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I slip into character quickly. Putting my hands in front of me, clasping them together, I hang my head ever so slightly as I turn back to him. “Did you need something else?” I ask, raising my voice an octave to really sell the innocent act.
I have no doubts this man can see right through my little act, but everyone else can’t.
Play the game, Evie.
He beckons me over with a single finger like I’m a child. I work to keep the scowl off of my face as I walk toward him. “Yes?”
“Open it,” he says, pointing to the wine.
Slowly, I unfasten the cork. It opens with a loud pop that seems to echo all around us. There were no glasses in the back, so he’s going to have to drink from the bottle. Unless he wants to hunt one down himself.
“Pour it,” he says.
“There were no glasses,” I explain, “just drink it from the bottle. Damien doesn't seem to mind.” I gesture to him as he takes a long swig, looking smug and amused.
Alexi looks at him with disgust, then back at me. “Better figure it out, Princess. I don't drink from the bottle.”
I roll my eyes at him.
What an asshole thing to say.
Gasps ring out around the room. My eyes go wide. I instantly realize that I said that last part out loud without meaning to.
Alexi is on me in less than a second, grabbing a handful of my hair. He forces me to look up at him by yanking it back. He pulls so tight I’m convinced my scalp is going to bleed. Tears sting the backs of my eyes, but I’d die before I let one fall. I breathe in through my nose as I convince myself the pain is temporary. His stare bores into me, attempting to latch onto my soul, so he thinks he can bend me to his will.
Unfortunately for him, I don’t have a soul to command.
I stare right back, resilience in my eyes. He starts to pull harder, so I lock my jaw and push through the pain, my gaze never faltering. After what feels like a full minute, he leans down to my ear and whispers, “That smart mouth of yours is going to get you killed one day,Princess.”
What the fuck is up with these little nicknames?
He pushes me forward as he yanks his hand free from my hair, causing me to stumble.
“Since you are so glaringly unaware of your place in this world, I will map it out for you,” Alexi starts, loud enough for everyone to hear, “you areours.” He gestures to Lev and Damien. I glance back at them, Lev is wearing a pained expression on his face, and Damien is sitting forward like a kid watching his favorite ice cream be scooped and served up to him. “You will dowhateverwe say,whenwe say it. You will not talk back. You will not disrespect us. When we give you an order, you will follow through or you can pack your shit and leave.”
He stalks back towards me causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up. There’s a voice in my head screaming that his presence is something I’ve been craving. It’s similar to the feeling I get right before a kill. I have to fight to regain control over my thoughts, to stop myself from thinking about how turned on I am with his little show of dominance.
Stalking a kill is an incredible feeling, the rush of adrenaline as they walk right into your trap and step directly on the X you marked out is as thrilling for me as it is deadly for my prey. They have no idea how shifted the balance of power really is, thinking they hold all the cards. Right up until the moment my blade plunges into their heart.
Alexi’s standing over me now, assuming my silence is a form of submission. When really, I’m plotting all the places my blade could land before he could grab one of the two forty-fives strapped to the inside of his jacket.
“Do you understand these terms?” The whole room is still, waiting to see how this is all going to play out. He might not be able to kill me here, but he can definitely make my life harder. Which, ultimately, is not what I need from him.
“Yes,” I say firmly, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. A wicked smile returns to his face, but I can tell he isn't yet satisfied. He won't be until he sees the fight in me disappear. He needs to feel powerful and in control, just like I do.
“Yes, what?” he asks.
I clench my fists. I know I need to bide my time here and look for ways to enact my revenge.
Play the long game.
My uncle's words ring in my ears, while that bitter taste in my mouth grows. If this fucker wants me to bow, then so be it. So, knowing his day is coming, and that one day I will make him bow before me instead, I decide to play along. Lowering myself to one knee I look up at him with a smile, “Yes, my king,” I breathe, holding his eye.
His brows furrow, he wasn’t expecting me to give in. He was expecting to get to show off his new power and act like the man in charge. He was expecting a fight.
Alexi stands there, staring at me for a moment before adjusting his collar. Stretching out his arms, he pulls down his sleeves then nods his head as if he's satisfied with my submission. When we can both tell, he sees it for exactly what it is. A game.
He lets out what seems to be a controlled breath before pivoting on his heel and going back to his makeshift throne to look his nose down at me as if he thinks I'm beneath him. As if the whole room full of students is beneath him.
