Chapter 14 My heart aches. I dreamed of this, fantasized about this, but now that he's actually taken me... Oh god. My family. I love them so much. They don't want to see me taken away by someone they believe will hurt me. They can't stand the idea of me being victimized. But once again, it's me, little Zoya. Always me. The youngest one in the family, the one expected to stop the bloodshed. The one expected to keep the peace. I didn't expect him to storm the castle the way he did... like he had a death wish. Like he knew the rules and burned them anyway. Will my brothers retaliate? Will they forgive me? I confessed. Told them I was in love with him. "In love," I said. Even though now, I don't know if that's the truth. How could it be? I was in love with him. Once. I think? But I confessed my betrayal right alongside his. Does anyone trust me anymore? And here I am, facing my absolute worst fear of all: being powerless. Being used. Being complicit in cruelty. Betraying my family. My whole life, since I was a small child, I've given everything I could to my family. I've poured out my heart and soul in loving them, being faithful and loyal, and now... now they must hate me. All I ever tried to do was the right thing. And now I sit across from him, from Seamus McCarthy, the man who calls himself my husband. Am I in shock? My husband. He's coldly efficient, commanding, and brutal with his authority. There was a time I maybe even loved that about him. Now? I'm afraid. He keeps saying he's the head of the house. What will he do to me? "Are you tired, love?" he asks, after we've settled on the plane. I nod. "I'm exhausted," I murmur. "I want to close my eyes and sleep forever." And when I wake, I want to believe it's all a dream. That I did nothing wrong. That my family is safe. That I'm married to someone who loves me. The weight of it all is crushing. Absolutely crushing. "I'm a little hungry," I say, my voice soft, almost unsure. "Are we going back to Ballyhock now?" "Aye," he says, pride sliding into his tone. "But not back to my family. Not yet. We go to our home first." Our home. He doesn't meet my eyes when he finishes. "My family doesn't know what I've done yet, but they will soon. It's... complicated." Oh god. "Will you be in trouble for what you did?" He laughs. It's dark. Joyless. "Let me see," he says, holding out his hand and counting off his sins. "First, I escaped a Russian jail. Second, I murdered the man you were betrothed to, which won't just bring your family's vengeance, but his as well. Third, I threw the gauntlet at your entire house. So now I'm wanted in a Russian prison, and I've likely started at least two wars that will end in bloodshed." He nods slowly, deliberately. "Aye. You could say I'm in trouble." I swallow hard. Do I care that he's in trouble? "But there's one thing you're going to learn about me, lass-something I don't think you've quite grasped in those last six months of our little rendezvous." My cheeks flush. I stare at him, silent, waiting. He reaches out, brushes a lock of hair from my eyes and tucks it behind my ear. "I don't care about being in trouble," he says. "I care about winning. I care that my commands are obeyed. I care about my family's lineage. Their safety. I care about you, sweet lass." He leans closer. "When we get back to Dublin, I'm taking you to my personal home. Not a safe house. It's a beach house. Private. Quiet. There, I want to spend time with you," he murmurs, his voice suddenly warm. Dangerous. "I want to show you how a husband treats his wife." Oh god. He knows. He knows he's the only man I've ever even kissed. "I'm going to show you what I expect of you as a McCarthy woman," he says, a wicked glint in his eyes. A McCarthy woman. I'm nauseous. Literally, sick to my stomach. "And once the word's out about what I've done, I'll need to come up with a strategy." He sighs and looks away, his eyes wistful. "This started back at the Wolf and Moon, didn't it? And if I'm honest? It started well before that." "What do you mean, Seamus?" I ask softly. Now that we're alone, I say his name, and he allows it. Did he bait and switch me? Pretend to love me, pretend to care, only to reveal the monster underneath? What have I done? What has he done? I think back to Morozov's body. To the blood. To the ruin he left behind. He killed a man just for standing between us. Now what? "Come here, darling," he says, softer than I've heard in what feels like forever. And my heart aches. Maybe, just maybe, beneath that cold, unyielding exterior, he does care for me. Maybe this wasn't just a political move, like I'd always feared. But he said those words. I heard him. I told you I was coming for your sister. Even Polina said it, that he told everyone he was coming for me. This has been in motion since the beginning. But I don't say any of that. No. I keep it to myself. I don't trust him. Not now. Not ever. He says I betrayed him, but just look, look at how this has all played out. I swallow hard as he reaches for me, pulling