OCTAVIA POV
Konstantin Voss smells like expensive cologne and death.
I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. As he takes my hand and kisses it—his lips cold against my skin—something inside me screams run.
"Enchanting," he purrs in that thick Russian accent. "Dante, you've outdone yourself."
I glance at Dante. His face is blank, emotionless. Nothing like the man who squeezed my hand in the car.
"Thank you, sir," Dante says. Like I'm a gift he's delivering.
My stomach turns.
Konstantin leads us inside. The mansion is huge—all marble and gold and paintings that probably cost more than my entire life. Guards stand at every corner, watching.
No escape here.
"Sit, sit!" Konstantin gestures to a couch. "We have much to discuss."
I sit because my legs won't hold me anymore. Dante sits beside me, close but not touching.
Konstantin settles across from us, studying me like I'm an interesting bug.
"Your parents spoke highly of you," he says.
My head snaps up. "You talked to them?"
"Of course! Before we made our arrangement." He sips something amber from a crystal glass. "They said you were smart. Hardworking. A good daughter."
Tears burn my eyes. "Good enough to sell."
Konstantin laughs. Actually laughs. "Oh, I like her! She has spirit. Dante, you chose well."
"I didn't choose anything," I snap before I can stop myself.
The room goes silent. Deadly silent.
Dante's hand lands on my thigh—a warning. His fingers dig in slightly.
But Konstantin just smiles wider. "Fire! Yes, I see why you wanted to keep her for yourself."
Wait. What?
I look at Dante. He won't meet my eyes.
"Keep her?" I repeat slowly. "I thought—you said—"
"Plans changed," Konstantin interrupts. "Dante convinced me you'd be more valuable as his... companion. His pet, if you will. Rather than mine."
The relief is so strong I feel dizzy. I'm not being given to this monster. Dante really did keep me.
But then Konstantin leans forward, and his smile turns predatory.
"However, I want to make sure you're worth the investment. Dante is my best collector. I can't have him distracted by substandard merchandise."
Merchandise. Like I'm a car or a piece of furniture.
"She's not merchandise," Dante says quietly. "She's mine."
"Prove it." Konstantin snaps his fingers. A guard appears, hands him a tablet. "Show me she's been properly trained."
My heart stops. "Trained?"
"Obedient. Submissive. Broken enough to follow orders." Konstantin's eyes glitter. "Dante claims he's conditioned you. Let's see."
Dante stands slowly. Offers me his hand.
I don't want to take it. Don't want to play whatever sick game this is.
But when I look into Dante's amber eyes, I see something there. A message I can't quite read.
Trust me, he'd said in the car. Two hours.
I take his hand.
He pulls me to my feet, then guides me to kneel in front of him. My cheeks burn with shame.
"Good," Konstantin murmurs. "Now, Dante, command her. Something simple."
"Octavia." Dante's voice is different. Harder. "Look at me."
I look up. His jaw is clenched tight.
"Tell Mr. Voss who you belong to."
The words stick in my throat.
Dante's hand cups my face, almost gentle. But his eyes are pleading.
Play along, they say. Please.
"I belong to you," I whisper.
"Louder."
"I belong to you, Dante Corsaro." Each word tastes like betrayal. "Only you."
Konstantin claps. "Excellent! And tell me, little dove, what happens if you disobey him?"
I don't know the answer. We haven't discussed this. Haven't—
"She gets punished," Dante answers for me. "Don't you, Octavia?"
"Yes," I manage.
"Show me," Konstantin demands. "Punish her now. Something light. Just so I can see her response."
No. No, no, no.
Dante's hand tightens on my face. "I won't hurt you," he breathes, so quietly only I can hear. "Trust me."
Then louder: "Over my lap."
Tears spill down my cheeks as I position myself across his knees. This is humiliating. Degrading.
Dante's hand rests on my lower back. "Count to five," he murmurs. "That's all."
