Page 121 of Fractured Ties

“That’s what my mother called me.”

“A good-for-nothing whore,” Alexei muttered behind her.

Maya didn’t even react to that. She’d heard it time and time again in her life. It wasn’t anything new and it barely even stung. She hadn’t known her mother—she didn’t know if the things her brother and father said were true or not. She didn’t care to defend a woman she didn’t know.

The unknown man’s cold, blue gaze drifted from her to her brother, and then back to Maya again like something had just interested him. What it was, she didn’t know. Maya didn’t care to ask, either.

“You are a pretty thing, no?” the man across the room asked. He didn’t wait for a reply from Maya before adding, “Not my preference, but I can see why someone might find you interesting to look at. Some ground rules, then?”

Maya blinked. “What?”

He gestured at her with a hand lined in various golden rings. “While you are here, I do not want to hear or see you unless you’re told otherwise. You’re to behave, and do what is demanded of you. Be pleasant and your stay will be less traumatic.”

A thick ball of emotion lodged in her throat. “Just how long am I going to be staying here?”

And who the fuck are you?

The man smiled coldly. “As long as it takes. Now, I have a gift for you, if you’re interested. Do keep quiet, and act like a good girl—I am sure you know how to do just that.”

Maya had no idea what the man was talking about, but he pulled a phone out of his pocket, and waved it at her. He pressed a button on the screen, and then another before sitting it on the arm of the chair as the sound of a call ringing through started to echo from the speakers.

Her brow furrowed as the call clicked through. Before whoever was on the other end of the line could even greet the caller, the man sitting in the chair said, “She’s here, if you’d like to say hello. Keep it short, yeah? My patience for today is already shot.”

“Apologies, old friend.”

Maya was stuck between the fear coursing through her body all of the sudden at the sound of Valbon Gashi’s voice filtering through the phone, and the way the man across the room rolled his eyes at being called friend.

She didn’t know which one to deal with, not that it mattered. Valbon was speaking this time, but instead of directing his conversation to the man, he was talking to her.

“Maya, I’ve missed you. Beautiful girl, it’s been too long. Not too much longer now before you’ll be back where you belong.”

She sucked in a sharp breath, and it ached in her lungs. On her lap, her tied hands balled into fists all over again, and her fingernails cut into her palms. The pain was enough to keep her fear under control, but she wasn’t sure how long it would last.

“I couldn’t seem to get my fill of you,” Valbon murmured, “not since that first taste, anyhow. So much so, that I even found more ways to indebt your father to me just so I could keep coming back.”

His following laughter made Maya sick.

She barely held back the vomit.

“I certainly hope the Russian hasn’t ruined you for me,” Valbon said darkly, “but we will find out soon enough, won’t we? Be a good girl, Maya.”

The phone call clicked off, and Maya’s gaze flew to the man across the room, who picked the device up and slipped it back into his jacket pocket. He seemed entirely unbothered by the fact Maya had no color left to her cheeks and was struggling to take in a decent breath.

Valbon terrified her. He took great enjoyment in taking from her in whatever way he could—as though her body were not her own, and she didn’t get to choose. When she was in his sights, there was no escaping that fucking man.

If she had a monster, Valbon was it. He was the demon who had latched onto her life, and refused to die.

How many times was she going to be put at the feet of that man for his taking before someone showed her mercy?

“Well, that was interesting,” the man across the room said.

Maya could only swallow back her fear.

He smiled at her again. “Welcome to New York, Maya. Shame you won’t get to see the sights, no?”

16.

KOLYA ITCHED to move. Eyeing those around him who took their sweet fucking time strapping protective gear onto their bodies, he had to beat down the urge to snap at every single one of them to hurry the fuck up and get a move on.