Page 7 of Captive Vows (The Dubinin Bratva #1)

LUKA

T o no surprise, I woke up expecting this day to be exactly like every other one. The same fucking old. Nothing changing. After a workout, I headed into the office to oversee what was going on. Just like I had yesterday. Just like I would tomorrow. Always constant.

What’s the fucking point of this anymore?

I couldn’t pinpoint when my mood had soured so drastically. All I knew was that it dragged me down so far and so deep that I barely noticed Allen entering my office in the middle of the day.

He was good at blending in. His chameleon effect worked well for us. Without bothering me or becoming a distraction, he could seamlessly come in and out of my space to better assist me with whatever I might have needed. What I needed right now was something to jolt me back into the living.

He cleared his throat, a wordless cue that he had something to share.

I turned my head to stare at him, wondering what it was now.

“Alexsei has just arrived,” he stated.

My other nephew was more of a protective services guru. Unlike Ivan, who excelled at negotiations and making deals, Alexsei was the product of what happened when a skilled combat expert tweaked his focus more toward security.

That didn’t mean anyone had to herald his arrival at the office building like this. My son and two nephews went wherever they wanted or needed to without any approval or check-ins with me. They were the men I depended on most.

“All right,” I replied, wondering why my personal assistant was taking time to share this news with me.

Allen cleared his throat again, looking as somber and monotone as ever. “He accompanied Emil on the delivery, or rather, the collection of Gabriella Lopez this morning.”

I set my pen down. Perking up a bit at that fact, I tilted my head to the side. “Oh?”

He nodded.

“I wasn’t aware that Emil would’ve asked for backup.” Going to get Miguel’s daughter should’ve been a routine exercise.

“It should’ve been,” Alexsei said as he entered the office. His face showed the grim lines of a severe scowl. The red mark high on his cheek was what captured my attention the most.

“Did Miguel resist?” It came as no surprise that the sniveling bastard would try to renege on the punishment I’d told him to expect.

His daughter as payment for his sins. His debt for turning traitor.

There was no gray area contingent on that transaction, but clearly, he’d protested and struck out at my nephew.

“No.” Alexsei rubbed his jaw. “ He did not.” He winced as he opened and closed his mouth. “How bad does it look?”

I sighed, hating that he’d be this worried about coming home with a bruise.

We lived a hard life. Bruises and cuts were expected.

Not a single member of the Dubinin Family went by unscathed.

Yet, I understood why Alexsei was bothered about this at all.

His son, five-year-old Misha, had unfortunately wandered enough to find some men in a holding cell.

Tortured enemies weren’t something a child that young should have to witness.

I didn’t want to shelter the boy, nor did Alexsei, but Misha seeing those beaten men was too much at his age.

Alexsei’s wife had been killed, and it was up to him to raise and shepherd the boy in this life. It was unfortunate that the boy was more nervous than usual about anyone in our family looking wounded now.

“Not that bad,” Allen replied, cool and calm as ever. “I’ll order an ice pack to be sent up.”

“Thanks,” Alexsei replied before exhaling a long breath. “Your payment is now at your place,” he told me, smirking.

“Did Miguel have someone there for protection?” Someone had to have hit him.

“No. He dragged his raggedy ass home to find Gabriella alone.”

I raised my brows. “Someone intervened in the building when you took her away?” I guessed.

“No.” Alexsei rolled his eyes. “She didn’t go easily. She wrestled to get away.”

“Hmm.” That was to be expected. No woman wanted to be taken.

It would only be a matter of time before she’d learn her new reality, the one that dictated she was my possession now, all thanks to her spineless, lying father.

“Was Miguel bothered by any of it?” I imagined a teary, pathetic goodbye.

Maybe an apology that he’d dragged her into this mess.

“No,” Alexsei said. “No, he wasn’t. It happened quickly, but as far as I could tell, Miguel didn’t react at all.”

“You let him live?” Allen asked.

