Page 91 of Cruel Knots

The trapped, heavy feeling in my chest lightens. My dark locks stream behind me, giving me a taste of unbridled freedom. I feel the powerful engine’s vibrations under my thighs while my body molds against Mikhail’s back.

A big smile blossoms on my lips. I’ve never felt such excitement since the day the Volkov brothers kissed me.

Barren fields and green hills flash past us. The scenery looks similar to the ones on the way to New York City from Ashville.

We ride for over an hour without any stops.

When I feel him slowing down, I look ahead and see a vast gathering of people and colorful tents in the distance. Mikhail drives off the road and takes me to what appears to be a small fair.

A long line of motorcycles stands along the road. Mikhail brings his bike there and comes to a halt.

“We’re getting down here,” he says in a deep, grim tone. “Don’t even think about running. This place is full of rogue alphas. It’ll be bad for you if you end up in the clutches of the wrong sort here.”

His threat alerts me to the men walking around the place. Their jackets are a canvas of badges and pins. They’re wearing skull tattoos and piercings on their skin like it’s a part of their uniform. Most of them look like they’re part of criminal gangs.

There’s no way I’m straying away from Mikhail’s side. He’s just as scary as the alphas around me but deep within, I trust Mikhail with my life.

I make an awkward descent from the bike. Mikhail dismounts next and removes his helmet. Shaking the locks of his ash-blond hair, he looks up at the clear blue fall sky. A smile lights up his handsome face while his silvery eyes squint against the sun shining on him.

“It’s been a while, Mikey,” says a sultry, feminine voice.

Turning around, I face a beautiful woman in skinny jeans and a tank top that shows an impressive canvas of ink on her right arm. Her long, blond hair ripples past her shoulders in waves.

Sliding closer to Mikhail, she wounds her arms around his neck. She leans in to kiss him but he steps away just before her lips can touch his.

“Not now, Kiara,” Mikhail grunts. “I’m busy today.”

A whiff of cherry hits my nose, raising my hackles immediately. The omega within me has an instant dislike for the woman who’s daring to touch my alpha.

The blond omega turns her attention toward me, her eyes flashing with anger. “Where’d you pick her up?” she asks, her gaze sweeping me from head to foot. “She looks like a fucking hobo. Are you sure she’s not diseased?”

A venomous emotion erupts in my chest. How dare she call me diseased?! Looking past her insults, I can’t stand her talking so casually to Mikhail.

The idea that he’s nice to her breaks my heart. No woman has the right to get close to the men who’ve been mine since a decade ago!

“She’s my business,” he says shortly. Moving toward me, he slings an arm around my shoulders and walks toward a group of closely set-up tents nearby.

“Just so you know, I’ll tear her apart when you leave her here,” Kiara shouts after us.

Mikhail comes to a sudden halt and casts a backward glance at her. “Don’t make the mistake of threatening this woman again,” he says in a low, grim tone that drips with warning. “You don’t want me slicing up that sweet tongue, do you?”

Kiara’s face pales at once.

Looking away from her, he guides me away.

Warmth surges through me at his reaction. “Who is she?” I ask.

Mikhail glances down at me and grins. “Jealous?”

“No,” I lie at once.

Soft chuckles escape him. “Kiara and I are friends,” he says.

“Did you guys ever...?”

“What? Fucked?”

“Yeah,” I mutter, the burning sensation spreading across my chest.

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