Page 152 of Tarnished Tyrant (Zhukova Bratva 1)

BELLE

I’m blindly chucking everything into suitcases when there’s a knock at the door.

For a minute, I’m not sure if I should answer or not. Is it Nikolai? Do I want it to be Nikolai?

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head. “No.”

This thing between us has to be over. It shouldn’t have even started in the first place. I knew who he was, but I let myself get roped in anyway. And now, I’m half a world away from home with no idea how or when we’re going to get back.

Nikolai wouldn’t just leave me stranded here, though. Would he?

“Yes, he would,” I snort to myself. I kick the dress he gave me away into the corner. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever worn. Probably the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, period.

But it doesn’t fit into my life. There’s nowhere for me to wear it.

Just like Nikolai. He’s gorgeous, but we don’t fit. Don’t match.

This is for the best.

As I go to answer whoever’s here, I pray that one day I’ll be able to say that and believe it.

I yank open the door, ready to fix Nikolai with an icy cold glare and hold him at arm’s length. Any closer than that is dangerous. But when the door opens, it isn’t Nikolai on the other side.

It’s Xena.

Her lips are pursed tight. “Belle Dowan.”

She remembers my name. I’m not sure whether that’s a good sign or not.

“Yeah. That’s me.”

“I wasn’t asking.” Her voice isn’t exactly cold, but it’s far from warm. “May I come in?”

I hesitate, my hand gripping the edge of the door. Being alone in a room with a woman connected to a violent mafia—a woman who probably hates my guts, seeing as how I just spent the week having wild vacation sex with her fiance—isn’t a great idea.

Then again, a closed door probably won’t stop her if she wants to kill me.

All I can do is hope she doesn’t want that.

I step back and open the door. “Be my guest.”

She steps into the room and drifts to the island to perch delicately on the edge of one of the stools, rearranging her dress just so to avoid wrinkling it.

“You aren’t coming back to the party?” she inquires.

I chuckle and look down at my outfit of ripped jeans and a t-shirt. “No. No, I’m not. I’m done.”

“Yes, you are.” She cuts right to the chase. Nikolai can say what he wants, but this woman is a match for him.

I gulp. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“And I’m not here to fuck around,” she snaps. “You’ve already embarrassed me in front of all the other guests. Don’t treat me like I’m stupid.”

I sigh. I’m so sick of these people and their inflated egos. “Listen, Xena… Nothing was really even going on with me and Nikolai. I came here to work for him.”

I’m surprised a bolt of lightning doesn’t smite me on the spot for telling such an outrageous lie. Based on the expression on Xena’s face, she doesn’t buy it, either.

“Are prostitutes traveling internationally now?” she muses.

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