Page 32 of Owned By The Bratva King

Carrie is in her wheelchair in the garden beside the pond, a thick crochet blanket over her knees, and she waves heartily as I approach.

“Hello, my Quinn!” She nods at the ducks on the water. “These greedy little things have eaten all the seed I brought for them. Now we’re pretending we’re friends, and they aren’t just in it for the food.” She narrows her eyes at me, a smile playing on her lips. “What’s different?”

I sit on the wall beside her. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Something is distracting you, sweetheart.” She takes my hand and presses it to her hollowed cheek. “Is it a man? Tell me it is. I’d like nothing more than for you to fall in love.”

I sigh. There’s no way I can tell her what happened today. She’d demand I call the police, and for what? At least I can use the leftover money to help her.

Gloria, the care home manager, already told me that the amount I put on the account won’t go far but will keep her in better food and more regular outings for a couple of months.

I know she’d rather be at Rockaway Beach, in the house she shared with her beloved Winston back when they were young and had it all. They sold the old place long ago, and she always regretted it, but I guess that’s the thing about regret; when you know you’re leaving for your last adventure, it’s just extra baggage weighing you down.

Carrie isn’t one for looking back on the rough times; her heart is too big for that.

She pats my arm. “Quinn! You’re miles away. Come on, who is he? Who has my lovely girl’s panties in a bunch?”

“Carrie!” I smirk, and she giggles. “No one, really. It’s been a strange few days, that’s all.”

“You’re sure?”

Well, actually, a man with a gunshot wound locked me in my workplace and then abducted me to a fancy hotel. I escaped, he bought the bakery and my apartment building, and he’s now stalking me.

And, despite all this, I’m hot as sin for him and can think of little else other than him taking my virginity. Oh, and did I mention he shoved his cock down my throat in public, and I loved it?

There’s something seriously wrong with me. Katrina confirmed my suspicions; Roman is a player. A rich, entitled asshole who sees something he likes and buys it, women included. He’s determined to take what he wants on his own terms.

I feel a flutter in my pussy at the memory of Roman’s building climax, the intoxicating power I felt when I made him lose control.

I’m not totally on the back foot here. What’s so wrong with taking what I want, too?

24

Roman

“You had to run Silvio over?” Leon can’t keep the amusement from his voice. “I’m gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that you were bang up for it.”

Viktor sticks his head around the study door. “I’ve paid the men and spread a little goodwill on your behalf, but it’s you they wanna see.”

I stare into my empty glass. “Make my excuses, tovarisch. I’m not in the mood.”

Viktor shrugs and returns to the lounge. I’m supposed to show grace and favor to my many lower-level associates by opening my home to them, and usually, it’s no big deal. Tonight, I’m preoccupied with other matters.

I acted rashly. Can’t deny it. Running over Silvio Vercotti’s foot was impulsive and dumb, as was doing what I did to Quinn, but both were satisfying as hell. It’s not Vercotti who dominates my thoughts now, though.

“Are you gonna start seeing this girl?” Leon asks, picking up the vodka bottle. “You know, instead of watching. Similar words, but a world of difference in meaning.”

“She can do without getting her name attached to mine,” I reply. “The junk press can be vindictive, and besides, she doesn’t know about my bratva connections.”

“Connections?” Leon pours the drinks. “That’s a modest way to put it. You must mean the fact you have your hands on every Russian mob syndicate business on this coast. So do you plan to screw her on the sly and hope no one finds out? It’d be a fantastic plan if there were a chance of it working, but there isn’t, so it’s a dumbfuck idea.”

I shoot him a glare, but his expression makes me laugh instead. “I’m not taking relationship advice from you, buddy.”

“Why not?” Leon asks, nodding at Viktor as he comes into the room. “I had a threesome once.”

“Yeah,” Viktor says, butting in. “With a couple of no-shows. Happens to the best of us.”

I knock back my drink, enjoying the surge of warmth. Leon and Viktor are like family to me; we came up together and fought side by side to claim this city and its spoils.

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