One way or another, this life would have swallowed me up. Pavel was hand-picked by my brother out of a sea of monsters—and that was purely out of luck more than anything else. Any other man would have done much worse things to me. Like Felix did to Zoya.
I shudder at the thought.Pavel just doesn’t get it.
I pull my suitcase from under the bed. “This is too much. I can’t do it anymore.”
Pavel steps into my path and takes my arm. “You can’t leave, Liya. Not now.”
I shove him out of the way. “I don’t care what you want anymore! It’s not your choice.”
He snatches my upper arm and drags me to the bed. A scream wells in my chest—and dies when his hand lands over my mouth. All I can release is a frustrated exhale while I fight against him.
And lose.
Like I do every time.
My features set with determination.No, I won’t lose. Not this time.
I grab his hair and pull. I slam my knee into his gut. I pivot my body to break his grip. Everything I do gives me a little wiggle room—until he takes it back. Frustrated snarls break from my mouth as I try to elbow his shoulders. He snatches my wrists, pins them above my head, and forces me down with his strength.
And that’s what ultimately keeps me in place.
My face burns with equal parts agitation and fear. The way he looks at me is utterly horrifying because it’s everything I’ve come to despise about him. Possessive, controlling, and proud Pavel stands over me, not the caring, loving, and protective Pavel that I want. I’m stuck between my own desire and abject terror—and I’m not sure which one is going to take over.
Maybe they’ll both fight it out in my core forever.
He grabs my chin. “Iwon’tlet you leave.”
I bare my teeth. It doesn’t matter how many times he insists on that. It’s still not his choice. I have every right to walk away from him.
And I gave him warnings, too.
I twist my shoulders to break from his grip, but he’s too strong. With strands of hair in my face, I glare up at him, waiting for him to make his next move. I can be patient and wait this out. No matter what happens, I’m walking out that door with that suitcase. Nothing less will satisfy me.
His fingers trail over my cheek, pushing my hair out of the way.
Fuck you, Pavel. You can’t touch me like that. You have no right!
Fervent desire crashes into my center. I’m fighting every screeching molecule that begs for him to take me over.
That can’t happen again. Itwon’thappen again.
It’s over.
I spit my hair away from my mouth. “This feels familiar.”
“It’s exactly what I like to see.”
“Remember what you said about chaining me to the bed until I give birth?”
His grip slackens.
The shaky breath I take hardly resembles how I feel. I’m not weak. I’m not an object. I’m a pregnant woman. I’m amother. And I will fight for my child’s life.
“That’s exactly what Felix did to Zoya. Only she never got the chance to evenmeether baby, Pavel.”
He releases his hand from my wrists and steps back, staring down at me with shock. A moment later, he looks at his hands with revulsion.
My stomach rumbles. I feel the twisted ache of hunger despite what I’ve gone through in the past thirty minutes. It’s hard to think about food at a time like this, but I need my strength. The days ahead are going to be the hardest I’ve ever faced.