Page 101 of Bratva Knight

“You’re going to have to be more specific.”

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How many things could I be referring to? What else have you done?”

“Until I have more information, I plead the fifth.” There was a grunt and a Russian curse, but it wasn’t from him. He was probably sparring again.

“The design space, Nikolai.”

“Ah.” So much humor in that one syllable word. ”Do you like it?”

“You know I love it.” I walked around the room, lovingly running my fingers over everything. “But I told you to stop doing things for me.”

“And I told you I’d rather die.” Another grunt. Another curse. “How it was before wasn’t good for your creative mind, Tati, and you know it. How are you meant to become the next Vera Wang, or Donatella Versace, or Christian Dior if you don’t have the space to do your best work?”

I bit my lip. He’d done some research. That was the only way he knew who those people were. Nikolai didn’t give a shit about fashion or what he wore. If it fit, he wore it.

“As much as I love what you’ve done—and I do—this isn’t my apartment, Nikolai. I’m renting it from Arturo and your sister. Who, by the way, still isn’t talking to me. You can’t just—”

“I can,” he cut in. “I already called Arturo and told him what I was going to do. I had all the furniture moved into storage and it will all be returned once you leave.”

The wording was hard not to notice. “I told him,” not “I asked him.” If Arturo had said no, I doubt Nikolai would have listened.

I exhaled and collapsed into the comfortable armchair in the corner of the room. Next to it sat a mini fridge. Which, when I opened it, was filled with all of my favourite drinks and snacks. The man really had thought ofeverything.

“Honestly, I don’t even know what to say. What you’ve done here, for me, it’s nothing short of amazing. Thank you. It really means a lot.”

“Making you happy makes me happy.”

“Ya byla by schastliva, yesli by ty perestal delat’ chto-to dlya menya.” I’d be happy if you stopped doing things for me.

“Vidimo, togda oba budut neschastny.” I guess we’re both going to beunhappy then.He responded just as quickly. I laughed softly. It was worth a shot.

My phone beeped. I looked at the screen and saw Arturo was trying to call me. Strange.

“I have to go. Thank you again so much for the room. It’s beautiful.”

“Ostavaytes’ v bexopasnosti, do vstrechi.” Be safe. Talk soon.

“Ty tozhe.”You too.

I hung up and accepted Arturo’s incoming call. “Hey. What’s going on?”

“We’re moving on Franco in an hour. You in or out?”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Tatiana Andreeva

Oh,man.Nikolaiisabsolutely going to murder me.

I was crouched down on one knee behind the small table in the kitchen of Arturo’s new fake distribution house.

The plan was simple. Let Franco and his men infiltrate. Take them by surprise. Kill his men. Take Franco alive. Haul ass.

Simple, right?

Wrong!

There was nothing simple about it because, for some reason, the plan had been pushed forward and Nikolai wasn’t there. He wasn’t there, and I was, and he was going to fucking kill me.

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