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“Just tell us,” Alexis cackles. “It will save us all time.”
“She’s right. Because I need to get to bed. Another early morning tomorrow,” Lana adds.
I groan. “There’s nothing to tell. He is crazy rich and really attractive. And he gave me a ride home today.”
Alexis claps her hands with sheer glee, but Lana’s smile falters. “He gave you a ride home?”
“Yeah. He drove by when I was walking to the bus.”
“Wait, why did you take the bus? Don’t you and Mitchell have an extra car?” Alexis asks.
“It was at the shop.” Lana flaps a hand at Alexis and turns to me. “But he drove you home? He picked you up and drove you home?”
“Yes, Lana, that is how rides work. Why? Does it matter?”
“No.” But her forehead creases.
“She’s probably just thinking that you should be careful. He is a stranger. He could still be a mass murderer for all you know,” Alexis says. “Right?”
Lana nods, her expression a million miles away. “Yeah. Just be careful, Rayne. Okay?”
I hear the hint of something else in her voice. A deeper concern. One she won’t voice.
I want to console her, but I can’t even manage to do that for myself. I’m a ball of worry and doubt. I’ve been in a fog since Kirill walked into the room this morning and introduced himself. At this point, I don’t know what would even qualify as “careful.” Should I quit? Just put my head down and do my job?
“Okay.” I blow out a breath, releasing a tiny fraction of the tension in my shoulders. “But I’m sure it’s fine. He’s probably forgotten my name by now, anyway. Guys like that don’t pay attention to girls like me.”
But as soon as the words are out of my mouth, I know how much I don’t want them to be true.
10
KIRILL
By this point, I’ve memorized every goddamn blade of grass in the whole front lawn. Every time I hear a car coming down the drive, I glance to the window. I’ve watched every member of the household staff trickle in one by one. I’ve watched them trudge up the long drive to the house from the bus station.
But I haven’t seen Rayne. Not yet.
There’s a knock on the door. I spin around just as German steps inside. He stops just past the door. “Disappointed?”
“What?” I turn back to the window.
“You don’t look thrilled to see me. Almost like you were expecting someone else.”
“I’m never thrilled to see you.”
“She’s late again,” German says, ignoring my jab. “Sonya told me. She’s in the kitchen about to blow a gasket.”
I don’t need to ask him who he’s talking about. Since German walked into the living room yesterday and found me with Rayne, he hasn’t been able to let it go.
“Sonya is a stickler for the rules,” I reply. “She’s always on the verge of blowing a gasket.”
“Yeah, but usually, you let her handle the staff,” he says. “This girl would have been fired yesterday if it was up to that old witch.”
I look over my shoulder. “You think I interfered?”
“I think you have eyes, is what I think. You see what I see when I look at that girl: a damn fine piece of—”
My gaze sharpens, and German cuts himself off wisely. He tips his head in my direction. “Thatkind of thing is what makes me think you interfered. You’re going all caveman on me. Possessive and shit.”
