Page 164 of Bratva Butcher

No.

Dimitri just jumped over the seats in front of me, and took his seat beside me with an air of complete casualness. I grinded my teeth together.

“I just want to talk.”

“Okay.”

He exhaled a sigh of relief. “I—”

I slammed my headphones over my ears and turned the music up all the way. Heavy metal rock music blasted out of them. Dimitri gave me a less than impressed look.

“I said you could talk!” I yelled loudly over the music in my ears. “I didn’t say I would listen!”

He yanked the headphones off my head.

“Hey!” I chastised, reaching for them. “Give those back.”

“Not until we talk.”

I scoffed. “You don’t want to talk to me, Dimitri.”

“Yes. I do.”

I stared him dead in the eyes. “No.You don’t.You just want to fuck with me. Act all flirty and funny so that when I let my guard down, you can just slam the door in my face and make me feel like an idiot.”

His face seemed to crumple right before my eyes. Guilt started to worm its way into my heart. I suddenly felt bad for making him look so sad and distressed.

Then, I remembered all the shit he’d said to me and the guilt went flying out the fucking window.

I got to my feet and started walking down the aisle away from him.

Dimitri followed. “Autumn, I—”

“Do you want to know why I don’t want to talk to you, Dimitri?” I asked, spinning around to face him. He stopped dead in his tracks. “Because I don’t care what you have to say.” He winced. I continued like I didn’t see it. “From the moment we met, all you’ve done is push me away with your threats, insults and abrasive attitude. In truth, I partly blame myself. The signs were all there. I just ignored them. I took what small, minuscule parts you were willing to offer me and ate them up like a crack addict. That gave you the impression you could treat me however you wanted—saywhatever you wanted—and I would just roll over and take it.”

He started shaking his head. “I don’t—”

“Did I sound like I was finished?” I snapped.

His mouth clicked shut.

“I’ve taken a lot of shit from you, and you’ve taken a lot from me. I think that’s the way we like it. We like to push each other’s buttons. We like to fight. I’m fire, you’re ice. But I haveneverhumiliated or disrespected you the same way you did me that day.”

Those beautiful blue eyes of his flashed with agony as if my words hurt him. Caused him physical pain. “Just give me a chance to explain.”

“Why should I?” I asked incredulously. “I heard everything you had to say then.”

“I’mbeggingyou, Autumn.”

I scoffed. “Begging means getting down on your knees. A man like you doesn’t—”

He dropped to his knees right in front of me. I was so stunned that I could do nothing but stare at him in shock. He took that opportunity to talk. “You have no idea how much I regret my actions that day. How sorry I am. Because I am. I’m so,sosorry, Autumn. I wish I could take it all back. Every. Single. Word.”

Oh, hell.

What the fuck was going on? Who was this man? Because he certainly wasn’t the DimitriIknew. First, he admitted point-blank that he missed me. Then,he got down on his fucking knees.And finally, he said he was sorry. Dimitri Volkov. Said he wassorry. S-O-R-R-Y.

When I stepped on the plane, did I actually step into some kind of alternate reality?

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