Chapter1
GEORGIA
“There you are, my little dove.”
Cold fear pierces my lungs as Oleg Antonov slithers into the en suite where I’m on my hands and knees scrubbing a Jacuzzi tub. As I stand, his dark gaze tracks the lines of my body like a predator sizing up his next meal. Which is exactly what he is.
Oleg Antonov, head of the Antonov Bratva, is a hunter. And I’m his prey.
“Business kept me away longer than I hoped, but you were never far from my mind.” He comes farther into the luxurious bathroom, his eyes lingering over the swell of my breasts. My skin crawls and I tug at the bodice of this ridiculous maid’s uniform. A futile attempt at modesty. “I hope you didn’t miss me too much.”
Miss him? Yeah, right.
I’ve repeatedly thanked the mafia gods for whatever business called him away from his gaudy New Jersey mansion. I’ve been here for three weeks now, almost as long as he’s been gone. But the first night here was warning enough. His wandering hands and lecherous looks confirmed my worst fear. It would only be a matter of time before Oleg expected more.Much more.
He smirks, leaning his bulky frame against the bathroom vanity. “You work too hard. You deserve some fun.”
I straighten my shoulders and offer him a false smile. I sure as hell am not up for the fun he has in mind. “I’m fine. Happy to stay busy.”
“You know what they say about all work and no play.” He stalks forward. His thick fingers adorned with gold rings come to rest on my jaw. Squeezing. “It makes you dull, and no one likes a dull woman. Even one as beautiful as yourself.”
Anger erupts and before I can help it, I push his hand away. “Get off of me,” I hiss. Oleg’s face contorts into a furious mask as he grabs my arm in a brutal grip.
“Or what? What will you do exactly?” When I don’t answer, his lips curl into a cruel sneer. “That’s what I thought. Absolutely nothing. I expect you to join me tonight in my suite.”
My heart thrashes in my chest, but I don’t back down. “I agreed to work for you as a maid. Someone that cleans your home. Nothing more.”
His eyes narrow, and he leans forward, his putrid breath hot on my cheek. His grasp, punishing. “Don’t be an idiot. I have an army of staff to clean my house and to scrub my bathtub. When you’re on your hands and knees, there’s only one thing I expect of you. Remember, little dove, it’s you underneath me or your father in a grave. Your choice.”
My stomach roils. There’s a special place in hell for this man.
Just as I’m considering using Windex to blind him, the ping of an incoming text message steals his attention. He yanks away, releasing his hold on me. Taking his cell phone out of his pocket, he checks his message. Whatever he reads causes his lips to thin in distaste.
“Der'mo.” I don’t speak Russian, but I recognize it as a curse. He throws me one more fierce glare before growling, “You will give me what I want or you will pay the consequences.”
He storms out of the room, leaving me to collapse in on myself. My knees hit the marble tile, as I bury my head in my hands. Even though I knew this day was coming, it’s still a shock to the system.
How had my life taken such a dramatic turn in such a short amount of time?
Three weeks, but it feels like a lifetime ago.
Three weeks since I traded my freedom for my father’s life.
But I’ve spent my time here wisely. Scheming, planning, eavesdropping. Gathering any information that will help me escape from his heavily guarded estate. Just yesterday, I found the one last thing I need to make a getaway—cash, and lots of it.
My discovery was not a day too soon.
Checking my wristwatch, I realize if I’m going to leave, it has to be now. It’s 11 a.m. In an hour, I’m supposed to join the other domestic staff downstairs for lunch. At noon, the guards also change shifts. It’ll buy me a few minutes of distraction. It’s not much, but it’s enough time to slip out unnoticed… if all goes according to plan.
Adrenaline pumping through me, I rise from the floor and leave the room. Not wanting to attract attention, I move through the hallway as I normally would—with a bucket of cleaning supplies in one hand and a duster in the other. I keep my pace steady but efficient; head down, not making eye contact with any of the other staff. Easy to do, considering I haven’t made a single friend here. Beelining straight for the back stairs, I’m about to run up to the second floor when a hand shoots out, gripping my wrist.
“What’s the rush?” A mocking voice assaults my ears.
Great, now I have to deal with another asshole.
While Oleg was away, Kristian, his second in command, was in charge. Though he never assaulted me, his taunts and creepy stares were enough to sour my stomach. And right now, I definitely don’t have time for his crap.
Schooling my face into a neutral expression, I turn towards him. “I have work to do,” I say, lifting the supplies in my free hand. “It’s the reason I am here, after all.”