Page 13 of Bratva Butcher

“That’s because I have. Before you arrived, I was the go-to around here.”

He shook his head. “No. That’s not it. The fighting skills. The confidence. The high tolerance for pain. You’re in the life, I’m sure of it.” He pointed to Veronica without even looking at her. “The woman in the right hand corner hasn’t stopped crying since I got here. Civilian. My brother is not above grabbing random women off the streets to satisfy his sick, perverted needs.” Veronica burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

His finger moved to Ana next. “The old woman is collateral. Most likely some gangster’s grandmother, taken to ensure a debt is paid.”

Ana gasped.

“The man is one of Dominik’s soldiers. That iron burn on his face? Classic Dominik tactic. He does that to the men who disobey him, and you” —he looked me up and down “—you are the only one whose presence here does not make any sense. You’re not a whore. Or a junkie. You’re far too skilled to be a civilian. Possibly could be collateral, however, I think that’s highly unlikely since they were torturing you for information. There’s no way my brother would hire someone smarter than him to work under him. Which means you’re not one of his soldiers. So, I’ll ask again. Who. Are. You?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “How incredibly perceptive you are, Sherlock Holmes.” The sarcasm was a front. In truth, I was actually quite impressed, albeit a little intimidated. He’d been there only a matter of days and he’d already deduced so much. Even something I myself had yet to figure out—what the hell Ana was doing there.

I’d suspected Veronica and Wink’s situation, but Ana’s? That had continued to elude me until right that moment.

“Perception plays a small part. The rest is logic. For example, based on the questions our recently departed friend over there kept asking during your interrogation, it’s logical to assume Dominik caught you doing something you weren’t meant to bedoing. ’Who hired you?’ ’Who hired you?’ That’s what he kept asking you. Hired you to do what? Spy on my brother? Steal from him?” He eyed me suspiciously. “Kill him?”

Shit.

“An assassin would tick all of the boxes,” he said thoughtfully to himself. “Quick, deadly…”

Double shit.

I need to deflect. Now. Before he figures out who I am.His deduction skills were infuriatingly good.

“As much as I appreciate all the attention, you’re not my type.”

He frowned. “What?”

I licked the last bit of oatmeal off my spoon, going for nonchalance. “The last man who showed this much interest in me tried to get me to fuck him in the middle of the club.”

Dimitri reared back as if I’d slapped him. As if the mere mention of something intimate happening between us was completely abhorrent.

“That’s not—I’m not trying—”

“Now, I’ll admit, you’re not bad to look at.”More like fucking lickable.“But I’m not interested.”

“Neither am I,” he hissed.

I smiled sweetly with just the right amount of pity. “No need to be embarrassed. We’re both adults here. I’m flattered, truly—”

His snarl was feral, like something a wild beast might do moments before it pounced for your jugular.“Ty nesnosnaya zhenshchina!”

“Uh-oh,” I sang, my brows raised. “That didn’t sound very nice.”

“Odnazhdy ya pererezhu tebe gorlo i iskupayus’ v tvoyey krov,”he spat harshly before spinning around, giving me his back, effectively ending our conversation.

A smirk curled my lips.

Autumn: 1

Dimitri: 0

Chapter Five

Dimitri Volkov

“Ty nesnosnaya zhenshchina!”Insufferable woman!

“Uh-oh,” she sang playfully, her brows rising. “That didn’t sound very nice.”

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