Page 16 of Captive

Seconds later, he lowered his head, staring at me with unblinking eyes.

In those few blinding seconds as fog developed against the glass, I knew this wasn’t the end, but the true beginning of a nightmare.

One in which I’d never have the chance to return from.

The moment I pummeled my fist against the glass for the last time, I heard the distinct sound of a crack.

CHAPTER 4

Nikolai

“There’s a special place in hell for bastard children like you.”

I wiped sweat and grit from my face with my arm before staring down at the broken man, his words holding little meaning. I’d heard the statement before, moments after the treacherous asshole had begged for his life.

And moments before I’d taken it away.

“Pust’ budet tak,” I muttered, the phrase of ‘so be it’ appropriate for the moment. The asshole had swindled over a hundred thousand dollars from the Federov account, using his expertise as our bookkeeper to hide it for almost two years.

Now it was time for him to pay the price of betraying us.

As I fisted his hair at the scalp, twisting his neck and dragging him several feet into the air, the bastard actually gave me a smile.

The single slice of the blade, a present from my surrogate father, had wiped his smug look away, replacing it with the same haunted eyes of a dead man.

I took a deep breath as I backed away, unable to take my eyes off Chloe. I was a bastard child, the one nobody had wanted after my real father’s murder. I’d learned to live on the street, fighting for scraps of food or a night of sleep away from the rodents and thugs. Then I’d entered the world of the Bratva mafia, becoming the second son to the man who brought fear into the hearts of everyone in Russia.

Rich and powerful, he’d provided the kind of life fairytales were made of. Only indoctrination into the Bratva regime meant giving up your soul.

My fall from grace had never been far from my mind even after leaving and finding a new way of life. It was even more evident by the act I’d just performed as well as the continuing desire for the shaken woman standing in front of me.

Chloe remained against the sink, staring at me with hatred in her eyes.

I grabbed my weapon, securing it once again behind my back. All the while she studied me, realizing she’d just been taken by a brutal man. Maybe now she understood just how dangerous I truly was.

Not one of my students had any idea of my real identity. I’d never had a student or another faculty member at my house. I rarely provided any personal details to anyone. That had been ingrained into me since day one. If captured by anyone, never tell them a damn thing. I’d gotten very good at doing so, even during times of torture.

Reaching down, I pulled her panties from the floor, holding them in my palm. At first, she was tentative then snatched them away. Chuckling, I walked closer, crowding her space.

“Did you kill those men?”

Her question seemed out of the blue. “No, not this time.”

“Not this time,” she repeated. “You’re not a real professor. Are you?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then I don’t…” Her words trailing off, she looked away. It was easy to see she was fighting her emotions. By all rights, she should get the hell away from me and call the police.

Somehow, I knew that wasn’t going to happen.

I’d brought the girl alive, fueling the fire in her belly. While there was nothing I wanted more than to keep her, it wasn’t possible. However, I had to find a way to make her understand that she needed to get the hell away from me. Hopefully, the fact the semester had just ended would solve the problem.

Then I’d follow through with hunting down the fuckers who’d entered my world.

“They were not the kind of men you want to fuck with, Chloe. I’ll leave it at that.”

“I would say you’re the same kind of man.”