I tipped my chin at the door, indicating we could all leave now. With news that Gabriella was in a holding room at my fortress, the large mansion I owned as a residence and subsidiary office, I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

They both walked with me, exiting the office. Nothing was keeping me there anyway, at least, nothing I couldn’t resume handling later.

“Yes. That was the order. We didn’t kill Miguel,” Alexsei said. “Emil didn’t exactly leave him in any state to live for long, though.”

I didn’t mind if Emil left a farewell of a beating on the rat. He deserved it.

“Is there a chance Lopez can sell any other information?” Allen asked.

“No,” I replied. “And if he tries to cause me any more trouble, it will be his life that he’ll owe me.” It wasn’t my nature to leave threads loose like this, but Miguel had been tortured and questioned so extensively that it didn’t seem like he had anything else to sell to the Cartel or Italians.

“At any rate,” Alexsei quipped dryly, “you’ll need some good luck on your side if you plan to sell Gabriella.”

“Why?” The only assumption I could reach was that she was hideous.

Unattractive. Such a lost cause that she wouldn’t be desirable to anyone.

“She’s not a virgin?” I didn’t often concentrate on selling women as a business, but it was common knowledge that virgins would always fetch a higher price.

I hadn’t looked at any of the photos of her up close.

She could be a freak no one would want. Or she could be too used, damaged goods already.

“Oh, no. It sounds like she’s a virgin,” my nephew said. “It’s just that she’s a handful.”

I gestured for him to get into my car as we reached it in the parking garage. Allen handed over the ice pack someone had brought for him, and with a wave, he excused himself.

“A handful?” I huffed a laugh. Alexsei knew how to manage a handful of anything. Danger. Angry men. A stubborn young son. And uncooperative women. “Just because she fought to get free?” That wasn’t uncommon. Some people actually had a survival instinct.

“She fought to get free,” he replied as we were driven toward my home.

He pressed the ice on his face, proving that he was still the tough man I needed him to be but also soft in not wanting to look too rough for his son.

“She also faked being drugged. With how difficult she was to grab, I couldn’t be sure I got the needle in her arm properly.

When she went lax, I carried her down to the car while Emil gave Miguel his personal goodbye.

Emil carried her out of the car, and that’s when we realized she was only faking it.

She wasn’t drugged or unconscious. She lashed out and got him really good.

A few of us had to grab her before she escaped.

” He stared at me, likely wondering if I’d order anything further in regard to Gabriella’s treatment.

I had nothing to say—yet. But I was intrigued.

This was different. Most women deferred to tears and begged to get away.

Questions would be wailed as they wondered why this was happening to them.

Sobs would go along with their pleas for mercy.

Most gave up. Once they realized they were outnumbered by strong men, their survival instincts would peter out.

Submission was imminent.

Defeat was implied.

But Gabriella was a fighter. And just like that, I was very curious to see what kind of a woman she was.

Alexsei answered a call about something else as we rode.

He lifted a finger to indicate for me to wait a second.

I acknowledged him with a wave, dismissing him and leaving him to his responsibilities.

Instead of talking about this woman any further, I looked out the window and wished we could hurry this drive.

Nothing had given me this urgency lately.

Nothing had excited me, but I cautioned myself against admitting that this was exciting.

That this was going to be something different to embrace.

We arrived, and I strode straight to the security room where all the footage from the basement rooms was monitored.

This was my personal home, but security like this was still a must. These few rooms where hostages could be held were all equipped with cameras.

Guests seldom stayed here, but Gabriella was an exception for now.

In the biggest room that was more furnished than the others, Gabriella lay slumped on a bed. She was out now, clearly drugged despite the hassle of her faking it the first time. As she began to stir and sit up, she gave me the first view of her face. It was a shame it was through this camera.

She was young, but not so much so that I wouldn’t be turned off.

Gabriella was a woman, elegant with high cheekbones, sharp eyes, and a heart-shaped face.

