Things are tense between Maxim and I that we didn’t want to be in the same room together. Since the penthouse only had one bedroom, I slept on the bed and I think he slept on the couch.It was clear the trust he had on me was long gone. Early the next morning, a bodyguard showed up.“Since I can’t trust you to be on your own, you have to stay with him.” He said. “He will watch your every move.”I was frustrated, tired, and still angry from the events of the previous day. It baffled me how he didn’t see what was wrong with what he had done.I stared at him incredulously, wondering how long he was going to keep up that act. He had already forgotten that he had brought me to Chicago so he could remind me of what I had missed while I was in Italy. It seemed that the concept was lost on him. He didn’t care that he was hurting me, that he was jeopardizing our relationship. All he cared about was asserting his dominance and showing me he was the boss.“Are you going to lock me in the pentho
Maxim had bruises on his face like he had been fighting with someone. As he approached me, there was a slight limp to him that I didn’t like.His leg also seemed injured. It was clear he had gotten into a fight. I didn't think it was possible for business to follow him to Chicago. “What happened?!” I asked as I closed the distance between us and put my hands on his arms. “You’re hurt. Let me clean you up.”Instead of listening to me, he put his free hand on my cheek and looked at me like he was searching for answers in my eyes.He was always trying to read me by looking into my eyes, but this time it was different. His expression was a mixture of curiosity and intrigue.He looked at me the same way he did the first day we met. It was like he was wondering who I was for the first time.“Let’s go,” I said, breaking away from his trance and dragging him to the bathroom.If he didn’t get his wounds cleaned up, he was going to bleed out and pass out. I was angry at him because had not tak
There was an increasing number of female kidnappings around the area where I lived; downtown Chicago. That’s why I hugged my body to myself after my bar shift at 3 am and rushed home. I held a small pocket knife tightly in my hand inside my purse. I didn’t want to take a risk. As I was walking through the dark streets, I thought I heard footsteps behind me. I looked behind but I didn’t see anything. I had seen too many thriller movies not to guess what happened after a woman heard rustling nearby. I walked quickly, looking behind to ensure no one was following me. When I looked forward again, a man was walking toward me. I stopped and contemplated running back the way I came from. Luckily for me, the man wasn’t a threat to me. He walked past me as though he hadn’t seen me.I continued on my way home. This time, my guard was lowered because I assumed I was growing paranoid. I walked safely for the next two blocks until everything changed. It all happened in an instant. One minute
“She’s a virgin. Her hymen is intact.” The man said as he removed his two gloves from inside of me.“You couldn’t find anyone to fuck you in the U.S., Livia? I thought you would have found a husband and had kids by now. But look at you, working waitressing jobs in downtown Chicago. Are you fucking stupid? You could have had everything in Italy with a rich husband.”“I was just eighteen and the man was forty years older than me!” I screamed.The image of the man I was supposed to marry before I ran away from the family almost made me vomit. He had yellowing teeth, a pot belly, and was bald.He had a reputation for only dealing with younger girls. Once his young wives got older, he sold them to brothels. Who wanted to live that kind of life?“I don’t hear Allegra complaining. In the face of you running away, she took your place and she seems to be enjoying it too.” Carlo said as he laughed. “It was the first time a man in the Mafia was grateful to have a sister as a substitute bride.”I
I thought Carlo would sell me immediately, kill me, or ‘service me to his men’ like he promised as he beat me to a pulp. Instead, he locked me in a basement with no lights. I had to endure the cold concrete, the screams of men being tortured, and constant hunger. No matter how much I screamed and shouted, no one let me out of the cage. The bars were too strong for me to try and break. And even if I could free myself, it was too dark for me to see a thing. The fear that a snake or rat would come and bite me was constantly haunting me. But it wasn’t greater than the fear of Carlo sending his men to come and rape me.I became so anxious that I picked up the habit of scratching my left arm to the point that it became raw. I also bit my nails until there was nothing left to bite anymore. Only when I got tired of screaming for help did Carlo’s men bring me food and water. I regained strength and screamed for help and later received a beating. The cycle continued until I finally learned
Did Carlo sell me to the Bratva to make amends with Maxim? If so, I was in for a life of suffering. I was scared for my life. If the Bratva was anything like the Sicilian Mafia, I knew I would wish I were dead. Viktor, the man who bought me, and the other one who he spoke to, started walking while dragging me with them. I wanted to run away but I was in a foreign country and I didn’t want to get beaten. I wouldn’t get far anyway. I was tied up and blindfolded and who knew how many men were in the house? I had to bid my time and wait for the right moment. I was hesitant in my movements but the man who bought me was resilient. “You’re giving me a fucking hard time!” He yelled and slapped me across the face. He pulled my hair and shook me around a little. “Either be compliant or I’ll cut off your legs.” I nodded my head profusely in fear of what he would do. He had a temper. Suddenly, everything and everyone was quiet. There was tension in the air and I could sense the fe
