57

Alexander
“Alexander!” Natalya’s voice echoes through the corridor as she runs toward me, shaking her head. “What are you doing?” Her hand lands on my arm and she squeezes, forcing me to look her in the eye.
And the moment I do, it brings me back to reality. I release his throat.
Finn falls to the floor on his knees, gasping for air. “What the fuck, Morales?”
I snatch the file out of his hand while he’s down, but I realize now I’m backed into a corner with nowhere to go.
“What the hell is going on here?” Nat asks, glancing between the two of us.
Once Finn recovers, he manages to stand and then glares at me. “I was just telling Alexander that I know all about your secret, Natalya.”
Natalya’s eyes widen and then move to me, searching my face. “How?” she asks.
I don’t know if she’s asking me or Finn, but Finn is the one to answer. “Broke into his bedroom and found that file.” He nods at it. “It’s very valuable information. If my uncle knew the truth, he’d use it against you.”
Natalya meets Finn’s gaze. “What do you want to keep quiet?” She holds her head high, meeting his gaze.
Finn smirks, glancing between me and Alexander. “I want Alexander to name me king of the academy.”
Nat snorts at that, but then turns quiet when she sees Finn is serious.
“And I want you,” he says, glaring right at Nat.
“What do you mean?” she asks.
“I want you on your knees, sucking my dick,” he says.
Rage kicks through me as I launch myself at Finn, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him hard against the wall. “You even look at her the wrong way and I swear-”
“What? You going to murder me, Alexander?”
“Don’t tempt me,” I growl, my fingers itching to wrap around his throat again and not let go until he can’t another breath.
“Deal,” Nat says quietly next to me.
“No fucking chance,” I say, looking at her. “You will not touch her, Finn. I will kill you.”
Natalya shakes her head. “I won’t risk this information getting out.”
“Then let me murder the slimy Irish bastard and all our problems are fixed.”
Her eyes widen. “And what happens when his uncle realizes you murdered him?”
Finn Murphy’s uncle is a savage. I know it as much as anyone. He’s crazy and murderous and the kind of man you don’t want to be on the wrong side of.
Even if I am a member of the Estrada Cartel, nothing could protect me from him.
I sigh heavily and release Finn. “I won’t let you touch her, Murphy. What else do you want?”
He taps a finger on his chin as if contemplating the question. “Start with making me king, and we’ll talk again after that.”
I growl. “No, I want your price now. Give it to me.”
“Two million dollars, then. That should suffice.”
Fuck.
As if I have two million dollars lying around.
“You’ll have to give me some time,” I say through gritted teeth.
He nods. “Fine, you give me that money and tell everyone I’m the king of the academy, and I will never speak a word of it again.”
“Deal,” I say without a second’s hesitation. “I’ll announce it tomorrow.”
Finn looks satisfied as he salutes me. “Good doing business with you.”
I have to clench my jaw to stop myself from beating him to a pulp. He turns away and swaggers off down the corridor.
When I look at Nat, she’s giving me the oddest look.
“What?” I ask.
“Why would you pass your crown to him for me?” she asks.
It’s crazy that she has to even ask that question. Yes, I’ve been the king of the academy since the day I arrived here, but that doesn’t matter.
If Natalya’s grandfather found out the truth, it could ruin her and her brother.
He would want them dead and they would be forced to go on the run.
“Because I won’t let him ruin you,” I say.
“Why?” she asks.
I move toward her and grab her hips, pulling her curvy body against me. “Do you really need to ask that question, Gurin?”
Her tongue darts out over her bottom lip. “Where are you going to get two million dollars?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“My brother would pay him,” she says.
“It’s my mess to fix, Nat, not yours.”
She bites her bottom lip. “I don’t understand why you’d given in to a guy like him?”
“Because I have to protect you,” I murmur, my lips an inch from hers.
Her breathing labors and then I kiss her, tenderly. She must know by now that this isn’t just a game, even if started out as one.
She pushes me away suddenly, shaking her head. “Why didn’t you just let me do as he said?”
Rage prickles over my skin. “You mean suck that son of a bitch’s dick?”
She nods. “How’s it any different from what you forced me to do?”
I clench my jaw, the mere idea of Natalya even touching him like that, making my skin feel tight over my flesh. “Because you are mine, Nat.” I reach for her again, but she dodges me.
“You don’t have any claim on me or a say in what I do.” She places her hands on her hips, glaring at me through narrowed eyes. “You are the one who needs to make it up to me.”
“Are you saying you want to be whored out to Finn Murphy?”
Her chest hitches as if I’ve hurt her, but she shakes her head. “I’m saying you have no say in what I do in my life.”
I realize that if I want to make amends with her, forcing this issue isn’t the way to do it. She’s punishing me for being an asshole, but I can’t honestly believe she wants to become Finn Murphy’s whore.
“I want to protect you,” I say, moving forward.
“Protect me from yourself, then.” She turns away, making the rage bubble over the edge.
I grab her wrist and yank her into me, staring down at her.
Her breath comes out in a rush as she looks into my eyes. “Alexander.”
“Quiet,” I growl, my hands moving to her hips and clawing at them hard. “I want forgiveness from you, Nat, but I’m not the kind of man you can walk over.”
Her lips purse together, but her breathing is coming hard and fast. Those beautiful brown eyes are dilated with desire, even as she tries to fight what this is between us.
“You belong to me and no other man can touch you. Do you understand?”
Her eyes narrow. “I understand that you are a hypocritical asshole.”
I clench my jaw. “Let me handle Finn. Let me do this for you.”
That softens her gaze as she sighs heavily. “If it gets out, my entire family could die,” she mutters, fear in her voice.
“I won’t let that happen. I promise, Nat.” I cup her face, knowing that I would do anything to make this right. “I will do whatever it takes.”
Her eyebrow arches. “Whatever it takes?”
I know she means that if it came to it and the stupid Irish bastard wouldn’t shut his mouth, would I kill him?
As I stare into her eyes, I know I’d do anything for the girl I spent years tormenting.
She has always belonged to me in a sick and twisted way. It just took me a long time to realize that I love her, even if I can’t tell her that to her face.
The only person I’ve ever said those three words to was my mother.
“Yes. He won’t hurt you.” I kiss her softly. “No one will ever hurt you, nena.”
She relaxes then, allowing me to kiss her. Perhaps I’m finally getting through to her.
This isn’t a game anymore. Natalya is my everything and I won’t let anyone fuck with her.