Page 36 of The Pakhan’s Hidden Heir

“Because I’m telling you to hand it over.” He steps closer and the room seems to shrink around us slightly. He’s so large, and his presence is so overpowering. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

“Bastian never said anything to me about giving up my phone.” I get to my feet, sliding a step back toward the window. “It’s the only way I have to reach anyone. If he wants it, he can come and ask me for it himself.” This wasn’t part of the deal and it wasn’t in any part of the contract I signed.

At least I don’t think it was.

Pregnancy brain has made me forgetful at times and confused often.

“Bastian gave orders and you follow them, just the same as me.” Akim is insistent, gesturing with his hand a few times as he scowls. “Give it here.”

“No,” I snip again, and I mean it. This isn’t fair. I didn’t sign up for total isolation. How will I call Lada? “Not until Bastian tells me to.”

Akim grits his teeth and I watch his nostrils flare.

There’s a coil of tension that ripples through his body as he stands a bit taller.

I back away from him when his hands curl into fists, and he leans over me.

My blood turns to ice as I press myself into the foot of the bed, unable to get farther away from him due to how close he is.

“Now,” he growls, and his eyes darken on me. He’s going to hit me. I know it.

The way he’s so demanding and leaning over me, I’m scared he actually would do it.

So I dig the phone out of my pocket with shaking fingers and set it into his open palm.

He closes his fist around it and turns for the door without a word of thanks and I hear the little click of it shutting behind him.

His footsteps fade down the hall before I trust my legs to carry me across to the door, but I rush to it, thinking he’s locked me in, that I’m a prisoner here now.

I close my hand around the handle, half-braced to find it locked, but it turns freely and the door swings open onto the empty hall.

Akim is gone with my phone and I’m alone, trying to catch my breath.

I don’t know what’s happened, but I don’t like any of this.

I want to know how Bastian and I could be having dinner and going shopping together one minute, and the next minute he puts me in a room by myself without so much as coming to speak to me and sends his goon to take my phone too.

When I hear voices raised down the hallway, I tiptoe on quiet feet, one hand skimming the wall, following the warm spill of lamplight until I reach Bastian’s door, which stands open a few inches.

I press myself into the shadow of the tall cabinet beside it and listen. It’s Akim’s voice and Bastian’s, and Bastian doesn’t sound happy to be having this conversation.

“She’s getting worse, Bash.” Akim sounds furious, and after he demanded my phone I know what that looks like firsthand. “She’s aggressive, mouthing off, refusing simple instructions, coming at me the second I set foot in the room. You should let me lock her down properly, for her sake as much as yours. A woman like that, in her condition, carrying your child—she needs a firmer hand than the one you’ve been giving her.”

I clamp a hand over my mouth to keep from making a sound.

What a total liar and a jerk!

I never did any of that to him.

I was upset, yes, and I didn’t want to give up my phone, but I wasn’t aggressive. I didn’t come at him.

“No,” Bastian grumbles without so much as a pause. “I’m not locking her in her room. She’s carrying my child, not serving a sentence. Watch her, keep her close, keep her safe—but you will not put a lock on that door. Are we clear?”

“She’s a risk, Bash, and you know it as well as I do⁠—”

“I said watch her.” There’s an edge under Bastian’s tone. He’s really not happy to have this conversation and I’m glad for it. Maybe Akim is just pushing for no reason. Or maybe he’s got some hidden agenda. I hate that man. “That’s the end of it.”

There’s a long silence, and then Akim’s grudging, “Yes, sir.”