I felt the pull grow stronger, and I knew I was on the right track. My grip tightened on the steering wheel, my face a mask of concentration. A couple of drivers cursed at my reckless speeding, but I couldn’t care less.
The city blurred past me in a flash as I weaved through traffic, my expression stern. With each passing second, my speedometer needle climbed into the triple digits.
I swerved my car through the streets, taking sharp, dangerous turns, all in a bid to reach the compound on time. The closer I drew to my destination, the stronger the unease in my chest grew.
Although I had no idea why I was driving back to my little prisoner, I knew I’d made the right decision. Because I’d driven so fast, I arrived at the compound in no time.
Dust rose into the air as I rolled in through the gates. That’s when I spotted it—the family car parked outside the building. I pulled up beside it, killed the engine, and stepped out into the night.
My jaw tightened when I realized whose car it was. My cousin Vika’s. If that asshole was here, then whatever had pulled me back here did it for a good reason.
One of the guards approached me, asking if I had forgotten something.
“Where is she?” I asked him.
“Who, the girl? She’s in her cell.”
I headed into the building, up the stairs, down the hallway, where I spotted her cell door ajar. Then I heard it; that unmistakable cry for help. My heart sank when I realized I was the one she was calling for.
“Nial!!!”
Without hesitation, I rushed over to her cell with a few strides and barged in.
The idiot already had her pinned down on the bed and had his dick out, ready for a forceful entry. She was struggling beneath him, but he was stronger and more vicious.
“Nial can’t save you from me, Princess—no one can!” He laughed.
That horrible sight detonated something within me. And whatever restraint I had left in me disintegrated immediately.
“Vika!” I thundered, my voice laced with fury as I crossed the room in three steps.
Shocked, he glanced back at me with wide eyes. I grabbed him by the shirt and, with a single pull, hurled him across the space. His back hit the wall before thudding to the ground.
I looked at her as she rolled off the mattress and crawled into a corner, shaking. Her legs were pulled up in front of her as she adjusted the sleeves of her top.
“What the hell, man?” Vika groaned, struggling to his feet.
With my restraint fractured, I threw an even heavier punch that knocked him down again. His head smashed into the concrete, leaving a blood stain on the floor. He spat out thick crimson liquid and glared up at me, his eyes burning with fury.
“I can’t believe my eyes.” I rose to his feet again, his voice dripping with anger. “You struck me because of that thing?” he yelled, pointing in her direction. “Since when did you start defending disposable whores?!”
The second punch hit before he could blink. His hands flew to his broken nose as he stumbled back, groaning like a wounded beast.
“Were you not informed?” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “She’smybusiness now. Not yours. Not the Bratva’s.Mine.”
His chest heaved with uneven breaths, his eyes blazing with fury.
I took one step forward, holding his gaze. “I’m responsible for this one. And as such, you’re not allowed anywhere near her.” The words were spoken in Russian before I switched back to English. “Do you understand?”
He locked his jaw, wiping the blood from his broken nose. “They told me the American girl has warped your mind, but I didn’t listen,” he said in Russian, straightening. “I guess I was wrong. You’re weakening…over a girl.” His tone was laced with irritation and mockery.
“Get out,” I growled in English, clenching my fists so tightly my hands trembled.
He curled his lips into a mischievous grin and stole a glance at Keira. Vika met my gaze again and whispered as he left, “This is far from over.”
His shoes scuffed against the concrete as he walked out and slammed the door so hard it rattled the walls.
By the time I turned around, she was already on her feet. The expression on her face was blank. Her spine had straightened, and the fear I had once seen in her eyes had vanished, replaced by something slightly darker.