I squeeze my eyes shut, preparing to die.

But instead of a gunshot, I feel Andrei’s hands. He reaches down and tears my dress off me. I scramble away in my bra and underwear.

He laughs—it’s dark and twisted. “Run, plaything. Run! I’m going to catch you.”

I get up and do as he says. I run.

My eyes land on the front door swinging open. My sisters made it out. Thank god. That gives me some satisfaction, at least.

I try running for the door, but Andrei catches me. “You’re going to be my sub now,” he says into my ear.

VIKTORIYA

Mila and I stop at the end of the street, catching our breath.

“We have to go back for Sofiya,” Mila says.

“No way. We could die.”

“And so could she!”

I stare at my baby sister, seeing the fear on her face. “No. We need to be smart about this. Andrei works for Mikhail. Sofiya will be ok.”

“Did it look like she’d be ok? He kidnapped us at gunpoint!”

“Ok, ok.” I raise my hands in surrender. “You’re right. So, what do we do? We can’t save her from a crazy man with a gun.”

Mila stands up straighter. “We can’t. But Mikhail can.”

A sinking sensation enters my stomach. “But Sofiya just tried to leave him. He’ll hurt her. He’ll hurt us for making her go with us. He’s more dangerous than Andrei.”

“No. He’s Sofiya’s husband, and he’ll save her. We need to go to him. Before it’s too late.”

I glance down the street, my eyes landing on Andrei’s house, where Sofiya still is, alone with him.

And I know Mila is right.

“Fine,” I say. “Let’s go get Mikhail.”

MIKHAIL

She tried to leave me. Again. Even after I made it clear she’s mine.

It didn’t take long for my guard, Sergio, to realize Sofiya and her sisters tried to escape after they went to the coffee shop across the street. He called me right away when he noticed them gone.

And even after an hour, they’re still gone.

Sofiya is gone.

And I don’t know where the fuck she is.

I pace around my office, waiting for a call, any call, from my men that they’ve seen her. I’ll have her back in my arms again.

I won’t lose her like I lost Natasha. Like I lost … I stop my train of thought from going there. That person is the one person I will never allow myself to talk or think about again.

A commotion in the hallway makes me leave my office.

It’s Viktoriya and Mila, with Mary following behind.

“You girls cannot just come back in here,” Mary lectures.

“Shut up!” Vik yells at her. It’s the first time I’ve seen her look so frazzled.

“Where’s Sofiya?” I ask.

Vik turns to me with a guilty expression. “Andrei has her.”

I immediately walk past her and run out the front door. Andrei has shown himself to be untrustworthy when it comes to Sofiya. He tried hurting her at the party, and he’s probably already hurt her since he’s had her. I don’t ask Viktoryia for answers. There’s no time.

I reach Andrei’s house within minutes. I own half the police force in the city. No one will pull me over for a speeding ticket.

When I burst inside, what I see sets my insides on fire. It’s Sofiya lying on the couch, completely naked. Andrei stands in front of her, a whip in his hand.

The sound that escapes me is inhuman.

Andrei’s eyes widen, and he tries running from me, but I grab him and slam him to the floor.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I growl.

“We always share women,” Andrei says.

“Did you touch her?”

Andrei doesn’t respond.

“Did you touch her?” I yell, shaking him.

“No.” It’s Sofiya who responds. “He just made me lie on the couch. He didn’t touch me.”

Some of the tension leaves my body, but that doesn’t mean I’m ok. “You’re lucky,” I say to Andrei. “I could have made this even worse for you. But seeing as you already disobeyed me when I said to leave Sofiya alone, I’m going to have to make my message clearer.”

I grab the whip from his hands and roll him onto his back. Andrei tries standing up, but I bring the whip down hard on his back, and he slumps to the ground. I become an animal as I whip him over and over again.

My world is red. My world is black. And Andrei is now my enemy.

“Sofiya is mine!” I shout. Whip. Whip. Whip.

Andrei isn’t even putting up a fight anymore. The only sounds escaping him are low groans. His back is soaked in blood.