Page 22 of Bratva Bride

Father grabbed Aleksandr by the back of his shirt and pulled him off Maxim. He gave him a quick pat on the shoulder and then moved to stand beside hisSovietnik. He nudged him a few times with his foot, but he was out cold.

"Could someone please explain to me what the fuck is going on? Why did you snap like that, Aleksandr?" I asked.

He turned to look at me and I gasped at the look of pure rage on his face. His eyes were bulging, the vein in his neck pulsing and his lip was curled up in disgust. His big body was shaking with anger.

"He fucking roofied you, Illayana!" he yelled.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked confused. "No, he didn't.”

“Did you forget that you and Lukyan fucked me up with that damn drug a few years ago? I know what it feels like. It’s exactly like you described. That fog, the haziness. I still can't remember a single fucking thing from that night, and every time I try it just comes back in a haze."

“That doesn’t mean I was drugged, Aleksandr. I was drunk, I could have just blacked out.”

“Either way, he shouldn’t have laid a fucking hand on you! If you were drunk enough to be passed out, he took advantage of you! Can’t you see that?”

I looked over at the unconscious man bleeding all over my father's floor. I sighed, shaking my head. "It doesn't matter. The past is the past. Nothing we can do about it now. Besides, I’ve been the one to initiate half of our encounters over the last three years.”

"It doesn't matter?!" Aleksandr roared. "Of course, it fucking matters! He took advantage of you!"

I looked around the room and watched as my father, Nikolai and Lukyan started to get just as worked up as Aleksandr.

Fuck, I need to get out of here.

I stood up and brushed my hands down the front of my blouse, even though there wasn't a speck of dirt on me. I looked into my father's bright blue eyes as I spoke.

"Can I be excused? It's been a long day and I just want to rest."

Father looked like he was going to protest, but then his eyes softened a fraction and he gave me a quick nod. He moved to stand in front of me and wrapped his arms around me.

"Prosti doch,'"I’m sorry daughter,he whispered into my hair.

Whether he was sorry about what happened to me or sorry about choking me, I have no idea. Either way, I wrapped my arms around his torso and whispered back."Eto khorosho, otets, ty znayesh', plokho vsegda lyublyu tebya". It's okay, Father. You know I'll always love you.

He pulled back and gave me a small smile before kissing me on the cheek. I slowly moved around the room, stepping over Maxim's unconscious body in the process, and said my goodbyes to my brothers. I could feel the tension on them all as I hugged each of them. I knew that as soon as I left, they planned to have some fun with Maxim.

I made my way out of the office and headed straight for my bedroom. This day.... ugh this whole fucking day! I was ready to wash it all the fuck away and start again. This was not how I pictured the night ending, and I can damn well bet it wasn't how Maxim thought the night would end either.

I opened my bedroom door and slammed it shut behind me, frustration boiling within me. The fucking idiot! If he had just kept his fucking jealousy in check, none of this shit would have happened.

As I walked into the room, the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I got the distinct feeling that I wasn't alone. Someone was in my room, but who?

Before I could form another thought, a large hand clasped over my mouth while an arm of steel wrapped around my waist, pulling me into the large body that was now standing behind me. He was a tall motherfucker, that was for sure, and his body felt like it was made of pure muscle.

Shit! Don't think, just react.

And so, I did.

With as much force as I could gather, I drove my elbow deep into his ribs. He grunted and his hold loosened slightly, but not enough for me to escape.

Okay fucker, you wanna play? Let's play.

I picked up my foot and slammed my spiked heel down on top of his shoe. My heel cut through nicely and stabbed him in the foot. He cursed and let me go, pushing me forward. But I didn't stop. I knew from experience that it only took one second to fuck up in a fight and have it cost you your life. That wasn't gonna be me. No fucking way.

My room was still encased in darkness, so all I could see was his silhouette, but it was enough for me. I ran forward and jumped into the air, wrapping my legs around his neck. Using my body's momentum, I twisted and flung him to the ground in one quick manoeuvre.

He grunted as his big body hit the floor, the ground shaking from the impact. I straddled his large frame and pulled a blade from the sheath around my waist, holding it to his throat

The moonlight shone through the curtains at just the right angle, revealing his face. His mouth curved up in a sexy smile, his eyes dancing with mischief. And desire.

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