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I roll my eyes. “Why does everything have to be about obedience and punishments with you?”
He grabs my chin, thrusting my head back and lowering himself until he’s the only thing I can see.
“Because it will keep you alive,moy malen’kiy voin. If I have to blister your ass to keep you safe, I will. Make no question about it.” His words hang heavy over me. “I will let you accompany me when I say it’s safe enough. But if you do anything behind my back. You do anything outside what I’ve given you permission for, you’ll feel my belt every time you sit for days.”
It’s a solid vow, and I take him at his word. There’s no reason to believe he’s bluffing. The tenderness on my ass speaks to his sincerity.
“Fine. I agree.” I bite down on my bottom lip. “I won’t step out of line.”
His left eyebrow arches perfectly as his lips curl at the edges. “Be sure you don’t,moy malen’kiy voin. Now, let’s get food.” He lets go of my chin and turns on his heel. He snaps his fingers and Max jumps off the back of the couch and follows his master. And then there’s me, falling in line behind the cat.
Mandy
“Do you even know him?”Natalie follows me around my bedroom while I grab enough clothes to last a week.
“Yes.” I grab a bag from my closet and start folding my pants into a pile on the bed. “He’s going to help me find Gunner.” I turn back to my dresser to gather up my bras and underwear. With any luck, they’ll all make it home safe from Maxim’s enjoyment of tearing my clothing to shreds.
“How can he do that?” she asks, handing me a bra that slipped from my grasp.
I shrug. “He has connections in the city.” Vague, yet true.
“I’ve seen his tattoos; I can imagine what sort of connections he has.” She sinks onto the bed beside my bag. “He looks dangerous, Mandy.”
She’s never been more right in her life but going into all the details of it will only delay me, and Maxim was very clear about my timeframe. One hour to get my clothes and anything else I might need for a little while.
“You know, he can probably hear you.” I hang my hands on my hips. “You sure you want to insult someone as dangerous as him?”
She frowns. “Mandy. I’m serious. I know you want to find your brother and it’s been so long, but getting involved with this guy… are you sure you’re not putting yourself in danger?”
Not getting him involved would be making the situation worse, but how to explain that without mentioning the Romanov family? Or going into any of the events of the last two days.
“Maxim is a friend of a friend who can help me find Gunner. I’m just going to stay with him until we find him. I’ll be fine.” And the fact that his touch turns my insides to molten lava is merely a bonus.
“What about work?” She pulls my charger from my nightstand and coils it around her hand before handing it to me.
“I’m still going to work.” I take the cord and tuck it into a pocket in my bag. “So, you see, he’s not going to have me locked away in some dungeon.” Though I wouldn’t put it past him.
“No, he just wants to keep you hostage on your time off.” She screws her lips up. “I mean, he’s not horrible to look at, and he looks rich as fuck, so I guess if you’re going to be someone’s prisoner, it could be worse?” She pulls her shoulders up to her ears.
“I’m not a hostage,” I assure her as I zip the bag. “It’s only for a week, maybe two.”
“I guess if he was going to steal you away to kill you, he wouldn’t have brought you here to get your clothes.” She slides off my bed and tucks her hands into the back pockets of her jeans.
“He’s not going to kill me,” I promise her, though I suppose there are different ways to destroy a person, and I haven’t seen all that he’s capable of doing to me yet. “I’ll call you for proof of life as many times as you need me to.”
Maxim ends the phone call he’s been on since we got here when we walk out to the living room. When he turns toward us, the scowl pulling the darkness into his expression dumps more tension into the room. Great, now she’s really going to worry about him.
“I’m gonna need that call every day you’re gone,” Natalie whispers from behind me.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him.
“Nothing.” He looks at the bag at my side. “Is that everything you need?”
“She can always come back if she forgot something.” Natalie steps forward. “Right?”
“Anything she forgot can be bought. She’ll have everything she needs.” His eyes sear me when he says this.
“Riiiight.” Natalie pivots to the tiny dinner table that separates the kitchen from the living room. “I forgot; something came for you this morning.” She pulls out a note.
