Page 14 of Forced into a Bratva Marriage
He grabbed the half-empty bottle and strolled out of my study, saying, “I’ll send Pakhan Artem your regards.”
I lowered my head with a faint scoff, my fingers rubbing my eyes. He’d passed his message; I was overdue for marriage, and if I didn’t make a move, the Bratva would move on my behalf.
The idea lingered, and the concept itself made me sick in the stomach. None of the women he suggested seemed right for me, even though they all belonged to prestigious families.
I’d met all of them on different occasions. They were pretty and quite attractive. However, deep down, I knew none of them was right for me.
In that case, who was my missing rib, and how was I going to find her?
Chapter 5 – Ellie
I lay sprawled across the bed, lost in a dream world in the middle of the night. I couldn’t remember what the dream was about, but I remembered that faint voice in my head.
It was barely above a whisper, laced with a hint of urgency.
Wake up, Ellie. Wake up.
I let out a weak groan, intoxicated by sleep and too lazy to open my eyes. Even though I could already feel an invisible force pulling me out of my dream, I still resisted, refusing to wake up.
It had been four more days since my last encounter with that man from the restaurant. And during that time, I’d barely had a good night’s rest. I was always so jumpy, so suspicious of every move and every individual I came across.
Fear had deprived me of quality sleep for three days straight. Now that I was finally able to rest my head in peace, I didn’t want anything ruining it for me.
Sleep was too expensive these days. Why waste this opportunity?
However, that pesky little voice in my head wouldn’t shut the fuck up. It kept telling me to wake up as if the freaking house were on fire. I didn’t want to listen to my intrusive thoughts because, in my mind, it was just my paranoia talking.
Dammit, girl! Wake up!the voice snapped, as if pissed at my deliberate disobedience.
My eyelids flew open, and immediately, a frown settled on my face. I locked my jaw, furious at the fact that there was no one to vent my anger at. This was all me—my stupid paranoia.
I lay on my back, fingers curling tightly into fists as I stared into space. With everything going on at the moment, there was no telling when next I’d enjoy such a peaceful sleep again. And that alone infuriated me.
“I’m awake. Happy now?” I grumbled, rising from the bed.
My feet settled on the cool wooden floor, and I straightened, my chest heaving with slow breaths. I combed my fingers through my hair and rubbed my eyes while heading toward the door.
The plan was to head down to the kitchen and get a glass of water. But I’d barely taken two steps out of my bedroom when I heard a noise downstairs.
I froze for a second, listening more closely. Was someone in my house? My heart skipped a beat as I walked toward the top of the stairs with cautious steps.
I could’ve sworn that I heard muffled voices from the living room. But as I drew closer, all I heard was the neighbor’s dog barking outside.
Get back inside and lock your bedroom door. Hell, call 911!I said to myself.
Calling 911 sounded like a good idea, but what was I going to tell them? I had no proof that anyone had broken into my house.
Carefully, I walked down the stairs, my legs trembling beneath me, eyes scanning every corner. I flinched as a loud clap of thunder crashed outside, the lightning flash brightening the dark room for a fleeting second.
My hand flew to my chest, as if to prevent my heart from jumping out. I reached the base of the stairs and stopped, my watchful eyes roaming the living room. When I tried to turn on the lights, I realized the power was out.
Great.
Everything seemed fine, and nothing was out of the ordinary. There were no signs of breaking and entering. Yet I couldn’t shake the unease brewing within me. The shadows inmy own house were creeping me out in ways that made my skin crawl.
The dryness in my throat reminded me of why I’d come down here in the first place. To drink some water. Without hesitation, I made my way to the kitchen, grabbed a glass, and turned on the tap.
While gulping water down my throat, I noticed something strange. The east window was open, and the curtains were swirling in the wind.
