I’m Desmier Volkova. The man. And their reckoning.
ChapterThree
Anastasia
The wedding is off.
God, what a nightmare.
And now I’m being taken to Desmier Volkova’s house.
The thought weakens me, and I feel so fragile I fear I may shatter into a million pieces.
Thank God Dad’s arm is still around me. If he weren’t holding me up and moving us down the corridor toward the car, I don’t think I could do it myself.
The echo of my heels against the marble floor is a welcome distraction from the turbulence in my mind, but I can’t stop myself from freaking out about what will happen to me. And Viktor. I’ve never seen him look so defeated, and so powerless.
I’m desperately trying to hold it together, but I can’t.
How the fuck must I? What the hell are the chances of my life being ruined by Viktor’s long-lost brother? And surely, he can’t be serious about marrying me.
Every time I try to process it, I feel like I’m losing my mind.
But when we walk past the stunning hall decorated for the reception, my heart gives a hard squeeze. From the rose-gold tablecloths and the covered chairs with giant bows on the back to the white Calla lilies surrounding the pewter candlesticks on each table… Everything is magnificent.
This glimpse is all I’ll be seeing.
I lean even more on Dad. “I can’t. I just can’t.”
“It will be okay.”
My dad always fixes things when they go wrong, but this…? Viktor? Desmier? Me?
I want to believe Dad or Viktor will be able to sort this out, but the tension in my gut is telling me otherwise.
Our footsteps become louder as we continue to the adjoining hall. Once there, Jayce—I think that’s his name—is joined by three more guards. All are armed.
I’m quite aware of the dark underworld of danger I live in. Where all of society’s rules bend and break for men with power.
When you live in a world like mine, where the Knights and the Russian mafia are God, anything can happen because they are the law. Things can change drastically from one moment to the next and leave you trying to crawl your way out of hell.
I saw the way Desmier looked at me. I saw how he undressed me with his eyes, and I noted the seductive promise lurking within them.
I don’t want to go to his house.
When I get there, what will happen next?
What will Desmier do to me?
Even though there was seduction in his eyes, his entire presence and show of power were filled with vengeance.
We walk outside into the drizzling rain.
“Syuda,” Jayce speaks in Russian and points to a black Ferrari parked by the entrance to the parking lot.
Once we reach the car, he opens the door and gestures for me to get in. When I think of leaving my dad and disappearing into the unknown with these men, I feel an invisible hand around my throat. It squeezes tighter and tighter, stopping the air from reaching my lungs.
Jayce clenches his jaw, instantly looking pissed off. “Get in.”