Page 86 of Tarnished Tyrant (Zhukova Bratva 1)

“You lost, Belle. Give it up.”

I grab her around the waist, pinning her right arm to her side, and I realize she’s trembling. Her entire body, head to toe, is shaking uncontrollably.

She may act tough, but she’s terrified.

“You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?”

“I should,” I admit. “You’ve been a real pain in the ass.”

Suddenly, I hear a door further down the stairwell open. “All good?” Arslan calls up.

“Yeah, all good,” I say.

“Okay, I’ll meet you back in your—”

“Actually,” I interrupt, “go home for tonight. I’ve got it from here.”

Belle snaps her attention to me. Her hazel eyes are wide, searching. She’s trying to guess what’s coming next. But it’s an impossible task.

Because even I don’t know what’s going to happen.

“Uh, roger,” Arslan says. “Hasta mañana.”

I wait silently. A door swings open, clangs shut.

We’re alone.

Once Arslan is gone, I hitch Belle up and over my shoulder while she struggles the entire way.

“I can walk,” she argues, slapping my back. “Put me down.”

“So you can fall all the way down the stairs?” I ask. “No thanks. I can’t interrogate a dead woman.”

“You’re going to… interrogate me? About what?”

I pat her ass, earning another slap to my back that only makes me chuckle. “Come on now, Miss Dowan. Let’s not ruin the surprise.”

* * *

Tying Belle up is more fun than it should be. The rough rope looks so coarse against her smooth skin, a delicious juxtaposition. I find myself staring at the way it tugs across her wrists rather than finishing up my knots.

She tries to fight, but she never stood a chance. As soon as her arms are strapped to the chair, there isn't much she can do. She thrashes side to side, wobbling the chair onto two legs.

“You’re going to tip over,” I warn, “and when you do, I won’t help you up.”

She huffs and sinks down into the cushion. She knows I’m right. "Why do you even have ropes in here?"

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to."

She shakes her head. “I don’t know the answer. I don’t know anything about you.”

“And don’t lie to me,” I growl. “Don’t you ever fucking lie to me.”

My voice is vicious enough that she jolts. I’m used to having attention on me, but something about her eyes pinned on me is extraordinarily intoxicating.

I back away and pace slowly across the room. “I think it’s time for the two of us to be honest with each other.”

“I have been honest.”

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