Page 90 of Forgotten Vows

I narrowed my eyes as I turned to go back through the room.Don’t you dare be that stupid.Ivan wasn’t, though. He didn’t fall for traps.

My father must have planned to take me in exchange for Lev.They won’t let him out of sight.Even if one of the Dubinins managed to talk Ivan into using our son as bait—which I couldn’t believe he’d ever do—Gabriella was just as fiercely protective of our young boys too. She would fight tooth and nail for Lev.

All this meant that it was now my time, my duty to bear.

Ivan wouldn’t risk himself or our son.

My new family wouldn’t fall for my father’s manipulation.

Now that I was here, near the enemy, I would kill him myself.

When I heard men approaching and walking down the hallway, I braced myself to fight again.

The pair of men who opened the door wore body armor. Clearly, they’d learned that I would fight back.

“Don’t even fucking think about trying to run, Raisa.”

I recalled this particular man from my childhood. “The only way I’m running is to the asshole who thinks he’s the boss around here.” I got up in his face the best I could while the other man forced me to walk. “I’m runningtohim so I can kill him faster.”

He laughed, making me move to another room. “Is that how it works? You let those Dubinin scum touch you and make you think you’re strong now? Huh?”

Before I could deflect it, he struck me with a potent backhanded hit.

I flung back and growled, ready to fight back, but my father’s wicked laughter stopped me.

No.

It wasn’t happening like this.

I wasn’t going to waste my energy on his guards and stupid minions who’d helped him stay hidden for years.

I turned to find my father in the room, narrowing my eyes at his ugly face.

He approached with a limp, but it was the intensity of his stare that chilled me. He wasn’t dead yet. So long as he lived, I had to keep this objective in sight.

I had to keep my cool so I could get him alone to kill him.

Once and for all.

And it wasn’t a bluff or idle threat.

It was time for payback.

The men backed up, leaving me to stand and face him alone.

“You will give me that bastard if it’s the last thing you do,” he warned.

I reared my hand back to punch him. Right in the spot where his eye was missing. Smack in the middle of the worst of his scars.

He screamed, ducking back in pain. Cowering and breathing hard, he staggered back. Perhaps he assumed I’d be too scared to hit him.

“You little bitch!” he roared, glaring at me.

“Yeah, newsflash. I fight back now,” I taunted.

“Take her to the room,” he ordered harshly, wiping at the blood leaking from his closed eyehole.

Fuck.