Page 25 of Vendetta Vows

She had squared her shoulders that night like a frightened animal approaching an extended hand, unsure whether she should trust or flee.

I let out my breath.

I should leave her alone. This is bordering on obsession.

But I can't shake the feeling that sheneedsprotection. That whatever haunts those beautiful hazel eyes is real and dangerous.

Who hurt you, Aurora?

The question burns in my mind.

Someone broke her. And whoever it was, I want to break them in return. Slowly. Methodically. Piece by piece. With great fucking pleasure.

No one hurts myzarechka.

No one.

My fingers tighten around the steering wheel. I shouldn't care this much. I shouldn't get attached to Aurora, or even the idea of her.

Not after Leslie. Not after what my father did.

I learned that lesson in blood and screams. Love and attachment are a weakness in our world. They're vulnerabilities that others will exploit without mercy.

Yet here I am.

But there's something about Aurora that draws me to her like a moth to the flame. The way she looked at my script without fear in that alley. The way her body responded to my touch in the privacy of my car. The way she trembled against me in that VIP room before Sienna fucked everything up.

There is a wildness to her that she's kept hidden from the world. And it only ever comes out when sheknowsshe is safe.

I had gotten a glimpse of it, and I want more.

My phone buzzes, breaking the silence of the car. I glance down, irritation rising as I see Lev's name on the screen and a simple text.

We need to talk.

Fuck.

I know exactly what this is about. The shipment coming through my latest production. Guns brought in as props, smuggled right past both the police and Feds. He probably wants me to increase the shipments, and want me to confirm it to his face.

I take one last look at Aurora's window. The light is still off, and her silhouette is nowhere to be seen. For a moment, I imagine ignoring Lev's demand and walking up those steps to knock on her door. I imagine taking her in my arms again and fucking her against the wall until neither of us can stand.

But duty calls. Blood calls.

I snarl and start the engine, pulling away from the curb with more force than necessary. As much as I want to unravel the mystery that is Aurora Castellanos, I cannot ignore Lev.

The bratva waits for no man. Not even for a woman who haunts my dreams.

* * *

I pacethe refurbished VIP suite at Nikoforov, my footsteps silent on the new carpet. The glass has been replaced. Stronger this time. Bulletproof. In this business, I've learned to turn every mishap into an opportunity for improvement.

Lev sits on the black leather sofa, legs spread wide in that way of his that always screams dominance. Seven years my senior and he still needs to remind me who's in charge.

"Having trouble sleeping these days, little brother?" he asks, swirling his vodka.

"What's so urgent that it couldn't wait until morning?" I pour myself two fingers of whiskey and remain standing.

Lev's eyes narrow. "The rest of theZapadniye Voriare concerned."

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