Caught in the Trap: A Reverse Harem Academy Bully Romance (Mafia Lords of Knightswood Academy Book 1)

by Ivy Clyde

  “What kind of job would have you coming down here?”

  “I am an intern at Dumas Corporations. I came here with a senior employee to get some working experience.”

  “How can you be interning there if you attend Knightswood Academy every day? I never saw you take leave before.”

  “It’s none of your business.” Raising her hands, she pushed against my chest. “Get away from me.”

  Anger shot through me at the way she was openly challenging me. I’d been way too gentle with her, hoping she would reveal her true intentions before she did any real damage but I could see it was a mistake.

  “You have been in the server room for over two hours. What did you come to steal?”

  Her gaze shifted away from me. That little sign told me I was closer to the truth. She was here to steal something from the company’s database, but what exactly was she after?

  “I have stolen nothing,” she said through clenched teeth, glaring at me. “Mal and I were here to fix and upgrade your servers. Nothing more.”

  “Enough of your lies.” With a sudden move, I caught her wrist and pulled her against me. Opening the door of the closet, I walked out, pulling her along with me.

  “Let go!” she shouted, twisting her wrist to get out of my grip. My hold tightened. “You have no right to do this to me.” She struggled against me and even dared to hit me on the back and shoulders. Skye had no idea the men behind us could shoot her dead with my single command.

  Her reaction was confusing me. Living with the Ivanovs should have taught her to pay respect to the stronger opponent who commanded more men than her or were they so lax with her they didn’t feel the need to instruct her? Was that the reason she had no qualms about going up against the heir of the De Reers group? Her nails clawing at my hand barely hurt. In fact, Skye was missing inch-long talons like most of the girls at the academy.

  Skye’s weakness and vulnerability were bringing out the protectiveness I felt toward her. She had no skills to fight anyone but that didn’t mean she would stop resisting. “Oww!” she gasped as I tugged hard on her wrist to force her inside the elevator. She clashed into my side and ricocheted off just as the doors slid closed.

  “Quiet down or I’ll let them handle you,” I said in a low, soft voice.

  Skye glared at me through the gaps in the wild tangles of her hair falling over her face. Her blue eyes were filled with a fire I’d never seen there before. She was clearly in a fight-or-flight state at the moment. Why was she fearing me so much? All she had to do was speak sweetly and have me fall at her feet. It was her resistance that was ringing all the warning bells in my head.

  The elevator doors slid open on the topmost floor. I walked out, taking Skye with me. Private suites were arranged up here to house guests and at times, important meetings with clients who preferred both comfort and privacy during our dealings. I took her inside one of the rooms and gestured for the men to stay out.

  “Where did you bring me?” she asked, her gaze darting from corner to corner of the luxurious suite.

  I dropped her hand and immediately she took several steps away from me.

  “It’s just the two of us now,” I said, walking toward her. “It’s your last chance to tell me the truth.”

  “I already told you to the truth,” she shouted.

  “Strip.”

  “What?”

  “Strip,” I repeated.

  Her eyes widened as she took another step away from me. Her gaze darted around the room and located a door to the corner. I knew she would make a run for it. Skye sprinted toward it and locked herself in.

  I let out a long breath and slowly walked toward it. Taking a key card from inside my jacket, I inserted it into the slot, easily opening the door to the master bedroom.

  Skye stood frozen in the middle of the room.

  I shut the door behind me. “Start stripping or I will call them to do it for you. It’s time you showed me what you stole.”

  “I stole nothing. Believe me.” Tears were starting to gather in those beautiful sky-blue eyes.

  Crossing my arms across my chest, I raised my chin. “Do it.”

  With shaking hands, she unzipped the black, oversized hoodie clinging to her body revealing a regular plain t-shirt she wore underneath. Dropping the jacket to the floor, she glanced at me imploringly.

  “Continue.”

