Page 88 of Intimately Faithful

“Nyet,” A devious smirk on Grigori’s thin lips, pulled tighter the longer he stared across at her. He was a tall man, and not so bulky he looked odd in his deep gray suit. But it was the aura of badness that radiated out of him that made Aoife shiver and wish she was back home, cuddled up on Danny’s lap listening to his out of tune singing.

Only the force of her willpower was stopping her from bawling and pleading to just let her have her life back. She’d waited so long. Every day, every second without her heart and soul was an agony she couldn’t take any more.

She wanted to take care of and protect Misha so much, but if she was forced to give her back and never see her again, so she could live and have Danny… God… it hurt her heart to make that choice.

She was greedy enough to want it all.

Hadn’t she sacrificed enough of their life already? Hadn’t she lost thousands of days with her Galway boy because of selfish parents? She wanted her happily ever after, dammit.

And the irony that her happiness rested solely on the decision of one very bad man didn’t go unnoticed.

She was in way over her head, even as she set her chin up and forced it not to wobble and show too much fear. Though she suspected the man in front of her already knew how scared of him she was.

“You have bravery, Miss Flanagan. I admire such a quality. My traitorous Yelena never was so courageous. Sit and have food with me. What would you like?”

Aoife blinked unsure of what she was hearing at first.

What…?

Did he mean?

Her belly rolled and sloshed with dread.

“I don’t want to date you!” She blurted and instantly became repentant of her mocking tone when it was met with a vicious growl from behind her. “I’m so sorry. I don’t mean any disrespect, Mr. Kuznetsov. I’m in a very committed relationship already.”

“With a man of the church,” he said with a half-smile. The smile put the fear of Lucifer in her.

“Yes .. how did you…?”

“I know everything, Miss Flanagan. I know where you’ve been all along and who you’ve had guarding you. Such nonsense, but the Renegade Souls do love their theatrics.”

She was so screwed if he’d been playing with them all this time, like a wild animal would its food.

The overwhelming need to cry hit her again and only biting hard on the inside of her lip stopped the emotion from welling out.

“I want to keep Misha. She was Yelena’s daughter and she asked me to take care of her if anything happened to her; something happened to her, Mr. Kuznetsov.”

He stroked a long finger on his lower lip, regarding her through lowered lashes. He’d yet to take his eyes from Aoife and she prayed to Jesus and all his disciples—what were their names again? She’d have to ask Danny—that he really hadn’t taken a shine to her.

She’d already been under the thumb of her idiot father all her life, and then bought and sold to Padraig like common cattle, without adding a mad Russian to the list.

No matter what Danny insisted when he was driving inside her, her vagina was not magical. It only drove one Irishman wild, no Russian’s allowed.

“Indeed,” he said. “I will take the item back Yelena left with you now.”

“No!” Aoife screamed.

Fear like no other gripping her by the throat.

She’d give Misha to that evil man over her dead body.

And it was looking more likely that day was here.

“You can’t have Misha. She’s not even yours!”

Awesome.Go ahead and tell him he’s shooting blanks too, Aoife.

She’d always had a mouth on her, and it appeared it was about to be the death of her.

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