Chapter 17 #2
He huffed, arms lowering to his side. “Fine. But the next time I see you, you’re going to explain to me what the deal is with you and her.
” He pointed to the closed door. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed there’s something going on.
You’re not the merciful type. Yet you haven’t tortured the information we need out of her.
You’ve given her food, bathroom breaks, a shower.
All things we’ve never allowed other prisoners—not even the men she came in here with.
Either you’re slipping or there’s more to it, and you’re going to tell me what. ”
“Fine,” I shrugged with indifference. “I’ll tell you what’s going on when you tell me about what happened with you and Tatiana.”
He reared back as if I’d slapped him. Hurt and sadness flashed in his eyes for the briefest moment before he could hide it. “That-that’s different.”
“Is it?” I asked, a questioning look on my face.
“Yes! Tatiana isn’t the leader of a rival cartel. She’s—”
“What?”
He clamped his mouth shut.
“Exactly. What goes on between the two of you is none of my business. Just like what goes on between Drea and I is none of yours.”
“It’s not the same thing, Aleksandr, and you know it,” he spat.
Ha. He called me ‘Aleksandr’. That meant he was definitely pissed. He only called me that when he was mad at me.
“It is and it isn’t. So unless you’re planning to spill the beans, go do what I asked you to do.”
Nik glared, eyes full of frustration and anger. “Fine,” he gritted out. “But you owe me a round in the ring.”
Yeah, I should have seen that one coming. Bringing Tatiana into it was a bit of a low blow on my part. I knew how sensitive he was when it came to her.
If I was being honest, I only mentioned her to throw him off his game. Because he was right about Drea. I had allowed her certain luxuries other prisoners weren’t given. Nik noticed. I needed to distract him and Tatiana was the perfect way to do that.
He was going to try and make me pay for it now, by going head-to-head in the ring.
“Sounds like fun,” I smirked, which pissed Nik off even more.
It was very rare we got into the ring with one another, outside of a light spar or training. He was thirty-two—only two years younger than me—and he had a build similar to my own. He was shorter by only an inch or so.
We’d never fought each other out of anger before.
Being so close together in age, we had a strong bond growing up.
It had always been Nik and I against Lukyan and Illayana.
There was over a ten-year age gap between us and them, so it made sense that Nik and I were close and Lukyan and Illayana were close.
That’s not to say we all weren’t close as a whole. Apart from the odd sibling squabble, we all got along with each other, cared for one another. There was just a definitive line between the older siblings and the younger ones.
Nik narrowed his eyes. “You won’t be smirking when I put you flat on your back.”
I felt a chuckle rise up in my throat. “You haven’t been able to do that yet, brother. But I look forward to the day you do.”
* * *
I opened the door to Drea’s room, walking inside and shutting it behind me. She was lying flat on her back, feet propped up on the wall at a ninety degree angle. Her hands were on the back of her head, heaving herself up and down in what looked like sit ups or ab crunches.
She paused halfway back up when I entered the room, glancing over her shoulder. She gave me what could only be described as an evil death glare before turning back around, continuing what she was doing as if I hadn’t just come in.
There was a mountain of things she could possibly be angry at, so I didn’t think too much about it. I walked towards her.
She didn’t say a word, the only sound in the room being the small puffs of air she breathed out with each rep.
I stared down at her as I towered over her, waiting for that sassy attitude that always made my dick hard.
For her to say something, to yell at me, curse me out in Spanish, insult me.
But nothing came. I don’t know what I had expected, but Drea’s silence and complete indifference certainly wasn’t it.
She was acting like I wasn’t even in the room.
I didn’t fucking like it. From that very first moment I met her, she’d been a breath of crazy, eccentric air. She was a chatterbox, talking a mile a fucking minute. She had no problem with telling me off. In fact, she seemed to enjoy it.
Where was that Drea?
“Are we not talking today, malyshka ?”
She didn’t respond, her upper body going up and down, up and down.
I gritted my teeth. Was she pissed off about last night, about the fact that I’d essentially ignored her for the day?
“Or would you prefer I call you Don Ortega?”
Her whole body stiffened, head snapping to me. Disbelief flared across her face. “How did you—”
“How is irrelevant, don’t you think?” I arched my brow. “Do you realise how different things might be if you’d just told me who you were when I asked you the first time?”
Drea snorted, jumping to her feet. I didn’t move back to give her space, so she was wedged between me and the wall. There was no fear, no discomfort. She didn’t look like a person scared of being boxed into a corner. She glared up at me like she was the one in charge.
“You would have used me the same way Nero did.”
I felt the desire to scoff, but held it in. “You are aware of who we are, da ?” Yes? She hadn’t asked outright, but I suspected she knew. Most people involved in organised crime knew who the big players were.
The Italian Mafia, the Triad and The Bratva. The Holy Trinity. Although we were anything but holy.
There were, of course, other smaller syndicates and gangs that might not have been as well known.
“You’re the Bratva.” Her voice didn’t quiver, didn’t shake. Her eyes didn’t hold an ounce of fear, even though I knew our reputation was the stuff of nightmares.
I stepped closer, loving the way the fire in her eyes intensified as my body pressed her into the wall. “Yes, we’re the Bratva. And we have no need for your men, drugs or guns. We have our own—and they are all better than yours.”
