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Prologue
Anya ~ two years ago
Youwillpayforthe sins of your father, sweet thing.
I shivered at the memory of his voice in my ear as I stood in the shower, water so hot it almost scalded my skin.
“Anya. Are you okay?” Mikhail's voice came from the other side of the door. I shut the water off, wrapping a towel around myself.
“I’m fine, Misha,” I said, lying to both of us.
“Mikhail. Let her have her space.” I heard Rosslyn say to him. I smirked at her tone. I had never heard anyone so bossy and yet so sweet.
I still couldn’t bring myself to call him by his traditional name. He had always been Misha to me.
I stared at my reflection, the scab on the corner of my lip and the faint bruise on my hairline. I turned around, looking at the wound on my shoulder that was beginning to heal.
A heart. His mark permanently scarred my body forever.
Do you taste as sweet as you look? I bet you scream beautifully.
I closed my eyes as if that could shut out the memory but all I saw was his face.
Vlad. The man who took me from my car and dragged me into the world that I didn’t know existed, the world that my brother was a part of. The world of the Bratva.
I opened the door, glad to see the room empty as I grabbed the clothes Rosslyn left out for me. I had tried to forget. I tried to move on the way Mikhail and Rosslyn had from their trauma, but I couldn't do it. Not here with the constant reminders of why I had been taken in the first place.
A soft knock a few minutes later had me sighing again. They meant well, but I had no interest in talking.
“It’s Rosslyn.” The voice said and I opened the door, looking out at the woman who stared at me like she knew all my secrets.
“We are about to have dinner if you want to eat.” She said and I shook my head.
“No. I have contacted a friend. I’ll be going to stay with them.” I said and she nodded.
“I understand.” She hesitated and glanced down the hallway where Mikhail was hovering.
“Misha. Let’s talk.” I said as I walked past him, knowing he would follow me outside.
“Anya. You don’t have to go.” He said quietly and I almost felt bad for him.
“I can’t stay. This place,” I gestured to their home, “you and the others. It’s a reminder I don’t want to see every day of my life.” I said and he flinched.
“Anya…” He started and I shook my head.
“No, Mikhail. I thought the hardest thing about my life was deciding if I was going to stay or leave the ranch and knowing I was the product of an affair with a Russian businessman.” I wrapped my arms around myself, leaning against the large outdoor table, ignoring the hurt in his eyes at my use of his real name.
“Knowing that he was a criminal, that you are a criminal in the same world is a lot to take in. Then with what happened…” I hesitated and he reached out to touch my arm.
“Tell me, please. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what happened.” He said, desperation in his eyes.
“You can’t help me, Misha. No one can. I need time to heal, to find myself again.” I said and he dropped his hand, sadness in his eyes.
“You always have a place here. We won’t be a part of that world anymore. You have my word.” His voice broke and I knew he had suffered as much as I had, but in different ways. The difference was, he had found his happy ending. He found his family with Rosslyn, Gabriel, and Anatoly.
“I know. But you need to let me go, Misha. I need you to do this for me.” I said and he nodded. I smiled, hugging him tightly before I walked away from the girl I used to be to find the woman I had become.
One
