Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Piper

T he service ends and as funerals go, Ryan gets a lovely send off. Only the members of our family and of Da's inner circle come to share a toast at the gravesite.

I stand in front of the lowered casket with Rory on one side of me and Brody on the other. All afternoon, my protective brother bookends kept me isolated from our parents, Darcy, and Niall.

Which works for me.

After having my say this morning, all the fight drained out of me. I'm still angry—I doubt I'll ever get over that—but I don't have the energy to waste on people who don't respect me.

Once the bottle of whiskey has been passed around and everyone has their sip, Da raises his glass. "To Ryan. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rains fall soft upon your fields.And until we meet again,may God hold you in the palm of his hand, my boy. Suaimhneas síoraí air. "

" Suaimhneas síoraí air ," we all repeat, wishing him eternal rest.

With that done, Rory and Brody walk me back to the limos parked along the cemetery trail.

"Are you sure you won't come back to the house for the reception?" Brody asks.

"Not this time. I wanted to be here for Ryan, but I'm ready to take my things and go. I was half afraid Da would lock me in my room and not let me leave. It's best if I get out while I can."

Rory hugs me and kisses my forehead. "Well, we'll miss you, little bug. Call us and let us know how you are. And if you're ever on our side of the river…"

I ease back and shake my head. "I don't suppose that will be for a long while. But if you're ever on the north…"

Brody laughs. "Equally unlikely."

I wonder if it has to be that way. If I told Sean I wanted to have lunch with my brothers, he'd let them come across without hassle, wouldn't he?

In my heart, I know he would.

The boys might not believe me, but the Quinns aren't the horrible monsters Da makes them out to be. That's his paranoia getting the best of him.

"Rory, Brody, come here, lads." Da is standing with Billy Gravely, Niall, Darcy, and a handful of his men.

They check with me, and I nod. "Go ahead. I'm just going to grab my bag and go. It's probably easiest if you keep the old man away from me, anyway."

Brody kisses my cheek. "Text us."

"I will."

I watch them leaving and wonder if I can make a world for them that doesn't involve the insanity of my father's violent reign. It's too late for Niall and Darcy, and possibly even Brody…but Rory could be spared.

I open the door to the limo and reach in to grab my duffle off the seat where I left it.

A strong hand grips my wrist and yanks me inside.

Adrenaline spikes as I'm yanked across the wide seat by Arkady Sidorov. My ribs send a searing pain through my side, and I let out a scream of terror. " Help! "

My plea is cut off by the slamming of the door as Vladmir settles onto the seat opposite us. "We meet again, firesnapper."

I pull at my arm, but Arkady's too strong. With a knock on the opaque privacy glass, the car pulls away from the cemetery.

Twisting to look out the back window, I see Rory and Brody being held back by Niall and Darcy, as my father laughs and waves.

The fucking asshole.

I'm in shock.

My cell rings and Arkady finally releases his hold on me. "Answer phone."

If it means he's not manhandling me, gladly. I pull my cell out of my purse and shrink as far away from the Russians as I can get.

Vomit burns at the back of my throat when I read the caller ID. "You are some kind of fucking monster, Da."

The old man is still chuckling. "Och, such a mouth—so disrespectful."

"Respect is earned, not a given."

"And you thinking so has brought us to this impasse. You set my deal with the Bratva on unsteady ground, now you will make it right. Whether you like it or not."

Bile twists in the pit of my belly and there's a good chance I'm going to throw up.

"To put us back on working terms with our friends in Russia, you will become a doting wife to Vladmir and fall in line for his friends."

I scoff. "Never going to happen."

"Then your mother will mourn another of her dead children."

"But not you, right, Da? You won't mourn me."

"Your actions killed Ryan. You were dead to me the moment he stopped breathing."

The breath leaves my body as the truth of his words sinks into my battered heart. "Only McGuires born with a cock mean anything to you, is that it?"

"Aye, you're finally catching on. You've caused insurmountable loss, and you will pay for your shortcomings."

"My shortcomings? Refusing to be raped and gifted away like a whore is not a shortcoming—it's my right."

He laughs again, this time his voice is full and booming with amusement. "You live and die by my order, Piper. You have no rights. It's a pity you didn't realize it sooner. Maybe all this ugliness might've been avoided."

The phone goes dead and my mind spins.

I study the evil glint in the eyes of the two Russians taking me captive and wonder how the hell I'm going to get out of this.

"You understanding now, da?" Vladmir takes my cell, rolls down the window, and tosses it out of the car. "Your father made promise. Now negotiation can resume."

Blindfolded in the back seat of the limo, I chastize myself for being in this position. Why did I insist on respecting the loss of my brother at my expense? I wasn't even close to Ryan.

