Page 55 of Marked By His Touch
“I changed my mind," he says. "He is—a liability. As long as he's—alive, he will come for you. Unlike The Raven, I clean up my messes. Leave nothing behind.”
He picks up a piece of dried meat from the kitchen counter and takes a bite, slowly eating and swallowing it like an animal, his eyes never leaving mine. He's a monster, and I'm trapped in his world.
“With him out of the way, no one will know you're—missing, and no one—come for you,” he says.
“And her friends, Sarah—-Harvey—policeman?” Katerina asks, brushing a strand of hair back in her tight bun.
Nikolai laughs a sharp cut sound. "Sarah is no—worry. She bent backward once Cole got—Gilbert and say he—kill him.”
What? Gilbert? I realize now why Sarah is or was helping Cole. She was blackmailed.
“And Harvey—he useless,idioyt,” Nikolai laughs. “Almost-retired police officer against Veles? Is joke. Half the police on Veles payroll. ”
He pauses, his gaze sweeping over me. “Port Haven is mine—It always was. Just likepapasaid.”
"Bless him," Katerina murmurs, tracing the sign of the cross on her forehead, chest, and shoulders, her gaze lifted to the sky. "Rest—peace."
So pappa Romanov is gone.
My gaze flickers to Katerina, Katerina Romanov. How can she be Nikolai's mother?
“Papawould be proud,syn,” she says, cupping his face.
I steal a glance at Katerina. Her expression is unreadable. She’s watching Nikolai with both affection and possessiveness in her eyes.
I try to catch her eye, connect, and find a flicker of understanding. I need her to help me.Maybe she is not lost after all?
"Katerina," I say. "You can’t let this happen."
She looks at me, her expression cold and distant. She laughs, a brittle, chilling sound.
“You done—Anya, your days in America are over,” she says, indifference etched on her face. “You will live with Nikolai—in Russia. He will treat you decent—if you don’t make trouble.”
My heart sinks. I’m just a pawn, a piece to be moved around.
I want to cause trouble and make them pay for what they’ve done, but the words are trapped in my throat. I can’t speak, and I can’t move. I’m frozen; my body is a prisoner.
Chapter 15
The Ship
The night airis thick with cloying sweetness that makes my throat feel raw. As we speed toward the harbor, the city lights blur into streaks of color.This is it. He's taking me away.
Nikolai sits beside me in the back of the black Mercedes, his large frame filling the space. He leans back in the plush leather seat, his gaze fixed on me, the air around him radiating a chilling coldness.
He's a wolf, and I'm his rabbit. My hands are bound behind my back, and the red dress is torn and tattered. He's stripped me of everything—my clothes, my freedom, my identity—and left me vulnerable.
Katerina is in the front seat, her lips pursed, scowling back at me occasionally like she's expecting me to pull some ninja move. I hate her; she's a traitor. She's just as bad as he is.
My eyes dart towards the rearview mirror, reflecting the desolate cityscape and a fleeting glimpse of the other car, a sleek black SUV, that follows closely behind. I see Zara in there, crammed into the backseat with Lena, Tatiana, and the other women. They're all going with him, with us, to Russia. They'll all be his prisoners, his women to trade, to share with his friends.
"Katerina," I whisper, trying to catch her eye through the rearview mirror, but she ignores me.
"Katerina," I repeat. "What will happen to them? What are you going to do to the women?"
No one responds. Nikolai reaches into his custom-tailored suit jacket, pulling out a silver cigarette case that glints under the dim interior light. He lights a cigarette, taking a long drag and exhaling a plume of smoke that curls towards the ceiling.He's not even listening. He's so sure of himself.
The city's cacophony of horns and sirens fades into a distant echo. This is the world I'm leaving behind. I wonder if anyone will notice I’m gone.
