Page 64 of The Bratva's Bounty

"Pull over," Nicole demanded after a few seconds of silence.

Without questioning her, I obeyed. Veering off the road, the car rocked a little when I drove onto the uneven dirt and gravel that crunched under the car's weight. It didn't take long for me to have a hard time discerning whether the cracking noise was the ground outside or my buzzing nerves crowding my eardrums the more I slowed the car down. For a moment, I could've sworn my anxiety killed my heart when I killed the car's engine.

Fear kept my slumped body rigid in place as a chilly silence filled the car. I don't know why or how the question left my mouth. Sure, it had been something on my mind for a while, but it was a stupid question. So, I always held myself back from asking Nicole her reasons for picking my broken ass over someone decent. That, and I was afraid of the possible answers. What if she didn't have any good reasons, and my question was the start of our end when she'd realize what a bozo I was?

Even the sound of her body shuffling around couldn't get me to turn my head the slightest in her direction. The only reason why I even looked at her was because I had no choice when she plopped herself onto my lap and grabbed my face. "The simple answer is everything," she started, with a half-smirk that slowly grew into a smile. "But you're not simple, so that answer won't do."

Her head darted forward, and a kiss pressed itself against my tense forehead. "You're stubborn about me. And yes, I know, I was your assignment, but even after you found out the truth and decided to drop it, you still cared enough about me to have my back." Keeping her head against mine, she lightly stroked the side of my face with her finger. "I admire your persistence and devotion and how you genuinely want what's best for me and protect me because you care for me. You never ask for anything in return from me." She had to pause for a second to chuckle. "Well, besides my happiness."

Loopingher arms around my neck, she tangled her fingers into the back of my hair, curling and tugging at my locks. "I also love how observant and thoughtful you are when it comes to important things. Like yeah, it's a little creepy how much you know me more than myself sometimes, but it's sweet in its own way." A brief chuckle came out with her heavy breath. "You may be a violent brute, but you're a big softy underneath with a good heart."

Okay, I couldn't help but flash her a questionable look at that last part, making her laugh softly. "Okay, a good heart to me, which might be considered twisted or dark to some." She corrected herself. "But back to what I was saying… You're thoughtful, and everything you do, for the most part, has your good intentions behind it."

Cupping my face with both her hands, she looked deeply into my eyes with such tender affection. "Most importantly, you accepted me for who I am. You didn't rip my head off when I broke your nose with that wooden plank, nor did you try to get revenge for me tattooing my signature on you." Her eyes softened further with gratitude as she continued to speak, "Never once have you tried to change me ever since you met me. You've never asked me to be less crazy or to ease back on my hobbies with the bombs and tech. You never nagged or guilted me into doing more feminine things like tending to the house or being more ladylike and shit."

It started as a gleam before her eyes turned glassy with tears. "You actually love me for me, and you only ever want to bring out more of it rather than try to drown or snuff it out."

Tightly, I engulfed her with my arms and pressed our lips together in a frenzied kiss filled with lust, passion, and gratitude.

Nicole was just like me.

We were both confident and independent individuals who wanted nothing more than to have that special person who would have our backs. The missing piece of our souls who would complement and complete us rather than change us. The other half who would accept us for who we are and love us wholly.

Two twisted souls finally united.

And we won't let anyone stand in our way.

Chapter 29

Nicole

"I'm surprised I atemore than you," I commented as we left the restaurant with our satisfied stomachs.

Chuckling softly, Lev slipped an arm across my lower back, splaying his hand and fingers against my waist and hip before shoving me across his body. Giggling, I gave out a protestant 'hey' from the sudden shift in position. "Gotta make sure my girl is safe," he replied with a grin, holding me close with his other arm around my waist.

With a playful smile, I dug my heel into the ground and stepped in front of him with my arms crossed. "Your girl?" I shot back with a cocky smirk. "We only went on one date, and you're already calling me your girl?" Leaning toward him, I wagged a finger in his face. "Nah ah, I don't think so, bucko. It's going to take more than one simple dinner to sweep me off my feet."

Game on.

Lev's eyes clouded over with confusion for a second before they sharpened with a dangerously playful gleam. "Oh? I don't think you've fully grasped the situation yet, darling." Closing the small distance between us, he pulled my body right against his. "You were mine the moment I laid eyes on you and decided so. This date was a mere formality to make yournew life a little easier to ease into."

Defiance sharpened my eyes and lips as I pressed my hands against his chest to shove myself away, only not to budge a single inch. "I don't belong to anyone, let alone to someone like you." I shot at him with more bite than I intended.

Clicking his tongue, Lev raised a brow at me as he backed me into the alleyway nearby. "Someone like me?" His voice dipped dangerously low, sending shivers down my body. "Now, what could that mean, hm? Do tell." It sounded more like a demand than a question.

Gulping, I jumped a bit when my back hit the wall. Another jolt of exciting fear chilled my body from Lev slamming his hands on either side of my body and trapping me. "J-just, you're a little rough around the edges… That's all." I chuckled nervously as my eyes darted around for an escape. "I just don't think we're compatible. I mean, we're from two different worlds, we wouldn't—"

My jaw remained unhinged from Lev's hard grip. "What? Think you're too good for a gangster like me? Does little Miss High and Mighty not want her hands dirty with my crimes?" I barely recognized his raspy voice as his face got all up in mine. "Well, too fucking bad, little empress, because I'm dragging you into my fucked up world whether you like it or not." I couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath from his voice rumbling next to my ear.

A strangled whimper forced itself out of my body when Lev hiked me up the wall and forced my legs apart. Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around him out of fear of falling on my ass if I didn't anchor myself to him. Of course, in doing this, I could clearly feel the excitement tenting in his pants. "Lev, please, we're in the middle—"

Another strangled sound choked out of me from the sudden thrust from Lev. "I own these streets, so I will do whatever the hell I want in them." His lips crushed mine in a starving kiss that sucked my soul out of my body. "Including you."

The front of my shirt bunched up in his large hand, and I braced myself for the rush of cold air that would hit my bare skin at any second.

But it never came.

Instead ofchilly air biting my skin, the warm splatter of blood slapped my unexpecting face. "Lev!" The sounds of the bullets whizzing by us disappeared into the background as all I could worry about was Lev.