Page 113 of Betrayal and Vows

"Anton!" Dmitri lunges forward, but two guards grab him, slamming him against the wall.

A baton cracks across my ribs and fire explodes through my chest. I swing wild, connecting with someone's jaw. The satisfying crunch of bone breaking under my knuckles gives me a savage rush.

"Hold him still!"

Hands grab my arms, my shoulders, trying to pin me down. I throw my head back, feeling the cartilage in someone's nose give way. He screams and loosens his grip just enough for me to break free.

I reach for the gun at my hip, but a boot kicks my wrist and the weapon goes flying across the room. Another blow to my back sends me to my knees.

"That's enough," a familiar voice says from the doorway.

Mikhail steps into the room. He’s wearing casual attire, jeans and a sweater. There isn’t a hair out of place. He looks at the chaos around him with satisfaction. The broken furniture, theblood on the walls, his men groaning on the floor and smiles that cold, reptilian smile I hate.

"You always were a fighter, weren't you?" He tilts his head, studying me like I'm an interesting insect. "But you won’t win. You might have enjoyed my wife’s delights, but not anymore. I appreciate you priming her.”

Ice floods my veins. He knows. He's always known.

The pictures.

The surveillance.

It was him.

"Surprised?" His laugh is evil. “I know. I know everything that happens in my house.”

The guards holding me tighten their grip as I surge forward. "You piece of shit?—"

"Tsk, tsk. Such language on my wedding day." He tugs at his sleeves, casual as if we're discussing the weather. "You know, my father wanted to kill you after the wedding. He wanted you to see me marry Lena. But I convinced him to let me handle it. And I’ve decided I don’t want to wait. Although, it’s a shame you won’t get to witness me take my wife the first time. Did I mention I like it rough?”

Red explodes behind my eyes. I fight against the hands holding me, muscles straining until I feel something pop in my shoulder. The pain is immediate. "If you touch her?—"

"Touch her?" He laughs again. "I'm going to do so much more than touch her. I'm going to make her forget you ever existed. She’ll be screaming my name.”

“I will kill you,” I hiss.

“Handle it,” Mikhail says. “I need to make sure my bride is…ready.”

The next thing I know, the back of my skull feels like it’s been cracked in two and then there’s swirling blackness.

And then I’m being dragged. I hear Dmitri, but my eyes won’t open.

The blackness wins. I sink into it knowing I will never see my girl again.

Pain explodes across my jaw and I'm yanked back to consciousness.

My vision swims, everything blurry and wrong. There's blood in my mouth, metallic and thick. I try to lift my hand to my face but my arms won't move. Metal bites into my wrists.

Chains.

I'm chained to a fucking wall.

The basement.

I can smell the damp stone, the mold, the lingering scent of copper that's soaked into the floor over the years.

Blood.

How many people have died down here? How many bodies has Vadim had murdered in here? How many have I killed in this very room?