Series: Ivanov Crime Family #1
Publication date: January 15th, 2021
Synopsis:
I took her innocence as payment.
She was far too young and naïve to be betrothed to a monster like me.
I would bring only pain and darkness into her sheltered world.
That's why she ran.
I should've just let her go...
She never asked to marry into a powerful Russian mafia family.
None of this was her choice.
Unfortunately for her, I don't care.
I own her... and after three years of searching... I've found her.
My runaway bride was about to learn disobedience has consequences... punishing ones.
Having her in my arms and under my control had become an obsession.
Nothing was going to keep me from claiming her before the eyes of God and man.
She's finally mine... and I'm never letting her go.
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Excerpt
One moment I was standing in the middle of the room, the next, he pressed me against the wall, towering over me. His hips leaned into mine as his right arm rested high over my head, caging me in. His warm spicy scent enveloped me. The sensation was overwhelming and terrifying.
Still, he didn't speak.
I licked my lips and watched as his gaze zeroed in on my mouth.
"Answer me," I demanded with more boldness than I felt.
"Would I have pulled the trigger?" he repeated.
I nodded.
He lowered his right arm. The cold barrel of the gun grazed my cheek. I sucked in a breath. He pointed the gun off to the side and cocked the hammer. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced for the gunshot, but only heard the same hollow metallic click. Opening my eyes, I watched as Gregor tossed the gun onto the bed.
"But... I don't..."
Lifting his left arm, he held up a bullet between his thumb and forefinger. He had never truly loaded the gun. It had all been a twisted game from the start.
My brow furrowed. "Why would you do something like that? You scared him to death!"
"He deserved to be punished for touching you."
He said it so matter of factly. As if we weren't discussing terrorizing my now ex-boyfriend with a fucking gun!
I shoved at his chest. It was solid muscle, so of course he didn't budge. I hated that I had to crane my head back to meet his gaze. It made me feel small and vulnerable. "No one asked you! I can take care of myself!"
"Malyshka, you can't honestly think I was going to let him assault you like that and just walk away unscathed? He's lucky it's my little sister's birthday, and the house is filled with witnesses, otherwise I would have beaten him within an inch of his worthless life."
"I don't understand. Why do you care?"
I hadn't laid eyes on this man in over five years. I was just his little sister's friend. I was nothing to him.
He reached down to pull back the fabric of my dress, exposing the top of my breast and shoulder. His fingertip traced my collarbone before slowly moving down to caress near the bruise marks. His brow creased, and a small tick appeared high on his cheekbone just below his eye. He breathed heavily through his nose as if he were trying to calm himself down. His anger was palatable.
"He hurt you," he said matter-of-factly, his voice gruff and low. "When I entered from the patio, even before I saw your face, I could feel your fear. If I hadn't come in when I did? That little bastard would have..."
It hadn't occurred to me he might actually be shaken and upset at Peter's treatment of me. Gregor almost appeared human in this moment. Vulnerable.
"Yeah, but he didn't..."
He cupped my jaw and gazed down at me, his eyes as hard as flint. Gone was my brief glimpse of his unfamiliar human side. He was back to being the scary, inscrutable man I knew him to be. "It will never happen again. Do you understand me? I'm here now to make sure of it."
What was that supposed to mean?
Alarm bells raged inside my head.
He ran his thumb over my bottom lip before continuing. "From this point forward, you are under my protection. I will expect you to behave accordingly and not put yourself in these types of dangerous positions again. I will be obeyed in this, malyshka."
Under his protection?
Obey him?
Malyshka?
No.
Something was wrong here.
I couldn't think straight. Too much had happened in the last hour.
My head was spinning.
Nothing he said or did was making any sense to me.
My eyes welled up as the trauma set in.
Frustrated, I swiped at a tear that fell down my cheek. "Stop calling me that!"
"What?"
"You know what."
"Malyshka?"
"Yes, malyshka! I'm not your malyshka. I'm not your anything! You can't come in here and start dictating rules to me!"
"That's where you're wrong. You're mine now."
READ CHAPTER ONE HERE: https://www.zblakebooks.com/chapterexcerpts/savage-vow-chapter-one
(Releasing February 19th, 2021)
(Releasing March 19th, 2021)
About the Author:
Zoe Blake
USA TODAY Bestselling Author in Dark Romance
She delights in writing Dark Romance books filled with overly-possessive Billionaires, Taboo scenes and Unexpected twists. She usually spends her ill-gotten gains on martinis, travel and red lipstick. Since she can barely boil water, she's lucky enough to be married to a sexy Chef.
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