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Authors: Kat Shehata
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words calmed me, and I didn’t want him to leave, but I wasn’t ready to forgive and forget all the hell he’d put me through.
Chapter 10
The Wild Side
Sunlight warmed my face and woke me from a deep sleep. I hadn’t seen daylight since I’d been kidnapped and relished the warmth and energy of a beautiful spring day. Birds chirped outside the bedroom window, and the aroma of fresh baked bread wafted into the bedroom. Vladimir’s cozy, shabby-chic farmhouse was paradise compared to the dank, institutional feeling of the Dungeon Suite.
“ Dobroye utro, angel.” The light spilling in from the window illuminated Vladimir’s vibrant blue eyes and highlighted worry lines on his forehead. He looked exhausted, like he hadn’t slept all night. He opened the window and pulled back the lace curtains to let fresh air and sunshine into the room.
I sat up and noticed the t-shirt I had on was soaking wet. I wasn’t usually a night sweater, and I didn’t recall getting dressed. “What happened?”
“Nightmares. You had a rough night.”
I had no memory of any of that. The last thing I remembered was falling asleep while Vladimir held my hand. I wiped my hair out of my face and tossed off the blanket.
“How are you feeling? Can you eat some lunch?” He gathered up some pillows and tucked them behind my back to help me sit up. It was unnerving to be around him while my defenses were down. He had been nothing but sweet and helpful since my arrival, but I would rather be alone.
“I’m fine. I just need to rest.” If it were up to me, I would’ve holed up in the bedroom until it was time to go home. I spent the majority of my teen years barricaded in my room. It was my safe house, my drama-free sanctuary.
Boris ducked through the doorway carrying a tray loaded with a bountiful feast of red soup, a creamy potato casserole, a mouth-watering cinnamon bun, and a steaming cup of tea. “You will have nourishment, then rest.” He placed the tray over my lap, tapped a couple pills into my hand to take for the pain, and then pulled a chair up to the foot of the bed. Vladimir sat beside me in the window seat.
“You eat. I’ll talk,” Boris said.
I swallowed the pills and then scooped up a bite of warm, cheesy potatoes and slid it into my mouth. “ Mmm …” My stomach had been rumbling since I'd opened my eyes, and I was grateful for a hearty meal. I shoveled in another bite, and while I chewed, I picked up the warm pastry, ready to take a chomp out of it as soon as I gulped down the casserole.
I glanced up and noticed Vladimir eyeing me like some pitiful mongrel rummaging through a trash heap and scarfing down food scraps. I didn’t want my malnutrition to reflect poorly on Dmitri, so I set down the sticky bun, licked the glaze off my fingers, and sipped my tea like a civilized human.
“My job is to protect you, and I failed,” Boris said. “You have my word, I will not be foolish again. The guards I stationed outside the shelter to protect you were the ones responsible for breaking in.”
“They weren’t from the Ovechkin Bratva ?”
“The men I shot dead last night were on our payroll. While Vladimir was chasing you in America, our rivals did some recruiting. Men from our own Bratva have turned against us, shifting their loyalty to our rival pakhan , Maksim Ovechkin.
“We have traitors among our most trusted circle,” Vladimir said.
“As I conduct my investigation, you and Vladimir will remain sequestered here until I’m certain you’re safe.”
“Where’s here ?”
“Our family dacha,” Vladimir said. “We’re miles from the city. There’s nothing to fear, Carter. No uninvited guests can penetrate our security here. We have our most loyal soldiers stationed around the perimeter, and no one comes or goes without my knowledge.”
***
After lunch, Vladimir led me to the bathroom where I took a hot shower. I washed my hair three times,
Chapter 10
The Wild Side
Sunlight warmed my face and woke me from a deep sleep. I hadn’t seen daylight since I’d been kidnapped and relished the warmth and energy of a beautiful spring day. Birds chirped outside the bedroom window, and the aroma of fresh baked bread wafted into the bedroom. Vladimir’s cozy, shabby-chic farmhouse was paradise compared to the dank, institutional feeling of the Dungeon Suite.
“ Dobroye utro, angel.” The light spilling in from the window illuminated Vladimir’s vibrant blue eyes and highlighted worry lines on his forehead. He looked exhausted, like he hadn’t slept all night. He opened the window and pulled back the lace curtains to let fresh air and sunshine into the room.
I sat up and noticed the t-shirt I had on was soaking wet. I wasn’t usually a night sweater, and I didn’t recall getting dressed. “What happened?”
“Nightmares. You had a rough night.”
I had no memory of any of that. The last thing I remembered was falling asleep while Vladimir held my hand. I wiped my hair out of my face and tossed off the blanket.
“How are you feeling? Can you eat some lunch?” He gathered up some pillows and tucked them behind my back to help me sit up. It was unnerving to be around him while my defenses were down. He had been nothing but sweet and helpful since my arrival, but I would rather be alone.
“I’m fine. I just need to rest.” If it were up to me, I would’ve holed up in the bedroom until it was time to go home. I spent the majority of my teen years barricaded in my room. It was my safe house, my drama-free sanctuary.
Boris ducked through the doorway carrying a tray loaded with a bountiful feast of red soup, a creamy potato casserole, a mouth-watering cinnamon bun, and a steaming cup of tea. “You will have nourishment, then rest.” He placed the tray over my lap, tapped a couple pills into my hand to take for the pain, and then pulled a chair up to the foot of the bed. Vladimir sat beside me in the window seat.
“You eat. I’ll talk,” Boris said.
I swallowed the pills and then scooped up a bite of warm, cheesy potatoes and slid it into my mouth. “ Mmm …” My stomach had been rumbling since I'd opened my eyes, and I was grateful for a hearty meal. I shoveled in another bite, and while I chewed, I picked up the warm pastry, ready to take a chomp out of it as soon as I gulped down the casserole.
I glanced up and noticed Vladimir eyeing me like some pitiful mongrel rummaging through a trash heap and scarfing down food scraps. I didn’t want my malnutrition to reflect poorly on Dmitri, so I set down the sticky bun, licked the glaze off my fingers, and sipped my tea like a civilized human.
“My job is to protect you, and I failed,” Boris said. “You have my word, I will not be foolish again. The guards I stationed outside the shelter to protect you were the ones responsible for breaking in.”
“They weren’t from the Ovechkin Bratva ?”
“The men I shot dead last night were on our payroll. While Vladimir was chasing you in America, our rivals did some recruiting. Men from our own Bratva have turned against us, shifting their loyalty to our rival pakhan , Maksim Ovechkin.
“We have traitors among our most trusted circle,” Vladimir said.
“As I conduct my investigation, you and Vladimir will remain sequestered here until I’m certain you’re safe.”
“Where’s here ?”
“Our family dacha,” Vladimir said. “We’re miles from the city. There’s nothing to fear, Carter. No uninvited guests can penetrate our security here. We have our most loyal soldiers stationed around the perimeter, and no one comes or goes without my knowledge.”
***
After lunch, Vladimir led me to the bathroom where I took a hot shower. I washed my hair three times,
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