Untamed: Bad Boy Fighter Romance (Fighting for Gisele #2) Read Free Page B

Alek went to get her some coffee.
    For at least a couple of minutes, Gisele had some peace. She was still annoyed with how her brother had treated her, but just then, she saw no way out. She’d have to bide her time, and at least fake interest in Vik’s recovery, before she would be allowed to leave.
    Gisele felt suffocated at being treated like a possession. She didn’t want to be owned, and longed to strike out and create her own life. Yet she was a bit nervous about that now. To use a poker term, her brother had shown his hand, and she hadn’t liked what she’d seen.
    For some years, Gisele had clung to the belief that her brother was just being brotherly. She assured herself that she could leave anytime she wished. Now she doubted that was true. Something else was going on here, but she was too distraught and wrung out from the ordeal earlier in the day to try to make sense of it.
    The Russian mob was known for many things, but arranged marriages weren’t among them. Alek had not ordered her to marry Vik, yet he was pleased whenever she’d dated him. That would have been okay if that was as far as it had gone.
    Now he’d overstepped his bounds, and actually sent Vik after her when she had spent the weekend with a man Alek didn’t approve of. He’d said so. Thus, Gisele wasn’t imagining all of this. But for now, she had to see Vik and then get out. Then she’d figure out how to handle her brother’s smothering ways.
    Alek returned with the coffees, and they sipped in silence. Gisele was in no mood to talk to him, nor did her brother strike up any conversation. As it grew later, Alek got hungry, so she went to the hospital cafeteria with him. Gisele didn’t have any appetite, and just nibbled at some fruit while her brother devoured a stale-looking roast beef sandwich.
    Gisele read magazines, watched some lame programs on the television in the waiting room, and paced the floor. She was stiff from so much sitting, and did some Pilates stretches to loosen up. At long last, the doctor came out to tell them that Vik’s surgery had gone well, and that he’d be out of the recovery room soon.
    After another wait, a nurse took them to Vik’s room in the intensive care unit. Although drowsy, he was awake. Gisele hadn’t seen him so pale, and nearly felt sorry for him. But he ruined that quickly. The look in his eyes wasn’t apologetic at all, which annoyed her all over again.
    Alek chatted with Vik, letting him know that he’d take care of everything. He handed over a glass with a straw so his friend could drink some water. Since Vik had his jaw wired shut and couldn’t speak, her brother did all the talking. Vik was part of her brother’s operation and handled various business matters, which he hadn’t discussed with her.
    Gisele didn’t care anyway, but she did know that Vik had plenty of money. Whatever business he dealt with for her brother was very lucrative. She should have been concerned about her former boyfriend’s condition, but she was merely impatient.
    When Alek was done talking, he stepped back. “I’ll leave you two alone for a few minutes.”
    “There’s no need to…” But Gisele didn’t finish her thought. Alek had already slipped out of the room.
    Vik looked at her with an accusatory expression. “You shouldn’t have gone out there,” Gisele said. “This wouldn’t have happened. I don’t know what Alek told you, but you should have waited. If you wanted to talk to me, it would have been better when I got home.”
    Vik waved toward the table at the side of his bed, and Gisele saw a small chalkboard. He motioned for her to hand it to him, and she supposed that was how he could communicate. When he took the chalk, Vik scratched out what he wanted to say.
    I forgive you. I don’t hold it against you.
    The words on the blackboard infuriated her. “You have a lot of nerve. I don’t need you to forgive me. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
    Vik wiped the board clean, then wrote: I