Chapter 20 Episode 20
1582 Words
The man’s eyes flit from the money to Belle and back again.Finally, he snatches the money out of her hand and lifts therope. “Don’t cause any trouble, alright?”
Belle grabs my hand this time and I let her lead me inside.
The music thrums through the building the moment we’rethrough the doors. The bass pulses through the floors like aheartbeat. Belle eases closer to me as the crowd tightensaround us.
“There are so many people.” She has to turn towards me to beheard, forcing our bodies even closer together.
I wrap a hand around her waist. “If Elise is here, I’ll find her.”
The club is designed with an oval-shaped bar in the center anda ring of tables around it. The back of the space is open fordancing. A DJ booth looms on a raised platform along theback wall. And, like the name of the venue suggests, the entirespace is painted a deep ruby red.
I tug her closer to me and whisper in her ear. “I’ll get us somedrinks.”
She shakes her head, her loose auburn hair brushing over myskin. “I just want to find my sister.”
“There’s no reason you can’t have a little fun, too.”
She looks back over her shoulder at me, the lights above thebar catching the flecks of green in her eyes. Someone squeezesbehind her, and she steps closer to me, our bodies fittingtogether effortlessly.
It’s easy, touching her. Being next to her.
And, like a drug, every hit of her I get only makes me wantmore.
“I think I need to be careful about having fun with you,” Bellesays, barely loud enough for me to hear.
“I promise not to pull you over to the dark side. Unless youask nicely,” I say, repeating her line from out front.
She bites back a smile and then leans her head towards theback of the club. “Let’s keep looking.”
I pull on her hand. “I have a better idea.”
Before Belle can ask what I mean, I grab her around the waistand lift her up. She yelps before she realizes what I’m doingand plants her feet on the nearest table.
Belle squints into the flashing lights, her eyes scanning overthe crowd. From this angle, her dress is even more devastating.Her legs are on full display and the swell of her ass is visiblejust beneath the material. I want to lick her skin like an icecream cone.
“There’s too many people. I can’t pick her out.”
Behind me, I hear someone wolf whistle. When I turn around,the man with the buzzed head and the silver chain from theline outside is standing a few feet away. His gaze is hungry ashe takes Belle in.
“You gonna give us a show, sweetheart?” he yells, whistlingagain.
Belle tosses him a dirty look and holds out her hands for me tohelp her down. But just as I move to help her, the man jumpsforward and cups her ass.
“Here. Let me help,” he says with a s**t-eating grin on hisface.
“Hey!” Belle jumps off the table and spins around. “What thefuck is—”
But I don’t even let her get the words out before I round thetable and punch the asshole in the jaw.
My fist connects hard with his face. Something breaks beneathmy knuckles, and he spins away from the force of it. Thecrowd around us gasps and parts, but Belle moves in to grabmy arm.
I shake her off. Just as the man is turning to face me, I hit himagain. It’s almost not fun to beat up such a poor, outmatchedson of a b***h.
But the feeling thrumming through me isn’t one I can control.It’s untameable rage, hot and pure.
“Don’t f*****g put your hands on her,” I grit out. I chargeforward to grab the man by the front of his shirt. His stupidchain gets caught around my hand. I wind my fingers in it andpull it tight like a noose. The man starts to sputter and turnblue.
Belle grabs my arm and tries to pull me away. “Nikolai, stop!He isn’t worth it.”
I can hear what she’s saying, but the words don’t penetrate. AllI can focus on is making the man who put his hands on herpay.
The man claws at my hands as his face shifts through everycolor of the rainbow. I’d happily stand here and watch him die.Except suddenly, Belle spins around and is in front of me.
She plants her hands on either side of my face and forces myeyes to hers. “Nikolai.”
I blink and slowly, she comes into focus. Her hazel eyes, herfull lips. “Let’s walk away. Forget this guy and let’s walkaway, okay?”
I loosen my hold on the man’s chain, and he gasps to suck indesperate breaths.
Belle pulls the necklace out of my hand and squeezes myfingers. “He’s not our priority. Elise is. Come on.”
I let my fists fall to my side and unclench. “Are you okay?” Igrowl.
Belle swallows nervously and nods. “I’m fine. Completelyfine. The guy barely touched me.”
“He shouldn’t have touched you at all.”
She pulls me away and then flattens her palm against mychest. A crease forms between her brows. “How is your heartso steady after that?” She leans forward and presses her ear tomy chest. “You must have a resting heart rate of zero if this ishow you respond to almost killing a man for touching me.Who are you?”
The question reverberates through my mind. It’s a goodreminder.
Who am I? There are always two answers.
But tonight, I’m not Nikolai Zhukova, Bratva don and violentbeast.
Tonight, I’m Nikolai Zhukova, CEO of Zhukova Incorporatedand billionaire playboy.
I can’t strangle a man for touching Belle. Not in front of her,anyway. I have to stay in control.
“Come on,” I say, grabbing her hand and pulling her deeperinto the crowd. “Let’s find your sister.”
We move away from the bar and into the throng of dancers.People are jumping and gyrating, and Belle presses close tome so we don’t get separated. We move around the floor onceand then again, weaving our way between couples whilelooking for Elise.
“Where is she?” Belle complains, pressing up onto her toesand looking around.
I move up behind her and settle against her back. “Theproblem is we keep moving. We need to stay still and wait forher to come to us.”
She frowns. “That’s a terrible idea.”
“Because you think we won’t find your sister?” I ask, slidingan arm around her and grinding my hips against her ass. “Orbecause you’re worried what will happen if we dance?”
I smooth my hand down her stomach much the same way I didthis morning, and she leans her head back on my shoulder.“Both.”
“Trust me,” I whisper. Then I grip her hip and spin her aroundto face me.
Belle yelps, but the moment our bodies are pressed together,she melts against me. She has a body that was made to be held.Her waist fits perfectly in my hand and every part of her is softand inviting.
Her softness is in juxtaposition to the growing hardnessbetween us. With every brush of her hips against mine, I’m indelicious pain.
“I can’t trust you,” she murmurs. “But…”
Her eyes are round and sincere when she looks up at me. “Ican’t trust you, but I feel safe with you.”
I snort. “Not sure if you just saw, but I almost strangled a manback there.”
“You did that to protect me.” She draws closer to me, if that’seven possible. We’re touching everywhere, sealed together inevery way possible, but it still isn’t enough.
Fuck, I want all of this woman.
“No one has ever looked out for me like that,” she admits. “Noone has ever fought for me.”
With every roll of her hips, her dress is riding higher andhigher. I grip her bare thigh. “I’m not thinking aboutprotecting you right now.”
“What are you thinking about?” she breathes.
I lean forward and press my lips to her ear. “Ripping that dressup and f*****g you in front of all these people until youscream.”
When I pull back, Belle looks up at me. The look on her faceisn’t what I expect. It isn’t horror or revulsion. It isn’t fear.
It’s heat. Lust in its purest form. And I know without a doubtthat she’s going to agree. That she’s going to let me have myway with her right here in the middle of this crowd.
But then I glance over her shoulder.
“What?” Belle blinks like she’s coming out of a trance. “Whatis it?”
I press my forehead to hers, wishing for the one and only timein my life that I was less observant. “I found your sister.”
Belle jerks away from me and spins in a circle. “Where?”
“There.” I point to a break in the crowd. Elise is standing justin front of the speakers, her arms thrown over her head as shedances.
Belle sprints towards her. I follow behind at a predatory pace.
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