Page 49 of Savage Bratva King

“It’s fine, Olga. I’ll watch her.” The female voice belongs to Tamara. I never heard her enter the room; I swear the woman is a predator, prowling around the house and trying to catch people in the act of doing something they shouldn’t.

She has obviously never heard that no one likes a snitch.

Or perhaps Leonid does. Who knows? My knowledge of my captor is limited to his love of dogs and torture and what he can do with his tongue.

She dismisses the guard, and Olga the housekeeper goes back to polishing the marble work surface to within an inch of its life. I don’t thank Tamara. She isn’t doing this out of the kindness of her heart. She has an ulterior motive, one that will serve her, I just need to figure out what it is.

Instead, I go to the crate and set Marvel free. He bounds out and places his heavy paws on my shoulders, licking my face clean. Maybe he can smell Leonid on me. The mental image of Leonid rubbing the end of his cock over my lips sends a fresh surge of heat to my cheeks.

“Hey, boy,” I mutter into Marvel’s fur. “It’s good to see you too.”

Olga brushes past me and drops a handful of dog treats into my lap. Marvel, sensing a reward, sits his backside down smartly and offers me his paw. I can’t help smiling. Dogs are the most lovable creatures on the planet; all they want is to love and be loved, unconditionally. Even if their human is a ruthless mafia leader with little regard for human life.

“Don’t think this changes anything.” Tamara has come closer and is leaning against the breakfast island watching us.

Marvel takes the treats from me, his eyes firmly fixed on the woman wearing tight black pants, red shirt, and a black bomber jacket. His ears are down, his head streamlined to attack should the situation arise. I stroke the fur behind his ears and nuzzle his neck.

“You are still his prisoner.”

“I didn’t think otherwise.”

“Really?” Her eyebrows slide upwards to meet her bangs. “But you think you can wander into the kitchen and pet the dog.”

“I returned the tray.” Is that like:I carried a watermelon? God help me.

Marvel is on his feet. His eyes never stray from Tamara, but his body language is wary. If I ever find out that she or Ivana have mistreated him when Leonid isn’t around, I’ll torture them both myself and stuff their body parts into a crate, see how they like it.

“You know that this was part of his plan for you, printzessa.”

Her words make the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I straighten and turn around to face her. Marvel presses his body against my legs protectively, letting me know whose side he is on.

“What are you talking about?”

She smiles, but it isn’t designed to put me at ease. “I know you spent the night with the pakhan.” She takes an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter and bites into it. “I see it in your eyes. To you, it meant something. It was a big deal. He made you feel special, am I right?”

Deep breath. My pulse is racing, but I need to keep my head clear. “Why don’t you say what you have to say, Tamara, and take me back to my room?”

She takes another bite from the apple, chews it leisurely, and swallows. “His plan wasn’t just to kidnap you. He knew that wouldn’t give him the leverage he needed. His plan was to corrupt you. To do things to you that no one else has ever done before.”

She climbs off the stool and tosses the remains of the apple to Marvel who catches it easily and promptly drops it onto the floor. A growl rumbles in his throat. A warning.

“You see, the pakhan wanted to send you back to your family a different woman. He wanted to know that no one else would touch you, and you played right into his hands.”

She reaches out with her painted talons to stroke my face, and I bat her hand away.

Marvel bares his teeth at her, his lips curled into a ferocious snarl.

“You don’t scare me.” Tamara stares right back at the dog. “I’m the one with the gun.”

“Don’t you dare touch him.” My voice is low. I can be ferocious too when I’m pushed, and right now, I feel more dangerous than Marvel could ever be.

“Or what, printzessa?”

“Or I’ll cut your hand off myself.”

She tips her head back and laughs out loud. “Wow, he really did a good job on you, huh?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

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