Page 86 of Darkest Game

“No. No, I’m not hurt. Mom.” I pull away from her. “I know you’re worried and I love you for it. You just want to see me safe. But I have been controlled my entire life. Now that I’m an adult, I don’t want to be anymore. You need to give me space.”

“Space so you can run off to Liam again?”

“Why do you hate him so much? I told you. He saved my life on –,”

“Multiple occasions. I know. But I’ve also known mafia men like him. They’re careless. Reckless. He’ll put you into danger. He already has. So just stay away from him. For my sake.”

“No. I care for Liam. I gave my body to Liam. I will not be controlled. And if you’re going to do this to me, then I’m not going to stay in this house.”

“Irina.”

I walk back outside and run to the end of the driveway. Mom follows behind. None of the guards stop us.

“Don’t go,” she says.

“I’m tired of being a prisoner. If you can promise to stop controlling me and shaming me for how I feel when it comes to Liam, I’ll stay. Otherwise, I’m going to call him to come pick me up. I want to spend time with you and my sisters. But not if I’m going to be a prisoner. I just can’t.”

A car pulls up at the end of the driveway, a mere feet from me. Before I can fully understand what’s happening, the back door opens up and… Denis gets out.

He grabs me and yanks me inside the car before I can scream. But my mom screams for me and Mikhail’s guards come running.

But the driver is pulling away before the guards can save me. They try shooting at the car. It’s pointless. The driver picks up speed and gets away, with me in the car.

Denis smiles down at me as I’m frozen in fear. “Nice to see you again, Irina. Elaine is looking forward to having a chat with you.”

Chapter Seventeen

Irina

“You’re working with her?” I ask aghast. “Why? How?”

“She reached out to me and offered me a deal. I’ve been wanting to take down Mikhail and Nico but I didn’t have the manpower. But with her, I do. She said she’d only agree to help if I gave her you.”

“I’m your niece.”

“So? You never loved me as a niece should. You hated me. Why should I have any sympathy for you?”

I flinch. The hatred in his voice is stark cold. “You locked me up for two years. Why would I love you for that?”

He scoffs. “Enough. I’m taking you to Elaine and then I’m taking back this city.”

“Please,” I beg, clutching his hand but he rips it away from me. “Please. Do you know what she’s going to do to me? Did she tell you?”

“Probably keep you locked up. I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? She tried to have me raped multiple times by multiple men. She’s going to do it again. You’re giving me up to a woman like that. Do you understand that?”

For just a moment, he seems to waver before he shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. You’re no longer my concern. And I seem to recall you being the quiet one. You’re awfully chatty at the moment.”

“Because you kidnapped me. I’m not going to be quiet anymore. Please.”

“You can beg all day long, Irina. I’m giving you over to Elaine. And she will help me kill Mikhail and Nico. How those fuckers managed to survive that explosion is beyond me.”

“You did it.”

“Obviously I did it. Mikhail got hurt. I know that. But he’s still alive. And Nico walked away without a fucking scratch. I am going to end both of them. Nico betrayed me. And Mikhail just annoys the shit out of me.”

“What about my husband? Liam?”