Page 25 of The Bratva's Innocent Forbidden Bride
“Anything else?” I asked, disappointed that there was nothing useful and relieved for no good reason at the same time. The relief was snuffed out at CJ’s next words.
“The other deleted message was a name, Riku Yoshida.”
I didn’t make a single sound since I wasn’t sure how much Mat had told CJ. He’d want to keep her safe and out of this burgeoning war with the Yakuza. Inside, a tempest was raging.
Tati had lied about having any prior knowledge of Riku before arriving in LA.
“When was that message sent?” I asked, not sure why I had any hope at all. Or why I cared so damn much that Tati was being honest about everything.
“Those were sent at the same time as the ones from Grigor.”
She gave me the date, and I thanked her and ended the call. Now I knew that Tati was aware of Riku Yoshida before her arrival in LA, and how my enemies had found my current location.
Damn it, a good man was dead because of my mistake.
No, because of Tati’s betrayal.
Wasn’t it completely obvious now? Why was I still fighting against the facts? Instead, I was more confused than ever, and certainly more pissed off.
It was time to demand some answers from Tati. And this time, I needed the whole truth from the very mouth I was still thinking about kissing.
Chapter 16 - Tatiana
The next morning, the nurse was gone, which meant Kon was either perfectly fine or dead. A quick peek into his room told me he was fine, and I didn’t dare go beyond the doorway. Even lying motionless in bed with the drip attached to his arm, he looked far too dangerous.
He could still move with the speed of a striking snake, and I backed away, my fingers rising to touch my lips. They did not still tingle from his kiss, and I was not going to think about it anymore.
Nor would I ever bring it up to Kon when he woke up, because there was no explanation for it beyond being out of his mind on painkillers. That had to be the only reason, and it meant nothing, so why was I still thinking about it?
I was not going to examine my feelings about it, because I had none. The stupid kiss already kept me up half the night, tossing and turning and… no, not yearning for more. Stress kept me awake; that was all.
In the kitchen, I pulled out enough eggs for both myself and the invalid, only because it seemed surely not to when it was no extra effort. I had on my bulkiest sweatshirt and baggiest pants and was beginning to regret my attempt to be as unsexy as possible as the heat of the frying pan wafted up to raise beads of sweat on my hairline.
As if Kon thought I was sexy in the first place.
But that look in his eyes, not just when they flew open last night, right before the kiss, but a couple times before.
“Stop thinking about it,” I hissed to myself as I added grated cheddar to the eggs.
Once again, I was so lost in unwanted thoughts that I jumped when Kon filled the doorway to the kitchen. The sling on his arm was the only clue he’d been lying bleeding all over the newly scrubbed floor less than twenty-four hours ago. His golden bronze color was back, and he stood tall and strong and commanding as he stormed into the kitchen.
I dragged my eyes away from his muscular chest as he dragged in a breath to bellow at me.
“I’m done being nice. Have a seat, Tati.”
While the rough demand almost had me complying, I continued cooking, flipping the omelet, and turning to him with a forced smile. “When did you start being nice?”
To my shock, he stifled a laugh, but it was bitter rather than filled with mirth. I watched him forcefully gain control of whatever had him so worked up, a soft smile settling on his face as he changed his mind about how to get answers out of me.
“I need your help. Please be honest with me,” he said, waving his hand toward one of the kitchen chairs.
My laugh was real as I turned off the burner and reached for the plates that I’d set to warm in the oven. “You’re a horrible actor, and I have no interest in helping you with anything.”
His eyes darkened, honing in on me. “Not even with finding your father?”
Oh, he knew exactly what to say to break me. My facade cracked, my shoulders slumped as I set the plates down. I was burning up under his intense scrutiny, my very un-California clothes further weighing me down. I pulled at the collar of my sweatshirt and finally met his eyes.
“That’s the only thing I want,” I said. I already knew Kon was my only hope, perhaps the only one I could count on to be as determined as I was to find him. But what if…
