Page 50 of Bratva Butcher

“See this? See this line? Don’t fucking cross it. This ismyside, okay? And that’syourside.” I pointed to the makeshift line I’d created out of toilet paper that ran through the middle of the cell, spanning from the bars at the front all the way to the concrete wall at the back.

Autumn stood on her cot, hands on her hips, looking at the line incredulously. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, yes, I fucking can.” I’d had enough. It was bad enough that I was sharing a cell with the woman, but having her constantly up in my space all the time? Always coming over and sitting on my bed, taking my blanket because it looked warmer than hers, stealing my fucking food, drinking out of my water bottle… No.

She was fuckingeverywhere. All the time. There was no escape from her.

It would be fine if the only thing I felt about it all was annoyance. I could handle that. What I could not handle, however, was the fact that my heart beat that little bit faster whenever she was close to me. Especially when she was close enough that all I’d have to do is reach out to be able to touch her annoyingly soft skin.

I needed space from her, which was damn near impossible considering our circumstances, and the only solution I could think of was to establish boundaries.

Yes. Boundaries. I need boundaries.

Dear God, what’s become of me?

“This cell is the size of a fucking bathroom. We already have barely any space, and you want to minimize that even more? Are you insane?” she hissed, her face turning red.

“Consider it a pre-emptive strike. Because if you continue the way you’re going, I’m going to end up fucking murdering you.”

She pointed to her chest, aghast. “Me? What the hell have I done?”

“What haven’t you done is the appropriate question,” I seethed. “You keep touching all my stuff.”

“What stuff?!”

“My blanket. My pillow. My food.”

“You really shouldn’t touch his things,” Rebecca chimed in from behind me.

I spun to face her. “Did I ask for your fucking help?” I growled.

She recoiled, stepping away from the cell bars.

I looked back to Autumn. I pointed at her side. “Your side.” I pointed to mine. “My side.” I pointed to hers again. “Yourside.” Back to mine. “Myside. Got. It?”

She jumped down from her cot and moved towards me.

“Ah!” I pointed to the line. “Don’t you dare take another step.”

“Or what?” she taunted, her leg up in the air, hovering over the line.

Fuck. Orwhat? What could I do? I didn’t have a whole lot to work with. Thankfully, I didn’t have to answer because the lights blinked out, encasing the room in total darkness. We both stayed where we were, letting our eyes adjust to the lack of light, then we both grumbled at each other before moving to sit on our beds.

“Here’s one thing you probably didn’t think about, Your Royal Grouchiness,” she huffed, her annoyance dripping with every word she said. “How are we supposed to train if we’re meant to stay on our designated sides?”

A very good point. One I actually hadn’t thought about… But I wasn’t going to tellherthat. So, I just lied out of my ass. “Training is done for now. I don’t trust that I won’t snap your neck by accident.” Oh, would you look at that? It turned out I didn’t have to lie after all.

Funny that.

“Whatever,” she grumbled under her breath. “I hated it anyway.”

I didn’t. It gave me an excuse to touch her. One that didn’t leave me riddled with fucking guilt.

And that was the damn problem, wasn’t it? I’d come to look forward to our training sessions when really, I should have hatedthem. Fucking dreaded them. Dreaded the idea of laying my hands on a woman who wasn’t my wife.

My wife.

I closed my eyes, willing Yekaterina to appear. I needed to see her. To banish any thought of Autumn from my mind.

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