Page 41 of The Bratva King

“He’s calling the police,” she hisses. The anger is still there, but fear has moved in beneath it. “I don’t need that kind of drama. You can afford a lawyer. I can’t. Do you know what you’ve just cost me?”

She says the last part like I’ve taken something from her. I don’t understand it. This place is barely habitable.

“I’ll give you money for a new place.”

Just like that, her expression hardens, and she’s pissed again. “That’s right. Just throw money at it. That’s what men like you do. Money fixes everything. Your power. Your position. You never have to worry about problems.”

She’s not entirely wrong. I have problems. Money and power just make them bigger.

But I don’t say that.

Her eyes widen. “Shit. I knew it. Oh God. No, no, no.”

I turn to see what has her panicking. A police cruiser turns onto the street and rolls slowly toward us. That was fast. The window comes down, and an officer looks at the bags on the sidewalk before looking at the three of us.

“Got a call about a disturbance,” he says.

Gabby goes rigid and pushes Luke behind her. She pulls the cheap sunglasses down from the top of her head.

She’s hiding. Not from the landlord. From the police.

I step forward before she has to say a word.

The officer looks at me, and recognition settles over his face. “Mr. Sokolov.”

“Landlord-tenant dispute,” I tell him. “It’s handled.”

His gaze drops to my hand. The landlord is blubbering as he comes toward us. I turn and level a lethal stare at him, stopping him in his tracks. Then I turn back to the officer.

He nods once. “I’ll let dispatch know I checked it out and it’s all clear.”

“Good.”

"Have a nice day, Mr. Sokolov. Looking forward to seeing that hotel when it's open."

His way of letting me know I owe him. A reminder that favors are never free.

I nod once and watch as he pulls away.

When I turn back to Gabby, she’s trembling. She stood toe-to-toe with that asshole without flinching, but the police terrified her.

Interesting.

11

Gabby

My heart is pounding so hard that I can hear it in my ears.

We’re fine.

The landlord isn’t. He’ll call the police again, thanks to Nikolai breaking his nose. Men. Always solving problems with their fists.

I glare at Nikolai. He has the audacity to look unbothered after assaulting a man in broad daylight.

Unbothered and stupidly attractive.

Get a grip, Gabby. You’re in serious shit. And this man is dangerous.