Page 10 of Ruby Menace

I’m putting a stop to it.

I rap a staccato rhythm on the bedroom door and then wait impatiently for a moment before knocking again. I’ve already been past my own room and found no sign of Tiana, so I’m figuring she’s back here. I’m not in any mood to deal with this Roxanne girl again, but if she knows what’s good for her, she’ll stay the fuck out of my way.

“Open the fucking door,” I bark. My blood is already at boiling point after Zoya’s ridiculous outburst. When nobody replies to my demand, my temper shoots through the roof. Taking a step back, I raise a foot and slam it into the door, inches away from the locking mechanism. Wood splinters and shatters. Another firm kick has the lock breaking loose, and the door flies inward.

“Tiana!” I see her hunched on the bed beside the trashy blonde. The blonde stands up as I barge in, stepping in front of me.

“You’re making a mistake,” she says, her hands on her hips.

I narrow my eyes on her. “Get out of my way!” She opens her mouth, but I don’t hear what bullshit she plans to spout because I shove her aside and stride to Tiana.

“Kirill, I-” she starts to say, but stops abruptly and makes a squeaking sound as I stoop, grip her beneath her armpits, and haul her to her feet. “Kirill, you can’t-”

“Enough!” I lift her smoothly and fling her over my shoulder before spinning and marching back to the door.

“Roxie!” she bleats.

“Kirill! You can’t do this to her,” her friend babbles from somewhere behind me.

“Shut the fuck up.” I don’t bother turning to look at her before storming out of the room. There are too many women in my goddamn house, and all of them are causing me trouble. Right now, there’s only one I have any interest in, and she’s putting up a fight.

It’s time to show her who’s in charge.

“You bastard!” she yells, pummeling my back with her fists. They glance off me uselessly. I continue walking, ignoring her kicking feet and her flailing arms.

“Chertovski zhenshchiny!” I wrap an arm around her knees to keep her from bucking off my shoulder as I keep walking.

“Put me down, you dick!” She keeps trying to hit me. “You fucking asshole! I said put me down!”

“I will do that when I want to,” I mutter as I aim a slap at her ass. It’s bobbing right beside my cheek, soft and plump and so damn tempting.

“No!” she shouts. “You have no right!”

“I have every fucking right!” I’ve reached the door to my room and I push it open with my foot before storming in.

“Kirill, put me down right now!” Tiana gives one final yell, then squawks as I stop beside the bed and drop her onto it. She bounces onto the mattress, the soft pillows breaking her fall.

“I have had enough!” I growl down at her.

“You? You’ve had enough?” she shouts back, bracing herself on her elbows as she glares up at me. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I think that I am the man who holds your life in his hands, woman!” It’s taking me a moment to get my temper back under control.

“In your hands? You arrogant motherfu-”

“Stop!” I snap. “Do not say another word that you may regret.”

“I’ll regret nothing that I say to you, you lying bastard!”

“Lying? When did I ever lie to you?” I fold my arms over my chest.

“You’re married!” Her eyes are huge and enraged. “You have a wife and a child!”

“So? I never said I didn’t.”

“You… you fucking…” Tiana shakes her head.

“I what, Ptichka? I did not live up to your expectations of a knight in shining armor?” I scoff. “Well, get over it. I never told you I was such a thing. I am what I am.”

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