Page 177 of Shattered Altar (Makarova Bratva Duet)

“Olivia—”

“No!” she screams again.

And as she does, for the first time, I see the fight come alive in her. She transforms into a lioness, someone who would go to any lengths to defend and protect her family.

It’s fucking erotic.

“You don’t get to talk. The two of you never fucking quit, always thinking you know what’s best for me. But you’re wrong and you don’t. It’s my turn. I’m speaking now, and both of you can shut the hell up and listen.”

Well, damn.

It’s much more than I expected from her, and I find my hard-on coming back to life.

“As for you,” she seethes, turning her anger on me. “You invaded my life, seduced me, and made me believe you weren’t a complete monster, only to find out that you’re exactly that. No wonder you don’t respect anyone else’s feelings—you don’t even know what the hell they are.”

I want to push back. I want to meet her fire with my own, the way I always have. But there’s something about her strength right now that I don’t want to dampen.

She’s fighting her own battle… and she looks damn good doing it.

“It’s not personal, Olivia,” I tell her.

“Not personal?” She cackles in my face. “It’s all personal, Aleks. This is my family. You’re threatening them and you’re playing with me. Did it ever occur to you that I might actually have feelings for you?”

The words seem to surprise her, too, because her eyes widen for a moment. She goes still. Then they narrow back to furious slits.

“You know what? Forget it. To hell with both of you.”

She steps back into the sanctum of her room and slams the door. Jennifer and I turn to one another.

“Wow,” she remarks. “Didn’t know she had it in her.”

I smirk. “I did.”

“You need to go in there and apologize.”

I frown. “Do I look like the kind of man who apologizes for anything?”

“Maybe it’s time to start,” Jennifer says. “She’s hurt.”

“You had a hand in that, too.”

“That’s different,” she says. “She’s not in love with me.” I raise my eyebrows, and she gives me a sharp glare. “Oh, come the fuck on. Like you didn’t know.”

Before I can answer, Demyan rounds the corner looking flustered. “There you are, Jesus.”

My frown deepens. “What’s going on?”

He sighs. “Shit you’re not gonna like.”

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