Page 19 of Prey of the Bratva

She was right.

And for the first time since this hunt had begun, I was no longer certain what the end of it was supposed to look like.

Chapter 5 - Misha

“Hold still, Misha.”

“I am holding still, Kliment. Please shut up.”

“You are constantly moving. I can see it from here.”

“I will probably be able to stay still if you stop threatening me every three seconds,” I said, keeping my voice level as the doctor pressed gauze just below the line of stitches along my side.

“It is not a threat,” he replied mildly. “It is simply an observation.”

“Then observe quietly and do not speak a word.”

A low sound, almost a laugh, came from somewhere behind him that sounded almost like Viktor. Even the doctor had a smile on his face as he tried to focus on my wounds, but was clearly unable to because of the drama unfolding in the bedroom. I did not turn my head, but I knew exactly where Kliment was standing. He had not moved since the doctor began the examination. His back was against the wall while his arms remained folded. The only thing that mattered was how his eyes were on me the entire time.

He was dressed simply today. For the past few days, I had only seen him in his impeccably tailored suits, but he had ditched them for a polo and some khakis. I could not deny that he was gorgeous. He looked a lot like his siblings, but his features were more intense. I could never have thought I would ever find a Romanov attractive, but here I was, mostly unable to take my eyes off of Kliment Romanov. Hence, it felt safer when he maintained his distance from me.

Watching. Always watching.

The room itself was too quiet. It was not empty, but quiet in a way that felt deliberate. There was never any noise from outside and no footsteps in the hallways. Just the soft rustle of medical supplies and the steady rhythm of my own breathing.

It had been nine days.

Nine days since the warehouse. Nine days since I had nearly died on a concrete floor that smelled like blood and fear. Nine days since Kliment Romanov had stepped out of the shadows and rewritten the outcome of that night. Nine days inside his world, tucked safely in the shadows of his warehouse that was hidden at the edges of nowhere. The doctor peeled back the last layer of dressing carefully, exposing the stitched wound along my side. The air hit it cold and sharp, but I did not flinch.

“The entry and exit points are clean,” he said. “I can see no signs of infection, and healing is progressing well. Good job, Misha.”

“I told you. I would have felt it if I were infected,” I said with a smile.

“Your intuition is certainly a reliable source of your own condition, but we must still check for confirmation,” the doctor replied.

I nodded and exhaled slowly through my nose. Behind him, Kliment shifted slightly as if trying to look at the stitches himself.

“Is she healing properly?” he asked.

His voice was calm and even, but I felt as if there was something beneath it. Something quieter and sharper. Almost possessive. A part of me said that I was probably just imagining it, but I couldn’t say for sure. After all, why would Kliment Romanov have any possessive inclinations towards me?

The doctor glanced back briefly. “Yes. The gunshot wound is healing as expected. The graze along her arm is superficial and nothing to worry about. The bruising along the ribs will take more time to go away, but is not concerning.”

“And the foot?” Kliment asked.

The doctor reached down, carefully adjusting the brace wrapped around my ankle.

“As I told you earlier, it is a minor fracture,” he said. “Even though it is nothing severe, it will take time to heal. But with limited movement, it should heal fully within a few weeks, and you will be able to walk again properly.”

“I don’t intend to stay immobile for weeks,” I said.

“You intend many things,” the doctor replied dryly. “That does not make them advisable.”

“I’ve been walking around already.”

“Yes, but poorly and with the help of crutches. It would be better if you quit doing that and stayed in bed completely. It will help with the healing.”

“I’ve been walking just fine,” I insisted