Knockout
I rolled off Vladimir and scrambled to put on my clothes. I fastened my bra, slid my dress over my head, and pulled on my underwear. I zipped up Vladimir’s pants and got him put together from the waist down but ran out of time to button up his shirt. His complexion was glowing, and we were both sweaty from our workout in the sweltering basement. It was obvious my husband and I had shamelessly made love in our prison cot. However, I pressed down on the fabric of my dress to smooth out the wrinkles and mask the fact that I had tossed it into a rumpled heap on the floor in the throes of passion.
Yuri thundered down the stairs and made his way to our cell, carrying a bundle of clean clothes for me to change into because the dress I had on was stained with soup and smelled like cooked cabbage. “What’s all the noise down here?” He shot his gaze at Dmitri, then to me, then to Vladimir’s flushed face and heaving chest. Self-conscious I appeared as freshly sexed up as Vladimir, I sat on the edge of the bed, crossed my legs, and smoothed my sweaty hair back into a ponytail.
Yuri passed the clean clothes to me through the bars along with a pair of heavy platform shoes. They were as clunky as cinderblocks with sparkly straps and buckles to anchor them to my feet.
“Spasibo.” I thanked him and waited for him to turn around so I could undress.
“You’re going to leave him like that?” Yuri motioned to Dmitri.
Clueless as to what he was referring to, I glanced over at Dmitri and immediately wished I hadn’t. His erection had tented the fabric of his athletic pants. I slapped my hands over my eyes, hoping to un-see my bodyguard’s arousal. I felt bad for making that happen to him, not to mention a little trashy for sexing up the boss in front of my bodyguard.
“Don’t speak to my wife like that. Apologize,” Vladimir snapped at Yuri, threatening him with that menacing glare of his. I loved and admired that quality about my husband. No matter what the circumstances—in this case being locked up in a cell and shackled to a prison cot—he never relinquished control. He had a natural ability to lead, and no one could stifle his King of the Bad Boys persona. It didn’t matter what Maksim thought, Vladimir was the reigning pakhan. Even in death, my husband would have more love and respect from his crew than Maksim could garner from his squad of misfits in a lifetime.
“If anyone should apologize, it would be your wife. She didn’t sleep alone last night,” Yuri said accusingly, then turned his back to give me privacy while I changed.
I assured Vladimir nothing had happened between Maksim and me last night. As quickly as I could manage, I stripped off my soiled clothes and slipped on a clean white sundress with bright yellow flowers embroidered along the hemline. I kicked off my heels and strapped on the shoes.
Yuri turned back around. “Come with me, Carter.”
“What? Why? Maksim said I could stay with Vladimir.”
“Now boss says you come with me.” He unlocked the cell door, and Dmitri and Vladimir raged at him in Russian, admonishing him for being a traitor and threatening to do the unthinkable to him if anything happened to me.
Before Yuri took me away, I kissed Vladimir on the lips, stroked his sweaty hair off his face, and told him I loved him. “Fight for me. Don’t let Maksim win,” I whispered. Then I got up and walked out of the cell obediently so Yuri wouldn’t drag me. He clutched my arm and kept a firm grip on me as I clicked and clacked along beside him.
“Yuri, I’m scared. What’s happening? Please help us. You’re the only one who can save us.”
“Should’ve gone with Boris when you had the chance.”
“How could I leave? My husband needs me.” In the distance, I heard fists pounding on flesh and the murmurs of men conversing in Russian. “Where are you taking me?”
“Why did you hit yourself with the bowl?”
Wait. He knew I was lying but didn’t rat me out? This must be a good sign. “I was desperate. Everything was going exactly the way Maksim had planned. Boris needed a bargaining chip, even if it was just a tiny one.”
“You always do stupid things?”
“Yeah.”
He let out a chuckle, amused by my honesty. “Brace yourself. Things are about to get a lot worse.”
“What’s happening? Where are you taking me?” Yuri’s pace was much quicker than I could keep up with in my clodhoppers. I stumbled, but he caught me before I fell.
“You had a chance to walk away.” He steered me around the corner where there was a makeshift boxing ring and a pair of prison-tatted dudes beating the life out of each other. This must have been where Maksim held his underground boxing matches. My family took part in the illegal gambling ring as well, and Dmitri was the reigning champ of the entire organization.
