“Why did you let him just leave with her?” Jane turned on Vlad, yanking her arm in an attempt to pull away from him. She was so upset over the near death of her baby sister she could barely control her anger. Nausea threatened to well up once again and she shoved it ruthlessly aside.

Vlad, who had been tracking the truck out of the yard, turned cold eyes toward his wife, pinning her with all of the pent-up fury he’d been storing up over a long evening of dogging her footsteps through the city. “You will stop speaking, Jane,” he said in a coldly furious voice, “And calm yourself.”

“Fuck you,” she spat, furiously, unheeding of his warning. “You let him take my sister, knowing we can do a better job of protecting her! Go and get her back!”

Vlad reacted swiftly, gripping her face in his other hand and shaking her. He checked his strength so as not to hurt her or the baby, but she could feel the fury vibrating through his tense body and knew he wanted to unleash on her. His grip on her face was steel and he used it to drag her against his long, lean frame. She gasped and tried to wrench back, but he held firm.

He bent until his lips were a whisper away from hers and said in a low, sinister voice, “I’m done, Jane.”

Shock flashed through her, stiffening her body. “Done?” she whispered. Had she finally pushed her husband too far? Fear and hurt collided within her. What was he going to do with her? Just let her go? Release her into the world because she was too much trouble? And what about the baby? Somehow, she didn’t believe he would do that. Even if he didn’t want her anymore, he would still want the baby.

He must have read some of the thoughts on her expressive face. Pity flashed in his eyes and he brushed a thumb across her lips. “Even after the time we have spent together, you still do not understand the depths of my feelings for you, Jane malysh.” His eyes hardened, and his fingers tightened on her face. “It is these feelings, this need to protect you, and your reckless disregard for my feelings that have driven us to this point, my love. I will never let you go.”

Relief flooded through her, making her feel weak in the knees. She was suddenly very glad for the hold he had on her because she didn’t think she could remain upright otherwise. He still wanted her; he wasn’t going to get rid of her. But then… what was he going to do with her?

Without another word, he took her arm and pulled her toward his car, jerking his chin toward his men. Jane looked around one last time at the horrific scene that might have ended tragically before Vlad shoved her into the car. She would have crawled all the way across, but he stopped her, forcing her into the seat next to his. She reached for her seatbelt, but he took it from her fingers and latched it himself as though believing her incapable of even that small safety task. She narrowed her eyes in the darkness of the vehicle and bit back a growl of annoyance. Clearly, they were going to have it out when they got home.

Jane watched Vlad warily as he buckled himself in and gave the command for the driver to take them home. Without looking at her, Vlad said, “Get some rest.” Jane caught the implication. She would need it for the hours to come. Her stomach dropped and, for once, she listened, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

It was a long drive back to their home and Jane slept most of the 45 minutes, the stress of the evening taking its toll on her body. She woke to Vlad unbuckling her seatbelt and lifting her from the car.

“I can walk,” she said sleepily, shoving against his chest, still pissed off that he’d allowed Mack to just take Lucy instead of putting up a fight to get her sister back.

“Be still,” he snapped, striding with her.

Jane relented, deciding she probably had bigger battles to fight. Imminent battles. She snuggled closer against his chest, closing her eyes and enjoying the heat from her body. She was halfway to drifting back to sleep when she realized they hadn’t actually entered the house and his shoes were no longer striking pavement. Jane frowned and lifted her head. They were crossing the back yard. Toward the bunker. Where he’d locked her up one year ago.

Jane shouted something unintelligible and surged up in his arms, twisting sideways and sending an elbow toward his throat. Vlad reacted instantly taking her right to the grass where he held her face-down with her wrists behind her back. He kept her pinned while she struggled beneath him. The tight dress wiggled up her hips until it was nearly at her waist, revealing the black lace panties Anya had insisted she wear.

“Calm the fuck down Jane before you hurt our child,” he growled from above her.

“You’re the one hurting it, not me!” she yelled still twisting, but her struggles grew weaker as exhaustion overtook her.

Vlad flipped her over onto her back, pulled her hands over her head and leaned over her between her spread legs. He placed his entire length, his entire weight across her, careful not to put pressure on her stomach. Their position should have been sexual, but his anger with her was so profound she thought he might kill her in that moment.

“I’ve had enough of this Jane,” he yelled, his voice thundering across the lawn. She froze. She’d never heard him raise his voice before. It was terrifying. It would have been awe-inspiring if it weren’t directed at her. “I’ve had enough of you. You have gone too far this time. Too fucking far. If I could, I would tear our baby out of you right now just to keep it safe from your stupidity and bury you so deep in Russia with my bratva kin you would never see the light of day.”

Her mouth fell open and tears threatened to spill. Then Jane did what Jane did best, she came up fighting. She bared her teeth in a snarl and spit at him. She was proud to see it land on his neck and drip into the collar of his shirt. Or she was proud for about three seconds, until the look in his eyes turned glacial. Maybe she had gone too far this time. Fuck, was she ever a bad judge of how to handle her husband.

Vlad moved his hand to her neck and pinned her to the ground so hard she wouldn’t have been able to breath if they were anywhere except on spongy grass. “Do you have any idea who I am?” he snarled.

She glared up at him.

“This is the last time you will insult me like this, I promise you, Jane.”

Jane doubted it. Unless he really did kill her this time.

Vlad stood, lifting her by the neck. She choked a little, but he let her go right away, gripped her arm and began dragging her toward the bunker. She didn’t bother struggling, knowing it was useless. Vlad would manhandle her painfully if she tried to fight him again. It wasn’t worth any more bruises.

He punched in a long code that she wasn’t quick enough to catch and yanked her inside, slamming the door shut behind him. He dragged her past row after row of wine bottles, deeper into his prison. The last time he’d brought her here, he’d admitted that this was where he interrogated enemies and kept prisoners. Jane shivered. She supposed she was both to him now.

He took her directly to the same cell as before and opened the door. She gaped in surprise as he shoved her inside. It was completely different. Slowly she turned to face him accusation burning bright in her eyes. “You were planning this.”

Instead of the single plank cot and toilet she remembered from her previous stay, the space had been transformed into a lovely room with a four-poster bed, a book shelf, a dresser, a vanity and a private washroom.

He nodded sharply and stepped back, preparing to leave. “I knew you wouldn’t settle into this pregnancy, Jane. I knew you would put yourself and our unborn child in danger. I am sorry, malysh. This is the only way I know how to protect you. You will remain here until our child is born.”

He slammed the door shut and left her alone in the place that was to be her prison for the next five months.