“I’m trying to save your life!” she yells back at him.
“And I’m trying to save yours!”
I look between them both with amusement. “It’s cute that you think either of you have the power to save one another. The only one who has any power here is me.”
“I’ll recuse myself from the fucking investigation, okay?” Rob gasps desperately. “I’ll leave you alone. Just… just don’t do this. Let her go. Let her leave with me.”
“I’m doing you a favor by letting you leave at all. Now,” I say to my men, “bring him over here. I want dear Agent Lawrence to have a good view of the ceremony.”
He struggles as they pull him forward, a bull raring to get out of his cage. I’m not worried even if he does. He’s a big guy in his own right, but I dwarf him all the same.
And even if I didn’t, I was built by the Bratva. He was built by the system. We are not the same.
“Olivia,” I say, holding out my hand for her. “Come.”
“Don’t do it, Liv!”
She takes a deep breath and slips her fingers into mine, ignoring her brother. I curl my hand around hers with satisfaction and coax her forward to the table.
She’s trembling, trying to process the fact that this is really happening. It’ll hit her later. When she’s alone in her room and she’s got nothing but the voices in her head to keep her company.
We make an odd party standing around the table. The priest takes the center position in front of the paperwork. I stand with Olivia on the opposite side. Demyan is on the left and Rob, held captive between two of my men, is on the right.
“No photographer at this wedding, huh?” Demyan chimes in with a wicked gleam in his eye.
“Unfortunately not,” I say, glancing towards Rob. “You’ll just have to remember the details, Robert. That way, you can describe them later to your mother and sister.”
“You bastard,” he growls. “This is illegal.”
“On the contrary, I’d say it’s all quite above board. Olivia is an adult and she’s voluntarily consenting to marry me. Aren’t you, Olivia?”
I glance towards her, but even the brush of my gaze is intense enough that she understands the part she has to play to satisfy me.
“Yes.” Her voice comes out raspy and strange. “I am.”
“She’s under duress.”
“Life is never-ending duress, Robert.” I smirk. “The only thing you have to decide is how you let it break you.”
“No one is above the law, you son of a bitch. No one is untouchable.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
I nod to the priest, whose eyes have stayed steadfastly pinned to the floor. “Continue.”
He juts his chin at the paperwork. “Witnesses must sign,” he mumbles.
Demyan steps forward. “With pleasure.” He takes the pen lying on the table and signs his name at the bottom with flourish. Regular John fucking Hancock over here.
When he’s done, I give him a nod and turn towards Rob. “Your turn, Agent Lawrence.”
He laughs out loud. “You really are insane if you expect me to sign my name to that shit.”
“That’s exactly what I expect.”
Rob shakes his head. “No. No goddamn way.”
I glance towards Olivia and let out a long-suffering exhale. “Is he always this difficult?”
“Takes one to know one,” she hisses. Then she softens and glances over to her brother. “Rob, it’s okay. Just sign.”
He swallows. “Liv, this is not a game. After you sign on that dotted line, you’re going to be married to him. Legally, religiously, or whatever the fuck. In every way that matters.”
“I’m aware,” she croaks in a near-whisper.
“I don’t think you understand what that means.”
She frowns and that’s when I see the first fracture in her calm exterior. “Don’t talk to me like I’m a child,” she snaps. “I know exactly what’s happening. You do, too. You knew the risks involved with going against him.”
Even I’m surprised by the accusation. I suspect a part of her is just as taken aback.
“He’s a fucking kidnapper, Liv,” Rob says. “A human trafficker. I couldn’t just let him off scot-free.”
We’ve done this song and dance before, so I don’t bother denying it this time. He’s already made up his mind about that, so why go to the trouble? His opinion means nothing to me. In a few short moments, he’ll be taken out of the game.
She sighs. “I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
“Liv—”
“I want you to do me a favor, okay?” she asks. When he doesn’t answer, she adds, “Rob, please.”
He nods reluctantly. “Anything.”
“I want you to tell Mom and Mia that I’m okay. I’m not hurt and I’m not in any danger. At least the first part of that is true. But sell it all so they buy it, do you understand?”
“They’ll never believe me, Liv.”
“Make them,” she growls in a tone that’s not dissimilar to mine.
“I’m gonna get you out of this,” he tells her as if I’m not standing right here watching the proceedings. “I promise you that.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Rob,” she says mournfully. “It’s okay. I’ll be okay.”
“Listen to your sister,” I suggest. “She clearly got the brains in the family.”
“Fuck you, Makar—”
One of my men kicks out his back legs. He falls to the ground again, hard. Olivia cries out and tries to move towards him, but I grab her and pull her back to my side.
“Stop this!” she screams, turning her burning brown eyes on me. “I’m giving you what you want. I’m marrying you.”
“If you think that’s enough,” I say, getting in her face, “then you still don’t understand me.”
I release her and look to my men. “Get him on his feet and bring him here. If he won’t walk himself, then break his legs and drag him.”
Rob stands stock-still, eyes brimming over with emotion. Rage, sadness, fear, helplessness. At his sides, my men flex their hands, ready to do what they must.
I arch an eyebrow. “What part of ‘break his legs’ sounded appealing to you, Robert?”
He falters. It’s pitiful to watch such a proud man brought to his knees. “I…”
“Look at your sister, Robert,” I growl. “Look at her face and decide what your next move is going to be.”
A clock ticks somewhere out of sight. Seconds pass. I prepare to give the order to inflict pain.
Then he sighs and slumps forward. “Okay,” he whispers hoarsely. “Okay.”
“Excellent,” I say. “Sign.”
Demyan moves forward and presses the pen into his limp hand. My crew stays close as Rob limps to the table.
He looks at the paper for a long time before he brings his pen down on the dotted line. His signature is lackluster and half-hearted. But it’s recognizable, and that’s all I need.