Hostile Territory - Marie James Page 0,77

He isn’t looking at Dani like she’s at the top of his shit list. There isn’t murder in the man’s eyes. He’s watching her the same way he was in that picture Wren showed me. This man is head over fucking heels in love with that woman, and he honestly looks more hurt that it’s come to this than anything else. He doesn’t want this to end badly. If anything, he looks like he wishes it never happened to begin with. I can work with that.

“Dani, give him the damn diamonds,” I insist as I position my feet to jump in between the second Russian and Anna.

“I don’t—”

“Right fucking now,” I snap. “Lie again and I’ll become a bigger problem than these two guys.”

I wiggle the tip of my gun for emphasis because they have three guys each with them in their sights.

Dani never pulls her eyes from Nikolay.

“Kitten,” Nikolay coos at Dani. “Where are they?”

His voice is heated, a burning ember evident of the way he feels for her. He’s not done with her by a long shot. He’s fucking on fire with need for her, but it doesn’t seem to be the need to punish her for wrongdoings like one would expect. I somehow feel sorry for the bastard. Loving Dani will be his downfall.

Dani isn’t scared either, which says a lot because the woman has a gun pointed at her chest. I could never convince her to go shoot with me when I was on leave, no matter how adamant I was that she should know how to protect herself, and here she is not even trembling as her life is threatened.

“What’s the move, boss,” the second Russian asks with irritation in his voice. Now this motherfucker is ready to spill some damn blood. He’s the unknown, the loose cannon that will cause problems.

Flynn inches forward while the man is distracted, but he stops in his tracks when I tilt my head.

“What do you say, Petrovich? You get the diamonds and end this shit today?”

It’s a ridiculous hope. We invaded this man’s privacy, stormed into his house and held his house staff hostage while we looked for my ex. I know that can’t go unpunished. Hell, I don’t know why bullets aren’t flying already, but I also know I have to try. Dani has made her bed, and on the plane ride over, I made peace with that. It’s Anna that I can’t stand to see hurt because of her friend’s bad choices in men.

“Niki,” Dani whispers, and I’ll be damned if she doesn’t have the angry Russian by the balls.

The longing in his gaze is almost enough to make me want to turn my head and give them some fucking privacy.

“The diamonds, Kitten,” he urges, but the threat in his tone speaks more of a cat-and-mouse game they’re both familiar with rather than anything else.

“I need them,” she argues. “You know I do.”

“And I needed you, lyubovnik. I think we’re both going to be disappointed.”

I cock an eye at Ignacio, but he’s focused on Petrovich’s back and doesn’t look my way. I’d bet money that it was a term of endearment.

I take a step forward, and the second Russian curses in his native tongue, aiming his gun from my chest to my forehead. “Boss?” Flynn grunts, but I simply shake my head.

My guys are nearly perfect aims, but this issue is bigger than the people in this room. Killing these two guys won’t end the problem. Other than the thug sent for Anna and the blood Dani spilled in regard to Nikolay, no loss of life has happened yet. There’s no telling the fallout if we drop these two fuckers here today. I imagine it would be catastrophic, and I’m not looking to put Anna in anymore danger than she’s already faced.

“The diamonds, Dani.”

My ex-wife snaps her eyes in my direction, and I gain Petrovich’s scrutiny as well.

“Kitten,” he urges, his eyes still locked on me.

“Get the man his belongings so they can be on their way.”

Anna trembles even harder when the second Russian seems to grow anxious as Dani crosses the room to the safe hidden behind a painting on the far wall.

She seems put out, agitated at having to relinquish her stolen spoils while her best friend is probably near a stroke due to fear. I can’t believe I ever thought I loved that woman. Life partner, my ass. If we had stayed together, Dani would’ve already sucked the life out of me. The