Claimed

ALEXIA GREEN. 

“I’ve lived in an orphanage my whole life. I’m just one of those people who didn’t have parents that could love her enough to keep her. 

Our warden used to say my parents were rich folks because I was left on the orphanage’s door all dressed and pretty in fancy clothes. 

I was four years old I think. Funny enough I can’t even remember my life before I got to the 

orphanage. 

I can’t remember my mom. Can’t remember if I had a dad or siblings. 

Did you have a family too, Volkov? 

Of course you did. You look like you do. A 

brother? Parents? 

Anyway when I turned eighteen I was kicked out of the orphanage. I was too old to live there I 

guess. 

And you want to know what they gave me? Fifty 

bucks. 

Fifty bucks to get myself a job and take myself to college. I thought I was done for but then I met this woman, Lisa Collins. 

1/10 

Setting 

I’ll never forget her. She helped me get a scholarship to med school and I thought my life would be okay from then on. 

Except it wasn’t the same because I met Rhett. 1 fell in love with him because he was the first guy to show me love. 

I betrayed Lisa, got out of med school, ruined my scholarship because Rhett told me he’d provide me with everything I needed. 

And now I’m here. Paying Rhett’s debt and giving my baby a life she doesn’t deserve because my whole life has always been jinxed. 

If you keep me around. I’ll ruin everything you’ve 

worked for. 

I’ve already shot you. I probably ruined your deal ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

with Demetri too. Let me go. Please.” 

His nose bumps my forehead, his shaky breath hovers over my lips. 

His hands, the ones that feel like steel around my back, bring me closer to his chest the more. 

Almost as if he’s scared I’ll disappear if he doesn’t hold me closer to him. 

My boobs are smashed against his chest. 

I can feel all of him everywhere on my skin. 

His legs are tangled with mine, his stubble is tickling my cheek, his hands have me caged, I can 

2 

feel his length tickle my thighs but I ignore it because he’s sick. 

I might be sick in the head too for jumping on this couch but I don’t regret it because he sounds. calmer than he did before. 

“Stay. You promised. Stay. You’ll never leave. I’ll not allow it.” 

He’s talking to Cat again, isn’t he? 

“You don’t mean that, do you? As soon as you get better, I’m pretty sure you’ll choke me for hurting you and lock me up in your dungeon.” 

“Stay. You are never leaving, Little Nurse“, he 

murmurs. 

But I hear him. 

He is delirious with a fever and I latch on his 

words the way a kid does with candy for the first 

time. 

I trust him. 

I believe he wants me to stay. 

And the feeling that comes with his words, travels. down my spine in a shiver going all the way to my curling toes. 

I hug him. I kiss his neck. 

I pray for Christian Vicious Volkov to get better 

and get us back home to Millie. 

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx 

He’s gone. 

The minute I open my eyes, I feel his presence away from me. 

Sunlight flitters inside the cabin, the freezing cold bites my cheeks as my eyes wander to the empty 

space next to me. 

The empty space that has me feeling a bit more pained than I like to admit. 

The mess I left yesterday on the floor is gone and so are his clothes. 

Looking around the cabin, I push the blankets away from me and grab every piece of clothing I own from the carpet. 

“Volkov?” 

He’s not in the kitchen. 

What’s in the kitchen however is a plate of eggs 

and bacon left on the counter for me with a note 

inscribed on it. 

‘Eat.” 

There was no food last night. Where did he get 

the food? 

He’s not in the bedroom either. 

“Volkov?” 

Oh God, did he leave me alone? 

I scurry to the door and the voices on the other side stop me. 

Russian 

They are speaking in Russiah and both voices are 

so familiar it fills me with dread. 

One of them is Volkov. 

And the other? Demetri 

Demetri’s here. 

I push the door open, wind slaps my thighs and I shiver inwardly. 

Brown eyes spear mine. 

Blue–dark eyes take my outfit in. 

I’m dressed in a t–shirt above my knees and socks. Nothing fancy but the look that Volkov gives me is enough for me to wish the ground broke and swallowed me whole. 

Demetri looks at me and smiles a full on 

demented smile. 

The woman is awake.” 

Demetri is alone. No men. No guards. Just him 

alone. 

I see two jeeps in front of the cabin. Each of them. heavily barracaded with armor designed to stop 

bullets. 

