Page 13 of The Bratva's Nanny

“Many people have tried.”

“I didn’t even know you were coming for me months ago,” Alix said. “I work at a damn nursery school. I’m not an actress. I didn’t even know what kind of work George was doing. I thought he was making it all up!”

“He talked about me?”

“Yes. He would tell me that he was best friends with one of the most feared men in the world and that I better start sleeping with him. My husband was supposedly powerful and if I didn’t get in line, my life would be next.”

“And you never listened to him?” Dmitry asked. He had a horrible feeling he was accusing the wrong person.

Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked at him. “No, because George is a known liar. He lies all the time.” She sniffled and wiped the tears with the back of her hand.

One of her tears slowly began to fall and he hated seeing her cry.

“Do you seriously think I would … that I would help George and conspire against you? Do you really think I would do that to you, to Sofia?” Alix asked.

“A lot of people want to kill me, Alix. I am a man to be feared and yet you don’t seem afraid of me.”

“I guess I should be, but I don’t know why I’m not. Trust me, I’ll be sure to keep as far away from you as possible. Can I go back to Sofia now?” Alix asked.

Dmitry looked at her. “Where would your husband go?” he asked.

“Ex-husband! I don’t know, okay? I don’t know what George was up to. I don’t know what he was into. I don’t even know what he did in order to bring me here to you! I know nothing. There, are you satisfied now?”

No, he wasn’t. In fact, he was even more pissed off than usual. Benjamin couldn’t find George and he had assumed Alix was in on it. Instead, it only caused him to accuse the wrong person.

“You might want to go to your room,” Dmitry said.

His men hadn’t been nice. Dmitry had given the order for them to ransack her room, to make sure every single part of her room was turned upside down to find her method of communicating.

Alix frowned at him but then turned on her heel and left his office.

Don’t follow her.

She is nothing.

She is not important.

You don’t need to see this.

Against his own freaking wishes, he forced himself to follow. He took the stairs and walked down the corridor. Before he even got to her, he heard her sudden intake of breath as she took in the sight his men had created.

By the time he got to the door, Alix was in the middle of her room, and Dmitry was a little taken aback. The bed had been broken as they’d thrown the mattress off, but it looked like they had also tipped the bed over, which had smashed several of the boards down the center. Fluff coated most surfaces as they had cut open pillowcases, then the sheets. Some of her clothes were even torn and strewn everywhere. He noticed the books from his own library had been destroyed as well.

“You truly thought I was that kind of person? What is it you call it? A betrayer? A rat? What?”

“You will not be staying in this room,” he said.

“This is my room and I will clean it up.”

Alix moved toward the bed, and she gingerly lifted it and placed it back to where it was meant to be. Dmitry watched as she picked up the broken slats from the base of her bed and put them to one side. The mattress was a mess, but she put that back on the bed.

Dmitry had seen enough. He stepped into the room and went to her side. Alix pulled out of his touch immediately.

“Let me go.” She tried to pick up the sheets but they had been shredded.

He grabbed her again and this time, she whirled around and slapped him hard across the face. No one, not in a long time, had struck him. The single action took him by surprise, but he stared at her. His jaw clenched.

In response, Alix put her hands against her mouth. “I’m sorry.” Her apology was muffled but he understood it.

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