Page 97 of Dark Promise (Suvorov Bratva 1)

Still, I keep the smile. I have to try to be normal, right?

“You’re so full of shit that your eyes are brown,” Willow teases with a knowing grin. She plops into the chair across from me and pours herself a mimosa. She grabs my glass and refills it too. “Something’s wrong. Spill it.”

I sigh as nostalgia washes over me. We’ve done this so many times. Did I really think I could pull one over her head? She just knows me too well. “A lot, Willow. Possibly too much.”

“So, give me the SparkNotes. Just dump it.”

I shrug. “Big party happened. Lots of drama. Got taken to dinner by my husband.”

She pauses with her champagne flute near her lips. “Oh?”

“Yeah, he took me to Basilic.”

She practically spits her drink on the table. “That place books likesix monthsin advance! How did he get—?” She laughs and adjusts her sunglasses. “Never mind. He’s the RussianMob. He can get in anywhere, right?”

I nod. “Yep, exactly.”

“I know there’s more, so spit it out.”

“Well, he humiliated the waitress at the restaurant.”

She arches her left brow.

“She was hitting on him. I mean, beingsoobnoxious about it. She saw our rings and everything but kept sticking her tits in his face.”

She gapes at me. “You’re fucking kidding.”

“He made her get on her knees and beg for my forgiveness.”

“And did she?”

I nod. “Sure did. She was so nice to me after that. Can’t imagine what she was thinking, irritating a Pakhan like him.”

“That’s nuts, Liya.”

“You thinkthat’snuts?” I laugh dryly. “I helped Pavel with something, only for it to fall to fucking pieces right in my lap.” I shake my head. “I’m such an idiot for thinking I could make a difference.”

“First of all, shut up. You’renotan idiot.” She plucks a pastry from my plate and nibbles on it before adding, “Second of all, I’m sorry, Liya. I got you into this mess.”

I give her an apologetic smile. “You didn’t do that. Hush.”

“If I hadn’t pulled that whole thing with the shots, well…” She trails off, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s not your fault, Willow. If anything, it gave me the opportunity to get to know Pavel as a person instead of the monster he is now.”

She frowns. “Is he really that bad?”

“Well…”

“Has he hurt you?”

My hand freezes around my champagne flute as I think back to a few days ago. The hallway, the door, the creak of the wood under my back while Pavel drilled between my legs…

And how much Ilovedhim claiming me like that.

I wanted space. I wanted to resist him. But my body hungered for his touch like it was the only thing that could sate me.

So, I let him in.

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