“Yep, you’re psychotic.” He laughs, running a hand down his face.
I smile, but inside, my frustration rises with this meaningless conversation, and I try to steer us back on track.
“Tell me their names and rank.”
I pause, noticing how his eyes aren’t on mine—they’re fixed on my restrained body.
“Please.” I soften my expression, brows curving as I try a face I’m hoping he won’t be able to resist. “I promise I’ll never tell a soul.”
He shakes his head, but I can see he’s caving.
“Okay, Ace.” He comes back over to me, keeping me at arm’s reach. “Tell me something vulnerable about you, and then I’ll give you the safety of my balls.”
I let out a small grin. “Okay, um…” I think for a second, trying to come up with something that wouldn’t be detrimental to my safety.
“My name isn’t Ace,” I say with a smile.
“Hm, and I’m assuming they don’t know that.” I try to shrug my shoulders, but I don’t have much room in my restraints.
“Okay.” He pauses, his smirk doesn’t falter, but there’s a spark in his eyes.
He takes another step closer, but before I can react, his hand comes up, trailing from my wrist down my arm, moving way too slowly, causing my pulse to spike and send heat to my cheeks. I hate it, hate how my body reacts, hate that my brain is still too foggy to process the full danger.
He cracks his neck, the sound unnerving, intimate. “I like knowing who my allies are. So I’ll test you out.”
I squint at him. “Hands-on education now? What’s next, do I have to get naked to earn your trust, too?”
He brushes my question off with a smile and drops his hand.
But why do I miss it when it goes?
“The man who brought you in is named Alexei. He used to be primarily in drug trading but has switched over to handling more… complex packages.” He looks me up and down. “Often related to sex trafficking. The doctor who came in yesterday is Ivan. He isn’t someone to mess with, but he doesn’t like me very much, and I’m still alive.” He winks, then continues, “The man who came to deliver food is Maksim. He is likely harmless and gets treated like their pet because he’s new.”
“Okay, what about the tattooed man in the suit?”
He looks down, and I don’t think he wants to tell me, but gets it out anyway. “Nikolai.”
“And he is?”
But I know.
I knew the Orlov family would come for me. I just expected it would be Viktor, and that he wouldn’t be interested in me personally.
“Nikolai Orlov, the devil himself.”
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I am so screwed.
Chapter 29
Adrian
She’s sleeping again.
Honestly, I wish I got as many drugs as she does. I haven’t slept once in the day and a half she’s been here. My head’s pounding, my eyes burn, and the metal collar chained to the wall digs into my neck every time I shift. But her? They keep pumping her full of whatever cocktail keeps her quiet and pliant.
