Page 109 of Maddening Fixation

The enormous iron gates of the Sokolov estate slowly opened as my car approached.

I barely noticed.

Autopilot carried me the rest of the way up the long circular driveway.

Only after parking did I realize someone was standing beneath one of the stone lanterns near the entrance.

A man.

Hands tucked inside his jacket pockets.

Waiting.

I frowned.

“Egor?”

He stepped forward into the light.

The easy smile he usually wore was gone, replaced by an expression somewhere between nervousness and determination.

“What are you doing here?”

I asked.

He stopped a few feet away.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

I frowned.

“I’ve already explained that something urgent came up. And last I checked, this is my house, not yours.”

His eyes finally dropped to my clothes.

The blood.

Color drained from his face.

“Juliet...”

He took an instinctive step forward. “You’re hurt.”

I looked down at myself. “I’m not. It isn’t mine.”

That answer clearly failed to reassure him.

“What happened?”

“I can’t explain.”

His concern only deepened.

Silence settled between us.

Finally, he sighed.

“I shouldn’t have spoken to you the way I did earlier.”