Fredrick_Udele

The hottest man I’ve ever seen is now my new boss—
and I’m stuck in a house with him…
Until one of us cracks.

I’ve got debt—yeah, I know, so does everyone else on Planet Earth.
But the bills I’m paying keep my dad and my grandma alive.
So it’s pretty messed-up for Timofey Viktorov to use them as a threat to keep me under control.

Not that he cares.
As a billionaire CEO, he takes no prisoners in the boardroom.
And as the don of the Viktorov Bratva, he takes no prisoners in real life, either.

Which is why he has no qualms about extorting me into taking his deal.
Live in my mansion…
Care for my baby…
Or suffer the consequences.

But he’s not the only one with an agenda.
Timofey has skeletons in his closet—and I’m determined to dig them out.
He’s just as determined to keep me far away from the secrets of his past.

The longer I’m in his house, the tenser things get.
Every time we brush past each other in the hallway, something sparks.
Every time we cross paths in the night, the ice grows thinner.

Sooner or later, it’s going to crack.

Whiskey Poison

The door closes as if in slow motion. The shaft of light grows smaller and smaller until I'm in total darkness.

The air feels stale. Already, my lungs burn.

I pound on the door with my fists and scream, even though I know it won't do any good. "Timofey!" I shriek. "Timofey!"

I try to convince myself I hear murmuring on the other side of the door, but this room is utterly soundproof. He can't hear me. I can't hear him.

I stumble backward until my spine slams into the wall. Then I drop to the floor, my knees curling against my chest. If I pass out, I don't want to fall on my stomach. I should stay sitting.

Just as I start practicing slow inhales and exhales, trying to convince myself I'm not going to run out of oxygen in this cramped space, I hear the bolt on the door click.

"It's a mirage." I think mirages are visual, but that doesn't matter now.

CHAPTER 108