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“How long do I get to keep you tonight?” he asks softly, his rumbling baritone vibrating through my body to my core.
I sigh, glancing up at him reluctantly. “Honestly, we should probably head back to Katie’s before I give her a heart attack. I’ve gone missing on that poor girl more than any friend should in a lifetime.”
Mishka chuckles and presses his lips to my forehead. “Okay. Five more minutes.”
Giggling, I nod and nuzzle back into my cozy space. And for one blissful moment, I get to savor the bone-deep contentment of lying in Mishka’s strong arms.
“Mishka!” a sharp voice calls from outside, a fist pounding on the door a moment later. “Open up before I break this damn door down!”
I yelp, scrambling into a sitting position as horror floods my body. I know that voice. And as I quickly gather the sheets around my body, Mishka tenses beside me.
“Blyat.” His expression is grim, his jaw clenched as he glances toward me.
“What?” I breathe.
“I didn’t lock the door.”
The blood drains from my face as his prophetic words end with my brother throwing his front door wide open. Two men flank him as they enter Mishka’s flat, all three dressed as if ready for combat.
“Why the hell haven’t you been answering your pho—” Viktor stops short as his eyes land on me. His irritation transforms into fury in the blink of an eye.
My stomach plummets as I realize just how bad this situation is.
Mishka’s unarmed—entirely defenseless—and still naked in the bed beside me. My brother, on the other hand, is wearing more guns than I can count, and he now knows without a doubt that we’re sleeping together. I might as well have painted a giant bull’s-eye on Mishka’s chest and told Viktor to give it his best shot.
“What the fuck is my sister doing in your bed, Orlov?” he growls between clenched teeth, his murderous gaze shifting back to Mishka.
26
MISHKA
“Viktor, please. It’s not his fault,” Alina pleads as I tense, readying for a fight I very well might lose.
Snarling, Viktor redirects his gaze to his sister. “Not his fault? I told the mudak what would happen if he touched you, so from where I’m standing, I’d say he’s got a death wish.”
“Stop it!” she hisses, her cheeks flooding with color at the look of disgust.
“You think you have any right to boss me around right now? Really? While you’re prancing around, playing the whore to a common foot soldier?” He points an accusing finger at her. “I’ll deal with you later,” he warns, his voice low and deadly.
Like hell you will. He might be her brother, but he'd better not intend to lay a finger on her, or I’ll rip it off and shove it down his throat. Bristling, I fight the urge to tackle him. With Lenka and Kristof flanking him, I know I wouldn’t land more than a punch or two.
Not to mention, I did just promise Alina that I wouldn’t hurt her family.
But I’m not about to just stand by and let him insult her. “Don’t talk to her like that,” I growl, balling my fists to hide the fury making them shake.
“You gonna stop me?” Viktor demands, his chin tipping impetuously.
“That’s enough!” Alina shouts, her restraining hand on my arm reminding me of my promise.
“Fine. Look, I don’t know what you two think you’re doing,” Viktor growls, gesturing between us, “but we don’t have time to deal with whatever this is right now. Mishka, get your ass out of bed and get dressed. We found where Alina’s kidnappers have been holed up since we raided their last spot. We’re going after them. Now. And we need all the manpower we can find. That means you.”
I’m snatching up my pants in an instant, hauling them on and shrugging into my shirt as I dress in record time. “We need to drop Alina off on the way,” I state, collecting my gun and checking for bullets before shoving it into the waistband of my jeans.
“Her bodyguards can come pick her up and take her home,” Viktor says, brushing off my demand.
But the men we’re up against, the men who took Alina, know where I live. They broke into my apartment—more than once, I suspect. So I refuse to leave her here alone. Especially if we’re planning on kicking the hornets’ nest. It’s too risky.
Honestly, I didn’t like the idea of bringing her here in the first place. Not after having those bastards break in while I was sleeping. But I thought we might get away with it for one night. I had no idea this was the kind of intrusion we might face. Now, I wish I’d listened to my instincts.
