raise a hand against you will die.”
A sob bursts from me, and giving him a pleading look, I say, “I don’t want to be a part of the Bratva. I just want a normal life.”
He stares at me for an unnervingly few seconds, then shakes his head. “I can’t let you go, Anastasia, but I can guarantee you will have a very normal life here on my estate. You’ll be free to do whatever you want.”
My shoulders slump, and my eyebrows draw together as I ask, “So I still have to marry you?”
“Yes. The wedding will take place in two weeks. Your grandfather’s associates won’t back down until my ring is on your finger.”
“Two weeks!” I exclaim, the blood draining from my face.
Rodian’s hands move fast, framing the sides of my head, and he leans in dangerously close. “You are a Fedorov! The only safe place for you is with me.” When I flinch from his harsh tone, he visibly calms down before continuing, “You will have everything your heart desires.” Leaning in, he surprises the crap out of me when he presses a soft kiss to my mouth, and as our eyes lock again, he says, “You will be loved, Anastasia.”
I latch onto his last sentence like a drowning woman, his words the life vest I so desperately need.
God, I don’t know if I believe him, or if I can trust the man he’s become, but right now, I need someone to keep me from sinking.
And despite everything, that someone is Rodian.