Page 55 of Bratva's Intern

“But I couldn’t turn him down without raising suspicion.”

I always turned him down. I also knew that one day I would have to give in, just for the façade.

“You don’t want—” she said. “Then what do you want?”

I leaned back. “Conversation.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

MAXIM

The elevator chimed softly, and the doors opened onto the executive floor. I stepped out, thumbing through messages without breaking stride. Sergei’s latest made me smile.

Sergei

Found him. The guy who tried to stab you but got Wren instead. You want him dead or just bleeding a little?

I typed back with one hand.

Maxim

Don’t kill him. I’m saving that for myself. But you can start softening him up.

My thumb hovered over the screen. The smile didn’t last long.

Wren’s desk was empty.

His bag was there, slouched at the base of his chair, strap twisted like it had been dropped in a hurry. But no Wren.

I scanned the hallway, jaw tight. The floor was quiet, too quiet, and something about that bag abandoned like a shed skin rubbed me wrong.

He’s with Bradley again.

I didn’t like that thought. I didn’t like the surge of heat it triggered in my stomach either—possessive, sharp, unwelcome. Yesterday, I’d warned Wren to stay away from Bradley. He could be a little headstrong, but he was mostly obedient. A good employee who did the tasks I assigned to him without a complaint. He was always eager to please, and the more I praised him, the harder he worked.

He was a praise slut and didn’t even know it. Those were always the best kind—shy at first, unsure of what to do with the attention. But once you got them into bed, once they realized how good it felt to be wanted, to begood… watching them fall apart just because of your words? Addictive.

Wren could easily be my next drug. But I had a feeling it wouldn’t be so easy to wean myself off him, like I had no trouble doing with all the one-night stands and weekenders I had sex with.

As if summoned by my thoughts, Bradley rounded the corner, flipping through a file with that casually distracted expression he always wore like cologne.

“Where’s Wren?”

Bradley looked up and blinked, surprised. “Haven’t seen him yet. That’s weird, actually. His stuff’s been there since I came in, but I figured he was off running errands for you.”

I didn’t answer.

Instead, I pulled out my phone and dialed Wren’s cell phone. His ringtone chirped back at me from his bag on the floor.

My stomach sank. Not with fear. Not yet. But something colder. A disconnect I didn’t like. This was not the script. Every morning I walked into the office, he was supposed to be at his desk, greeting me with those big hazel eyes and easy grin. He was the perfect start to my day.

I walked past Bradley, ignoring the question formingbehind his eyes, and pushed into my office. I had access to surveillance footage of the building. It would only be a matter of time before I found him.

If he was still in the building.

Maybe he was picking up my usual coffee. Or that disgusting drink he’d bought me yesterday and which I asked him to continue to get because I wanted to see his eyes light up.

I stopped dead in the center of the room, Nik almost bumping into me.

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