Page 53 of Forbidden Bratva Virgin

She stood near the bar, laughing softly at something a man had said. Looking closely, I recognized the bastard’s face and watched as he casually placed a hand on her back. It was a small gesture, nothing overt, no grand display of affection. But it was enough to send a wave of something sharp and bitter rolling through me, like vinegar in my gut.

I tried to look away, to focus on Alina’s voice, but my eyes kept darting back to Hazel. To Nathan’s hand on her.

Her body language was relaxed, familiar. She leaned into him slightly, her expression soft and easy, the way she’d leaned into me that night, cradled my face, and told me she needed me.

He was her boyfriend; his hand on her waist didn’t mean anything.

It didn’t matter how many times I repeated it. To me, it was everything.

My stomach churned, my chest tightening with a sharp, possessive rage. Was this what jealousy felt like? Like having the insane urge to rip someone’s throat out for pleasure?

I shifted in my seat, glancing down at my untouched glass of wine, the red liquid swirling as my mind raced. I told myself it was irrational. That I was being ridiculous. I had Alina here with me. She was Ivanova’s daughter.

I had an obligation to thePakhan.

But none of that stopped the surge of territorial anger from rising.

“Miron, is everything okay?” Alina’s voice snapped me out of my head.

I blinked, forcing a smile as I turned my gaze back to her. “Yeah, just…distracted for a second.”

She frowned, her eyes searching mine, but I did my best to mask whatever had twisted inside me. “You look like you want to put a bullet in something.”

I forced another smile. “Yeah. I just remembered that I have some unfinished business to take care of.”

“Oh.” Hurt flashed through her face, but she masked it with a bright smile. “I understand. You’ve been working so hard anyway. What do you say? Let’s finish up quickly here and stop by my house. I could help you blow off some steam, just the way you like, before you go settle your unfinished business.”

“Sure.” I continued to smile at her. “Let’s do that.”

***

All night, I had my eyes on Hazel.

When she ordered,what she ordered,when she laughed, talked…everything. They sat at the other end of the room, many tables away, but it was easy to monitor them because Alina paid full attention to her food when eating.

As the hands on the clock ticked by, my patience stretched thin, and when I thought it would snap, Hazel’s chair moved backward as she excused herself from the table with a smile.

The golden opportunity had finally presented itself, and I’d be damned if I didn’t take it.

“I have to call Damir. I’ll be right back.”

I barely had time to watch her smile and nod before moving fast out of my seat, tracing Hazel’s footsteps. She was heading to the ladies’ room, but I followed a shortcut to intercept her before she reached her destination.

It was a small corridor, narrow, dim, and slim, linking different wings of the restaurant. Barely anyone walked through it, but Damien liked it because he could display some interior design creativity in the space.

The second Hazel passed, my hand closed around her wrist, and I dragged her into the shadows, pressing her back against the wall and trapping her with my body before she could protest.

Hazel’s eyes grew wide, and she gasped, but I didn’t let go, didn’t loosen my grip. My fingers dug into the softness of her skin, maybe a little too rough, but I wanted her to feel this.

I needed her to feel me.

“What the fuck, Hazel?” I growled, not bothering to hide my frustration. “You think this is funny?”

She blinked up at me, looking innocent. “Miron…what—what are you talking about? What areyoudoing here?

I stepped even closer, crowding her against the cold wall, pressing the bulge between my legs against her thighs. “You want to play games, fine. But don’t play them with me. You asked me to leave, and I tried to keep my distance. And now you’re here, with that bastard, laughing and touching and rubbing it in my fucking face that I can’t have you?”

“Can you hear yourself? You think you’re the center of the universe, Miron? News flash: The world doesn’t revolve around you, okay? Nathan and I are here on a date. He asked for good recommendations, and I remembered….”

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