My heart drummed against my chest like carnival drums and it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room.
My mouth was curiosly dry and when I tried to swallow, my throat felt sealed shut.
"W-what are you doing?" I had never stuttered this much like I was doing today.
"I don't like being lied to, Zahra," he whispered, his hot breath washing over my face, he raised his hand and I flinched, thinking he was going to hit me but instead, his hand cupped my jaw with shocking softness, "I can see your fear, and I bet it will taste so good."
He was so close now, far too close for my sanity. My senses went scattering away like flies and at that moment I couldn't have told you my name, all I could do was stare.
And then his hand on my jaw tightened and I let out a whimper, "You are mine now, Kotenok. Mine to possess, mine to break, mine to destroy."
I shivered, "I haven't done anything wrong. I'm a victim here."
His mouth tightened into a straight line, "I'm disappointed. I expected better from you than playing the victim card."
My hackles rose, "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, I didn't set off today to impress a psychopathic Russian with a stupid feud against my husband."
For the first time since I had stepped into the room, his eyes lit with fury. Oh God, he was surely going to kill me now. Why hadn't I kept my big mouth shut?
"I didn't mean to call you a psycho_"
"He's not your husband," he growled, cutting me off, "And let me warn you, the moment you try to betray me, I'll destroy you. Don't think for one second that you can become Miller's spy in my household."
Miller's spy? Of all things! Did he really think I was so pathetic that after Ali had humiliated me, put a gun to my head, flaunted his mistress in my face and had me thrown into jail, that I'd still have any loyalty to him.
My priority right now wasn't my ex husband, it was my own self. I was only thinking of how to get out of this new mess intact.
"Is that clear?"
I nodded vigorously.
Finally, he released me and grabbed the signed document, folding it up neatly and tucking it back into his breast pocket, "We're leaving. Now."
Silently, I trailed after him, trying to keep up with his long strides as we navigated the endless prison hallways. The guards we ran into merely shot us baffled glances, but nobody tried to stop us.
Outside, a black SUV with tinted glasses was waiting for us. As we approached the vehicle, the driver jumped down and pulled open the car door.
"Boss," the man nodded before his eyes crept over to me and then tore away hastily, "Alena is at the gate. She has refused to leave till she speaks with you."
"Have the men get her out, through any means necessary."
A horrified gasp escaped my mouth before I could hold it back and the two men turned to me.
"I'm sorry. I_"
"On second thought," Dimitri told the driver, ignoring me, "let her be."
"Yes, boss."
Then the green eyed man rattled off something else in rapid Russian, to which the driver nodded. Dimitri climbed into the car and I joined him at the back, seating so far from him, I was practically plastered to the door.
In the confines of the car, the man at my side seemed even larger and more intimidating and he sat ramrod straight, like a panther coiled into position to attack.
"Get dressed," my new husband handed me a designer label bag and I took it, gaze flying around the car.
"In here?" I squeaked.
His eyes narrowed, "Get dressed, Zarya."
Swallowing my protest because I knew it wouldn't help, I began to unbutton my grey prison jumpsuit. When I looked over at the rear view mirror, I saw that the driver was carefully staring ahead. Dimitri didn't offer me any such privacy, his eyes bored into my skin as I shrugged off the jumpsuit and dragged it down my legs.
I had on sensible, plain, black cotton underwear that didn't show off more than necessary and I hurriedly pulled on the navy blue dress.
"Where are we going?" I asked, "Do you live in Chicago?"
I wasn't surprised when I didn't get an answer. I wanted to roll down the window and put my head out to feel the early morning breeze against my face. I was free from that wretched prison and I wanted to sob in relief, regardless of the fact that I had just entered a different sort of prison.
The drive took almost an hour and Dimitri spent all of it barking into his phone in Russian.
The car finally came to a stop in front of a large wrought iron gate, or more accurately, in front of a red convertible parked in front of the gate.
The car door opened and a woman with platinum blonde hair, black leather thigh high boots, and an oversized suit jacket belted around the waist.
She crossed her arms over her chest, gaze mutinous.
Dimitri rolled down his window and stared at her, "Alena, pleasure as always. What do you want?"
"What do I want?" She echoed bitterly, "Do you think I'm a whore that you fuck around with and discard! Or you thought I wouldn't find out about your plans to marry some foreign bitch?"
"Who told you?"
She scoffed, "I'm not stupid. If I tell you, you'll kill him."
"And you think I won't regardless of whether you tell me or not?" He drawled.
Alena approached the car, hips swinging seductively, her lips folded into a pout, "Dimitri, you and I could be a powerhouse and_"
Her words trailed off when she caught sight of me, "Who is she!" She screeched, "don't tell me you want to marry this hideous, pathetic looking thing!"
"Alena, this is your last warning," Dimitri's voice was frosty, "stop putting your nose in my business. And stop spreading your legs for all my men just to get information about me. If you think I'm going to ever touch you again after everyone already knows the sounds you make when you come, then you should think again."
Blood drained from her face, "H-how do you know? Did that bastard Andrey tell you?"
I winced when my new husband let out a dark chuckle, "So it was Andrey after all."
"Don't hurt him," she rushed to say, "He's not a traitor."
"Any man who will tell secrets in the throes of passion is a coward," he replied, "Get your car out of my way, Alena. Now."
Shooting me one last dirty look, the blonde hurried to her car and climbed in. A moment later, the car pulled out of the way and the gate opened for us to drive in.
"What should I do about Andrey?" The driver asked quietly as we pulled over in front of a gorgeous fountain.
"Get rid of him."
Oh God.
I pushed open the door of the car and emptied the contents of my stomach all over the cobblestone floor.