Page 44 of Bratva Butcher

I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have given a shit.

And yet, I did.

I hated her. She was rude. Obnoxious. Self-centered. Annoying.

There was also something about her that excited me. Made my heart race. Made my skin buzz. The extremely territorial being I was didn’t like the idea of another man making a move on her. She wasmypartner in the games. Mine to torment. Mine to fuck with, and eventually,mineto kill.

Autumn spun her head around to face me, her eyes glaring daggers at me.

Mac finally decided to acknowledge my presence, his brows raised in surprise. “I didn’t realise you were already spoken for.”

“I’m not,” Autumn snapped, jumping to her feet. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Butcher?” she hissed, moving closer to me.

“What the fuck do you thinkyou’redoing, woman?” I hissed back angrily, scowling down at her. “He’s theenemy, in case you forgot. Our competition. You don’t fuck the competition.”

“Who I fuck is none of your goddamn business.” She went to turn around to go back to Mac, and I gripped her arm, stopping her.

“As you so eloquently stated previously, our fates are firmly tied together. That meansyourfuck ups aremyfuck ups. I don’t want to risk you getting some kind of soft spot for him in the middle of that arena and hesitating to do what needs to be done,” I spat. “It could cost me my life.”

Yes. That was it. It wasn’t because I was jealous. Because I definitely wasn’t. It was just because I didn’t want her putting me at risk. That made a lot more sense.

Amusement twinkled in those bewitching green eyes. “You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve got no problem killing a man I’ve fucked. I’ve done it before.”

“That’s great. You’re a praying mantis,” I replied dryly. “Thing is, I don’t care. You don’t fraternise with your enemy. That’s common fucking knowledge. If you’re too stupid to realise that, you deserve to get killed in that arena.”

Her brows slammed down into an angry frown. She flitted her gaze between me and Mac, then smiled. It was a victorious smile. As if she’d just won some kind of long fought battle. “Fine. I won’t fuck him, but you need to give me something in return.”

My body zinged to life. Heat flared in my eyes. Involuntarily, my gaze moved to her lips.She can’t possibly mean—

Her smile widened. “That’s not what I meant, but good to know where your head’s at.”

Anger was quick to replace the burning lust running through my veins. “Whatever you’re thinking is wrong,” I hissed. “I wouldn’t touch you if you were the last woman on Earth. Even then, it would be a fucking chore.”

She tutted. “Lying is bad for the soul, Butcher.”

“I don’t have a soul.”

“I won’t disagree with you on that. What I was going to say was, you’ll owe me one.”

I frowned. “Owe you one what?”

She shrugged a shoulder casually. “Anything. A favour from the Bratva Butcher could come in handy one day.”

My eyes narrowed in skepticism. It seemed like an easy enough bargain, especially when I considered the fact that we were most likely not going to get out of there alive. There was a very good chance I’d never have to make good on that favour.

“Fine,” I agreed. “But you need to stay away fromallthe other prisoners. We’re not here to make friends. We’re here to kill each other. And if you compromise me, I’ll end your life in a fucking heartbeat. Got it?”

She cocked her head to the side and ran her eyes down my body, then up again slowly until she landed on my face. She took a step forward, bringing herself completely into my space.

I had to remember how to breathe. What the fuck was going on with me? How was she affecting me that way? I didn’t understand it. Didn’t understand this powerful pull I had to look at her fucking lips again.

I kept my eyes locked with hers. It took every ounce of willpower I possessed.

She leant forward, rising up onto her tippy toes so she could whisper in my ear, “Not if I end yours first.”

Why the fuck does that excite me?

It was eerily quiet with everyone asleep. A short while after dinner was served, the lights went out, encasing the room in darkness. Almost everyone got the message, going straight to sleep. Only a few remained awake: myself, a blonde woman in the far cell, who was sobbing quietly, and a short, dark-haired man doing push-ups.

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