Page 40 of Trapping His Angel

It was like I tried to rip out her jugular in my pleasure.

I’d never lost control like that before. I taped the gauze on her throat, and left the rest of the wrapping on the dresser, for when it needed changing. Isadora’s legs were still raised, even though they shook from the aftershocks.

I liked that she was making sure she didn’t drop a bit of my seed without my say-so. She was perfect for me. I couldn’t have found a better match. As long as the Petrov family curse skipped me, we would be alright.

Hope was a terrible thing, looking back.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Iwoke the next morning to a cold bed. I wasn’t sure why I was surprised. Benedikt was a busy man. Especially now. I wasn’t certain, but I think they’d added more guards since last I checked. I hopped into the shower and washed quickly, thinking of the changes I’d seen.

Not only were there guards I’d never seen before, but I was almost certain the security cameras had doubled. When I walked the grounds, I would look at the gate to see how they were letting people through.

I got dressed quickly and headed out of the room. I searched for Benedikt, but didn’t see him as I headed out. I walked the grounds and noticed that they were checking IDs and trunks.

A little bewildered, I trudged through the forest. Why was there so much security? Something was going on, and I wanted to ask Benedikt about it, but I couldn’t see him anywhere around.

The moment the first shot rang out, it shattered the stillness of the forest, like glass breaking. It echoed through the trees, a sharp crack that sent birds erupting into the air, their wings a flurry of panic, against the muted greensand browns of the woods. My heart thundered in my chest, the sudden noise tearing through the calm as I froze, instinctively pressing myself against the rough bark of a nearby tree, feeling the coolness of the wood seeping through my shirt.

The second shot followed quickly, a loud pop that resonated deeper this time, as if the very earth had groaned in response. I could feel the vibrations traveling through the ground, making the leaves around me tremble. It was closer, too close, and I swallowed hard; the adrenaline pumping through my veins as fear gripped me.

The forest was alive with chaos, the sounds of gunfire slicing through the usual rustle of leaves and distant calls of wildlife. Every shot felt like a warning, a reminder of the danger lurking just beyond the thicket. I could hear the distant shouts of men, their voices raised in urgency, but they sounded far away, muffled by the trees, and the rising panic in my chest.

I took off. Shouts rang out around me as I saw the compound come into view. A guard raised his gun and shot behind me, as soon as I was in view. I dove toward the house and hid alongside the wall, a hand on my heaving chest.

“Isadora!” Benedikt roared.

“I’m here,” I croaked. My throat throbbed with tears as the adrenaline fell off me.

Benedikt came around the corner with his gun drawn. My gaze met his eye patch, and I waited until he came to me.

“Are you hurt?” He demanded, holstering his gun and running a hand over me.

“N-no.” I trembled.

He checked me all over for wounds, before forcing me into his grasp. “I’m going to find these fuckers and kill them. Head up to our room.” He let me go, and I raced away.

I ran straight to our room and slid underneath the bed. I wasn’t coming out until Benedikt told me to. I hadn’t expectedthe compound to be attacked. I could hear the firing of gunshots, and I covered my ears.

I wasn’t back there.

I was alright.

I was a good girl. I was a good girl. I was a good girl.

The mantra played repeatedly while the men fought the intruders. I trembled underneath my bed. My head was stuck in a reel of horror. Headmaster Mikhail forced me to do so many things, and my foggy brain was trying to remind me.

Something horrible lurked deep inside my mind.

Anawfulthat I didn’t want to touch.

I couldn’t help my spiral. I shivered and shook as I remembered the snakes, slithering along my skin, after the rats nibbled my flesh. Their cool bodies forced me to lie as still as possible, but it hadn’t helped. They bit me as they attacked the rats. I watched as they ate them whole, and slept against my body.

I cried silently as they slithered along me, getting warm until my body grew cold. Then Headmaster Mikhail would remove me from the crypt. He would command me to do terrible sex acts. If I denied him, he would force me back into the coffin.

If only I could remember where I came from.

Maybe I could find a way from the Bratva. From this life. I would end up Benedikt’s wife if I continued living this lie. What if he hurt me like the other men? I couldn’t bear to live with his betrayal.