All Chapters of Surrogate for the Billionaire Mafia: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

MAEVEI woke up feeling a bit disoriented, my head banging with pain and my body twisted in a discomforting manner. I tried to force my eyes open but it felt heavy, too heavy and my nose itched to be scratched from a pungent, earthy, and musty smell that filled up the room I was in.I moved to scratch said itch but felt my hands bound together at my lap.My eyes flew open at the sudden realization.“What... where am I?” I asked no one in particular, my voice coming out weakly. My mind was assaulted by a barrage of memories from last night. The accident, the footsteps, and then the blackout.My head began to ache and fear began to cloud my mind, stringing worry alongside as I examined my position— I was positioned to lie down on a bench with a loose rope wrapped around my waist, to fasten me to the the bench. My feet were barely hanging off the bench and my arm ached from both the accident and the position they had been tied in.Whoever kept me here had not thought about the pains I wo

MAEVE I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. The metallic scent of blood filled my nostrils, making me dizzy. I stood frozen, struggling to be conscious. From the shadows, a figure emerged. My heart stopped as I recognized the imposing silhouette - Maruska, his brown fur coat unmistakable even in the dim light. For a moment, relief was all I felt. I was saved. Then reality crashed back - I'd jumped from the frying pan into the fire. I was shaking. He looked stoic even after taking a man down like it was nothing much of a big deal … it was what he is, a mafia—a killer, and yet, I was satisfied, relieved— Maruska walked further towards me, crossed over Zhenya's body which lay motionless like it was a log of wood. I flinched when he reached his hand and grabbed me by my wrist. “Come with me, now.” I didn't resist as he led me away from Zhenya's body. My whole body was shaking, and I barely knew what else was happening except that I followed his lead out of the all

MAEVE “I think you’ll find, Meave, that I can do however I please.” Maruska’s voice took a loop in my head and as many times as it replayed, my skin flustered with anxiety and fear. No one knew where I was. No one would save me. And Anya… My breath hitched as fear gripped me tighter. I prayed she was still safe. If anything happened to her because of me… The guilt would be unbearable. How had I let this go so far? I should have just let my taste of chaos end with me. I never should have gotten her involved! Shit! I should have just stayed quiet. I felt anxious and my heart started racing as I imagined all the ways the sick people I’d somehow indulged myself with would rip out the last shred of family I secured. A gentle rasping on the door and then it creaked open. Three maids sauntered in. “We were instructed to send this to your room, miss," one of them spoke up as they laid their burdens on the bed. “I do not want those.” I tried not to bite, “return it to who

MAEVE I massaged my temples, desperately searching for a way out of this nightmare. If only I could kill Maruska... but who was I kidding? He was a much bigger fish than Zhenya, and I'd never killed anyone before. I didn’t even know how to hold a knife properly, let alone use a gun. The thought of trying to take his life seemed as impossible as the idea of surviving another day here. Stupid, fucking proposal! Fuck! I was too blind then to see where that would lead me. I hated this, all of it. The quicker I could get out of here, the better. Because if Maruska didn't kill me, Marina certainly would. I peered out the window, scanning the grounds. No guards. Not a single one in sight. This might be my only chance. Maybe I could slip out. Just for a moment. Maybe I could find a way out of this nightmare altogether. I would worry about how to go about when I finally get myself off these walls. Calmly, I slipped out of my room and into the hallway. My bare feet made

MAEVE "How have you been able to survive?" He asked, pushing to a standing position as he swiped his kerchief out of his pocket. He wiped the blood from the delicate skin of his neck, his throat bobbing in response to the slight pain it came with, and even if he masked his wince, I knew that slight cut stung. "You mingle with dangerous people and yet, you have no idea of how to protect yourself." "In my years of being in such an environment, I have always minded my business," I replied quietly, placing both hands behind me. Doing it the opposite way wasn't going to be in my favor as it gave off submissiveness. "And it has kept me safe, up until...Marina and you." "And now that trouble found its way to you- or should I say, you found your way to trouble..." He took tentative steps towards me, his voice giving nothing away. "What will you be able to do to ensure safety for yourself?" "I was doing just that," I scoffed. "Escaping from you and everyone bent on ruining