Page 39 of The Bratva's Bounty

The reasonable thing would be to tell her that the food tasted like utter sewage shit, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything bad about her food to her face. I didn't want to hurt her, which was stupid because I wasn't one to hold my opinions back.

"Try to eat some. You need some food in your body for energy," she spoke from the kitchen before the faint clinking of cups echoed through the air. "I hope you like it as it took me a while to make."

Fuck me.

Groaning internally, I hung my head in my hands, wishing the ground below me would open up and swallow me into a pit of suffering for being an ungrateful ass. Yes, it was a bowl of overly salted and sour mush, but she put her time and energy into making this for me.

Ugh! But I'll end up in the hospital with severe food poisoning if I eat more than three bites of this.

I mean,I could be a total asshole and tell her the truth… After I dig my own grave because six feet under was where I'd end up if I did tell her the truth.

On the other hand, if I lied and tried to eat this and somehow not die from it, then she might continue making it for me.

Either way, it was a lose-lose situation.

Fortunately, my muddled brain managed to cook up an idea that didn't seem half bad. "Actually, can you taste this for me real quick? It smells a little weird." She couldn't be mad at me if she tasted the bad food for herself.

A brief huff roughened the air up before the sounds of her exaggerated footsteps came my way. "Now I know you're full of bullshit because your nose is as stuffed as my cunt with your cum," she grumbled with a slight glare at me.

Mumbling disgruntledly, she snatched the bowl of food up, wafting it under her nose with a pensive expression. Her lips pressed into a thin line as her eyes darted to me suspiciously. "Did you spit in this?" she asked flatly with an unamused look.

Unable to help it, I let out a curt laugh. "Seriously? After you've sucked my face off and had my dick in your mouth, you're worried about a little spit?" I strained through a stifled laugh, snorting a little when my amusement slipped through.

Nicole gave me an offended scoff in response. Then, her foot shot out at me, kicking my calf. "Th-that and you spitting in food are two different things," she tried to argue with a waver to her voice. "It's just gross if you just spat in perfectly good food."

Crossing my arms, I leaned back in my chair. "Oh? Well, if it's perfectly good, then take a bite," I egged her on with a daring smirk.

Mocking me under her breath, she shot me a quick glare before shoveling a spoonful into her mouth.

One.

Two.

"Pleh!" Nicole's groaning mouth hung open with her tongue out. "What did you do to it?" she accused me emptily.

Scoffing, I laughed softly and rolled my eyes at her. "Nothing besides take a bite," I told her with a smug smirk.

Herfair face slowly blushed up with anger as she held a breath with puffed cheeks. "J-just go to the couch. I'm going to get some takeout," she said through gritted teeth, turning around and trudging away into the kitchen.

Barking out a victorious laugh, I half shouted, "Love you." It was meant in a playful manner, but maybe I should have used different words because the air around us stretched taut with tension.

"I know," Nicole teased back with a slightly forced chuckle. "Go get comfortable, turn something on the TV," she strained out with a smile on her face.

I felt like a complete asshole for hurting her, and I wish I could take it back. "Zhizn moya," I started with a regretful sigh.

"No," Nicole stopped me tersely with an outstretched hand. "Let's leave that bomb alone until you're ready to defuse it."

I hated the hurt in her smiling eyes, especially since I caused it. My mouth opened to protest, but my words refused to roll off my tongue. Closing my jaw, I turned around and went over to the couch in silence.

Great fucking job, you idiot.

Seething out a deep breath, I held back the urge to punch myself in the face. I really shouldn't have saidthatword. I mean, it wasn't as if I didn't mean it. Okay, never mind, that made me sound more like a jerk.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair, gripping at the honey-brown strands. I didn't know what to do. Apologizing and saying I didn't mean itthatway would be a lie because I did love her. But fuck I hated that. Having feelings for someone, not the part about loving Nicole.

Ugh.

I was just a mess with my emotions. If it wasn't excitement or bloodlust, I didn't want to deal with it.