Page 41 of Savage Bratva King

He doesn’t even approach the dog, proving my point; they might be able to handle a firearm and follow orders, but they have no clue when it comes to animals.

“Pakhan didn’t say—” Tamara begins.

But Sergei cuts her off. “Fine. Nineteen minutes now.”

I don’t wait around. I know that I’m still being followed by him and Tamara with their steely eyes and guns tucked inside their waistbands, but it feels like a minor victory. I’m outside, I’m with Marvel, and the dog stays by my side even though he has the entire garden to explore.

Looking at his goofy grin and trusting brown eyes, Marvel feels like a knot tying Leonid to me. Or me to Leonid. I’m still the prisoner after all. It just feels so good to have him around, like I could sit on the grass with him and tell him what’s been going on and know that he’ll be on my side.

I find a stray tennis ball and throw it for Marvel, who gallops off and comes trotting back with it in his mouth. He drops it at my feet and watches the ball, grinning, tail going round and around in circles like a windmill.

I don’t count how many times I throw the ball. Sergei is the timekeeper today. But Marvel never tires of running off to retrieve it and dumping it back at my feet, like this is the most fun he has ever had.

“Your dad never plays ball with you, huh?” I bend to pick up the tennis ball, but Marvel pushes past me, tail still wagging, as he performs the kind of leaps a kangaroo would be proud of, crying and barking at the same time.

I turn around to find Leonid standing behind me, Marvel jumping up at him and demanding his attention. “Hisdadplays ball with him when he has the time.” He takes in the pants and T-shirt, his eyes almost disappearing beneath his lowered brows.

I realize that he thinks I chose these clothes. Good. Just wait until he sees the practical Sigourney-Weaver-in-Alienpanties.

Then he notices the marks on my cheek. “Leave us,” he says to Sergei and Tamara.

I half expect Tamara to tell him that my time is up, but she walks away without a word. Although, if looks could kill, I’d be buried underneath Leonid’s feet with a silver dagger through my heart, and a string of garlic around my neck.

“Good of you to join us.” I crouch in front of Marvel who has come back to me now that he’s had his daddy fix. “I thought you were busy.”

“I am.” He kneels on the other side of the dog and tilts my face towards him. “Let me guess, you fell.”

“I’m clumsy like that. It’s what happens when I don’t get a change of scenery.”

“I will see that it doesn’t happen again.” He sounds so sincere that I almost believe him.

“No, you won’t. I’m just your prisoner, remember?”

Marvel whines then and licks my face the way dogs do, trying to heal me with love.

“Gianna, I want to apologize for?—”

“Don’t.”

I cut him off and stand up, walking away from the house even though I know I’ve had way longer than my allotted twenty minutes already. Leonid falls into step beside me, Marvel trotting along in the middle of us.

“Don’t apologize for what happened yesterday.”

I don’t even look at him. I can’t. Because every time I do, I can feel his tongue inside me all over again, and this dazzling power that he seems to have over me crashes through my chest and leaves me weak at the knees.

“You gave me the choice, remember?” I remind him.

“I remember.”

“You didn’t force me to do anything against my will.”

He opens his mouth to speak and then changes his mind.

“I’m a big girl, Leonid. It was fun, but hey, I get it, I’m an asset to you. I’ll go back to my family soon, and you can erase me from your memory. Forget it ever happened.” Pause. “I will.”

Fuck, those two words hurt me more than they could ever hurt him. He keeps his eyes fixed straight ahead at a spot in the distance that only he can see, and I wipe the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand, grateful that he isn’t watching.

“You’ll forget all about me?”

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