Page 90 of Prince of Control

Unless he really believed me–walking away was goodbye. Unless he thought I made my choice and was gentleman enough to let me make it. He does have that tendency to put everyone else’s needs before his.

Would he let me go that easily?

That thought makes my heart seize up cold.

Please don’t let me go, Baron. I send out the silent prayer up to whatever higher spirit will listen.

I hear the slide of the lock on the door, and Brash walks in. I sit up on the bed. There’s a smug smile on his face that makes me want to throat punch him, but I try to hide it.

The trouble is, I’m not very good at masking my feelings.

“Have you settled in, darling?”

I bite back the angry retort on the tip of my tongue. Deep breaths. Pretend to be pleasant. Or at least don’t antagonize him.

“It’s hard to settle without my things.”

There. That didn’t sound too surly.

Brash waves a dismissive hand. “We will get you new things. What do you need now? A toothbrush? There are some under the sink. Shampoo and soap is in the shower.” His eyes take on a dangerous glint. “You don’t need clothes.” He steps closer and reaches for me.

I want to knee him in the balls, but instead I sidestep and dart toward the window.

"I’d like to see that orchard.” It’s the first thing I can think to say, and I run with it. “Getting outside is helpful to adjust to the new time zone. The jet lag is already getting to me,” I babble.

“You’ll go outside when you earn it.” He closes the distance between us, shoving me up against the glass with his fingers around my throat. “Now take off your clothes.”

I clutch at his wrists, my nails scoring his skin. I can’t breathe. The pain of my crushed windpipe is excruciating. Stars dance before my eyes, and I start to black out. He abruptly releases his grip on my throat, and I gasp and cough as my body desperately tries to re-oxygenate.

He fists the bodice of my blouse and yanks, tearing the fabric.

“You can’t have sex with me!” I blurt. It’s the only thing that popped in my head. “I’m on my period.”

It’s actually true. I don’t know if it’s going to save me from being assaulted right now, but it’s worth a shot.

“And I need more tampons. Unless you have those under the sink, too?”

Oops. I might have put too much snark in my voice because his arm flies back, and he backhands me. Pain explodes in my face, and my body bounces off the window and crumples to the floor. Mercifully, I black out.

Baron

I check the ammunition in both pistols.

Adrian and his team met me at the private airstrip and bustled me into a passenger van outfitted with everything we needed for a siege.

Dima and Anya got the address for the Rostov property, along with the floor plan. They’ve hacked the security system.

I should wait until it’s dark, but I’m going in now.

Lara’s phone tracker went offline close to the airport, but the one in her purse and the one in her shoes both show her in the master bedroom.

That fact alone makes me violent. I know Abrasha Rostov. He tortures the weak for the fun of it. He’s going to force himself on Lara–do terrible things to her. Maybe not tonight. Maybe he’s still on his best behavior, trying to trick her into marriage.

But I doubt it. If that were the case, he would’ve taken her back to Paris. But he brought her here to his stronghold. She’s a prisoner. I’m sure of it.

I have to get her out of here before he does unspeakable things to her.

I had my choice of weapons—the van has everything. I have two grenades tucked in the pockets of my cargo pants. An olive fitted shirt covers my Kevlar, and I have a camo skull cap on to hide my blond hair. Instead of an automatic weapon, I picked revolvers with silencers.