Page 10 of Crown of Hate

Fuck. That deep throaty voice.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I yell, thrashing against his grip. But it’s like trying to break free from iron chains.

And Mikhail’s just grinning like he’s having the time of his life. “I’m here because I missed you, of course.”

I scoff at the flimsy excuse. “You were fucking stalking me.”

“Following. I wanted to admire you from afar,” he purrs. He frees one of my hands and cups my chin.

A loathsome part of me wants to melt into his touch and revel in the heat rolling off him, but the hate searing through me stops that desire dead. “I told you not to call me that. My name is Alya.”

He simply shrugs, dismissing my anger as if it’s nothing more than an annoying fly. “I’m involved with too many women to keep track of names.”

I cringe in disgust, then a tinge of jealousy flares in my chest. “You’re a pig.”

His eyes glints wickedly. “Not a pig, but I can be filthy like one. Want me to show you just how dirty I can get?”

My stomach flips, but I force a scowl. “You’ve done enough dirt for one lifetime… like murdering my father.”

I swear I catch a flicker of… something in those icy blue eyes before his face goes blank and he finally releases my hand. I can’t tell if he’s angry or shocked. “What makes you think I killed your father?”

“Don’t you dare fucking deny it,” I snarl, crossing my arms and glaring up at him. “I took you for a lot of things. A coward wasn’t one of them. Guess I’ll have to add that to the list now.”

“Feel free. But only after I take you home.” He shifts to the side, making way for me to move first.

I blink, sure I’ve misheard. “You’re what?”

“Taking you home.”

I laugh, venom spilling from my tongue. “You’re out of your mind.”

He lifts a brow. “Does it look that way to you?”

This man is a whole load of trouble. His entire aura screams danger. His smile, his demeanor, his reputation—it all sets off alarm bells in my head. My instincts are telling me to run. It’s a primal fear. But another primal emotion roots me to the spot.

“Thanks for the offer, but I can find my own way home.” I try to brush past him, but he grabs my wrist again.

His touch is electric. Every time he touches me, it’s like being struck by a warm, powerful bolt of lightning. My skin prickles. My back arches involuntarily. I’ve never felt so betrayed by my own body.

I should despise him with every fiber of my being. He’s my enemy. But even if he wasn’t, my father did his best to shelter me from the underworld. I refuse to get tangled up in this mafia bullshit.

“I don’t like repeating myself,malyshka,” he warns, his tone eerily calm. “Come with me. Now”

My heart hammers against my ribs. “I don’t follow strange men home,” I croak. “Let me go, or I’ll scream.”

“Strange men?” He chuckles darkly. “Funny. If I’m so strange, why did you waltz straight into my home with a letter proposing marriage?”

My cheeks flush with embarrassment. “That was—” I trail off. Fuck Akim for getting me into this situation.

Mikhail leans in close enough that I inhale his woodsy scent. “Scream. I dare you.”

I open my mouth, but before I can make a sound, he lifts me off the ground and flips me over his shoulder.

I kick, thrash, and even try to bite. “Put me down, you psycho!”

“Stay still. We don’t want you to get hurt now, do we?”

Fear lurches through me as he marches us towards a fleet of black Mercedes at the far end of the street. A group of men in dark suits stand waiting.

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