Chapter 3
Chapter 3
35 vouchers
Alexei Turner was in a foul mood, storming out of the Turner family’s grand mansion. Halfway home, he bailed on his ride, leashed up his dog, and figured a walk might shake off the bad vibes.
Big mistake. Or maybe the best one he’d made all night.
He stumbled right into a scene straight out of a gritty movie. A stunning, broken–looking girl–like a rose that’d been stepped on but was still fighting–stood cornered by a pack of lowlife creeps.
She was delicate, sure, but the fierce, do–or–die spark in her eyes? It hit him hard. Reminded him of a scrawny wolf pup he’d survived with in the mountains when he was ten.
All growl, all claws, defending its patch of dirt like it was a kingdom. Fragile, but burning with stubborn life.
That wolf ended up dead by his hand.
This girl, though? She was the same, flashing her thorns, ready to draw blood from anyone who came too close.
When she snapped a guy’s arm with that cold, untouchable vibe, it was like nothing could faze her.
Alexei, usually as warm as a glacier, watched with a flicker of interest. Then, for reasons he couldn’t quite pin down, he waded into the mess.
Up close, the girl was a knockout–face one’d remember in their dreams. But those big, clear eyes? They hit like a sucker punch, glittering like they held every star in the sky.
When she shot him a shocked look, he felt it in his gut.
His fingers twitched, itching to shield those piercing eyes staring right through him.
Screw it, he thought. ‘If I am in, I am all in.‘
Plus, he could use a good brawl to burn off some steam.
The thugs screams came fast and loud. If they were just sore before, now their bones were ground 10 dust.
They were kicking themselves now. They’d been paid to spook her, nothing too heavy–boss’s orders: no obvious marks.
But she was too gorgeous, and the idiots got greedy, thinking they could sneak a cheap thrill
Huge mistake. The beauty was a viper, striking hard and fast. And this random guy who rolled up was like death himself. They had no doubt–if killing was fair game, their necks would’ve been snapped already.
1/4
7:36 pm
Chapter 3
This was a disaster. A total trainwreck. The head goon was sweating buckets.
35 vouchers
Meanwhile, Alexei strolled back to Natasha, who was sprawled out, watching the chaos. He smirked, voice dripping with snark. “Quick hands, but you’re too soft. Gotta yank the weeds out by the roots, or they’ll just creep back. So, princess, what’s my reward for saving your ass?”
Natasha, who could’ve handled it herself and now owed this guy, just stared.
Alexei frowned. ‘She’s a mess.’
He reached to yank her to her feet, but–bam–he got shoved forward, crashing right into her.
His body hit something soft, his hand grazing her injured arm, and his other hand… well, it landed somewhere even softer.
Way too soft. New territory. Alexei, caught off guard, gave it a quick, dumb squeeze.
New territory. Alexei, caught off guard, gave it a quick, dumb squeeze.
The real troublemaker? His dog, dragged out for a walk and then ignored, now sat off to the side, blinking like a kid caught stealing cookies.
Natasha, squashed under his weight, sucked in a sharp breath.
Pain shot through her arm, and this guy–hot or not–was still parked on her chest. Her cool mask cracked, turning feral.
Her first words to him all nigh. “Nobody ever tell you?”
“What?” Alexei blinked.
“Don’t poke your nose in street fights.”
Before he could blink, her slim arms yanked his neck down, and crack–her forehead slammed into his like a wrecking ball.
“Officer! Help!” she hollered, voice cutting through the night. Sirens wailed as police barreled toward them.
Alexei, played like a chump, laughed low. “This how you thank your hero?”
He flopped into her old spot, voice dripping with mockery.
Natasha stood, dusting off, her face half–hidden in the dark but smirking. “Yup. ‘Cause I’m the girl who screws over her savior”
The untouchable Turner family heir, king of the city, got hauled into a holding cell at midnight.
2/4
7:36 pm
Chapter 3
35 vouchers.
When Shawn Carter rushed in with a lawyer, he couldn’t stop sneaking glances at the woman who’d sparked a rare flicker of kindness in Alexei–and then pinned him as a creep.
She was a rare kind of gorgeous. And ballsy as hell.
After sorting the thugs, Shawn braced for a kill order, expecting her to vanish.
Instead, he got,“Dig up everything on her.”
“Who?” Shawn blurted, too stunned to think straight.
Alexei, who hadn’t cared about a woman in years, was interested? That was next–level nuts.
Alexei shot him a look.
Shawn snapped, “Yes, sir!”
Watching her strut off, throwing one last death glare at Alexei, Shawn felt a pang of pity. ‘She’s done.‘
This was the look of Alexei about to dig up her whole life–and probably her entire family tree.
*****
Natasha had no idea who she’d crossed the night before, but as the first light of dawn crept in, her phone kept buzzing like crazy, dragging her back to the Clark family’s house.
The moment she stepped through the door, her dad, Andrew Clark, laid into her with a slap that stung like hell.
“You’re a damn embarrassment to this family!” he bellowed.
Caught off guard, she felt her pale cheek bloom red and swollen in a heartbeat.
The sharp crack of the slap made everyone in the room jump.
Lucas clenched his jaw, a pang of sympathy flashing in his eyes, but he held back from rushing to her side.
Natasha had messed up this time, no question. If she didn’t pull herself together, she’d only dig a deeper hole.
Still, Lucas couldn’t shake the feeling that Robert had gone overboard.
Her mom, Madeline, her big brother Thomas, and little brother Noel all shot her the same pissed- off glare. Meanwhile, Olivia, lounging on the couch, let a sly smirk slip through,
Last night’s plan had crashed and burned–those idiots Olivia hired botched it and got tossed in jail. She’d been pissed, but she’d played it slick, covering her tracks. The goons stuck to their story:
3/4
7:36 pm
Chapter 3
35 vouchers
saw a cute girl, got handsy, no harm done. Natasha could suspect whatever, but there was no proof.
Today, leaving the hospital, Olivia set the perfect trap, and the Clarks ate it up.
After disappearing all night following a failed proposal, no one asked where Natasha had been or checked her bruises. Instead, her dad’s welcome was a slap to the face.
‘Some family,‘ she thought, her chest tight with resentment.
Natasha didn’t bother arguing. She marched three steps to Olivia, who was lounging like she was watching a reality show, and slapped her hard across the face.
If she couldn’t hit her dad back, she’d sure as hell let their precious Olivia have it.
The move came out of nowhere, and the room went dead quiet, too shocked to react.
Even Madeline, who’d felt a pang of guilt over Natasha’s hit, shot up. “Natasha! What the hell’s your problem?” she yelled.
Before anyone could move, Natasha delivered another sharp slap.
Now Olivia’s cheeks matched–both glowing red.
4/4