The first slap is barely more than a tap. It doesn't hurt.
"One," I whisper.
Four more, each as gentle as the first. I count them all, my face burning with shame.
When it's done, Dante helps me stand. Wipes my tears with his thumb.
"Perfect," he tells Konstantin, not me. "She's perfectly trained."
Konstantin studies us for a long moment. Too long.
Then he stands. "Impressive. She may keep her spirit, but she knows her place. Well done, Dante."
Relief floods through me.
"However..." Konstantin walks to a cabinet, pulls out a folder. "There's the matter of her parents' debt. Two hundred thousand dollars. Quite substantial."
"I'm aware," Dante says carefully.
"I'm willing to consider it paid—" Konstantin slides the folder across the coffee table to Dante, "—if you complete one small task for me."
Dante opens the folder. I see his face go pale.
"What task?" I demand. "What's in there?"
Konstantin's smile is poisonous. "Inside is information about a federal agent. Someone who's been trying to infiltrate my organization for years." He pours himself more amber liquid. "I want him eliminated. Quietly. Professionally."
"And if I do this?" Dante's voice sounds strangled.
"The Brennan debt is forgiven. The parents go free. And you keep your little pet." Konstantin gestures at me. "Everyone wins."
"Except the federal agent," I point out.
"Except him," Konstantin agrees, not bothered at all. "But that's the price. One life for three. Seems fair."
Dante stares at the folder for a long time.
"I'll need details," he finally says. "Timeline. Location."
"All inside." Konstantin checks his watch. "You have seventy-two hours. Bring me proof of death, and we're square."
He stands, clearly dismissing us.
"Oh, and Dante?" Konstantin pauses at the door. "I'd suggest keeping that one locked up tight. She seems like the type who might try to warn the target. Can't have that."
The door closes behind him.
I'm shaking so hard my teeth chatter. "You're going to kill someone? A federal agent?"
Dante opens the folder slowly. Looks inside.
Then he laughs. It's not a happy sound.
"What?" I try to see, but he snaps it shut. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing. Everything." He runs a hand through his hair. "We need to leave. Now."
He grabs my arm, pulls me toward the door. We're almost there when it opens.
Sienna Marques blocks the exit. Beautiful, deadly, smiling.
"Leaving so soon? But we haven't even properly met." She looks at me like I'm dirt on her shoe. "I'm Sienna. And you must be the little whore who's distracting Dante from his work."
"Move," Dante orders.
"Make me." Sienna steps closer to me. "Tell me, pet, does he make you beg? Does he make you scream?"
"Sienna, I'm warning you—"
She slaps me. Hard. My head snaps to the side, ears ringing.
Dante's reaction is instant. He's between us in a heartbeat, his hand around Sienna's throat.
"Touch her again," he snarls, "and I'll kill you. Boss's lieutenant or not."
Sienna just smiles. "There it is. The weakness Konstantin suspected." She looks at me over Dante's shoulder. "He's falling for you, sweetheart. And that's going to get you both killed."
Dante releases her, grabs my hand, and drags me past her.
We're in the car before I can process what happened. My cheek throbs where she hit me.
"I'm sorry," Dante says, starting the engine. His hands shake on the wheel. "I should have stopped her faster."
"What did she mean? What weakness?"
He doesn't answer. Just drives.
We're miles from Konstantin's estate when he finally pulls over. Sits there staring straight ahead.
"Dante, what was in that folder?"
He looks at me. Really looks at me. And I see fear in those amber eyes.
"My real name," he whispers. "My FBI badge number. My handler's contact information."
The world tilts.
"You're... you're FBI?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you working for Konstantin? Why did you kidnap me? Why—"
"Because Konstantin killed my sister five years ago. And I've been undercover ever since, waiting for my chance to destroy him." Dante's voice breaks. "But now he knows who I am. Which means I have seventy-two hours to kill myself, or he kills everyone I care about."
He turns to face me fully.
"Including you."