Page 11 of Bratva Queen

I turned in my seat, creasing my eyebrows and staring at her intently. “I could say the same about you, Isabel.”

A look of embarrassment flushed across her cheeks, and she looked down. “I, um, I…”

“You don’t need to explain… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that either.”

She glanced up momentarily. “It’s okay…”

We watched each other for a long, static moment. This wasn’t the plan. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I was supposed to just drive her home, not have some heart-to-heart or any kind of personal connection. Yet, my thoughts went to places they never should have.

I wish I could wrap my arms around your body and feel it pressed against mine. I wish I could feel your soft lips kissing me all over my face. I wish I could drive you home like this every night.

I wish Stepan didn’t want you.

She slowly shifted closer, making her intent to be near me obvious. Clenching my jaw, I reached out and brushed her cheek with the pad of my thumb. She closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again. Just when I thought we were going to make the biggest mistake of our lives and give in to this, she gasped and jerked her head down.

“Oh my God! It’s my ma!”

I looked around, seeing an older version of Isabel clutching her handbag to her ribs and looking around as she crossed the street toward the bus stop. She looked frail, skinny, with a few streaks of gray in her dark hair. I watched until she stepped onto the bus, and it drove away.

“She’s gone,” I said softly. “We should get you inside.”

I opened my door and stepped out, knowing that she was looking at me with trepidation. It wasn’t her mom that broke the spell, it was me, right now, out of obligation. I couldn’t let this happen.

I opened her door and when she stepped out, she made no eye contact at all. I followed her inside to make sure she made it to her door safely. I didn’t trust that landlord of hers; when Stepan made the transaction the man looked seedy, greasy, too eager.

Isabel slid her key into the lock but didn’t turn it. Instead, she turned around and looked up at me with those wide, glimmering, soul-capturing eyes.

It was all I could take.

I grabbed her waist and pushed her up against the wall, crushing my mouth against hers. She moaned in approval and wrapped her arms tight around my neck. My lips pushed her mouth open, and our tongues met in the middle, sliding past each other in desperate eagerness to taste one another. And God all-fucking-mighty, she tasted good. Salty, sweet, smooth, hot. I needed more of her, so much more.

She placed her soft hands on my cheeks, warming them with her gentle caresses, while I squeezed her hips, nearly animalistic. I felt her leg curl around mine and took the hint, sliding my hands down to cup her magnificent ass and lift her up. She blew her hot breath into my mouth and wrapped both legs around my waist, diving back in to kiss me just as hungrily as I was kissing her.

I pressed my body against hers and she pressed back, I could feel her breasts crushing against my chest, her thighs squeezing me, pulling me impossibly closer to her.

I shoved up against her, grinding my hard cock into her heated core and she let out a rasping, desperate moan.

It woke me up.

I froze, holding her against the wall, feeling my cheeks heat up in anger.

What the fuck was I doing?Jesus Christ!What was I doing?

I set her down and backed away, holding my hands out as though they were covered in blood. They might as well have been—my own blood. Isabel’s blood. Because if Stepan knew what had just happened, he’d not only torture me for life, but he’d kill her.

He would.

He was the bratva boss. He was ruthless. He was proud. He was jealous. He waspossessive.

When I lifted my eyes to Isabel, she was staring at me with a heaving chest, looking lost. I could see in her eyes that she was confused, that she wanted me and couldn’t understand why I’d pulled away so abruptly.

But this was no longer about my own life.Blyat’! I’d give my life for this woman in a fucking heartbeat!This was about her life now. We’d crossed a line. One that could never be uncrossed. A line that put everyone’s lives in danger. Even her mom’s, if it came down to it.

“This,” I said darkly, anger rising in my voice. “Canneverhappen again.”

“Alek—” she started, her voice cracking.

“Isabel, hear me now,” I spoke slowly and clearly, even while my heart thumped in my chest at the sight of her breaking heart. “Never,ever, again.”

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