Sanctum: A Dark Bratva Arranged Marriage Romance (Wicked Vows)

“YOU LOOK FAMILIAR,” I say to Leonardo. “I know you came by the house when I was younger, but I can’t shake the feeling we were out somewhere together once.”

I tap the comm in my ear to make sure it’s working.

“Good,” Aleks says. “Keep going.”

“I don’t think so,” Leonardo says, but the nervous twitch of his hands and the way his eyes flit over to my brother confirm his guilt.

Aleks talks in my ear again. “He was there the night of the party. You say there’s no testing needed, but I’ve lined up a lab that will do a DNA test on the spot. Get a DNA sample and we’re golden.” There’s a pause. “Eliminates any possible guilt, Harper.”

He’s thinking of my feelings.

And yet… Oh, sure, fine. Get a DNA sample, as simple as walking across the room.

“It’s not that hard,” Aleks whispers. “You just need some blood.”

Alright, that didn’t exactly alleviate my fears, Aleksandr. God.

I nod to myself, though, because I can do this.

“Bring him outside. There are fewer people there and it’s a quieter setting. Fewer witnesses.”

Okay, alright. I’ve got this. I can do this.

I raise my voice, thankful I’ve learned to speak when under pressure without showing any fear. “There’s a bar outside, gentlemen. I’m going to get some fresh air and a drink.” I give Saul a challenging look as if daring him to talk down to me again. “Join me?”

Saul looks around the room. “Where’s your husband?” he asks, shifting nervously. I have to assure them he isn’t outside. “He’ll be coming into the ballroom shortly. He and his brothers went to secure the artwork we’ll be auctioning tonight.”

I walk ahead of them with confidence and grace, as if I assume they’ll be following. Who am I? Who is this woman?

I catch Polina’s eye from the bar. It appears she’s leaning into the whole Elsa thing, because she looks as if she’s about to set foot on the set for Disney on Ice in her ice-blue gown, her blonde hair hanging down her back. She gives me a wink, and it’s all I need.

I belong to this family now. They love me. I can do this.

And if that isn’t enough, I happen to see Ekaterina a few paces ahead. She’s holding a flute of champagne, a gracious smile on her face. She pauses when she sees me. “If you’ll excuse me, my new daughter-in-law is here.” She turns to face me. “You and Aleksandr have done a truly amazing job, Harper.” Her gaze fills with strength and warmth. “I am so proud.”

I hear the undertone in her voice even before she leans in to whisper in my ear.

“You can do this. Hold your head high. One step at a time, darling.”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

She kisses my cheek and turns back to her friends.

Buoyed by Polina’s and Ekaterina’s presence and their confidence in me, I look over my shoulder to make sure the men are following me. Saul is right behind me, looking increasingly uneasy, and his two stupid friends follow right behind him.

I’ll have to get rid of Marco.

I feel the eyes of the guests on me as I step outside, and I remember then that I’m not alone. I can feel the presence of Aleks’s men, hiding in plain view. They’re ready and able to fight.

“Saul, one of your best friends is here,” I say with a fake laugh.

He narrows his eyes.

I continue innocently. “Mario Rossi. Down by the garden out back. He said he had something to talk to you about?”

That part’s a lie, but I know Aleksandr heard every word and he’ll follow through to make sure Saul goes where we’re planning.

“Rossi? What the fuck is he doing here?”

I shrug one shoulder. “Who knows? I didn’t invite him. I heard he had to talk to you though. Seems like a nice guy.”

The last part was said only to needle him.

I hand him the drink and easily quell my shaking. No one needs to get the best of me.

“I’ll go see Rossi.” Saul leaves and fortunately Marco leaves with him.

I’m alone with the asshole.

“Your drink?” I ask him. “I really can’t shake the feeling that you’re so familiar.”

He grunts. “Yeah, a drink. Beer. Something in a bottle.”

Perfect. Glass cuts and blood will confirm DNA. Easy peasy. All in a day’s work.

I take my drink and his and when I hand him his, I pretend it slips in my hand. It predictably shatters on the ground next to him.

“Oh, no, I’m so sorry.” I clumsily fumble with the broken pieces of glass. I reach over to him. “Did it get you?” I slice the sharp glass against his palm.

He pulls back with a roar.

Pussy.

“Ohhh, you’re cut.”

“You cut me!”

