Page 10 of His Order

He sips on his coffee like it’s nothing. “Listen, Anya, as much as I have enjoyed our time together, I need for us towork together. I need you to tell me what you found in Dmitri’s system.”

I hesitate for a moment. “Tell me, why? Why do you need to know? I understand you two are connected somehow, but you seem a bit too eager to learn his dirty little secrets. Why?”

The words leave my lips far steadier than I feel. I watch his body language, trying to see if I can pick up on a tell, but he gives me…nothing. I hate that he is so good at hiding.

“Let’s say that we are old friends of sorts—and I use the term friend rather loosely.”

“Friends.” I ball my hand in my lap. “What kind of friends? You did business together? Did you hang out in college? What is it?”

“A lot of questions. I think it’s time you answer mine.” He sets his mug down and then looks me dead in the eye. “What did you find out about Dmitri? It must be bad, seeing as he is out there right now with a bounty on your head.”

“Bounty?” I gulped. “He knows where I am?”

“Not yet,” he leans back in his seat. “But that’s because I have hidden you away. Now start talking, Anya. Or shall I make you talk? How about we move past the pleasantries and just start fucking right here and now. I remember how you were begging for my cock yesterday.”

My cheeks heat up.

“Is sex the only thing you think about?”

“When it comes to you, yes,” his honesty catches me off guard. “But you are trying to side-track me, little rabbit. Tell me what it is you found.”

He could be one of them. My heart immediately seizes. If he knows about Dmitri, it means that he is interconnected with this world—the same world that I am trying to bring down. I go on high alert. My entire plan about wanting to get under his skin completely goes out the window, and I am thrust into survivalmode. If I tell him what I know, he might kill me right here and right now. My mind gets out of control and I don’t know why I do what I do next.

My eyes dart around the open space to the door. Without even thinking it through too much, I grab the knife on the table and try to slash his arm. He jumps out of his chair and grabs my arm.

"Let me go," I say. "Let me go, asshole!!”

He looks up at me, his eyes full of hatred. "You're not going anywhere."

He reaches up and grabs my wrist. He twists it, and the knife falls from my hand. He then grabs my throat and starts to squeeze gently.

"Dear, zayka," he growls. "You're lucky I need you," he says. "You really thought that would work, didn’t you?”

I don’t answer.

“You tried to cut me with a knife,” he says like he’s impressed.

“You are friends with Dmitri, and any ally of his is an enemy of mine. If I tell you everything, what will happen to me? Huh? What are you offering me here?” I hiss, teeth bared.

“Good thing I’m not an ally—you should have clarified that before you went all Jackie Chan on me. You could have nicked an artery, little rabbit. Then where would we be?”

‘Hopefully, you would be dead.” I spit the words and get up from the floor. “You are one of them.”

He scoffs, “Hardly. I am nothing like Dmitri. You can hate me for many reasons, but never because I am anything like Dmitri. Half of this city hates me. You’re not the first one to try to cut me with a knife. Next time, use a gun, little rabbit.”

"I'm not afraid of you," I say. "I'm not afraid of any of you."

He laughs again, but this time it's different. It's not a cold, humorless sound. It's a genuine laugh, and it makes him look almost human.

"You're a brave one," he says. "I'll give you that. I love that, zayka. But you don’t have to be afraid of me.”

He reaches out and touches my cheek. His touch is gentle, and it sends a shiver down my spine. His mouth brushes the shell of my ear. “But thank you for giving me a reason to punish you later on.”

A shudder runs through me—rage and heat and adrenaline twisting together into something I don’t recognize. I grit my teeth and keep silent.

“Are you ready to be punished?”

Chapter 7

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