Page 4 of Stolen By The Bratva King

I need to leave, but I’m dragging my feet. A man glares at me as he hurries toward the hospital doors, but I resist the urge to call him out and go back to my thoughts.

Emery is a beautiful, brilliant woman with her own problems, none of which involve me. So why do I care?

Because she’s a delicate, precious treasure, a ray of light. And if I don’t step in, this world will snuff her out.

That sounds so wild that I laugh aloud.Sure thing, genius.And what are you gonna do with that goodness other than fucking ruin it?

I’m still smirking at my stupidity when I hear an indignant shout cutting through the night.

“Emery!”

I wheel around to see Dr. Emery Bright standing in the hospital doorway, illuminated by the harsh fluorescent tube lights, and I exhale heavily.

Sweet Jesus, she’s stunning. Her collarbone-length chestnut hair draws my eyes down her body, and even in her blue scrubs, her curvy shape is a knockout. She wraps her arms around herself as though trying to seem smaller, shrinking before my eyes.

The man who passed me moments ago calls Emery’s name, closing down on her fast. I’m in a dark spot between the streetlights, just a few feet away, and I can hear him all too well.

“You were meant to meet me ages ago,” the man says, his voice rising angrily. “I’m leaving for LA tomorrow and won’t see you until the wedding. What the fuck are you playing at?”

“Dante, please.” Emery steps out of his reach, gesturing behind her. “It’s been crazy in there. A kid came in with a gunshot wound, and I had to get him into surgery?—”

Dante moves too quickly for her to evade him, and he grabs her arm, twisting her wrist.

“They don’t pay you extra to hang around. Or do you work late to avoid me?”

Thisis the piece of shit hurting her?

A surge of white-hot fury tears through my body, urging me to destroy him and anyone else who touches her.

“Hey, fuckface!” I shout, walking toward them. “Let her go.”

Dante furrows his brow and tightens his grip, making Emery yelp in pain.

“Keep out of it, big guy,” he says. “My fiancée and I are fine, so keep your hero bullshit to your?—”

I swing my fist and connect with his cheekbone. He gives a gargling cry, releasing Emery from his grasp, and she turns to me, her expression desperate.

“Stop it!” she cries. “I know you’re trying to help, but please, leave us alone.” She rubs her wrist, and I see fresh bruises blooming on her pale skin.

Dante is on his feet, wiping his busted lip on his sleeve. “Go inside, Emery,” he says. “Call the cops. Now!”

She glances between us, her eyes wide with fear. Then she turns on her heel and hurries back into the hospital, the door swinging shut behind her.

Dante’s grin makes me want to rearrange his face all over again. “You can’t do anything to me, buddy. I’m on my way to the top, and I got connections. So you better get out of here while you can.”

I take a step closer, towering over him. I wanna fuck him up, but beating the shit out of him in a hospital parking lot would not be wise. Emery would have to deal with the fallout, and I’m not here to make her life harder.

The idea of kidnapping her tempts me just as strongly, but without any legitimate claim on her, it would only make things worse.

I need to know more about Dante—how deep his roots go, what dirt he’s hiding, and how to tear his life apart from the inside out. For now, I’ll let him sweat.

I lean in close. “When’s the wedding?” I ask abruptly.

He blinks. “Friday. Why?”

I deliver a powerful uppercut to his jaw, sending him crashing backward into a streetlight post. He slumps to the concrete, and I stand over him, fists clenched.

“I’ll see you there,” I say.

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