The Bratva’s Bounty (Volkov Bratva #3)

6. Nicole

Chapter 6

Nicole

~1 week later~

I started to wonder if Lev was deaf, stupid, or both because the damn idiot continued to follow me despite how I got physical with him.

Honestly, I thought a literal smack to the face would do the trick, especially since he ended up with at least a broken nose from it—apparently not!

His persistence unnerved me if I was being honest. Because, why? What was his reason for following me? Well, not like I cared too much at this point because I wanted nothing to do with him, given his mafia standing, nor did I want to continue feeding whatever obsession he had with me.

I needed to shake him and show him I meant business.

Which was a big shame, because his Ferrari GTS was one sexy thing. Not gonna lie, thinking about doing what I plan to do breaks my heart a little. But, all is fair in love and war—and this was war.

I'd kept to my normal routine up until it was time for me to go back to my cabin, which is when I usually had to shake Lev off my tail either way, so doing this deplorable act next wouldn't be much of a deviation from my daily routine. Still, it was gonna suck big time. I felt like it would be one of those moments where it'd gonna hurt me more than it does him.

"Are you going to knock off the stalker behavior?" I asked in a raised voice, not bothering to look back to see if Lev heard me or not because I was sure he did, considering how we were down a quiet stretch of road where we were the only two people on it.

"No, but you don't have to worry about it for much longer after today because you're coming back with me and then back to your parents." Oh, fuck that! That's why he's been tailing me for the past month?! Oh, now I really wouldn't feel bad about what's about to happen.

It wouldn't have been bad if he followed me out of his own volition for some personally sick and twisted pleasure, but he was doing this for my parents? Also, my parents sent the damn bratva after me? Why the fuck didn't Angel let me know of this? Actually, now that I think about it a little, it's only been Lev I've seen and heard about, and nothing nor anyone else. But it also didn't make much sense because surely the rest of his brothers would have known about this task of his. After all, it was my parents, and they had ties to the mafia. So, technically, this could be mafia business, and obviously, his brothers should be in the know if it was mafia business.

Fucking hell.

Pissed and frustrated, just lovely.

"Fine, catch me if you can." I didn't spare him a glance as I took off toward my Kawasaki Ninja and turned the engine over the moment I got my hands on it.

With one hand, I threw my helmet on before revving the engine and turning around full circle to face Lev as he rounded to the driver's side of his Ferrari. Under my breath, I muttered a quick apology before reaching into my bag to pull out some small bombs the size and shape of ping-pong balls. Not giving him a moment to try and figure me out, I tossed the bombs at the underside of his car before pulling my phone out and triggering the bombs through my app.

Strings of loud pops, a little louder than typical gunshots, shot off, effectively blowing the engine of the car up and setting it ablaze. God that sexy car did not deserve such an end, but my survival was more important, sadly. With a sad sigh, I tucked my phone and high-tailed it out of there with a laugh when I heard Lev's angry cries of disbelief.

I did warn him, kind of. Well, I didn't explicitly tell him what would exactly happen if he kept stalking me. I would have felt a little sorry for him if it weren't for the fact he was after me on behalf of my parents. So, fuck him.

Well, no matter, he'll be yesterday's problem tomorrow. No way he'd keep pursuing me after that.

I'd thought about calling Angel to figure out exactly what the hell was going on, but I simmered down enough by the time I got back home. Lev wouldn't be a problem anymore, so no point in bitching to Angel about something that will literally be nothing. Seriously, she didn't need this on her plate, and I handled the problem.

Or so I thought.

Yeah, Lev wasn't too happy the next day, not that I blamed him. Actually, I was surprised at the lack of outward fury when he trudged up to me in the café and dragged me out to the alleyway again. His eyes, though, were a much different story. Those bright blue eyes of his stormed over to stark ice the moment he searched for me in the café. Such a lovely pair of gems that used to melt me now pierced me like daggers to the chest.

"How much?" The question quickly slipped from between my lips the moment I recovered from being slammed and caged against the wall.

"What?" The rigidity in his eyes melted to confusion as his head tilted.

