Page 33 of Fall into Savagery

I wondered if he had gotten any sleep.

He still looked tired.

Without a word, we got off the plane when the doors opened. Nikolay was waiting for us at the bottom, near two black cars.

I didn’t think.

I raced down the stairs, ignoring Mikhail’s shout for me to be careful, and threw myself into Nikolay’s arms.

He caught me, like I knew he would.

Despite being so angry with him, I missed him more.

I missed the sound of his voice, smile, eyes, scent—everything.

I missed my bomb.

“Princess,” Nikolay said, burying his face in my neck. I clung to him tightly. “Fuck, I missed you,” he said.

A small lump formed in my throat, and I tried to swallow around it.

He pulled away, and I looked up at him, frowning when I caught sight of my reflection in his sunglasses. I pulled them away so I could see his eyes.

They shone in the bright sunlight.

“I have a lot to tell you, but not now, okay, princess? Right now, I want you to go home with Kirill while Mikhail and I coordinate with the head of the Bianchi Famiglia on his meeting with Luca. Then we’re going to get Damien back.”

I gripped his forearm with my hands.

I wanted to beg him to take me along, but nothing came out when I opened my mouth.

Frustration stung my eyes, and Nikolay frowned. “What is it?”

I shook my head, my nails digging into his skin.

He looked up at someone behind me. A shadow fell over me, and I knew it was Mikhail coming up to us.

“She wants to come with us,” Mikhail said softly.

Nikolay’s eyes widened just before they hardened. “Over my fucking dead body.”

My grip tightened on his forearms. His eyes narrowed at that.

“Nikolay,” Mikhail said, surprising me. It looked like he was on my side.

“Don’t. I don’t have to remind you of the shit we’ll have to do to get Luca talking once we have him. You really want her to witness that?”

Mikhail opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Even I knew he lost this one.

I shook my head, my eyes begging him when Mikhail turned to me. He shot me an apologetic look. “We’ll come back to you soon, I promise.”

Again, I shook my head, but Nikolay was already leading me to one of the waiting cars where Kirill stood.

I looked up at him when he gently pushed me inside.

He shook his head. “Don’t look at me like that, princess. I won’t ever compromise when it comes to your safety.”

He bent down and pressed a hard kiss against my lips, and despite my anger, I could feel myself softening against him. Just when I was about to bring my arms up to wrap around him, he pulled away.

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