Page 36 of Desperate Crimes
He’s the only one who’d dare. My best friend, if I could claim such a thing.
Trusted, mostly.
And not stupid.
He knows who I’ve taken.
She’s his fucking cousin,
And he knows what this means.
I glance down at the text message and grit my teeth.
Sammy
You know what you’re doing?
That’s all the text says.
Short. Cryptic. A warning in five words.
Because Adrik Volkov has a reputation.
Because Volkov blood doesn’t take disrespect lightly.
But I don’t even hesitate as I type back.
Nico Jr.
Yeah, I’m taking what’s mine. Same as you.
I say, unnecessarily reminding him of how he married my cousin, Aella, on the sly, away from family and friends.
We’re two peas in a pod, Sammy and me. At least, in our obsessive natures when it comes to the women we love.
I drop the phone on the desk and turn back to the screen.
She’s sitting on the edge of the bed now, her head in her hands.
And for a second, I swear I see it—that flicker of vulnerability.
That crack in her armor.
She’ll try to resist. Of course, she will.
But not forever.
Because I’ve already done the hard part.
I found her.
Claimed her.
Built her a kingdom.
All that’s left now is to teach her how to rule it—with me.
Chapter Nine-Leanna
