Page 87 of Daddy Brigadier

He cuts me off with a look that could freeze flame. All I see in him now is the devil, a man who played with me and threw me away when he was done.

“I loved you!” The words tumble out, raw and desperate. “Did you ever love me?”

He glances my way, and I watch as his throat moves while he swallows. “No. Don’t be ridiculous.”

His admission strikes me like a thunderclap. Everything tilts, and sound vanishes. The moment swallows me whole. “I fucking hate you.”

He opens his eyes, meeting mine with startling intensity. “Sweetheart,” he snickers with a mocking grin, leaning back in his chair. “A guy like me doesn’t fall in love, and even if I did, it wouldn’t be with a whore.”

His words slice through my heart like a razor, leaving me even more shattered than when I first entered the room.

“You’re just as pathetic as your sister,” Petrov says, laughing.

My sister.

I turn my head, scanning the area for Ruby, and there she is, right behind me. “Did you call Elise?” The urgency in my voice is crying out.

She shakes her head with a smile. “Ruby!” I cry out.

“Come here, baby,” Petrov beckons, and Ruby approaches him, settling down beside him.

“Ruby! What the fuck are you doing?” I murmur, tears welling in my eyes.

“You had your Brigadier, and I needed someone too,” she replies, planting a kiss on Petrov’s cheek.

I release a deep, troubled sigh. I’m doing this to keep her safe. How could she not understand?

“Have you forgotten what he did to you?”

“He made up for it,” she says, nervously fiddling with the diamond bracelet on her wrist.

I tighten my fist to keep myself from raging at her and shift my body to turn away from her.

“Don’t be jealous, Lexi. Or is it, Alexis?” Petrov’s head pulls back slightly, and a menacing laugh escapes him. “I knew you’d come chasing after the Brigadier, the man you thought loved you, but broke your heart.”

This is a trap, an invitation, maybe a little bit of both.

“It’s time to go,” Valentin says, rising and smoothing out his suit jacket. He reaches out his hand to me.

Petrov stands beside him, their imposing figures casting a shadow over me. “Elise is not coming to your rescue, darling. In fact, she’s heading right into a trap that the Brigadier has carefully set for her,” Petrov sneers.

I spin frantically, searching for my friends. Their faces are filled with terror, each held at gunpoint by a menacing figure. We’re in trouble.

“Run!” I scream, and the VIP area erupts in panic as screams echo and the men grab onto my friends. But the two men in front of me don’t move. It’s me they want.

My heels click sharply against the club’s floor as a tightness pulls at my chest, a chilling feeling trickling down my neck.

Looking back, I see Valentin and Petrov hot on my heels, their dark eyes locked onto me. Two dangerous men are hunting me. I weave through the crowd, desperate to increase the distance between us. But when I turn around to check, they’ve vanished from sight. I quickly make my way to the exit, aware of their presence lingering somewhere behind me.

Reaching the sidewalk fills me with relief, but I don’t dare slow my pace. Just as I round the corner, the sound of screeching tires grips my attention.

My heart races as I turn and spot a black SUV barreling toward me. Fear locks every muscle in my body, freezing me in place. In an instant, the SUV screeches to a halt beside me, and the back door swings open.

I spin around to escape, but powerful arms seize me, yanking me back toward the vehicle.

“Let me go, asshole!” I scream, struggling and thrashing, but I can’t break free from the iron grip tossing me into the back seat.

A figure lunges onto me, pinning my smaller frame and pressing his hand against my mouth to silence my desperate cries.