Page 31 of The Bratva's Bounty

Chapter 16

Nicole

~1 week later~

Letting out an annoyed sigh, I pushed Lev's fretting hands off my bandaged arm. "I'm fine," I bit out harsher than I intended, but I hated how much he worried over me for nothing.

Gritting his teeth and scowling at me, he grabbed my arm again, holding it up for both of us to see. "If you were, your arm wouldn't be bandaged up," he retorted, waving my arm a little. "What happened to what you promised me before?"

Groaning internally, I rolled my eyes and wrenched my arm from him. "It happened while I was in the city, not when I was making my way back home," I argued, hoping it would be enough to keep me from Lev's home.

"Nicole." Lev's pointed voice made my jaw clench with extreme irritation. "We had an agreement."

Grumbling under my breath, I picked at my nails while glaring at my feet. I could argue with him, but we would get nowhere. Also, I wouldn't win because he was right. I promised him I'd live with him if anything were to happen, which, obviously, something did. Otherwise, we wouldn't be having thisstupid tiff. Well, we were having this argument because I was stubborn and reluctant.

Sucking in a deep breath, I held it for a few seconds before letting my chest deflate, relishing a bit in the dizzying feeling from the tension leaving my body. "Tomorrow," I bargained with a determined gaze. "Just give me until tomorrow to gather my shit and swallow this whole thing." Just one last day of independent freedom, that's all I was asking for.

A part of me regretted making such a promise to Lev now that the moment came. It wasn't as if I didn't want to live with him; I needed more time to adjust to our dynamic. Yes, I loved the asshole, but I was used to living on my own now that I needed more time to process the idea of sharing a home with someone else.

Also, as much as I loved seeing Lev nearly every day, seeing him 24/7 would be a whole different story. The eager part of me wanted the sweet moments of cooking meals together, cuddling on the couch and in bed, showering together, waking up and going to bed together, and all the sappy shit couples did. It was the reasonable part of me that made me hesitate. Mentally and emotionally, I wasn't ready for such a commitment yet.

On the other hand, sharing a home with Lev meant spending more time with him and having an easier time keeping track of him. So, there was an upside to the whole thing, kind of.

What if he has some unsavory habit, and I won't be able to stand it? Or what if my habits rub him the wrong way?

Okay, stupid thoughts. Of course, there would be habits we'd find irksome about each other as time went on. I was grasping at straws to poke holes into this abrupt change in my life.

Clicking his tongue, Lev straightened and crossed his arms. "Fine," he reluctantly agreed through gritted teeth. "But I'm going back with you tonight to your place as a safety measure," he decided with certainty, throwing me an arrogant smile as he unfurled his arms and relaxed them in his lap.

I looked at him flatly for a few seconds before scoffing dryly, waiting for his smug expression to change to indicate that what he said was a joke. Unfortunately, that never came. Crossing my arms, I narrowed my eyes at him. "It's one night. I'll be fine, and we're going to meet first thing in the morning," I argued with a stubborn scowl.

Maintaining the smirk, he raised a brow while slouching a bit in his seat. "Nope. I already gave you a lot of slack by granting you an extra day. So, either I go back with you today, or I throw you into the back seat of my car and take you back to my place right now." That was the ultimatum, it would seem.

Scowling, I let my attitude come out in an overly exaggerated scoff and groan. "Since when were you in charge?" I asked in a mocking voice.

Perking up, Lev leaned over onto the café table with an arrogant grin. "When it became clear to me that you have no street skills and can't keep yourself safe outside the safety of four walls," he retorted pompously, snickering a little with a tilt of his head.

Scooting in closer, he leaned fully over the table, reached a hand out, and pulled me in by my neck until our lips were a breath apart. "You may be in charge when we're at home and in bed, but the moment we cross the threshold into the streets, it's my game we're playing." His grip around my neck loosened, so the hold was more tender and less commanding. "I will still respect you as my empress, but you also need to respect my authority outside the safety of our home. I'm not doing it to be a dick to you. It's to keep you safe and alive."

Tingles of comfort and pleasure rippled from his touch as he ran his thumb across my jawline. "I only do it because I care about and for you." The rough pad of his thumb dances across my bottom lip. "Because I want to go home with you every day and fall asleep with you in my arms. I want to wake up to your face that will brighten my day more than the sun could ever. But you need to be alive and well for all of that to happen."

His other hand reached for my face, cupping it and stroking my cheek before bringing me into a breathtaking kiss that made my heart explode with bliss. "Also, you call me boss for a reason," he remarked, chuckling softly against my lips.

"Oh hush, it's fitting because you literally are a gang leader being a bratva boss and all." I defended myself with a playful scoff and roll of my eyes. "But fine, only because it eases my anxiety to not have to think about the shit I have to do out on the streets."

Yeah, I lovedbeing in charge, but being the badass boss lady gets exhausting. I guess, deep down, I did yearn for someone to take care of me from time to time so that I could actually relax and not have to think for myself. The need has always been there, just buried under layers of who knows what.

It also never really surfaced much until recently… Specifically not until Lev screwed my brains out and pampered me like the queen I was afterward. He was so gentle and tender with how he wiped up every inch of my body clean, peppering delicate kisses on any area that was blemished. Then, he fed me after putting his shirt on me and held me until I dosed off.

No man has ever come close to spoiling me as Lev has, and maybe that was the reason why my deep-rooted need came careening to the surface. I finally found someone I truly trusted and wanted, someone I felt deeply for.

I never thought I'd feel fine with giving anyone control over my life. It was how I've always been ever since I can remember. Even when I was little, I wouldn't let my parents make many decisions for me, and when they did and gave me no choice, I was never happy with any of it and always bent the conditions my way as much as possible. Once I grew up and started my own tech company, well, I was the top dog in charge of the whole shit show.

My parents were co-owners because they were my parents and bullied their way through. Otherwise, I refused to let anyone else have any kind of authoritative role in the company that was on par with mine because I didn't trust anyone to carry out the same quality of work as I did.

Of course, none of that mattered now, not after the shit my parents pulled. The only thing I had now was my own name, what money I pulled from my accounts before my parents took those over and shut me out, and what I had scrapped together and built thus far. Well, I also still had my warehouses full of my shit, thankfully, but still. I had everything set for life, only to have it all crumble to nothing because I had been too naïve and ignorant with my parents.

Before my mind could spiral down the endless pit of resentment, Lev's long kiss pulled me away. "What's on your mind,zhizn moya? You got all frowny and angry," he asked in a soft voice, pulling away a few inches to give me some room to breathe.