Page 129 of Bratva Jewels Box Set

My sheets!

I’ve seen it done in movies, so it must work. I grab the white sheets and tie the ends together, pulling them tight.

Please, please hold my weight.

I look back out at the balcony and realize it’s solid brick, there’s nothing to tie my makeshift rope to.

Think, think.

The fancy curtain hooks set into the wall. I give it a pull to see if it’s secure and it feels it, so, fingers crossed. I tie my rope to the ornate gold hook and throw it over the balcony. I give it a tug to check, and it feels kind of secure. I take a deep breath and go for it. I’m only dressed in an oversized men’s T-shirt. I have no shoes but who cares if I can get out of here. I look down and it’s not that far.

Holding on to the edge of the balcony, I make my way down the brick wall, slowly but surely. Then I hear a rip, and I’m falling. I land with a thud on the pebbles.

“Fuck,” I groan as the rocks dig into my skin. Assessing the damage, I pat my hands over my body, nothing seems to be broken, which is good. There are rows and rows of vines before me. I notice on the other side a stone wall. If I can make it tothem, I can hide and try to find the exit. There must be a road somewhere, and someone has to pass by at some point, don’t they?

I dash to the stone wall and creep along it. Peeking my head around the end, I check if the pool is empty. There’s a lot of open space between the pool area and the vines, so I’m going to have to run as fast as I can. I take a deep breath and bolt, the pebbles hot under my bare feet, but I push through the pain and on toward freedom.

My heart is racing, adrenaline pumping, but I make it. I glance at

the villa: no one is around. I can taste my freedom. I hunch over and begin to move through the vines, row after row after row. How bloody big is this vineyard? It’s like a maze of greenery. I pop my head up occasionally to check that I’m still unnoticed and I am. Just need to find the end and I’m free.

5

MAXIM

Iwatch Grace’s feeble attempt to escape on the security screen. Seriously, did she not think this villa would have security cameras or a state-of-the-art security system? We’re the bad guys.

When the alarm went off on my phone while in the shower, my first thought was who the fuck is coming into my sanctuary and then I remembered her. As I got out of the shower to check it out, what I saw wasn’t at all what I expected. The vision of Grace climbing down her balcony in nothing but my t-shirt, the fabric riding up her tanned thigh, looking like a modern-day Juliette made me chuckle. I like that she has spunk even after detoxing. She must be feeling much better if she is thinking of escaping.

It's a pretty good plan, even though it’s worthless. I let her go for the moment, content to watch her from my phone while I get dressed and head down to the stables.

Sergei called, alerted to our escapee, and I told him to let her go, let her have a tiny taste of freedom because she would soon realize there’s no escape. He thinks I’m cruel.

On my phone screen, Grace is a red moving dot on the map of the estate. I switch the screen to live view and watch as she runsthrough the vines, her blonde head popping up every so often to see where she is. I don’t think she realizes how far my estate runs. There are about five kilometers till you reach the road, plus her feet are bare, they must be hurting from all the sticks and stones digging into her soft skin.

I saddle up my favorite horse, a beautiful black stallion called Nero, and jump on. I follow the dot on the map that is Grace and make my way through the vines. Nero is used to us traveling through them and knows exactly where to put his hooves so he doesn’t trip.

Grace takes a sharp left and starts heading away from the road. She has no idea how close to freedom she is. I’m getting nearer, but it looks like she’s stopped. Maybe she can hear my horse’s hooves and is trying to work out her next move.

I slow Nero down, and we move through the vines quietly. I dismount only a couple of rows over from her. I creep through the vines and see she’s hiding behind a large tree, panting, her head turning from left to right. She knows I’m close but doesn’t know exactly where.

I move easily through the foliage until I tackle her.

She kicks and screams.

This time I’ve anticipated that, and her legs and arms are the first things I lock down, pinning them to the dirt.

She’s screaming obscenities while my weight presses down on her.

“Did you think it was going to be that easy?” I whisper.

She tries to head butt me but misses.

“I bet it must be nice to be clear-headed again.”

“Fuck you!” she screams, trying to buck me off.

“Keep moving like that and I might.”