Page 108 of The Chaos She Brings

Tears burn behind my eyes, but I will them not to fall. I already look weak. Vulnerable.

“You sampled the goods already?” a different one asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Not properly,” Nikolai replies, his hand moving to my breast and giving it a rough squeeze.

“Perhaps we should all have a go? Make sure she’s really good?” the first guy says, taking a step towards us.

I try to shift away, but my back meets Nikolai's chest. His arms wrap around me, imprisoning me against him. I hear them laughing, but I don’t understand the words—they feel foreign, distant, almost unreal. My breath comes in quick, shallow gasps, panic rising in my throat. A harsh whisper tickles my ear.“You’llbe good for my men, won’t you?”I shake my head, but the defiance feels small, suffocated by the weight of my fear. A whimper escapes, a sound so weak it disgusts me. I wish I could disappear.

His fingers dig into my chin, forcing my face upward. I can feel the burn of his grip, his words dripping with venom. ‘You don’t have a choice,wife,’ he snarls.

I try to hold onto my pride, to push back against the tide of fear choking me. “Not your wife,” I manage to spit out, my voice shaky but defiant.

His smirk grows as he presses closer, his body a looming presence against mine. The space between us feels suffocating, oppressive, but I refuse to let him see the fear curling in my gut.

“I love how feisty you are. So much spirit for me to break.”

He releases me and the men start closing in.

I can’t let this happen.

I force my feet to move, stumbling to the door and yanking it open.

There’s no time to think or plan as I make a break for it. Running stark bollock naked across the grounds.

Pain ricochets through me as I’m tackled to the floor. My face is shoved roughly into the dirt; each breath now filled with the scent of grass and mud.

“You fuckingbitch.” It’s Nikolai’s voice that howls at me. “Youhanded yourself over, Tessa. I don’t know why you’re fighting now.”

Pain rips through me as my hair is yanked, forcing my head up. I try to ignore the burn in my scalp, the fear coiling tighter in my chest. “You need to be taught a lesson,” he growls. The words are meant to break me, but I refuse to let him see how close I am to shattering. I won’t let him win this part of me, no matter how hard he tries.

My head is dropped back to the floor with a thud.

The sound of a zip echoes in the air, cold and sharp, and I freeze, panic gripping me.

I want to move, to run, but my body won’t cooperate.

My heart hammers in my chest as I push myself up, trying to escape, but I’m too slow. His hand grabs my arm, jerking me back to the ground. My breath catches as I feel the weight ofhim above me, the ground beneath me hard and unforgiving.

The rain begins to fall, a soft, steady patter against the earth. But it doesn't matter to him—nothing does. He speaks in low, guttural tones I don’t understand, but the intent is clear. I can feel the weight of his presence behind me, the tension thick in the air. My body freezes, caught between fight and flight, neither of which seem possible in this moment.

That’s when I feel it.

Him.

I stop breathing.

37

She Left Me

Kai to Tess: Everyone always leaves me. [unsent]

Kai

We’reinoneofEnzo’s private jets. It’s sleek, luxurious—nothing like the cramped, stuffy planes I’m used to. The leather seats gleam under the soft light, and the stewardess keeps offering champagne like this is a joyride, not a fucking rescue mission.

Enzo has gathered a handful of his most trusted men. The tension in the air is thick as we go over the plan.