Merciless promise, p.1
Merciless Promise, page 1
MERCILESS PROMISE
BRANNINGTON EMPIRE COLLECTION
BOOK ONE
ANISE STORM
Copyright © 2025 by Anise Storm
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This book is a work of fiction. Places, names, characters and events are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Cover Art by Artista Grafico
Edited by Chanel Johnson | Good Girl Author Services
Formatted by Kalie Gerwig | Good Girl Author Services
CONTENTS
Merciless Promise Playlist
Reader Advisory
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Epilogue
Sneak Peek of “Merciless Betrayal”
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About the Author
Ekaterina Kotov
I know I should avoid Kingston Brannington at all costs.
But when I end up in his path, I’m unable to resist his lure.
A proposition later proves he’s more dangerous than I thought.
And once he gets me at his mercy, all I can do is beg.
For what? As the lines blur, even I don’t know.
I want him… I need him… I despise him…
And even more surprisingly, I’m beholden to him as well.
I’m in love with a man determined to break me.
He wants to destroy me. In the end, he just might.
Kingston Brannington
After receiving an ultimatum, I stand to lose everything I have.
Until her… Until Ekaterina… Our paths cross, and I want her…
On her knees… Under me… At my mercy… To destroy her…
And I will because it was something I’d once sworn to do.
While we’d never met before in person, she’d still left her mark.
Now, I’m going to leave mine as I use, degrade, then break her.
I’ll end her life as promised. All I have to do is stick to the plan.
Only this twisted obsession might destroy us if we’re not careful.
Once upon a time, it didn’t matter. As fake becomes real, now it does!
MERCILESS PROMISE PLAYLIST
In this Moment: Whore
David Kushner: Daylight
Ava Max: Kings & Queens
Nothing More: Go To War
Ice Nine Kills: A Grave Mistake
From Ashes To New: Finally See
Ariana Grande: God Is A Woman
Bullet For My Valentine: Venom
Taylor Swift: I Did Something Bad
Thomas LaRosa: Scream My Name
Motionless In White: Necessary Evil
Five Finger Death Punch: My Nemesis
Apocalyptica & Brent Smith: Not Strong Enough
READER ADVISORY
This book contains scenes of dark subject matter including graphic violence - both sexual and physical in nature including past detailed references of sexual assault. It also contains other topics that some might consider triggers such as miscarriage. There are also scenes of dubious/non-consent, so please read at your own risk.
SAGAPONACK, NEW YORK
This was all too much.
My nerves were completely frayed. Desperate for an escape from this place, my eyes flittered from one side of the room to the other, but I could barely see anything through the thick plume of cigarette and marijuana smoke. They were all I smelled, too.
Thankfully, my hearing was still intact, but that seemed to be more of a curse than a blessing. The roar from the drums and bass guitar was so loud that the entire room shook. The thunderous beat of the heavy metal instrumental matched the same riotous thumping of my heart in my chest. It was unlike the music that escaped from every open doorway and window as I tried to find the exit.
I never should’ve been at this party. At that moment, I had no idea what even possessed me to come at all. Call it teenage rebellion, or some warped curiosity. My father had forbidden me from mixing with those he considered enemies. Now that I was intoxicated, scared, and way out of my element, I could hear his admonishment even now.
A few days ago, I’d turned eighteen and my birthday party had been one of the most lavish events of the year at Summit Crest Preparatory, the boarding school I attended. My father had gifted me with an F3 Jag, and the first place I’d gone in it was this party. Who actually owned the property was a mystery to me, as was mostly everyone here. A couple of girls from school had given me the invite, but even they were nowhere to be found.
My thoughts were interrupted when someone violently pushed me. My eyes narrowed, and I was about to tell whoever it was off until I looked at the girl, and one close to my age, who could barely stand, much less walk.
“Sorrrry,” she slurred to me. “Have a drink, hun.”
I shook my head, ignoring the way my ponytail tickled the hairs on the back of my neck.
“It’s just a shot,” she said, and I quickly glanced around.
Hell, what was one more?
Ignoring the nagging voice in my head telling me to decline it, I reached out and took the small glass from her. I tipped it back, then grimaced as the liquor burned a trail of fire down my throat. Our interaction ended there when she recognized someone she knew and left me alone. I turned, watching her greet two other girls and a guy. The females were all focused on the tipsy blonde, but the boy’s eyes locked in on mine.
Immediately, I froze. I knew of this guy, so the way he was staring at me was not only unnerving, but exciting as well. Princeton Brannington. He was with the Irish mafia and was definitely one of the enemies my father had mentioned. Still, he was handsome in a James Dean kind of way with the hint of danger and excitement in his dark eyes. His hair was the same shade and was longer in the front. Eventually, he smiled at me, revealing even, white teeth.
