Page 22 of Captivated By the Bratva

“Leave her alone,” he ordered in that steady, deep voice of his. I recognized it. He was already that familiar.

As he put his arm out, he caught me mid-step and hauled me to him. My back slammed into his chest, and panting hard, I stared at the trio of criminals.

They gave this mysterious rescuer of mine an angry look.

“Leave,” he repeated. “Or else.”

They didn’t argue. Turning hastily, they bumped into each other. My purse swung wildly as they ran away, back from where I’d come from. The duffel bag I’d dropped was snatched up too.

I stared, blinking as rain fell. Thunder boomed in the distance, and as the precipitation trickled over my face, I narrowed my eyes at the three men taking off.

Shock kept me in place. My brain struggled to keep up with the blur of action. One second, I was arguing with my dad. The next, I was running—again—from men. And now…

I stepped forward, but this tall, sexy asshole didn’t loosen his hold on me.

Not a single bit.

9

MAXIM

Astreak of lightning blasted down, illuminating Nadia’s face. Water trickled over the apples of her cheeks. I stared right back down at her, mesmerized by the glittering brightness of her blue eyes. She narrowed them, scowling up at me as she turned to face me.

Just like she had in London, she fought to get out of my hold.

And also, just like she had in London, she prompted a deep and sudden hit of desire to trap the breath in my lungs.

Fuck, she was gorgeous. Spitting mad and determined. But not mine to admire. I had to remember that part.

“Youagain,” she seethed, tugging her arm away.

“Yes, me again. And I’m not letting you run anymore.”

“Who the fuck are you?” she demanded. “How the hell did you find me?”

Rain fell faster, and as much as I wouldn’t mind standing here arguing, watching the play of droplets coursing over her skin that I wanted to taste, there was no telling whether those localswould come back. I found her, twice now, and I wasn’t taking chances of losing her again.

I prodded her to walk with me, keeping my eyes open but slitted to scan our surroundings. I’d gotten lucky to track her phone to this park-like area. If I’d been a minute too late, those men would have had their way with her already.

“How did you find me?” she repeated. There was no mistaking the ire in her voice, but I found it interesting that she was more curious about my efforts to locate her than knowing who I was.

I didn’t owe her an answer, but I figured I could humor her. “I paid a little visit to your roommate.”

She stopped short. Since I gripped her wrist, I ceased walking too. We would not be disconnected.

“Did you…” She furrowed her brow, squinting through the rain as she craned her neck to face me. “Did you hurt her?”

Interesting.She cared. It was a simple thing, but her concern for her friend was proof that she wasn’t entirely selfish. I’d entertained the possibility that she was self-centered, and that was why she didn’t want to marry Lev. Her habit of running away and escaping the confines of her engagement suggested that she was independent, perhaps to the extent that she only cared about herself. Not so. She looked up at me with unease, as if the thought of her friend being harmed made her sick.

“No. I didn’t need to.” I headed toward the parking lot, towing her along.

“But how’d you find me out here?”

“What does it matter?” I argued. “Are you trying to figure out your mistakes so you don’t repeat them?” I shot her a dirty look. “You’re done running.”

“Fuck you. I’ll never stop running.”

“I’m bringing you home,” I told her with certainty I didn’t completely feel. “And then your husband can take over the responsibility of babysitting you and keeping track of you.”

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