DANIEL VOLKOV

"Spread your legs," I ordered, my steps slow and steady behind Clara. "Wider."

With serious focus, she fired the pistol. Her body jerked back from recoil. The sound blasted through the indoor shooting range. The bullet? It barely grazed the edge of the paper target.

"Again."

"I can't do this." She shook her head.

"Of course, you can. You're being trained by the best."

"I don't want to kill."

"Well, too bad. You might have to." I shrugged as she threw me a glare. "I offered you a way out, you refused. This is the price. You need to be ready. That includes putting a bullet through anyone who threatens you."

"How many times have you killed?"

"Doesn't matter."

"How many?"

"Please, respect your teacher's privacy, young lady. I won't tolerate this kind of behavior."

"Fuck you." She laughed.

"If you make this shot."

"I. Hate. You."

I had to give it to her. Clara did not back down from a challenge. Oh, no. The past week, I'd put her through hell day and night. Between training at the gym and learning how to aim, she undoubtedly wanted me dead. I didn't go easy on her at all. But she worked hard.

I stepped closer until my chest warmed her back. Closing my hands over hers, I guided her fingers around the trigger. I forgot how small she was sometimes. Her muscles were trembling. But telling her to take a break would result in violence.

"I believe in you." I pulled back to watch. "Now show me what you got."

She pulled the trigger aaand—nope.

"Are you sure I can't kill with yoga?" She whined.

I huffed a laugh. "With a fierce downward facing dog? Yeah, for sure." The line between her eyebrows deepened as she stared forward. She wasn't present. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing, why?"

"You seem distracted."

She'd been distant ever since I asked her to leave that night. When I pushed her away, but she saw right through it. Not only that, but she also kissed my cheek and told me I made her feel safe.

Now I struggled to sleep, not because of nightmares, but because she invaded every thought in my head. I wanted to be near her. I craved her in ways I'd never craved anyone before. In ways that terrified me.

"How so?" she asked.

"I don't know. Like you're hiding something."

"I didn't realize we're besties. So what if I'm hiding something?" She straightened her arms to aim again. "Mind your own business."

Alright. I'd let it go. For now. She was holding a gun, after all. Even though her posture sucked.

"Bend forward." I kicked the inner side of her shoe, forcing her legs to spread wider. "On the balls of your feet, Clara. Good. A little more— there. Don't move. That's perfect."

She held her breath (which was the opposite of what she was supposed to do). It made the recoil a lot harder. She lost her balance and fell back. I caught her waist, pushing away the guilty pleasure as her ass pressed against me.

"I suck." Her complaint came out breathless.

Hm. Maybe our closeness was the reason she was acting weird? We had become way more physical lately, but that was due to all the training.

Kind of. Not really.

"Maybe I should teach you how to breathe. You seem to be struggling." I smirked, stroking my thumb down her hip.

"Are you teaching her or flirting?" Charlotte said behind us, walking through the door.

"Maybe you should get a life," I said.

Niko and Andrei followed her in, annoying me further.

Noticing, Niko flashed me a shit-eating grin and wiggled his eyebrows. "Did we interrupt something?"

Andrei looked pissed.

I shot him a warning look and changed the subject. "Any updates from CJ?"

"Not yet."

Romeo had texted Marko, telling him he'd found a better replacement for Sarah. The fifteen-year-old that Clara selflessly wanted to replace.

It still pissed me off every time I remembered our argument. Not because she said anything wrong. But because I was willing to put a fifteen-year-old at risk, but the idea of Clara taking her place made me want to kill someone.

There had to be a better way to catch Tomasso red-handed. So that was my new goal.

"What about Grigor and Artiom?" I asked.

He shook his head. "They're following Tomasso everywhere he goes. But nothing yet."

My mood the past two weeks had taken a toll on everyone. I should've never lost control. I should've never let Tomasso get under my skin. It was my responsibility to keep everyone calm.

"You know what we need?" I said in a chirpy tone. "We are way overdue for annual paint balling. I say we hit the woods."

Andrei's jaw tightened so hard, I almost heard a tooth crack. "All of us?"

I said to Charlotte. "Why don't you fill her in and let her borrow something to wear?"

"Why paint balling?" Clara gave me a wary look.

"Because it's what we do. It's a nice stress relief. Plus, it'll help you get used to shooting. Consider it dipping your toes in the pool before diving in the ocean. Hm? You'll like it. It's fun."

I moved toward Andrei as if we were going to chat about work, leaving the girls with Niko in the shooting range.

Once we were away enough not to be heard, I said to him, "What's your problem?"

"You're getting too attached."

"To who?" I smacked my lips when he glared like it was obvious. "No, I'm not. Would you relax? I know what I'm doing—"

"Do you? Because last time I checked, you promised that you wouldn't jeopardize our lives over an attraction. You promised."

Guilt twisted into my gut.

"Yeah, see?" He scoffed. "Whatever, man. I get it. You two have a connection, it's fucking obvious. But you're being stupid. You don't realize how this is going to end."

"I do realize—"

"You don't. If you did, you would keep your distance."

"I'm trying."

"Try harder. Do you understand that the only way you have a shot of surviving is if you kill her dad? Do you realize that?"

"I'm going to put him behind bars." The lie tasted bitter on my tongue.

Putting him behind bars would've been a fool's dream. An idealistic pursuit. But men with Tomasso's power didn't care about bars. They slipped through them like it was nothing.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that."

"Fine, I'll keep my distance. You proved your point."

"I'm not trying to be a jerk. But if you win, IF you win, what makes you think she'll stick around. At the end, you're going to get your heart broken. Even if she wants to move on and be with you. It might take her years to recover. You don't even know if she'll want something else. Maybe she'll want a regular life with a regular guy. So whatever is going on between you two? End it before it gets more complicated. At least for now. For both of yours sakes. Just end it."

