Page 63 of Forced By an Obsessive Bratva Stalker

I swallowed hard, fists shaking as I held them up in front of me. “You lied to me. Why?”

“You need to get some rest,” he said. “The drug in your system needs time to…”

“Don’t do that!” I snapped at him, veins lining my forehead. “Don’t you fuckin’ do that—don’t you try to avoid my question like you always do—don’t you fuckin’ dare!” Tears stung my eyes, but I wouldn’t let them fall.

Silence.

“Now, let’s try this again,” I said, my voice lowered this time. “Why did you lie to me?”

“Because it was the only way to protect you.”

“Protect me from what?”

He picked up his pace, his footsteps slow and measured. “You saw something at Meridian Solutions. And by the law of our brotherhood, you weren’t supposed to live.”

My throat suddenly went dry, my pulse racing by the second.

“I needed to confirm that you weren’t a threat to our organization…”

“Is that why you approached me with a fake identity?”

He stopped in front of me. “Pretty much.”

I looked him right in the eyes and asked, “Was fucking me also part of the plan to ‘protect’ me?”

He paused, something unnamed flashing across his face like my question had landed harder than he expected.

“That was…”

“A mistake that was never supposed to happen,” I completed the statement for him.

Silence.

“You said you wanted to confirm if I was a threat or not,” I said, my gaze unwavering. “So, tell me, ‘Rodion,’ do you think I’m a threat?”

“Not really…”

“It’s a yes or a no,” I interrupted, my voice firm and steady. “Am I a threat to your brotherhood?”

He hesitated, then said calmly, “No.”

“Then why did you send your men to kidnap me?”

Silence.

“I don’t like it here, Rodion, or Anton—or whatever your name is—so let me go.”

His lips curled into a mischievous smirk, the kind that did something to me I was too ashamed to admit.

I hated how badly his intoxicating scent was affecting me. How even in such a serious and defining moment, I still thought he was super hot and sexy.

He closed the distance between us without touching me, his intimidating gaze making me weak in the knees.

“I’ve been lenient with you from the beginning, Aria Bennett. But make no mistake, things could turn ugly for you real fast if you do not cooperate.”

My expression darkened in a bid to hide the fear his cold words had just inflicted in me. “Is that a threat?” I questioned, struggling to keep my voice steady. “Are you threatening me?”

“You wouldn’t still be looking me in the eyes if I were.” His response was even colder, his gaze so intense I almost wet myself.