Even though the image was grainy, there was no mistaking her beauty.

Her athleticism. Her curves. In the scowl she gave the room, sitting there and surveying the place, she showed her defiance.

With her looking around, as if scoping for a threat, she demonstrated that she had a fighting spirit.

For how long? Hmm? How long will you stay tough and delude yourself into this idea of control and power?

I hadn’t counted on her being gorgeous, not like this. Not in a way that robbed me of breath. Not so strongly that I was mesmerized, watching her as she stood and investigated how she could get out of the room.

She couldn’t. But when Ivan appeared to bring her water—likely to check on the captive’s vitals, too—she reacted in a snap. Instead of curious and nervous, prying at the windows and doors for a chance to run, she positioned herself to attack.

“What the fuck is going on?” she demanded of him, trying to beat him back.

He, like Alexsei, was too trained and experienced to let her get the best of him. In a matter of seconds, he turned her around and had her dropping to the ground. Without using too much force to wound her, as was expected from me so far, he showed her that she wasn’t going to escape.

“Stop—”

She didn’t. Chest heaving, she shot back up and tried to charge at him. She was deft on her feet. Spinning and ducking to dodge him, she showed how athletic she truly was. Nimble and fast.

But no match for a Mafia man.

I rubbed my chin, watching as she fought Ivan and shouted at him to release her. With this much sass, this much fight, she was no common, ordinary woman. Why would Miguel act as though she has no value? Why would he dismiss her so easily?

Why give her up?

Ivan told her to settle down.

“Settle down?” she shot back, getting up as she gritted her teeth and seemed ready to lunge at him again.

He held up a gun, clearly peeved with her antics. She backed up then, not stupid enough to argue with a gun.

“Yes. Settle the fuck down,” he ordered. “Someone will be in with food soon.” He exited the room, and she didn’t neglect to flip off the closed door and curse him out once he was gone. Resuming her search in the room, she hunted for a means of escape. Or perhaps she was looking for a weapon.

I couldn’t stop watching her.

When a guard brought her a tray of food, she again tried to fight her way to freedom. Ivan must have ordered them to go in threes. If not for the two extra guards accompanying the one bringing the food, she might have succeeded.

Still, she cursed them out and eyed them warily, like they were rabid animals encroaching on her space. Witnessing her fire tempted me to go down there and put her in her place. To explain that no matter how much she resisted and fought it, she was my property now.

There would be no chance for her to leave until I said so.

Yet, I couldn’t leave the security room. I was drawn to watch her. She would be a challenge to handle, and as of yet, I wasn’t sure how I’d want to go about that.

Ivan entered the security room. Emil walked in behind him.

“The fuck…” Emil muttered.

I stifled a laugh at the black eye she’d given him.

“I see you’re home,” he said. Gesturing at the screens on the wall, he sneered. “So is your latest toy.”

“Toy?” I wasn’t ready to convince myself that this spitfire would be my toy. “I have no idea what to do with her yet.”

Emil shook his head, walking out. “Well, good luck with whatever the hell your plans are.”

Ivan studied me, stepping further into the security room to join me and close the door behind him. “At least this will snap you out of being pulled into that depressive mood you’ve been stuck in.” He sat, undeterred by my sharp look.

“What?”

“Alexsei said you’ve been in here watching her for hours now.”

It’s been that long? “So what?”

“So… it seems that you’re intrigued.” He smiled at me, too cocky for my liking.

I laughed, shaking my head that he thought he had me figured out like that.

But I sobered quickly because I could remember all too well when Ivan was depressed, truly, legitimately in a dark mood after he suffered through a bad breakup.

I would never forget how depressed he’d been during those days when he walked away from his love.

Which was ridiculous.

No love would be happening here. Not between me and this sassy, defiant woman.

Gabriella was a payment. A pawn. Nothing else, no matter how much she captured my interest at this moment.

“Intrigued,” I admitted to my nephew.

But not stupid.