Page 44 of The Bratva Betrayal

Any smart woman would.

But this woman handles herself. Misha has no idea what kind of woman he dragged into our lives.

Or maybe he does, and he’s just too distracted by the way she looks to care.

“Are we done?” she presses. “I need my hand back.”

“You done trying to hit me?”

“You deserve it.”

“Probably.”

The answer catches her off guard just enough to make her blink.

I let her wrist go slowly this time, watching the faint imprint of my fingers disappear from her skin before I lean back against the counter beside her.

“So.” I reach for another piece of fruit before she can stop me. “What are we doing today?”

“We?” She scoffs and reaches for her knife. “I don’t think so.”

“I do.”

Cady lets out a disbelieving laugh under her breath. “You can’t seriously think you’re going to follow me around all day.”

“I am.”

“You’re out of your mind.” She sets the knife down harder than necessary. “I’m not spending my day with the man who tried to kill me.”

“You’re still assuming that was me.”

“You admitted it.”

“I said I wouldn’t miss next time.”

“That’s not comforting, Artem.”

“It wasn’t meant to be.”

I watch her decide whether arguing with me is worth the energy.

It is.

For me, anyway.

“What do you think you’re accomplishing here?” Her eyes narrow into little slits. “You keep getting within two inches of me. What kind of information do you think you’re going to uncover now?”

My gaze drifts down her body once before returning to her face.

Plenty.

But that’s not the answer she’s looking for.

“Maybe I’m not looking for more information.”

She pops a questioning brow. “Then what are you doing?”

I push off the counter slowly, closing the distance between us again until the edge of the island presses lightly against her lower back.