ROW: If you’re lying to me, so help me I will make you pay for it.
Good. It’s been too long since we fucked.
ROW: Not cool, Mikhail. Not cool at all.
I love you. I’ll be up in a bit.
ROW: I love you, too.
Just as I’m about to close out our thread and head her way, a hand slams down over my mouth, covering the front of my mask despite the studs, and an arm wraps around my torso, pinningmy arms down as I’m quickly dragged backwards. I hear what sounds like a boot connecting with a door then I’m spun around to face what is clearly a fucking bathroom. I kick and thrash around, trying to get this bastard to drop me but he slams the door shut behind us and holds me tighter, and the thought of getting assaulted on my first day of work flashes through my mind.
I am an unattended omega on the floor of an auction house. Which means I’m unguarded and alone with a bunch of alphas working security. Rune told me most of the guards down here were alphas because of the clientele, and the only time omegas are down here is when they’re for sale.
Me being here by myself? That’s asking for trouble, and I didn’t really think about it until right now.
Not today, motherfucker.
I thrash harder against my would-be attacker, wrenching my body back and forth until my phone goes sailing across the floor and one of my arms is free. I quickly jerk my head forward before cracking it back against what I’m hoping is this asshole’s face, connecting with a grunt and crunch of confirmation before I jab my elbow into his ribs then stomp on his foot with my shitkicker.
He releases me so fast I lose my balance but I manage to put enough space between us that he can’t grab me again, and as soon as I do, I reach down and pull the butterfly knife from my boot then blindly lunge.
The blade sinks into his shoulder when he deflects at the last second, and when I move to strike again, knife in the air and feet planted firmly, all the oxygen whooshes from my lungs and I get lightheaded.
“Is that mine?”
That voice, the low rumble and soft tone, the way it vibrates through every inch of my body almost brings me to my knees. I stagger back several paces, blinking repeatedly at who I can nowclearly see, denial and confirmation warring inside my chest in a way that physically hurts.
I start breathing heavily, so hard I might hyperventilate, and just as my vision starts to get fuzzy around the edges, the voice upends my entire world with one simple sentence.
“Calm down,maly, I’m not going to hurt you.”
Then I’m seeing fucking red.
“You don’t get to call me that anymore, you son of a bitch.” I narrow my eyes on Dimitri, still questioning whether or not he’s really here even though I knew he had to be after the other night. I can scent him so much stronger with the river of blood running from his nose, there’s no question it’s him. “And why the fuck would I trust one goddamn word out of your mouth? Last time I saw you, it was down the barrel of a fucking gun.”
He leans against the bathroom door, turning the lock into place before he starts probing the hole in his leather jacket. “Nice to know you aren’t holding a grudge.”
“Fuck off, Dimitri.” I bend down to pick up my phone but before I can, a hunting knife lands in the floor directly next to it, the blade stuck in lacquered wood and standing straight up. “Did you just try to fucking knife me?”
“Eye for an eye, isn’t that the phrase?”
I glare at him as I straighten up. “Go to hell.”
“Take off the mask.”
“Why? You want to borrow it?” I internally cringe at the insult.
I never cared about how he looked, not really. It was just a bonus to me that Dimitri was gorgeous and always has been, even after half of his face was almost blown off. He still is, the bastard. He never gave a shit about his appearance, not beyond how Boris demanded his son represent the Bratva, but I know whatIthink of those scars is the only time it mattered to him. Up until right now, Dimitri knew I loved them as much as the rest ofhim, especially since he got them saving me, so what I just said was low, even for the situation we’re in.
He doesn’t show that, though.
No, the fact that what I said hurt him is not even close to evident in his expression, but I felt that twinge of pain through our bond, and that pisses me off even more.
“At this point I’ll use anything to keep from bleeding all over my goddamn shirt.” Dimitri spits a mouthful of blood on the floor.Serves him right. “I don’t want to have to explain.”
I roll my eyes. “To who? Everyone out there, who’s definitely going to give you shit for letting an omega break your nose?” I motion to the door behind him before crossing my arms against my chest. “Or you don’t want to explain anything tome?”
I sure as fuck have questions for this asshole, but I highly doubt he’ll answer any of them.
