Impenetrable
Maksim rolled out of bed and cracked open the door. He spoke quietly in Russian to whomever was in the hallway then moved to the closet and picked out a delicate silk nightgown and a matching robe for me to change into. I gathered the clothes and slipped into the bathroom, leaving the door open a crack as Maksim had instructed. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, changed, and when I finished, Maksim had a pot of steaming milk and a plate of tea cookies and petit fours waiting for me on a tray. He was sitting on the edge of the bed and invited me to join him for a late-night snack. “Come to bed, mum.”
I tightened my robe and sat beside him.
He poured warm milk into two blue stoneware mugs and handed one to me. “This will help you sleep.”
I took it from him but hesitated before I took a sip. “Does it have drugs in it?”
He gave me a weak smile. “Of course not. It is fresh milk with a touch of honey, vanilla, and a dash of nutmeg.”
I lifted the cup to my lips and slurped a small sip to taste it. From what I could tell, it was just a delicious cup of sweetened milk. “Spasibo.”
Maksim lifted the tray of sweets and encouraged me to help myself. I selected a butter cookie with a pink twist of sugary icing on top. I took a bite and an avalanche of crumbs tumbled down my nightgown and landed in my lap. I swept up the tiny pieces with my hand and dropped them on the plate.
“Fifteen weeks. That means your child was conceived on your honeymoon.”
“That’s right.” The memory of our hotel suite in St. Petersburgh brought on a rush of bitter-sweet emotions. The intimate moments Vladimir and I shared in our love nest, pillow talk after I lost my virginity, and our desire for a future free from the soul-sucking Bratva. Tears welled in my eyes when it hit me that by this time tomorrow, my husband would be dead. Never again would I feel the warmth of his skin or get tangled up in his long limbs under the sheets, or see him hold our baby in his loving embrace. I set down my mug and blotted my tears on the sleeve of my robe.
Maksim cleared away the cookie plate, scooted aside the sex toys, and placed the snack tray on the side table. He caught my hands and held them to his chest. “I’m truly sorry for what I have to do. It’s not personal. Vladimir has left me with no choice.”
“You can change your mind. You don’t have to go through with it. Vladimir wants out. We’ll run away to Canada. I promise if you let us go, you’ll never hear from him again.” I pleaded with him, praying he wasn’t the monster my family made him out to be.
“Even if I wanted to spare him, Moscow has already put out the order. The men at the top of the Bratva are unforgiving, and the penalty for desertion is death. It’s not in my power to defy our superiors. Vladimir brought this on himself.”
I shook my head and begged him to talk to Moscow to make an exception, but his response was a whisper of an apology. He held me as I sobbed and rubbed my back to soothe me. His filthy hands gliding across the slick fabric of my robe made me want to gag and shove him away and beat him to death with my fists, but I had already staved off one attack and was doubtful he would show me mercy again. I had to endure his coddling.
“You and the baby are going to be fine, Carter. Don’t worry, I’ll keep my word and send you home with Boris. I’m sure your family is anxious to reunite with you, and your precious baby will have a wonderful life growing up in Ekaterinburg.”
Ekaterinburg? Through all the turmoil and drama, I had never stopped to consider how my life would play out if anything happened to Vladimir. He had given Boris orders to send me home to my family in America if he didn’t survive, but that was before I was pregnant. No freaking way would Boris ship me back to Cincinnati and lose touch with his grandchild. Would that mean the baby and I would be sequestered in Russia forever? “When it’s over, do I have to go with Boris, or can you just let me go?”
“The deal is an exchange. Vladimir stays with me, and you go with Boris. You don’t want to go back to Russia?”
I swallowed back a lump in my throat. “I want to go home to America.”
Maksim stroked my cheek with the back of his hand and offered a condescending smile. “Sorry, love. You’re in too deep with the Bratva. You belong to our world now. You and your baby will live under the protection of Moscow forever.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. All this time, I considered Vladimir and Maksim the highest-ranking members of their respective crime families. If Moscow considered me a liability, the baby and I were in mortal danger. I did know too much. The Bratva would never allow me to walk in and out of their world like a tourist. Boris had warned me that once I was in the family, there was no way out.