  She hesitated, not knowing whether to go for her pants or her shirt. Tears streamed down her face as she unbuttoned her jeans. Her eyes were on the floor now, no longer looking at me. I kept my gaze on the wall behind her, intent on not taking any pleasure from her humiliation. My mind urged me to take a look at my prize as the clothes covering her were being stripped away but I held tight to my resolution. There was no dearth of beautiful women who would gladly strip for me. I didn’t need to force it out of Skye. However, I had to know her secrets to make sure she wasn’t entangling herself into something that would get her killed later.

  Maria had been secretive during the previous year. She’d begun avoiding me, acting strange and guilty. Even when she didn’t speak to me about what was bothering her, I could tell just by the look of her face. We’d grown up together. She was more like a sister to me than a lover. I’d felt responsible for her well being. When the investigation showed she’d been stealing millions from us, neither I nor my parents believed it to be true.

  Maria was too innocent and guileless to even think of stealing such a shocking sum of money. She had no skills to hack into our network and steal. People wanted us to question her, use severe methods if needed to pry the truth out of her. None of us wanted to hurt her. So, when Egor Romanoff suggested we mete out her punishment quickly, we agreed. She was like a daughter to my parents and a sister to me. It was better to give her a quick death than the long, slow torture that waited for her.

  The vision of her face in her last moments rose up in my mind. She’d been in tears and apologizing. She even told me she loved me just as I took the lethal shot that would take her life. If only I’d paid attention to her when she first started acting suspicious, I could have prevented her death.

  Not again, I told myself, letting my gaze fall on the shivering figure before me.

  Skye crossed her arms over her naked breasts. The long length of her raven-black hair flowed down her shoulders and brushed against her waist. She stood with her thighs tightly pressed together. The triangle between her legs was clean-shaven. It was only a second before I tore my gaze away from the most delectable and intimate part of her body.

  It took a couple of breaths to calm the blood surging into my groin. While I’d always felt like a brother toward Maria, my feelings for Skye were completely different. They might have the same face but the soul that looked back at me from those crystal blue eyes was completely different. I would be able to differentiate between the two even if Maria were to stand beside her now.

  With my marriage fixed to Maria from a very young age, I had resigned myself to never fall in love with any woman. There was no greater quality than loyalty among mafia families. It didn’t matter that I felt no sexual attraction toward Maria. I would still marry her and do all the duties of a husband for her. There was no doubt in my mind that Maria would have done the same for me.

  Skye, however, was completely different from her. Where she was a person full of secrets, Maria was an open book.

  Making sure my basic instincts were in control, I moved toward Skye. She glanced up at me. The blue of her eyes looked deeper with the tears pooling in them. Teardrops clung to her long, thick lashes like tiny diamonds. Her lips trembled as she stared at me with defiance. Skye was a fighter, I would give her that.

  I bent down, picked up the black jacket she’d shed and gave it a vigorous shake. The sound of something hitting the floor alerted me. Looking to the floor, I found a small red pen drive.

  “What’s this?” I asked, picking it up and holding it before her face.

  “It’s empty.”

&nbs
p; “We’ll see,” I said, pocketing the drive. Moving forward, I grabbed her wrists and pried her hands away. My eyes were firmly on her face. Heat pooled into her pale cheeks and suddenly her breaths became ragged.

  “What will you do to me?” she asked in a shaking voice.

  Skye was truly scared of me now. Deciding to stay tough for the moment, I pulled her against me and showed her the expression that made many men weep for mercy. “I will pry out every little secret from your tongue.” My gaze traveled down her body and a salacious grin lifted the corner of my mouth. “If I get too tired, the two men outside can take over.”

  A whimper escaped her as she stared into my eyes.

  I leaned into her, intent on kissing her when a sudden knock on the door halted me.

  “What is it?” I called out.

  “Nikolai Ivanov is insisting to see you right away, Sir. He has a guest too.”

  I glanced down at Skye. Instead of looking relieved, she turned paler.

