“Did your father know you were partying outside your territory? I bet he wasn’t too happy about that.”
The way he says it—your territory, not our—and the lack of any Russian accent…
He’s not working for my father.
And she called him… Malec.
Wait.
I gasp, my eyes snap open wide. “Are you Maleciandro Spallo? The one who killed Solas?”
He grins wider. “Well, I caught him. But I can’t take all the credit for his death. You should thank Abert, too. You’re welcome.”
His grip tightens.
I should be terrified.
And I am.
But something about the way he holds me… the way he looks at me… it’s like my body’s trying to relax into him, even while my brain screams danger. Something is not right with him. I feel my skin tingling at his touch.
My cheeks flush again. Thank god for the layers of foundation my father’s new whore caked on me.
Otherwise, I’d be a tomato right now.
“Let’s get out of here first,” he mutters, pulling me slightly closer to him. I don’t even try to fight it.
What's wrong with my body?
“Don’t worry,” the redhead says, resting a hand gently on my shoulder. “I won’t let my nephew hurt you. He’s just acting cold, don't be scared.”
My eyes widen.
Nephew?
Malec
Pedro eases the car onto the parking floor of our family building, sliding it across two spots—one usually reserved for my father, the other for Abert. They’ve got their preferences, but this way it’s easier to get Fedor’s daughter down to the underground training room for questioning before she even steps inside.
Better than dragging her straight into my father’s torture basement, at least.
I glance over.
She’s still got her face glued to the window like she’s hoping to magically phase through the glass. Her body’s clinging to the car door like it’s the only thing keeping her alive.
She wanted to run away fromher father.
I can use that.
“We’re here,” I say flatly. “And we’ve got some things to discuss…”
It comes out more like a threat than a statement. I don’t bother correcting it.
Bay and Pedro both turn, giving us matching looks—like we’re a pair of bratty kids fighting in the back seat.
Of course.
“Malec, stop scaring her. She looks pale,” Bay huffs, then shifts her attention to Roran just as I inhale slowly through my nose.
