Page 76 of Trapped By the Bratva

“Hannah.”

I popped my lids up and opened my eyes wide.

Melissa?I had to be hearing things. I told her to never contact me again and here she was, calling me. As I sat up, I lowered my phone to check the caller ID. It showed an unknown caller. Had I not kept my eyes closed and assumed it was Mila, Amy, Becca, or Nadia, I wouldn’t have bothered to answer.

“Hannah,” she repeated in that same desperate tone. “Are you there?”

“What do you want?” I pressed my lips together to hold in a scream. I told her. That time I saw her at the coffee place, I told her that was it. Already, she was breaking that rule.

Time to let Dmitri give me a new phone and number.I had to cut ties with her, once and for all.

“Hannah, I’m scared.”

I rolled my eyes, wondering how long she’d rehearsed and practiced to sound so frightened. “Uh-huh,” I drawled.

“Hannah! I’m serious. I’m so freaked out right now.”

“What’s the emergency this time?” I asked, mildly amused that she thought this SOS call would work and also slightly curious what she’d make up as a tall tale now.

“These men. These weird men keep stalking me,” she said between panted breaths.

“Well, that’s what you get for sleeping with drug dealers and mooching off them too.”You make the bed and sleep in it, Sister.If she wanted to hang out with unsavory people, that was what she deserved.

“No. It’s not anyone I know. It’s because ofyou.”

I narrowed my eyes, losing patience to hear her out. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Listen. I was really curious about who your new client might be,” she said, rambling. “I wanted to know who your super-rich client was and where your new gig was located.”

I gritted my teeth. She never cared. She never respected any boundaries. None of them. If she wanted something, if she wanted to know something, she’d help herself to it without any regard for others.

“What did you do?” I demanded.

“Nothing, really. After you left with that silent dude, I followed you. To see where you went.”

I shook my head, wanting to think it was impossible. The guard who stayed with me would’ve noticed, but then again, maybe she’d slipped by. She was short, which helped her hide, and she knew the streets well…

“And that was how I found out where you were staying. I asked around and talked with Devin, and he told me you were on the Bratva territory. I put one and two together and realized you had to be nursing one of the Valkovs back to health.”

“Melissa! You nosy bitch.” Anger spiked through me, and I tried to steady myself and breathe through it.

She had no right. No right at all to try to tail me and snoop like that.

“I asked around on the street about the Valkovs, and I heard that they were in some big war with another family.”

They’re not in any war.Things were peaceful—within reason, with all the little ones at the mansion.

“And when I started asking around about your new bosses, some guys named Avalon threatened me.” She caught her breath, panicky.

“Avalon?”

“Yeah. I think.”

The name wasn’t right but it triggered recognition. “Avilov?” I guessed.

“Yes!” Melissa coughed. “Yes, these Avilov dudes have been chasing after me constantly. Because I was talking about my sister working for the Valkov Bratva.”

“You idiot. You…” I growled, giving up on shouting at her. If I opened my mouth, a scream would be released. One I doubted I could curb or stop once I started.

---