Chapter 16

POV Tatyana

I enter Pavel's office, a small and dark space. The walls are gray, and in the center of the room, there’s only a desk and two comfortable armchairs. As soon as I walk through the door, he slams it shut, clearly trying to intimidate me. The man sits down and gestures for me to take a seat as well.

"I’ll be direct with you. After this child is born, you’ll have no further use to us," he says, tapping his fingers on the desk and observing me with curiosity.

"I may be of no use, since to you I’m nothing but a breeder, but Samuel promised to release me."

"I’ll discuss that with him. Do you have family?"

"Yes, my father, Olavo Petrova."

"He’s the one who owes John a substantial amount of money, isn’t he?" he asks, already knowing the answer, which enrages me.

"What does this man want? Why is he questioning me? I bet he’s studying me, but I can’t figure out why," I think to myself.

"Yes," I reply curtly.

"There’s something about you that unsettles my son. I can see you throw him off balance. Maybe it’s your sharp tongue that challenges him, excites him. But Samuel cannot afford distractions, and this child will be trained under my supervision."

I don’t fully understand what that means, but being supervised by him can’t be good. Pavel gets up and walks to the door. Before leaving, he flashes a wicked smile.

"Some rabbits need to be killed so they don’t overpopulate," he declares, disappearing down the hallway and leaving me confused and pensive.

I rise from the soft armchair as John enters the office, closing the door behind him. He places his right hand on my face and softly slides his thumb across my lips.

"I’m sorry for putting you in a difficult position with Sam... I..." Before he can finish, in a fleeting impulse, I kiss him tenderly.

John holds my face with both hands, savoring my lips with desire. His breath is warm, and his mouth devours mine with calmness and delicacy. Eagerly, he slides his hand down to my waist, pulling me closer to his body. When he touches and squeezes my butt, I let out a soft moan of pain.

"Did I hurt you?" he asks, pulling back.

"It’s nothing, just mild bruises."

John’s expression changes, his eyes turning red with anger. He firmly turns me around and pulls down my clothes to look at the marks on my skin. His breathing becomes erratic, and his voice grows deep and fierce.

"I can’t believe Samuel did this to you." John gently runs his fingers over the red bruises.

I carefully adjust my dress, and he hugs me tightly.

"I’d like to believe Sam can be saved, but he’ll never change. What he did to you is unacceptable. When you’re pregnant, will he do this too?" John declares, turning elegantly to leave the office.

My heart races as I imagine what he’s about to do.

"Wait, John, I let him!"

"What?" His expression is one of shock, and he freezes.

"Samuel did this, but I liked it. I like feeling pain," I confess shyly.

"What do you mean? You must have Stockholm syndrome, Tatyana. It doesn’t make sense to enjoy being hurt, let alone liking my brother!"

"Obviously not. I’m a masochist, John. I don’t need you to save me from Samuel’s claws and fangs. I can take care of myself," I snap, confused by my irritation with him.

"Clearly, you can’t. Have you looked at the marks in the mirror?" John asks, holding the hem of my dress.

"Yes, they’re just sore, that’s all!"

I brush past him and head out the door. As soon as I reach the hallway, Samuel approaches. With arrogance, he grabs my arm and brings his tantalizing lips close to my ear. He whispers darkly, sending chills down my spine.

"We’ll talk later in the panic room."

The arrogant man turns to face John, who, irritated, begins to question him.

"I can’t believe you hit her, Samuel!"

"This is entirely your fault. If you had kept your dick in your pants, there wouldn’t have been a need to punish her. Are you challenging me, John? I do whatever I want, and if you’re not satisfied with my leadership, you can try killing me and taking control," the leader of the Bratva provokes. John glares at him, enraged. "Oh, I forget. You can’t kill me. Your love is your weakness and always will be. Or are you thinking about the Colt code?"

Their argument is interrupted by Agata, who enters, sobbing.

"Why the hell are you crying?" Samuel yells, losing control.

"Because I’m tired of this damned family, of having to get married, of all this," Agata says, wiping her tears.

Pavel steps into the hallway, and everyone falls silent.

"What the fuck is going on?" he asks furiously.

"Nothing. Let’s get back," Samuel says, pulling me along with the others to the meeting room downstairs.

I sit at the table and watch them talk, plot, and drink. Samuel gives instructions to his men, his gestures and expression always cold and severe.

"Durval Sevilla... The American bastard who’ll die tomorrow. Remember, I’ll be the one to kill him. He’s been causing conflicts with Russia’s interests and creating problems for Franco Ivanov."

"How’s it going to be done, Colt?" Severo asks.

"At his house. Kill all the guards, and I’ll go in to finish the job."

"Of course, boss. Your wish is our command," says Sergei, one of the members, obeying the leader’s orders.