"How much are they paying you? Whatever it is, I'll triple it for you to leave me the fuck alone. Just tell them you lost me or never found me, or tell them I'm dead, I don't care, just quit going after me to drag me back to them. This really will be your final warning. If you don't quit it after today, I'll do so much worse than blow up your car." Surprisingly, I didn't waver in the slightest with the fear that coursed through my body.

Sure, I may be formidable, but I paled against Lev. The only way I'd win against him was either behind a screen paired with a remote-controlled drone or him at enough of a distance for me to chuck a bomb at him. Up close, I stood no chance, not even a hair of one.

Seriously, my short ass stood at 5'4" while he stood at a whooping 6'2". No way in hell would I win in a physical fight against him unless his hands and feet were tied—actually, that kind of sounded fun. Not gonna lie, the brief thought of a powerful man like him bound by my feet. Damn it, stupid brain, this wasn't the time for such thoughts.

The damn man would literally maul me over like a bear charging over a child. Honestly, this was a funny scene in my mind before I shoved it aside to remain serious.

Anticipating a fight, I held onto the adrenaline pumping through my body. I needed to run at the first opening because, again, fighting Lev would be the worst idea ever. So, I was shocked when Lev's tense shoulders dropped with a slow exhale. I didn't relax, though, not fully, at least because what if this was some kind of trick to get me to lower my guard?

Warily, I narrowed my eyes at him. "I just want to be left alone."

"No." With how short and pointed his replies were to me, I started to wonder if he had a fully functioning brain at this point. "Did you really have to go and blow up my damn car for not listening to you? What the fuck is wrong with you, woman? You could have killed me. I was right next to the fucking thing."

"Oh, so the brute does speak English and can string on more than five words in a sentence at a time," I teased with a coo and smirk as if I was praising some child. "But you only got yourself to blame for the tragedy of your car. I don't play around, and I damn well warned you."

Okay, blowing up his car probably wasn't warranted, but it's not like I could un-blow up his car now. "And it wouldn't have killed you unless you were directly on top of the bombs. Besides, I knew a skilled man like you would be able to dodge out of the way fast enough." They were small-scale bombs meant for distractions, not real damage. The car only blew up because of the gas component in it and the fact I threw so many down there.

Giving him a once over, I could see that he was unscathed. Literally, there wasn't even a tiny scratch on him. The only thing hurt was probably his feelings.

Honestly, dude, walk it off.

"You couldn't have tried to buy me off before you blew my car up? What kind of backward ass logic is going on in that crazy-ass mind of yours? You proposition first and then act, or at the very least, go from least harm to most harmful. Fucking crazy ass woman," Lev retorted with a roll of his eyes and a scowl.

Mocking him under my breath, I rolled my eyes in return before jabbing at his—holy shit, his pecs are fucking hard and nice as fuck. I felt like an idiot for slowly flattening my hand out against his chest while openly ogling him like a tantalizing piece of candy, but god, damn, he felt sturdy as fuck. Well, if he had any objections or complaints, then he would have pulled away or said something, but he didn't. Lev surprisingly puffed his chest out a little with his deep inhale as he looked down at me.

Taking in a deep breath, I recollected myself and reluctantly pulled my hands back to my side. Clenching my hands up into tight fists, I averted my eyes from his hypnotic ones to get my words out. "None of this would have happened if you had just come clean to me in the first place as to why you were following me." As in, I would have dropped-kicked his ass twenty miles two weeks ago.

Breathing deeply, Lev ran a hand down his face before pushing off the wall and stepping back from me. "Don't get your cute little ass killed or snatched out there."

Then he left me to my own confusion without as much as a small glance at me.

Like, what the fuck, literally.

Great, what the hell was I supposed to do with this lingering adrenaline?

Something stupid is what.

"Wait!" Yeah, I took off after him before I even realized my legs had moved. "That's it?"

Lev's body paused and went rigid briefly before his shoulders relaxed, and he looked back at me with a mysteriously playful smirk.

"No. I'll see you tomorrow, Nicole."