Page 27 of Ruthless Reign

Without a word, he steps back and sighs deeply, his hand sweeping through his dark hair—it’s something he does often. Just like the millions of other things I’ve noticed about Roman, like how he rubs the back of his neck when making a decision or the way he discreetly checks his holster when we step into a new space.

I suck in a few deep breaths to ground myself and then back up toward the French doors that lead inside.

“Can we not tell Kira about all of this?” I glance out over the city, praying that Kira slept through my banshee wail. “I just don’t want to worry her, with the pregnancy and everything, it would be stress she doesn’t need.”

He turns, and I notice a pronounced bulge straining against the zipper of his jeans.

Did I do that to him?

“We don’t have to tell anyone about this,” he assures me, sounding a little out of breath. “But I can leave my man to keep an eye on your sister for a few days.”

I bite my lip. It’s a generous offer, but a bratva bodyguard trailing Sofiya at school? That’s not ideal. “Not necessary,” I reply, “but I appreciate it.”

I study him in the dim moonlight. I don’t know what to make of Roman, willing to do whatever is necessary to put my mind at ease. He’s gone way beyond acting as my bodyguard, and it’s confusing my poor, dead heart.

He catches me studying him and raises an eyebrow. “What?”

I clear my throat. “Nothing, just… Thanks for helping me. You didn’t have to, and honestly, I would have lost my mind if I hadn’t spoken with her.”

He nods and turns away from me, looking over the city, both of his arms braced on the railing of the patio. “Goodnight, Liza.” His voice is a pure masculine rasp, and it sets my lady bits on fire.

“Goodnight, Roman.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

ROMAN

Liza backs off the terrace like my hair is on fire.

Fuck. Tonight didn’t go as planned.

I only meant to comfort her, but the way her breath became shallow, her lips parted, and her face flushed when she looked at me with those big green eyes, I knew I was in trouble. Common sense screamed at me to get the fuck off the terrace and lock myself in a bedroom with a bottle of whisky.

But did I listen? Nope.

She was scared and vulnerable, and instead of pushing her away, I did the exact opposite. I would have done a lot more if she didn’t come to her senses and scurry inside.

I pull out a cigarette and shove it between my lips, hoping the hit of nicotine will kill the lust pumping through my veins. I’ve been smoking too much lately, and I blame it squarely on Liza’s presence. It’s messing with my head.

Lord, the things this girl makes me feel. Desire is one thing, but I want to take care of her. Protect her and see her smile—the unguarded one where she looks truly happy, like she did in the bookstore.

When I’m back home, I’ll screw my head on straight. I’ll focus on work; the next Kozlov shipment is arriving soon, and I’m sure there’s a shitload of other issues for me to deal with. I’ll even volunteer for the next interrogation. A little violence should soothe my soul.

Taking my phone from my pocket, I dial the last number I called. Savin is one of my most reliable soldiers. He started with me a few years ago, but he’s smart and ruthless—a combination I’m fond of.

Savin picks up after the first ring and announces, “I just got here. Sofiya’s safely back in the dorm.”

“Looks like it was a misunderstanding. The kid forgot to charge her phone or something like that.”

He’s quiet for a minute, his hesitation out of character. “Not sure that’s the whole story.”

“Oh?” I blow out a smoke ring and wait for him to continue.

“I was able to hack into the school's CCTV system to get a look at what happened. She got back to the dorms pretty late, but she wasn’t alone.” He pauses, weighing his next words. “Anatoly was with her. She seemed pretty unsteady on her feet.”

The hair on the back of my neck rises. “Unsteady how?”

“A few drinks too many.”

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