It’s my birthday, and my nerves are shot to hell. I have no idea what will happen today and whether Viktor meant what he said about not forcing himself on me.
Besides the altercation in the kitchen the other day, when he asked me if I wanted to be spanked, nothing like that has happened again.
Just thinking of his lips brushing over my cheek makes my heart beat violently in my chest. My emotions are all over the place. I’m terrified of the man and hate it whenever my stomach flutters, which seems to be happening more and more often.
Every day has been the same. I’m left alone in my bedroom and only see Viktor when it’s time to eat.
On my second night in this hell hole, his mother came to see me, but I refused to talk to her.
Standing by the window, I stare at the garden situated in the middle of the three mansions. There’s a huge fountain that’s bigger than any pool I’ve seen before, with a statue of a black horse and water splashing around his hoofs.
Day by day, it’s getting harder staying cooped up in the room. I miss interacting with people.
I miss my grandfather and Uncle Ricco.
God, I even miss school. How sad is that?
Being alone is starting to wear me down much sooner than I thought it would. I’m even contemplating wandering out into the garden in the hopes of seeing one of the women.
My pride and grief keep me from leaving the room, though.
The wounds are still too raw, and it feels like I’ll betray my family by interacting with any of the people on this property.
Movement draws my attention away from the water feature, and when I see Viktor, my heartbeat instantly speeds up, and my mouth dries out. He always wears black cargo pants and a shirt for work, so seeing him in a gray suit has my stomach doing cartwheels. The way he walks makes him look hot and powerful.
Even the devil is beautiful, Rosalie. The man is a monster and rotten on the inside. He killed your grandfather and uncle. Don’t forget your grief for one second.
I turn away from the window and glance around the room that doesn’t offer any entertainment. I’m so bored I wash my hair on a daily basis and even stick to a skincare routine, which I never used to do. I pack and unpack my closet and move the furniture around just to stay busy.
I wish I had my kindle so I could lose myself in my books.
Letting out a sigh, I take a seat on the chair by the vanity table and scowl at my reflection.
Don’t give in.
These people are your enemies.
You’re a prisoner, not a guest.
A knock at the door has my head snapping up.
Viktor only calls me for lunch and dinner, so the unscheduled visit at this early hour has my heart going crazy in my chest.
God, please don’t let this turn into the worst day of my life. Don’t let him rape me.
The door opens, and I’m instantly dizzy with fear. Standing up, my legs tremble and threaten to give way beneath me.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to start begging when Viktor’s eyes narrow on my face. “What’s wrong?”
I suck in desperate breaths.
Realization flashes over his features. “Jesus, Rosalie. Calm down. I’m a man of my word. I’ll never force myself on you.”
His promises mean nothing to me.
To my utter surprise, he places a gift on the bed and says, “Get ready. We’re going out.”
What?
I gape at him, which makes him chuckle. “I’m taking you out for the day.”
“I get to leave the property?” I ask, wondering if this is some kind of trick.
He nods toward the black box that’s tied with a silver ribbon. “Put on the dress, birthday girl. I’ll wait downstairs.”
I watch as he leaves, still not sure what’s going on, but the promise of getting out of the house is too much to ignore. I quickly walk to the bed, and with trembling fingers, I pull the ribbon loose. Lifting the lid off, I move the silver paper out of the way and stare at the pale blue fabric.
When I take it out, I gasp at how pretty the summer dress is. It’s my favorite color, and half my clothes are in the same shade.
Unable to stop myself, a smile slowly curves my lips. The gift shouldn’t mean anything to me.
I shake my head and quickly step out of my jeans and t-shirt so I can slip on the dress. I grab a pair of pumps for my feet and take a couple of seconds to look at my reflection in the mirror.
The dress fits perfectly.
I turn my gaze to the doorway, and with the overwhelming temptation of being among other people, I leave the bedroom.
When I come down the stairs, Viktor tucks his phone into the breast pocket of his suit jacket and glances up at me. He looks so striking in the formal wear I lose my ability to breathe for a moment.
Lifting his arm, he holds his hand out to me.
Not wanting to be difficult and risk my chance at freedom, I place my palm in his. My cheeks flush when his strong fingers wrap around mine, and I’m pulled to stand in front of him.
His eyes drift over my face, and his voice is low and deep as he says, “You look breathtaking, Little Rose.”
Before I can stop the words, my manners push them over my lips. “Thank you.”
A pleased smile transforms his face from brutal to so damn attractive, I have to look away.
When he weaves his fingers with mine, I feel uncomfortable being so close to him, and at the same time, attraction. The latter emotion makes guilt rear up in my chest.
Viktor leads me to the front door, and when we step out of the house, I’m met with a large paved driveway and a yellow Lamborgini.
There’s also a black SUV with five armed guards.
“Try to keep up,” Viktor jokes with his men. He opens the passenger door and helps me climb inside. Suddenly he leans over me, and I freeze as he clips my safety belt into place.
Before he pulls back, he looks at me with a playful grin. “Got to make sure you’re safe.”
My stomach somersaults like crazy, and I glance at the expensive leather of my seat just in case the unwanted attraction shows on my face.
Viktor slides behind the steering wheel and unbuttons his jacket before he puts on his safety belt.
We’re really leaving the property.
The powerful engine roars to life, and it rumbles as he drives toward two giant iron gates. They swing open, and once he’s steered us onto the road, my body is pushed back into the seat as he rockets down the street.
My heart hammers in my chest, and I grip the sides of the seat.