“What do you mean by live under the protection of Moscow?”
Maksim wove his hand through my hair and planted a soft kiss on my forehead, taking advantage of his position of power over me. “When you married the pakhan, you became royalty. For the rest of your life, you will live under the watchful eye of the most powerful organization in the world. When Vladimir is gone, Boris will claim responsibility for you. Most likely, he’ll pass you to Pasha for safekeeping. The two of you will get married, have lots of babies to keep you busy, and you’ll never step foot out of your impenetrable compound.”
Maksim was a master manipulator, and I had to be careful not to fall for his mind games, but in this instance, I believed he was telling the truth about never being allowed to return to my family. I loved Pasha like a brother, but I didn’t want to marry him. I hated to consider the thought, but Maksim was probably right about that too. Pasha was Vladimir’s brother, so there was no one better to step in as a father figure for the baby.
“That doesn’t sound so bad, eh? Trade one brother for the other?”
“I don’t want to marry Pasha.”
“You won’t have a choice, but believe me, the alternative is much worse.”
“What alternative?”
Maksim laid his hand on my thigh and caressed my leg, crossing the line into inappropriate territory. “Your beauty is a curse, Carter. Can you imagine how you could be of use to the men of the Bratva if your father-in-law decided you were too much trouble? The brotherhood would welcome a woman like you to Moscow. Young, gorgeous, and eager to please.”
Maksim licked his lips, and I could practically see his fantasy of stripping me naked playing out in his head.
“Trust me, sweet pea, Boris would be doing you a favor by giving you to Pasha. You don’t even want to be in the same room with those bad men.”
Repulsed by the thought of the Moscow monsters having their way with me, I felt the blood drain from my face. Maksim noticed my disgust and snuggled me in his arms to comfort me. “If you don’t want to go back to Russia, there is one other alternative I can offer you.”
“What is it?” I asked a bit too eagerly.
“You can stay in London with me. Unlike your husband, I am in good graces with Moscow. If I claim responsibility for you, they will grant me charge of your protection. All you have to do is trade one powerful man for another. If you can love a wretch like Vladimir, it will be easy to transition to a more powerful, sexier pakhan. You can be my queen.”
“No. Never. I could never love you.”
“You don’t have to. Our marriage will be a mutually beneficial relationship. I’ll give you everything you could ever want. A designer wardrobe, exotic sports cars, and jewels befitting royalty, along with high-class status in the most prestigious city in the world. Most importantly, your child will grow up happy and healthy and thrive in the finest schools in London. All I ask in return is your loyalty. Our sex life will be amazing. I’ll satisfy your needs in every way imaginable.” He drew back the blankets and guided me under the sheets.
“Think about what’s best for you and make the right choice for your precious baby, Carter. Say yes.” He removed the pink diamond cocktail ring from my index finger and slid it on my left ring finger like an engagement ring. I wore my wedding ring from Vladimir on my right finger as was the Russian custom.
“We’ll finish our conversation after you’ve had some rest. I want you to look perfect for your husband in the morning.” He clicked off the lights, slid into bed, and locked his arms and legs around me. “I’m not going anywhere. You have nothing to fear.” His hand traveled to my stomach and cupped my baby bump. “Pleasant dreams, mum.” I didn’t move a muscle as Maksim snuggled in for the evening. After all the mental and physical torture I’d endured, my body succumbed to exhaustion and I fell asleep in Maksim’s embrace.
***
A loud knock came from the door, followed by Yuri storming into the room, jolting me awake. Yuri’s gaze bounced between Maksim and me as we lay in spoon position. Then he eyed the crumpled suit on the floor, the handcuffs dangling from the metal headboard, and the collection of sex toys and sweets on the nightstand.
“What the devil do you want? My orders were that Mrs. Ivanov and I not be disturbed.”
“Valentina said the girl was handcuffed to the bed. You can’t trust her for a moment, Maks. She’s an Ivanov.”
“Mrs. Ivanov is carrying Vladimir’s child. She’s not going to do anything remotely stupid that could jeopardize her baby’s health.” Maksim’s words were meant as a warning to me, rather than an explanation for Yuri. “What is the purpose of the interruption?”
