It’s a human sized cage inside a cold, dank basement. There’s a faint musty smell to the air that makes the entire place reek. I’m truly a prisoner. Alek Morozov, my brother’s enemy, kidnapped me. And Alice the new housekeeper helped him.
Did Alek plan this all? Is he the reason Ann left only to be replaced by Alice so he could bring me here?
I shudder at the thought.
I sit up and look around the room. On instinct, I try the cage door but it’s locked. There’s no way I’m getting out of here. The basement has one tiny window in it, letting in light, telling me it’s still daytime. How long have I been gone? When will Dimitri and Sofiya realize I’m not there?
It could take all day, given how often I’m in my room. My presence won’t be missed for a long time.
I squeeze my eyes shut and let a few tears fall. I’m no longer in my room. In fact, it’s the opposite. I’m stuck in a cage in my brother’s enemy’s home. I’m not in Kansa anymore, that’s for sure.
But the longer I sit in the cage… the more at ease I feel. It’s not that different from my room. A small, enclosed space. I can be safe inside of here. It’s in the outside world where I’m not safe.
The only door in the basement opens up and Alek enters. Now that I’m not as panicked, I can get a better look at him. He’s tall and broad shouldered. Dark hair with the faintest of grey at the temples. Older than Dimitri but not by much. Handsome in a distinguished kind of way.
But also utterly terrifying given the fact that he kidnapped me.
He looks me over so I hug my knees into my chest, making it so he can’t look at my body. “You’re calm now.” He sounds… surprised by that fact.
“You can’t hurt me in here,” I whisper.
“In where?”
“In the cage. In my room.” This cage has to be my new room or I’ll die. I just know it. I won’t be able to survive any of this.
“This cage?” he asks, pointing at it.
“Yes.”
“You think it’s… your room?”
“It has to be. I have to be in there. Or…”
“Or?”
I shake my head.
Alek approaches the cage but he doesn’t open the door, seemingly content just to look at me, like I’m an animal he’s studying. “You seem a lot more calm than I was expecting given how you were acting earlier.”
“Because I’m safe in here. Safe. It’s enclosed. I’ll be ok. I have to be. I have to be.”
Alek’s eyes darken. “You’re a lot more interesting than I thought you would be.” It’s both an innocent comment and a dangerous threat.
Chapter Three
Alek
Katya is an enigma to say the least. The last thing I expected was for her to seem more comfortable inside a cage than out of it. Who is this woman exactly?
“I’ve heard the rumors,” I say, looking down at her. She’s wrapped around herself as if that will protect her from me. Nothing will protect her from me. Katya is mine now. Mine to do with as I please. Dimitri thought he could win with me and I’m going to show him otherwise. “That Dimitri held you captive all your life. Is that why you’re comfortable inside this cage?”
Something flashes in her eyes. “Dimitri never held me captive.”
“No? Then why do you like this cage so much?”
“I…” She shakes her head and looks down at her lap. It’s like she’s hoping I’ll magically disappear and she’ll get out of this situation.
“You intrigue me,” I admit. “Most women don’t.”
