Se connecterA FRIEND OR FOE~SILAS'S POV~They threw me into the cell hard enough that I hit the concrete wall, pain exploded through my shoulder, but I didn't care.The door slammed shut and locked."Well," a voice said from the darkness. "This is unexpected."I turned. Liam sat against the far wall, face bruised, lip split, one eye swollen shut."You look like hell," I said."You should see the other guys," he muttered, then winced. "Actually, don't. They're probably the ones who just threw you in here."I stood, tested the door, and it was solid steel, no give."How did a nobody like you get involved with someone like Volkov?" I asked.Liam laughed, bitterly. "Maya was in trouble because of you."I said nothing, because it was true."If you're here," Liam continued, "then that means your plan to save her failed. And she had so much faith in you." He shook his head. "Poor Maya. Bet she's regretting her choices right about now.""Shut up," I said."Do you even know what Volkov's going to do to h
CAPTURED~MAYA'S POV~The guard knocked on the door. "Mr. Volkov requests your presence for dinner.""I'm not hungry," I said from where I sat on the bed."It was not a request, Miss Vance."I stood slowly, still wearing the red dress, still feeling exposed.The guard led me through the compound's long hallways, marble floors, and expensive artwork on the walls, everything cold and new.Where was Liam? Were they keeping him in a cell somewhere? Was he even still alive?I shouldn't care. He had taken Volkov's money and helped them. But the Liam I knew had been sweet. Naive. He probably thought he was just doing a tech job.I hoped he got out of here alive.The guard stopped at huge double doors and pushed them open.The dining hall was enormous with a crystal chandelier, a long table set for royalty. Maids and chefs stood in a line along the wall, backs straight, eyes down.They all looked terrified.Volkov sat at the head of the table, he smiled when he saw me. "Maya. You came.""I di
THE RED ROOM~MAYA'S POV~I woke up to red.Everything was red, the walls, the curtains, the bedspread beneath me, even the light filtering through the window had a red shade.I sat up slowly, my head pounded. Dizzy. Nauseous, the sedative, it had to be the aftereffect. I looked down at myself and my stomach dropped. I was wearing a dress. Red silk. Thin straps. A slit running up my thigh. This wasn't what I had been wearing, someone had undressed me, changed me.While I was unconscious.Panic clawed at my throat. I stood up too fast, and the room spun. I grabbed the bedpost to steady myself."Okay," I whispered. "Okay. Think. Where are you?"I waited for the dizziness to pass and took slow breaths. I looked around. The room was huge, expensive. A four-poster bed, velvet furniture, a crystal chandelier, and floor-to-ceiling windows leading to a balcony.I walked to the balcony doors. I tried the handle.It was locked. Through the glass, I could see snow, buildings, and a city sprawli
DOUBT~SILAS'S POV~The Moscow hotel room was cold, and clean, everything in Russia felt cold. I was standing at the window, looking out at the snow-covered city, when my phone rang.Russo."Talk to me," I said."Boss, we have a problem."My grip tightened on the phone. "What kind of problem?""It's Miss Maya," Russo said. His voice was tight. "She's gone."The room tilted. "What do you mean, gone?""She left the villa approximately twenty minutes ago. Entered a black vehicle. Disappeared.""Was she taken?" I asked. My voice was deadly calm. "Did they grab her?""No, sir." Russo paused. "She walked in on her own."I was silent for a moment, processing. "Explain.""According to the guards, she came to them around eight PM asking for fresh air, she said she felt trapped and wanted to walk to the front gate and back.""And they let her?""She was insistent. They watched her from the door, she went to the gate, opened it, stepped through, and a black car pulled up. She got in. They drove
KIDNAPPED~MAYA'S POV~Day two without Silas.I was sitting in his study, pretending to work on my laptop, when my phone rang.Unknown number.I almost didn't answer. Silas had warned me about unknown numbers, but something made me pick up."Hello?""Maya Vance?" A male voice, heavily accented, Russian.My blood went cold. "Who is this?""That doesn't matter," he said. "What matters is that we have your mother.""What?" I stood up. "You're lying...."A woman's scream cut through the line."Maya! Maya, help me! They're going to...."Mom. That was my mother's voice. "Mom!" I shouted into the phone. "Mom, where are you?""She's safe for now," the man said. "Whether she stays that way depends on you.""What do you want?""You," he said simply. "Alone. At the front gate. Ten minutes.""I can't...there are guards...Silas left security....""I don't care about your problems," he cut in. "You have ten minutes to get to that gate. Alone. Or your mother dies.""Wait! I need more time! The guard
THE PERFECT GOODBYE~MAYA'S POV~I woke to sunlight flowing through the windows and Silas watching me."How long have you been awake?" I asked, voice thick with sleep."An hour," he said. "Maybe more.""Why didn't you wake me?""I wanted to watch you sleep," he said. "While I still could."The reality hit. Today, he was leaving."What time is it?" I asked."Six thirty. The jet leaves at ten."Three and a half hours. That's all we had left. I rolled toward him and pressed my face into his chest. "I don't want you to go.""I know." His hand stroked my hair. "But I have to.""I know that too," I said. "Doesn't mean I like it.""Come with me."I pulled back. "What?""Come to Moscow," he said. "You and Chloe. We will handle this together.""You said it was too dangerous...""It is," he admitted. "But leaving you here feels worse.""Silas, you can't change the plan now...""I can do whatever I want," he said. "If it means keeping you close."I touched his face. "We both know I'm safer here
THE TASTE OF RUIN ~MAYA'S POV~The kiss wasn't a question; it was ruin.Silas kissed me like a man who had been starving for years and had finally decided to break the glass on the buffet.His mouth was hot, hard, and demanding. His tongue swept into my mouth, tangling with mine, tasting of aged
THE STUDY PART 2~MAYA POV~A man's voice crackled through. I could hear it faintly. "Silas, good morning. We have the quarterly reports ready for review..."Silas leaned back in his chair. One hand still on my thigh. The other clicking through his laptop.He was really doing this. Really making me
THE SCENT~MAYA'S POV~I had been hiding in my room for three hours. Three fucking Hours.Like a coward. Like a girl who definitely didn't just get fingered by her best friend's dad during a work call.Except I absolutely did. And now I was spiraling.I had showered. Twice. Scrubbed my skin until i
THE RECKONING~SILAS'S POV~The taste of her won't leave my mouth.Three showers. Scrubbed my tongue raw. Didn't help. I want more.5:47 AM and I'm rock hard again, replaying every sound she made. Maya spread out on that wine barrel like an offering. Dark hair everywhere. Those innocent eyes going







