Page 15 of Bratva Daddies for the Single Mom
“To my car.” He held the table up and waved it from side to side. Without the barrier of the men who’d angered him between us, I received the full force of his gaze. “You will come with me.”
“Why?” I followed him into the elevator. Bad move. The close confines put my body close enough to his that I had to tip my head back to look into his face.
He gazed back at me. “Because Viktor has asked for you.” His face blanked. “And I cannot say no to my Pakhan.”
“And if I don’t want to go?” I tried to cross my arms, but it pushed my boobs up, brushing them across his forearm. “Will you force me after all that talk about women having the right to say no?”
“No.” The doors opened, and he strode out without seeming to care whether I followed. He had my table. Of course I was going to follow him. I couldn’t afford to buy another one. Well, maybe I could, but my need to keep the conversation going and to learn more about the potential father to my baby drove me across the garage. Lights flickered in an uneven beat, making my head throb.
Ilya shoved my table into the backseat of his car and opened the passenger door. “Get in.”
Do as he says or fight back and test the boundaries?
His chin tucked close to his chest, his shoulders rising and falling as he laughed. “I missed this part of you before. Of course you would be stubborn and willful.” Still laughing, he held out his hand. “I promise no harm will come to you. You must get in.”
“If I don’t?”
“Then I am going to lose the tiny shred of control I have left, and I am going back into that office to finish what I started.”
Okay, then. Question answered. I put my hand in his and let him help me into the SUV, the door slamming closed with a sense of finality that rattled my heart.
9
VIKTOR
I’d just sat and picked up a cup of coffee when my office door burst open and Ilya barged in. “Ilya.” I snapped his name, setting the cup down and rising to my feet in the same motion.
He stopped and jerked to attention.
The atmosphere turned sharp as I looked him over for injury. “Kent?”
A snarl vibrated his chest. “Sidetracked. I will go back and deal with him.”
“Sidetracked?” That was not like Ilya. He possessed impressive focus and attention to detail.
Ilya grunted and moved toward me. His left hand made a sweeping motion, and Annie stepped into the light. She staggered to a stop, her mouth gaping. She took in the room with a quick sweep and snapped her jaws shut. I followed her gaze from the desk where I stood, to the three leather sofas creating a U shape in front of the massive TV screen where Ilya, Fyodor, and I often sat late into the nights watching UFC and catching up with each other. I’d paid to have the room soundproofed, which created a dull effect when we spoke.
“Kent is a pain in the ass. He thinks he can convince you to delay his payments.” Ilya spoke into the void, but his attention remained on Annie. He tracked her movements, almost walking on her heels, his shoulders hunched forward like he expected he’d need to leap at any moment.
Our Annie.She was here. He’d found her. “What the fuck happened? Why are you storming around my office like a bull in a China shop?”
Ilya jerked in my direction but stayed close enough to touch Annie. She glanced at him, pink darkening her cheeks, then locked her arms across her stomach and shot a glance my way.
Thunderclouds built on Ilya’s brows, pushing them down over his eyes and pinching the scowl deeper in place. “I went to see Kent. He’s a pain in the ass, as usual. And while we’re discussing his lack of payments, I hear her.” He twitched his fingers toward Annie.
I expected her to back away from him, but she remained perched on the arm of the couch, her steady expression reminding me of our night together. She might be terrified, but she covered it well. When Ilya dropped his hands to his sides, she tracked the movement, a curious look crossing her face. She clenched her hands around her upper arms, hugging her forearms tight over her stomach. “I was uncomfortable with a situation. I’m a massage therapist. Mr. Kent hired me to give his employees massages.”
“One man did not appreciate her dismissal of his affections.” Ilya’s frown turned so dark that most men would scatter at the mere threat of it turning their way.
His words sank into me one by one, each digging deeper, until my blood boiled. “Explain.”
“He offered to pay me what he bid at the auction if I’d spend the night with him.” Annie shuddered. Even from across the room, I spotted the goosebumps on her arms.
“What?” Ilya rounded on her. “You did not tell me that.” His nostrils flared, his temper spiking so hot and fast he very nearly burst into flames.
Annie lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “You didn’t ask. And you took care of the immediate problem when he refused to let me go.”
“Who?” I drilled a look into Ilya. “Names. Now.”
