Page 60 of The Bratva's Captive

In the elevator, she smirked at my checking that she had it on, sliding my finger under the strap over her shoulder.

“I don’t want anyone seeing you like I do,” I growled, letting the elastic strap go with a snap.

She narrowed her eyes at me, but the slight twist of her lips suggested she was hiding a smile.

“So. You have brothers and a grandmother?” she asked as we waited for the elevator to go to the main floor.

“Correct.” I’d given her a few pointers about meeting my family last night when I fucked her in the shower again. But I left a lot out, wanting to see what she thought. I could give her the chance to form her own impressions. “My grandmother won’t be joining us, but you can meet my brothers.”

“Oh, I can, huh?” She rolled her eyes and exited the elevator with me, at ease and not nervous at all. I supposed being nude on a stage had to change a woman’s confidence for the better. Strolling out here like a boss, she gave no indication of being nervous.

And she gave no hint throughout the entire meal that she wanted to bolt.

While I watched her and wondered if she was scanning the place to gauge how she could escape, I told myself to forget about it.

She was too guarded here. Now that my brothers were aware she was living in my apartment in the building, they’d be aware of her staying put too.

It shouldn’t have surprised me that she was polite, if slightly meek, in meeting them. My brothers weren’t average men, and they usually induced others to reply in deference. However, I felt calmer about introducing her to them when she toned down her sass. She didn’t speak much, not even enough for them to pick up on her street smarts or slang that would clue them into her being an outsider to the Mafia. Most of all, though, I felt like a fucking king with her so clearly submitting to me.

She stood to my side or behind me. She didn’t try to steal the spotlight. While the Mafia princesses were so docile that they annoyed me, I saw Sloane’s good behavior as something to reward immediately.

Unfortunately, I’d have to wait for that. Reports of an attack near the property put us all on alert, and I asked one of the soldiers to escort her back up to my floor.

“What the fuck?” Nik growled as he joined me, Damon, and Saul as we rushed to assess the situation.

Men ran with us to supervise the shootout that was happening too close for comfort. There was always a chance it was a random incident out there on the streets, but I had too many things to treasure here to lower my guard.

Secure with the knowledge that Sloane would be safe in my room again, I focused on eliminating any threat near our building. I had to protect her. I had to protect my father and brothers.

“If someone’s trying to distract us this close to the property,” Saul said as we gathered in the surveillance room to see what the cameras showed, “they’re escalating. Getting too daring and risky to open fire this close to home.”

I nodded, in full agreement as I narrowed my eyes and looked over the monitors.

“They’re gone,” the man in charge of the surveillance operations said. He shook his head and lowered his headset. “They’re fucking gone already. We’ve got a crew chasing them east through the city.”

“Fuck.” I fisted my hand and loathed that another distraction, another incident, and another hiccup of trouble crept close.

Whoever was trying to mess with us was too damn sneaky for my liking.

As I wondered who was responsible for bothering us, I had to reconsider what I’d told Nik.

All secrets had to come out in the open eventually, didn’t they?

25

SLOANE

Maxim and I came to an understanding. It seemed mutually beneficial but it couldn’t last.

I was cared for, spoiled in a way I never could’ve imagined being possible. I had no bills, no need to work all the time, and I could relax without any obligations weighing me down. He kept me thoroughly sated, too.

The only thing I had to pony up was my freedom. I was a captive here. But I was safe.

So long as you don’t know that you’ve already knocked me up…

As a kept woman, I was still bored within his home, but as of the last week and a half, I was permitted clearance to roam outside his bedroom.

Nervous that he could mean it, that I could have permission to walk around outside his bedroom, I took a couple of days to explore the rest of his apartment. It was all elegant, well-furnished if overly masculine in style, and all very… expensive.

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