Page 18 of Gangster's Empire: Leeza & Havel

“If you were trying to get my attention, congratulations, you got it,” he drawled, crossing his arms over his chest. Her eyes flicked to his biceps, which showed off a wealth of ink and muscles as they bulged.

Leeza glared at Havel, crossing her arms as well. “Don’t flatter yourself. I did what I should’ve done years ago.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Set fire to your home?”

“That place was never a home,” she countered frostily.

He studied her. “One day you’re going to tell me what went on under that roof.”

When hell froze over. “Don’t hold your breath.”

He took a step toward her and she took a step back.

“I don’t need to hold my breath.” His voice lowered and his gaze fixed on her lips. “I can get whatever I want out of you.”

“Torture?” she scoffed. “Give it your best shot.”

“Sure,” he said with a laugh. “If that’s what you wanna call it.”

She hated arguing with him. Not because of the argument itself. Fighting with Havel was always stimulating and sometimes even fun. No, she hated that he always won. She ran out of words before he did, which made it seem like he had the better point, and he almost never did.

“Why did you bring me here?” she demanded.

He took another step closer, and again, she backed away. Her thighs hit the bed, trapping her. He took another step, bringing him close enough that she could feel the warmth from his massive body.

"I've brought you to the Shed to remind you that you don't make a fucking move without my say so. You don't leave the premises, you don't drag your sister into your shit, and you don't burn down fucking houses!" He flared his nostrils as he took a breath. "You are here to remind you of what you are."

“What am I?” she demanded, lifting her chin defiantly.

“My prisoner.”

A shaft of fear went through her, but it was mixed with desire. She hated that she still wanted him. It was years of conditioning, she decided. Everything about him made her want him - his strength, the commanding way he carried himself, his self-assurance. He was her version of perfect.

“What does that mean?” She badly wanted to sidle away from him, but appearing calm and collected was more important. “Are you going to torture me until I give in and agree to marry you? I have to say, that’s not a great way to introduce romance into a relationship.”

He snorted, though there was little humor in his tone. “Nothing so dramatic as torture. You’ll stay here for a few days; think about what kind of life you’d like to live.”

“What do you mean by that?”

He dropped his arms to his sides so his chest brushed against hers.

Her body betrayed her as her nipples turned diamond hard.

“You have two choices. Option one, you live out your days here as a neutralized threat to the new Koba empire. Or option two, you marry me and spend your time at home with your son.”

Leeza's heart sank. "Those are my options? I can rot in this cell or become your captive housewife?"

She turned her back on him so he couldn’t see her sadness. All she’d ever wanted was to be more than the men around her deemed her capable of being. She was more, but they couldn’t see it. No one except her birth father, but he was living in Poland, and they’d only begun to get to know each other. She wasn’t even sure if Havel would allow her to see Vasiliy again.

The only business she knew was organized crime, but because she’d been born female, she was forever delegated to mafia princess. She was to be tucked away somewhere and paraded out during events where the entire family had to present a united front to the world.

Now that Dasha and Krystoff were dead, she imagined those events would likely end. She couldn’t see Jozef’s neurosurgeon wife, Shaun, wanting to throw an elaborate party for the local crime families.

Shaun understood what it was like to be a powerful career woman in a mafia world. Maybe Leeza could get Shaun’s help in convincing Jozef to elevate her from the position of mafia wife and give her a job worthy of her skills. Or at least elevate her from position of prisoner because this wasn’t going to work for her.

She felt Havel’s fingers curve over her shoulders and jerked away from him so hard, she bashed her knee into the bed. Crying out, she half fell onto the cot, gripping her leg. Havel caught her from behind, turning her and helping her to sit.

Though his frown was fierce, he was surprisingly gentle as he kneeled in front of her and probed her knee.

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