Chapter 17 Chapter 17

Chapter 17 Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN 

Irina's POV 

The world blurred immediately, air rushed past me.

Then I hit the water.

It was cold. So cold it knocked the breath out of me. Everything went dark for a second.

I kicked, and pushed myself up. 

I broke through the surface gasping.

"MISS IRINA!" The guards were shouting from above.

I started swimming. Away from the villa. Away from Alexei. Away from everything.

I did not know where I was going. I just knew I had to get away.

The waves were bigger than I thought. They pushed me around. My robe was heavy, dragging me down.

I was not a strong swimmer. But I kept going.

I heard more shouting from the villa. 

Lights turned on and more guards appeared.

"Stop! Come back!" They yelled.

But I would not stop. I would rather drown than go back there.

I swam until my arms ached. Until I could not catch my breath.

Then I heard it.

A boat engine.

I turned in the water. A speedboat was coming towards me. It was very fast. 

Standing in the front with a dark expression was Alexei.

My heart sank.

No. No, no, no.

I tried to swim faster away from him. But my arms were so tired. The robe was pulling me down.

The boat engine got louder and closer.

I could hear Alexei shouting something but the water in my ears made it hard to understand.

The boat was almost on me now.

Strong hands grabbed me, and pulled me from the water. I fought, kicked and screamed.

"Let me go! Let me GO!"

But they were too strong. They hauled me into the boat like a fish.

I landed hard on the deck. Water poured off me. I was shaking from cold, fear and exhaustion.

Alexei stood over me. His suit was wet, his hair dripped water, his green eyes burned with rage.

For a long moment, he just stared down at me.

Then he spoke. His voice was quiet.

"What did you think would happen?" He asked. "Did you think you would swim to shore? Do you even know how far we are from land?"

I said nothing. I just glared at him.

"Hundreds of kilometers," he said. "That is how far. You would have drowned before you got even one kilometer."

"Good," I spat. "It's better to drown than to stay with you."

His jaw clenched. "You are carrying my child."

"I do not care!"

"Well I do!" His voice increased. "That child is mine. You do not get to risk its life because you are being stubborn!"

"Stubborn?" I laughed. "You kidnapped me! You are keeping me prisoner! And you call me stubborn?"

"I am protecting you!" He thundered.

"From what? From Dimitri? The man I love? The man who actually cares about me?"

"He does not care about you," Alexei said coldly. "He cares about owning you. There is a difference."

"You do not know anything about him!" I snapped.

"I know he locked you in a room," Alexei shot back. "I know he treated you like property. Like something to be controlled."

"And you are different?" I struggled to sit up. "You drag me across the country. You force me to eat. You watch me like I am some animal in a zoo. How is that any better?"

He had no answer for that.

The boat turned and started heading back to the villa.

I looked out at the dark water.

Tears filled my eyes. I could not help it.

When we reached the villa, guards were waiting on the dock. They looked terrified.

Alexei stepped off the boat. Then reached back for me.

I did not take his hand.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me up roughly.

"Inside," he ordered. "Now."

I walked on shaking legs into the villa.

Water dripped from my robe and left a trail across the expensive floors.

The guards who had let me outside were there, on their knees with their heads bowed.

"Please, Pakhan," one of them begged. "She said the baby needed fresh air. She said it would die if…"

"Silence," Alexei said.

The guard went quiet immediately.

Alexei looked at them for a long moment. Then he pulled out his gun.

My heart stopped. "No. Please. They were just trying to help. I tricked them. It was my fault, not theirs!"

"I know it was your fault," Alexei said. He pointed the gun at the first guard. "But they disobeyed orders. They let you leave. And that cannot go unpunished."

"Please!" I grabbed his arm. "Please do not kill them. I am begging you. They have families. They…"

"Should have thought of that before they disobeyed me," Alexei said.

He pulled the trigger.

The gunshot was deafening, the guard fell and blood pooled beneath him.

I screamed.

Alexei pointed the gun at the second guard.

"NO!" I threw myself in front of him. "Stop! Please! I will do anything. Anything you want. Just do not kill him!"

Alexei looked at me. His green eyes were cold and emotionless.

"Anything?" He asked.

"Yes," I whispered. "Anything."

He lowered the gun slowly. "Fine. He lives. But if you ever try to escape again, if you ever disobey me again, I will kill everyone in this villa. Every guard, every servant. Everyone. Do you understand?"

I nodded. Tears streamed down my face.

"Say it," he demanded.

"I understand," I choked out.

"Good." He holstered his gun. Then he grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the stairs.

I stumbled after him. I was too shocked to resist. Too horrified to speak.

He had killed that guard right in front of me without hesitation.

This was not the man who looked like Dimitri. This was a monster.

He pulled me up the stairs, down the hallway into my bedroom.

Then he threw me inside.

I fell to the floor. My wet robe tangled around my legs.

"You will stay here," he said from the doorway. "You will not leave this room without my permission. You will eat what I bring you. You will do exactly as I say. Or more people will die. And it will be your fault."

Then he slammed the door and I heard the lock click.

I lay there on the floor, shaking and crying.

A man was dead because of me.

Because I tried to escape.

Because I wanted to be free.

I crawled to the bed and pulled myself up, and buried my face in the pillows.

And I cried until there were no tears left.

Hours passed. Maybe days. I did not know anymore.

Food was brought by silent servants. They refused to look at me.

I ate because I had to. Because of the baby. Because Alexei had threatened to force feed me if I refused.

But I tasted nothing. I felt nothing.

I was numb.

At night, Alexei came to the room. He did not speak he just lay down on the other side of t
he bed.

I did not move. I did not even acknowledge him.

We lay there in silence. 

One morning, I woke to find him staring at me.

"You cannot escape," he said quietly. "The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be."

I said nothing.

Then he left.

I sat there in the empty room.

I still wanted to escape.

I still wanted Dimitri.

And I would find a way.

No matter how long it took.

No matter what it cost.

I would find a way back to him.