Not unless she wishes to end up in a place way worse than tucked in my penthouse apartment.
My little caged bird.
“I know you don’t want me to tell your brother what you’ve done. And we don’t need to involve the police…”
She cringes, shrinking in on herself, her pulse visibly fluttering in the vein of her neck.
I have to be careful, here. If there is one thing that Sasha understands, it’s how to escape. I can’t spring this trap too early. Money or no, she might run if I push too hard too fast.
“What are you asking? What are you going to do to me?” her eyes mist with tears again.
I ignore the tug that pulls at my chest. Sasha just tried to steal a large sum of money from this casino. She doesn’t get sympathy.
“We’ll discuss how you repay this debt, after the wedding.”
“Debt? You took all my money!” she cries out, her back snapping straight. There was some strength in her, which I appreciate. It makes this easier.
“Let’s not pretend you’re the wronged party. There will be a price to be paid, but I need time to consider what the cost will be, and I need to focus on the wedding.”
Her lip curled in distaste. “Focus on the wedding? Still picking the floral arrangements?”
No. It wasn’t the floral arrangements I was choosing.
It was the bride…
But that was for me to know and her to find out.
CHAPTER FOUR
Sasha
“I thinkit’s time for you to return home.”
“Home?” I snort because that apartment is not home. But then my breath catches again. “How do you intend to tuck me back into that prison without my brother knowing I escaped?” That did seem to be part of the deal. My brother will remain in the dark. That was the reason I was playing along. If Dimitri doesn’t know what I tried to do tonight, he’ll not hasten whatever plans he had for me. I’m buying the time I need to come up with some new plan.
“Let me worry about that,” he answers, holding out his hand. I don’t take it. Even I know not to touch a coiled snake.
One of my hands is wrapped around my torso, the other about my throat. “No, thank you.”
“It’s not a request,” he growls, extending his arm a little further. “This is a demand.”
I press my lips together, continuing to tap lightly on the pulsing vein in my neck. My head is swimming, and I can hardly think with the fog of fear.
I don’t want to touch him, it feels…dangerous.
But he keeps his hand in front of me, not wavering, until slowly, tentatively, I let go of my neck and slip my fingers into his.
His hand is warm, his skin rougher than mine, his fingers closing around me in a strong, sure grip. For just a second, I sink into the feeling, like his hand is infusing me with strength.
Remembering myself, I try to pull my fingers free, but he holds firm. Leaning in, he reaches his other hand up toward my face and I automatically flinch.
Movements like that have always meant that pain follows. He gives my fingers a gentle squeeze as he carefully brushes my hair back from my shoulder. “There is no need to be frightened.”
I scoff lightly, looking away. “There is every reason to be frightened.”
He doesn’t answer as he starts pulling me, not to the door I entered through, but to another in the back of the office.
His two goons follow, as if to illustrate my point. This is a hostile environment.