Involuntarily, I found myself smiling back at him, even as the sides of my face became flushed. He moved away, and I had lost sight of him until I felt his breath on the back of my neck when he came up behind me. “I’ve never seen you at one of these parties, Cinderella. Are you lost?”
I turned swiftly, and my eyes locked in on his. “I...ahh...no. I was actually just about to leave.”
There. I’d said it. Now, I needed to actually follow through.
He reached out to grip my elbows, and I couldn’t ignore the rush of electricity that came from his fingertips, especially once they made contact with me. I shivered even though I was not cold. In fact, I was even more flushed. Princeton leaned in, and even the scent of cigarette smoke and bourbon couldn’t make him any less attractive to me.
“Don’t leave,” he said, then added, “Why don’t we...”
I wasn’t sure if his voice had trailed off or if I just couldn’t hear him, so I made sure to slowly mouth my response. “I can’t hear you.”
“Come with me,” he said, and reading his lips, I should have declined, but I ended up allowing him to lead me farther into the crowded house.
I gave a quick nod, then followed him up the stairs. By the time we reached the top, there were some guests mingling about in the hallway, but none of them paid us any mind. I soon found myself inside a bedroom I assumed did not belong to him. I only knew that because the entire space looked like the inside of a Pepto Bismol bottle. The walls were a light shade of pink, and aside from the white bed in the center and the matching dresser, even the bedding was colored. Only, it was a darker shade than the walls. There were also stuffed animals on the bed, including a snow white teddy bear with pink pads at the bottom of its paws.
I glanced at Princeton and was about to arch my brow over this place, but the way he was now eyeing me had my nerves fraying more. There were intentions in his dilated pupils I hadn’t noticed before, which made me incredibly frightened. I turned away from him and chose to focus on the single piece of art hanging on the wall. It was a white frame
d picture of two bunny rabbits in a field. It dawned on me then that this room belonged to a very young girl, which was perfect because I now felt a lot like one. I moved to the edge of the bed to sit down. He followed, but gave me a bit of space, which I appreciated.
“You’re a long way from school,” he told me.
“So are you,” I remarked, and he chuckled.
I wasn’t sure why, but the very sound of it had goosebumps rising on my flesh. “That I am. It’s surprising to see you slumming it here with us.”
I smirked, knowing this luxury mansion had to cost over ten million. “I wouldn’t quite call this place a slum.”
“I suppose not. I might’ve misjudged you because you look right at home here.”
I shrugged. “Something like that.”
He bared his teeth again as he smiled. “Well, there’s no need to waste a perfectly good room and stellar booze. Let’s take this off,” he said as he tugged on the black leather jacket I was wearing over my dress.
I pulled back, then brushed his hand away. “I would prefer to keep it on.”
“Less to have to find afterward,” he responded, and just like that, the energy in the room changed.
An eerie silence set in, and deciding that being here with him was a bad idea after all, I quickly rose to my feet. I was about to turn to leave, but he stood up as well. The flight reaction rose up within me, and I tried to hurry to the door, but he made it there before I could even get my hand on the knob.
Shaking at this point, I went to open my mouth, but he covered it with his hand. I tried using my hands to push him off me, especially when his mouth collided with my neck and he started to bite it.
I managed to pry his hand away from my mouth. “I want to go.”
I tried to plead with him as he kissed his way up my throat and over my chin. Had it not been for me turning my head at the last moment, he would have kissed my lips. I needed to get free, and as I struggled mightily against him, my hands must’ve annoyed him because he pushed me against the wall, then pinned them above my head.
His weight was pressed against me, and he immobilized me with one hand, while he roughly cupped one of my breasts with the other. He was a savage, and the type of male my father had wanted me to avoid at all costs. I continued to squirm, writhing to free myself until he smacked me hard across the cheek. Pain exploded on contact, and I realized in that moment that I’d never been struck before in my life. The action left me paralyzed for a moment until I felt his hand slip under my dress. In a quick motion, he ripped one side of my panties.
“No,” I cried out as two fingers of his penetrated me. “Stop, please.”
Terror raced through me, and the more I moved to try to free myself, the deeper his thrusting fingers managed to get. Once or twice, he would rub or scratch a particular spot which might’ve turned me on had I been a willing participant. Since I was not, it scared me. I had to get away or else he would fuck me right here against the door.
“Please stop,” I pleaded, but to no avail.
“Shut up, bitch. I’m not one of those rich little toys you can control. You came to my birthday party, and now you’re going to let me unwrap you like a present.”
