Page 69 of Forced Bratva Hostage

I refuse to put Tia in danger.

That’s not negotiable.

Turning towards the villa, I stare up at the balcony where Tia is sitting. She’s looking out over the ocean, but as I walk towards the house she looks down at me on the beach and smiles. Her face is radiant and beautiful. My heart clenches at the sight of it.

Dammit.

This girl is affecting me in more ways than one.

Chapter 20 - Tatiana

Andrei and the guy called Nico are still down there on the beach talking. I’m torn between minding my own business and finding out what is going on, and the latter of those options eventually wins. My curiosity outweighs my manners, and I creep onto the balcony to listen to what they’re saying.

It’s easy to stay out of sight by ducking just below the balustrades.

I sit quietly, leaning against it and tilting my head towards their voices.

The longer I listen, the more my heart aches for Andrei. He lost his best friend, and he thinks Boris is responsible. Nico seems to think it was Boris, too.

The way Andrei is speaking, he’s drowning in guilt over it, and all I can think about is that Boris wouldn’t do something so cruel. Not on purpose. There must be a massive misunderstanding between everyone involved. If everyone took a step back and had an open conversation with my half-brother, they would see it was some kind of mistake. Maybe Grig got caught in the crossfire.

Anxiety begins to bubble inside me when Nico talks about revenge and how it won’t help bring Grig back.

Now I know why Andrei took me. He planned to use me to get at my half-brother.

But why has he been so nice to me? Surely, if I’m part of his plan to hurt my family, then he should hate me.

I don’t feel that at all.

He makes me feel safe when I’m with him.

My mind races as it goes through everything that’s been happening between Andrei and me.

It aches to think that it might have to end. I don’t want things between us to change. They’ve been so good. I love being around him.

I have to fix this.

I have to find a way to show them that Boris isn’t the person they think he is. He’s not a bad guy.

My heart beats faster, my palms getting sweaty with anxious energy when I decide that I’m the one who can fix all of this.

Keeping my head ducked low, I creep back into the villa.

Andrei’s phone is here somewhere. He left it behind when we went for dinner earlier and if I can find it I can call Boris.

One phone call can clear this entire mess up.

I have faith in my half-brother. He might be an asshole, but he isn’t a murderer.

The phone is lying on the kitchen counter, right in the open. Guilt washes over me when I pick it up. Andrei left it there because he trusts me, but this is important and worth the risk of upsetting him.

I dial Boris and wait with the phone pressed against my ear as it rings, once, twice—

“Who is this?” Boris’s voice is harsh.

“It’s Tia,” I stammer, immediately feeling like a child, reprimanded by his tone.

“Tia, what the fuck. How are you calling me?” he says, abrupt and cold. I would have expected him to be happier to hear my voice.

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