With This Secret

He went on, “Now, I want to ask you, why was I never good enough for you? What do I lack that that kid you threw yourself to does not? He cannot even protect you. Now you’re nothing but a sacrifice, for my dignity, and my pleasure, but it is even sweeter than my wildest dreams because in one fell swoop, I get to destroy the Ivankov’s. For years, they behaved as if they were better than me. They aren’t and they’re about to find that out.” He turned to look at my father. When he saw his head still hanging, he signaled to one of his men, and they moved.

I heard my father’s excruciating grunt of pain at the blow across his head. Then he was forced to lift his head up.

My gaze moved to Bogdan, and when he turned to meet the hate in my eyes, he smiled. “Your father is not too bad a man. He gave you to me … but you didn’t want me, and now here we are. You are making me kill a good man because you are a stupid, ungrateful bitch!”

He pushed away from the chair to his feet in anger, and walked towards my father.

My mouth moved before I could stop myself, “Don’t hurt him,” I pleaded. “I’ll do whatever you want, just let him go.”

Bogdan immediately stopped and looked at me. His smile was blinding. “She speaks!” he exclaimed. “A clap of hands boys,” he called to his minions in the shadows.

They quickly cackled out in laughter and claps.

He came to me then, and placed his hands on my cheeks, his lips barely an inch away from mine, his nauseating breath all over my face. “An ungrateful bitch you surely are, but you’re so beautiful.”

“Please let him go,” I pleaded.

He gripped my face hard, and gazing into my eyes, vengefully asked, “What do I have to do to get this much love from you? He has done nothing for you and yet … what do I fucking have to do?”

“Nothing. I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Then kiss me,” he said and he crushed his lips painfully on my swollen ones. I let him kiss me. When his sour tongue thrust through my lips I wanted to gag, but I sucked it. Anything, anything to save my Levan and stop him from killing my father right in front of me. This was the only way I was going to be able to take him unawares.

He noted my acceptance, my willingness even, and could not contain his pleasure. He watched me, and seemed to be looking at me with a different set of eyes. There was pride that in front of his men, I was bending to him. “We might just … we might just be able to turn this around … and find our way back. Imagine, you on my arm and the Ivankov’s rotting away, unable to do absolutely anything about it. But you fucked the pretty boy,” he complained. “And for that, you’ll never be more than a dog to me. Still, I like dogs.”

I remained silent.

He stared at me. “Are you a dog?”

I slowly died inside as I nodded obediently. One way or another, I was going to kill this man. It would be a favor to the rest of the world. Men like him shouldn’t exist. He was a monster.

“Yes, I like dogs,” he repeated as he gazed hungrily at my breasts. He came close and bit my nipple through my clothes, so hard I screamed with pain.

He laughed. “Bring her down,” he roared, wild excitement filling his eyes.

Two of his men rushed forward to do as they had been ordered.

I fell into his arms, unable to stand on my own.

“Leave!” He roared to them, brazen lust burning in his gaze. He lowered me to the floor and pulled my legs apart.

I didn’t turn away as his hands went to the buckle of his pants.

49

Levan

The door was pulled open, and I jumped to my feet.

“Come on. You’re free,” the guard said, moving back from the doorway.

“What?”

“Come on, Ivankov. I haven’t got all day.”

Quickly, I followed him.

My lawyer was waiting outside. “We’ll speak later, but Maxim has arranged everything and he will explain everything to you himself,” she said.

Silently and impatiently, I went through the procedure of getting out of jail. Then I headed out to the front metal doors that unlocked I hoped for the final time and walked towards the SUV waiting for me.

Viktor immediately jumped out of the car and hurried over to me.

“Where is she?” I asked as he met me.

The anger inside of me was boiling so violently it was hard for me to even contain it. “Boss told us to tell you to call your father. That he’ll know where she is.”

I frowned, a new fear hitting my chest at what that could possibly mean? Viktor handed over a phone to me and I was almost afraid to take it. Did this mean my father had a hand in all of this? Had he been the one to send her out of Spain and back here?