Page 40 of Savage Truce

He nods, taking a deep breath through his nose, and as he lets it out, he leans toward the bedside table to pick up three boxes.

“Dr. Kravets prescribed these for you to take in the morning. They should help with some of the anxiety and make it easier when everything becomes too much.” He shows me another box. “These are only if you need them, when the memories become so overwhelming you can’t pull yourself out of them.”

“Okay.”

Tapping on the third box, he explains, “This is the medication you take before bed.” Rodian locks eyes with me again. “The doctor also thinks you should see a therapist who specializes in PTSD.”

The thought of talking about the hell has me pulling back and shaking my head wildly. “No. Definitely not!”

Rodian grips me behind my neck and leans closer to me while capturing my gaze with his. “All I ask is that you think about it, Anastasia. You had an entire life stolen from you. Five years you should’ve spent doing what you loved, being happy, building a future with me.” A muscle begins to tick above his beard, and the blue of his eyes turns lighter with anger. “Instead, you were treated like a servant, and then those fuckers took what little you had left and subjected you to things you should never have had to survive.”

In desperate need to have something… or someone who’s on my side and not hurting me, I lunge forward and wrap my arms around his neck.

“Please,” I rasp, my voice hoarse from all the overwhelming emotions.

Rodian’s strong arms engulf me, and when he holds me so tight it feels like he might never let go again, my breathing hitches.

“What do you need, moya krasavitsa? Tell me, and I’ll make it happen.”

“I just want… everyone to stop… hurting me,” the words sputter from me as tears begin to fall.

Rodian leans back so he can see my face while his palm brushes over the side of my head.

I can see he means it when he says, “I promise you on everything I hold dear, I will protect you until my final breath. Whoever dares to insult you or raise a hand against you will die.”

A sob bursts from me, and giving him a pleading look, I say, “I don’t want to be a part of the Bratva. I just want a normal life.”

He stares at me for an unnervingly few seconds, then shakes his head. “I can’t let you go, Anastasia, but I can guarantee you will have a very normal life here on my estate. You’ll be free to do whatever you want.”

My shoulders slump, and my eyebrows draw together as I ask, “So I still have to marry you?”

“Yes. The wedding will take place in two weeks. Your grandfather’s associates won’t back down until my ring is on your finger.”

“Two weeks!” I exclaim, the blood draining from my face.

Rodian’s hands move fast, framing the sides of my head, and he leans in dangerously close. “You are a Fedorov! The only safe place for you is with me.” When I flinch from his harsh tone, he visibly calms down before continuing, “You will have everything your heart desires.” Leaning in, he surprises the crap out of me when he presses a soft kiss to my mouth, and as our eyes lock again, he says, “You will be loved, Anastasia.”

I latch onto his last sentence like a drowning woman, his words the life vest I so desperately need.

God, I don’t know if I believe him, or if I can trust the man he’s become, but right now, I need someone to keep me from sinking.

And despite everything, that someone is Rodian.

He still scares me. Not because I think he’ll beat or starve me, but because he has the power to decide what happens to me, and I have none.

In two weeks, I’ll be his wife, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it because, at the end of the day, I don’t dare disrespect the pakhan by refusing to marry him.

CHAPTER 13

Rodian

Opening the front door, a smile spreads over my face as I watch my family get out of the armored sedan.

Artem has a huge grin as he runs toward me, and when he plows into my chest, I wrap him up in a tight hug.

“I missed you,” he chuckles. Just as quickly, he pulls back and begins to ramble, “I saw bugs that look like sticks and big moths and waterfalls and a hole in the ocean.” He shudders, his eyes big and filled with excitement. “It was scary to see.”

Patting his cheek, I say, “I’m happy to hear you had fun.” Stepping past him, I hug my mother, father, and aunt, then announce, “I know you must all be tired from the long flight, but we have something serious to discuss before you get settled.”