Page 148 of Wicked Vows (Suvorov Bratva 2)

I’m trapped. I have no idea when I’ll see Zoya again. Or Liya. Or my dad.

Tears are working their way up my throat. A sob lodges just behind my tongue, appearing as a strangled squeak more than anything else.

The chain behind me clinks as I shift on the cot.

There isn’t much light in here, but I can see the ground, the gate blocking my exit to the hallway and a decent-looking toilet.How nice of them to provide such lavish provisions.

A new sensation drifts into my gut, something I never thought I’d feel again since my ex-boyfriend broke my heart. It’s a dreadful ache. It weighs my bones and makes my heart feel like it’s seizing in my chest. And it never ends. It just grows stronger the more I try to breathe through it.

When I look at the empty hallway, all I feel is hopelessness.

Cardona wants Zoya for more than just leverage. She told me about her father bouncing between mob bosses and how he had been labeled a betrayer. Her fate might be worse than mine. I can’t say for sure what’s going to happen to her. But from the way Cardona leered at her, I have a pretty good idea.

She’s pregnant, I keep thinking.She’s carrying a baby. They can’t hurt her.

But they can.

And they will.

And they’ll hurt me, too.

My mind races as I scan the area. There isn’t much to work with. I can’t even break out of these chains. I have no weapons—only the solid assurance in the back of my mind that Liya will do everything she can to get me out of here.

Twelve hours.

Liya is relentless. She’s become a ruthless criminal, a woman who refuses to be fucked with. If anyone can get Zoya and me out of here, it’s her.

The gate creaks. Lorenzo is back. He’s holding a water bottle and a bag of clothes.

He tosses both on the bed. “Stand up, Ms. Austin. Time to change.”

He whips out a key and unlocks the shackles. He unties the rope next. It’s weird to feel cool air on my wrists when they’ve been bound for so long.

I’m blinking with disbelief at him when he looks between me and the items. “Don’t get shy now. Strip.”

I blanch. “Excuse me?”

“Take those clothes off,” he commands while tugging on my blouse. “And put these clothes on. Or I can do it for you.”

He pulls a gun from the back of his pants and cocks it. The barrel is pointed at the ground, but I get his meaning.

I slip my blouse over my shoulders.

A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. Does he think that I’ll just drop to my knees and beg for him to just let me go?

You’d like that, wouldn’t you? You piece of shit.

He’d probably bruise my mouth right now if Cardona hadn’t said something about it. I try to hold on to a shred of dignity, but it’s hard to keep from shaking when this dangerous man is eyeing me like I’m his last meal.

While I strip.

Right in front of him.

As soon as my clothes are on the ground, I reach for the bag. A lacy set of black lingerie and a garter belt are inside. Lorenzo stares at me, the smile on his face widening.

“Tick-tock, Ms. Austin.”

I shake my head.No.

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