I was angry that, even after all this time, he still asked me these questions like I was a suspect. We weren't exactly friends, but I thought the fact that I hadn’t done anything shady since he took me would be enough proof that I wasn’t a threat to him or the Bratva.
It annoyed me that I had begun to see through the clouds. That I'd begun to stupidly think he thought more of me, and we'd just coexist happily like normal people.
I was pained at the thought that I was probably right. The night we shared was just him being in the heat of the battle. Nothing had changed; I was his captive, and he was my captor.
“How many more times do I have to tell you? I know nothing about his operations!” I spat.
Surprise flickered across his face before disappearing again.
“You were in a relationship with him, Alina,” he pointed out, his voice calm while his expression remained anything but friendly. “Regardless of when it ended. This guy had a big mouth. He must have told you things.”
“It wasn’t an ideal relationship, okay?!” I blurted out. “You know all about how I’d had to fend for myself when I ran away from the orphanage. I told you. After Siroc, things were even worse before they got better. I worked in many violent circles while I was still trained as a nurse. I didn’t want to, but I did it because I needed the money. When I was working for Liza and Roman, and I met Vitya, I thought I’d met someone who’d protect me. He was kind and always there for me. But things changed.”
I took a steadying breath as my voice became shaky with unshed tears.
“He started to show me his violent side. We were seeing a movie at his place one time,” I divulged, holding the chair beside me as my voice dropped. “He coerced me.”
I couldn’t say why, but the flash of anger on Konstantin’s face was apparent.
“I escaped that day. And it was the last time I ever set eyes on him,” I disclosed. “So, no, I don’t know about the Feds or his activities or the information he stole from you. I’m not his partner, and I’m not working with him.”
I expected a threat from him, but his calm gaze was what I got instead.
Leaning closer to the desk, he said, “Then help me find who is.”
I blinked, realizing what was going on. Konstantin was offering a shift from prisoner to ally.
“Okay,” I accepted, and he nodded.
Before taking a step I’d regret, considering the tension in the office, I told him, “I should go now. I had quite an active day.”
“Goodnight, Alina,” he replied.
“Night,” I answered, my voice just above a whisper as I left his office, my body screaming at me not to.
Chapter Twenty
Konstantin’s POV
I stepped out of my office just as Alina took a step out of the library. Then she stepped back and shut the door.
“Now I know you’re avoiding me,” I said, entering the library.
She was sitting on the edge of the wide table, facing the door. Her hair was pulled back in its usual neat twist, and her black jeans and sweater looked good on her.
“Why do you say so?” she answered, crossing her arms.
“Are you not?”
“Not exactly,” she divulged. “I wanted to make it easier for you. You should leave.”
“Make what easier?”
“Do I have to spell it out?” she inquired, her voice a bit higher than usual. She was clearly getting annoyed. But I had no idea why.
“Yes, you do.”
She sighed loudly. “I'm saving you the stress of apologizing that it was a mistake and the headache of dealing with someone who can’t deal with casual sex like every other person.”