Viktor glances at me, then lets out a chuckle before he slows the sports car down to an acceptable speed.
I glance out the window at the houses, and soon the wealthy neighborhood falls behind us as we approach a city.
God, I don’t even know where I am.
The realization hits so hard that I gasp.
“What?” Viktor asks, a frown quickly forming on his forehead.
“Where am I?”
“LA.”
Holy shit.
I turn my shocked gaze to him. “How did you get me out of Canada?”
He chuckles arrogantly. “Smuggling is one of the things I’m good at.”
“One of the things?”
With his attention on the road, he expertly steers the powerful vehicle through morning traffic.
I look at the buildings and feel a glimmer of excitement when we turn onto Rodeo Drive.
We drive past high-end brand stores and then weave through more streets before Viktor brings the Lamborgini to a stop.
My lips part, and I’m hit with a wave of emotion as I stare at the Barnes and Noble building.
“You brought me to a bookstore?” I ask.
“It’s one of your birthday gifts.” He glances around the area, then says, “Don’t make me kill anyone today.” He nods toward the store. “You’ll put everyone in there at risk if you try anything stupid. Got it?”
When I just stare at him, he adds, “Don’t forget who I am just because I’ve been nice to you.”
The head of the bratva and my kidnapper. How can I forget?
He’ll probably kill all the innocent people in Barnes and Noble if I try to ask for help.
I nod quickly, thinking I can try to escape by using the restroom. That way, I won’t endanger anyone.
Viktor climbs out of the car and comes to open the passenger door for me. Unintentionally, I take hold of his outstretched hand and follow him into the store.
I’m hit with the magical feeling you can only get when surrounded by thousands of books.
Viktor leads me to the fantasy section and gestures at the shelves. “Get whatever you want, Little Rose.”
I pull my hand free from his and brush my fingers over the spines as I read the titles.
Seeing as I don’t have my kindle, and there’s no guarantee I’ll escape, I grab a box set of Twilight and shove it into Viktor’s hands.
Again the man surprises me when he points to a section. “There’s the Nightworld series.”
Hold on a second.
Slowly, I turn my head to Viktor. “Do you read fantasy as well?”
He shakes his head. “I did my research. It was easy to hack your Amazon account.”
Of course.
I roll my eyes then help myself to all the Nightworld books.
Every time I pass a book to Viktor, he hands it off to one of the guards, so I lose track of how many I’m getting.
I grab every book I find by Jennifer L. Armentrout, then search for the Divergent series.
When I walk past the Fifty Shades of Grey collection, Viktor chuckles, “Not into BDSM?”
“Nope.” I let the ‘P’ pop.
I get lost in all the books until I completely forget about the loss I’ve suffered and that I’m actually out shopping with my captor.
“Dammit,” I mutter, glancing over the shelves again.
“Which book are you looking for?” Viktor asks.
“The third book in this series.” I hold book one open so Viktor can see the list of titles. “Deadly Dreams.”
He glances over the shelves, then walks to the counter and speaks to the cashier.
My eyes dart to the five guards, and I find them all watching me.
Damn, there goes an opportunity to run.
While Viktor is at the counter, I glance over the shelves one last time and help myself to five books I haven’t read yet.
When I turn around, Viktor is standing with Deadly Dreams in his hand. “They had one in the back.”
Before I can stop myself, a smile stretches over my face.
Viktor’s lips part, awe on his face as if he’s looking at one of the wonders of the world. “Jesus, you should spend every second of every day smiling.”
Unwelcome warmth floods my heart. I dart past Viktor and rush to the counter, trying to ignore how his compliment affects me.
When Viktor joins me at the counter, the cashier shows the final amount for the books I bought. “That will be two thousand, three hundred and ninety, sir.”
My eyebrows shoot up, and my lips part in a gasp.
Dear God, Rosalie.
Viktor doesn’t look upset by the amount at all and pays it happily with a black credit card.
I’m not going to feel guilty. It’s the least he can do.
The five guards carry the bags out of the store, and Viktor walks next to me. When we reach the door, we have to step aside for a woman with a baby.
I manage to exit the store before Viktor, and my heart lurches. Before I can even think the plan through, my legs are moving, and I run away.
Reaching the end of the block, I glance over my shoulder but don’t see Viktor running after me. I turn left, but before I can reach the next road, the Lamborgini comes to a screeching stop by the pedestrian crossing.
My breaths explode over my lips as I change direction, only to have the SUV pull up in front of me. When I swing around again, I slam into Viktor, and his arms wrap around me. His mouth finds my ear, then the warning rumbles from him like thunder, “Make a scene, and I’ll kill whoever tries to help you.”
When he pulls back to look at my face, my eyes lock with his, and I see the promise of death in his dark brown irises.
My shoulders slump, and so damn frustrated and hopeless, I walk to the Lamborgini with legs feeling like they’re made of lead.
Knowing we’re probably going back to my prison because of my escape attempt, I slump into the seat and swallow hard on the tears threatening to fall.
God only knows what Viktor is going to do to punish me.
He could do anything from spanking me to raping me, and there’s nothing I can do to stop him.
But what was I supposed to do? Just go book shopping, be thankful, and go back to my prison?
I had to try and escape, and I’ll continue to try every chance I get because Viktor is a monster who rules over the bratva. He’s one of the men who killed my family. He kidnapped me.
I can never forget that.
I can never think of him as an ordinary man because that’s the last thing he is.
He’ll always be my enemy, and now I’ve upset him.
My heart beats heavily in my chest as all the fear creeps back.
