Page 93 of Innocent Prey of the Bratva

I hear him before I see him—soft footsteps, the familiar weight of his presence beside me. Kaz doesn’t say anything at first. He just stands there, a few feet away, like he’s afraid to come closer.

Finally, he speaks. “What does this all mean, Violet?”

I turn to face him slowly, heart pounding. “It means I can’t trust you anymore.”

His face falls, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop. If I do, I’ll lose the courage to say it all.

“You keep asking me what’s wrong like you don’t already know,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “And then when I do ask you something real, when I need the truth, you either lie or shut down. You keep me locked in the dark and call it protection, Kaz. But I’m not stupid. I’m not fragile. I’m just tired.”

His jaw clenches, eyes flickering, but he doesn’t speak. So I keep going.

“I feel like a stranger in my own life. Like I’ve been shoved into this world I didn’t choose, forced to trust people who lie to my face, who use me, who watch me. And you….”

I inhale sharply. “You keep tugging my strings like I’m a puppet. One minute, I’m yours. The next, I’m your prisoner. And the worst part? I don’t even know what you want from me anymore.”

He opens his mouth, like he wants to argue—but something shifts in his eyes.

He doesn’t speak. Because he knows I’m right. Again. His silence is deafening.

I cross my arms, the cool air biting at my skin, but I don’t care. My heart is pounding, my voice trembling with all the weight I’ve carried for too long.

“I don’t trust you,” I whisper.

Kaz stiffens beside me.

“What if you and Maxim are just trying to pin this on Arina?” I ask. “They were always kind to me—even before you gave a damn. Before you decided I was yours to keep.”

His jaw tightens. “Violet—”

“You made them disappear,” I cut in sharply. “Didn’t you? You made Arina disappear, and now you’re calling them the traitor because it’s convenient. Because it lets you keep your secrets. You eliminated the only person who tried to help me.”

I know I’m being cruel. Deliberately hurtful. But it’s the only armor I have left.

Kaz doesn’t even flinch. He just looks at me for a long, quiet second. “You’re not thinking straight.”

“No,” I snap. “I’m finally thinking clearly. You twist everything until I don’t know what’s real. Until I start doubting myself.”

The space between us is thick with tension.

He exhales slowly, like he’s holding himself back. “I don’t owe you justification, Violet. Only protection.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Protection? That’s not love, Kaz. That’s a prison. You cage me with good intentions and then act like I should be grateful.”

Something dark flashes in his eyes. “You think love is freedom?”

“I think love is truth,” I say. “And you’ve given me none.”

He laughs—sharp, humorless. “So if I let you go, would that prove my love to you?”

His voice is quiet. Almost broken. And for the first time, he looks like he doesn’t know what to do with me.

“Give me an answer,solnyshko. Is that what you want?”

I nod once, my throat tight. “Yes,” I whisper. “If you don’t let me go…I’ll believe you’re just another monster. One who cages what he claims to love.”

Kaz goes still.

The air between us is sharp. Cold. My heart hammers, waiting for the explosion, the denial, the violent refusal that always comes with men like him.