“My, my, aren’t we a cocky, arrogant bunch.”
One of my shoulders lifted in a small, casual shrug. “When you’ve been on top for as long as we have, you have the right to be. It comes with the territory. Now that there’s no point in hiding anymore, you might as well tell me how you got yourself in this position.”
“Uh, are you serious?” she scoffed. “You kidnapped me. That’s fucking how.”
I placed my hands on the wall either side of her head, boxing her in. “And how did Nero kidnap you ?” I asked, leaning in. “How did you end up chained to his bed?”
She headbutted me. It was so quick, so unexpected, it took me completely by surprise.
I stumbled back in shock. Pain throbbed from my lip, blood trickling down my chin from the fresh cut. I swiped my finger through the blood and looked at it, still trying to register what the fuck just happened.
Why I felt the need to smile, I had no idea. Out of all the things I should be feeling, amusement shouldn’t be one of them, right?
“I am sick and tired of you telling me what to do. Demanding all these fucking answers from me, like you have any right to them,” Drea growled, her fists clenched at her side.
“I don’t want you to talk to me. I don’t want you to touch me.
I want nothing to do with you. Send in one of the other guys—Lucas, or whatever his name was.
I’ll answer his questions. But yours?” she shook her head.
“No. If your boss wants answers, he’d better send someone else because I’m not saying a goddamn thing to you . ”
“Quite a drastic change from last night, malyshka .”
Something was off and I couldn’t figure out what. Even when I kidnapped her, she wasn’t this raging mad. Her whole body was shaking, teeth grinding together, her jaw clenched.
She glared at me with this seething, repulsed look, like I disgusted her. “I’ve said what I needed to say. Unless you plan to torture the information out of me, get the fuck out of my face.”
“All this because I didn’t come see you today? Really?” I had no idea if that was why she was so angry, but it seemed like a good enough guess. Some women got that way, expected something from you after you’d hooked up with them. I didn’t peg her as the type though, which was why I was so confused.
She threw her head back and laughed. My eyes hooked onto that long, slender neck, itching to wrap my hand around it.
“Get over yourself. I couldn’t give a flying shit about that.
You think it means something that I dry humped you naked?
Sorry to disappoint you Big Guy, but that’s a regular Tuesday fucking night for me. ”
“Then what the fuck is your issue?” I snapped, my anger rising.
“Apart from being locked in this fucking room that reeks of stale blood and piss, you mean?” she barked back.
“I gave you the chance to change your surroundings. You chose not to take it.”
“Because I’m no snitch,” she hissed. “I’ll die before I talk.”
I stared deep into her eyes, seeing nothing but truth. She would die before she told me a thing. That only left me with two options: torture the information out of her, or let her go. Both options didn’t sit well with me.
I shook my head. I had to get a fucking grip. Another option formed in my mind. I walked towards the door, opening it wide. “Let’s go,” I grunted.
She scowled. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” Maybe she thought I was taking her to the showers again, hoping for a repeat of last night.
I won’t lie, the idea made blood rush to my cock instantly, but that wasn’t what I had in mind.
“Do you want a different room or not?”
Blinking slowly, she processed my words. “Different room?”
“Unless you want to stay here?” I arched an eyebrow.
She studied me, suspicion burning in her eyes. She huffed. “Well of course I don’t want to fucking stay here,” she snapped, marching towards me, shoulders back and head held high. “I don’t know what your game plan is, but I’m not going to fall for it.”
To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure what my game plan was, either.
I led Drea up to the main floor and outside the warehouse. I kept a close eye on her as I led her towards the house. Her eyes were scanning everything, and I saw the exact moment she decided she was going to try something.
I spun so quickly it caught her off guard and rammed my gun under her chin. Her eyes widened in shock. “Do it,” I whispered softly, bringing my lips an inch away from hers. “I’d love nothing more than to chase you down and drag you back here kicking and fucking screaming.”
Her pupils dilated, lust and need swallowing them whole. She looked like she was still debating actually doing it. My pulse spiked.
Yes, the beast in me purred. It wanted to hunt, to chase. To dominate.
Would she do it?
I ran the barrel of my gun down her neck, through the valley of her breasts and over her flat stomach. She squirmed, her hips rolling so slightly I don’t think she was even aware of it. I wedged it between her clenched thighs and her breath hitched.
“No?” I tilted my head to the side, lowering my voice. “Scared?” I taunted.
Her spine stiffened and she glared. “There wouldn’t be a point,” she snapped, frustration lining her face. “I wouldn’t make it five feet.”
True.
I stepped back, tucking my gun away. I waved a hand through the air. “Go ahead. I’ll give you a head start.”
She licked her lips, her hands clenching and unclenching as she looked at her surroundings again. I saw the desire in her eyes. She wanted to do it, and I wanted to fucking let her.
“I’m not playing your stupid, twisted little games.”
I ran my eyes slowly up and down her curvy body.
My blood felt hot in my veins, an overwhelming sexual need twisting my gut.
I’d never wanted to hunt someone so fucking badly.
To hear her breath quicken as I closed in on her.
To feel her body fight against mine as I dragged her to the ground and fucked her so hard she’d forget everyone who came before me.
“Pity,” I said nonchalantly, acting like I wasn’t fucking dying inside for the taste of her. I gave her my back as I made my way up the gravel pathway towards the back of the house.