Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 95627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
I was supposed to sell her to the highest bidder, a marriage that would seal alliances and strengthen her family's power.
But seeing her bloodied and defiant changed everything.
Her father and brother thought they could use her as a pawn.
They didn't realize I was playing a different game entirely.
I destroyed them all, leaving her seemingly free—only to chain her to me instead.
She thinks she can escape, build a normal life away from the violence she was born into.
She doesn't understand that what I protect, I possess completely.
And now, she's mine.
The problem?
She fights me with every breath, refusing to be anyone's property…especially mine.
Her fierce defiance only makes me want her more.
What she doesn't know is that her freedom required blood payment, and that debt is coming due.
As enemies close in, threatening what's mine, my decision is final.
She will be my wife.
She will wear my mark.
She will surrender to me completely.
Even if I have to break her first.
Welcome back to the ruthless world of the Ivanov Crime Family, where power is everything, love is a dangerous game, and mercy is a weakness. The next generation has arrived—Konstantine, Artem, Pavel, and Roman—Russian cousins forged in blood and bound by loyalty. They’re darker, deadlier, and more relentless than ever.
This is just the beginning—four new books, four ruthless Ivanov men, and one unforgettable ride.
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*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
CHAPTER 1
ARTEM
I knew taking this meeting was a mistake the moment I agreed to it.
Zaitsev had been relentless, hounding me for days, desperate for a deal.
That alone set my teeth on edge.
Desperate men made reckless decisions.
And Zaitsev? He was a fool. Brash, impulsive, lacking the foresight needed to survive in our world. And his son, Matvey, was even worse.
When I pulled up to the isolated cabin nestled deep in the Virginia woods, my instincts screamed danger. It was too remote, too perfect for an ambush.
My men swept the perimeter while I waited in the Range Rover, my patience wearing thinner with each passing minute.
"Clear," one of my men murmured through my earpiece.
I stepped out into the biting winter air, snow crunching beneath my boots. The cabin loomed before me, its windows glowing with warm light that promised a comfort I knew wouldn't be found inside.
When I pushed open the heavy wooden door, the stench of fear hit me first.
Then I saw her.
Huddled on a weathered wooden chair in the center of the room, her head bowed, lush, chestnut brown hair spilling over her shoulders, hiding her face. Ropes cut into her wrists, binding her, but there was no mistaking the tension in her shoulders.
Fury burned through me, sharp and immediate.
My fingers twitched with the need to curl into a fist.
Zaitsev emerged from the shadows, his son lurking behind him like the coward he was. Both men grinned as if they'd presented me with a gift rather than a twisted indecency.
In my world, women were protected and sheltered from the brutal reality of our business.
"Artem, my friend." He stretched out a hand in greeting.
"We are not friends." I pointedly ignored his outstretched hand. "And I don't recall giving you permission to use my given name."
He hesitated, his son shifting uneasily behind him.
The air in the cabin grew thick with tension.
My men flanked the doorway, blocking any chance of escape.
A small sound came from the woman—not a cry or a whimper.
Just a sharp inhale of barely restrained pain.
My fury sharpened to a lethal edge.
I met Zaitsev's eyes; he was going to see the moment I decided he wasn't leaving this cabin alive.
"We had to secure our merchandise." He gave a dismissive wave, dropping into a chair opposite his captive. "She can be…stubborn. Nothing a firm hand won’t fix.”
My gaze remained fixed on the woman bound in the chair.
I let the silence stretch like a stranglehold around his throat.
Zaitsev mistook it for patience. A deadly mistake.
He smirked. "I'll get right to the point, then. I know you're making moves in the States."
He thought he knew something. Amusing.
"You shouldn't put stock in rumors," I said flatly. "Your men must be bored if they've taken to gossip."
Zaitsev chuckled, like we were old friends sharing an inside joke. "A shift in power is coming." He stood and circled the woman, placing his hands on her shoulders. She flinched. The small movement ignited something dark inside me. "This is my daughter."
A muscle in my jaw twitched.
Daughter.
I glanced at her, then back at him, my face unreadable.
What kind of man tied up his own flesh and blood?
"I'd rather not have her running wild, like these American women," he continued, oblivious to my growing rage. "She could be useful."
Useful.
The word curdled in my gut.
"She's not much to look at," he added, waving a hand like she was a piece of livestock. “But she'll make a good wife. Quiet. Won't ask questions. Won't expect fidelity." He grinned and winked. "And, of course, this marriage would come with certain advantages."