Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
He hadn’t landed a blow to her stomach, so she could handle all the hits to every other part of her body, just not her stomach. She had to focus on trying to protect her midriff. She had a feeling Vik would beat her out of spite.
“You do realize this is signing your death warrant?” she said.
Vik laughed. “You think I’m going to die? Stupid girl. This has nothing to do with you.”
“I know you want Mikhail, but newsflash, asshole. He’s not coming.”
Her husband had finally told her what had been worrying him the day they found out she was pregnant. The news Boris had told him about who Vik was and the fact he wanted the keys to the throne.
Vik crouched down. He tilted the gun to the side, but still kept it pointed at her. “You don’t realize, do you?”
Galina gritted her teeth, not liking his line of questioning at all.
He tutted.
“I was under the impression you’re a clever girl, but you’re just as thick and stupid as the rest of them. Only good for one thing, and that is spreading your legs. I wonder if you satisfy Mikhail.”
“You’re disgusting,” she said.
“Do you think I care about your insults?”
“You’re wasting your time. Mikhail won’t be coming back. He’s getting Boris, and then, your little quest to be King, to be the boss, is over.”
Vik laughed and then drew his hand back, slapping her hard across the face. She collapsed to the floor as her vision went a little blurry.
“Do you think I didn’t watch Mikhail? I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He tried to hide it, but you are that kid’s world. His father should have trained him better. Love makes you weak. Women are just objects to be used. You have no other use and you’re all so fucking breakable, but I saw how weak his son is. Mikhail is in love with you, so he’s going to come here and he’s going to give his life for you.” He reached out, grabbing her hair and tugging her up.
She couldn’t contain her scream as the pain rushed through her body, shocking her. Nothing could have prepared her for this.
“He’s a stupid kid in love.”
“You’re wrong,” she said.
“Well, why don’t we see? If Mikhail doesn’t turn up, then I don’t get to kill him, and I get to kill you instead, and he moves on. Or, he comes through that door, you get to see for yourself that he loves you, and then you get to watch me kill him. If I’m feeling generous, you’ll get to see me kill his father as well.”
“And this is all you want, more power, more greed. This is what it’s all about?” Galina asked.
“I’m the oldest son,” Vik said. “This is my fucking place. Boris was never meant to have what was mine. He is not me. I’m the fucking favorite. Dad loved me, not him.”
Galina tensed up as he threw her to the ground. He stood up and began to pace.
“You had the wrong mother,” Galina said. “You were never going to be top dog.” She felt that was in insult to dogs.
He pointed the gun at her. “I suggest you don’t test me, slut.”
Her face ached, her hair hurt, and she was pretty sure he’d taken a chunk out of it.
This man was crazy. He had clearly been pushed too far, and he believed he had some right to something that wasn’t his.
“Who would swear their loyalty to you?” Galina asked. “You’re acting like a spoiled little bastard brat.”
She needed him to react, to do something that would show weakness. His men were in the apartment, all of them a witness to her insulting him. She knew it was possible she wasn’t going to make it out of the apartment alive, but she had to give Mikhail a chance.
There was no way she would allow him to die. Galina didn’t have a clue what she was doing. She only knew she was trying to help.
She’d never dealt with anyone like Vik Kuzlov before. The man was clearly unstable. He had no qualms about attacking a woman, but then she had known he also liked to kill women, so that didn’t exactly put her in a good place. She didn’t want Mikhail to walk into this trap.
“What the fuck did you say to me?” Vik asked, stepping close. She knew she had crossed a line, but in that moment she didn’t care.
Vik could kill her. At least Mikhail could live.
She couldn’t help but think about her unborn child.
“You heard,” she said, tensing up.
As he drew his arm back to start hitting her, she heard Peter’s voice coming across the device attached to Vik’s waist. They had some kind of walkie-talkie. When Vik had invaded the penthouse suite, he’d been telling whoever was on the other end to let him know when Mikhail arrived.