When we got closer, I spotted Maksim and Valentina next to the ring. Alexander was pacing beside them, and when that animal caught a glimpse of Yuri dragging me to the main event, he bared his creepy canine grill. Whatever diabolical plan Maksim had in store for me, I had little faith I would live to see another day. My loyalty, win-or-die-trying attitude, or whatever it was that caused me to stay here would undoubtedly lead to my demise.
“What’s going on? Why am I here?” My body tensed with fear. I considered that maybe Vladimir had given Maksim an incorrect password or the wrong information he needed, and I was about to suffer for his crimes. “Was the password wrong? You couldn’t complete the project?”
“Everything is perfect. Your husband is a man of his word, and I appreciate his willingness to avoid a messy situation. Thanks to his help, I’ll have no trouble completing the project.”
“Then what’s wrong? Why am I here?”
“Join me. I have a surprise for you.” Maksim’s cheery tone didn’t match his seething expression. Something cringe-worthy was about to go down, I sensed it, and I struggled to free myself. Anywhere was better than where I was headed, but Yuri shoved me along toward the small crowd of mudaks that had gathered to watch the training session. With my free hand, I made a fist and punched Yuri in the stomach, but I didn’t get a good enough wind-up to do any damage. He didn’t flinch, but I had my wedding ring on and hoped the stone left an abrasion on his gut.
The crowd of patsani and enforcers parted as Yuri shoved me forward to a ringside viewing area. This section of the warehouse was more like an entertainment venue compared to the dark and dirty places I’d experienced. The seats were upholstered with fine fabrics, and there were private areas roped off for VIP guests. Vladimir had a similar setup in Ekaterinburg. This must be where Maksim hosts his high-class clientele on fight nights.
When Maksim’s gaze landed on my panic-stricken face, he opened his arms and patted the plush velvet couch he was sitting on and welcomed me with a sadistic grin. I took a seat beside him—I had no choice—and he leaned over and sniffed the crook of my neck.
“Ah, your afterglow makes me ravenous. Vladimir has marked you with his scent. His musky male pheromones mixed with the sweet aroma of your orgasmic sexual escapade.” He sniffed me again. “God, I wish I could bottle up your aroma and make a heavenly elixir from the mouth-watering nectar in your honeypot. I look forward to replaying the video from your prison cell at my leisure. You are an energetic little sex toy, aren’t you?” He arched his eyebrow and stared into my eyes as the realization set in that he had recorded my domineering romp with Vladimir.
I leaned as far away from him as possible. “Why did you bring me here?”
“Right. Back to business. I must ask you something, and I want you to tell me the truth. How did you get that mark on your face?”
Valentina stood beside her boss with her stance wide, arms crossed over her chest. She had changed into athletic clothes and seemed more pissed off at me than Maksim. I suspected he had the entire building rigged with cameras, and the truth had been revealed when they watched the surveillance video. Lying would only get me into more trouble. “I hit myself with the soup bowl.”
“To get Valentina into trouble with me?”
“Not her specifically. I would’ve framed Yuri if she had been the one to leave the room instead of him.”
“What was your intention?”
I shrugged. “I felt helpless. Everything was going your way. I wanted to give my family a fighting chance. If Boris believed you hurt me, maybe he would’ve called off the deal.”
Maksim’s eyes sharpened. “So you were acting against me.”
“I didn’t really have a plan other than to—”
“You betrayed my trust.”
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“I’m disappointed Vladimir neglected to train you properly. We live and die by loyalty in our world. Once you cross the line, there’s no coming back.”
Sweat beaded on my forehead and a chill ran through my blood as I eyed the crowd of enforcers, thugs, and patsani and contemplated my punishment. Sexual assault, beatings, torture…I had embarrassed the pakhan in front of his crew and took advantage of his mercy when I revealed I was pregnant. Why did he bring me to the boxing ring? His disdain for me was evident, and his thirst for revenge radiated around him.
Maksim’s face burned with rage, and between the evil look in his pale blue eyes and Valentina’s clenched jaw and sneered lips, it appeared they were about to shred me with their bare hands. “I have tolerated your disrespectful mouth, showered you with lavish clothes, fed you chef prepared meals, and handled you like a porcelain doll with respect to your condition. No other man in the Bratva would’ve shown you a lick of compassion. A lesser man would’ve violated you in unspeakable ways, more so to torture my enemy than for the sexual gratification, but in your case, it might have been the other way around.”
“I did a stupid a thing. I’m sorry.”
“All I asked for was respect. Not too much to ask under the circumstances, eh?”
