Page 40 of Bratva Prince
Stomping over to him, I put my foot down, demanding he tell me something. With my hands on my hips, and my chin held high in defiance, I asked, “What’s your problem?”
He turned; his expression as incredulous as his tone. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. What the hell is your problem, Ivan? One minute you’re kind, and the next you’re a prick, and I want to know why. Why are you acting like this? What did I do to piss you off?”
He scoffed, and I swore, I’d had enough of that fucking sound.
“Okay, seriously? What’s with you and the scoffing?”
Again. He did it again. I was about two seconds from knocking the shit out of his pretty face. Screaming in frustration, I shouted, “Of all the people to be stuck on an island with, it had to be you! It couldn’t have been—oh, I don’t know—a starving lion, or some flesh-eating insect? No, it had to be a miserable bastard who goes out of his way to make me feel like shit.”
“Youfeel like shit? I’ve lost my friend, my jet, and nowI’mstuck with a conniving little daddy’s girl.”
“Would you stop calling me that! What the hell are you even talking about? I didn’t do shit to you!”
Abruptly, he stood before the fire, the flames dancing around him as if he had emerged from them—or from Hell itself. The glow from the fire lit up the dark, menacing expression he wore.
“I’m not stupid, Willow, so you can cut the act. I put two and two together. You know, Iamcapable of that much.”
“Again, what the hell are you talking about?”
“You and Dominik! You and Arman! I know you’ve been working with them, plotting against me. I just can’t believe you fucked me while you were engaged. That’s low, even for adirty bratvalike me.”
Was he serious? The man honestly thought I was working with my father and Dominik?
I held my stance, firm and unwavering. He stood only inches away, towering over my smaller frame, staring at me with a contempt so heated, I’d need an extinguisher to put it out.
“You’re insane!” I shouted, waving my arms through the air like a madman. “Like I’d ever work with them.”
“Go on. Lie. I know the truth. You seduced me to gain my trust. To spy on me.”
That time,Iscoffed. “Why would I sleep with you if I were with Dominik? Like I give a fuck about him.”
“Like I can trust that. How else would Dominik have known where I was? The man who stole my weapons just happened to be on the same island as you? You’re telling me you’re engaged and didn’t know he was there, that he was involved? As if I’d believe you.”
“Believe what you want, but I swear to you, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Or, are you just trying to get on my good side?” His scowl morphed into a devilish grin, and he leaned closer, stroking my chin with his finger. “You still want me, don’t you? You’ve had a taste of the bratva dick, and now you can’t get enough.”
I slapped him hard. He was just lucky it wasn’t a punch because I was tempted to use my fist rather than my hand, but didn’t want to mess up my knuckles. I’d need those for survival because I sure as hell wasn’t going to depend on him.
My jaw clenched and twitched as my eyes bore into him, burning him with my rage. My voice held so much venom, I wished so badly I could use it to poison him. “I hate you.” Calm, even—unlike the emotions swirling within me. “I hate you so fucking much.”
The tears were building in my eyes, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Once was enough, and letting him see me like that a second time would only make me look weak.
Instead, I turned and walked away, into the darkness of the woods.
It hadn’t sunk in until then what he’d said.
He was in the bratva.
It made sense why he was so paranoid. Those bratva assholes always are. But what did he have to do with my father or Dominik? How were they connected and what did he want with me?
20
Ivan
Willow ran off.
