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He swallows hard. He looks very upset.
“Little rabbit, all I want to do is keep you safe, and it is not safe out there. Not now.”
I hear his words, but I feel as though he is just manipulating me. He could say anything to justify his needs and wants. I don’t know him. I don’t know what he is capable of. I don’t know what he was doing at the container that night. For all I know he was well aware that I was trapped in there and he was just coming to collect his property.
I bite my lip.
“Thank you, Kiril, for your concern about my well-being,” I say carefully. “However, I do not need your protection. I can look after myself. I will be going home. I would prefer to be in my own apartment. I’ll be careful.”
I try to sound strong and confident, even though I do not feel that way.
His hands clench into fists on the table and his mouth pulls into a sneer. “No.”
“N—no?” I stammer.
“No. At this point, you do not have a choice in the matter. I will not allow you to put yourself in danger like that. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you because I chose to be careless and let you go. You will be staying with me until I feel it’s safe enough for you to do otherwise.”
“Kiril, this is not fair.” I feel the tears splash from my eyes.
“Jennifer, it’s only a matter of time before those men go looking for you and find you. Look around—I have security everywhere. The safest place in the world for you right now is here with me. This conversation is over.”
“Is this how you treat everyone?” I wipe the tears from my cheeks, not wanting to show weakness.
“What do you mean?” His voice is edged with confusion.
“You pretend to care, yet you can’t even have a fair and open conversation about what’s best for me. What about what I want? What about what I need?”
He sighs, his expression softening. He closes his eyes for a moment and when he opens them, he looks into my soul.
“Little rabbit, what you need is exactly what I’m giving you. I know you don’t understand this world that you have found yourself lost in—I assume you don’t understand the reach of the danger you’re in—but what you need is to be safe. I am offering you that. For now, you belong to me. It is my responsibility to take care of what belongs to me.”
I belong to him? What in the world does he think I am? A pet? He is no better than the men who took me, even if he is not one of them. He is keeping me prisoner; he has taken me against my will. But—at least with him, I am safe. I have not seen any evidence to suggest otherwise, so far. I think I am going about this wrong.
My eyes trace across his features and again I find myself thinking about how good-looking he is. Ridiculously so. His chiseled jaw is edged with a shadow of dark growth from not shaving for a few days. His features are strong. The thick muscles of his neck are tight with frustration and his broad, muscular shoulders are tense. I can see the rigid form of his body beneath his shirt, flexing against the fabric.
I drag my eyes back up to his face. For a moment, I was completely distracted.
I need to handle this differently.
“Fine, Kiril, I accept your offer of safety.” I pick up my champagne glass and take a sip.
His shoulders relax and he leans back in his chair. That is exactly the response I wanted.
The more I agree to his demands, the more relaxed he will become, and hopefully, soon, he will let his guard down completely.
“But I have a request,” I say.
“Anything, little rabbit. What do you need?”
“I want to message a friend of mine.”
“Why?”
“If I’m in as much danger as you say I am, then perhaps she is too. I’m worried about her, and I need her to not look for me.”
“Why would she look for you?”
“Because that’s what friends do,” I insist.
