Page 30 of Tarnished Tyrant (Zhukova Bratva 1)

Then he releases a pent-up sigh and turns away from me. “Come back when you’re ready to do as I ask,” he says over his shoulder.

Before I can think about what I’m doing, I lunge forward and grab Nikolai’s arm.

First, I’m struck by how muscular he is. His forearm feels like iron in my hand.

Second, I’m struck by how fast he is. Before I can even blink, Nikolai spins around and pins me against the receptionist’s desk.

I gasp from both the shock and the way the desk jams into my spine, but the sound cuts off when he clamps his hand around my throat.

“You’re alive because I want you to be alive, Miss Dowan,” he hisses. “You’re here right now because I want you to be here. And you slid yourself onto my cock in that airplane bathroom because I wanted you to. Don’t you get it?”

I swallow. My throat bobs against his rough palm.

He leans in close, his breath hot against my cheek. My lips part on an inhale.

For a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me.

And for a moment…

I want him to.

Then his eyes flick back to mine, and I realize I’m looking into the gaze of pure evil.

“I get what I want,” he concludes, enunciating each word crisply. “You might as well save us both some time and go along with it.”

He lifts his hand from my throat and cups my cheek, his thumb brushing over my lower lip. From violent to tender in the blink of an eye.

He’s right—he’s not normal in the slightest.

Then, all at once, Nikolai lets go of me and walks away. He turns into a silhouette, and then even that melts into the shadows of the dark hallway, and he’s gone.

I’m left alone in the lobby, breathing heavily. Adrenaline and fear pump through me, but I have nowhere to put the energy.

Attacking Nikolai isn’t a valid option. I understand that now. He’s strong and fast and ruthless.

But I can’t leave.

Not without my sister.

I’m frozen, stuck in a purgatory I never imagined. Elise has only lived with me for two weeks and she’s already in danger.

What am I going to do? What am I going—

The silver keys on the floor catch my eye.

Nikolai dropped everything when I jumped into his arms… and he never picked it up. He left behind a set of keys. Car keys, by the looks of them.

I can’t believe my luck. Mostly because I’ve never had such a thing before. But I decide not to look this gift horse in the mouth.

As quickly as I can, I punch the elevator door button, swoop down to snatch up the keys, and then step backwards through the doors.

I keep an eye down the hallway where Nikolai disappeared until the doors close. Then I hit “P” for Parking and pray my good luck continues.

That would be a first.

The parking garage is dimly lit and mostly empty. The yellowish glow from the lights makes it feel like I'm walking through an apocalyptic movie. Alone in a dying wasteland.

I hold up the sleek black key fob and press the unlock button. A seductive chime emanates from a car immediately to my left. It's the closest space to the door, with a bolded nameplate above it that reads “MR. ZHUKOVA.”

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