Page 101 of Mission Shift

Fleshy jowls sagged over the collar of his tailored suit. His bloated frame pressed against the buttons of his silk shirt, thefabric straining. A thick scar ran from his temple down to his cheekbone. Rumor had it, he’d gotten it from a woman he’d failed to break.

I wished she had finished the job.

His men, built like brick houses, followed behind him as he moved further into the room. They remained silent, waiting for orders.

Malinov smiled. His yellowed teeth were too large for his mouth, and he was grinning like a predator who held prey within his jaws.

“Come to me.”

I did. Chin high, shoulders back. Confident. I knew what he expected—subservience masked as strength. Men like him loved a woman with a little fight in her, as long as they believed they could break her down to submission.

I stopped a step away from him. His gaze crawled over me, from my heels to my throat, before landing on my mouth.

A slow exhale left his nose. “You’ve grown into something exquisite, Daria.”

His fingers twitched. He wanted to touch me.

I waited quietly. It was a test. He needed to see if I’d behave.

He slid a hand under my chin, forcing my gaze to his. The stench of old cigars and garlic clung to his breath.

“Welcome home,” he said, chuckling darkly as his belly bounced. “I’ve waited so long for this day.”

I said nothing.

“You think you’re in control, don’t you? Refusing to show fear—or speak.” His grip on my chin tightened, twisting my head at an angle. “No matter. You’ll learn. They all do.”

He dragged his thumb across my bottom lip. My stomach churned, but I held still.

“The sooner you accept your new role, the easier this will be.” He let go, flicking his finger over his thumb. “I must say, recentlyyou’ve been quite misguided, my dear. A soldier of Russia, one of the Kremlin’s best, throwing herself away on Ukrainians and Americans.” He shook his head. “A tragic waste.”

His expression darkened, shifting from amusement to something far worse.

“But don’t worry,” he continued. “I enjoy fixing what’s been broken.”

A slow grin stretched across his fat face.

“And I do love a little pain in the process.”

His men chuckled under their breath.

Malinov stepped closer to me, the heat of his body invading my space. “You thought you could turn against Mother Russia? Against the Tambovskaya Bratva?” Hetsked, gripping my jaw. “What arrogance.”

I didn’t flinch.

He smiled. “That’s why I wanted you. Why I paid so much for you.” His thumb stroked my cheek while his other hand slid lower, pressing against my hip. “Strength is so much more satisfying when it shatters.”

His fingers dug into my flesh.

“There will be punishment, of course.” His grip tightened. “But I have no doubt you’ll survive it. You’re made for this.”

He tilted his head, the sick glint in his eyes sharpening.

“You’ll make a fine mother for my children.”

My stomach roiled, but my body remained motionless.

I forced myself to smile—a slow, reluctant shift of my lips.

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