Page 140 of Only for Him

“Oh, I don’t?” She arches a brow. “That’s news to me. Aren’t we in a free country now?”

I roll my eyes.

“Look at yourself,” she says, unimpressed. “You’re distracted, and we can’t afford that. Not now.”

The scars on her cheeks gleam in this light. I’m ashamed of how quickly I can forget that she has suffered as much as I have. Maybe more.

Not more than Anastasia, but more than me.

“I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you?” Her voice is sharp, all challenge and no fear. It stirs something ugly in me: resentful, defensive, hungry.

“You’re falling into something messy. You’re too focused on revenge for her sister. Who even was this man tonight?”

“A pedophilic sadist,” I say with a sneer. I suppose, he could have just been oblivious. Probably not, though. I know his type. All soft words and smiles until you turn off the lights. “And he worked with kids? Yeah, I’m not too fucking torn up about what happened to him.”

“But he wasn’t one ofthem,” Rosa shakes her head. “This obsession will get us all killed. Her included. You might be okay with me dying, but I’m sure you don’t want Ms. Detective?—”

“You think this is just about her?” I grit my teeth, frustration flooding my system. “The Bratva killed that girl. She deservesas muchjustice as anyone.”

It’s true, but it’s also a smokescreen. I want justice for Serena because Giselle wants justice for Serena. Because I can see the pain in her eyes, and I need to get rid of it. Even if she walked away tomorrow, I don’t want to live in a world where she’s hurting.

It’s fucked up, I know, but I didn’t ask for this.Shewalked intomylife and made it impossible for me not to keep her there.

She’s mine, and everything inside her is mine, too.

Rosa huffs a bitter laugh, folding her arms tighter. “I’m happy you’ve found a kindred spirit. Trust me, I never thought I’d say this aboutyouof all people, but she seems to make you happy.”

My fists clench. Rosa’s pulling at the frayed ends of my control.

My little viper doesn’t make me happy.

She makes me fuckingcrazy.

“I’m being honest with you,” she goes on. “Since you clearly can’t be honest with yourself. You’re chasing feelings now, not facts. You’re veering off course.”

“Giselle is the course,” I snap. “She’s part of the job now.”

I sound like a junkie and Giselle is my addiction. And there’s nothing more terrifying than going clean.

“You haven’t given us anything about the auction,” Rosa clucks. “The whole point of that mission was to get intel. Dakota gave us names. And what? Give me something, Romochka. I’m serious. Tell me one thing you’ve done in the past two weeks to get us closer tothatand not just Giselle.”

Rage licks at my spine, because I can’t. I don’t want Rosa to be right. If she’s right, then I have to stop giving Giselle what she needs.

And if I don’t have what she needs, what would keep her here?

Someday, she’ll need more than orgasms.

I possess her now. I’m sure of that. Her pussy drips for me, her body bows to me, her eyes ask questions only I can answer.

The future?

That’s a war I don’t know how to win.

And if she’s not in it, then what the fuck was any of this for?

Rosa shakes her head, a thin veneer of disappointment spread across her face. “You remember the spider on your chest? The one you cut away?”