Page 6 of Gilded in Blood

A shiver races down my spine, a reminder that I’m practically naked under this blazer. I tug the hem down hard, trying to make it cover more, but it’s useless.

The tailored jacket is short on a good day; now, standing on a Manchester street in nothing but lace panties and heels, it barely skims the tops of my thighs. The night air bites at my exposed skin, raising goosebumps everywhere. Brilliant move, Milana.

I quickly slide back into the passenger seat and pull the door shut, seeking shelter from the cold.

A minute later, Ilya returns, his long strides eating up the pavement. He yanks the driver’s door open, tosses my card holder into my lap without ceremony, and growls, “Here.”

Before I can say anything, he drops into the seat, slams the door, and starts the engine. The car purrs to life with a low, aggressive rumble.

I clutch the card holder, irritation flaring again. “You need to be nicer to me.”

He kicks the car into gear and turns those intense eyes on me, the look so sharp it steals my breath for a second. “Why the hell would I be nice to you?”

“Who pays the piper dictates the tune,” I fire back, lifting my chin.

Something dangerous flickers across his face. He gives me a slow, deadly glare that makes the air in the car feel heavier. “First of all, I’m no one’s puppet. I work for no one. Don’t misjudge this situation, I’m helping you, not the other way around.

“I could leave you half-naked on this street right now, drive off, and there would be zero repercussions. You’re at my mercy, princess. So, if you want to get home in one piece, shut that smart mouth and keep it shut.”

I’m stunned. No one, I mean no one, talks to me like this. Not with my last name. My mouth falls open to snap something back, but he reaches over and cranks the music up so loud the bass vibrates through my bones. The sound drowns out everything I wanted to say.

Fine. He’s not worth my energy.

I turn my face to the window, watching the city lights blur past, jaw clenched. The AC is on, cold air pouring over my bare legs and making me shiver. I cross my arms tighter over my blazer, painfully aware of how little I’m wearing.

Why do I do this? Why do I make impulsive decisions without thinking them through? Giving away my dress to a stranger in a cell felt right in the moment. Generous, even. Now I’m sitting here freezing, half-naked, next to a man who clearly enjoys putting me in my place.

His jacket is huge. It would swallow me whole and carry that intoxicating leather-and-woodsy scent. For one weak second, I consider asking for it.

But no. I refuse to beg this arrogant, controlling stranger for anything.

I stay perfectly still, teeth gritted against the cold, staring out into the night.

The music is giving me a headache. After a few more minutes of the bass pounding through the car like it’s trying to burst my eardrums, I reach over and switch it off. I brace for some sharp comment or him turning it right back up, but he doesn’t react at all.

The car falls into heavy silence, broken only by the low rumble of the engine and the sound of tires on wet pavement.

I shift in my seat, tugging my blazer down again. “What’s going on?” I ask, keeping my voice steady. “Why did my brother send you all the way here to get me?”

I expect him to ignore me or snap something rude, but he surprises me by answering.

“There’s a war brewing back home,” he says, eyes fixed on the road. “Michael, Adrian Volkov’s son, is out for revenge. He blames your family for his father’s death, and he’s getting desperate. Your brothers don’t want to leave you exposed out here alone.”

I nod slowly. I know bits and pieces about the Volkov situation. Enough to understand it’s serious.

Adrian Volkov was the vice president of Patheon, an exclusive society reserved for the world's elite.

Two years ago, after Calina married Maxim, he was invited to join Patheon. Adrian despised him from the start. He had been adopted as a teenager, not the real bloodline, and yet had become the new Pakhan. So Adrian had tried everything to destroy Maxim and prevent him from joining the society, even orchestrating an attempt on my sister's life just to get to him.

It was with my help that Calina discovered Adrian had been working with one of Maxim's most trusted men to betray him. Maxim got Adrian kicked out of the society. Adrian declared war on him. And with my brothers’ help, Maxim had killed Adrian. Now his son wants revenge.

Ilya continues without looking at me. “I’m taking you to your dorm so you can pack a few things. Then we’re heading straight to the private jet and back to the States.”

“What about my classes?” The words are out before I can think better of them.

He glances at me like I’m a child throwing a tantrum over nothing. “Whatever classes you have, take them online. It’s no longer safe for you to be here alone in England. You need to be back where we can keep you protected.”

The fight drains out of me a little. I know better than to argue when my brothers have already made a decision like this.