Page 47 of Hunt Me (Dmitriyev Bratva #1)

B ristol

Time seemed to stand still.

Or maybe I wasn’t interested in moving forward because I had no understanding of what the future would bring. Being with Mikhail had been like being swept up in a dark storm, the tumultuous atmosphere prepared to cast us into a dark abyss.

I’d felt such hatred toward the man, thinking him nothing but a ruthless, dangerous criminal. Yet I’d seen a softer side, not only because of the sorrow caused by the murder of his friend, but also from a subtle yet powerful need buried deep within him.

He was capable of obtaining everything he’d ever wanted in his life. Money. Women. Precious things. Yet none of them excited him. Nothing kept his rapt attention.

Except for one thing.

Me.

Was I just overthinking our connection or had our second meeting been forced by fate? A subtle laugh left my mouth. Maybe I’d been reading too many romance novels. I should feel thankful I was no longer in his clutches. I could go to the police and confess my sins if I wanted.

Then again, what would that do other than embarrass my father and potentially derail my career permanently?

I could have Mikhail arrested for kidnapping me. Although the low likelihood someone had seen us leaving together would put a damper on my story, and both our credibility would be played out in the media given who my father was and Mikhail’s role in the city.

No, a media circus wasn’t in my best interest.

What then? What could I possibly do that would give me the answers?

There were no answers. None. I hated this. I hated him. I hated life.

Then why could I not stop thinking about him?

Being inside Callie’s apartment was a reminder I’d need to plan my charade in case questions were asked. My sister had obviously heard about Sergio’s murder. How could I explain my behavior around his death? My head ached just trying to put pieces together.

“Ugh!” I fisted my hand, banging it gently against my forehead. I was such a stupid girl for falling for a man like Mikhail. Wait a minute. Had I just admitted I’d fallen for him? Not a chance. I was smarter than that.

Or was I?

Wired.

I was wired to the hilt, my nerves completely frayed. Up until the moment Mikhail had dropped me off where I’d left my car at Josie’s, I’d been numb. Maybe I’d been in shock.

There were a half dozen reasons, every one more like an excuse than an intelligent thought.

Every time I moved, I was reminded he’d spanked me.

With a belt.

A few hours hadn’t changed anything. The tingling pain was a reminder that he was still in control of me.

Mikhail.

The hardheaded, sexy as sin Russian had pulled me into a crazy vacuum, frying my mind with his control and sexiness.

And I hated myself for the intense longing that refused to leave.

What the ever-loving fuck was wrong with me?

Had the sexy Russian brainwashed me when I hadn’t been looking? Had he poisoned a drink, turning me into a zombie who craved what only he could provide? I just didn’t know. What I did know is that I couldn’t move away from the window.

As soon as I’d hit the road leaving Josie’s, I’d noticed a car following me. Not too close to create suspicions, but close enough there was no room for doubt Mikhail was making good on his… promises.

I shuddered thinking of the last statement he’d made and the look in his eyes. Yet the darkness in them didn’t terrify me. It excited me as the thought was doing right now. My pussy quivered in response to my ridiculous thoughts, the tickle of hunger lingering as did his scent.

Which still covered every inch of my body. I pressed my fingers to my lips, realizing they were swollen from the rough kisses. I could taste the man on my tongue, for God’s sake.

Huffing, I pulled away from the window. Maybe another shower would help. Somehow, I had the feeling I could use an entire bottle of shower gel and still not remove his scent. It was imbedded all the way into my bloodstream.

How in God’s name was I supposed to go about working with my dad and pretending I wasn’t going behind his back?

Oh, this was a nightmare.

I stormed into the kitchen. There was no work today. I needed to regroup. I wasn’t going to take a single other Door Dash run. That was for certain. I needed time to myself to process what I’d experienced.

And why I couldn’t get Mikhail out of my mind. Was he that powerful?

I’d actually enjoyed the asshole fucking me.

I’d relished the touch of his fingers, the way every brush of his thumb scalded my skin, the surge in my desire that had kept me wet.

Frustrated, I searched for wine. Any wine. At this point needing alcohol wasn’t about finding liquid courage, but about forgetting.

Him.

The man.

The horrible, amazing, and powerful man I couldn’t seem to get enough of.