I glanced around at the salacious crowd of gangsters, hanging on Maksim’s words and waiting for their pakhan to give the signal to destroy me. The scent of sex and fear emanated from my pores and worked his crew into a frenzy. Valentina bounced on her toes ringside as Alexander taped her knuckles as if preparing her for a boxing match. Who is she preparing to fight? Is this why he brought me to the ring?
“You’re right, Maksim. I panicked. I would take it back if I could. Please accept my apology. You too, Valentina. I was wrong to accuse you.”
“Too late, mum. I can excuse horrible, damning sins—except when it comes to deceit. Now, we must make an example of you to deter others from following in your self-destructive footsteps.”
Terrified, I shook my head as tears rolled down my cheeks when the realization set in of why they had brought me to the boxing ring; I was the main attraction. “Please, Maksim. I deserve to be punished, but—” I rubbed my baby bump, unable to finish my sentence.
“I believe in eye-for-an-eye justice—Bratva style. As penance for your crime, you will enter the ring with Valentina. The fight will end with a knockout. Last one standing is the winner. Once the fight is over, win or lose, your debt will be settled. I hope for your sake you’ve learned a thing or two about fighting from your bodyguard. Valentina is a black belt, like yours truly, and unless your tennis racquet wielding skills prove to be useful in hand-to-hand combat, I’m afraid you’re in for a rough go, Mrs. Ivanov.”
“Please—the baby.”
Maksim aimed his finger between my eyes. “You are an awful mum. Whatever happens to Vladimir’s seed is your fault.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks as the truth of Maksim’s words poisoned my soul. My family warned me Maksim would have no mercy on me if he ever got his hands on me. I knew the horrific way in which Maksim’s uncle had murdered Vladimir’s parents and siblings, yet I underestimated the savagery of the Ovechkin family.
“Don’t worry, love. If anything happens to your precious child, I’ll give you a better baby. One with a royal bloodline instead of the inferior Ivanov blood that has poisoned your womb.”
“Burn in hell, asshole.”
“I’m sure I will, sweet pea. Right along with your husband.” Maksim barked out orders in Russian which prompted Alexander to jump into action. He snatched me out of Yuri’s charge, held on to the base of my ponytail, and dragged me into the boxing ring. He clutched my wrists and raised my hands in the air like I was his puppet. The men clapped and cheered as Alexander moved my arms, mimicking a boxer taking practice swings to intimidate the challenger.
That dopey mudak had terrorized me since the day he’d laid eyes on me. I might not ever have the physical strength to kick his ass, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t put a hurt on him. As he cajoled with his Bratva brethren, I raised my knee and donkey kicked him in the thigh. I was aiming for his crotch, but I drilled him close enough to his balls to send the message that I was done with his belittling bullshit.
Alexander shoved me in the shoulder, throwing me off balance. I righted myself, bent my knees, and raised my fists in ready position just as Dmitri had taught me. If Alexander took a swing at me, I’d have to cover my midsection to protect the baby, which would take away any chance I had for an offensive strike.
Alexander mirrored my stance, unfazed that I was smaller in stature and at least seventy pounds lighter. That monster wanted his boss to give the nod to deliver the first blow, but Maksim called off the impromptu scuffle and ordered Alexander out of the ring. “Yuri, go fetch Mrs. Ivanov’s husband and bodyguard. The boys need a reminder of what happens when you fuck with an Ovechkin.”
“Help me, Yuri,” I begged. “The baby needs you—he’s your nephew.”
Yuri paused when he heard my plea and glared at me with his dark, unsympathetic eyes. “I have no family. I don’t give a shit about you, Vladimir, or your baby.” He pointed to a few of the big guys to assist him and stalked off toward the underbelly of the warehouse. The crew yowled like hyenas and pulled out wads of cash, apparently placing bets on how long it would take for Valentina to knock me out—or worse.
One punch, two? How could I defend the baby and get a clean hit that would knock her unconscious? I couldn’t fathom how a human being would stoop so low as to harm a child, but considering the ruthless way the elder Ovechkins had murdered Vladimir’s parents and siblings, this was more than a fight—this was about revenge. The Ovechkin and Ivanov families had been at war for generations. If I failed to protect our child and lost the baby, Vladimir’s legacy would end. This fight had less to do with me and everything to do with destroying our family. I was the last line of defense, and it was up to me to save the Ivanov bloodline.