Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 95627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
"Sir, you can't do that. Do you have a ticket?" A shrill voice sounded behind me.
"No," a deep masculine voice said, and I knew exactly who it was.
My blood turned to ice as the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
That voice.
His voice.
The one that had whispered filthy promises in my ear just this morning.
I couldn't help but laugh. There I was, sitting on a train, thinking that I had escaped, trying to figure out what my next move would be and spiraling instead, when in fact I wasn't even leaving the city.
My knuckles turned white as I gripped the small bag in my lap and ducked my head even lower, thinking maybe he wouldn't see me. Maybe he didn't know what train car I was in.
I looked up, sneaking one little peek to see if he had maybe gone the other way.
Instead, my eyes met his furious gaze.
Time stopped. My breath caught in my throat.
His steely eyes blazed with barely controlled rage, his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscle ticking. His entire body was tense, coiled like a predator about to strike.
But beneath the fury, there was something else.
Hurt. Betrayal. Desire.
He found me, and it didn't matter what I did.
There was no escape. There would never be an escape.
As he moved toward me with that raw grace that had my stomach flipping with both fear and desire, I knew I was in trouble.
The worst part? Part of me was relieved he'd found me.
Part of me had wanted him to.
And that terrified me more than his rage ever could.
CHAPTER 26
ARTEM
Clearly this woman was sent to test me.
Whether by God or the devil, I didn't know.
But no one had ever pushed me so close to the edge of madness.
I wrapped my hand around her wrist, tight enough to leave faint imprints of my fingers on her porcelain skin, and yanked her off the train. The hoodie’s cuff bunched under my grip.
She was smart enough to keep her mouth closed.
I didn't know if it was from growing up with her family, seeing how people reacted to me, or just her self-preservation instincts finally kicking in, but she didn't attract attention or signal for help.
If she had tried something, I wasn't sure what I would do, but it would have caused a need for more payoffs and a bigger cover-up than Kostya's little shootout. Blood money and silence bought at a price that even I would feel.
Her cheeks flushed a beautiful pink color, and she held up her chin in defiance. Christ, even the streaks of rose gold in her hair seemed to glow like embers, highlighting her ire. It didn't matter. She could be as angry as she wanted. It wouldn't change a goddamn thing.
Tonight she was going to be reminded of exactly who she belonged to and what the consequences of her actions were. I thought I had been perfectly clear before. The punishments I gave her obviously hadn't been enough—hadn't carved themselves deep enough into her memory.
Maybe my mistake was making her come after her spanking, or maybe it was being too gentle when I fucked her in my office, letting her believe pain and pleasure could be separated.
No, my true mistake was in letting her think she had some freedom. I was trying to be nice. I was trying to give her some space after our dinner, but never again. Every time I gave her some leniency, some independence, she did something fucking stupid and put herself in danger.
It was going to be a very, very long time before I trusted her again. If ever.
As soon as her feet hit the platform, I switched my grip to the back of her neck, fingers digging into the tender flesh where her spine met her skull, and frog-marched her through the marble lobby.
She had proven over and over to be far more resilient than she should have been. And fucking crafty. Her mind worked in ways that left me both furious and impressed.
I wasn't letting her get away. She wasn't going to make a run for it or slip into the bathroom and then out of the window or something equally ridiculous.
Maybe it would be better to leave her naked and chained to my desk. At least then I would know where the fuck she was. The image of her bound and helpless sent a jolt of heat through me that I pushed aside. This wasn't about pleasure—this was about control.
The train station was mostly empty now, as the last train of the night pulled out of the station with a mournful whistle. Still, the few remaining people openly gaped at us, their eyes widening before they quickly averted their gazes and gave us a wide berth. Fear and recognition flashed across their faces in equal measure.