Blood & Torment (Pins and Needles: Moscow Book 2) by Elizabeth Knox (best short books to read TXT) 📕

At Michail’s tenderness, I close my eyes, barely breathing. In all my life, I’ve never felt a gentleness like he’s showing me right now. Sure, the guys from the Devil’s Riot MC have been nice to me, but they aren’t Michail.

“Um, my room. All of my clothes were scattered throughout the room,” I admit.

Nodding, Michail steps back and helps me off the counter. He washes his hands in the sink next while I stand next to him. Turning the water off, he dries his hands, grabs the food, and guides me to my table situated off my living room. I sit in one of the chairs closest to the end of the six-seater table and he takes the one on the end beside me.

He pulls out the containers, not saying a word. The two of us stay silent for a few moments while he sets us up with our dinner. My mouth waters at the potent scents that fill the air and I smile.

“You have a pretty smile,” Michail says, surprising me.

A blush creeps up my cheeks and I shyly look away from him. “Thank you.”

“Trista, you don’t have to thank me for telling you that you have a pretty smile. I’d like for you to be comfortable around me. I need you to learn you can call for help when someone has been in your apartment. But for now, let’s eat. We can take this time to learn more about each other, yes?”

“You want to get to know me?” I ask, eyes widening at his announcement.

“I do,” he confirms for me with a grin that causes my stomach to do somersaults.

Oh wow.

Talk about swoon worthy. He’s handsome as it is, but grinning, he’s god-like handsome. Words don’t even come close to what I’m thinking right now.

I just hope by sitting here with Michail, I’m not setting myself up for more heartache. Because I have a feeling when it comes to him, he could easily destroy me rather than torment me.

Chapter Eleven

Michail

“You seem surprised.” I don’t know why she seems shocked, but she does. Trista’s a beautiful woman, from her lavender hair to those ocean blue eyes of hers. Even her body is delectable. She’s not overly thin and she has an ass I could take a few bites out of. In fact, I might tonight if I get the chance.

Fuck, my cock grows hard thinking about it.

Trista smirks and looks at her plate of Chinese food before her eyes meet mine again. “Not many people are as forward as you, Michail,” she says with an adorable laugh. The kind that makes me want to pinch her cheeks, but fuck if I don’t wanna stick my thumb past those lips of hers and watch her suck on it.

I know I’m far too corrupt for a woman like this, even with knowing as little as I do. I’m not a good man, and I’m one with many issues and sexual desires. The only way I’m ever going to figure out if we mesh well is if we get to know one another better. Though deep in my gut, I know she’s been through some shit, and I know the likelihood she wants to deal with someone like me is slim.

“You don’t know many Russians, do you?” I quip, watching as she busts out into laughter and the biggest smile I’ve seen from her spreads across her face.

In the midst of her laughter, my phone begins to ring, and in my job, you never silence it or ignore a call. I pull it from the back of my pants and see Mila’s name. Immediately, I answer. “You okay?”

Silence fills the line at first. “Michail, I need you. I need you to get here as soon as you can. Okay? I’m sorry . . . I just need you to get here.” Mila’s crying and it’s obvious from the way she’s hiccupping.

“What happened? Are you okay?” I rise to my feet as I ask these questions, knowing I need to get going immediately.

“Please don’t make me explain right now. Please, just get here. I’m so fucking scared. I’m hiding behind a dumpster,” Mila’s sobs tell me how terrified she is.

“Okay, send me your location. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Okay.” Mila hangs up the phone, and I look directly at Trista.

“I need to get going. I’m terribly sorry, but my little sister is in trouble. Something’s happened.”

Trista rises to her feet as well. “Okay, let’s go. I’ll help.”

I blink at her in disbelief. “You don’t have to, Trista. You can stay here a—”

“I said I’m coming to help you, so get over it,” Trista grumbles, heading for the entrance of her apartment. I follow closely behind and before I know it, we’re in her parking garage and in my car. I’m behind the wheel, glancing at my phone every couple of minutes to make sure my sister’s location isn’t changing.

It takes ten minutes before we can get to Mila, and I whip the car into the alley she’s hiding in, throw it into park, and get out of the vehicle. “Mila!” I shout her name, searching desperately for my little sister. She’s the only family I have and I can’t lose her. She’s everything important to me in this life.

“Mila!” I shout her name again, my heartbeat growing more intense, pounding in my chest.

“Michail,” she cries from behind the dumpster as I round the corner. I kneel and slide an arm around her, helping her rise. The second she’s standing and groans, I know something else must be wrong. Scanning over her, I can’t tell what it is at first. I help her walk more into the alley, and Trista rushes over, wrapping an arm around her.

“Who’s this?” Mila questions, obviously taken aback by Trista being here.

“Trista, I’m seeing her,” I answer without even thinking and for a split second, my sister isn’t scared anymore. She’s smiling. I’m glad my personal relationships can distract her for a moment.

“Ah,