Page 16 of Brutal Promise

His eyes are on me again, and my jaw drops.Shit, he’s profiled me. He’s probably a hitman.

Fuck me.

I clear my throat. “Now you’re a shrink?”

“I call it the way I see it, and I’m rarely wrong. You have some tough finger pads, which means your artwork is more manual labor than delicate work. You’re not likely to get strong fingers from a paintbrush. Alena paints, and hers are still very….” He’s toying with me now. “Feminine.”

His eyes remind me of dark pools of death. They are so black, so deep, and I can’t read anything in them. I wonder if he feels anything at all. He could be a psychopath, for all I know.

“Oh, so now I’m a cave dweller? Figures, coming from a Russian. You’re used to women doing all the heavy lifting.” I finish the last bite of my food, and as it slides down my throat before he surprises me by grabbing my wrist with his cat-like reflexes.

Holy fuck.I jump from my chair so fast it flies backward, crashing as it hits the marble floor. I can’t move. I pull my arm, but he moves quickly around the end of the island. My wrist is starting to hurt.

“What’s the problem?” he mocks me with his sardonic tone.

“What do you want?”

“The truth.”

“I told you the truth. Believe what you want, but I’m not one of your kind. I’m Alena’s best friend. I have immunity.”

“No one has immunity. You betray us, lie to us, we’ll kill you just like we’d gut a fish for dinner.”

Oh, fuck.Where is Alena? I’m with a madman.

“Let go!” I yell.

“That bastard in the bar left a bruise on your arm.” He gently traces the mark with his finger. I notice his crooked pinkie for the first time. It looks like an old injury that healed wrong. He’s full of battle scars and probably has a story to go with each one. “I should have killed him,” he murmurs. “I’ll have his head for that.”

“Head?” I feel faint. “No, please. I’m sure he was drunk. I can’t be responsible for someone dying. I’ve had enough of that.”

“Explain.” He releases me at last. I sigh in relief, rubbing my wrist.

Dmitry can be a scary dude. His mood swings and split personality have my head spinning. I’m struggling to determine which one is the real Dmitry.

“You have serious trust issues.” I huff, determined not to give him the upper hand.

“You do too. I don’t think you’ve ever climaxed the way you did last night with anyone else.”

“That’s not for you to decide. I’ve had decent lovers.” I stand with my chin up and chest out.Dammit.I’m still in his shirt, and it’s hard to make a serious point when I’m not wearing panties.

His eyes catch mine, and we have a stare down. It’s like a kid’s game to see who blinks first. I never win these games. Besides, the winter air is too dry and makes my eyes water half the time.

I blink first.

“You have secrets.” He moves to the kitchen and washes the plates and skillet by hand, then sets them in the sink to dry. “What are they?”

“Well, if you must know. I think someone is following Alena.”

“What?” He turns off the water and reads my face. “How can that be? Her father would be all over it. I’m sure she has guards she doesn’t know about following her.”

“I’m not so sure. She’s very adamant about what she does. I suppose they could be good at blending in. Maybe she doesn’t think about it as much.”

“Mm, that’s strange. I’d never leave anyone I love unguarded, and still, accidents happen.” He grows distant. I’m sure there’s more to that look than what he’s sharing.

“No.” I smack my hand on the counter. “You’re not listening. Someone followed me, but I think they want Alena. I’m no one special. Why would anyone want me?”

He dries his hands and plants himself in front of me. His fingers are on my hips, and my pussy quivers with anticipation. We fucked our brains out three times last night, and I still want more.

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