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And I won’t dishonor their efforts, their sacrifices by being the one to break.
The sharp slap of leather against stone steps echoes from the stairway, alerting me to someone’s approach. I have a visitor.
And though I’m weak from exhaustion and starvation, I steel myself for whoever’s come to see me. I won’t let them think they’ve broken me. They’ll have to kill me first.
Biting back a groan, I watch as Mikhail descends into the rather impressive dungeon of his Upstate mansion, dressed to the nines in a designer tuxedo with a pristine white dress shirt, a perfectly knotted bowtie, a black silk cumberbund, and a delicate boutonniere pinned to his lapel.
His shiny black dress shoes are the only thing out of step with his dapper apparel. They seem to have been spattered with some kind of mud or filth. Though he clearly tried to clean them, the mess still clings to the seams of his soles and in the crevices of his shoelaces.
But that doesn’t seem to be on his mind.
He comes to a stop just feet in front of me; his dark, slicked-back hair is as oily as the smile on his face. And he scrutinizes me openly as he sneers. “Well, aren’t you in a sorry state, and today of all days,” he says snidely, following it with several tsks of disappointment.
“I must have missed the memo. Was I supposed to dress up in honor of your visit?” I rasp, my voice hoarse with dehydration.
Mikhail chuckles darkly, then his nose wrinkles with distaste. “I wish they would have at least hosed you down for the occasion. Because, while you might not know it yet, today is, in fact, a very special day.”
My gut clenches as my thoughts turn to Pyotr. Did Mikhail finally catch up with him? Is he dead? I don’t think I have the mental strength to survive that possibility.
And to mask the sudden and intense discomfort his taunt has instilled in me, I collect the last precious drops of moisture in my mouth, mixing them with the coppery blood from the cuts etched in my cheeks—trophies from the pummeling my face took this morning.
Then I spit squarely on the toe of his soiled dress shoe that someone so painstakingly cleaned. “And why is this day so significant?” I can’t restrain myself. I have to know.
“You mean you haven’t heard?” he asks in mock horror.
“Not many people to talk to down here,” I observe dryly, noting the empty row of cells along the wall with my eyes.
Mikhail clicks his tongue with disappointment. “You know, I really thought Maks was stronger than that. He certainly had the build to endure the fun longer.”
I keep my lips pressed firmly shut, my temper rising. He’s stalling—and rubbing salt in the wound at the same time.
But from the gleam of excitement that lights his dark eyes, I know he’s just as eager to tell me his news as I am to hear it, so I won’t press the matter. Instead, I watch him silently, attempting to scry the truth from his expression alone.
“But back to the subject at hand. I just came from a wedding. My wedding,” he boasts, straightening the lapels of his tuxedo.
“Congratulations,” I state flatly, sarcasm dripping from my tone.
His low, mirthful chuckle turns my blood to ice.
“You know, that’s rather big of you, Efrem. I thought you might be mad about Dani moving on so quickly, but it turns out you’re a better man than I.”
I can’t mask the pain his words bring this time. The blow is so low that it steals the air from my lungs, and despite myself, I collapse heavily against the chains suspending me.
“That’s right, your Dani just stood in front of an altar and said her vows to me. She’s mine, Efrem. To do with as I please.”
“You’re lying,” I snarl, though I can tell by the malevolent joy emanating from him in waves that it’s the truth. He’s a spectacular liar. But even Mikhail is not that good.
The giddy chuckle he releases is filled with glee.
“Oh, the look on your face! I mean, I’ve wanted to fuck Dani for a long time now, but the wait is entirely worth it after seeing the torment it brings you.”
“Don’t you fucking touch her,” I snarl, the fight coming back to me in a powerful wave as I jerk forward in my restraints.
“But that’s just the thing. Dani and I are here to enjoy our honeymoon,” he says smugly, his eyes shifting hungrily toward the ceiling. “And I can’t wait to fuck her.”
Blood boiling, ears ringing with rage, I see red. I’ve never wanted to kill someone so much in my life.
“Tell me, Efrem, is Dani as good a lay as I imagine? She’s so beautiful and curvy but tight in all the right places. I can just picture her being a real firecracker once I get her started. How does she like it, Efrem? Hard and fast? Does she like to take it up the ass? No, wait—don’t tell me. I want to figure it out for myself. Because I plan on fucking her in every way imaginable over this next week. And do you want to know what the best part is?”
