Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
“He has Tank,” he said. “In one piece, and he’s willing to make the trade. Faith for Tank.”
“When?” Igor asked.
“Tonight, in fifty minutes. We depart for no-man’s-land,” Brute said.
He didn’t need to give any more orders, they all knew how important this was.
“Who will have Faith?” Hail asked.
“She’ll ride on the back of my bike.” And that wasn’t because he didn’t trust anyone else. He just wasn’t going to allow Faith to be on the back of anyone else’s bike.
The men stared at him and he ignored their questioning looks, and instead walked past them, going back to his bedroom.
No woman had ever ridden on the back of his bike.
The brothers hadn’t taken any of the women with them.
Faith was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her hands were clenched together. She didn’t look like a woman who was excited about going back to her family. She looked even more terrified than usual.
“What … what is happening?” she asked.
“You’re going home.”
“What if I don’t want to go back to him?” She nibbled her lip and looked down at her lap. “What if I want to stay here?”
“You don’t have a choice. You’re a means to an end, Faith. I needed you to get me someone else, and I’m so close to having him. I’m not going to trade him for you.”
She nodded her head. “Of course.”
Faith got to her feet. Brute grabbed her arm. This time, she wasn’t willing. She was tense, holding her arm close to her body.
He ignored her and pulled her behind him, taking her out of the main clubhouse and to the parking lot where his bikes were. Faith didn’t fight him, she did everything he asked her to do, and then when she had no choice but to climb on the back of his bike, she did so reluctantly.
His men were ready and waiting.
Golubev wouldn’t come alone, but there was a code in no-man’s-land. He doubted Golubev would stick to it, but it didn’t matter. He had Faith, and he knew that would guarantee him a certain amount of safety.
Chapter Six
Faith had wanted this day to come for so long. She had wanted to be free, but now that it was close, she wasn’t quite sure she wanted it anymore. How insane was that? Brute was her kidnapper and he hadn’t shown her much in the way of kindness. She knew he could have been a complete monster to her, but he’d also not done that either.
She didn’t know why she was so confused.
The journey was long and she hated that it was raining. There was a slight chill in the air and she held onto Brute like her life depended on it, and in a way, it did.
She had come to learn so much in the last few days. It was going to be impossible for her to forget it.
Fear raced through her body as she caught sight of multiple headlights up ahead. Brute didn’t stop, nor did he slow down. He only stopped when they were several feet away from the cars.
Her grandfather had become clearer to her as they got closer. He stood behind a man who was bound and gagged, kneeling on the floor. Faith had never seen a beaten man before, but the man at his feet was covered in dried blood, bruises, and at least one of his eyes wouldn’t open. Grandfather Sergey had caused that.
“Get off,” Brute said.
Faith climbed off his bike, and she felt how wobbly her legs were.
Brute hadn’t been cruel to her, not since that first night, but now he grabbed her arm and all but dragged her closer to her grandfather.
“Close your eyes,” Sergey said.
“No, Faith, keep them open,” Brute said. “Look at your grandfather’s work.”
“Brute?” the man asked.
“I’m here, Tank. You’re coming home.”
Faith wanted to go to the man, hug him, and tell him it was all going to be okay. Was this what Brute hoped to do? To get his man back?
She had no idea what this Tank had done, but he looked awful. Worse than awful. If Brute had to use her to trade for his man, then she was more than happy to do so. Looking at her grandfather, she couldn’t quite believe it. Sergey had always seemed like a kind man, a good man, and now she didn’t know what to believe. He’d hurt this man. Why? Did it even matter the reason? Was there ever a good reason to hurt anyone?
Even though the ink of the dove had been forced on her seven years ago, her wrist felt like it was burning. She didn’t want the ink.
“You broke the rules,” Brute said. “She’s in one piece.”
“Is she now? You seem to have implied that she wasn’t quite whole.”
Faith looked at Brute then toward her grandfather. What?
“I haven’t touched her,” Brute said.