Page 5 of Kept By the Bratva

“I hope so.” She rubbed my forearm and glanced aside. “Your man’s still staring at ya.”

I smirked.So what?Instead of complaining, not wanting to be more of a downer for her, I smiled. “Maybe another time.”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Talia joined us then, waving her arms over her head in a swaying sort of dance.

I cringed at the volume of her high-pitched voice, and I knew that was definitely my cue to go. After I said goodbye to both of them, I started going down the long aisle space alongside the dancing area. Plush chairs circled low tables, and I had to deviate and detour around a large portion of the seating area because so many men were receiving lap dances at the moment.

Before I reached the door to exit, I turned, freeing the strap to my clutch from where it had gotten stuck on a chair. As I twisted at the hips, I spotted the man. My secret admirer. His jacket collar was up, hiding most of his face, but this close, I spotted how well his suit molded to his muscular body.

What the hell?He was really interested in keeping me within his sights.

I couldn’t make out many details of his face with his longish, dark-brown hair hanging over his features. There was no mistaking how directly he kept his eyes trained on me—only me.

Creepy.I was no stranger to getting men’s attention. But this felt like an obsession, something more than just checking out a woman at a club.

I hurried the rest of the way to the door, doing my best not to run or look panicked. More than anything, I had tolookcool and confident. I never ran from my problems. I wasn’t a coward.

One more glance back over my shoulder proved that I was correct. This guy, whoever the hell he thought he was, was chasing after me. There was no other explanation, and realizing that I was some predatoryman’s prey, I felt the first punches of adrenaline coursing through my body.

Fight or flight?

Oh, I was going. I was fleeing.

My flimsy shoes hit the pavement outside, and now that I was out in the open night air, I hustled. I picked up my pace and quickened into more than a walk.

I glanced over my shoulder again, unable to resist this nagging sense of alarm.

Oh, shit.

He was following me, hurrying to catch up.

I lowered my arms and dropped into a faster power walk, wondering if I should just jog to the alley and slip away in the shadows.

That man clearly wanted something from me, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out what.

Racing forward, I tripped and sprained my ankle a bit.Fuck!

His footsteps sounded closer, and I gasped and tried to stem this growing panic.

3

NIKOLAI

It’s her.

I had never believed in luck or stupid shit like that. Life wasn’t a game of fate. It was just reality. Often cold and dark, in my case.

Spotting those familiar long blonde locks, I was treated to a moment of hope and brightness.

I struggled with disbelief, stunned in place and not trusting my eyes when I did a double-take at Harrow’s. Of all the fucking places in the city, in the world, I’d run into herhere?

Keeping to the darkness, I relied on stealth to stare at her. Itwasher, and I fell deep into the pit of infatuation and amazement as I watched her. Her friend noticed my attention first. She didn’t assume I was checking her out. Very quickly, she realized I was focused on her shorter friend.

I didn’t approach her, content for now to simply watch and stare. Nothing would have stopped me from approaching her. She wasn’t with anyone but that taller Black woman, a friend, it seemed. Noobstacles would have prevented me from walking right up there and seeing her closer, even touching her.

But I didn’t. I had my reservations, and for good reason.

Amy didn’t belong in my life. I realized that during our one night together, and I was aware of it now. She wouldn’t fit in my dangerous life as a Bratva spy. She was innocent, a veterinary technician who paid her bills and never broke the law.

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