Chapter 1

One

The car is silent.

Of course it is. Why would she talk to me? She hates me.

I hate her.

It's what works for us.

Yet after the shitshow that was Christmas, I thought she would have something to say.

Tonight started with an awkward family dinner between the Westies and the Yakuza. After dinner ended, us men went up to the rooftop to smoke cigars while the women gossiped. While on the rooftop, shit hit the fan, and we were attacked.

Unable to take it anymore, I grumble, "We are going to have a talk about what happened tonight."

She clears her throat. "I had no involvement."

"Russian men shot up the rooftop patio of the Yakuza leader while you were attending a dinner at his home. Why would we believe that you weren't involved?"

I hear her turn in her seat, so I glance over to find her glaring at me.

"You have monitored every single movement I have made since I have entered your building. Every phone call is monitored. Every package is inspected before I even receive it. There is no privacy for me. I know there are cameras in my apartment. I know that even my job was only another way for you to control me. So tell me, Declan, when have I had time to organize such an attack on your people? I didn't even know I was going to be at that dinner. I thought for sure that you would find a way to keep me locked up in my home like every other holiday. I never expected you to show up on my doorstep and demand I go with you."

She makes some valid points, but the truth of the matter is she knew we would be there, and we were attacked. I don't believe in coincidences.

"You knew about the party, though. Even if you weren't planning to be there. You could have planned a hit on it. Don't tell me that you don't know ways around our security. You've had a year to test the boundaries, and you have at every chance you've gotten." I let her in on the fact that I know she's been trying to slip my men.

Not that she ever does. There is a secondary team I have watching her more inconspicuously. The few times she managed to slip team one, I've allowed team two to monitor her from afar.

So far, all she's done is buy a backpack and pack it with clothes. An obvious go bag. She hasn't been able to purchase a new identity, but I know she tried. She doesn't have the contacts here.

"I have no interest in whatever politics that go on behind the scenes with your men. I would have never told anyone about that party after those two kind women invited me to it. Especially if there was a chance children would be there, which I thought there might be. I know you want me to be the villain here, but I'm not. I'm as much a victim as you. We all could have been killed." She crosses her arms, looking out the window.

I rub my hand down my face.

Truth is, I was worried about her. About all the women, really, but she was my guest tonight, which made her my responsibility. It made her safety a priority for me, so when I was fighting on that roof, my thoughts remained with her as well.

When I thought Haruaki might harm her, I moved closer to her. To offer her protection against the man who owns her.

Fuck, this is a mess. A whole ass mess.

"If I find out you had anything to do with this, you know that I will have to end your life. You get that, right? That this is serious? Not some game?" I ask her.

"Sometimes there are things much worse than death," she murmurs, making my heart ache at her cool tone.

The day Nikita moved in across the hall, I knew she was going to cause trouble.

First, she's sexy as fuck. With long legs and jet-black hair, she drew attention with every sway of her hips. Hell, I've had to reassign men to her because they had become hypnotized by her. I can't tell you how many times I caught the guys talking about how they wanted to fuck her.

Then there was the fact that she kept this ice princess exterior on at all times. The closest I've seen to it falling away was tonight when she held Emily, Autumn and Callum's baby girl. With the baby, she let her walls fall away. She showed her compassion and kindness. I even saw her smile once or twice, and let me tell you, a smile on that girl would bring the world to its knees.

She's a dangerous woman.

Add in the fact that she has reveled in annoying the piss out of me every chance she gets, and I don't particularly care for the girl.

Yet she's still my ward. The woman I have been tasked to keep tabs on at all times. My responsibility.

"When we get home, go to your apartment and call off on your shifts for the week. I need to talk to Callum and figure out what we are going to do. I hope you know that the fact that you walked out on your own volition tonight was solely because the wives are softer than their men. Haruaki may still demand your head on a platter, and since you were given to him to do with as he pleases, he would have every right to do that."

"I know, and if that is my fate, I will accept it, no matter how unfair it is. I learned that lesson at a young age. There is no point fighting the inevitable."

It's like she doesn't even care for her own life. I bet if I were to put a gun to her head right now, she would look me in the eye as I pulled the trigger without a single flinch.

Cold as ice.

Why does it bother me so much?

Declan is agitated.Normally this would bring me joy. I enjoy turning my music up loud to annoy him. He does the same right back at me. We have pranked each other back and forth many times over the last year.

This is different, though. More than his usual irritation.

I don't know why he seems so concerned with what Haruaki might do with me. It's not like he cares for me. He's obligated to keep an eye on me, but Haruaki never gave him the task of keeping me alive. In fact, he had the opportunity to kill me himself, and I was sure he was going to take it.

"Haruaki, here she is. My daughter, Nikita." My father offers me up like a sacrificial lamb.

