Page 39 of Used By the Bratva

Amusement dances in his eyes as his thumb strokes my racing pulse. “They were expecting you. You should know that by now. I wasn’t going to just let you get away, Natalie.”

“But how?” I reach for his hand and try to pull his fingers away from my throat. For a moment, I consider ramming my knee right into his balls, but his body presses closer to mine.

My body hums as the hard outline of his cock presses against me. I hate that he has such power over me and commands every nerve in my body. I hate that my body is so receptive to him, even at this moment.

“How do you think the mafia works, Natalie?” He grabs my wrists with his other hand and forces them over my head. “The Bratva funds the police around here.”

“Let me go. You’re hurting me.” I wriggle, but his grip on my throat and wrists only tightens.

He grins and shakes his head. “Since the day I met you, you've been mine. I own you. In every sense of the fucking word, solnyshko.”

“What do you want from me?”

“You owe me fifteen years for keeping you alive. I’m the one who decides how you will repay me.” He sneers through clenched teeth.

I force down the lump in my throat, trying to remain calm even though I want to scream right now.

But the fire in his gaze and his anger is brewing like an inferno threatening to engulf us both. The lines around his eyes deepen, and his breathing is harsh against my ear. “You’ll be smarter from now on, Natalie. I’ve already killed your family, and I won’t hesitate to kill Marina or your friend Pearl if you continue to piss me off.”

I stand frozen and lower my voice. “Please. Don’t hurt them, okay? They have nothing to do with this.”

“Who do you belong to, Natalie?” He hisses, his angry blue eyes fixating on me.

“Y … You.”

“Then why the fuck do you keep running away from me, huh?” His thumb presses harder on my pulse, making me a little dizzy. “You knew you shouldn’t leave the house, but you did anyway. I wanted to trust you to be a good girl, but you keep disappointing me.”

His last words are like a stab in my heart. All my life, I’ve worked hard not to disappoint anyone. And hearing him say that hurts me more than it should. Why do I care what he thinks of me?

“It won’t happen again. Just don’t kill Marina or Pearl. They have nothing to do with this. This is between me and you.” I whisper, feeling somehow defeated.

His hand falls from my throat, and he puts it in his pocket. “I’m glad you’re starting to see things my way, Natalie. Your life will be a lot easier if you keep doing that.”

“I understand.” Tears blur at the edges of my vision, but I hold them back.

Leon already knows he has the power between the two of us. I don’t need to start crying to make him feel even more smug.

If I want to survive and keep the people I care about alive, I must learn to play by his rules, at least until I find a better solution for me and my baby.

Leon’s gaze rakes up and down my body. “You look terrible, solnyshko. Let’s take you home, clean you up, and settle you in the beautiful room Rosalie has worked so hard to prepare for you.”

“You’re not going to punish her for this, are you?”

He grins and says nothing as he puts his hand on the back of my neck and leads me out of the office.

Chief Morrison stands at the door and watches me as I walk past with Leon. “Did you want to file your complaint, ma’am?”

Inwardly, I want to pounce on him, tear him to pieces, and scream in his face. I want to make him pay for handing me over to Leon instead of protecting me from him.

Instead, I hold my head high and do my best to look disgruntled. “No. It was just a stupid prank. There is no complaint.”

“Good girl,” Leon whispers in my ear as he leads me out of the station. “If you keep this up, you and I will get along just fine.”

The drive back to the mansion passes in silence, his smug grin illuminated by the dashboard lights, radiating a calm confidence and control. And menace.

I don’t know what to expect when he turns into the driveway. What will he do to me?

Leon parks the car and leads the way into the house. “Follow me.” ‘

---