Page 99 of Mountain Mens' Curvy Obsession

“I killed your brother,” I blurt out.

Leo stills in his seat.

The silence that falls between us becomes unbearable. The air, unbreathable. For a moment, I worry he might hop over the desk and wring my neck like a chicken. Instead, he shrugs.

“I figured something must’ve happened,” he mutters. “Max had it coming, though. I told him to bring you back alive despite his insistence otherwise. I’m guessing he tried to kill you?”

“Yes.”

“All he had to do was stick to the plan. But no. He thought he was smarter than me. He had it coming.”

I’m stunned by his lack of emotion. “I just told you your brother’s dead, and that’s all you can muster?”

“I’m not sure you noticed, Anya, but in the war for power, there is no room for emotions or affection of any kind. Blood ties or not, Max went against my orders and it cost him dearly. Though I am surprised you, of all people, were able to kill him.”

I don’t want to bring the Hayes brothers to his attention. Maybe Breonna kept them out of it—I’m assuming her goal was to stay in Seeley Lake with them, out of trouble and away from me. Away from Leo. At least, I can be thankful for that much. But if I survive this, I will wreck her.

“It was pure luck,” I mutter. “So, what’s the plan, again? You’re going to parade me in front of the other families, and I’m expected to just play along, if I want to survive?”

He leans back in his seat and smiles broadly. “If you want to carry your baby to term, yes. That’s pretty much the plan.”

“Fucking Breonna,” I hiss. His knowing I’m pregnant puts me in an even more precarious situation because he can clearly use it against me.

“I will forgive this transgression as well, if that’s what it takes to have you as my wife. I’m not unreasonable. I even support raising the child, but we will have our own as well. Your bastard can keep the Asimov name, but our sons will inherit everything. It sounds like a fair deal, don’t you think?”

Either he’s delusional or simply comfortable with the idea that I’m not going to fight him because of my current vulnerability. If there’s one thing I learned from my brother and father over the years, it’s that when cornered, an Asimov must project the impression desired by their opponent, if only until they’re able to go on the offensive again.

So, with a heavy heart and a knot in my throat, I nod slowly.

“Good.” He gets up and walks to the study door, where one of his goons stands guard on the other side. “Confirm with the families that we’re coming tomorrow night. And have Anya taken to her room. She needs to be rested, fed, and dressed accordingly.”

The guy in a dark suit simply nods as Leo turns to face me. His smile sends chills down my spine.

“I’m not sure you’ll get what you want,” I warn him. If I seem too compliant all of a sudden, he’ll know I’m up to something. “Everything you’ve done will come back to bite you in the ass.”

“I’m not worried about that. Once I’ve got you in front of the judge and taking your vows, it’s game over for whatever is left of the Asimov pack. Not even Zoya will be able to save you. And I will have full control over every Asimov-owned business. It’s a good thing, though.”

“How is that a good thing?”

“It will bring an end to the bloodshed. I’ve had to kill quite a lot of people to get your daddy’s business managers to comply,” he says. “An empire is built on mutual respect, not crippling fear. I mean, worst-case scenario, fear is still an option, but I’m hoping for a more reasonable outcome here. See? Your future husband is a reasonable man.”

“You murdered my family in cold blood,” I reply, my voice low and cold.

“I did what I had to do to secure our future.”

Leo crosses the room in the blink of an eye. “And I would do it all over again, if I had to. For once, take this chance I’m giving you and simply be fucking grateful you’re still alive,” he hisses, his face too close to mine. One deep breath later, he regains his composure and takes a step back. “Now… be a good girl and go to your room. I had the house stocked for your return. Clothes, toiletries, food. Everything and everyone is at your service.”

“Don’t expect me to thank you,” I mutter, crossing my arms.

“I’ll teach you gratitude as soon as that little mutt is out of you,” he replies, disgusted as he glances down at my belly.

I’m screwed six ways from Sunday, if I don’t figure a way out of here. Leo had iron bars mounted on the windows. The mansion is full of Sokolov soldiers. Escaping won’t be easy, but it shouldn’t be impossible either. Every nook and cranny of this house are some of the only parts of my memory without holes.

Maybe I can get out before it’s too late.

29

Chance

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