  “Sir?”

  “I’m coming.” Loosening my hold on her, I let her step away. “Stay here,” I told her. Before leaving, I gathered the heap of clothes on the floor and walked out, ensuring she wouldn’t try coming out while I cleared things with her boss.

  36

  Skye

  My heart thundered in my ears as Dimitri strode out of the room with my clothes in his arms. The room wasn’t cold but goosebumps covered my arms and neck. Fear flowed through my veins, making me unable to see an escape. My situation was bad with Dimitri threatening to hurt me in every possible way to get the truth out of me but now, it turned worse with the arrival of Nikolai Ivanov.

  It was scary how quickly Nikolai arrived after my capture. Had he been expecting this to happen? Was he here to check whether I’d divulged all his plans of using me to keep watch over Dimitri and Andrei along with hacking into their computer systems to locate his transaction file? My gaze went to the frosted window on the far side, expecting someone to appear there with a sniper rifle pointed at me.

  I walked across the room, wondering about the reason for Nikolai’s appearance. He’d always made it clear he wanted no personal association with me. He’d even forbidden Christian from coming close to me at the academy. Then, why was he here now?

  My mind churned, thinking of all the possibilities.

  He is here to convince Dimitri that whatever I said is a lie, I reasoned with myself. Perhaps, they would both happily torture and kill me to get rid of me.

  I felt all strength seeping out of my limbs. My knees folded under me as my body slumped to the carpeted floor. Who would listen or trust a girl like me? My mom was on her deathbed and I doubted these bloodthirsty men would think twice before killing her. Who would care if we left the world in the most unfair manner? No one, my mind answered immediately.

  My eyes darted around the room, looking an escape. The windows were large enough to let me through but I was on the ninth floor. Jumping out would either cripple or kill me. Getting killed would be one way to escape but getting crippled would only put me back in their hands.

  My gaze fell on a fruit bowl placed on the bedside table. It was laden with green pears but that wasn’t what had attracted me. Moving closer, I bent down to pick up the small knife beside it. The blade was short but sharp enough. I picked it up and wrapped my fingers around the wooden hilt tightly.

  There was no way I could escape either Dimitri or Nikolai. The only way out of the mafia web was death and even that depended on your captor’s mercy. My eyes closed tight as my mind repeated the horrific tortures they inflicted on people for the crimes of theft and betrayal.

  All strength seemed to leave my body as my only escape seemed to be clutched in my right hand. I glanced down at the shiny blade of the knife there. If I was supposed to die eventually, might as well go on my own terms. I would at least save myself the torture of my body being torn to pieces.

  I raised the knife over the wrist of my left hand. My mother’s face flashed before my eyes but it wasn’t enough to stop me. She would join me soon enough anyway. The thing stopping me from slashing into my wrist was…me. My mind and body screamed at me to stop and think of another way.

  “But there is no other way,” I whispered to the silent room. “It’s either this or days of torture.”

  Tears streamed down my face. Everything I did to survive until now seemed useless. My whole life seemed like a waste. I thought of Andrei and wondered how he would cope with my death. He will move on, my mind told me. And so will Christian. After all, how long did they know you to remember you? The thought only made my heart squeeze painfully.

  I took several deep breaths and let the knife swing down on my wrist. The cut wasn’t as painful as I’d imagined, so I did it a second time, causing another deep tear in my pale skin. It took a few moments for the blood to start streaming out. The gush of blood sounded loud in my ears. There was something satisfying to see the crimson streaks against my white skin.

  Seconds ticked by.

  My head felt woozy as the effects of blood loss started taking its effect on me. The pain finally registered but my fading consciousness helped keep it at bay.

  Just as my eyes fluttered closed, I realized I was naked. Let them do what they want with my body. I will be far gone by then. A kind of peace stole through me at the thought despite the loud, desperate thumping of my heart.

