Page 131 of Bratva Jewels Box Set

Shaking my head, I jump up and head after her. It doesn’t take me long to grab her again, crash-tackling her further up in the vines. This time we are chest to chest.

“Would you stop escaping?” I growl at her.

“Never,” she spits back, her jade eyes glittering with determination.

“I’ll never stop hunting you then.”

Our breathing becomes heavy, and my body starts to appreciate the beautiful woman beneath me. Our eyes meet, and neither one of us can turn away.

“Fine, I’ll have dinner with you.”

She surprises me with her answer, not that I let it show.

“Good, now have you finished escaping for the day?”

She nods. “For today, yes.”

“Well, I look forward to chasing you again next time.”

Her teeth sink into her plump lower lip.

I’m tempted to lean forward and taste it, but I promised I wouldn’t touch her, and as much as I thought that promise would be easy to keep, at this very moment, feeling her softness underneath me, I’m not quite sure.

6

GRACE

I’m getting ready for dinner tonight with Maxim. I’m annoyed with myself for finally agreeing, but there wasn’t much choice. He proved himself by chasing me through the vines and each time catching me effortlessly. He looked surprised when I flipped him today. I could hear that I landed a good one on him with the thud of his back against the ground and the sound of the breath leaving his lungs. He’s like a robot. Anything I do to him doesn’t hurt him, he gets back up and comes after me again.

There seems to be a spark between us which is weird. I think my kitty is a lonely bitch and sees the first hot guy—okay he’s more than hot, he’s molten—in a long time and she wants to play. I do not want this man. He is not a good man. He fucking kidnapped you for fuck’s sake, Grace.Is that a new kink unlocked?What the hell, brain? No. That is not a kink at all. Wasn’t hot when Dmitri did it, and it’s not hot now that Maxim has done it.Dmitri doesn’t look like Maxim.If this is what sober is like, me fighting with my inner thoughts, bring back the drugs because my inner monologue is exhausting.

Today was the first time I saw the tiniest bit of interest from Maxim. As if he’s just noticed me as a woman, not a job.Makehim fall in love with you, and then he will let you go.This thought gives me pause. I’m not sure I can do that. I’m not someFemme Fatale,I don’t know how to seduce a man, especially a man like Maxim who is probably used to women falling all over him. He doesn’t have to work for them. He probably picks up supermodels, not kidnapped drug addicts.Men are simple creatures.Yes, they are, but Maxim seems hard, cautious, and shrewd. I don’t know what he does, but it must be something big because this Villa in Italy, the endless rows of vines nestled against the hill, doesn’t come cheap. Is he Bratva? He seems richer than Dmitri and Nikolai ever were or maybe he’s less flashy. He doesn’t seem like the kind of man that does things to impress others, he just is impressive.

This is the only way to escape.Do you think that’s true? I ask myself. I must be losing my mind or hallucinating with how I’m talking to myself as if it’s another person in the room.You learned things for the short time you were with the jewels.The images swirl in my mind and my stomach rolls as I think about that time as I try and shake the thoughts away.You can do this, Grace.I’m glad my inner thoughts have faith in me because I don’t.Use the tiniest bit of interest you can see behind those dark eyes to your advantage.Am I really going to do this?Yes, you are. Look at what he left in your closet for dinner tonight.

This is true. When I got back from my escapade, he had taken me to a new room, one that is right next door to his. He emphasized that. Guess I may have been a lot closer to escaping than he’s led me to believe otherwise he wouldn’t need to keep me so close to him. He explained the room used to be part of a master and mistress suite back in the seventeenth century when the villa was built. There’s a private door connecting the two rooms, that was used by the master of the house to slip into his mistress’s room while his wife was sleeping on the other side of his room. Apparently, in those days, infidelity was quitecommon even if it was a sin. I think I would murder my husband if he wanted a mistress who lived with us and whose room was connected to his. Unless she didn’t like him and was happy not to be sleeping with him then all power to you.

My mind then wonders if Maxim is married. Does he have a wife and kids? Is that why he is so adamant about not touching me. My stomach does a little flip thinking about him having a wife because my aim tonight is to try and seduce him. This is a matter of life and death. I would never do this under normal circumstances so please forgive me, I do not want bad karma for this. I have no choice.

When Maxim left me in my new room, after telling me to clean myself up, he also told me my clothes for dinner tonight were in the wardrobe. As soon as the door closed, I rushed over to it to see what he had left me, probably a potato sack. My eyes bugged out, and I was stunned by all the clothes waiting for me in there. Running my hands across the gorgeous materials left me speechless. How long does Maxim expect me to be staying here? And why does he have such great taste in clothes?

That’s where I found the gorgeous satin green wrap dress, the dress he was expecting me to wear to dinner. Maybe my plan to seduce him might work, or maybe he has plans of his own. I’m not sure, but the dress is stunning. It fits perfectly, too, as I pull it tight around my generous breasts, they aren’t as spectacular as Zoe’s, but they are bigger than my other two sisters. I was blessed in that department. There’s also a pair of designer gold heels waiting for me. Everything fits me perfectly, and I’ve never felt more beautiful which is a strange feeling when you’re about to have dinner with the Devil.

He's left me a hairdryer and minimal makeup in the bathroom. I take my time drying my hair, making it feel fresh and shiny for the first time since being taken. I use the makeup, and it hides the dark circles under my eyes and the blemisheson my face from purging. When I see myself in the mirror, I’m surprised at how my skin looks like it’s glowing and how much healthier I look. Almost like I did before this entire nightmare happened, when life was simple back in The Hague.

Deep breaths. You can do this, Grace. You need to do this.As I reach for the door handle to the bedroom, I give it a turn, and surprisingly, it opens for me. Popping my head out into the corridor I see that it’s empty. I’m not too sure which way I should go or where we are having dinner. The walls are filled with old paintings, and there are antique vases on pillars in the corners. Not at all what I expected from someone so young to be living in a museum.

Then I see a grand staircase at the end of the corridor, place my hand on the ornate wood and pray I don’t fall down the stairs and break my neck.It might solve all my problems though.No. I’m thinking clearer now, I can get through this. I know my family will be looking for me, they won’t leave me here to rot. I must be strong like Zoe was. She escaped, she never gave up hope, and worse things were happening to her. I can do this for her and for me.

The villa is quiet as I walk through it, but I can smell something delicious. My stomach rumbles at the smell, and I follow the scent like a bloodhound on a trail until I reach an open doorway that leads into a grand dining room.

“You made it.” Maxim greets me with a smile, surprise sounding in his voice. He stands up from the table, and I’m taken aback at how good he looks. He’s dressed up too in a navy suit that is molded perfectly to his muscular body, with a crisp white dress shirt underneath. His skin is a gorgeous olive color in the candlelight. His inky black hair is slicked back, and he’s shaved.

This could be a date if the circumstances were different.

Maxim’s dark eyes narrow as he takes me in dressed in the dress he selected for me. “You look beautiful,” he states, giving me a warm smile.

My stomach flutters at his attention.Easy, Grace, you’re the one supposed to be seducing him not the other way around.This is true. Get your head in the game. I walk over to where he is standing making sure my hips sway, my back is straight, and my breasts bounce with each step.