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CHAPTER11
SLOANE
Ispend the next day trying to familiarize myself with everyone on the boat.
Mia seems kind and has no business working for these assholes. I have a feeling she only works for Mikhail because of the money. She never talks unless she’s speaking to Mikhail directly. She is the cook and nothing more.
Dimitri has a sense of humor. He laughs at my sarcasm, which is not something I’m used to. I find it easy to talk to him at times. It’s hit or miss with him, but I’ve noticed something: whenever his shirt is buttoned, I shouldn’t talk to him. His temper is at its highest and he’s almost always busy on his computer or on the phone. But in the off chance his tie is off and his shirt unbuttoned, he smiles a lot. He jokes left and right, just trying to have a good time. I admire him for that. He’s able to separate his work from his life. A part of me thinks he does that because he doesn’t want to take his work home. He tells me he has three kids at home. It’s obvious to me that Anya and his children mean everything and more to him.
Lev is just like Mikhail. They’re always serious. I refrain from saying anything when I’m around them because they always manage to put me on the spot or make fun of me in a sickening way. Mikhail called him “brother” at one of our breakfasts, but they don’t look related whatsoever.
Speak of the devil, I find him leaning the upper half of his body against the side of the boat with his phone up to his ear. Turning his head slightly toward me, he looks me up and down and rolls his tongue over the side of his cheek.
“One moment,” he says to the person on the other end of the line. He watches me as I brush past him, but he grabs onto my hand.
His hand covers the bottom of the phone as he asks, “Where are you going?”
I glance down at the swimsuit I’m wearing and give him a look. “To the hot tub,” I tell him with confidence.
“You’re not going anywhere. I have places to be and I don’t trust you alone, so you’ll be coming with me.”
“I have a tracker on me, and you most likely have cameras everywhere,” I huff.
“Don’t play,” he mutters.
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“I never gave you a choice,Koldunya.” His hand wraps around mine. “Find a dress to wear. I’d prefer if it were blu—”
“I don’t care what you prefer,” I say, interrupting him.
“Did I say you could talk?” he asks.
“Did you say I couldn’t?” I bite back.
“Go fucking change.” He steps back and walks down the hallway, leaving me to deal with his sour mood. But what’s new?
I walk back to my room with dread and take in a deep breath. I put on the blue dress I wore to Ingret’s birthday dinner. Mikhail found a way to get all my things here, and it’s fucking creepy.
He treats me like his doll, and that frustrates me. It’s not difficult to treat someone like a human being. People have emotions, but Mikhail acts as if I don’t. I don’t like being pushed around and forced to obey his stupid commands, but I have no other choice.
Unless ...
Spending time with Dimitri served me well because I found one of his burner phones on the counter this morning. I’m scared to use it because I don’t want Dimitri to think I went behind his back. I care for him in a strange way, but I need to call my family.
Reaching for the phone, I dial my brother’s number. It rings a couple of times before he finally picks up.
“Koziov,” he mutters.
“Ruslan?” I ask.
There’s a pause followed by a long, hopeful sigh. “Sloane?”
Hearing my brother’s voice overwhelms me with comfort. “Yeah, it’s me. Listen, I need your help.”
He yells at someone in the background, probably telling them to shut up. “Where are you? Was it Giovanni?”
“Giovanni? No, it was Mikhail, but don’t—” I try to continue, but he interrupts me at the worst of times.
