Page 27 of Bratva Wolf

He pours some of each of the white cartons onto my plate. “Where is your family?”

I chew my lip. I don’t talk about them. “Um.”

He kisses the side of my head. “You don’t have to tell me.”

I should. Maybe if I share with him, he’ll open up with me?

Thane runs his hand down my neck and my arm. “I’ll listen.”

“Um. I don’t remember my family, well, except for my grandmother. I remember when I found out in high school that my parents and brothers were killed in a drive by shooting, not in the car accident my grandmother always said.” Taking a deep breath, I blow it out. “The mean girl in my chemistry class threw a piece of paper on my desk. It was an article describing the incident. Four family members executed in their SUV as they stopped at a stoplight after a night out at the movies for the twelve-year-old son’s birthday.” I looked into his piercing grayeyes. “My other brother was nine.” My heart hurts from the memories.

“Keep going Red. I’m here.”

I focus on his face. Our food’s getting cold, but he’s just sitting there. I take another cleansing breath. “I didn’t finish the school day. It was like, fifth period, but I couldn’t help myself. I rushed home, and I tried to talk to her about what I was told, but she forbade me from finding out anything else. The week after high school graduation, Mrs. Abashin found me passed out on the front lawn and took pity on me when I rambled about needing to know more about my family’s deaths. She filled in some details and told me the alcohol I was drinking to numb the pain wasn’t worth it. I needed to put my sadness and bitterness to a better cause. Her honesty made the biggest difference.” I chew on my lip. “My grandmother screamed when she found out I knew.”

Thane nods and picks up his chopsticks. “Adults don’t want kids to know things, not that you were a kid then, but you understand what I mean.”

I open my chopsticks and pick up a piece of teriyaki chicken. “She did a good job secluding me from the truth. I regret that I didn’t know what happened to them earlier, though. As though the truth would have been worth something to their memory.”

“I get it. But there’s a kindness in being oblivious to adult things.”

His words hang in the air. His gaze softens as I ask. “When did you realize there was evil in the world?”

His hand stops moving, leaving his chopsticks holding the dumpling in the air. “I think I always knew. There was a shootout at my ninth birthday party.”

I gasp. “Oh. That’s horrible. Who would do that?” Another shooting. His life has always been violent.

He nods. “It wasn’t fun.” He moves the dumpling to his mouth and chews. “I think it was the last day of my childhood.My mother tried to shield me, but death and violence hovered around our family. That’s the nature of the beast when you live the life of the bratva.”

I swallow. Should I ask? “Um. What does that mean?”

He chuckles. “My father is the head of our family and his bratva. He runs all the organization and all the men. Cynric will take over for him when he dies or decides to quit.”

I graze my fingers over his arm. “And what does that mean to you?”

He sits up taller. “I will be my brother’s second in command. Well, once I get out of stupid jail.”

I can’t help the smile that creeps up my lips. “Stupid jail?”

“Yeah. I was stupid, and now I’m ostracized by my family.” His eyes move to watch my fingers rub his arm. “You need to finish eating.”

I look up through my lashes, knowing it makes me look innocent. “Why?”

“Because I plan to bring you to the sweetest heights tonight as I make you mine again and again.”

The words hover over my tongue, but I can’t ask. Am I? I don’t think I’d believe it if he said I was his when we weren’t talking about sex. I concentrate on eating some more of the fragrant Chinese food as he devours his portion.

Twenty minutes later, he’s carrying me to his bed. The room smells like Thane. It’s a heady combination of man, musk, and sandalwood. He stands me on my feet, running his hands from my hips, pushing down my pants and panties. Within moments, we’re both gloriously naked with his massive erection bobbing at his stomach.

“That is just so huge.” He makes it tap against his stomach as I smile. “Now that’s a cool trick.”

He scoops me up and lays me down on his bed, the bedding still in a mess at the bottom, and he whispers. “You’re mine,Red.” His voice drips with possession.

I reach for him, pulling him down to kiss his lips. I rub my hand down the smoothness of his cock. After the first night of using a condom, he confirmed I was on the pill, so no more condoms. I’d only had sex a few times and always used condoms, so having him bare was new to me.

He flicks my nipple to bring my attention back to him. He orders. “My way.”

Duh. It’s always your way. Every time he’s a little more dominant, more controlling. He reaches into the drawer next to the bed and pulls out a pair of fur-lined handcuffs. Grabbing the ring on the headboard, I place my wrists up close so he can snap on the cuffs and hook them to the bed. He slips his finger inside me. “You are so fucking wet.”

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