“I am so sorry,” I say, with a shake of my head. The look in his eyes makes me glad he’s hurt. If Aleksandr Romanov wasn’t my husband, I’d be dead meat.

Still, I don’t know if I’ve ever been so happy to see blood.

“Oh no! Oh God, I’m so sorry,” I lie, reaching for a tissue. “You’re cut.”

I dab at his hand with the tissue, but he yanks away and glares at me. “I’m fine. Jesus.”

Nikko, dressed like a waiter, comes by with a tray and helps us gather the shards of glass and empties. He takes the bloodied tissue as well and whisks everything away.

“Let me get you another drink.”

I ignore his scowl as I go back to the bartender and give her a nod, pointing to a particular glass bottle. She’s been prepped ahead of time.

We considered giving him the same type of drug he gave me, but that would cause him to lose memory. I won’t allow that.

He’ll remember every damn minute.

She slips a drug in that will cause physical weakness and disorientation.

“Thanks,” he mutters, taking the bottle and giving it a hard swig. “You said I was familiar?” He leers. “So are you.”

Grossss.

I swallow back the bile in my throat. “Did we date?”

He keeps eyeing me. “In a manner of speaking, yes.”

I pepper him with questions about himself, his job, his friends, his travels. He has three cats, sells used cars, and enjoys long trips to the beach in his free time. Liar. He tacked that on for good measure. I almost ask him if he likes piña coladas and getting caught in the rain, but I have too much self-respect.

I ask him questions until I have his full interest because this is why I’m here, this is what I came for. He’s going fucking down.

His words are starting to slur. “This is a strong beer,” he says with a grunt. “Do you remember that party we went to, Harper?”

“I don’t in detail,” I tell him, tipping my head to the sky and hoping he falls for the innocent woman trick. “Refresh my memory?”

He leans in closer, and I swear I can hear Aleks growl somewhere. “You were so young,” he says. “So innocent. So beautiful.”

I’ve completely lost the fear of shedding his blood. I will shoot this motherfucker and sleep perfectly fine at night.

“Oh?”

A voice sounds in my ear. Aria.

“DNA confirmed. And babe?” Holy shit that was fast. Did Aleksandr kidnap a DNA lab expert and chain them up in the basement?

Likely.

I clear my throat to let her know I’m listening.

“It wasn’t just you,,” she says in my ear. “I started digging shit up as soon as we got his name, and this son of a bitch has a record a mile long. He’s been accused of sexual harassment, numerous accusations, and there’s even evidence he’s had a name and location change because of an allegation of sexual assault at work.”

Oh God.

I take a small sip of my drink as he drones on and on about his stupid fucking cars, his words getting more slurred by the minute.

Aria continues. “Hurt him, Harper. Do it for all of us. Don’t ever let this asshole assault another woman again.”

I nod, ostensibly because I’m listening to his boring, self-serving stories, but I’m making a promise to Aria. To Polina.

To the whole female population.

Leonardo stumbles right into me. I frown and help him stand upright. I can’t kill him if he’s passed out.

“Found you.”

Shit.

Saul and Marco come out of the dark. I look around me. The bar is vacant. Nikko’s gone. Even the bartender isn’t here anymore.

Did Saul do something?

I make a quick mental assessment of the sweet, loaded metal I have in the harness strapped to my leg.

“Shit, what happened to your hand?” Saul asks.

“Your clumsy sister broke a beer bottle and cut me,” Leonardo the Douchebag says. I open my mouth to tell them off when a deeper, darker voice comes from the shadows.

“Now, now, Saul. Leonardo. You should know better than to come to my event and speak disrespectfully to my wife.”

I breathe more freely when Aleksandr steps out of the shadows.

“Oh, hello, honey,” I say brightly, raising my drink to him. It might be my heightened senses, but he looks twice their size and so damn sexy my heart does a little somersault in my chest. If I wasn’t passionately in love with him, I’d be terrified.

“Your wife hurt my friend,” Saul has the audacity to say, not backing down, his hand on my arm.

Oh you stupid, stupid man.

Aleks speaks calmly, but I am very familiar with that look in his eyes.

“Take your hand off my wife, Bianchi. Touch her again and you’ll lose that fucking hand.”

Aleks’s hand is still in his pocket as if he’s only having a casual conversation, but Saul releases me and steps back.

That’s right, you jerk. Touch me and die. He’ll kill you first, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll kill you second.

“I feel like shit,” his friend says, shaking his head. Saul’s eyes cut to him.

