Page 21 of Kept By the Bratva

I fisted my hands, angry with myself that I would let this lust control me. I needed her, but I wouldn’t act on it.

“Tell me what happened.”

“When?” She narrowed her gaze at me.

“Tell me what happened that led to my finding you there.”

She clamped her lips shut then lost her patience. “What the fuck does it look like? They took me when I was walking home from work. They snatched me right off the street and brought me there with those other women.”

I pictured it so easily. She’d told me that she often walked.

“Did you move?”

She gaped at me, rubbing her raw wrists. “What?”

“I looked for you. At your apartment. The one where we?—”

“It’s none of your goddamn business, Nate! I slept with youonce, and you just disappeared on me.”

“Nik.”

She furrowed her brow.

“My name is Nik. Nikolai.”

She shook her head, madder as she took a chance to come closer to lean her hand on a chair and peer at the cut on her lower leg. “I don’t care. I don’twantto know who you are. I saw who you are. I saw what you did. What you’re capable of. You’re a killer. A criminal, just like the ones who kidnapped me and tried to sell me off or whatever!”

I watched her panting, catching her breath as she glowered at me.

So bold. Feisty. And gorgeous. Despite the circumstances, she ensnared me, heart, mind, and soul.

“Tell me what they did.”

“What’s it to you!” She flung her hand up and shook her head. “They captured me and threw me in a van. Then they…” Her words faded as she furrowed her brow, but she regained her strength to continue with a trembling lip. “They stripped me. Searched me.”

Fuck!I knew what she meant, and I hated the thought of any man touching her like that. She wasn’t a virgin when we met. I wasn’t theonly man to ever have her or touch her, but goddammit, I got hung up on the thought that I’d be the last.

I’d killed the asshole who’d searched her, though, and it was a small, teeny balm on my dark soul. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have. I would’ve kept him alive to torture him until he’d begged for death.

“Not like that. They didn’t… violate me, but they checked me over after they took my clothes.”

It doesn’t matter.Any man trying to look at her was a dead one.

“Thenyourthugs showed up.” She pinned me with her soulful stare. “You let that one go.”

“She was just a child.”

She stepped closer. “Then have mercy on me, too.”

I hadn’t. When we fucked, enjoying each other hard, neither of us showed mercy in that raw, intimate rush.

“Letmego.” She licked her lips and dared another step closer.

“Please. Letmego, too. I want nothing to do with any of this.” She slashed her hand through the air, and I snagged it.

Holding her fingers and tugging her closer, I watched the emotions cross over her face. Slight fear, but a lot more impatience. Some confusion, but mostly that unrelenting intrigue.

She lifted her defiant gaze to me as I encouraged her to come closer as I gently held her soft hands.