Page 5 of Cruel Russian King

“Ninel?”

My eyes snapped up.

Artyom.

Crap.

“Hey, Artyom.” I smiled, trying to play it cool.

He looked around, scanning behind me, and his brows drew together.

“Are Vera and the others with you?” he asked.

“No.”

“And I’m not seeing any guards. Are you here alone?”

I nodded. God, is he going to call Lev and rat me out?

“Yes.”

Artyom folded his arms and raised a brow. “Why?”

As if having five biological brothers wasn’t enough, once the war between our factions were over, and Artyom had come to terms with the fact that his sisters were married to my brothers, I somehow ended up with three more overprotective watchdogs.

I folded my arms to match his stance. “Because I’m an adult, and I decided to get away for a bit. The gallery down the street had an event showcasing new pieces, so I checked it out.”

“Ninel, you can’t be running around alone. You know this.” His tone disapproving.

“I can take care of myself.”

“I’m not saying you can’t,” he countered, “but one of you against ten men with guns isn’t exactly fair odds.”

Unfortunately, he wasn’t wrong. But, I wasn't going to tell him he was right.

“Are you going to tell my brothers?”

If he was, I might as well enjoy the rest of my time out before the storm rolled in.

Artyom ran a hand through his thick, dark brown hair, his grey eyes sharpening. For the first time, I really noticed how handsome he was, reminding me of a young Brad Pitt. His jawline was clean-shaven, and the tattoo of a wolf pack snaked down his neck, disappearing into his black shirt.

His voice pulled me back to the present. “I’m not going to say anything. But I’m not leaving you here, either. I was in the area for a meeting and I’m heading home now. I’ll give you a lift.”

“Sure.”

We walked back to where Artyom had parked in a paid lot. He opened the door for me, and I slipped inside. After I buckled up, he got in and started the car, pulling out onto the street.

“If there’s anywhere else you want to go, and you don’t want your brothers to know, I’d be happy to look out for you,” he said.

I turned to him. “Why would you do that?”

He let out a low sigh. “Because, as you probably guessed, I was an overbearing brother.”

“Was?” I smirked.

Artyom chuckled, and it vibrated through me.

What the hell was that?