Page 13 of Bought By Sin

Adrik: For how much? Not that this even matters.

Lev: He asked for ten thousand, but I killed him anyway.

Adrik: You stole her???

I sighed, annoyed, and checked the light again. Still red.

Lev: No. I offered the money, he signed her over to me, and then I shot him because he was dead anyway for not showing up with the expected payout owed to the Garcias.

Adrik: Like I said. I need more details. It seems like you’re asking for more trouble than what the family needs right now.

I cringed, setting my phone down as the light finally turned green.

Buying a slave wasn’t unheard of. We’d done it in the past, even though it was mostly for needing specialized skills from men on the run. One of our IT employees was technically a slave transfer, and he was just a normal member of the Bratva now.

Regardless, a little bit of guilt snuck into my mind. The last thing I wanted to invite to the family was more trouble. On top of Uncle Dmitri dying. And Gregori forming his network to fight us. Plus, the newness of both Elena and Carina coming into the family as Volkov Mafia wives—both of them already expecting. A lot was going on. I couldn’t deny that. All these changes added to this spiraling feeling of being out of control.

With Mila, though, I wanted to launch at the concept of taming her. Of taking her and owning her and getting her to submit to me. Restoring my balance and my power would be the surest method of clearing my mind and getting my head on straight again.

At another light, I grabbed my phone again.

Lev: Relax, all right? This won’t be anything to worry about.

Adrik trusted all of us. He was closest to Maksim, with how they almost acted like twins rather than brothers, but we all relied on mutual trust and faith in each other. That was how well we worked as a real team.

And it had to be true. Buying and taking Mila out of that standoff wouldn’t be a worry. It didn’t have to end up being a problem.

Once more, I checked the mirror and saw that she was still staring off to the side, mute and sullen but fully alert.

Now that I had her in this car with me, and I was bringing her to my residence, I couldn’t imagine letting her go. Not tonight. Not anytime soon. Not before I could dig a little deeper and really see what I had on my hands with her.

For how defiant and tough she acted, I was desperate to rise to the challenge. To peel back her layers and see how truly strong she was. How unbreakable she could be.

Lev: I’ve got this under control.

After I sent that text to him, I set my phone down and admitted to myself that it was nothing but a fucking lie. I felt out of control. I was unprepared for what I wanted from this woman. This air of mystery around her wasn’t something I could deny, though. It was an enigma I wasn’t ready to let go of yet.

Without checking my phone again and without bothering to speak to her so quiet and watchful in the back seat, I continued to drive until I reached the outskirts of where I lived. Shadows cast over the sharp edges of my ranch, but I didn’t slow the car down in the long drive to the side of it. Instead, I passed it and headed toward the first safehouse on my property. Another building further back was where I’d be taking Mila if she was a dangerous captive. That short structure led to a basement of dungeons.

But I’m not sure what you’ll be.

I parked in front of the simple safehouse and turned off the car. Guards were present on the property, patrolling, but I wasn’t so intimidated to need backup with her.

I got out, opened the back door, and gestured with my hand for her to get out.

She did, not reaching for the handle to lever herself up. Uncoiling herself athletically, she climbed out and stood to glare at me expectantly.

This silent treatment shit won’t last. You know that, right?

I’d wear her down. But what I wanted to mold her into remained to be seen. She’d be useful, for sure, as a runner to join the crews under Dean and Maksim’s management or something else.

Maybe as my submissive lover.

I raked my gaze over her, from head to toe. That lazy once-over painted the picture of a fit, filthy, and exhausted woman, but that didn’t stem the flow of lust that ran hotter through my veins.

I spun my finger, indicating for her to turn and face the car. She had to have experienced this before, because no confusion came from her. In a swift twist, she gave me her back, spread her legs apart, and placed her hands on the car.

She’d been patted down before and knew what to expect.