I slap his arm away from me. “Don’t you dare think that you have the right to touch me. You watched our father push me around for years, and you did nothing. Don’t you dare, for a fucking second, think it gives you the right to push me around too.”
Bogdan sneers, a dark smile on his lips, his eyes darkening.
“You’ve dishonored our family. You’ve betrayed your own blood. And you stand there thinking you can tell me how to treat you. You are nothing but scum as long as you stay with that Volkov.”
“Scum? Then why does Father want an alliance with him? Why is Alek so willing to drop his current allies to work with the Volkovs?” I snap.
Vasya laughs. “You really think he wants that? He doesn’t want that. He doesn’t give a shit about their alliance or their power. We have more power than they can imagine. All he wants is you back home.”
My heart stops for a full second. My body is frozen in place. My mind is racing.
“So, this was all a game to him. This dinner, the last meeting. He doesn’t want peace between the families?” I say, realizing the depth of the trouble we’re in.
“No, and you’re coming home with us tonight.”
“The fuck I am!” I snarl at Bogdan.
He takes a step towards me, and I shove him hard. But he’s massive in comparison to me, and if it comes down to strength, I don’t stand the flicker of a chance against him or Vasya.
Bogdan grabs my arm and slams me hard against the wall again, making the point.
“You are coming with us. Now, while your boyfriend is distracted and busy.”
“Take your fucking hands off her, or I will put a billet in your skull,” Simon snarls at Bogdan, storming towards us down the hallway. My heart somersaults with relief.
“You’d shoot me on neutral territory?” Bogdan laughs.
“You’d kidnap someone on neutral territory so it would be a fair reaction,” Simon counters.
Vasya narrows his eyes. “We don’t see it as a kidnapping, Volkov. This is a rescue. She is our sister after all.”
“A rescue would involve a willing ‘victim’, and she doesn’t look willing at all. So, if you want to play semantics with me, let’s ask Selene what she wants.” He doesn’t take his eyes off Bogdan, the bigger and more aggressive of my brothers. He’s already sussed him out over dinner and calculated the threat.
Bogdan releases my arm and turns to face Simon with a smile of triumph on his face. The nagging feeling inside me triples. Why does Bogdan look as if this is exactly what he wanted? Like this is exactly where he wanted us to end up?
Bogdan steps towards Simon and shoves his chest.
Simon does not back down. He pushes his broad shoulders out and takes a step forward.
In the blink of an eye, he swings. When his fist connects with Bogdan’s jaw, there is a loud crack, and Bogdan’s head snaps backward.
He stumbles, falling against the wall, but not to the ground. Then he starts laughing.
That’s when the idea slams into me. The idea that this wasn’t about kidnapping me. It wasn’t about getting me to come home either… this was all about keeping Simon busy.
“Simon!” I shout, stepping between him and Bogdan.
“Selene, get out of the way, he’ll hurt you,” Simon snarls, making a grab for me.
I grab his face in my hands and force him to look at me. “Simon, this is a distraction. Check your phone. Check your phone now. Call Raya!”
“Raya?” he stammers, confused.
“Call her!” I plead, tears of panic pressing against my eyes. “Please call her!”
He pulls this phone from his pocket and dials. It rings. And rings. And rings.
The longer I stare at him waiting, the worse I feel.