The moment I saw her, I knew she was innocent—untouched. Her innocence was like a beacon calling out to me, begging me to corrupt her and break her until the only air she wanted to breathe was mine. I didn’t understand it at all. The moment I looked into her eyes, I knew she was mine. She had the palest blue eyes I had ever seen. You could get lost in them. They were laced with innocence, fear, and deep down, a fire so wild I wasn’t sure I could tame. I knew how to read people. It had been my job to learn the inner workings of the human mind to get into my target’s mind. It’s what made me a dangerous man. I worked as an assassin for my old Pakhan until I staged a coup with Mikhail and Nikita and took over as the Pakhan. A lot of men were against the sale of flesh because they had families of their own. They supported me until I took over fully and stopped it completely. I wasn’t stupid; I knew people still practiced it in secret. I was just glad it was a taboo. Viktor knew
For three days, I remained cuffed to the bed. I waited for the Pakhan to come in and show what kind of a monster he truly was, but he never did.I was in a bedroom that was much bigger than my apartment back in Chicago. It had a king-sized bed, a walk-in closet, a fully equipped bathroom, and a locked balcony.It was the best place I had lived in for a while.I was fed, taken for bathroom breaks, and I had a television to entertain me. It was bigger than anything I had ever seen, but all the channels were in Russian. What they didn’t know was that I could understand Russian very well.One of the few things I could thank Father for.What did they want with me? It was like being in that cage back again—never knowing what was going to happen next. In those three days, I never saw the Pakhan or his mouthpiece.I thought he only pretended to have morals and secretly bought women to play with. Otherwise, why keep me?A part of me really wished he was the monster I thought him to be. If he w
Maxim had bruises on his face like he had been fighting with someone. As he approached me, there was a slight limp to him that I didn’t like.His leg also seemed injured. It was clear he had gotten into a fight. I didn't think it was possible for business to follow him to Chicago. “What happened?!” I asked as I closed the distance between us and put my hands on his arms. “You’re hurt. Let me clean you up.”Instead of listening to me, he put his free hand on my cheek and looked at me like he was searching for answers in my eyes.He was always trying to read me by looking into my eyes, but this time it was different. His expression was a mixture of curiosity and intrigue.He looked at me the same way he did the first day we met. It was like he was wondering who I was for the first time.“Let’s go,” I said, breaking away from his trance and dragging him to the bathroom.If he didn’t get his wounds cleaned up, he was going to bleed out and pass out. I was angry at him because had not tak
Things are tense between Maxim and I that we didn’t want to be in the same room together. Since the penthouse only had one bedroom, I slept on the bed and I think he slept on the couch.It was clear the trust he had on me was long gone. Early the next morning, a bodyguard showed up.“Since I can’t trust you to be on your own, you have to stay with him.” He said. “He will watch your every move.”I was frustrated, tired, and still angry from the events of the previous day. It baffled me how he didn’t see what was wrong with what he had done.I stared at him incredulously, wondering how long he was going to keep up that act. He had already forgotten that he had brought me to Chicago so he could remind me of what I had missed while I was in Italy. It seemed that the concept was lost on him. He didn’t care that he was hurting me, that he was jeopardizing our relationship. All he cared about was asserting his dominance and showing me he was the boss.“Are you going to lock me in the pentho
Maxim was LIVID. As soon as I stepped into the penthouse, I felt the air of hostility. Maxim was yelling at someone as he spoke on the phone. His suit jacket was off, the first few buttons of his shirt undone, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled to his elbows.He raked my hands through his hair as he said, “I don’t care if you turn Chicago upside down! Find my woman and do not come back here without her!”When he heard the elevator chime, he turned around and sighed in relief. He cut the call immediately and reached me in two strides. I’d come back late since where I was meeting with Mira was on the other side of town. I tried to make it earlier before Maxim arrived but I’d been caught in peak-hour traffic.“You better have a good fucking reason about leaving here without my fucking permission!” He yelled.He was so angry that a vein popped on his forehead. He could barely hold his emotions in. He fisted his hands so hard that his knuckles turned white. I stepped back and he ste
