Page 36 of Innocent Prey of the Bratva

“No, no—wait—KAZ!” Rakin screams as I stride out, his chair scraping violently against the concrete. “I’ll talk! I swear—I’ll give you names! Please—!”

But I’m already gone.

I slam the door behind me and dial Milo before I even reach the car.

“Keep the house on full lockdown,” I snap as soon as he picks up. “And don’t let her out of your sight. I’m on my way.”

Because if they’re coming for her again—I won’t make the mistake of not being there.

Not twice.

I’m yanking the car door open when I hear boots behind me.

“Hey.”

I don’t turn. I know that voice.

Maxim steps up beside me, his jaw set, his eyes scanning mine with that same unnerving precision he’s always had. “You’re slipping.”

I grip the wheel, knuckles whitening. “Not now, Max.”

“No,” he says sharply. “Now. Because it’s already too late for ‘not now.’”

I finally look at him.

“You didn’t even finish with Rakin,” he says, voice lower now, more controlled. “You stormed out like a man with something to lose.”

His words hang in the air.

“You care about her.” His tone isn’t mocking—it’s worse. It’s honest. “And it’s showing. Everyone’s seeing it. Your men. Your enemies. Hell, even she probably sees it.”

My jaw tightens.

“You’re the boss, Kaz,” Maxim says quietly. “Act like it.”

I stare at him for a long second. I should say something—push back, bark a command, deny it. But I don’t. Instead, I get in the car and slam the door shut. The engine roars to life, and I drive off without a word.

Because he’s right.

And I hate that he is.

I want to call Adrian and seek advice, but I’m too proud to. He’ll mock me, which is well-deserved because I mocked him, too, when he became entangled with Jennie.

Now I know how it feels. Damn these women and how they sneak up on you.

I drive like a madman.

Faster than I should. Every mile back to the estate feels like a punishment, like I’m sprinting toward a crime scene. My hands grip the wheel so tightly my knuckles burn. Every thought—every brutal possibility—plays in my head on loop.

What if they touched her?

What if they got to her while I was wasting time on Rakin?

What if—

The brakes screech in front of the estate. I barely remember parking. I’m out of the car before the engine dies, boots pounding the gravel as I storm up the steps.

Milo is already there, standing by the door, tension in his stance but calm in his face.