Page 34 of Bratva Queen

He breathed deeply, looking like he was seriously struggling to come to this decision. Finally, his eyes opened—the fire gone, replaced with that emotionless expression he always wore as a bodyguard. “You need to go home, now.”

I felt that pain in my chest, ripping my heart apart. “Alek… Can we not end the night like this, please? I know what I need to do—”

“Then do it. Because I won’t survive it if he kills you because of me. Because I lost control and took something that was his. We’ve already gone way too far. You need to go.” He closed his eyes. “I’m taking you home.”

I stood up, giving him a pleading look, my tears hot against my cheeks as I held out my hands toward him, trying to make him understand. “But Aleksei, I’min lovewith you!”

Chapter13

Aleksei

Ilooked at her devastated face and felt an overwhelming wave of emotion course through my body. I rushed forward and crushed my lips to hers, holding her face against mine as I kissed her with a burning intensity. When I eventually broke the kiss, I kept my forehead against her with my eyes closed.

“God, Isabel, I love you so much, too.” My eyes opened and I swiped her tears from her cheeks. “And that’s why we can’t do this—” I looked at the coffee table, “again, because I need you to stay alive, okay?”

She pushed away angrily. “I’m alive, Aleksei! I’m here! I know Stepan is a ruthless bratva king but you’re the one who’s hurting me! A bruise is nothing compared to how you’re always ripping my heart in two! Why do you keep rejecting me?”

Her words sliced right through my heart. She didn’t understand. She couldn’t possibly. She hadn’t seen enough of what Stepan was capable of doing.

I tried to explain. “Because, Isabel! What we’re doing is more dangerous than you can even comprehend!” I ran my fingers through my hair.

“Comprehend? Alek, are you serious? You know me! I’m not some quivering, sheltered princess!” She began angrily pulling her panties back on.

God, I hated that. I knew I was the one to put a stop to it, but all I wanted was to rip them back off and claim her as mine. She’d gotten me so insatiably hard. Her incredible God-given tits were still so visible in that little night dress. And the silk was darkened with dampness around her hard nipples, making me think of sucking her spectacular nubs again. And her soft, white legs—fuck, the lustful thoughts were plaguing my mind. I couldn’t believe what I was doing right now, refusing her like this.

“Yeah, I know that—”

“So tell me!” she cut me off, throwing her hip out angrily, but it only made every part of her body move in such delectable ways. “Tell me what it is that has you so fucking scared! Yeah, I get it, he shoved me and bruised my ribs, but that can’t be the only reason you’re so terrified of touching me!”

I swallowed deeply and sighed, trying to control not only my emotions but my raging desire as well.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll tell you. But please, put your clothes back on so I can concentrate.”

She tipped her head to the side and said in a quipped, terse voice, “Only if you do as well, Alek.”

I looked down and came to the realization that yes, not only was the top half of my body naked but my raging erection was still there, still tenting my sweatpants. I lifted my eyes to her, putting every last ounce of restraint I had into saying, “Fair enough.”

Once dressed we sat down—her on the couch and me drawing a chair closer. I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees and put my hands together.

“I, um… Well, I had no real choice but to become a part of the bratva.”

“Well, that’s been clear,” she said. I gave her a look and she lifted her hands, implying that she would let me talk.

“I grew up in Moscow. I had a good childhood. My mother was caring. My father was a great, kind man. And I had—have—a little brother, whom I love. Things were great. My papa had this little wooden cabin out in the mountains, and he’d take us there over weekends and teach us to fish, hunt, shoot. How to survive, really,” I shrugged. “But, ah, as I mentioned before, he died when we were teenagers.”

Isabel nodded gently.

“I became the man of the household. There was enough money for me to finish my last year of school and then of course I started working at a manufacturing plant, helping my mama to provide for us. But Gregori… he struggled. He started using drugs and hanging out with the wrong crowds. I did everything I could. I found him out on the street in the middle of the night and brought him home. I took him out to the cabin to get clean and hunt and try to help him remember the good times, but he just wasn’t interested anymore.

“I knew he was peddling drugs for the bratva. It became clear; he was standing on specific street corners every day, telling me he had to go meet with people. I followed him, I saw the exchanges and the bratva men he met up with. When I asked him about it, he argued that he was bringing money into the household, that he was doing what needed to be done, but I could see it in his eyes. He was already hooked on the stuff.

“So, one night, I went out to look for him. I knew it was a pointless task to try and convince him to give it all up, but I figured at least I could get him home if he was passed out somewhere. I couldn’t find him. He didn’t come home for days, and that wasn’t like him.”

“So you approached the bratva yourself?” Isabel nodded.

“Yes. I entered the little corner shop I knew was one of their fronts that Gregori reported to and asked them where he was. They laughed at me. Said that his fate was sealed. But the way they looked at the back door of the shop… I knew he was there somewhere. So, I knocked the two guys out, and I let myself in.”

“You just knocked them out?” Isabel’s eyebrows lifted.

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