Page 39 of Trapped

Ivan sat up, wincing. “Hey—whoa, whoa,whoa. I’ll do what you asked! W-what about the mess?—”

I shot him in the chest.

One, two, three, four—the bangs didn’t even make me flinch. I emptied the whole clip, and Ivan fell to the grimy floor with a gurgling sigh. Blood leaked around him. I stood over him, tempted to accompany my soldiers when they dumped his body in Providence. They dragged him over a plastic tarp.

I needed some air.

I walked outside, my head throbbing. Why the hell didn’t she tell me a man assaulted her in broad daylight? He yanked her into his car. He could’ve killed her.

My throat tightened. I’d never let her out of my sight again.

A muscle car rolled into the parking lot. My brother’s Dodge. Kill spilled out of the car and strolled toward me.

“Yourcomareis safe.”

“You sure?

“Yeah. She’s fine. Christian is watching her.”

I nodded. “Good.”

He frowned. “Sonny, why go through all this for a Romanov?”

“Because she’s mine.”

His mouth twitched, and a dimple flashed. “You own her? Or is it the other way around?”

“Fuck off.”

Kill grinned, crossing his arms. “How much money have you given her?”

I glared at him. “None of your business.”

He cocked his head. “Fifty grand?”

I wish.

“Huh,” he murmured, his tone growing more amused. “More than fifty?”

“Eighty.”

His chest shook with a low chuckle. “I’m impressed. You’re usually the one doing the hustling.”

“Shut up. I’m not some lovesick fool.”

He held up his hands. “I’m just breaking your balls a little.”

I couldn’t blame him.

This woman bled me dry. My bank account could take it but not my pride. She spent cash like someone desperate to get rid of it. She was a gold digger through and through.

“I let her think she’s hustling me. She’s part of a bigger plan.”

Kill leaned against his car, smirking. “Last I checked, you don’t keep pawns in your bed.”

I shrugged and turned away, staring out at the darkening sky. The lingering traces of sunset had slipped below the horizon. This fixation on Delilah was problematic. Dating led to feelings, and feelings led to love.

And love?

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