After the meeting ends, I approach Adam, who smiles. We’ve always had a physical relationship, but with what he said today, I need to remind him that our feelings remain within the bounds of friendship.

"Adam, I only agreed with what you said to provoke Samuel, but let’s be clear, our relationship has always been just sex."

"Of course, Taty. I’m sorry, I just got angry seeing Severo trying to humiliate you."

I nod, and Adam kisses my cheek affectionately before leaving to see the Brotherhood members off. As everyone starts to leave the room, I head to the garden.

The Mafia is full of rules, and witnessing the definition of each step leaves me amazed. I never imagined being in such a perverse world. I’ve never agreed with illicit activities, yet it seems everyone is corrupt, and the Mafia thrives on it.

The garden is beautiful, with a large colonial gazebo in the center, surrounded by flowers. I see Agata sitting beneath the structure, looking at the blooms. I take a deep breath, reflecting on the immense chaos that is the Colt family.

With calm steps, I approach her and sit by her side. I don’t feel secure speaking, but I remember how she opened up to me earlier before Pavel called me.

"Why are you engaged to John? Do you love him?" She inhales deeply and speaks firmly.

"I’m fulfilling my role in this family! Do you think anyone in the Colt family has ever married for love? There’s no way to love darkness, Tatyana," she says, standing and walking away silently.

Samuel appears at the entrance of the garden, walking with heavy steps. He stops in front of me, and I stand up quickly. His expression is serious, and he furrows his brow as he speaks.

"Why did you confirm that you’ll be Adam’s wife?"

"Maybe because I really want to be his wife! Why do you keep trying to control me? Don’t you realize you don’t own me?"

"I’m tired, Tatyana, of you always talking back, but especially of not being able to have any control over you," he confesses, his aggressive tone softening.

"No one can control everything. What bothers you so much, Colt?" Samuel looks at me intensely, allowing me to see the pain and darkness ready to consume him. "What angers you so much, Samuel Colt?"

He pulls me close swiftly and without hesitation. His strong arms trap me, and he leans in, brushing his warm lips slowly against mine. I feel his heavy breathing and close my eyes to let his voice penetrate my thoughts.

"It destroys me that I can’t control what I feel anymore..."

His confession completely overwhelms my senses, and I kiss him intensely, desperately. When did Samuel Colt start affecting my thoughts and desires so deeply?

He kisses me voraciously, as if he might lose me in mere minutes. His hands grip my body, and his sexy beard scratches my skin. A fiery blaze burns in my chest, spreading to every corner of my body. I could push him away, but I let his lips devour mine impatiently. I wrap my arms around his neck, deepening our passionate kiss. His hands slide around my waist, pulling me down to the ground.

Samuel Colt doesn’t care about showing everyone his power, proving he can do whatever he wants. I feel the soft grass caress my back as his body hovers over mine, restless and desperate. His kisses trail down, tormenting my skin, which shivers under his rough touch. Our moment of abandon is interrupted by Maria.

"Mr. Colt, excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt..." Before she can finish, Samuel stands up furiously.

"Damn it, Maria! Damn it! What is it?"

Maria responds in a trembling, fearful voice.

"Luara didn’t want to eat breakfast today, sir."

"You interrupted me to talk about Luara?" Samuel shouts, irritated.

"Where is she?" I ask, curious.

"I’ll release her. She was where she belongs, alone and afraid."

Samuel growls, clenching his fists, and I notice he’s out of control. Ever since I set foot in this house, it’s clear how cold and serious the family members are with each other. From my observations, the only one who manages to maintain even a small connection with Samuel is John.

Why didn’t Luara want to eat? Why does he harbor so much anger toward her? His words carry enormous weight, but I’ll still need to uncover the troubled past they share.

He storms off, and Maria looks relieved, perhaps because Samuel didn’t lash out at her with harsh words.

I feel like I can ask her something. The family is reserved, and I can’t seem to have proper conversations with anyone. John lives on another property, and whenever I see him, we don’t communicate the way I’d like. I want to understand the Colt family, yet a great mystery and many secrets seem to be imprisoned in this house, and most of all, in their hearts.

Maria rubs her hands together and gazes at the green grass, showing she’s willing to talk.

"Does he hurt people, Maria? Are you afraid? Why?" I ask. She adjusts her apron, thinking about how to answer.

"He doesn’t go around physically hurting people. What he usually does is mental torture. He breaks you down with words and devours every good piece of you," Maria says, taking a deep breath, clearly frustrated. "I’ve worked for this family for years, and even though I’m wary of Mr. Colt, nothing compares to Mr. Pavel. That man is a demon. Just be very careful with him. I didn’t want to tell you this, but I believe that after your baby is born, he’ll probably want to get rid of you.

"Mr. Pavel, even though he’s no longer the leader, still holds immense influence over all the Brotherhood members. In this house, he’s deeply respected, even if that respect was achieved through fear."