Page 47 of Innocent Bratva Hostage

I bit back a smile as I walked to the recliner and sat on it. “Don’t you think it’s too early for so much noise?”

“Noise?” She gave me a once-over. “Not a chance. We need to talk. I gave it some thought, and I realized I didn’t want to get married to you.”

“Hmm.” I nodded slowly. “Who would have thought? I’d assumed you came here to see my morning boner.”

A rosy hue appeared across her face, and she shook her head. “Shameless. You’re a pervert.”

I smirked. “I’m not the one who barged into someone’s room without knocking first. Tell me,solnishko, which one of us is the pervert now?”

“Pervert,” she repeated with a roll of her eyes. “Anyway, I’m not here to engage in your games. I can’t marry you.”

I leaned back, watching her. “Why?”

Her eyes widened. “Why? Because I don’t love you, and I’m pretty sure you don’t love me, either. You’re only marrying me because of that damn shipment.”

“Is jumping to conclusions your specialty?”

“Is forcing a woman to bend to your will yours?” she returned. “You forced me to live with you, which is basically kidnapping, and now this?”

I tilted my head from side to side. “You’re remembering it all wrong. I saved you from the police and brought you here to keep you safe. I saved you yet again, and you were very willing when you followed me this time.”

Her lips eased into a sly smile. “Is that what you tell yourself before you fall asleep at night? That I followed you willingly, and hence, you did nothing wrong?”

“No, I tell myself you’re mine.”

She raked a hand through her hair, clearly frustrated with how the conversation was going.

A rush of warmth spread through me.

I liked it when I could draw a reaction like that from her.

I was the only person who could do that, the only person allowed to draw a reaction of any sort from her. No one else.

The doorbell rang downstairs, and I smiled.

She glared at me suspiciously. “Who’s that?”

“The designer for your wedding dress. I booked her for this morning,” I said. “Make sure to pick the prettiest dress she has.”

“Not happening.”

“Being stubborn won’t change anything.”

“We’ll see about that,” she insisted, her arms still crossed over her chest and her eyes wild with fiery defiance. “If you’re that desperate to get married, why not try on the wedding dress yourself? I’m sure Dobryn would agree to be your groom.”

She didn’t look like she was going to back down anytime soon, so I resorted to something else—something she wouldn’t be able to refuse.

“You still need my help to find the bastards that murdered your father, don’t you?”

Her expression shifted to something sad, her hands dropping to her sides. “Is this how you want to play this?”

“Nothing is free in this world, Giselle. You should know that by now.”

“It won’t be for free. I’ll help you find the shipment.”

I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair. “How? It doesn’t seem like you have any clue about the shipment so far. I won’t cut a deal with you unless you have something to offer. And so far, I have a lot more to offer than you do.”

“That isn’t fair, Andrei.”

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