Page 56 of Sold to My Ex's Brother
“You’ll never lose me, Maya,” I tell her. And, as I kiss her again, our bodies still pressed deep against each other, I know that I mean it. Whatever it takes to keep this woman safe, it’s a small price to pay to feel her here in my arms.
And I will do everything in my power to protect it now that I know just how precious it is.
27
MAYA
When I wakethe next day, I snap bolt-upright from a horrible nightmare. One where Artem still had me in his clutches and had me standing at the back of the stage, ready to go out and face what lay ahead.Go on,he had told me in the dream.
A whore like you will fetch a good price...
But, as I look around and remember where exactly I am, I flop back on to the bed, pressing a hand to my chest. It’s okay. I’m safe now. As hard as it might be to believe, I’m really, truly, safe, and I know I should be grateful for that. Anton saved me, saved all of the women who were being held there, and for the time being, at least, I don’t have anything to worry about.
He slept next to me last night, after he carried me out of the bath, holding me close until I dozed off in his grasp. What we had shared, it had been... intense. In a good way. It felt like every time I submitted myself to him again, every time I let him take control of me and claim me, I found myself reaching new heights of pleasure.
Though I’m not entirely sure what that says about me. Or him, for that matter.
He told me last night that I belonged to him, and, in the moment, it had been the hottest thing I had ever heard in my goddamn life. Because, when we are fucking, that’s all I want. For him to show me how much he wants me, and how far he is willing to go to have me.
But now, in the cold light of day, I can’t help but wonder just what it means to be possessed by him like that. I mean, there was a reason I was sneaking out of the apartment in the first place when all of this went down, because I had felt so trapped and helpless in this apartment that I had snuck out when he wasn’t around. Because he was so intent on keeping me out of everything that I didn’t see any other way to ensure I wasn’t as much a prisoner here as I might have been with Artem.
No, it’s not nearly as bad as that. Anton clearly cares for me, and the connection we share isn’t something I’d ever had with anyone. But I hate the feeling of being caged in, trapped somewhere I cannot break out of, and I have a bad feeling that’s what it means to give myself over to him like that.
I glance over to the other side of the bed, where he had been sleeping when I had woken up once in the middle of the night. But now, the space is empty, nothing there but slightly mussed covers to indicate that there had ever been anyone sharing this space at all.
I guess that there is still a lot to take care of, especially now that his brother is...well, dead. I wince as that word crosses my mind. As foul and cruel as he was, Artem was still a person, and it still hurts to know that he is dead because of me. Because of his ownactions, of course, I’m not ignorant to that part, but it doesn’t exactly make it sit any more comfortably with me.
I run a hand through my hair and swing my legs out of bed, figuring that I should go about my day. I want to get a check-up soon.
I step into the shower and wash up quickly, changing into some fresh clothes, and catching sight of myself in the mirror as I go about my usual preparations for the day. I can’t help but notice that I… Well, I don’t really look much like myself, if I’m being honest.
I look like a version of me who has been wrung out, strung out, exhausted these last few months. And I just have to pray that I can find a way to keep it from taking me down entirely.
I head to the door and push it open—and nearly jump out of my skin when I see two guards standing on either side of it. The place was quiet when we came back last night, and I guess I had been foolish enough to think that it might stay that way for at least a little while longer.
“What are you…”
I blunder over my words, trying to pull myself together. I know that these men work for Anton, that they are no threat to me, but I still don’t like the idea of strange men lurking outside my bedroom door without me knowing about it.
I cross my arms over my chest. I need to speak to Anton about this. He is the one calling the shots around here, after all, and there’s no point in pretending otherwise.
“Where’s Anton?” I ask, and then I remember the term they use for him. “Where’s the Pakhan?”
One of the men looks at me, a furrow tugging together his brows. “Why?”
“Why do you need to know?”
I’m being needlessly difficult, I know, but I can’t help it. I’ve had enough people trying to control me these last few days, and I don’t want to come up against any of it from some man I don’t even know.
“The Pakhan is busy,” the other guard interjects. “So if you want to see him, then you’ll need to have a good reason to.”
“I’m the mother of his child, isn’t that reason enough?” I retort. I guess that everyone must know about it now, given how loose-lipped Artem had been about spilling the news. I might as well use it to my advantage as best I can, even if I don’t know where it will lead me.
The man stares down at me, clearly not keen to interrupt his boss right now. I shift my weight from foot to foot as I wait for him to respond, but nothing seems forthcoming. I don’t know what to expect here, but I know I have to keep my cool, hold myself together, if I’m going to convince these men that I need to speak with him.
“I’ll tell him,” he replies finally, and he turns on his heel and heads off down the corridor, leaving me alone with the other guard, who I sneak a nervous look up at. I don’t know if I should follow him, go after him to make sure that he does not try to frame this in some way that doesn’t make sense, but I feel like I have already pushed my luck as far as I can. Better to wait it out, hold out on his return, than try to figure out a way that I can hurry this along...
It doesn’t take long for the first guard to return, and with him is Anton – Anton furrows his brow when he sees me, and gestures for me to head inside the room, perhaps not wanting this to be overheard by the other men.
