Page 13 of Bluff

“I need to go see them. I need to confirm it’s real in person. I can’t stay here, but I don’t know how I’m going to do that without Aleksei finding out.”

Oh, I can help. I’m allowed to leave the community as long as I have guards. I smile wide.

“I’m going out this afternoon. Come with me.”

“How?”

“I’ll tell Mikhail I need sisterly time. Then when we’re out, we can lose our babysitters and get gone like we used to do.”

The thought crosses my mind of how Mikhail paid the price the last time I slipped past my guards. But this time, it’s for family. I’ll face the consequences.

“Okay.”

It only takes me about thirty minutes to get everything arranged. I send a message to a friend to help with my plan, and Lyric messages Aleksei.

I have Damir take us to the outdoor mall. It will be the easiest location for us to ditch them. I lean forward and grip his shoulder, hoping he forgives me for what I’m about to do.

We hop out of the car and head toward a shop. I don’t buy anything, but I pretend we’re searching for something specific. We move from store to store until we reach the one we’ll use for our escape.

I told Lyric I’m going with her, but I’m not. I have to stay behind and head them off, give her the chance to get away clean. Aleksei needs to understand that my sister isn’t some consolation prize, she’s someone’s everything. She deserves that.

I grab a couple of outfits off a rack and approach the salesgirl. “Could you help a girl out?” I say, keeping my voice low. “See that guy?” I nod toward Damir waiting outside the store. “He and his friends are stalking me. He’s my ex,” I tell her. “He used to beat me. Can you help us get away from them?”

The girl glances toward the windows, then back at us. She nods. Then leads us to the dressing rooms and subtly points out the back door.

We drop the clothes in the dressing room and rush out the back. My friend is waiting for us in the alley. I open the car door and push Lyric inside.

“I still have friends,” I say.

Lyric looks between me and him.

I look up and see the back door opening.

“Go! They’re coming.” I slam the car door shut and watch as they speed off.

Damir bursts into the alley and is on me in seconds. Lyric looks back at me, and I wave, hoping she knows I love her.

“What have you done?” he barks.

“I saved my sister.” I lift my chin defiantly.

He grasps my arm and leads me back to the car. I go willingly, ready to face whatever comes my way.

I stare out the window and notice we aren’t heading toward the house. I’m not surprised when we pull up behind the Russian Cardroom.

Damir has a firm grip on my arm, like he expects me to make a run for it. We head upstairs to Mikhail’s office, and I stand there, waiting for him to yell at me. But instead, Mikhail stalks toward us.

“Let her go,” he growls at Damir, who immediately releases his grip. “Leave,” he orders him, then places a hand on my back, pushing me toward the desk.

“What did you do, little bunny?” he asks in that deep, commanding Dom voice of his.

I shiver. He presses me to the desk, my face resting against the cool wood.

Mikhail

“I helped my sister,” she answers, her voice full of sass.

“Oh, bunny, this isn’t the time to test my patience. I’ve been ready to slam my cock into your folds for days, and now you want to be a brat.”

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