Page 42 of Trapped By the Bratva

“What else am I supposed to do?” I mumbled as I got up and headed to the bathroom to shower. I doubted Hannah would show for the morning therapy session. I had time to move at my leisure, and after the strenuous exercise of fucking her—a vigorous activity that I doubted any doctor would have cleared me for yet—I was feeling the burn of actually moving my body and using it in a way I hadn’t for a long time.

I couldn’t turn off the switch of wanting her. The close proximity of her during the physical therapy exercises was nothing buta constant tease. She was always right there, so close, within reach.

As I showered, I thought of her. Under the pounding hot water, I dreamed of her being here with me. Her mouth, her hands, her pussy. It was like I’d opened the valve to the pipeline of all my desires and urges for her, and it was flooding my mind.

One night wasn’t enough. It’d taken a toll on me to resist her and hold her at arm’s length after she rode my face and I got her off that first day. After sampling her virgin pussy…

My good girl.I’d called her my good girl, but at that time, in the heat of the moment, I’d said it loosely. That she was pleasing me, that she was obeying this pull of desire.

I didn’t want her to be someone else’s. The very idea of it pissed me off, that another man could have her and enjoy that perfection.

But she can’t be mine.

It was a fact I wouldn’t change. All I could claim, all I had any right to demand, was revenge. Finding and killing Erik Avilov had to be my number-one priority. Nothing else could matter.

Sheisn’tmine.

Although Hannah was an ideal woman to lose myself in, I refused to be that vulnerable. Following up with this desire and wanting her again would be a severe break on my concentration.

So, after I dressed and checked the time to see that Hannah was either late for therapy or skipping it altogether, I left my suite. Using a cane was humbling, but I needed the support. The walk down the hall and the ride in the elevator were difficult without my walker, but I preferred the dignity of the cane.

When I reached the dining room downstairs, where my brothers were gathering for a meeting, I nearly collapsed into my chair.

“Whoa.” Maxim hurried to my side to prevent me from missing the chair.

Nik joined him, standing on my other side to help me adjust. “Easy there. No rush.”

“I didn’t realize you would be here at this meeting,” Alek said as he sat across from me. “You’re always welcome, of course, but I thought we’d record this meeting.” He furrowed his brow, glancing at his watch. “Aren’t you supposed to be doing therapy right now?”

I shook my head. “I can skip a session.”Or two, since I didn’t do it last night…

“Oh.” Alek nodded, but he seemed surprised that I’d be so lenient with my rehab efforts.

Maxim remained at my side, though, not moving aside like Nik had when he saw that I was seated. “Don’t overdo it.”

That was the fucking problem. I had. I overdid it last night pulling Hannah onto the bed. My shoulder twinged at that maneuver. Fucking her hurt my leg and my hand. I hated that I was so damaged and weak to be able to fuck her like I wanted to.

“You walked here with just that cane?” Nik asked, frowning.

“Enough.” I held up my hand and shot them all a dirty look. “I don’t want any more nagging.” I bet I would’ve sounded more convincing if I weren’t so out of breath, but I was relaxing with every passing minute. I came here, instead of waiting for Hannah to show up at my room and likely be embarrassed or whatnot. I wanted a breather from thinking about her, andcoming to this meeting would steer me back on track. On the track I belonged—that of learning about Erik Avilov and how I could be most prepared to get him.

“All right.” Alek looked at me, serious and seeming to understand that I didn’t want any more attention like this. “Then let’s get to business. In fact, it’s just as well that you’re here.”

“How so?” I asked.

Alek nodded at Maxim, who cleared his throat. “Well,” my younger brother said, “I’ve heard from someone in Tom Buttane’s office.”

I stiffened at this development. According to Maxim, I owed my life to the CIA agent Maxim had encountered when looking for Nadia. Nadia also owed his life to Buttane. If not for him, Maxim wouldn’t have known how to locate the warehouse where Avilov tortured me the most.

“It sounds like Tom’s colleague, Don Freeman, is interested in reaching out to me and speaking about how we could track down Erik Avilov.”

I gritted my teeth. Alek noticed. “Calm down, Dmitri.”

I breathed through my nose, waiting for this instant anger to cool. “Since when do we work with the motherfucking Feds?”

“Never,” Nik answered. “But maybe it’s time to reconsider that stance.”

Ivan smirked at him. “Don’t look at me to start trusting the law enforcement.”

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