The Japanese leader stares at me long and hard. There is true hatred in his eyes. I don't know why he doesn't just shoot my father. He doesn't seem like a man who would leave his enemies alive.

"This is the collateral you offer? Your child? Is she even your only child?" Haruaki spits out.

"I have another daughter who is married back in Russia. If you prefer her, I'm sure I can pull some strings."

I clench my fists as I sit on my knees in front of the men as they talk about me and my sister as if we are nothing.

"You have a son too. Why not offer him?" Haruaki asks, circling me.

He reaches out to touch my hair. Internally, I want to pull away, but I stay still. I don't even dare breathe.

"Nikita is more valuable. My son is still young and has no skills. At least Nikita could provide entertainment for your men."

Bile crawls up my throat as my father says the words I was hoping would never come. I swallow it down hard. It would be no good to show weakness now.

"You wish for me to pimp her out to my men? Why would my men want to fuck some used-up Russian pussy?"

"Her innocence is intact. I have had her under watch since she was a baby. Not one man has touched her, so she is new pussy. Brand new. Still has the new car smell and everything," my father jokes.

Haruaki is not laughing, though. He's gone still.

"You know that your pakhan wanted to deflower my wife, yes?" Haruaki keeps his tone low, but it's deadly.

A chill finds its way through my body involuntarily. Haruaki could kill me in an instant. He would not even lose a wink of sleep over it.

"I did not know that. He is no longer my pakhan. I have renounced all allegiance. As I said before, I am hoping for your mercy. If you allow me to remain here in the city to conduct business, I will keep my ear to the ground for any more of those rats."

"I know what you said. Why would you want your daughter subjected to the same fate your pakhan wished for my wife?"

"Nikita knows that this is her duty. Isn't that right, Nikita?"

"Yes, Father."

Haruaki kneels on one knee and lightly touches my face, pulling my chin up to look him in his eyes.

I swear I can see the devil in them.

"What is it that your father told you?"

I swallow hard. I could tell him how my father wants me to spy on them for him. He probably would kill my father, but then he would kill me too. Besides, I do not owe this man anything. My only hope is that he keeps me alive and gives me a chance to escape.

"I am to do whatever you say. To obey and not disappoint." I cast my eyes down once again, but he kept hold of my chin.

"So if I were to tell you to take this knife and slit your father's throat?" He holds out the knife to me.

I don't dare take it. Nor do I look at anyone.

"Then I must do so," I say quietly.

He doesn't understand that I would do so willingly.

Happily even.

"Vladimir, get out of here before I change my mind. Even think about betraying me and I will kill your daughter, but I will also hunt you down and kill you and your son and anyone who even thinks your name."

"Thank you for your mercy."

Within seconds, my father leaves the room, leaving me alone with Haruaki and his men.

"What are we going to do with her?" one of the men asks.

Haruaki stands, leaving me kneeling.

"Get her out of my fucking sight. In fact, get her out of my building. I don't want any dirty Russians near our operation."

"I could call Callum and ask him to house her."

"Whatever. Just get her out of here."

"We are here. Do I need to walk you in, or will you behave and go straight to your apartment?" Declan says, pulling me from the memory.

That was the first day that I put my plan into action. Little by little, I have been making plans. One day, I will make it out.

"I'm not a child nor a dog. I can make it to my apartment myself."

I go to exit the car, but he grabs my arm. "I mean it, Nikita. Straight upstairs. I will know if you don't."

I sigh. "Okay. Chill."

Then I pull out of his grasp and make my way upstairs. When I get into my apartment, I look down at the street, but he's gone.

Turning back to my kitchen, I make myself a glass of whiskey neat.

Tonight was crazy. I didn't know it was the Russians that attacked them, but I am not surprised. My father made it clear that being submissive to the Yakuza was only an act. A way to pacify them until he built his own army to face them.

I meant what I said, though. I had nothing to do with it. I have no way to even reach my father even if I wanted to. Not once since he dropped me with Haruaki has he reached out.

I've been grateful for it. If he's not reaching out, then maybe he forgot I exist.

I can only hope that's the case.

So if it wasn't me, then maybe it wasn't him. It could have been the old pakhan. I heard he moved back to Russia, but he hasn't been heard of since. Not here at least. I try to keep tabs on Russian politics as well, but it's hard since I have no contacts back there. The only news I get is what I find in the papers, which doesn't tell me much.

I've slipped his guards a time or two to test the waters, but I got scared. I grabbed some items I needed to flee, but the anxiety of being outside his bubble of protection where my father could find me always drove me back to the apartment. To this place.

This apartment is my only safe place. The only place he allows me to be without a guard lording over me, watching my every move.

So my cage is what has become my sanctuary.