Page 57 of Forced & Owned By the Bratva Boss

Igor said Emiliano, the second-in-command of the Mexican cartel, killed Joaquin.

My blood runs cold. Joaquin. Emiliano. Serrano. The pieces crash together so violently my stomach twists. Dear God...they’re the same person.

Emiliano and Serrano have been the same person all along.

I’ve never met Serrano.

After Igor broke up with me one year ago, I was contacted by Serrano online, and he asked me to help him take down Igor since he’s one of the most notorious members of the bratva.

By the time I realized the person who contacted me wasn’t an undercover agent trying to take down the mafia like he said, I was too far gone and simply didn’t care if it meant bringing Igor down. I was so thirsty for revenge over a stupid breakup, and now look at the mess I’ve gotten myself into.

The new revelation shakes me to my core.

I can’t let him know that I’m aware of his true identity. I’m not sure how much he knows, but I can’t expose that Igor already knows he’s the one behind Joaquin’s death. I swallow hard and try to remain calm despite the sharp palpitations in my chest.

He lets the silence stretch just long enough for my pulse to hammer painfully in my ears before speaking again.

“So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to meet me tomorrow. I’ll send you the location and time.”

“No, I’m not,” I shoot back. “The entire house is guarded, and Igor’s security won’t let me out of their sight. I no longer work for you, Serrano. Deal with it.”

“No?” He almost sounds amused. “Do you think you have a choice here, little darling?”

God, hearing him call me that makes me want to throw up. “Don’t call me that. I’m not meeting up with you.”

“You will,” he says gruffly. “Because if you don’t…”

My stomach twists. I’m playing a dangerous game, but it’s a risk I have to take, both for myself and Igor. “And if I don’t?”

There’s another pause at the other end of the line. When he speaks again, his voice is quieter and more dangerous.

“I’ll reserve that for later,” he says sternly. “I’ll send you a location. Don’t try to play smart, Audrey.”

He hangs up, leaving me stunned. I still have my phone pressed to my ear by the time my mind settles, and I realize the son of a gun just threatened me without actually stating the threat.

Play smart my foot.

What’s the most he can do, kill me? Or hurt my loved ones?

I had a near-death experience a week ago, so I’m not scared of dying. But I also have people I care about, and the last thing I want is him laying his filthy claws on them.

Dread unfurls in my stomach.

I’ve seen what he did to his boss—what he’s capable of.

I need to get to him as quickly as I can—pretend to work for him, gather all the information I need, and then come clean to Igor.

But how?

Just because I’m working for Serrano doesn’t mean he’ll let me in on every little secret about himself and his operations, especially after I called off our alliance once. But I’ve gone too deep, and just telling Igor everything won’t make him trust me.

My head begins to throb with a dull headache. My thoughts are all over the place, and I need a shower to help me calm down and think straight. Fear breeds desperation and desperation breeds irrationality, and that’s the last thing I need right now.

Drawing in a deep breath, I take off the shorts and shirt I’m wearing and slip into the bathroom for a hot shower.

I turn on the shower and adjust the temperature until the water is almost unbearably hot. Steam quickly fills the room as I step beneath the spray and close my eyes.

The water pounds against my shoulders, washing away the sweat clinging to my skin but doing nothing to quiet the noise inside my head.