“Vladimir’s plane just touched down. He insists Dmitri come ahead to inspect the girl. How do you want me to respond?”
He checked his watch. “Brilliant. He’s right on time. Carter and I will meet her bodyguard at the warehouse. Once he inspects her and sees she is in perfect condition, I expect Vladimir to arrive within the hour.”
A rush of relief washed over me knowing Dmitri was on his way. He was more than my bodyguard; he was family. Knowing I would soon be reunited with him lifted the weight off my breaking heart and eased my concern about my personal safety. It was in Maksim’s best interest to keep me in good health, and with Dmitri watching over me, Maksim wouldn’t dare lay a hand on me—that was the good news.
The bad news, however, was that Vladimir was on his way to London and time was running out to save him. I had to think of something, anything I could do to shift the momentum. Boris undoubtedly had a plan in play to rescue us all, but I had to outsmart Maksim before our game clock wound down to zero.
We quickly got dressed then Maksim escorted me outside, along with his omnipresent shadow, Yuri. A small army of bodyguards swarmed the building and ushered us to a wicked looking white sports car. The top was down and the body of the car so low it was inches from the ground. I didn’t know much about cars, but judging by the jaw-dropping expressions of the morning commuters on the busy sidewalk, it must’ve been something special. I read the badge plate. ‘McLaren.’ Never heard of it.
Yuri led me to the passenger seat and issued a warning as I slid into the car. “All of the stupid ideas running around in your head right now, get rid of them. You make any attempt to escape, scream for help, or do anything to call attention to yourself, I will cut out your tongue and chain you up like a dog for the rest of your stay.”
Jeez. He was a terrifying carbon copy of his papa. “Got it.”
Maksim slid into the driver’s side and put on a pair of gold-rimmed aviators. Yuri sealed his threat with a menacing glare and a tug on his thick belt before he stalked off to the SUV parked behind us.
Wait. Maksim is going to zoom through London in a two-seater with me? Alone? Without one of his gorillas in tow to keep me in line? The crazy ideas started flowing into my brain but were cut short when I spied Maksim’s bodyguard, Valentina, atop a motorcycle.
She rolled up beside Maksim’s car, revved the bike’s engine, and pounded on the window to make me aware of her presence. As if I could’ve somehow missed a six-foot-tall Amazonian goddess in a leather catsuit, riding a red BMW next to a flashy sports car flanked by a pack of frightening enforcers.
Considering my dire situation, I was fortunate Maksim hadn’t let his crew devour me. They were an aggressive lot, and I was certain they would use any misstep on my part as an opportunity to disembowel me and divvy up my remains.
“You slept like an angel last night, Carter.” He slid on a pair of driving gloves. “I want you to think long and hard about my proposal, specifically your baby’s future, and then we’ll chat about it over tea when our business at the warehouse is over. Promise?”
I’d rather jump off the London Bridge than stay with you. “Yeah, I’ll think about it.”
“You won’t regret it, love. Cheers.” He leaned over and planted a kiss on my cheek then placed his hands on the steering wheel, tapped the paddle shifter, and peeled out into the busy streets of London.
Maksim zoomed back to the warehouse in the McLaren with his entourage in tow. I had never traveled anywhere in Europe before, and I marveled at the architecture and ambience of the bustling city. It was mid-morning, and the sky was overcast with gray clouds, threatening to sprinkle on the pedestrians and tourists ducking in and out of coffee shops, bakeries, and retail stores. We passed a huge building with a long line of shoppers swarming the entrance. As we drove past, Maksim acted as my tour guide and noted that it was Harrods. Then he offered to take me on a shopping spree for maternity clothes, furnishings for the nursery, and lingerie.
His attempted brainwashing ticked me off, but I kept quiet and turned my attention to a massive memorial statue at the entrance of an immense park. I considered grabbing the steering wheel and forcing him to crash, but innocent people could get hurt—including me—and Valentina would probably strangle me to death before help could arrive. I would have to come up with something else to disrupt his seemingly flawless plan.