“I didn’t know it was your birthday, but I need to get back to school,” I told him, and he followed those words up with another hard blow to my cheek.
I had no idea where boys learned to hit girls, but he knew the exact spot to strike in order to make me freeze. I couldn’t allow him to win, though. Fear was gripping me harder in its grasp than he was as he continued to hold my hands above my head. When his mouth lowered to my chest and he bit one of my nipples through my dress, I drew my knee up, and it collided with my intended target.
He bellowed, and once immobilized, it allowed me to push him off me. Never had I moved so quickly as I escaped through the door. Fearful he would catch me, I didn’t even bother trying to get my keys out of my jacket pocket until I made it out the front door. My hands, along with my knees, were shaking uncontrollably, but I was able to finally grab my keys and get inside my Jaguar.
Tears blurred my vision as the last few minutes came rushing back. Adrenaline was still guiding me, so I pulled myself out of it and quickly started the car. Though my eyes were completely dazed as I cried, I slid the gear into reverse. A few seconds later, I started down the driveway when a dark shadow fell across the road.
He’d caught me after all and intended to drag me back inside where he’d do more than force himself onto me. This time, he’d get what he wanted. “Ekaterina, get out of the car,” he ordered while banging his fists on the hood.
He was maniacal, and I had no idea what to do. I attempted to move my foot to the brake, but when I pressed down hard on the pedal, I realized it was the gas. After a loud thump, the banging on my car stopped, and he was nowhere to be found. Princeton was no longer yelling my name, so I was hopeful he’d given up and headed back inside.
“Thank fuck,” I said aloud, then put my foot on the gas again, this time encountering resistance.
I quickly put the car in park, then got out to see what it was. When I rounded the front of the vehicle, I slapped my hand against my mouth. On the ground in front of it lay Princeton, and he wasn’t moving. A dark puddle of red expanded around him. I screamed as everything started to spin around me—from the towering pines lining the driveway to the eaves of the home. It all had my head throbbing until a brief moment of calm finally settled over me, and I crumpled to the ground.
SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
SIX YEARS LATER
Looking down at my toes, I wiggled them ever so slightly. The cherry red paint on the tips of them were finally dry, so I was ready to go party the night away with friends. Reaching over for my flute of champagne, I finished what I had left, then rose from the couch. It was small, as was my luxury apartment, but it was in the swankiest part of Saint Petersburg, which had always been home to me.
Even after my father had moved to Moscow, I had talked him into allowing me to go to boarding school in America instead of moving there. Upon leaving that same school, I returned back to the place I had always loved so much. Although, if I knew then what I knew now, I might’ve just sucked it up and joined my father.
I wouldn’t let what had happened back in New York consume me. As it was, I still relived that tragic night often enough in my nightmares. I certainly didn’t need to waste any of my waking thoughts thinking about it, too. While my entire time in the country hadn’t been bad, that one singular event dominated any thoughts about the place. It now seemed as if the only good thing I still had from the States was my friendship with Rebekah, a girl whom I had kept in close touch with ever since returning home.
“I almost wish you were here tonight to join me and the others,” I murmured.
She wasn’t, and one of these days, I would take her up on her offer to return for a girls’ trip, but until then, I had plenty of friends here in Russia. In fact, this evening we were headed out to Union for a night of debauchery. If I didn’t intend to be late, I needed to finish getting ready.
Thankfully, I had thought to do my hair, makeup, and even get into my dress before I’d summoned my nail girl to my apartment to do my pedicure. I swung my legs over the front of the couch and proceeded to put on my strappy heels in silver, which would complement my dress. Once they were on, I rose fully to my feet and stopped in front of a set of mirrored doors.
The red mini dress barely went down to my mid-thighs. It had a shimmery swirl that started on one arm, then perfectly split my breasts before curving around my hips and coming just back around at the bottom of the dress. I was in the mood for more than a simple night of dancing, and upon realizing how long my sexual drought had actually been, I needed to remedy that tonight.
Once upon a time, I had been a bit more prudish, as some would say, but that all changed by the time I returned home. I didn’t mind sex, and actually quite enjoyed it, but only when I felt in control. I was not one to be submissive, although I could be if the mood struck me. Fortunately, it rarely did.
I say who, when, and how, and nothing will change that.
I walked into the bathroom to inspect my makeup once more and to apply a few spritzes of perfume before exiting and returning to the living room. When I did, I noticed a series of missed messages on my cell phone. I must’ve accidentally turned the volume down again because I hadn’t heard the first call. As I picked it up, I noticed they were all from my father, and in the off chance that whatever it was happened to be important, I hit redial on the last missed call.
