Page 90 of Bratva Butcher

He took a sip of his drink before placing it down on one of the side tables. “It’s the redhead, isn’t it? What’s her name? Angela? Annabelle?”

“Autumn, and no, it’s not,” I gritted out before downing my drink in one hit.

Mikhail barked out a laugh. “Right. Are you trying to fool me or fool yourself about that?”

I slammed my glass down on the desk so hard that it shattered. “I said it’s not, so fucking drop it.”

Mikhail arched a brow, his eyes flicking to the shards of glass now all over my desk and back up at me. “So, yourself then? Interesting.”

“Mikhail,” I growled in warning.

“Dimitri,” he growled right back, completely unafraid. “You know you’ve got your people absolutely terrified of you right now? More so than usual. Your maids tried to stop me from coming in here because they were afraid you’d kill me, you’re in such a bad mood. People play the damnJawstheme song when you walk down the hall.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But I did. That irritability I mentioned a while back? Yeah, that unfortunately was something I had a hard time hiding. Since returning from the island, I’d been snapping at everyone over everything.

Someone’s shoes squeaked as they walked?Snap.

Someone coughed or sneezed?Snap.

Someone ate their food too loudly?Fucking snap.

No one was safe. It didn’t matter if it was something small or something big. I was barking at anyone who came in my path, and there was nothing I could do about it.

“You’re going to have to talk about it eventually, my friend.” The sympathy and compassion layered in Mikhail’s voice just made me angrier.

I didn’t want to fucking talk about it.

There was nothingtotalk about.

But before I could say anything back, Mikhail started backing towards the door, his hands raised, palms facing me in a show of surrender. “I’m just saying. If you won’t talk to me, talk tosomeone.”

“How about I just shoot you?”

He opened the door, a wide smirk on his lips. “You wouldn’t shoot your best friend.”

Wouldn’t I?

I got to my feet and pulled out my gun from behind my back.

“Or maybe you will. Okay, bye!”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Dimitri Volkov

Istomped into myoffice a few days after my meeting with Mikhail, my mood as dark and angry as ever.

Despite keeping myself busy with preparations for Allistair’s Ball, my mind continued to wander, images of fiery green eyes and vibrant red hair haunting my fucking dreams.

It didn’t seem to matter that I told myself countless timesnotto think about her. Not to wonder what she was doing. Where she was. If she wasfuckingsomeone.

Denial was a funny thing. I’d told myself time and time again that I didn’t give a shit about anything to do with Autumn, and yet, I found myself incapable of thinking about anyone else.

I was so sure the minute she was out of my sight that things would go back to normal. That my mind would become clear once again. That all those unwanted feelings she’d brought up within me would vanish.

But that didn’t happen.

It was the opposite.

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