As I grumbled, I found an open bottle stashed in the corner, ripping the cork out and debating sucking down the liquid directly from the bottle.

Hearing my sister’s voice, I cringed inside. Time to plaster on a smile and become a good actress. I had no clue what to tell her about my absence. I hadn’t been provided with instructions on what to say to anyone.

“You’re home,” Callie said as she slowly walked into the kitchen. “And you’re drinking.”

“It’s after five. You’re home early.”

“Mom let everyone go early since she had a meeting with the hotel about the charity event. What is going on? You left me a strange message.”

“It wasn’t strange.” I found a glass in the cabinet, almost choosing a huge water glass instead of a delicate crystal stem, which I felt like tossing against the wall.

“Since I know you better than almost anyone, I’d say it is.” She studied me carefully. “You heard about Mr. Pavel’s murder?”

“I did.”

“Did you… I mean were you there when…” Callie seemed flustered.

“No. He canceled the order. I just saw it on the news.”

“Oh.” She looked away. I was uncertain if she believed me. “I called you back but you didn’t answer. You were with one of the Dmitriyev boys? Right?”

“I assure you that not one of them are boys.” I heard the sarcastic tone in my voice, laughing softly before swigging back a huge gulp of wine.

“Wow. Well, I hope you had a good time. What about work?”

Now I laughed bitterly. “I think I quit. Don’t worry. I’m going to work for Daddy dearest.”

“Are you okay?” Callie inched closer.

“Perfectly fine.” I took another sip, which turned into a gulp. She was scrutinizing me and I was about ready to crawl out of my skin. Mikhail’s face had formed a permanent place in my brain. An unwanted one.

“O-kay. Well, I have news.” She clapped her hands. “I’m moving in with Jason. Can you believe it?”

“I’m happy for you.” The sardonic tone was evident. I was happy for her, but right now, I was miserable.

And why?

Because Mikhail had dropped me off as if I was unwanted. What the fuck was going on with me?

“Yes, well,” she said and grabbed the bottle from my hand, pulling down another glass. “I know it’s sudden, but don’t worry. The rent is paid through the rest of the month. Maybe you can convince Dad to give you a huge salary.”

“Maybe.” As if I cared at the moment. I already felt like a traitor, although what Mikhail had told me continued to nag at the back of my mind.

I would find out if what he’d told me was true.

I’d called my dad and told him we needed to talk.

The word traitor remained in the back of my mind.

But under the circumstances, I wasn’t certain about who. “When are you moving?”

Her expression turned sheepish. “Today. I just came home to grab a few things. Jason will help me get everything else this weekend.”

“Including the furniture?”

“Well… Just some. Don’t worry. I’ll leave you several pieces.” She was far too giddy, her face highlighting the happiness in her life.

If only I could find that for myself.

She stepped closer, placing her hand on my arm. “Are you sure that everything is okay?”

“It will be.” When, I didn’t know.

“You know you can talk to me about anything.”

“I know, Cal. I just… Maybe having some time alone will put everything into perspective.”

“This is about this mystery man. Right?”

Shrugging, I took another sip of wine. The fact I couldn’t get my mind off Mikhail remained a clear testament to my insanity. There was no other way of looking at it. “How did you know Jason was the one?”

Instead of developing a dreamy look in her eyes as I would have expected, she frowned.

“Are you talking about forever or just a fantasy man created in our minds and while using our favorite vibrator?” She burst into laughter when she noticed my intense scowl.

“Oh, come on. Don’t dare try and tell me you don’t have at least one tucked away in your nightstand. I know the books you read.”

Heat flushed my face and I hid behind my glass, able to laugh because she was right. “Okay, maybe one. Or two.”

“And here I thought I’d need to have a chat with you about the birds and bees.”

I acted as if I was going to punch her playfully. “Which one is Jason? Fantasy man or forever man?”

My baby sister, the girl who’d always seemed as if she’d had her head in the clouds, dreaming of unicorns and rainbows, shocked me with her answer. “Neither.”

Wine flew from my mouth and I coughed several times. “What?”

“There’s a third category. The man who’ll make a great teammate, remain a friend, won’t lie to you, and will make our parents happy. A solid man.”