me gently onto his lap like I belong there. "The next few months are going to be very difficult," he says quietly, almost like he regrets it. "I have many things to sort out before we're at peace." What will that mean for my family? "Do you understand me?" he asks, still gentle, still careful with me. I nod, because honestly, what choice do I have? "Yes?" I answer, barely holding steady. "So this is what you're going to do, my love," he continues, and though his tone is tender, it's wrapped in steel. "Are you listening, lass?" I nod again, swallow hard. "Yes," I whisper. He cups the side of my face, forcing my gaze up to meet his. "When I ask you to obey me, I expect you to say it like this, little Zoya." His voice dips low, his finger under my chin. My gaze is locked on his. "Yes, sir." I stare at him, my throat tight and heart pounding. I want to feel what it does to me when I say it. "Yes, sir," I whisper back. Why does a tiny thrill spark down my spine at that? Why do his eyes go dark and heated with approval and lust? "That's a good girl," he says, his words brushing over me like velvet. "I want you to know, I've already forgiven your betrayal. Because I know why you did it." My betrayal... telling my family a lie. Agreeing to marry a Morozov. I swallow hard. "You're loyal, Zoya. But now, there's something else. Something I need you to understand." He pinches my chin between his thumb and forefinger, keeping me locked in place. "Do you hear me, sweet girl?" I nod, swallowing again. "Yes." "You tried to save your brothers from my hand. And I understand that. But you must never, ever do that again." A sharp sting of fear pricks the back of my neck. I don't trust my voice, not at first, but after swallowing a few more times and wetting my lips, I manage to say, "Yes... sir." I tack on the sir like an afterthought, but it still earns me a small smile. "That's a good lass," he says approvingly, brushing his thumb over my cheekbone. Then he leans in and kisses me, softly, tenderly, like he's trying to make a point with his mouth. And I melt, just a little more. "You've heard of the ways of the McCarthy clan, haven't you?" he asks once he finally pulls away. I nod. "Rumors," I whisper. "I know Matvei's wife, Anissa, used to work for you." "Aye, she did. For a time. In exchange for our protection. And what did she tell you, lass?" I laugh, a nervous sound. "Um... she said you guys were old-fashioned. Dominant. That you expect your women to be... submissive." My cheeks heat. "And that she'd never be cowed under the thumb of one of you." "She wouldn't," he says with a little chuckle. "Which is why she's now married to a Kopolov man." He chuckles, low and amused. "But it's different for my family, lass." He straightens a little. "I'm the head of the house. And I'm the head of the Clan as well. Do you understand that?" I nod. "And you understand, it's not just in the bedroom, aye?" I nod again, even though I'm not sure how I feel about that. Right now, the only thing that feels safe is to play along. To give him what he wants. That's how you survive. "But I promise you, little Zoya, my sweet little lass," he says, both hands now cupping my face. "You'll want for nothing. My protection. My care." I want to ask him, what about love? Do you love me? I already made a fool of myself once, blurting out that I loved him in front of everyone. I did it to stop a war. But do I? Can I? I don't know. I honestly don't know. What if he gives me a command that turns me against my family? What if I've already betrayed everyone who's ever mattered to me? He pauses. "I'll be the one to choose your things. What you wear. What you don't. Understand?" "My clothes?" I ask, caught off guard. "All right... if that matters to you." "It does," he says quickly. "And you're not to leave without permission. And you'll be guarded at all times. Do you understand that?" "Yes," I murmur. "And whatever I tell you, you'll obey or suffer the consequences. Do you understand me?" Wait a minute. "What will the consequences be?" I ask hesitantly. His eyes darken. "Whatever I decide, lass." Of course. "Okay," I say, trying to look away. But he holds my face so tightly I can't move. I nod. "Alright." His face softens. I've agreed to his terms. I blow out a breath. I'm tired. I'm so, so tired. "What happens next?" I ask quietly. "It's time to gather my men. To assess the damage. To see if your family will retaliate." My family? Wait. "What did you do to my family?" My mind spirals, imagining all kinds of bloodshed. Did he hurt someone? Did I marry a man who actually hurt my family? Did he do something behind my back that I didn't know about? But he doesn't answer. He only looks at me. Then he leans down and presses a kiss to my temple. "My sweet," he says gently. "I took their most prized possession." A Fated Encounter movie summary talks about Emma Brown who is forced by her father Henry to take her sister Bella's place and marry Tommy Anderson to save her business. Unlike the rumor Tommy turns ou...