Page 60 of Bratva Jewels Box Set
19
MATEO
Did she just say escort for the Bratva? I turn and look over at Tomas.
His face is as blank as mine before he shakes himself out of it. “We might need to have a seat for this conversation,” Tomas suggests.
Zoe nods sadly.
I grab her hand and link our fingers together as we walk back to the sofa where we just were. Seems like a million moments ago when I was deep inside her, where nothing mattered but her pleasures.
We take our seats, Zoe and I on the sofa and Tomas on the one across from us.
“I was owned by the Bratva,” Zoe starts slowly.
“How did you know?” I ask.
Zoe looks down at her hands again, that same nervous gesture she had when she first came here is now back again.
“An old client was there last night with a woman I worked with. He was surprised to see me there as he was told I had moved on. He was very insistent on how much he missed me. That he missed our time together. It was a shock.”
“Did he touch you?” I ask, trying to hold back my anger. I will kill anyone that touches her without her permission.
She shakes her head but the way her hands twist tells me that’s a lie.
I’ll kill him.
“His date was a woman named Ruby. She explained that we were in the same situation. Both of us were taken from home and thrust into a life neither of us asked for. Each new piece of information sparked a dormant memory in my mind. Bit by bit they began filtering through. It was overwhelming and distressing.”
Thank goodness for this Ruby woman. I’m going to need to find her and thank her for helping our girl out like that.
“Ruby explained how an ex-boyfriend had taken me to Russia. I thought I was going there to meet his family and, in essence, I did but it wasn’t what we would consider family. He kidnapped me, stole my passport, and locked me away in an apartment. He tried forcing me to work for him, and Ruby said I wouldn’t do it. That I fought back with everything I had to not become one of his jewels. I tried and failed so many times to escape that they threatened my sister. Gracie is her name. One of my ex-boyfriend’s friends began dating my sister, and they threatened me with her safety so I would comply. Eventually I did, Ruby explained.”
Fuck. That’s horrible.
“Did Ruby know how you ended up at the bottom of our gates?” I ask.
Zoe shakes her head. “All she knew was that they had told her and the other girls that I was dead.”
Other girls? Words escape me listening to Zoe’s story.
“What happened to Ruby?” I ask
“She went back into the party with that man. I tried to get her to come home with me. I needed to save her, but she refused.She was adamant that I needed to run. That they would come and kill the both of you. Ruby said they would stop at nothing if they found out I was still alive.”
“And that’s why you think you need to go? Because Ruby said they would be after you?”
Zoe nods.
I turn and look over at Tomas as he’s remained quiet this whole entire time.
“Do you have nothing to say?” I question him.
Tomas looks up at me, the lines between his brows are pulled tightly.
“Seeing Ruby again triggered all your memories?” Tomas asks Zoe.
“Tomas,” I warn, not liking his tone.
