Page 38 of Maddening Fixation

His voice hardened. “...are ye doin’ here?”

Medved’s eyes narrowed.

“Keegan.”

“Bodgan.”

“We banished both of ye from this family years ago.”

He glanced toward the entrance where armed silhouettes waited beyond the doorway.

“What the hell is the meaning of this?”

Silence answered him.

I didn’t acknowledge his questions.

Didn’t even look at him.

He had forfeited the right to my attention a decade ago.

Instead...

My eyes remained fixed on Sergei.

At first...

Shock held his expression hostage.

His wineglass remained suspended halfway to his lips.

His face had turned almost ghostly white.

For a heartbeat...

He actually looked frightened.

Then...

Slowly...

The fear vanished.

The corner of his mouth lifted.

A familiar smirk spread across his face.

The very same smile he had worn while watching the police drag me away in chains.

The smile of a man convinced he’d gotten away with murder.

His gaze drifted deliberately toward Yarina.

He leaned slightly closer to her. Not enough to alarm anyone else. Just enough for me to notice.

A calculated provocation.

His fingers brushed lightly against the back of her chair.