“That sounds like a block of wood, not someone you want to spend the rest of your life with.”

Her shrug seemed nonchalant. “Solid is something you can count on. Solid means I’ll have a good life.”

“What about the life you deserve with wild passion that leaves you breathless, his touch burning your skin and when he gives you the look from across the room, you melt into a little puddle on the floor? Or when the anticipation of seeing him again leaves butterflies in your stomach. And his kiss… When you could do nothing but spend the evening in front of a roaring fire with a glass of wine and nice jazz music, kissing for hours. And the sex is… Let’s just say you could spend all night long in each other’s arms for weeks.

Months. What about that kind of relationship? ”

I didn’t realize she hadn’t said anything for a full thirty seconds. When I looked in her direction, her eyes were wide open.

“Wow,” she all but purred. “You didn’t just have a fling, sister of mine.”

“What does that mean?”

“That means you’re in love.”

“I am not!” I tossed hair behind my shoulder as a heated shiver coursed down my spine.

Callie pointed her finger. “Yes, you are. That’s amazing. That’s everything I’d love to find, but it only exists once in a lifetime. Do not allow him to get away. No other man will ever measure up to him.”

“What if he’s all wrong for me? What if he’s not only powerful, but dangerous?”

“All the better.” She grinned. “I’m serious. Do you really believe all the hype about the Dmitriyev family? I mean come on.”

“What if they’re criminals?”

“There isn’t a human being alive who doesn’t cross over that thin line of right versus wrong. You ought to know that better than anyone. Besides, if he loves you the way you obviously adore him, then he’ll change.”

“That’s where fantasy comes in. That only happens in romance books, Callie girl. No one ever truly changes.”

She leaned in, lifting a single eyebrow in admonishment.

“I think you don’t want to change him. I think you crave and need him just the way he is.

In my mind, danger equals the kind of passion you just described.

I will stand by what I said, that that kind of love is once in a lifetime.

You’ll regret it for the rest of your life if you keep your guard up. ”

I glanced toward the window, no longer avoiding the images of Mikhail in my mind. When I sighed, she giggled once again.

“See. You can’t stop thinking about him.”

“It’s not a match made in heaven.”

“What if it is? What if fate brought the two of you together?” She posed the question with an evil smile on her face.

My beautiful sister had no idea her assumptions were correct.

“One last thing. Sometimes the very person or situation we think isn’t good for us ends up being exactly what we need. Follow your heart and not that big brain of yours.”

I gave her a chastising look. “Perhaps you should follow your own advice. Don’t settle for Jason just because you’ll look good together in wedding photos.”

Suddenly, she had a wistful look on her face. “You’re right, but Jason is a good man and he does love me. I’m hoping we can build on that.”

Her words startled me. Maybe I had been settling my entire life, searching and hoping for a spark of passion. I’d found more than a spark with Mikhail. I’d found an entire electric plant. My pussy throbbed from just thinking about him.

“Anyway. You now have a chance to enjoy some time alone with your man since I’ll be out of your hair.” Giggling, she moved toward the kitchen table nestled against the window to drop off her purse. When she shifted closer to the glass, peering outside, I narrowed my eyes.

“What are you seeing?”

“Maybe I’m crazy, but there’s some guy standing in front of the building across the street staring at our apartment. He doesn’t look like one of the maintenance guys either. He’s tall, dark, and handsome. I think maybe your mystery man can’t get enough of you either.”

I took a deep breath and moved closer, leaning over her shoulder to see what she was looking at.

I’d be damned. I didn’t need twenty/twenty vision to realize Mikhail was outside. He stood with his jacket open, his hands in his trouser pockets. The light breeze had tousled his hair and for a few seconds, I remained frozen, incapable of thinking clearly or even breathing.

Was I seeing things?

“I think he’s keeping an eye out for you,” Callie teased. “How delicious.”

While a tiny crinkle of fear swept through me, it was quickly replaced with a need so powerful, a desire so intense I was lost in a haze.

I moved quickly, taking long strides from the kitchen into the living room.

With my fingers shaking, I unlocked the back door leading to the terrace, throwing it open.

I flew toward the railing, leaning over.

Blinking, I scanned the sidewalk and street.

Mikhail had disappeared.