“Who gave you that drink?”

“Your sister.”

“You put something in that drink?”

I shrug innocently.

Aleks is right there, and if Saul touches me he’s dead, so I suppose it’s time.

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. What would you know about roofies, Leonardo?”

“You motherfucking⁠—”

Aleks moves so fast he’s a blur and Leonardo’s on the ground, covering his face.

“What did I tell you about disrespecting my wife?” he asks in a placid voice. “Get up, you fucking pussy, and face her. You owe her this.”

Saul steps back and Marco only stares as Leonardo gets to his feet, shaking.

I glare at him. “I’ve confirmed your identity. I know who you are and what you’ve done. Your friend raped me at that party, Saul.”

Saul’s eyes widen. He didn’t know. I don’t know if that helps his situation or not.

My voice trembles, but it’s the only part of me that does.

“Prove it,” Leonardo says through bloodied fingers. Saul stares, his gaze furious, and Marco turns as if to run.

“Don’t move,” I say calmly. In one swift move, I take my gun out and cock it.

I go over my rules automatically.

Always act like your gun is loaded.

Check.

Never point at anything you aren’t willing to destroy.

Check.

Be aware of what’s behind the target.

Check.

No finger on the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.

Last. Fucking. Check.

“If you try to run, I’ll kill you,” I say calmly. “I have perfect aim.”

Marco has the nerve to make a derisive noise.

“Call them, Aleks,” I say calmly.

“The left corner flag,” he says, his own fixed gaze daring them to move.

“Red one or white one?”

The white one’s no more than a speck.

“White, baby. Then take out the turret and hit the streetlight at the outermost corner of the lot.”

“Easy.” I aim and shoot in rapid succession as Aleks pins them with his gaze. The flag turns to shreds, the turret and the light shatter.

“Holy shit,” Saul mutters under his breath.

“All this time you had a fucking skilled markswoman under your own roof, but you and your father were male chauvinist pricks,” Aleks says, shaking his head. “And you fucking wasted her skill.”

I turn to Leonardo. “I had a child because of you. I believe you owe her some money.”

Aleks nods. “Take out your bank information and send all the funds directly to the information I give you. It’ll go into a high yield savings account,” he says, likely more for my benefit than anyone else’s.

It’s satisfying to see Leonardo’s trembling hands as he makes the transfer.

Saul is cursing under his breath. “You set us up.”

Aleks takes a step toward him. “Remember your place, Bianchi.”

“What do you want from me?” Leonardo whines.

“Retribution. Admit what you did.” He nods to Saul. “You and your friend will leave your other friend with us.”

Saul glares at me. You don’t look that way at me anymore, Saul. “Careful, Saul,” I say in a low voice. “My name is Harper Romanov now. The Harper you knew is gone.”

He clenches his jaw and nods to Marco.

“Don’t leave me,” Leonardo says, trembling. “You can’t leave me like⁠—”

“Like the way you left me the night you raped me?” I ask, clenching my free fist.

“I’m sorry,” he says, shaking as the medication fully hits. He falls to one knee. Soon he’s going to pass out, but at the last minute, he stumbles back up onto his feet, takes one look at Aleks, and runs.

I cock my gun and shake my head.

Leonardo will never victimize anyone again.

No woman will ever suffer because of him again.

“Don’t shoot to kill,” Aleks says in my ear. “He deserves retribution before he dies.”

I nod and pull the trigger. I know exactly where I’ll hit him before he lands.

He falls heavily to the ground but is immediately swarmed on all sides by the people that came to take him.

Saul curses under his breath.

“Now get the fuck out of here, Bianchi,” Aleks says, as he stalks toward him. “Don’t ever contact my wife again. Tell your parents the same. If I need to interfere, you’ll regret it.” He grabs Saul by the front of his shirt. “Capice?” It’s almost funny to hear him speak Italian in his Russian accent.

Saul and Marco flee.

I look back at the gala.

We did this quietly. Efficiently. No one’s the wiser.

“Good girl,” Aleks says softly, running his hand down the length of my back. “You deserve a reward for this. What can I do for you, baby?”

I put my gun away ad delicately wipe my hands on a napkin Aleks hands me. “Can I go home? Did we do enough here tonight?”

“A few more basic formalities, and then yes, Harper, we can go home. Alright? That’s what you want?”

I nod my head. “Take me home, please.”