“Go inside“, Volkov orders. 

Setting 

151 

He’s back to his usual grumpy hot self. 

Looking like he doesn’t have a stitch on his neck. or another stitch on his shoulder beneath those clothes. 

But more than that? 

He acts cold. So cold, my heart grieves. 

“You are okay“, I mumble. 

“You are supposed to be inside.” 

“Give the woman a break Volkov. Yebat, you are as dense than usual, friend.” 

Demetri’s Russian ascent sounds less scary than his face. Or than the day he wanted me dead. 

“We are not friends“, Volkov quips. 

Demetri’s eyes are back on me. Menacing and unyielding. 

“I’m getting you and her out of here, that makes us friends, no? She will want to be my friend after 

we talk.” 

“No“, Volkov answers for me.. 

Honestly speaking, I don’t want to talk to Demetri 

either. 

He scares the beejesus out of me. 

“It’s a good thing you are on my property then, isn’t it Volkov? This is not Chicago or Sicily, I am not your lackey, I am not Dante Keaton. I call the 

shots here. 

Miss Green, can we have that talk now? Meet you at the car right there.” 

Demetri doesn’t give me a chance to speak back, he trudges out to the snow, all the way to his Jeep. Then the man leans against his Jeep, his eyes on me, daring me to do what he has just asked or else it’s over for me. 

“Get your coat.” 

“I don’t want to talk to him. He’s the reason we 

are in this mess in the first place.” 

“You fail to do what he says and he kills you. I won’t stop him.” 

Because we are in Russia because he couldn’t care 

less? 

“What does he want?” 

“I don’t know, Alexia. What did you tell him when you saw him last?” 

“Are you insinuating something? You told me to seduce him, he didn’t give me a chance to seduce him because he wanted to kill me. I didn’t tell him anything. How could you think I…I flirted 

with him?” 

“Get your coat and boots.” 

I get my boots and coat. 

Not because I like it but because speaking to Demetri somehow seems to piss Christian off. 

And since I’m pissed off by his attitude it’s only fair that he’s pissed off too. 

x X x X x Xx X x X x X x X x X x 

“You saw something you shouldn’t have. That means I either kill you or let you off with a warning“, Demetri starts, my eyes go wide. 

I didn’t see anything. Except men firing at us. 

“I didn’t-” 

“You killed my men too.” 

“They were going to kill us if I didn’t.” 

“I can’t kill you. I can’t retaliate because your boss. over there will start another pointless war. So 

what do I do with you, woman?” 

“Let me go? I didn’t see anything that’s worth mentioning.” 

“But you saw her.‘” 

Demetri’s eyes gaze dead cold into the snow 

ahead of us. 

“The woman? You called her ‘malyshka.” 

“Beautiful, baby whatever you Americans call your partners. She is my partner. She is my better half. She is my what do you people say? 

Soulmate. She dies and Demetri will wreak havoc 

on the world, on you and your measly life.” 

‘I don’t understand. I don’t even know who she is.” 

“That’s good. Alexia Green. And I want you to keep it that way, forget you saw her, don’t mention her to anyone. Especially and most especially, him.” 

We both glance at the man standing outside the cabin, looking at us like he wants to tear us to pieces. 

“You don’t want me to tell Volkov about this woman? Why?” 

“It’s none of his business. Do we have a deal or 

don’t we?” 

“Only if you get me out of your country and promise to leave me and my boss alone.” 

He chuckles, “I’ll leave you alone but your boss and I have business together. The kind of business that won’t end because you don’t want him in danger.” 

“Fine.” 

When Demetri leaves in one of his jeeps and leaves the other one for us, I walk up to the porch. 

Back to the man angrily scowling at me. 

“What did he want?” 

“He wanted me to work for him“. I lie. 

I won’t tell anyone about malyshka. Not that anyone would be interested anyway. 

“What did you say?” 

“I said no.” 

“Good because you are not leaving until you repay every damn cent your ex owes me.” 

Yesterday he told me to stay with a different tone. A tone that had my delusional heart pounding hard against my chest. 

Today he is telling me I won’t leave but with a completely dead tone that has my insides swirling bitterly. 

Did I do something wrong? 

Except sleep naked with him all night. 

Did I do something else wrong? 

7