The Hacker (Chicago Bratva 5)

Well, I’m not going to stop pushing. Or tempting. And if he wants to punish me—well, we both know how that will end.

With a whole lot of sexual satisfaction on both our parts.

I’m not giving up. I’m seeing this thing through.

Dima is worth fighting for.

10

Dima

I wake in the night to the sound of something outside the cabin. I leap out of bed and palm the Glock on the bedroom dresser. I’m in the master bedroom where Nikolai’s recovering. Even though he seems like he’s doing okay, I’m not willing to sleep in a separate bedroom. Like he might stop breathing just because it’s night or something.

I hear another sound—right outside the French doors that open to the deck.

I silently turn the lock on them, twist the handle, and nudge the door open, all the while I’m on an internal rampage against myself for not having figured out Alex’s every secret. Because it seems there must be something more to him than a trigger-happy Federal agent.

Something feels off. Very off.

The door opens silently—it’s solid and well-built. All the glass in this place is bullet-proof, so me opening the door might not be my brightest move. But fuck, my brother is lying half-dead in the bedroom, and I have an innocent female upstairs to protect.

A light splash of water draws my attention to the sunken hot tub a few paces from the French doors.

Blyad.’

The innocent female I thought was sleeping upstairs is in my hot tub.

Naked.

Moonlight glints off her pale skin.

“You nearly got your head shot off, amerikanka,” I say softly, putting the safety back on the Glock.

I should go back inside and leave her to her soak, but I can’t seem to make my body turn around. Instead, I walk past her, careful not to look, and stand at the deck, facing out. I place the Glock on the railing.

“You wouldn’t shoot me.” Her answer is just as soft. She didn’t seem startled—like she expected me to come.

Is she playing games again? Moonbathing nude where I’m sure to find her?

Probably.

Fuck.

I definitely need to turn around and go back inside.

Get the upper hand and show her I won’t be manipulated.

But I don’t move. I promise myself not to look at her. I saw nothing but her bare shoulders from the back. I won’t let myself turn and drink in the perfection of her youthful breasts. Because I’m sure they are as perfect as that pretty pink pussy I had my tongue on last night.

“Did you know there was a hot tub out here?” Her voice sounds a little rusty.

“Yeah.” I won’t look at her. I will not turn around.

“It’s so perfect—to soak in total luxury surrounded by nature. The smell of pine and earth. The moonlight. I’ll bet it’s a dream in the winter, too.”

I never considered the hot tub anything other than another amenity Ravil put in because he has money to burn. We have one on the roof of the Kremlin, too. I’ve been in it a few times, but I don’t make it a practice. I don’t really pay attention to shit like that.

I have to swallow back the offer on the tip of my tongue to bring her back here in winter.

I won’t be seeing her in winter. I’m not seeing her now. I need to make that clearer.

“Why did Ravil send us here?” she asks.

“In case there was heat,” I explain, even though sharing bratva secrets is totally forbidden. I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me. “Even though we didn’t do anything wrong. Alex should be the one hiding out somewhere. He would be if he were smart.”

A little splash comes from the hot tub, and I’m suddenly dying to know what she’s doing in there.

“Is-is he in danger? I mean—”

Anger that she’s worried for his welfare makes me gnash my teeth. “No more questions, Natasha. I’ve already told you far more than I should have.”

“You’ve told me nothing.” A note of defensiveness rings in her voice.

“I should have put a bag over your head driving here.”

I hear her suck in her breath at that and after a long pause, she says, “I’m glad you didn’t.”

Trying to shut her down more, I snap, “We’re here to isolate you until we know what the fuck is going on.”

“And do we?”

I laugh humorlessly at her choice of we instead of you. “Not yet, amerikanka. But I intend to unearth every last secret you or Alex have ever held.”

She’s quiet for a moment, then she says, “I don’t know why, but that kind of turns me on.”

My snort of laughter surprises me. “You like being the object of my investigation?”

“Yes.”

Damn, this girl. If she only knew how long I’ve been cyberstalking her.

The deck seems to tilt as the dark trees murmur and shake around us. A sharp sense of ownership snaps into place between us. An exchange of power she willingly handed over.