Page 99 of Cruel Promise

Nikolai stares Jason down. “What am I missing?”

“I didn’t press charges,” Jason says, raising his hands in surrender. “I swear. I didn’t. You don’t need to come for me.”

“Press charges for what?”

“I slapped him,” I admit. “It was nothing. I was just angry.” Why am I spewing word vomit? It just keeps coming out. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to kill him.” My eyes zero in on Nikolai’s forearms, and all I can think about is how strong and masculine they look. God, he’s an attractive man.

I grip one of his forearms and squeeze before I laugh. “You’re so strong. I love it.”

Nikolai looks at me funny. “Are you all right?”

I take in his entire physique. Broad shoulders. Strong. Tall. So, so handsome. “I love the way you look.” It comes out before I can stop it, but why do I want to stop it? It feels good to behonest. “You turn me on,” I admit, running my hands down his chest.

“Jeez, Ava,” Jason mutters. “In front of me?”

Nikolai’s eyes widen as he grabs my hands. “You’ve been drugged.”

“What? No, I haven’t. I’m just seeing everything clearly.” Another wave of dizziness hits, but I push it aside. “I need you, Nikolai. I need you.”

“You’re not in your right mind.” He turns to Jason. “Did you drug her?”

“What? No!”

“I don’t trust you. I don’t like you. Just stay away from my wife.”

“It’s a free country. I can talk to who I like.”

Nikolai punches Jason and knocks him to the floor. Jason doesn’t get back up.

A laugh bubbles out of me. “That was so hot.”

Nikolai gently grabs my arm. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here. You’re not safe. Not when you’re like this.”

“But I have you.” I snuggle against his chest. The fabric of his shirt is so soft and warm and smells so, so good.

“You do have me, Ava. But right now, you’ve been drugged, and I need to get you out of here.”

We start to head for the front door, but I slip and fall to the ground and laugh harder.

“Someone’s had a lot to drink,” Dimitri says, approaching us, sans women.

Nikolai whirls around on him. “She’s been drugged. Roofied. She’s not fucking drunk.”

“Woah. Calm down, Nik. I didn’t know.”

“Of course, you didn’t know,” he grumbles, helping me stand back up. “You never know anything, do you, Dimitri? You didn’t know how to help Ava and left her abandoned in your club.You didn’t know how to help me with Maxim even though we’re partners. You don’t know any anything.”

“Hey, this is my club. I invited you here. Show a little respect.”

“My wife got drugged in your club! Someone fucking roofied her.”

“Well, I don’t know who.”

The growl that escapes Nikolai is low and dark and, honestly, terrifying. “I don’t know either, and because of that, you’re the only one I have to blame. We’re done.” Nik starts leading me toward the front door.

“Done?” Dimitri asks, following. “What do you mean done?”

“I mean what I mean.”

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