Page 75 of Forced & Owned By the Bratva Boss

Something tugs at the back of my hand, and I crane my neck to find a bag of saline liquid dangling from a pole made of stainless steel next to my bed. The tube attached to it slips under a white piece of tape attached to my wrist.

My room rocks gently. I start to think it’s another wave of dizziness until I hear waves slapping against metal outside somewhere.

A yacht.

I’m on a yacht.

The last thing I remember is the sound of gunshots and the smell of gunpowder in my apartment. And then…I saw Igor’s face. At least, I’m pretty sure I saw him running toward me before I passed out.

My pulse begins to race.

What if Igor’s dead and Serrano took me? I need to find out where I am.

Ripping the needle from my skin, I push myself up, but before I can climb out of bed, a deep, familiar voice cuts through the raging thoughts in my head.

“I wouldn’t advise you to do that.”

When I glance in the direction of the voice, my heart skips two beats. Igor’s standing in a corner of the room, watching me. He’s been there all along, and I didn’t even notice.

“Igor.”

I’m happy to see him, but then I’m scared. I don’t know how he’ll react to me or if he’s still mad at me. Of course he is.

To my surprise, he walks toward me and sits beside the bed, elbows resting on his knees. His hair is slightly disheveled, dark circles shadow the skin beneath his eyes, and the stubble along his jaw has grown rough enough to tell me he hasn’t shaved since I passed out.

“You’re awake.” He brushes a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing against my skin in a gentle stroke.

Goosebumps rise on skin. I tilt my head to meet his gaze, my eyes searching his.

There’s no rage in his expression, and his usual blank, icy mask has been replaced with something softer. I can’t wrap my head around what’s happening.

“Igor, I...” I pause and draw in a breath, finding the courage to speak. “I’m sorry about everything that’s happened. I should’ve been honest with you.”

He takes my hand and presses a kiss to my palm. “It’s fine. Whatever you did, I don’t care anymore. All that matters is that you’re safe now.”

“No, you don’t understand.” Tears prick the back of my eyes and my breathing turns ragged. “He has Matthew. We need to save him before—”

“Audrey.” The look Igor gives me is so sad that it sends a tremor right down my spine. “Matthew is…he didn’t make it.”

My world doesn’t slow down. It comes to a complete stop. I stare at Igor, waiting for him to take it back. Waiting for him to tell me it’s a bad joke and Matthew is back at the club, serving customers with his usual, sweet demeanor.

But he doesn’t.

“He...” My throat burns. “He’s really...”

Igor nods. “I’m sorry.”

I don’t remember the tears giving me any warning. One second I’m staring at him, and the next, tears are pouring down my face so hard I can barely breathe. A broken sob tears itself from somewhere deep inside my chest.

“Oh, God.” I think of Matthew. Sweet, friendly Matthew who everyone loved. And now he’s dead because of me. “It’s my fault,” I say. “It’s all my fault.”

“Audrey, none of this is your fault.”

He’s lying to comfort me. I know deep down he also blames me. I pull away from him, pressing both palms against my face.

Grief, guilt, and shame all crash into me at one.

“If I hadn’t been so stupid...if I hadn’t let Serrano use me...if I hadn’t wanted revenge over something so pathetic, none of this would’ve happened. Matthew would still be alive. I killed him.”