AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Vasile’s hand clamped on my wrist, strong but not punishing, and held me in place.
“Apologize.”
The lethal tone of his voice froze me and everyone else in the room. After a moment, still halfway between sitting and standing, I shifted to look at Vasile, saw the rage on his face, the tight set of his jaw, his glacial gaze leaving no question of his anger.
“Your English has gotten a lot better,” David said, practically sneering.
“Apologize.”
“For what? For calling my?—”
Something dangerous flitted across Vasile’s face, and David cut off short. I’d never seen that before, David heeding a warning and some small part of me wished he hadn’t, wanted him to give Vasile a reason to mete out the damage I’d never have a chance to. But the other, saner part of me wanted peace, wanted out of this whole situation.
The room was tense, heavy with the weight of the brewing confrontation, and all I wanted to do was run.
“Gentlemen, we’re here as friends and business associates. Let’s not ruin the evening,” Vargas said. “I’m sure David meant no offense, Mr. Petran. So he’d be happy to apologize. Wouldn’t you, David?”
David looked like he wanted to spit, but he choked out the words, “I apologize, Mr. Petran.”
“You didn’t insult me,” Vasile said evenly. “Apologize.”
Vargas’s face showed surprise, and David turned an alarming shade of red as disgust tugged at his features. “You’re out of your fucking mind. I’m not apologizing to that?—”
“You should watch you’re fucking mouth,” Sorin interjected, voice equally lethal. “Or better yet, don’t. Go ahead, say it. See how Clan Petran handles those who disrespect what’s ours.”
Sorin put extra emphasis on “ours” and the implication was not missed by David. He exhaled hard, his hands clenched into tight fists on the cream-colored tablecloth. I focused on his meaty fingers, remembered the pain they could inflict. He exhaled again, every eye in the room on him, watching.
“I apologize, Fawn,” he said.
Vasile didn’t look the least bit placated, and it probably wasn’t lost on him that David may as well have insulted me again with the venom and scorn in that “apology.” I worried what would happen next.
But after a beat, Vasile stood smoothly, then pulled me the rest of the way up. Natasha and Sorin behind, we left the grand home.
FOURTEEN
Vasile
Fawn was out of the limo before it came to a complete stop. After speaking with Oleg, I followed her.
“Dammit!”
Her low-voiced words, agitated, not at all Fawn, hit my ears, the wrongness of them amping my reaction.
I walked faster, the sound of her voice and the cursing both cause for alarm, neither something that I had ever heard from Fawn.
When I entered, I zeroed in on her hopping from foot to foot as she clawed at the zipper of her dress.
“What are you doing, Fawn?”
“Trying to get this stupid fucking dress off,” she said, again reaching for the zipper.
I walked over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder, and after she finally stood still, I pulled the zipper down. She let out a sigh as the material was opened and then made quick work of discarding it. I let my fingers trail across her smooth shoulders and then tightened my grip, turning her toward me and stood silent until she met my eyes.
“What’s the matter?”
That moment with David had been unpleasant but necessary, a reminder to him she was mine, a reminder to the others that my word was not to be questioned, and perhaps most importantly, that I wouldn’t see her insulted.
“What’s the matter is I hate this fucking dress. I hate it! I hate all of it!” she said, voice going venomous. “Being on display, trussed up like a prize turkey to be gawked at, ordered around, a chew toy to be haggled over with no say in the matter.”
