SHE'S VIKTOR ROMANOV'S.

NYA

Pa

n I woke up. A dull, throbbing ache b

stiff and sore, my wrists raw f

arp breath and win

ed my lungs, but underneath it, I still smelled the fai

les screaming in protest. My legs wob

I expected. No damp dungeon, no

a plush bed with silk sheets, velvet curtains that fr

up my spine. Some

mirror, and what I saw

me

streaking down my pale cheeks, mascara clumped around

tight and fitted, was

n it

st n

h of memories s

hifting. That chemical scent. A moment

iving out before I even understood

h,

low. My pulse roared in my

. Bo

igging into the wood. My body felt like lead, m

r, heart hammering. I n

ould move, the d

r running down his cheek. He looked at me the way some

e said, voice rough.

Bo

hands clenched int

forward. "Don't make this h

in. "Fuck. You.

something in Russian before tu

changed. A shadow

shifted. Thickened a

t, the man stepped aside,

Hi

tion. I knew instantly this

is forearms, revealing the ink that coiled around his skin. His

was the way he carried himself. Like a man who was used to bei

ikt

me, then at the man

won't

ile

w, measured

distance between us, his movements effort

the bruises forming on my wrists. His gaze was unr

he grab

my

oat as my scalp burned. He yanke

is wrist. I kicked, fought, struggled. But

ay, through the halls, my feet barely k

ff the cold marble. No one came

appeared before us, and

I thrashed harde

r didn'

y step, my body jolting as

, but I swallowed them

me forward onto the

knees, my palms scrap

le rang through

head and met s

ilver cane resting in her grip. Her eyes we

d. "Loud little

rubbing his temp

against the floor and steppe

nd pressed the cold silver ag

body

ed her lips. "A

rage bubblin

. "You're nothing but a pet now,

that smug look off her face. But my

Cold bitch) I spat, pa

, this one has fire." She turned t

urmured, his voic

de me, his voice quiet

, and I'll make s

to spit i

cked back to me. "

ane against the fl

fr

to?"

oice was smooth, lace

my jaw. "I'

sting him. Then his hand was in m

he pulled me, forcing m

ion burned mor

leased. "Good. Now

he men. "Put her to work

that, I was th

leaning chemicals stung my nose, my arms trembled from ex

irritated. But one woman looked disgus

forcing my aching bo

back into my room, every

ay here. I had to get out. Not just

y room. Every muscle ached, my wrists raw from scrubbing, my

e I had

ay. Every guard. I knew when they changed shifts, when they g

going to

oni

d myself up. The small clock

exit would switch. There would be a forty-five-

was my

I crept to the door and press

ood

hinge-something I had worked at earlier when no one w

o o

panic rising in m

nt. Qu

alls, my bare feet making no sound against the marb

ty. The corridor to the

ed through the shadows, u

-the k

lingered in the air. A guard sat in the corner, half-a

pped pa

door was ri

e handle, twisting it with trembling

out. I

den stretched out before me, a maze of hedges and sto

final

h step controlled. One

the last guard on patrol. He yawned, ru

No

bolt

ngers clenched in anticipation. I co

hen

ow. A pr

confusion cr

ing was

d, the hairs on m

felt him befo

And there he

nst the stone pillar, o

ching

d. As if this had

omach d

How d

slightly. "That was i

ow, measured s

ized my ch

turn

my hair and ya

against him, my back hitting his chest. His g

urmured, his voice was like

flooded

't yelling. He was calm. A

ainst my ear, his voi

t let my poss

hen

ark