"I got it." I snapped.

~

An hour later, the five of us huddled in a circle in a pine-dense forest.

Their green branches formed a canopy above us, sunlight dancing through. Birds chirped. I filled my lungs with the crisp, deep scent of the earth.

Niko and I were shirtless—it was our tradition—victory tasted sweeter when it hurt more. Clara and Charlotte were in black yoga pants with matching long-sleeves and sneakers.

"I'll watch. You guys play." Andrei leaned against the tinted S-Class, keeping his distance after that brutal intervention.

"Why? We can play two against three," said Charlotte.

"I'll watch. I'm too sore to play," Niko nudged Andrei out of the way, taking his place. He crossed his arms and chuckled. "What? I did a lot of squats yesterday, bro. I'm not running. No way."

"It's paying off." I stuck my bottom lip out to show that I was impressed, nodding at his ass.

"Yeah?" He twisted to give me a better view. "You like it?"

"It needs a spanking."

"I know—"

"Okay, Andrei come on!" Charlotte sighed. "Before these two start making out."

I snapped my teeth at Niko and he kissed the air between us. Clara looked away and laughed. Andrei rolled his eyes and reluctantly joined me, taking off his shirt and throwing it at Niko.

Niko whistled. "Someone's been working out."

Andrei flipped him off, even though Niko was right. He did look fit as hell. Silent freak.

I gripped my electric gun, the sleek long design lightweight in my hands. Clara looked so worried, it was almost cute.

"Do you bruise easily?" I teased.

"Do you?" She challenged.

"Like a peach. Be gentle with me, please."

She cracked a smile, causing mine to widen.

"Ready?" Niko clapped, snapping our attention on him. "The girls get a thirty second head start."

"Why?" Clara scowled.

"Cause you're the weaker sex," I said.

Her eyes pierced me like knives, causing my blood to surge with adrenaline.

"You'll pay for that," she said.

"I hope so."

Niko did the countdown and the girls bolted off. They headed up the hill while Andrei and I waited. Within seconds, they disappeared into the forest. My heart thundered. The thrill of the chase making me feel more alive than ever.

When the thirty seconds were up, Andrei and I dashed after them. The trees blurred. Leaves and twigs crunched under our boots. My arms scratching against low-hanging branches, but I was enjoying every second of it.

We reached an open clearing, when suddenly the girls popped out of their hiding spots. They ambushed us.

Paintballs whizzed back and forth through the air. Splashes of harmless colors splattering on tree trunks. Our laughter echoed, with cursing and shouting overlapping each other.

We ducked for cover, then I heard Clara yelp. Neon yellow covered the back of her thigh.

I shot Andrei next to me.

"Ow!" He hissed. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Don't shoot her."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" He yelled.

But before I could answer, Charlotte jumped over our cover and fired. I caught Clara running off, using our distraction to her advantage.

I chased after her, praying that Andrei survived Charlotte's wrath, laughing as he screamed for help behind me.

Where did she go?

I caught a glimpse of her ponytail behind the trees, sweat coating my chest from excitement and heat. My legs drove me forward, the gun in my hands, with no intention to fire.

Then it went quiet. Too quiet. Except for the wind and the branches and the little creatures hiding.

I tried to calm my breathing. "Clara?"

Nothing.

I picked up a branch and quietly walked, my ears razor-sharp for sounds. Then slowly, snapped the branch in half.

Nothing? Damn. I thought that would trick her to run. I bent over to pick up another one, when red paint hit my chest and knocked me back.

She shrieked with laughter.

I gave her a feral grin and dropped my gun on the ground. "Oh, good luck to you now."

Her eyes widened as I ate the distance between us. She scrambled to aim at me again. But she had no time left. So what did she do? She threw her gun at my face and ran for her life.

The moment she reached a clearing, I tackled her full-force. I twisted in the air and suffered the hit. Small rocks and branches cut into my forearms. I rolled us over and pinned her under me—

A knife. She pressed a pocket knife right against my throat. My heart skipped a beat. I froze.

A laugh broke from her, so open and unrestrained, that it stunned me way more than the sharp blade on my neck.

"I did it!" Her eyes, the color of cognac in the sunlight, glowed with triumph. "I won. I kicked your ass. You're in my control now, Volkov."

I braced one hand beside her head, my breathing rugged, my laugh hoarse. "You cheated. If you didn't have a knife on you, I would've won."

"Oh, please. Don't be a sore loser."

"You cheated!"

"I used the element of surprise." She raised a sultry, intelligent eyebrow. "Admit it."

"Never." I brushed her hair away from her eyes. My fingers lingered, captivated, savoring the soft, smooth curve of her cheekbone, her jawline.

Our noses brushed together. As my gaze lingered on her lips, they parted with a shaky exhalation.

A thick swallow caught in my throat. The knife scraped my Adam's apple. Andrei's warnings in my mind were a distant noise. He was right. She would break my heart. But I just couldn't care.

"This thing between us. It's getting out of control." I ghosted my lips a hair's breadth away from hers. Aching. Her chest pressed against mine, every inhale quick and short. Her scent...temptation and torture. A torture that was a relief, a break from the danger lurking in the shadows. "You should tell me to stop."

A blush crawled up her neck and brightened her cheeks. "I have a knife against your throat." All that fearlessness combined with being flustered. It was turning into an addiction.

"You know damn well that's not going to stop me." I leaned closer. My eyes didn't leave hers.

Her heavy-lidded gaze lowered to my mouth. A challenge. A pleading. I groaned softly in response. Just a thread of space away...

Just one kiss.
One taste.

"Daaanieeeel! Claraaaa!" Charlotte shouted behind the trees. "Are you aliveee?"

A/N
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