  37

  Dimitri

  It was a surprise to see the young woman who sat on the sofa beside Nikolai. Even more surprising was the fact that they’d come up here instead of waiting in one of the visitors’ rooms on the lower floors of the Novomedik building. Dumping Skye’s clothes by the side of the door, I straightened my suit and walked forward.

  “Where is she?” demanded the young woman I knew to be the heir to Dumas Corporations. It made no sense to have her here at all.

  I glanced at Nikolai and was met by his icy cold stare.

  “Why are you here?” I asked in return. It didn’t make any sense that they would both be here for Skye. Nikolai, maybe…but this woman too?

  “I heard about the mistreatment of my employees,” said the lady.

  She looked a few years older than me but was definitely pretty. I’d seen her in Nikolai’s company plenty of times along with Liam Davenport and Gabriel Romano. It was always confusing because I could never figure out who she was with. The three men seemed to love sharing her between them and always maintained a protective circle around her. I wish I remembered her name though.

  “Your employees?” I hedged, hoping she would remember her manners and introduce herself before barging into these quarters like they belonged to her.

  “I am Paris Dumas,” she announced, her green eyes flaring with anger. “What have you done with Skye?”

  “You know her?”

  “Of course, I know her. She works for me!”

  I glanced at Nikolai who met my gaze. His stony expression gave nothing away. I couldn’t decide whether he was here for Skye or his girlfriend.

  “How long has Skye been interning at your company?” I asked, looking back at Paris Dumas. “She’s never left the academy before for any tasks.”

  “It’s barely been three months since she joined the academy. Skye has been with us longer. I gave her some time off to get used to her new school but she told me she was ready to join us again.” Paris took a deep breath and increased the intensity of her glare. “Why is any of this relevant to you? And why have you captured her needlessly?”

  “Why are you so worried about her?” I asked. “She’s just a high school kid who is interning at your company. She’s not even a full-time employee.”

  “That, Mr. Volkov, is my own personal matter,” said Paris, raising her chin. “Skye is important to me for reasons you’ll never understand.”

  “Then, why have you given her over to the Ivanovs?” I asked, looking between her and Nikolai.

  “Again, it’s my personal matter to decide who I choose to look after her
. It has nothing to do with you.”

  Nikolai Ivanov made no comment. He seemed content to sit there, watching his girlfriend and me bicker over Skye. It felt like he had no interest in Skye at all. Doubt flickered inside me. Did I get carried away by my suspicions? No, I decided with a mental shake. Skye is definitely hiding something.

  Taking the pen drive I found inside Skye’s jacket, I placed it on the coffee table before us.

  “I found this on her,” I said.

  Paris arched her eyebrows at me. “So?”

  “She was inside our server room. I want to make sure she hasn’t stolen something from us.”

  “Fine. Let’s see what she stole.”

  I looked toward Nikolai. He met my gaze but stayed stoic as always. While he wasn’t ignoring either Paris or me, he was adamantly staying out of the conversation. The man was getting on my nerves. There was no way for me to know what he was thinking.

  “Get a laptop,” I told one of the guards who was standing behind the couch.

  “Yes, Sir.” He walked out of the suite immediately.

  An uncomfortable silence stretched between us. Paris continued to glare at me while Nikolai leaned against the backrest of his couch, seemingly at ease.

  The minutes ticked by.

  My mind wandered to Skye who was in the bedroom adjacent to this room. I’d left her naked there, so there was no chance of her coming out. However, if she ventured inside the bathroom, she would be able to grab a bathrobe to cover herself. Either way, I hoped my captive would stay there until I called for her.

  Ten minutes later, the guard returned with a laptop. Moving toward the coffee table, he set it up before us.

  “Let’s see what she stole from you,” said Paris.

  Her confidence was beginning to make me doubt myself. Was Skye really innocent?

  Taking the pen drive, I pushed it into one of the side ports. Paris stood up and walked around the table to stand beside me. It was only a second before the drive opened up. It was completely empty.