Page 111 of Inked Adonis

And if she screams, if I roar, who would give a shit? Not I.

I want everyone in this building to know this woman belongs to me.

The last time we were here together, we were covered in sand and lake water, and we couldn’t get our clothes off fast enough. The memory cranks the hum under my skin to a dull bellow, but I force it down as I follow her into her apartment.

A collection of half-full, mismatched water glasses looms on the kitchen island. I tap the side of one, sending a tinkle through the whole assembly. “Did you have people over?”

“Not a soul.”

I never agreed to the coffee, but she hands me a steaming mug anyway. It has a picture of a schnauzer on the side with the words “I Woof You”printed underneath.

I wonder if it’s a sign until she taps her chin and continues, “Not unless you count your childhood bullies, all of your ex-girlfriends, and that delivery guy who cut you off in traffic last week.”

She takes a drink from her own mug—a line drawing of a golden retriever flipping both middle fingers with the words “Fetch This”underneath.

That onemustbe a sign.

But she’s making a joke. That’s one point for me not having to kidnap her to get her back in my house.

“A real anti-Samuil crowd,” I muse, taking a seat on the sofa. “Did Myles crash the party? He’s been leaning that way recently.”

Suddenly, she places her mug on the coffee table and crosses her arms. “Are you here to chit-chat, to bring me the dogs, or something else? If it’s the first one, I’m good. If it’s the second, fine—I guess you technically still pay for me to walk Rufus. If it’s the third, don’t bother. I told Myles I needed space. I haven’t changed my mind.”

“There’s more than enough space at the penthouse.” I cast a pointed look around the cramped room. Rufus and Ruby are fighting over a pink bean bag in the corner. “More space than you have here.”

“You know damn well that’s not what I meant, Sam.”

“How could I know what you mean if you won’t even look me in the eye?” I fire back.

She turns away, her jaw working from side to side. “I apologized about the phone.”

“And then you fled under the cover of nightfall. If you’re trying to look innocent?—”

“I’m not trying to ‘look’ anything. Iaminnocent. I didn’t do anything—” She blows out a frustrated breath. “I didn’tmeanto do anything wrong.”

I can feel every spring of this couch digging into my spine, like a reminder of the thousand things that have gotten fucked up between us.Let her off the hook, you idiot,they seem to be screaming at me.You know she wouldn’t betray you.

But the words come out of my mouth all wrong. “Right, right. I guess you thought Katerina wanted to be best fucking friends. The two of you were going to stay up late talking on the phone, gossiping and sharing notes about the man you’ve both slept with.”

A humiliated blush rises in her cheeks. I pinch the bridge of my nose and exhale.

Idiot.

“I came here to bring you back,” I grit out under my breath. “I was going to be calm.”

Calm.That’s a fucking joke. I haven’t been “calm” around Nova since the moment we met. It was all or nothing from the very start.

She huffs out a laugh. “That would be a first.”

“You put my Bratva—not to mention yourself—in danger,” I snarl at her. “I should still be furious. I have every right to be. If I wasn’t, my enemies would’ve killed me a long time ago.”

The look on her face is another sign Myles was right: Nova has no fucking clue what kind of mess she’s walked into.

I thought kidnapping her and holding her captive for two weeks would’ve been enough of a peek at the dark underbelly I was born into, but apparently not.

“But Katerina isn’t… She’s your ex-wife.” Nova’s forehead creases as she tries to make sense of it all. “You don’t like her, but she’s not yourenemy. She wouldn’t actually hurt you.”

I wish I could tell Nova she’s right. I want to nod and tell her the world is as safe as she thinks it is. Ex-wives are annoying, but they don’t fraternize with rival crime rings to destroy everything you’ve built. Brothers are messy, but it doesn’t mean you have to spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder, waiting for the next attack.

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