Page 32 of Tarnished Tyrant (Zhukova Bratva 1)

“You say that like it’s a bad plan.”

He chuckles. “It’s an idiotic plan. You wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“You underestimate me.”

“Is that right?”

I nod. “Yes.”

“Okay.” He taps around on my phone for a second. When he looks up, he’s smiling. “Then prove me wrong. Tell me you memorized even one of the addresses in my GPS history.”

Shit.That would have been smart. He can delete a picture, but he can’t delete my mind.

Actually, considering the resources at his disposal, I wouldn’t be all that surprised if he had those kinds of capabilities.

“I didn’t have enough time,” I snap.

“Because instead of driving my car out of the parking garage andthenlooking at the GPS, you decided to do it right here in the lot. Steps away from my office. If anything, Ioverestimated you, Belle.”

Embarrassment washes over me. “Sorry I’m not a professional thief like you!”

“Is that what you think I am? A thief?” He snorts.

“Seeing as how you took my sister, I’d say you’re a people thief at the very least. And seeing as how you really want me to comply with your fraudulent, bullshit audit, I’d say you’re a regular old run-of-the-mill money thief, too.”

Nikolai stares at me for a moment. I can tell there’s something he wants to say. Something that’s waiting just behind his sinful lips, itching to come out and ruin my world forever.

But he doesn’t say it. Instead, he leans forward, his nose brushing the tip of mine, and whispers, “Leave now, and never touch what belongs to me again.”

All at once, he backs away. The loss of him makes me stumble forward, but he doesn’t hesitate. Nikolai walks past me and climbs into the driver’s seat of his car. Before I can say anything, he slams the door shut.

“No! Wait!”

The growl of the engine drowns out my shouts.

I can barely see Nikolai through the tinted windows, but I don’t have to see him to know what’s coming next. He’s going to reverse and leave, and when he does, I don’t have any way to find my sister.

Without him, I have nothing.

I hurl myself at the door, pounding on the window with both fists. “Hey! Wait!”

The window cracks open. I can see his eyes peeking out at me. “Yes?”

“I’ll do it.”

The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. But even once I have a second to consider them, I can’t regret what I’ve said.

It’s my only option.

The window shifts down another couple inches. “Do what, exactly? Say it.”

His eyes drag up and down my body. I shiver.

“The audit. I’ll do the audit for you. I’ll do… whatever you want,” I gulp. “But you have to take me to my sister.”

The window slips all the way down, revealing Nikolai behind the frame, effortlessly cool, completely in his element.

Then his chin dips just a bit and everything about him shifts. It’s like he’s removed his public mask, revealing the darkness beneath. I recoil a half step back on pure instinct.

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