Page 40 of Ruthless Bratva King

We reach the Bentley undetected, and I open the passenger door, ushering her inside before sliding into the driver’s seat.

As the engine purrs to life, I glance at her. She’s pale, her lips pressed into a tight line, but she doesn’t look at me. Her gaze is fixed out the window.

I pull out of the lot, the car rolling smoothly into the street. In the rearview mirror, the hotel grows smaller.

The silence between us is heavy, thick with unspoken thoughts. I focus on the road, my grip on the steering wheel tight as my mind turns over the events of the night.

Elena finally speaks. “Is this what dating you is like?”

I glance at her, my jaw tightening. “I’ve never dated before.”

Her fingers curl into her lap, her knuckles white. “Should I be honored or scared?”

I reach over, placing one hand over hers. She doesn’t pull away, but she doesn’t look at me, either.

“You’re with me now,” I say quietly, my voice firm. “You’ll never need to be scared ever again.”

29

ELENA

“What just happened back there?” My voice is too loud, shaky. I don’t care. “And who were those people?”

Dmitri doesn’t look at me. His eyes remain on the road. The only sign of tension is the whiteness of his knuckles. “I handled it.”

“Handled it?” I twist in my seat to face him. “He had a gun, Dmitri. A gun! And Veronica?—”

“She’s fine.” His tone is even, measured, like we’re discussing the weather. “Vladimir has put her up in one of our secure locations, and he’ll protect her like his life depends on it.” He gives me a cold smile. “Because it does.”

Something in the way he says it makes me bristle. “Why is that funny?”

He glances at me, a dark chuckle underlining his words. “Because he knows if she gets hurt, he and his entire family will pay the price.”

I gape at him. “You’re saying you’d kill a family.”

He doesn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

The word is a punch to the gut. Simple. Direct. No attempt to sugarcoat it.

My breath quickens, coming in short, uneven bursts. “His family? All of them?” I think of my family, of the message carved into the wall. Are they alive? Or dead?

The idea hits me hard. Perhaps they haven’t gone missing. Perhaps Dmitri is toying with me and he’s already killed them. Am I next?

I cross my arms tightly over my chest, as if I can physically hold myself together. “You left a dead man in the elevator. Those two in the bar, as well. The police?—”

“Won’t be an issue.”

“How can you know that?”

“Because if you talk to them, your life will change,” he replies, his voice growing harder. “You’ll be under constant surveillance. Your phone calls will be recorded. Your home will be bugged. They’ll dissect every aspect of your life. No one at the hotel saw a thing, trust me. You want to talk to the cops? Be my guest. No body, no witnesses, just a connection between you and me that’s too clear to ignore.”

I stare at him, horrified. “Are you saying you think I’d try and turn you in?”

His knuckles tighten on the wheel. “I know what happens to anyone associated with someone like me. The powers that be don’t care about innocence or guilt, Elena. They care about leverage.”

I feel like the air has been sucked out of the car. “Why were those men after me?”

His lips press into a thin line. He’s silent for a beat before answering, his voice low and rough. “Because I’m a selfish bastard.”

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