Ivan’s words came back to me.“It matters to me that you know how to fight.”
In my head, I vowed I would fight to the death if need be. I could never live in the sick, twisted world of the Mask again. It was a miracle I survived it the first time. With a rattling sound, the door unlocked. My head swung toward it, my palms sweaty and my body shaking in fear.
Ivan’s shirt had come untied at some point, so it hung clear down to my knees. I moved my hand away from my blade but made sure I could reach it if I needed to. A towering figure opened the door and filled the frame. I wanted to crawl under the bed or find some place to hide.
Step by step, he advanced, each movement calculated and deliberate. My gaze remained fixed upon him. I fought to steady my breath, attempting to prevent hyperventilation, but fear pulsed through my veins, making the task all the more challenging.
The man stopped before me. He had a starkly shaven head, revealing the contours of his weathered face. In his piercing, light brown eyes, there was something dark, something unsettling lurking under the surface. The cruelty was unmistakable.
A dark brown beard sporadically adorned his jawline, making him look scraggly. And a collection of tattoos spanned across his knuckles, resembling intricate bands encircling his hands, almost like rings.
“Dobro pozhalovat’ domoy.”Welcome home. I didn’t blink at his deep voice or use of Russian, just stared wide-eyed in disbelief. “Oh, maybe you don’t understand.” He switched to English, his accent pronounced but not difficult to understand. “I’m here to welcome you home, Mischa. Well, not home, home. We had to make an extra stop after a problem with the plane. For the time being, you and I will make do.”
His words made the room grow dark as my fear pushed forward, threatening to make me blackout.
“You didn’t think he wouldn’t come for you, did you?” He perched on the edge of the bed.
With grimy hands, he pushed the hair away from my face, and I flew back and tried to put as much distance between us as possible. Pulling my knees up to my chest and turning my head to the side, I tried to calm my nerves. But instead, I retched, unable to control my fear any longer.
His lips curled in a twisted, evil snarl. “You’ll want to breathe through your nose,” he said, only dialing my fear up several notches. “Here are my rules. You will obey. No fighting, no trying to escape. I don’t play that shit. I have no problem hurting you. If you follow the rules, you will remain safe. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Si-Sir,” I choked out.
His cruel eyes widened, and a slow smile spread across his face.He must be the new collector, my mind reasoned. His face wasn’t covered. And I knew the original one was dead.
“I think we’re going to get along very well, Mischa.” His hand touched my knee.
“Sir, Mischa Natalya is dead, and I saw her buried.” The words slipped easily out of my mouth. It was like I was transported back to ten years old, and I was already falling back into my place. As those powerful memories pummeled my mind, I leaned over and threw up, some of it hitting his shoe.
He jumped back, slapping me hard. I grabbed my cheek, blood trickling through my fingers where one of his rings cut my face. Cursing in Russian, he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me off the bed. Once more, his hand cracked across my face, the sting blooming hot across my cheek. Before I could catch my breath, he shoved me—hard. My back hit the bathroom door, swinging it open as I stumbled inside and then hit the ground.
“Take your clothes off, you stupid bitch. You stink,” he screamed.
Think, Kinsley, think. You have your blade. If you bide your time and use it strategically, you might live. Clear your mind and focus.
He said the Mask was thousands of miles away, getting everything ready. From the look in his eyes, I could tell he was going to hurt me. He wouldn’t do that if the Mask were here. With the evilness I knew the Mask was capable of, he’d want that honor for himself. I turned away from my captor, shakily unbuttoned my shorts, and slid them off.
Tears streamed down my face, and an incredible sense of humiliation had me letting out a small sob. I lifted Ivan’s shirt, not wanting to part with it, my only tie to him. Standing before this monster, wearing a pair of light pink lacy panties that matched my bra, I realized how vulnerable I was.
“Take them off,” he ordered, pointing at my panties.
The look in his eyes had my heart squeezing in my chest. I took them off, folding them and putting them on the inside of my shorts. This made my blade more accessible, so I would be ready to strike. All I needed was the opportunity.
“Looks like someone has already had a piece of you. I wasn’t sure, but those hickeys and bite marks on your ass speak volumes. I’m glad I held off. This will be so much more fun with you awake.”
I closed my eyes, trying to push the thought of Nik and the marks he’d left from my mind. I needed a clear head.Focus.
“Now the rest,” he hissed. I had my back to him as I removed my bra. But hearing him groan had me turning my head. He’d unzipped his pants and pulled them down, and his hand was pumping his dick.
“You should know your price has gone down. Virgins always bring in the biggest prizes in our world. And I can’t wait to see the look of fury on his face when he realizes you’re not pure. I took pictures earlier, while you were asleep, as proof you came that way. And just so you know, they’ve already been sent in.”
My heart sank and the bathroom blurred as tears filled my eyes. The shamehis words brought was overwhelming, and I struggled to breathe through it. The humiliation burned in my gut, cheapening what I’d shared with my Kings.
“Turn around.”
He stood behind me as I hesitated. I took a deep breath and did as he asked. A small amount of space stretched between us, too much for me to make a move.
“Master, don’t hurt me,” I whispered and dropped into a perfect Nadu position.
