Page 79

It grates on my nerves, but snapping at her would be pointless. She’s only doing her job. And I don’t even have any right to be angry anyway.

I spit out the toothpaste, rinse my mouth, then step into the shower.

If anything, I should be grateful this is the way he chooses to torture me. I was grateful. But that gratitude is quickly wearing thin. And as I turn on the shower and the water cascades down my stiffened nipples and sensitive clit, I can’t help wishing he chose literally any other method. Maybe then I could resist spilling my guts to him, maybe I could resist him. As it stands, I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying not to think about fingering myself—Anya’s presence be damned.

I turn off the shower, my fingers shaking—shaking—from the effort it takes to stop myself. I’m going genuinely, legitimately mad with all this constant gnawing need with nowhere to go. One, maybe two more sessions of Dimitri’s brand of torture, and I’m going to break. And the worst part is I’m starting to struggle to remember clearly why I’ve been resisting him.

Would telling him really be so bad?

At this point, there’s no guarantee Millie is even still alive. Just the hope that I’m clinging so hard to. But what good is hope if I can’t do anything with it? Maybe… maybe I could try to make a deal with Dimitri? His guarantee of Millie’s safety in exchange for the little information I have? But would it even be enough for him? Would it be worth anything at all?

“Ready for breakfast?” Anya asks as I step out of the bathroom, phone already in hand to text the delivery guy to bring it up.

I think about eating in my room. About another day of the same four walls and the same spiral of thought going nowhere. “I’d like to eat by the poolside this morning.”

31

DIMITRI

I texted Ivan and Aleksei with an update as my men and I left Grace’s apartment, so by the time we reached Levi’s house, they were already waiting. We park down the road in his shitty neighborhood, leaving three men behind to watch the cars while we deal with him.

“He’s not home yet, so we have enough time to prepare a surprise for him,” I tell Aleksei as we climb the broken wooden steps leading up to his one-story house.

“Our presence will be a surprise enough,” Aleksei says dryly. “He might go into cardiac arrest.”

“He better not,” Vanya chuckles. “How are we luring him back here? I doubt he’d randomly swing by in the middle of the day, and I’m not wasting my whole afternoon waiting.”

“Already handled.” I had thought of it myself—I have no more patience for this than he does. “He got a text from his ‘landlord’ telling him to come home. He’s on his way.”

“You’ve got a tail on him?” Aleksei asks, and I nod. According to that tail, Levi is only a few minutes out.

We take our positions. Vanya leans against the wall beside the front door. Aleksei sits on the sofa, legs crossed, and I settle into the armchair next to him. Our men fan out around the room, instinctively avoiding windows in case of an ambush.

Almost as soon as we’re all positioned, a truck pulls up outside, the text from my tail buzzing at the same moment. “He’s here.”

The truck door slams, followed by booted feet stomping up the front steps. Even without the tail keeping us updated, there would be no mistaking that Levi has arrived.

Muted curses drift through the door while keys jangle in the lock. A second later, he walks in with his head down, crosses the foyer, and makes it halfway through the living room before a prickle of instinct finally has him looking up.

The expression on his face when he does is worth the drive.

“Surprise, surprise,” Vanya hisses behind him, and the man nearly jumps out of his skin. He whirls around to face Vanya, then back to the living room at me, then to Aleksei. His throat works as he swallows, recognition flickering through the shock in his eyes.

“Welcome, Levi,” Aleksei says calmly. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

Levi’s lips part, and I read the intention on his face. “Scream, and my man there will blow your brains out.” I nod toward Noah standing in the corner, and Levi’s lips squeeze shut. “Good call.”

“W-what do you want?” he stammers, inching farther into the room while his gaze flicks from man to man, cataloging every threat.

“You already know who we are. Good.” I smirk as I get to my feet. “Your mother lives in Chinatown, doesn’t she? Sweet woman.” Mentioning her is a bluff, but he doesn’t know that.

His face goes white as paper. “You monster. What have you done to her?”

“Nothing,” Aleksei answers from the sofa, still relaxed. “Yet. What happens next depends entirely on how cooperative you are.”

Levi’s attention locks on him and remains on the pakhan as he shakes his head frantically. “I don’t know anything. I’m innocent, I swear⁠—”

“That’s what they all say at first.” Vanya clicks his tongue as he grabs Levi’s shoulder. “Show him the video, Dima.”