Page 24 of Innocent Bratva Hostage

Something about the way she said it made my jaw tighten. Like she knew exactly what the game was and was playing along. Sometimes, I couldn’t tell if I was the one manipulating her or if I was getting fooled instead.

I started the car, suppressing the urge to glance at her again. This was going to be a long night.

***

The drive to the gala was smooth, but the tension inside the car was palpable all thirty minutes it took us to get here—at least for me, it was.

Giselle sat comfortably beside me, lightly tracing the edge of her clutch. She was at ease—too at ease for my liking—while I struggled with the urge to not lose my self-control around her.

All along, the only thing I could think of was those stiletto heels she was wearing digging into my back and her screaming my name as I took care of her. Every moment of it was pure torture.

Cameras flashed in a frenzy outside as we pulled up to the grand hotel entrance. The Bratva had deep roots in the city, and any public appearance by its high-ranking members was bound to draw attention.

I stepped out first, fixing my jacket before turning to open Giselle’s door. She accepted my hand, her fingers grazing mine as she emerged from the car.

A current rippled through me, making my throat dry. This woman had a certain effect on me that I found really troublesome. I had to address it later.

She looped her arm through mine and smiled at me, then she leaned in and whispered, “Does this work?”

I nodded, inhaling the soft warmth of her breath as it caressed my neck. “It’s perfect.”

I threw the car key to a valet in front of us and led her into the hotel. Through the corner of my eyes, I noticed as she took in the grandeur of the place—obscene chandeliers, marble floors, and an atmosphere thick with expensive perfume and rich gossip. The entire place was a spectacle of wealth and power.

We weaved through the crowd, with me nodding at familiar faces, only stopping for a brief talk when I met Antonio Morozov, the host of the event. He was a chubby old man in his fifties, rich as fuck, and owned large businesses in New York and the whole continent of North America.

“Andrei Yezhov,” he exclaimed as he approached, holding a glass of champagne and wearing his funny smile. No one would assume the amount of bloodshed he was capable of if they judged him by his looks alone. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“It would be rude to not honor your invitation.”

“You haven’t changed one bit,” he said with a chuckle, and then his gaze fleeted to Giselle. “And who is this beautiful lady with you?”

I wrapped my arm around Giselle’s waist and pulled her closer. “She’s my fiancée, Giselle Rae. I believe you’ve heard of her.”

“Ah, yes, I have.” Antonio’s gaze swept over Giselle, and he held out a hand. “The rumors said she was a beauty to behold. I must admit she’s a lot prettier in person.”

“Thank you for the compliment,” Giselle responded before I could, stretching her hand out to Antonio. “I’m flattered.”

He kissed the back of her hand, his lips lingering a little longer than I thought was necessary. “I’m glad I could make you feel that way.”

To my surprise, Giselle didn’t pull her hand away; she just wore that alluring smile and allowed him to do his thing.

A ball of jealousy bubbled inside me. I didn’t like his lips or hands on her, and I certainly didn’t like that she was smiling at him so widely that her emerald eyes sparkled with delight.

I didn’t care that I was being irrational;Ishould be the only one who could pull that sort of emotion from her, not him or any other man.

Antonio finally released Giselle’s hand after what seemed like an eternity, though the smug smile on Giselle’s face as she peered at me told me she allowed him to do that on purpose. She wanted to get a rise out of me, and I hated the fact that it was working.

He took a sip of his champagne, smiling like a teenager who had just invited his crush to prom. Antonio had been married five times, and he had more mistresses than even he himself could keep up with. If anything, I found him acting like a sweet, innocent old man repelling.

“You should make out time for us to meet again soon, Andrei. We have business to discuss.”

“I’m booked and busy these days. I’m certain you’ve heard of the missing shipment; we’re trying to recover it.”

He nodded and speared Giselle a suspicious glance. “Any luck so far? I heard something really interesting.”

I knew what he was about to say. He heard about Giselle being the clue to the missing shipment and now he wanted to extract information from me.

“What did you hear?”

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