Page 40 of Darkest Desire

“Yes. Is Mikhail ok?”

“He’s doing better. His face is still bruised but he’s alive. He didn’t suffer any serious damage.”

“I’m in Italy,” I blurt out.

She goes silent on the other end before she inhales sharply. “He took you out of the country.”

“He did. He says it’s for our honeymoon so I’m not sure if we’ll be returning to New York any time soon, if ever. I’m not sure. I’m in Rome. I can give you the address of Nico’s home.” I rattle it off to her.

“This is great. I’ll send Mikhail there to save you.”

“Nico has a ton of guards around his property. It won’t be easy.”

“We’ll get you back. I promise.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “I wish I could believe you.”

“Then why even reach out unless you have hope?”

“I’m desperate?”

Natalya huffs. “I’m always here for you, Sasha. When will you believe it?”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “I’m sorry. I have to go. But I hope this helps.”

“It helps a lot.”

I hesitate a moment before I hang up, then I sneak out of the office and return to the exam room where Nico and Elio are talking.

“I didn’t beat my wife,” Nico is saying. “So stop looking at me like I did. I saved her from a man who was beating on her. She has a bad habit of sneaking out. Now, I don’t need your judgement, doctor. I pay you to fix any injuries. I don’t pay you for advice.”

“I know. But I’m still a doctor. I can’t help but worry.”

I peak around the doorframe to see Nico stand tall over Elio. “You know what will happen to you if you intervene.”

“I do.” Elio backs away, ducking his head. He’s for sure no help to me. He’s too afraid of Nico. I think most people are.

Nico glances over in my direction and spots me and an easy smile spreads across his face. “Ready to go?”

“Ready.”

When we return home, Nico carries me up to our bedroom.

“I can walk,” I tell him, trying to ignore how strangely good it feels to be in his arms. “My legs aren’t broken.”

“Oh, I know. But I can’t be kind to my wife?”

I stare at him. “I don’t know. Can you?”

“Well, there’s a different reason for my kind action.” He drops me right onto the bed, making me gasp. The pain in my stomach swells up. “You have a bad problem of sneaking out and that needs to end here and now.”

“What are you doing?” I ask as he heads into the walk-in closet and comes back out with rope. Honest to goodness rope.

I try to get up and run but I double over, gasping from the pain. Nico uses that to his advantage. Grabbing my wrists, he brings them above my head and ties them to the headboard. My legs flail out, trying to kick him, but I cramp up as a spike of pain seizes me. He smirks as he ties my ankles to the end of the bed.

“There.” He steps back, eyeing his handiwork. “That will keep you from going anywhere for a while.”

“Why are you doing this to me?” I cry out.