Page 17 of Obsessed Bratva King

"You’re leaving in the morning. Don’t get close.”

My stomach twists. I shouldn’t care. I knew what this was. The sheets feel too tight, my skin too hot, my chest too tight.

"Right." I force a shrug, turning away. "Wouldn’t want to overstay my welcome."

I wait for him to say something. Anything. A parting line, a joke, maybe even an insult to break the tension.

But there’s nothing. Just the weight of his gaze. Watching me.

Then he walks over to me and settles beside me again, pulling me into his arms. I shove him away but he’s too strong. He holdsme close. “I know what you’re thinking,” he whispers. “But trust me, it’s better it ends here. You don’t want a life with a man like me. It would destroy you.”

5

IVAN

Ican’t sleep.

The city hums far below the balcony. I hear the distant drone of traffic, the occasional wail of a siren cutting through the night.

I should feel satisfied. My muscles are loose, sated, but my instincts are wired tighter than ever.

Something is very wrong. I’m on edge.

I’m never on edge.

I exhale slowly, running a hand down my face. Maybe I’m being paranoid. That wouldn’t be new. A lifetime in this business turns paranoia into survival. It’s what’s kept me alive while men smarter, stronger, and more ruthless than me ended up in the ground.

That’s all this is. Paranoia. I tell myself it’s nothing more than that. Her connection to Darren. A way for her to cheat me, to make some kind of deal with him. Would she do that?

I glance over my shoulder at the woman in my bed.

Cora.

She’s sprawled across the sheets, her dark hair tangled, her lips parted slightly in sleep.

It didn’t take long to get her to sleep. She’s desperate for stability but I can’t provide it. I must not let her get close.

She doesn’t belong in my world. I know that. I knew it before I touched her. But I did it anyway.

Because for a few hours, I let myself forget who I am. I let myself have something warm. Something real.

But warmth doesn’t last. And reality is a cruel bastard. Can’t help reminding me I don’t deserve soft things.

My jaw clenches.

She needs light, not a monster like me. I am nothing but darkness. She’s got the money. She can make a fresh start and I can keep an eye on her, that’s all. Nothing more.

I walk back inside.

A small sound escapes her lips. A whimper.

Another.

Then suddenly—she’s thrashing.

Her hands clutch at the sheets, her body twisting, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

A nightmare. That’s all.

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