Page 35 of Used By the Bratva

“No. If anyone in my family knows she’s still alive, they’ll come after her.”

“And we don’t want that?” Boris asks.

I shake my head and hear footsteps echoing down the stairs through the house. “No. We don’t want that, not yet. Keep things going while I’m gone. Any fuck ups are on your head.”

After ending the call, I put the phone on the table, stand up and turn around.

Rosalie leads Natalie into the room and gives me a sassy look before she leaves. She closes the glass doors behind her before disappearing into the house.

I put my hands in my pockets and widen my stance slightly as she raises her head defiantly. I meet her eyes, which toss axes back at me, and the corners of my mouth tick upward; I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.

Despite the brave show she is trying to put on, her fingers flex and relax, and her hands tremble as her gaze darts around the room.

“If you’re looking for a way out, stop.” I remain calm but firm, showing no emotion as I nod to the spot before me. “Come here.”

The color drains from her pretty olive skin as she walks toward me and stops at the spot I indicated. She takes a shaky breath, closes her eyes briefly, and huffs loudly enough to show me her annoyance.

If she thinks this behavior will make me go soft on her, as infuriating as it is, she's wrong. And it’s time she learned precisely what kind of man she’s dealing with.

I reach out and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and her pupils dilate. “You’re playing a dangerous game with me, Natalie. And you know that, too. You should have stayed home in Russia like a good girl, where Marina tried to protect you.”

The sharp exhale reverberates deep in her chest as if she had been punched in the gut. The air quivers, charged with unspoken words.

My fingers glide along her jaw. “Look at yourself. You want to be brave. You’re trying to stay strong and pretend none of this is bothering you, but I can see it in your face. You’re terrified.”

Natalie stands taller, her shoulders roll back, and she sneers. “I’m not afraid of you. Do you think you can kidnap me without anyone noticing? I have a roommate.”

“Pearl Wilson? Don’t worry. She’s been taken care of.”

Her hand flies to her mouth, covering it as she lets out a strangled cry. “You son of a bitch!”

My hand shoots to the back of her neck, grabs a fistful of hair, and yanks her head back, forcing her to look at me. Our faces are so close I can feel her warm breath and fight the urge clawing its way to the surface to kiss her. Fuck!

Instead, I clench my jaw and snarl. “You will not stand here and insult me, Natalie. This will be the first and last time I allow such a thing to happen. Do you understand me?”

“What have you done with Pearl?” She is flushed, and her voice is raspy. “It wasn’t enough to kill my family. Did you have to kill her too?”

I take my hand off her, inhale deeply, and take a step back. “I did not kill her. Pearl is safe for now. I wouldn’t dare harm a hair on her head unless you did something to piss me off, Natalie.”

“Then where does she think I am?” Natalie wipes her face with her hand and seizes the reins of control over her emotions. A stony mask settles into place, but her eyes still look like she could burn down a house.

“I left a message for her. You told her there was a family emergency in Russia and you had to fly back home. You don't know exactly when you'll come back, but you'll come back eventually.”

“I’ll come back eventually?” She mockingly mimics me.

“I think that depends on you, Natalie.”

“If it depends on me, then let me go.” Her brows narrow. Fuck, she is cute when she is angry.

I close the distance between us and purr in her ear. “That’s adorable, Natalie. So, fucking adorable.”

Her head snaps back. “You want nothing to do with me. You've already killed my family. You mocked me for that. Taunted me about all the things you've done, and now you're standing here telling me I’m adorable? You took everything from me. Fuck you.”

My hand wraps around her throat, fingers pressing into her side as I pull her close. “Do you want to try that again? You have no fucking idea, Natalie. You’re nothing more than a confused woman looking for answers she's not strong enough to hear.”

“I am strong enough,” she gasps, looking up at me. Her hands grab mine to pull them away. “Let go of me.”

“Don’t provoke me, solnyshko. You will learn, one way or another.” I press harder on her throat and grin as her nails dig into my hand.

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