Page 53 of Forced Bratva Wife

I didn’t wait to see more of them, running down the hall and up the stairs to my room. The door was open, and all along the floor on the way to the doorway was a trail of blood drops.

“Parker!”

Pietor was on my heels as I ran with everything I had, and I still couldn’t hear anything from the woman who should have been in there. My heart raced even without exertion, and a part of me deep behind my ribcage felt like it was cracking apart under enormous pressure.

This can’t be happening. Don’t do this. Don’t fucking do this, you piece of shit universe.

Still, silence came from my bedroom. I pulled up to the door, swinging myself inside using the wooden frame. It was empty. No sign of Parker or whoever had been here, but plenty of evidence that suggested a scuffle.

The chaise was knocked over, the covers on the bed were rumpled, and the closet door, which was normally closed, was open. I hurried in that direction, going on instinct, and found the clothes Parker had been wearing.

“She must’ve changed.”

I wasn’t talking to anyone in particular, even if Pietor was just behind me. I scanned the floor, noting that the boots I’d bought her were gone.

“Parker assumed she’d be needed to help people. She changed.”

“Okay,” Pietor sounded from just past the door, “what’s that mean?”

I shook my head. “It means whoever was in here had waited for her to come out of the closet to jump her. He’d watched her come in.”

Slamming my hand against the wall, I welcomed the pain that licked through my fist.

“Dammit.”

Turning around to check the room for anything else, I stopped short when Pietor didn’t move.

“You going to get out of my way, or do I need to move you?” My voice was a low growl.

He frowned at me, and I swear to God I was this close to slugging the fucker.

“I need you to be honest with me.”

Pietor’s stare was serious, something he reserved for rare occasions, and I folded my arms over my chest.

“Fine.”

Exhaling hard, I noticed the slight roll of Pietor’s eyes before he spoke. “She means something to you. More than leverage against Pavel.”

It wasn’t a question. He already knew it. My cousin just wanted me to admit it.

There was no point in denying him now.

“Yes.”

Thankfully, he left it there. He really did just want me to admit it, and knowing the asshole like I did, he probably thought he was doing it for me. The thing was, though, I’d already come to a time of truce with myself about it.

I was more than aware that I shouldn’t feel dick about Parker. But I did. End of the fucking story, mate.

“I smell shitty men’s cologne. It ain’t yours.”

Pietor’s comment snapped me back into focus, and I took a deep breath. I could smell it, too.

“I recognize it.” I sighed, rolling my eyes as I ground my molars. “That fucking office of Pavel’s wreaked of it. It’s got to be one of his men.”

We each turned away from the other, scrounging all over the room for anything that we could use.

That’s when I noticed it.

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