Page 53 of Innocent Prey of the Bratva

“No,” I murmur against her skin. “I’ll only get worse.”

She goes still.

“The next time someone even looks at you,” I say, voice cold now, hard, honest, “I’ll kill them.”

She laughs. “You’re crazy.”

Before I can respond, the door swings open. We left it unlocked yesterday. Maxim steps inside, immediately halting like he’s stepped into a damn furnace.

His eyes flick straight to the ceiling.

“Jesus,” he mutters, turning his back in the most respectful way Maxim can muster. “I didn’t realize….”

Violet gasps, dragging the sheets over her chest. She’s flushed to her ears, scrambling to hide herself even though we’ve already ruined each other a dozen different ways.

I just laugh. A deep, low sound from my throat.

“Relax,” I say lazily, dragging my hand down Violet’s bare back, slow and deliberate. “Maxim knows better than to let his eyes lead him astray.”

Violet shoots me a glare like she’s ready to stab me with the nearest object. Cute.

Maxim clears his throat. “I wouldn’t have come in if it wasn’t urgent.”

I sit up, not bothering to cover a damn thing. “So speak.”

He glances over his shoulder like he’s still not sure if it’s safe to talk in front of her.

I wave a dismissive hand. “She knows everything, Maxim. There’s no point hiding shit from her anymore.”

Violet stays quiet, clutching the blanket like armor, but I feel her eyes on me—waiting.

Maxim finally nods, then says, “It’s confirmed. Violet’s location was leaked.”

“I already know that.” I stiffen. “By who?”

“Someone inside,” he says tightly. “We don’t know who yet. But they had access to internal comms and movement logs. This isn’t just a breach, Kaz. It’s a fucking stain on the Bratva.”

My jaw clenches. “A rat.”

“Yeah,” he replies. “And it’s got the inner circle spooked. If word gets out that you’re compromised, there’ll be moves made. Not just on you. On all of us.”

I glance down at Violet.

She’s staring back at me.

And I know what she’s thinking—that all this blood, this chaos, it’s because of her. She’s not wrong. But I don’t regret it. Not for a second.

“We will find the rat,” I say, my voice low and cold now. “Turn over every rock. Check everyone’s loyalties. I want a name because someone must pay.”

Chapter 13 – Violet

The day is warm. Golden, almost. The way the afternoon light filters through the trees feels like something out of a forgotten dream—peaceful and strange.

I’m skipping. Hand in hand with Kaz. My fingers tangled in his. Never thought I’d say that.

Two weeks. That’s how long it’s been since someone tried to steal me out of his house like I was something to be auctioned off. Since Kaz snapped a man’s neck like it was nothing and told me—without saying it outright—that I was his everything.

No more break-ins. No more screaming at night. The house is like a fortress now. Fortified gates. Infrared lines. Armed guards on every floor.