Page 85 of Mafia King's Ruthless Obsession

“Explain what?” I snap. “Your plan to keep me prisoner while you fight my battles for me?”

He sighs. “Lisichka, let’s talk. I want to?—”

“I’m not interested,” I interrupt. “I’m not your prisoner, and I will not hide here while the rest of the world burns.”

I flop on the bed, sulking. I can’t bear to think about our child while he’s acting so stupid. What kind of future would this arrangement give our baby? Absolutely none.

A thud suggests he’s leaning against the doorframe. “Just listen for a second.”

I stay silent, which he apparently takes as agreement.

“I’m not putting you in a cage, and all this is not for the reason you think. You wanted to be on the frontline, and that’s what we’re doing, right?”

It makes sense, kind of. But still...I cross my arms over my chest. “I can take care of myself.”

“Of course, you can.” Vasiliy’s sigh is muffled by the door. “And I’m not trying to control you. But Vladimir and Matvei are still out there. Now that they know about the baby, they’ll be even more desperate. You saw what Matvei tried to do?—”

“That’s a reason why we should put an end to this,” I snap, regretting it instantly. Yes, I’m irrational. Yes, I’m not thinking clearly. The attack is all I can see when I close my eyes, my nails scraping at the floor, struggling for a way out.

Not again. I can’t.

“I need to be at the club,” I hiss. “I refuse to hide while enemies circle what’s mine.”

“Ours,” he corrects. “The club is ours now. And that’s why I need you safe. If something happened to you or the baby?—”

“Then teach me to defend myself properly.” I press my palm against the door, imagining I can feel his warmth through thewood. “Help me become stronger instead of trying to wrap me in cotton wool.”

“Fine,” he growls. He’s trying to suppress his urge to dominate, but I still feel his need to assert his dominance. Like a tiger restraining his instincts, he lingers on the other side of the threshold.

Impressive, but that doesn’t mean I’m accepting the situation.

“Okay, teach me, but don’t exclude me. Don’t take my fight away from me.”

“Will it satisfy you?” He pauses. “Can I trust you not to go behind my back?”

My fingers clench. As the surge of anger fades, I know we won’t reach a conclusion today. We’re both too stubborn for that. Time to see how far he’s willing to stretch his patience—and mine.

“Yes, I promise.”

There’s a long silence on the other side. Finally, Vasiliy lets out a breath. “Do you need anything else?”

“I want to be your partner in this, Vasiliy. Not just someone you need to protect.”

“Understood,” he replies. The raw emotion bleeds through his voice, undercut by an honesty I never thought I’d hear from him. It reminds me of every moment we’ve had together. Beneath his savage violence, beneath his machinations and deceit, beats the heart of a protector. There’s compassion beneath his cold intensity, loyalty beneath his calculated mask. “But we do this my way. No rushing back to work until you’re fully healed. And you accept whatever security measures I put in place.”

I consider his offer. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start. “Counter offer: I work from home until the doctor clears me, but I get fullinput on security arrangements. And you teach me everything you know about self-defense.”

A low chuckle reaches me through the door. “You drive a hard bargain,lisichka.”

“Is that a yes?” I fight the urge to jump off the bed and fling open the door. It would be like admitting defeat.

“Yes,” he says. “You got yourself a deal. Now will you please open this fucking door?”

“Sure.” I let out a breath of relief and cross the room. I twist the handle, revealing Vasiliy lounging against the doorframe in nothing but his boxer briefs. His gray eyes darken as they rake over me in his shirt, and suddenly the air between us feels charged with electricity again.

“You’re beautiful when you’re angry,” he murmurs, reaching for me.

A smile breaks over my face, and I grab his hand. “I’m still mad at you.”

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