“They do.” I inhale slowly. “So, I would like to invite them to stay with us. Here.”
When Mikhail lets my arm go, I feel instantly colder. “I’m not sure.”
“Please. This might be the only safe place for them. Please.”
Mikhail holds my gaze as he nods. “All right. I’ll agree to it. But”—he holds up his finger— “on one condition.”
“What condition?”
“You submit to me fully. You join me tonight. You will agree to become my sub through and through. You will not ask me what I’m going to do to you tonight. You just have to trust me. I’ll tell you if you decide to show up tonight. I’ll be waiting. If you agree to do this, then I’ll let your sisters visit. If not, Boris can have them.”
It’s only at this moment I see Mikhail for who he is—a Bratva man. One who knows how to show me kindness but also knows how to take it away.
I’m completely at his mercy.
Chapter
Seven
SOFIYA
Ithink about Mikhail’s proposal long after he leaves. The only way to get my sisters here is to submit to Mikhail fully. I’m scared of what that entails. Mikhail has promised he wouldn’t whip me like he did Irina, but how can I know for sure? He could be lying.
Granted, he hasn’t lied to me yet. But he’s still a stranger to me. I know nothing of his past. There aren’t any family photos hanging up in the house. I don’t even know his middle name.
How can I give myself over to a man I don’t really know?
What I do know, though, is how my body responds to him. It’s like he’s calling my body forward, and I’m powerless to stop it. I know that for a fact. But is physical attraction enough?
I sit on the bed, staring down at the welts on my arm. They don’t sting as much after the salve, but they remind me I can’t trust anybody in this house. Mary has shown she’s not an ally. Andrei makes me uncomfortable. Irina is my competition.
That only leaves Mikhail to trust, and he’s put me in a tough position. Fully choose him to save my sisters or let Boris have them. None of this is fair.
I need answers. I need to know what kind of man Mikhail is before I can even think about submitting to him.
I find Mary in the kitchen. She hates me, and I hate her, but she might know more about who Mikhail is as a person, and I’m desperate.
“What?” she snaps as I lean against the counter. “You already ate lunch. Dinner isn’t for another few hours. Leave me to my work.”
“How is Mikhail as a boss?”
Mary scoffs. “Why would I talk with you? I don’t like you, girl.”
“Why not? What have I done to you?”
“It’s not you. You’re just not her.”
I stand up straighter, my heart beating faster. “Who’s her?”
“The previous lady of this house. She was much more elegant. She also knew her place.”
“Wait. What lady?”
“Mikhail’s wife.”
I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut. “Mikhail was married before me? He never said.”
“Why wouldn’t he? She’s dead. It causes him a lot of pain.”
Knowing that Mikhail has been married before fills me with jealousy. I’m not the first woman he’s married.
I feel immediately bad. His previous wife died. I should feel sympathy.
And then a dark thought enters my head.
“How did she die?” Please don’t let it be at Mikhail’s hands. Please, please, please.
“I … can’t say.” Mary turns away from me and starts vigorously cleaning the counter.
“Why can’t you say? Did he … hurt her?”
“What?” She whips back around. “No! I can say that with certainty. Her death was not his fault.”
“Ok,” I whisper. At least, that’s something. “Is there anything else I should know about Mikhail? I am his wife now.”
“That’s it. Mikhail is a good boss. He treats me with respect. He pays well. I wouldn’t want to work for anyone else.”
I rub the welts on my arm. “Did you hit his previous wife, too?”
