Chapter 26

"I’m a strategist. Pavel won’t retaliate once he sees I haven’t mentioned Anna. When Samuel finds out his father lied, do you really think he’ll believe a word that demon says?" Severo looks at me, thoughtful, running a hand over his head in confusion. "If Samuel didn’t find me or discovered I was dead, you can be sure he’d lose it. Well, I think you know him better than I do—that out-of-control man doesn’t seem rational to me."

"Damn…" Severo exhales sharply, putting his hands on his head in thought. This only proves to me that Pavel’s allies obey him because they probably owe him favors. "Don’t think for a second I can’t kill you. I’m just weighing whether I’d have bigger problems if I did."

"You definitely would."

Severo grabs his phone and sends a message to Samuel. A few minutes later, he looks at me angrily.

"If you’re deceiving me, I’ll kill you!"

"Don’t worry, Severo. Unlike you, who disrespects your leader and doesn’t know what it means to keep your word, I do, and I will." I provoke him, leaving him irritated.

"It’s not quite like that, girl. Talk to Samuel like that, and he’ll cut out your tongue."

"I’d love to see him try!" Severo laughs, and for the first time, I see him smile.

"Now I understand why Pavel hates you. He only tolerates women he can control and intimidate."

"Good thing I’m not easily intimidated. I’m not afraid of the devil."

"Let’s go. I’ll take you back. We need to be quick before the men arrive and discover Anna is alive." I agree and follow him to the garden to say goodbye to Anna.

When I approach her, I hold her hands gently.

"Anna, I need your help."

"Of course. What happened? What can I do?"

"Severo was going to kill me, but I promised to return and not reveal his involvement in the kidnapping. Could you keep this secret when you return to the mansion?" She smiles, and from the moment I met her, I felt I could trust her.

"Of course. Severo knows I would never want Samuel to kill him."

"I’ll be back soon, very soon."

"I know you will! I believe in you."

I hug Anna tightly, my eyes taking in the place, memorizing every detail. I’ll be back to get her soon, and I need to remember everything. Hours have passed since I was taken, and they found me quickly. This shows the Bratva’s power in the capital. If Samuel or John had suspected Anna might still be alive, this suffering would have ended. But they were just children, deceived by that monster all these years.

On the left side of the house, there’s a red chimney, and the doors are green. After focusing on every detail, I follow Severo. I get into the car, feeling a wave of excitement. Not having engaged in any intimacy has left me restless, but I’m relieved to finally see Samuel.

"Damn it, he threw me to drown. How can I still want to be with him?" I think to myself.

My body tenses, and my mind begins to wander, making me anxious. I take a deep breath, knowing part of it is just the nerves eating away at my sanity.

"Are you okay? You look tense and pale."

"Yes, just drive. I’m nervous, that’s all." Severo starts the car, and we head to Samuel Colt’s house.

After a few hours, we finally arrive in front of the mansion. A mix of emotions overwhelms me, but the strongest are relief and despair. Relief that I’m not dead, and despair because I’m back in this place.

As soon as I step out of the car, the mansion door opens, and the arrogant man comes toward me. There he is—Samuel Colt, in his elegant black suit, walking firmly, fuming with anger.

I can’t decipher his expression. He manages to hide it completely when he sees me. Meanwhile, my foolish heart races at the sight of him. Samuel gives a brief, sly smile and grabs my wrist.

"Finally. Let’s go."

He stays silent and drags me into the house. The entrance hall is empty as he leads me up the massive staircase. Once we’re in the bedroom, he closes the door, making a wave of unease and uncertainty wash over me. I know he never closes the door for anything.

The arrogant man scans my body, and, enraged, he pulls at my clothes, tearing them off hastily.

"Did someone touch you? Did some bastard lay a hand on you?" My body heats up, and my urge is to slap this insolent man, but I take a deep breath, controlling myself.

"I’m talking to you. Answer me, Tatyana!"

"Go to hell!"

***

Samuel Colt irritates me with his arrogance. He doesn’t know how to act normally, and after tearing off my clothes, I snapped at him.

"What?" His gaze darkens with rage, and with sheer arrogance, he comes toward me like a wild animal.

"You threw me into the sea to die, and now you’re asking me if someone had sex with me? I wish—oh, I wish someone had!"

Enraged, Samuel grabs my waist, pulling me against him. Before I know it, his lips are devouring mine. An uncontrollable and feral desire seems to consume us both. His hands grip my body so tightly that his touch hurts—a delicious pain, a pain born of insane desire. I want to speak, but I can’t; his mouth consumes me with such savagery that I can barely breathe. I push him away with all my strength, stumbling backward as I try to catch my breath. My lungs struggle to recover, and my body gives out, collapsing to the floor.

Samuel catches me quickly, lifting me into his arms and carefully laying me on the bed. His scent, his taste—I’ve been aching to feel them again. Samuel looks anguished as he notices my weakness.

"What’s wrong?"

"I have pulmonary edema, and I’m still recovering. Because of you, Samuel…"

He averts his eyes from mine, lowering his head in denial.

"How do you know you have pulmonary edema?"

"I’m experiencing respiratory distress, and my chest hurts intensely."

Samuel knows he hurt me, but he can’t admit it or apologize for his mistake. Instead, he focuses on revenge.

"Who took you? I want a name."

"No one! No one took me," I retort.

I promised Severo I wouldn’t tell, and I’ll keep my word, even if it means facing Colt’s wrath. He stares at me in a way I’ve never seen before—with sadness. I curl up on the bed as he runs a hand through his golden hair in frustration. His face reflects confusion and bitterness. He studies me for a moment, then closes his eyes as if trying to let go of his frustration.

The arrogant man approaches and lies beside me, pulling me into his arms. His large, strong body wraps around mine, which feels fragile and small in comparison. I feel his warm, gentle breath on my hair as he inhales my scent. His arm wraps around my waist, pulling my hips closer to his. His lips brush against my shoulder, slowly trailing upward to my face. With his deep, husky voice, he whispers in my ear,

"Don’t lie to me, Tatyana. Why are you lying to me?"

My body trembles, and I don’t answer. I simply close my eyes tightly, shutting them against the tension in the room.

The door bursts open, and Maria enters boldly. I often feel like she does this on purpose, just to irritate him. Samuel turns to look at her, his voice rising in anger.

"If you say one damn word, I’ll kill you right now! Get out."

Maria, stunned, hurries out.

Samuel stands and easily lifts me into his arms.

"Come. I’m taking you to my room."

He carries me down the corridor as I nestle against his strong chest, overwhelmed by the intoxicating scent he carries.