“What’re you so pissed about? I thought you were the hero and I was the villain.”
Her scowl deepened, infuriated by my calmness and the smirk on my lips. “I could’ve died,” she said.
“And whose fault would that have been?” I asked, my eyes never leaving her. “You interfered in something you didn’t understand, and it almost got you killed.” I paused for a second. “Just like you interfered in my business, and it landed you here.”
She locked her jaw, seething in silence.
“It appears you have a knack for getting yourself into trouble.”
She hesitated, her chest heaving as she glared at me. “You’re a monster.”
My lips twisted into an even more crooked smirk. “That’s not news, little lawyer.” I glanced at the corpse behind her. “He knew that, and that’s why he chose to kill himself rather than get captured again.”
Her breath hitched when I rose from my chair and began walking toward her with slow, measured steps.
“That was a smart move,” I continued. “I intended to skin the bastard alive before sending him to hell. He chose suicide because he was aware of what fate awaited him if I got hold of him again. One worse than death. One so cruel the devil would weep.”
She struggled to mask her fear as I halted before her with a hand in my pocket. Her eyes were glassy, and in their depths was a flicker of horror. She tried hiding it behind a frown, but I could see right through her mask.
The girl was afraid.
At last, I saw what I’d been looking for this whole time, and it was fuckin’ satisfying.
“Don’t forget.” I leaned in, whispering in her face, “The only reason you’re still breathing is because I allow it.”
She swallowed hard and said nothing.
“You’re my prisoner,” I added, wearing a blank expression. “Remember that next time you’re running your mouth.”
The air was thick with tension, a mix of my superiority and her terror. She knew I was too dangerous to mess with. And although she was terrified of me at the moment, a part of me couldn’t help but think her fear was fleeting.
She wasn’t the kind to cower at anyone’s feet; her stubbornness and defiance wouldn’t let her. That said, it was only a matter of time before she spoke out of line again.
Without a word, she turned around and left the room, her shirt soaked in another man’s blood. Her feet pounded against the floor as she headed back to her cell, cursing under her breath.
I’d asked the men not to lock her cell so she could wander the premises and get some fresh air. Boris thought it was a badidea, that she might try something silly. But I knew she wouldn’t, because the place was a fortress and escape was impossible.
I stood there, towering over the corpse with a small grin tugging at my mouth. That conversation, no matter how short, stirred up something in me. Something beyond fascination and intrigue.
Boris walked inside and halted before me. “That girl is trouble, Boss,” he said, his voice low and deep.
I paused, recalling how the frown on her face did little to mar her beauty. “I know,” I replied. With that, I walked out of the room. “Clean up this mess, will you?”
He nodded, his eyes darting to the corpse sprawled across the floor.
***
I sat at the head of the table that dominated the room, its polished surface reflecting the low amber light above. The air was thick with smoke and expensive liquor as serious-faced men sat along both sides of the table.
These were some of the Bratva elites: lieutenants, strategists, financiers, and logisticians. We were discussing territorial disputes with the Italians and how to solve them.
Each one of these men was actively involved—raising suggestions, agreeing, and disagreeing with opinions that didn’t sit well with them. Some suggested we go to war with our enemies, and others thought a more diplomatic approach was better.
I, on the other hand, was lost. I stopped listening about ten minutes ago and had given in to the thoughts that flooded my mind. Images of my little prisoner occupied my head, keeping me distracted from the task at hand.
No matter how hard I tried to focus, I simply couldn’t. And that infuriated me as much as it intrigued me. No womanhad ever occupied so much space in my mind for more than ten minutes. Yet this crazy devil had exceeded the record.
Her face seemed etched into my brain. The sound of her voice wouldn’t stop echoing in my head. I almost smiled just recalling how she confronted me for not saving her from that maniac. Almost.
