Page 62 of Claimed
“Mr. Ivanov,” she stammered out, digging in her heels though Anthony continued to drag her the rest of the way into a small space that suddenly became engulfed in brilliant light as a single, bare bulb came to life.
“What is this,” Pyotr Ivanov demanded with a sneer, nostrils flaring as he scented the air. “She’s pregnant, you fool!”
“A small hiccup in the plan, I’ll grant you, but not something so large it can’t be dealt with.” Anthony rolled his shoulders, sending Elena flying towards the opposite wall where she landed hard with a solid thud against the raw wood.
“Do you have any idea what happens to an Omega when you take their child,” Ivanov snarled, cuffing Elena on the side of the head when she attempted to lurch towards the opening serving as a door.
Sent reeling, she collapsed to the filthy floor where a sob grated through her throat. Something thick and wet trickled down her temple to stain her cheek before slapping wetly against her chest. She’d trusted him, and he’d brought her straight to the evilness that had tried to kill her before. No, not kill her. Pyotr Ivanov had wanted something from her, and still did, if this chaotic scene was anything to go by.
Things slowly began to click into place, far too late to be of any help to her now.
The car chase. The sudden appearance of Anthony at the hotel, his story of assisting her an excuse for the blood and bruises he’d been sporting. Further still to how dizzy and sick she’d felt after her dinner with Anthony. The scent of evergreens during that awful night.
“It was you,” Elena choked out, curling her legs under her as she wrapped her arms tight around her middle to protect her unborn child from the seething evil surrounding her.
“You should never have run from me,” Pyotr growled, fisting Elena’s hair to wrench her head back. Forcing her to meet hisfurious blue gaze before he shoved her away with his lip curled in disgust. “She is of no use to me this way.”
Elena couldn’t believe she’d ever thought this man noble in his own way. Rough and handsome. He was a devil in disguise, an evil she’d never understand. He’d wanted to hurt her in ways she couldn’t imagine, and she’dsmiledat him. Had looked forward to being his mate!
“You said you wanted her, no matter what. Well, no matter the fact she’s mated and pregnant is the way I see it. You owe me, Ivanov.”
“I will pay you the money we agreed upon,” Pyotr said, seething with a rage that suffocated Elena in the scent of ash and smoke. “But I have no use for her. She is yours to deal with.”
“What the hell do you expect me to do with my brother’s leavings?”
“I do not care.”
“Just take me back,” Elena pleaded, keeping her head bowed as she tried to make herself even smaller where she sat between them. “I swear, I won’t breathe a word of any of this, just please take me back.”
She knew what horrors Anthony had already visited upon her. Couldn’t fathom what he’d do to her now that she had no purpose to the man paying him.
Why had this ever happened to her? She was no one special, nothing important. Tears gathered along her lashes before they fell to stain her cheeks.
“Oh, that isn’t an option, little one,” Pyotr said on a vicious growl. Gathering up her hair at her nape, he dragged Elena back into his shadow, sprawling her over the floor as he crouched over her. Giving her a considering look, the frigid blue of his gaze swept over her. “Perhaps I do have a use for her after all.”
“Whatever, I don’t care what you do with her. Just see to it you get me my money.”
“Da, I shall.”
Elena shook her head within the tight grip of Pyotr’s cruel fist, a sob grinding through her throat as she tried to crawl away from him. Brought back against the hard planks of his thighs, she cried out, nails digging through the refuse littering the floor for some purchase to drag herself away.
All to no avail.