Part of me—the last bit of the little girl in me—wanted to be there for my family in our time of grief. I didn't want to add to my mother's heartache as she mourned the death of Ryan.

But she wasn't worried about me. She was angry that I stood up for myself and refused their plan.

Ashamed and furious, I lay on the back seat, wishing I had listened to Sean when he told me I wasn't out of danger. He warned me I didn't grasp how vile my father could be.

He was right.

If I had listened, we could be eating Pop-Tarts in my lovely new flat. We couldn't be a couple, but I would be safe, and I could start over.

The limo stops, and Vladmir removes the fabric covering my eyes. "We're here—home away from home. After wedding, I take you to mother Russia. You be good wife. You see."

I shudder as thoughts of wedding night horrors flash through my head. Tears burn behind my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall.

Arkady gets out and extends a hand. "Out."

I don't move to comply, and Vladmir places a firm hand on my arm. "Obey Arkady, Piper. Don't make him hurt you again."

As if he cares. It's not like I've forgotten the evil glint in his eyes as he pommeled my face and tore the flesh off my cheek with his ring.

He didn't care about me being hurt then.

I can't see a way out of this, and they won't hesitate to rough me up, so I comply. I slide along the leather seat and get out without touching Arkady or letting him touch me. We're parked at the back of a house, but I can't see anything beyond that.

Salt hangs heavy in the breeze, so we must be near the bay. South of the city, maybe? I need to get my bearings so I can plan my escape.

Vladmir leads the way, and Arkady remains within striking distance, so I follow. They escort me through a mud room entrance and up a narrow corridor. Arkady stops before a closed door and then ushers me inside.

It's a standard guest bedroom setup: a bed flanked by nightstands, a chest of drawers with a mirror over it, and nothing in the way of personal items or finishing touches.

Homey.

I turn to say so but my comment dies in my throat. Arkady is right in my face and before I know what's happening, he's got my wrists bound with wide plastic tie wraps. "What the hell?"

I fight his hold, and he shoves me with both hands. The contact knocks me back onto the bed and then he's climbing over me, grabbing my bound wrists.

"Get off me!" I'm about to lose my mind when he releases my wrists and rolls off the bed. My arms are stretched above my head and my shackles are locked onto the headboard.

Vladmir grins and moves to the side of the bed. "We leave you now, firesnapper. Arkady and I will check on wedding preparations. Tonight is big night."

"Tonight? I'm not marrying you."

Vladmir grips my jaw and squeezes until tears burn behind my eyes. "I have papers. Your parents give you to me. You are mine."

"I'm not yours. Your papers mean nothing. This isn't legal. Nothing about this is legal."

"Legal? We are Bratva. Legal is nothing to do with anything." He leans in, still gripping my jaw. "We should celebrate. Arkady, bring vodka…and the dress."

The dress? Is he seriously so delusional that he actually thinks he can force me to marry him?

"I'm not marrying you," I repeat.

"So you say."

Arkady returns with an unopened bottle of Russian vodka and hands it to his boss. Then he hangs a dress bag on a hook on the closet door.

He can't seriously have a wedding dress in there, can he? Even as my brain stumbles to make sense of any of this, I know he does.

He's just that crazy.

Vladmir breaks the seal of the vodka and holds up the bottle. "To Vladmir and Piper." He knocks back a couple of long swallows of vodka and then puts the bottle in my mouth and tips it back.

I choke, swallowing and sputtering as the alcohol burns its way down my throat.

"Good girl. Tonight we transform you into magnificent Russian princess."

He takes another swig of vodka and then strides over to the closet. After unzipping the garment bag, he pulls a god-awful mass of white lace free of its confines. "So beautiful. My mother sent dress from Russia. It belonged to first wife."

I blink. "How many wives have you had?"

"Four. You will be youngest and most beautiful. Special in your own way."

Is he implying that he's gone through multiple wives, or that he has a harem stashed away back in Russia? I'm not sure, but I have no intention of finding out.

Somehow, I have to get out of here.

Somehow, I need to get back to Sean.

"Rest now, firesnapper."

I roll my eyes. "It's firecracker, not firesnapper."

He grins. "See? Already we make good for one another."

Vladmir leaves the room and after the door closes, a dead bolt slides into place.

I want to scream but need a plan of escape more.

I pull at the restraints binding my hands. There's no give to them and without something sharp, I'll never break their hold.

I won't be getting out of here until I'm let out.

And that will be when either Arkady or Vladmir comes to get me for the wedding. I clamp my eyes shut as hot tears escape.

I can't marry into the Bratva—I won't.

My heart belongs to another crime family. I would gladly give up my McGuire name to be a Quinn.

Mrs. Sean Quinn.