Page 17 of Vitaly

“Stop that,” I growl. “I’m not here to be your white knight. I’m here because my father gave you to me, and I wanted to honor that.” I release her wrists and haul her by her shoulder to the middle of the room before giving her a shove toward the door. “You want to be my uncle’s whore? Fine. Go. I gave you your shot. It isn’t my problem that you’re too stupid to take it.”

Mila turns and picks up the passport off the floor, her nostrils flared. I think maybe she’s come to her senses, but no. Standingup straight, she rips the passport in half and tosses it back on the ground.

“Alekseevsdo not abandon our people.”

I scoff, blood filling my ears at this woman’s misguided loyalty. “Yourpeople? The brotherhood is not your people, stupid girl. You’re their property.”

She laughs like I’m missing something, but it’s stunted. She knows there’s truth to my words. “You’ve been gone a long time. Just because you threw me away doesn’t mean someone else didn’t see my worth… I’m no one’s whore and no one’s property.” She holds her head high and seems to force a wicked smile. “Although, I’ll warn you, my husband is possessive. As soon as the Pakhan finds out you’ve taken me, you’re dead. I promise you that.”

“Husband?” I tilt my head. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

“Yes.” She nods. “Stupid enough to kidnap a Pakhan’s wife.”

I nod slowly and don’t bother pointing out the state I found her in last night. Nikita has her running jobs without protection, and to make matters worse, it was his own people who attacked her. If I had to guess, I’d say Nikita isn’t too worried about keeping Mila around.

She’s in danger. How can she not see that?

I don’t know. It isn’t my problem.

I did what I could.

“Nikita tried to kill me once already,” I shrug, remembering the assassins who came to me in Russia once I was out of prison. Their arrival was no surprise. I’d been expecting them. “He can try again.”

She glares at me while I wave to the door. “Run along now. The slaughterhouse is waiting… Keys are in the ignition.”

“Fuck you, Vitaly.”

I dip my chin. “You already said that.”

With one last sneer, she turns and runs out the door like she expects me to shoot her in the back. I walk to the window and watch her speed away in the same SUV that showed up to kill her.

Stupid,stupidgirl.

6

MILA

Gravel flies as I speed down the road to the Petrov mansion, my hands gripping the wheel. My jaw hasn’t unclenched since I peeled away from that shitty little cabin Vitaly has holed himself up in.

I can barely feel my hands. My fingers have all but gone numb, so I squeeze the wheel harder and yell at the windshield, a frustrated cry ripping from my lungs.

He’s back.

The devil is back.

And worse than him coming for Nikita, coming for his throne… He’s come forme.

Nikita promised me he was dead. Hepromisedme the assassins killed him within weeks of him being released from prison. He said they confirmed it, that they sent him photos of the body. That it wasdone, forever.

Helied.

“Fuck!” I scream, banging my fist against the wheel and bucking in my seat. Adrenaline pours through my veins like thick lava as the inferno inside me blazes.

I’ve never felt so angry. So out of control of myself.

I should’ve killed him. I shouldn’t have missed when I threw that knife.

Why did I miss?

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