Page 8
“So, you’re one of Machislav’s men?” I whisper, my eyes growing wide.
Nikolay lets out a harsh laugh. “One of his men, no, Moya golovolomka. More like the overseer and fixer of him and his men.”
The sound of a phone vibrating causes me to jump. Nikolay stands, moving to the other side of the bed, picking it up. He glances at the screen before laying it face down, not answering it. Turning back to me, he eyes me for a long moment before going into the closet. Uncurling my legs, I move to the end of the bed, not brave enough to get out of it yet, but curious enough to want to be closer to where he went. Nikolay reappears holding a handful of clothes that he lays on the end of the bed beside me.
I sit back on my heels with my hands in my lap, staring at them. He reaches out using the knuckle of his index finger to tilt my head up so that our eyes connect.
“Go shower and put on something comfortable. I’ll order us something to eat. Is there anything you want?” Nikolay questions.
The words are stuck in my throat, so I just shake my head. He leans forward, kissing me on the forehead before turning to leave the room. I sit there for a moment, trying to wrap my head around the situation I’ve found myself in. Shaking my head, I finally get my feet moving. Sliding off the bed, I pad lightly into the equally dark bathroom. Flipping the light on, I take in my appearance, gasping at what I see looking back at me. I reach up to take my hair down, one damn pin at a time.
I’ve pulled about a million out when there is a soft knock at the door. “Moya golovolomka, are you good in there?”
The gruffness of his voice with the care of his words breaks something in me, and tears start racing down my cheeks unchecked, choking me up. Slowly I drag my feet across the dark marble. I pull the door open, looking up at Nikolay. He cocks a single eyebrow in question, not saying anything. We stand there—him looking at me like I’ve lost my mind and me sobbing like a fucking lunatic.
I throw my hands up. “I was trying to get in the shower, but Lottie put a million and one Bobbi pins in my hair. I’m trying to get them all out, but I can’t.”
“I can’t say that I know what any of that means, but what I can do is help you take your hair down,” Nikolay says, a look of determination on his face.
Slowly I make my way back over to the counter, turning my back to the giant of a man. In a way that shouldn’t be possible for someone of his size, he gently starts pulling the pins out one at a time, allowing each long dark strand to fall around my face. I watch him through the mirror, concentration creasing his brow.
Taking a deep breath and building up some kind of courage, I ask, “How did I end up here?”
He doesn’t say anything for so long that I'm starting to believe he isn’t going to answer.
“We were talking in the maze when you fell into me once again,” he looks up from my hair, catching my eyes in the mirror. “Then you passed out and stayed that way until you woke up just a few short minutes ago.”
“I passed out?” I wonder. “The last thing I remember is coming out of the maze as the party turned indecent.”
“I take it the party turning indecent that way wasn’t the first time?”
Shaking my head slightly, I answer, “You would be correct about that. They’ve been that way as long as I could remember.”
“Well, that's the last one. Shower quickly, food should be here shortly,” he deadpans, placing both hands on the counter, caging me in. “No more spying on parties that aren’t meant for a woman like you.”
My back bristles at his demands, and I spin around to face him. “And who exactly are you to tell me what parties I can and cannot attend?”
Nikolay leans in so his lips graze my ear. “I am the man who will protect you and make sure the dark circles, fear, sadness, and pure heart never darken your beautiful face ever again.”
He then kisses me on the side of the head before pulling away and leaving me standing there in pure shock, with a need like I’ve never known coursing through me. Shaking my head, I turn on the shower and step into the steaming hot water to rinse away all the hurt, pain, fear, and never-ending empty feeling deep in my chest. The agony that hasn’t left me since the day I was forced to hand over a piece of myself. Guilt washes over me in the next wave because in all the craziness, I completely forgot the only person who cared about me and who I know must be losing his mind.
Hurrying out of the shower, I wrap a towel around my body, not stopping to put clothes on. I pull the bathroom door open, looking to see if the phone is still on the bedside table. When I find it’s not there, I turn and rush out of the room and down the hallway to the open kitchen and living room. Nikolay turns, eyeing me up and down as if looking for what’s wrong.
“I need your phone,” I demand holding my hand out.
“Why?” Nikolay asks.
Not sure what to tell him, I dance from foot to foot. “Please, can I have your phone to call someone?”
Nikolay gives me a small smile. “Sure.”
Smiling, I bounce up on my toes, kissing him on the mouth before spinning away, embarrassment heating my cheeks. I don’t make it two steps before he wraps an arm around my waist, stopping me in my tracks.
“Make sure that you mean it, because when I take you up on the offer, there is no going back,” he growls into my wet hair before kissing me on the top of the head and letting me go.
Heat floods my core and my nipples tighten with every step I take. Walking into the bedroom, I sit on the edge of the bed and look down at the phone, finding it locked. I go to the door, leaning on the frame and call out, “It needs a password.”
“One, two, one, five,” he answers.
