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In the midst of our back and forth, we moved closer. She’s a breath away from me now. Her green eyes are narrowed to slits. But the longer I stare down at her, the softer her expression becomes. Her indignation fades to something more akin to acceptance.
“Just… don’t hurt them,” she begs softly. “I won’t take Benjamin or turn you in. I won’t—I’ll do whatever you ask. Just please leave them alone.”
Her hair is still twisted over her shoulder, the ends curling against her chest and collarbone. I reach out and twist one lock around my finger.
“I think you’re stupid for sacrificing yourself for those people.”
She parts her lips to argue, but I tug gently on her hair, pulling her head to the side. Her neck arches, and I wonder what her pulse would feel like against my mouth.
“If you don’t look out for yourself, no one will.”
“You did.” She seems suddenly nervous. “You…you saved me, I mean. A few times now. It’s becoming a habit.”
“A bad habit,” I growl. “Don’t count on it again.”
Again, Piper parts her lips to respond. And again, I wonder what she would taste like. I pull tighter on her hair, twisting the red strands around my fist.
“If you make any further attempt to betray me, I won’t hesitate to retaliate.”
“But you said—”
“Not against them,” I sneer. One sharp tug and I could snap her neck, yet she’s still worried about everyone else. I lean close, my forehead nearly pressed to hers as I whisper. “I’ll retaliate against you, Piper. If you cross me again,youwill suffer. Fire will seem like a kiss on the cheek compared to what I’m capable of doing.”
32
PIPER
“I think I got everything,” Akim says. “Bandages, ointment, and… wait, what was the third—? Where did everyone go? And what are you two doing?”
Timofey still has his hand tangled in my hair when I look over and see Akim biting back a grin in the doorway.
“Sorry,” he continues, not sounding apologetic in the least. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll just—”
“Leave the supplies here and fuck off somewhere else,” Timofey finishes for him.
I can’t find any words. They’ve evaporated in the sudden heat coursing through my body, a heat that has absolutely nothing to do with the bonfire I created and everything to do with the man standing in front of me.
Akim drops everything on the island, as ordered, but he’s stealing glances at us all the while, which I’m pretty sure Timofey is not so fond of.
I want to shove Timofey away, but he isn’t in any hurry to extricate himself from me. He slides his hand out of my hair and lets it fall on my good shoulder. He nudges me back towards the sink. “Your arm isn’t in the water anymore.”
He’s right. My arm is hovering over the sink, but it shifted out of the water without me realizing.
To be fair, I was a little distracted.
He gently shifts my arm under the faucet and then moves away to sort through the supplies Akim brought.
He isn’t helping you,I tell myself.He’s just fixing the mess he made.
I swear I’m going to get that phrase tattooed on my forearm so my lady bits don’t quiver every time Timofey does something “nice” for me.
All at once, I realize Akim is whispering behind me. Before I can process any of it, Timofey waves him off.
“I know.”
“You know?” Akim asks, glancing at me. “She told you? For real?”
Timofey sighs. “I’ll take things from here, Akim. Go check on Benjamin.”
