Page 59 of Savage Bratva King

I want to hear what happened from the printzessa first.

I dismiss the guard stationed outside the guest room where Gianna is being held, but I hesitate before barging in. Now that I’m here, I’m torn between demanding the truth and leaving her to stew on whatever is going on between her and Tamara. I know that when I’m alone with her, I’ll struggle to ‘lock it in my pants’ as my brother so eloquently described it.

This is what she has done to me.

I don’t believe in witchcraft, but she has somehow bewitched me to the point where I close my eyes and all I can see is her smile as she opens her legs and hooks a finger at me to come inside.

Deep breath. I rearrange the bulge inside my pants; I don’t want her to believe that she has the advantage the instant I walk into the room.

Gianna is lying on her back on the bed when I enter. Awake. She stands up when she sees that it’s me, but she keeps her distance, and that rips a hole in my heart. We had trust. She had the option to walk away from me and forget that the kiss ever happened, and she chose me before duty.

She chose me.

“Is Marvel alright?” Her eyes lock onto mine, gauging my reaction before I speak.

“He is fine. No thanks to you.”

I see the hurt flicker behind her eyes and the way she juts her chin. Defiant. “I would never hurt him.”

“But you knew that he would protect you with his life.”

She swallows and looks away. I don’t consider it a win.

“I-I didn’t take Marvel with me.”

I lean back against the closed door, afraid to get too close to her. Afraid of what will happen if I’m close enough to touch her.

“Yet you were caught running away from my house with him.”

“He followed me.”

“Why didn’t you shoot Tamara while you had the chance?”

I’m giving her the opportunity to tell the truth. To snitch on Tamara if she convinced Gianna to lie on her behalf. To choose me again.

“I didn’t want her blood on my hands.”

“Did she offer to help you escape?” My jaw is so tight I can feel my back teeth grinding.

She peers directly into my eyes, and says, “No.” But it’s all a little too forced for my liking. Gianna knows that I don’t believe the story, same as she knows that avoiding my gaze will make her look guilty.

I step closer. “What did she offer you?”

“Nothing. I overpowered her. She didn’t shoot because you’d warned her not to hurt me. She knew that I’d be captured before I made it to the perimeter.”

“But still, you didn’t turn back. You might’ve been killed.”

“Killing me isn’t part of the plan though, is it, Leonid?” She narrows those beautiful turquoise eyes just enough to let me know that she isn’t defeated. Yet.

“No,” I concede. I can’t expect her to be honest with me if I’m not prepared to give her honesty in return.

“But fucking me was.”

I hear the tremor in her voice and step closer, reaching out to cup her face in my hands. But she pulls away.

“Fucking you was never part of the plan, Gianna.” I lower my hands and keep my voice steady. Because right now, getting her to believe me is all that’s important.

Xander Amory can go fuck himself. All I care about is making sure that Gianna Sedric doesn’t get caught in the crossfire.

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