I left the penthouse a few minutes after the housekeeper did and headed downstairs. Since everyone had already seen me come in with Maxim, I had to make sure I wore a baseball and clothes that would not catch any attention.As soon as I was outside, I hailed a taxi. I asked the driver to take me to my destination. The drive was longer than I expected since I was on the side of the city. Luckily for me, the route we used didn’t have any traffic, so I arrived within the hour. “Wait for me here. I promise I won’t be long,” I said to the driver. Since we were in a remote area, I didn’t know if I would get a ride back, and I was sure Mira would not entertain being seen with me.She insisted that people didn’t see us together. I couldn’t be seen with her. We usually met at an abandoned church that had been closed for almost twenty years. It was still intact, and it provided a nice space for us to talk privately without being seen by anyone. I entered the church, hoping I would see Mira t
I didn't come out of the bathroom until I was sure Maxim had left. I knew I was throwing a tantrum but at that moment, I didn't care. I was tired of being a slave—a pawn in everyone’s game.I didn't want to play games. I wanted to be treated like a human being for once in my life. Maxim wasn't giving me what I wanted. I wanted to be free for once.I escaped my father and found freedom. However, looking back, I was always under the thumb of the F.B.I. They dictated how I lived my life and the decisions I made.Looking back, I never had any freedom.I opened the bathroom door and looked all around the penthouse to make sure he was gone. He’d told me he was leaving before he left and begged me to come out of the bathroom. A desperate part of me had hoped he would stay with me because I was mad.But who was I to think I was important enough that he would leave his work for me?I test the living room, wondering what to do next. He looked for my phone everywhere, but I couldn’t find it. The
After an evening of pure bliss in the arms of the man I loved the most, I woke up feeling giddy. It was the first time I had woken up with him next to me. He always got up before me to go to work.I guess he was stress-free because he was in Chicago.His strong arms were around me so tightly that they were suffocating. I peeled myself from his arms and went into the bathroom. One look in the mirror and I gasped.My hair was dishevelled, my skin flushed, and there were bite marks all over my body. I looked like I had just been fucked all night—I had. Maxim was insatiable in bed, and so was I.I washed my face and stared at myself as I contemplated what I was going to do. A part of me yearned to go back to Russia just so I wouldn’t be away from Maxim. However, a huge part of me argued that if I went back, Maxim would suffer because of me.I would be the end of him, and he would resent me once he found out what I had done. I had still not gotten over what I had done to him. Every time I
With his arms around me, he slowly pulled me to face him. Then he kissed me aggressively. It was the best feeling in the world. He kissed all my worries away and made me feel safe in his arms.Our lips moved together in sync, teeth clashing, lips biting and tongues fighting for dominance. Goosebumps Rose all over my skin and electricity goes through my veins. I knew what you wanted and I wanted it just as badly as he did his hands were all over me fondling my breasts, kissing my neck, rubbing my hips and needing my butt.Caught in the wave of euphoria that was brewing between us. I found myself taking off my jumper with his help in my T-shirts and next while my sweatpants until I was just in my underwear in front of him.He also took off the shirt he was wearing as well as his cargo pants, and we found ourselves tangled in the mess of our passion, right there against the flow to the ceiling window. I explored his chiseled body with my hands, cheering them everywhere as if I couldn’t g
As soon as we landed in Chicago, a wave of nostalgia hit me. The weather was exactly how I remembered, and for a moment, I could imagine going back to the life I lived before I was taken to Russia.However, no matter how much I tried picturing myself enjoying it, I couldn’t. I knew it would be more mundane than before, but at least I wouldn’t be facing the threat of death every single moment of my life.As soon as we stepped off the jet, four black SUVs were waiting for us, along with a lot of guards. They were all wearing black suits with black sunglasses over their eyes and guns in their holsters.We were led to one of the SUVs, and it immediately drove off. I stared out the window from the airport to wherever we were going to be staying. The whole time, I kept thinking of all the happy memories I had there.And the bad ones.I barely had enough to eat most nights, and I remember being so miserable at first and then just happy that I had some freedom. I wasn’t sure that kind of life
I looked at Maxim like he was joking but I soon realized that he wasn’t. He was dead serious as he smiled and looked me in the eye. He put his hands on my shoulders and kissed me on the forehead. “You missed home a lot and I thought it was a good idea for me to take you there so you could enjoy yourself and remember what home felt like.”My heart beat so fast I thought it would beat right out of my chest. Why would he want to go back to Chicago? I had no life in Chicago. Where was I going to take him to show him that I missed the city?“We don’t have to. I know you are a busy man…”He shook his head and from the look in his eyes, I immediately knew he had already made up his mind and there was no backing down. I wanted to argue with him and then I remembered going back to Chicago would give me a way out.I could talk with my handler and she would save me. She would help me escape from Maxim and I could go on helping her take down Alfonso. It was a win-win situation. It would hurt me