Page 22 of Innocent Bratva Hostage

He was close enough for me to get a whiff of his shampoo and the minty scent of his deodorant. “For someone who wouldn’t be here if you had a choice, you’re a little too relaxed,solnishko. You’re even trespassing.”

My throat went dry and remained dry no matter how much I swallowed.

I rolled my eyes, pretending to be as uninterested as I could. “I’m only here for one reason, Andrei.”

He cocked his brows.

I rolled my eyes again. “I want to find the men that killed my father.”

“And yet you haven’t given me the information I need,” he drawled, studying me with squinted eyes.

That was because I didn’thavethe information he needed.

For a moment, I considered making a deal. I could pretend I knew where the shipment was and would give it to him if he found the people who murdered my father, but that could be a double-edged sword.

I couldn’t trust Andrei or anyone else in the mafia. If I lied about knowing the whereabouts of the shipment, they could imprison me and torture me, maybe even kill me if they found out I didn’t really have it and was trying to manipulate them.

No, I couldn’t play a dangerous game like that.

“I would’ve given you the information already if I had it,” I explained, my tone sounding more desperate than ever. “Ispent the last couple of days wracking my brain for a clue on what that text meant. I’m sure it means something. I just haven’t figured it out yet.”

He nodded doubtfully. “Am I supposed to believe that?”

“Yes.”

“Well, you need to wrack your brain harder,solnishko. Think until you figure it out. In the meantime, I need you to do something for me.”

“Do you want me to lie that I’m your wife this time?” A teasing smile played on my lips. “Maybe we can spice it up and add that we have seven children. How does that sound?”

Andrei laughed.

And it wasn’t the sardonic type of laughter a sadist would huff right before they killed someone. His laugh was throaty, rumbling from his chest in a very genuine way. His blue eyes glinted, and he looked so handsome.

It was a weird sight, yet it made me want to laugh along with him.

“You have a great sense of humor, Giselle.”

I tilted my head. “Thanks, I got it from my dad.”

His smile vanished at the mention of Dad’s name, and that darkness crept back into his eyes. Something in the atmosphere shifted.

“I don’t need you to pretend you’re my wife,” he deadpanned, his jaw twitching. “I need you to keep playing the role of my fiancée.”

“Aren’t I already doing that perfectly?”

His lips flattened, making him look dead serious and even more terrifying. “Get ready. You’re accompanying me to my commander’s dinner party tomorrow.”

I raised a brow.

“You’re coming as my partner for the night at the exclusive gala event. You need to look your best.”

He wasn’t asking; he was ordering.

“I don’t have something to wear,” was the only argument I could make. “I need to go back home and find a dress, a purse, and heels, as well as get stuff for my makeup and hair.”

“That won’t be necessary. Get whatever you need online, and I’ll pay.”

He’d pay just like that? I almost laughed. “Okay, but I have to warn you, I’m greedy, and I go for really expensive things.”

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