Page 75 of Plus-Size Bratva Bride

She pauses, only for a moment, resignation making her body slack. “I am,” her voice wavers as she speaks.

The rest of my brothers are climbing out of the car, we came here to save Ruvim, to get a lead of where they might have taken him. We were notified as soon as our friend inside had a chance to tell us, but I did not come here expecting to find her.

Jade.

My little starfish.

“Who the fuck are you?” I blurt out, suddenly feeling the dark tendrils of anger wrap themselves around my body. I clench my fists, my heart racing faster. Was everything a lie? Everything?

My heart is fractured and crumbling. It is shattered, breaking apart piece by piece as I stare at her, waiting to wake up from this nightmare.

Jade’s eyes flash with defiance and hurt. “I only did this because you killed my brother. You acted first. You took something from me that can never be undone,” she breaks and begins to cry. But it was also a confession. But a confusing one.

She admitted she did this, but she thinks I killed her brother.

Did I kill her brother?

I turn away from her, unable to look at her beautiful face. Like a sorceress she still has power over me. I push my fingers against my temples. Her brother. Grigor Andreev. I don’t know the name.

Anything is possible, though. I might have killed him by accident. In a crossfire? In a fight against a rival gang?

But even as I am trying to remember and figure things out—the pain of my heartache is the most alarming and central thing. It’s blocking my ability to think clearly. Panic over my brother being taken, and my heart falling to pieces because I love her. I love a girl who isn’t real. Someone who doesn’t exist. Someone who faked her way into my life and manipulated me so darkly—

“Radmir?” Renat says, drawing my attention.

I glance at him and I can’t focus. My head is spinning, drowning, grasping at strings that break and unravel whenever I touch them.

I look towards Jade and the pain grows worse.

“Radmir, what do you want me to do?” Renat asks.

“Deal with her,” I snarl. “I need to think.” Spinning away from them. I pause before I climb into my car. “Rodion, you guys will start looking at ways to get Ruvim back?”

Rodion nods. “I’ll be in touch. You can go. We’ve got this handled.”

I climb in and start the engine. I can’t be here another second. My entire body is coated in needles, spiking into my skin, anxiety churning like thick acid in my blood.

I have to leave.

I have to distance myself from her.

She fooled me.

Completely and utterly.

I fell for everything.

I fell for her.

Fuck. She wasgood at it.

Only a psychopath could be that cold.

No wonder she was so perfect,because she was fake.

My foot is heavy on the accelerator as I speed through town. At first I think I’m going home, but the closer I get, the more I realize that the entire house reminds me of Jade. Her scent, her energy, just her—everywhere. I’m out of the city and close, but I drive past the street that leads home and keep my foot pressed down hard. The speedometer rises, turning towards death as trees and fields race past me in a blur. I’m far out of the city now and still going.

Pressing a button, the windows slide open and a hurricane of air rushes through the car, slamming against me, noisily silencing my thoughts.

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